Thursday, December 31, 2015

2015 New Year's Resolution Recap

It's the last day of the year - time to look back on 2015 and see how we did with our resolutions. I take my resolutions pretty seriously and I love putting them on the blog so I feel more accountable to them. So... let's see how I did!!!

Visit at Least Two New Countries 


My goal was to go to Canada and Mexico. It always felt weird to me that with all of the traveling I've done, I'd never been to the two closest countries. I had a half marathon in Canada so that was a sure thing. It was so cool going to a country so similar to the United States but still so different. I also LOVE exchange rates and this one was nicely in our favor. Most things were similar in price but the exchange gave Dollar holders a 30% discount. I also went on this trip with 3 of my best friends that I'd moved away from and it was so fun getting the gang back together.



I didn't do so well with Mexico though. Even though I could have done this one by simply driving 45 minutes and walking across the border, I totally dropped the ball. It sounds so easy but I was worried about traffic and safety. I think the best way to do this would be to find a bus tour or something to go a little further south than TJ, and spend a couple of days in Ensenada with Dan. It's definitely going back on the list for next year.

Run a Half Marathon 


I didn't run a half marathon this year... I ran TWO. I'm sign up for two more next year and I can't wait! Having a big race to train for is the best way to keep me accountable on runs and I need that to get myself out the door. The races themselves are a huge challenge but there are so many fun things to experience along the way - gorgeous views, cheerers, funny signs, music. The experience of the races are great. So is the training though because was the best way to...

Fall in Love... With San Diego 


Since I was running 3-4 times a week, I got to explore a lot of San Diego. We luckily lived in a area where I had a ton of trails - the harbor, all around Balboa Park, and then just exploring other hikes and trails I could drive to. Now we live in a new neighborhood and I'm excited to lace up my running shoes and explore these trails too. 

San Diego as a whole is really amazing though. It feels like a mix of my favorite things about the Bay Area and LA and I'm excited to keep having adventures in our new home. 



Find a Community in San Diego 


This was an interesting one for me. In the Bay Area, I had such a big group of friends from college and then my smaller blondetourage. When I made this resolution, I was kind of thinking something similar - I would find another huge group and a smaller group within that. However, so far, it's been more isolated one off friendships - and there is nothing wrong with that. At the moment, I think I'm making great one on one relationships and that can be a lot stronger than a big community. We've only been here a year, so a big community is still possible but I'm so happy I've made a few awesome friends for now. 

Finish a Big Creative Project 

This is one of those resolutions that turned out completely different than I imagined. I thought my big creative project would be a huge cross stitch (which I'm working on) or an awesome new cosplay (materials purchased!) but I didn't finish any of those (yet!) because something else came up.

Over the summer, my aunt passed away. She was a big reason why I love creating things. She taught me how to paint and sculpt. She showed me art can be as simple as painting a basket, coloring in the lines, or creating beautiful ceramics. I always felt bad that I didn't take art classes in college or keep pursuing art as much as I wanted to. I've been better in recent years with my costumes and cross stitch, but after she passed, I decided to take that art class. I got to create several awesome projects. The biggest would of course be a several foot long topographic map of California made of corks. I know my aunt would be proud of me and I look forward to taking more of them in the future.



Open Up Our Hearts 


This resolution was about adopting a new pet. I wanted a puppy long before Rocco passed away. I remember that awful day though and I turned and cried into Dan that I didn't even want a puppy any more because pets die far too soon. Obviously, I didn't mean that, but it is hard to lose a pet.

I fell in love with Harley the moment I saw her. I knew she was the puppy we were taking home. She immediately felt so comfortable and perfect with us. As she's grown, I know we got just the right dog. She's not too small but definitely not big. She's athletic and so so loving. Like her parents, she can be a little... willful, but at the end of the day, all she wants is cuddles and belly rubs and kisses. She perfectly fit the whole in our hearts and keeps up with our lifestyle.

I'd be lying if I didn't look at her sometimes and realize that I only get so much time with her. That's always the problem with opening your heart to a pet, they sadly don't stick around as much as you want them to, but I know we are going to love her as much as possible for as long as we have her.



The Trifecta -


This one was at the back of my mind the whole year and it just didn't happen. Between my family tradgedies, training for the half, art classes, and finances, I just couldn't make it happen. I'd like to say it will be pushed to next year but doing these races is really expense and we have a wedding to put on. I do belong to a couple of gyms now though so my goal is to keep up with training and be ready to tackle the beast (and super and sprint) in 2017!


2015 was a wild ride and I'm looking forward to next year. I hope it's a little more stable - the ups and downs of moving, getting a puppy, losing an aunt, getting engaged, and moving again have made it hard for us to enjoy every day adventures or travel so onto the next. Happy New Year everyone! 

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

On Getting Engaged



Wow, it's crazy to believe it's been over a month since we've gotten engaged and I'm only writing about it now. To say life has been crazy lately would be an understatement. I've been taking art classes 6 hours a week, beginning to plan our wedding, moving to a house, running another half marathon, and all while still working full time and maintaining healthy eating habits and friendships. Life definitely has been a whirlwind but we haven't been bored here for sure, and well, getting around to writing hasn't been a priority. I think, in general, blog posts are going to be slow for a while. I think a lot of my other projects show more tangible results for me and so this is an outlet that I just don't really need as much anymore. I'll still be popping in every now and then but I think I'm going to chill out from the regularly scheduled blog events. So yadda yadda yadda, let's talk engagement!

How It Happened


Dan and I love photo booths. We are self proclaimed rock stars at them. So when we went to a costume party and he pulled out the ring while we were in the photo booth, it was pretty perfect. It also meant that we got photos of the occasion which makes me so happy! It was also the start of Halloween weekend which meant that we had a lot of fun events to go to and were seeing a lot of friends in person so we could share the good news face to face.


Was It a Surprise?


Not really. We'd talked about getting married a lot and a few weeks before I went ring picking. I showed Dan the one I liked and then left him in store and waited... errrr... patiently... ish... until he popped the question! Someone brought up a good point - no one should be totally surprised by a proposal. If you haven't discussed getting married at all... then you probably shouldn't yet. It's about more than a wedding, it's about building a life together. Obviously, as a couple that's lived together for almost two years, moved across the state together, and adopted a dog, we've been building a foundation for that life.


On Marriage 


Marriage is scary. I'd be lying if I said otherwise. It's crazy to think that this is a decision that is supposed to be for the rest of my life. I think that's something that should be intimidating. It's a big deal. I spend a lot of time thinking about what a big commitment this is and the more I think about it, the more I realize how lucky I am to have a guy like Dan. I'm not the kind of woman who wants to be a little wifey, staying at home cooking and cleaning. I've always wanted someone who would be a partner and treat me like an equal and never be intimidated by my big personality. I have that in Dan and so much more. He's patient when I'm (usually) not, he drives me wine tasting, and he's always finding fun things for us to do. We definitely bring out the best in each other and I don't think I would have been able to do things like the half marathons or Whole 30 without him pushing me and encouraging me. Trust me, I did not make it easy for him to keep reminding me that I needed to get my runs in each week. Like he always says - "If the rest of our lives are like the last two years, this marriage thing will be easy."


Yea, Yea, Let's Talk About the Wedding Though


Omg THE WEDDING! Ok, so yea, I'm really excited about planning a wedding. We've dream planning pieces of our wedding and now we get to actually see what's possible. So far we have the deposit paid our top choice venue, but we probably can't have the dog be the ring bearer. I guess you win some and you lose some.

People keep seeming surprised by how much we've done already, but I organize things for a living and this is something I'm so excited about putting together. We're also getting married 10 months from now so we can't just sit around and hope it all works out. I'd rather tackle things that we can now and not be stressing out closer to the big day.

Man, I don't even know what else to write on the subject.I don't want to give away any details about the wedding on my public blog since a) I want there to be some element of fun and surprise for our guests b) this is a public blog and we're having a moderately sized private wedding.

All in all though, we are so excited about everything happening! Getting engaged is super exciting and to top it off we're moving to a house is a beautiful bayside neighborhood. Life has been moving so fast and has been so busy lately. Hopefully, once we get settled in our new house we can relax and take it all in!



Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Seawheeze 2015 - My First Half Marathon



Well, this post was supposed to come right after the Whole 30 wrap ups... better late than never though! Part of the reason it's been slow in coming is that I've been really busy lately - my work has picked up, I started taking art classes two nights a week, I've been organizing some book club meetings, and I got a little part time job as well. All of that plus my normal working out, cooking, and socializing has made me a very busy woman.

The other reason for the stop in posts is a little bit of writer's block. With my schedule, I don't have time for another challenge. I was thinking of just doing casual updates on balancing a busy schedule while still making healthy meals and keeping up with fitness but I know I do better with some kind of format so I'll have to think about a way to organize posts that won't be stressful for me.

But let's hear about that half marathon thing!!!

that's how long a half marathon is in Canadian


Girl's Weekend


One of the things I was looking forward to most about the trip was a chance to spend time with three of my best friends. The hardest part about moving to San Diego was leaving them and so it was exciting to have all of us in the same place once again. Getting four girls with strong personalities together can sometimes be a little rocky, but we had such an easy going, amazing time together. My friend Shannon took the lead on getting everything organized for us which was really awesome. She even made sure to find restaurants that would be Whole30 approved so I wouldn't have to cheat the last couple days of my challenge (and possibly upset my stomach before the race).



What's a Seawheeze Anyways?


Seawheeze is the official Lululemon half marathon. My friends are obsessed with Lululemon and Seawheeze is kind of a must try for all Lulu addicts. In terms of a race though... it's really more of an experience. For the entry fee you receive your race entry, a ticket to a festival, two yoga classes (plus yoga at the festival), exclusive Lululemon shorts, post race brunch, access to an exclusive runner's store, and lots of little bonuses and goodies along the way. All of that for half the price of a Disney race where you get a shirt and the race. The whole event is really designed to just make you feel relaxed and strong and loved and happy. It truly was something really special.


Tell Me More About that Exclusive Runner's Store...


Before Seawheeze, I had about 5 Lululemon things: a backpack I love and use everyday, two sports bras that basically suffocate me, and a bikini set that does not contain my assets. The last four items I got on super sale but didn't love and Lululemon just didn't seem worth the price tag to me.

And then the shorts arrived.

Like I said, your race entry gets you a pair of exclusive shorts for runners only. I didn't love the pattern when they arrived but there were two good points - they go with everything (the pattern is black with a variety of colored circles of different prints), and when you wear them, other Seawheezers will know you are also training for the race. I decided to wear them for my weekly long run in case I saw in anyone else. I only saw one other person wearing the shorts while I was training, but I came to realize that the shorts were the most comfortable things I had ever worn while running. By the time I'd left for the trip, I'd ordered another pair, a couple of sports bras, and a yoga mat. I had drank the Lulaid.

At first, I told my friends that I was going to sleep in while they waited in line for the store, but as we got closer to the trip, I started reading blog posts from past Seawheezers and really wanted to check out the store. I ended up waking up with them and bringing home a few souvenirs.

strategically does not show you how much stuff I bought

Luckily, Canadough is much weaker than the dollar so it was like getting some new shorts on sale! It also felt like a great way to reward myself for two major accomplishments - losing the ten pounds on Whole30 and earning some more fitting clothing as well as getting into a better workout and running schedule. Since these were the most comfortable running shorts I'd ever found, why not get some more to make running more enjoyable?

The actual store experience is a little crazy - think Black Friday gone mad. We waited in line for three hours and still had to search high and low to find items in our size. We heard plenty of horror stories about women stealing items out of other people's hands. Luckily, we didn't experience any of that and mostly all got what we wanted.

The Yoga


My friends and I decided to do two of the yoga sessions - the sunset yoga the day before our race and the yoga at the festival after our race. The two sessions could not have been more different. The sunset yoga was probably one of the worst yoga experiences ever. The instructor made inappropriate jokes, told us all we focus too much on social media, and seemed so disconnected from the practice. The only joy I got from it was watching one of my friends make faces every time the instructor said something ridiculous.

The festival yoga though - that was probably the best yoga class I've ever been to. To start, we were doing it outside in Stanley Park - which is just gorgeous if you've never been. Secondly, Shannon and I had picked up some of the exclusive Seawheeze beer so we had some er.... refreshments... for our practice. Mostly though - the teacher was amazing. She made it light hearted and fun. She told jokes and played sensual 90s R&B. She admitted she'd had a glass of wine already and was also having a good time. She also went through poses that helped us stretch and relax our muscles that had worked so hard earlier that day. It almost made me wish I lived in Vancouver so I could go to more of her classes.

The Run


But how about that run huh? I mean, that was the reason for this whole trip. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard. It was incredibly hard. Running for almost 3 hours (because I'm slow) is a long time. The race really fell into two parts for me though. The first half was pretty great. I did the first 10 k in 1:11. My fastest 10k by itself... is 1:07. So I think two things happened here - 1) my training really paid off and I'm improving in my running a lot 2) I gave it too much gas in the first half which really hurt me later. I think it was about 70% #1 and 30% #2 because despite going pretty fast (for me), I never hit a point where I was out of breath or tired. I also had a great motivation - kilometers 9-10 (miles 5-6) were a turn around point. Since my friends are all faster than me, I knew we would pass eachother and I was NOT about to look like I was struggling. I trained hard and I wanted to show it. When I passed my first friend, I got so excited that I got a burst of energy and it kept me going through seeing the other two. 

And then... the second half happened. After I'd passed all of my friends, the adrenaline lost the battle and I got a terrible stomach cramp. I tried to push through it but it felt terrible so I decided to stop and walk the next part (which was all uphill anyways). Once I got to the top of the hill, I felt better and got running again. I did pretty well for the next 5k. Around kilometer 15 (mile 9), I just started feeling a little tired of running. I decided to go on a walk/run alternate. Luckily, by this part, we were in Stanley Park and my views were awesome. There was so much race entertainment and so many people and groups cheering, that it really helped motivate me to keep going. 


the most beautiful sign in the whole world

And then finally it was the light at the end of the tunnel. The 20k (less than one mile left!!!) was one of the happiest things I'd ever seen. I even stopped to get a photo of it because I was so happy to be on the last kilometer. My Pandora (quick disclaimer: I listen to a Broadway Showtunes channel because I'm a little weird and I love musicals and they make me happy and happy people run better) station totally clued in because right then, Let It Go came on. It gave me so many happy memories of another race I'd done with Shannon and all I wanted to do was throw my arms out and sprint, kind of like the one scene in the movie when Elsa is singing the song and running up the stairs.

not a good way to finish a half marathon

So I basically started singing the song in my head and picking up my pace. I definitely had some energy stored up and I figured it was a good time to use it anyways since the race was almost over...
And then more cramps hit. About 100x worse than the ones at the halfway point. I wanted to push through and just finish but it hurt way too bad. Of course, another great Broadway song came on after Let It Go but I just couldn't pick it up. I managed to lightly run across the finish line because I didn't want to be the one walking at the end, was just happy to be done. I almost started crying because the cramps hurt so bad but eventually I got my free brunch and found my friends and warmed up and that helped a lot. 

So as to how it went... well, it's complicated. Depending on what half you look at it was either one of my best races or one of my worst. All in all though, I feel like it was what a first race should be. It was hard and I struggled but I feel like from here I can just keep training and working and getting better.

The Party


And then came the after party!!! Well, then came a nap and some poutine but after that came the after party!!! I already talked about the awesome yoga, but the rest of the festival was awesome as well!


First, the Lululemon Seawheeze beer was actually really good! It was a light lager with a little bit of a citrus finish. It definitely was a good re-introduction to alcohol after my 30 days off and it was fun to try it out with my friends... while doing yoga.

The festival itself also was just so well organized and clean. I mean, a lot of that probably has to do with the fact that most of the attendants had run a half marathon that morning, but still - the bathrooms never got gross, no one ever got too crazy. It was really nice. Also - the drinks were only $6... in Canadian. So like $4 in real money. I don't think drinks are that cheap anywhere.


St. Lucia


The bands were also amazing. I'm not too up to date on what's cool and hip in the music scene (remember back when I said my Pandora station was Broadway...) so I hadn't heard of the bands but St. Lucia was amazing. Even though I was exhausted, I still got up and danced a little. I definitely want to check out more of their music and maybe see them again if they come to San Diego!


It's All About the Journey, Not the Finish Line


But my biggest take away from the race... was that all of my hard work paid off. A half marathon is hard. Training for a half marathon though is the hardest part. I had to give up drinking for a month (I didn't have to I guess but not drinking made it easier to get up for runs). I had to wake up early Saturday mornings and go run for hours. I did lots of yoga and strength training. I put a lot of hours into just getting to the half marathon... and I'm signed up for a few more so I'm going to be doing this again and again and again.

With all of that hard work though, it meant a lot to me to have so many friends supporting me. The friends who did the race with me bought me an engraved necklace since they'd all gotten one at the Nike Women's Half. Many other friends texted and facebooked and asked how it went as well. It really just showed me that I have amazing people in my life and that I want to continue to surround myself with supportive people as I continue to make friends in San Diego. It's also made me think more about what I can do to be thoughtful and supportive of my friends in return.

The half marathon really was the start of something. I knew I'd want to do a few more of them. I knew I'd want to continue working towards improving in the Spartan community. I also knew I'd be coming home and starting my art classes. My life was about to get a lot more hectic and I felt like the race was a good experience to get my head in the right place and realize what's important and that would give me the power to really tackle everything ahead of me.

Holy crap we walked a lot of steps that day

Monday, August 24, 2015

Whole30 Wrap Up

Disclosure - I've been writing this entry as I've been going along. Some of my views may have changed a little so if it is disjointed, I apologize in advance.

I've outlined this as a little FAQ. Some of these are questions we've been asked. Some are questions I imagine you want to ask. Some are just answers because I like talking at my readers and if you're reading this, I'm guessing you're ok with that.

I'm so proud of this transformation so here it is again!


What Did You Miss the Most?


Easy - chocolate, cheese, and wine. Between those three, they varied a lot. At first, it was cheese. I'd gotten to the point where I was using it as a crutch and putting it in almost all of my food. I love cheese, but I see now how ridiculous it was. However, to compensate, I've been smothering everything in hot sauce so I'm not sure I learned much.

Wine and chocolate were really sorely missed when I was having difficult days. Those were the ones where I needed both but there were always instances where one seemed more preferable to the other. The day when I had the really bad cramps, I would have loved some chocolate. I always think about how in Harry Potter they use chocolate to help heal. Part of my believes that's real and I needed that chocolate healing power some of my 30 days.

At first, I didn't miss the wine much at all. It was more... something to do? I was worried about temptation to drink going out but staying in made me realize how much I just enjoy having a glass while I'm reading or watching TV. Later in the Whole30, I was really stressed and wanted some wine just to wind down. There were also some days where I would just think about the wine that would be perfect for that moment - maybe because it paired with my dish or the day was particularly nice and I wanted a refreshing glass of rose.

However, not being able to have those 3 things did accomplish something for me - it gave me more freedom over my actions. If I have wine and am tipsy, I can't work out.. same thing if cheese makes me feel less than optimal. It was nice to not have anything keeping me from an evening workout or doing what I needed to do. Obviously, chocolate is perfect and has no ill side effects so it doesn't really apply here.

What did you enjoy the most?


Buying new clothes now that I'm skinnier!! Just kidding...

If you've been reading this blog for a long time, I bet you know the answer. I loved finding new things to cook that were totally Whole30 compliant and super delicious. I have so many cook books that I largely ignore and instead I dove head first into them. I got to make so many awesome dishes and I have so many more untouched recipes. I think we could do a Whole365 and still only have to repeat things just because we like the taste and not out of lack of ideas.

We definitely were not bored with our meals

What Was the Hardest Part?


The hardest part of my Whole30 had nothing to do with Whole30. In the course of my 30 days my Aunt that I was very close with passed away, my work was very hectic, and I was training for a half marathon. Any of these situations on their own would have been hard to deal with and I had them all piled against me at once. These are all also situations that people tend to use as excuses to binge. I couldn't binge on Whole30 .

And that was a very good thing.

I think it's easy to latch onto our hardships as excuses and instead I had to find other ways to cope. While the running and half marathon training started out as a struggle, it ended up being a very useful form of stress relief. I also had my determination to finish and enjoy Whole30 to latch onto. I found a better way to work through my difficulties and have learned that instead of eating my feelings or drinking my stress, I can pour myself into a project or challenge and get a much better result.

I also think some of the rules are little too strict. I know a couple of things I used had little residual amounts of sugar (as a preservative), While the rest of the ingredients were clean or organic, this would still be non-compliant. I didn't stress over these things though so I guess I technically didn't have a perfect Whole30. I also think going strict on the "no treats even if the ingredients are all ok" is too much as well. Using paleo treats or alternatives are a great way to make healthier choices while still having fun with food.

Food is also a very social thing. However, eating out provides a lot of food and drink temptations. I found it easier to stay in than tease myself. While this helped me find lots of drink-free activities, it also made it harder to hang out with my friends because I didn't want to force this on them. I'm much happier now that I can find a balance of fun nights out and staying in to cook healthy meals.

Should I Try Whole30?

Early in my Whole30, I wrote out a whole long answer to this that basically said you shouldn't unless you have a lot of health problems, want to lose a lot of weight, or aren't drinking anyways because you're pregnant or don't drink or whatever. I deleted that whole thing because now that I've finished, I don't think that's the case.

So let's start over - before I can tell you if you should try Whole30, you need to ask yourself what you want to gain from this. Maybe you just saw my blog and haven't thought about it too much, or maybe you want a change for some reason. Limiting your diet for 30 days isn't easy. I think you need to really need to have at least one good reason that you can cling to when it starts getting tough. That will get you through the first 15 days. After that, your desire to not want to throw away the fact that you made it that far, will probably take you the rest of the way - but back to that one good reason. For me, it was wanting to do the most for my body to feel as good as possible going into my first half marathon. I also wanted my clothes to fit better but I'm not sure that would have been enough on its own.

If you need help thinking of good reasons - here are some:


  • Lose weight - I know I just said that wasn't a great reason... but that was for me. I wasn't big to begin with though and my weight struggles were more with the increasing difficulty of staying the same size as we age. I wasn't overweight by any means. However, some people have much more difficult weight struggles. If your weight is impacting your health and you've tried everything and it's not working - try this. 
  • Have more energy - Do you feel lethargic all the time? Are you not able to enjoy things because you're tired and mopey? Try this. Whole30 eating is a great way to give your body the type of fuel it really needs to function well. Be warned though - the first week, you'll be the type that are hit extra hard by the lethargy bus as your body adapts. 
  • Battle long term health issues - I can't speak to this one personally, but the Whole30 book has a ton of stories from people with all ranges of health issues and inflammations that saw them decline or disappear over their 30 days. 
  • Break bad food or drink habits - I didn't realize how far off the bus I'd fallen on this one until I was depriving myself of treats or drinks. Now that I'm post Whole30, I'm learning responsible ways to indulge. I want to drink less because I don't like feeling cloudy or not in control of myself. Treats feel more like much deserved rewards for my athletic endevours - rewards that I have to earn and rewards that I try to limit to one a day. I'm picking up better habits that let me enjoy fun food and treats without letting them take control of my life.
  • Sleep better - I definitely have minor insomnia. While this didn't completely go away, I found that I slept through the whole night better. This led to me naturally waking up well before my alarm feeling rested and that means longer days where I can do more with my life. Paired with more energy - I feel pretty unstoppable some days.
  • Combat/ identify food allergies - A lot of people have more food allergies than they're aware of and these could be affecting the way you feel from the energy and sleep mentioned above to just having stomach aches or cramps. I've had a few friends who didn't realize for a long time that they had gluten sensitivities and it's been a big life changer to find that out. 
  • Prepare for an athletic event - This was my main reason and it was a great driver. I was having trouble waking up for my runs and was feeling really burnt out. Making a big dietary adjustment like this helped get me really into my half marathon training and I'm actually excited to do more of them. I feel like I'm just unlocking my body's potential.. at 29... I wish so much that I'd discovered this earlier when my body would have had even more ability.
  • Teach kids healthy eating habits - Some people tell me they can't do this because they have children... wouldn't you rather have your kids growing up eating veggies and healthy snacks than junk food? Nomnompaleo.com is a really good resource for this. She has two kids and talks a lot about snacks and what things they love and teaching her children good habits from the get go. Remember how I said I wish I could have unlocked my body's potential at a younger age? Don't you want to give that gift to your kids? The Whole30 guidelines also say that children or those pregnant or breast feeding can and should eat lots of snacks and feed their growing bodies. 
So - if any of these scenarios might apply to you, give it a shot. It's 30 days. In the grand scheme of things, that's not very long. You can do anything for 30 days. If you hate it after that and feel terrible, that's it, you're done. But I really doubt it will come to that. 

Also - you can share this awesome picture if you make it all 30 days. I know you are all going to start your Whole30 RIGHT NOW just for that.



Any Tips for Getting Started or Having Success?


Definitely!!! Here are some bullet points:

  • Buy the book - For a paleo beginner, the recipes will be very helpful. I've been cooking mostly paleo for years so there was nothing dazzling in it for me but it really holds your hand through each day. The first 15 days or so are very difficult and the book gives a nice guide for getting through them as well as what you have to look forward too. There are also a lot of recipes for basic sauces and condiments you can make at home so you're not missing out on mayo or ketchup or BBQ sauce.
  • Clean out the pantry/fridge - In general, I try not to keep anything "bad" in the house. I never buy bread, highly processed foods, etc. However, I had a lot of gluten free or paleoish snacks lying around. To deal, I put them all in a paper bag and hid them in the closet. When I first went paleo, I donated a lot of "bad" food to the food bank too. 
  • Get Inspired - Like I said, the book doesn't have the most dazzling recipes ever... but they are out there. Look up famous paleo bloggers to get good recipes. Paleomg, Nom Nom Paleo, Balanced Bites, and Primal Palate are just a few great resources with lots of new recipes showing up all the time. They all have at least one cook book as well if you want to invest a little money in it. Feel free to ask me what my personal favorites are! 
  • Make shopping lists and plan ahead - Recipe planning and lists will save you! I like to bookmark / flag/ pin exciting recipes. When I'm planning a shopping trip, I'll look through them and see what jumps out at me and make lists. Don't forget to include some basics and staples though that you'll use all the time like eggs, fruits, hot sauce, prosciutto, and avocados... at lest those are my staples... those might vary depending on your tastes
  • Invest in your kitchen - The best way to do this is really to cook. Eating out for every meal will not get you the results you want because even if you check every box and modify your order, there's a good chance some non compliant ingredients lurking. However, cooking can be hard and this is where kitchen tools come in handy. You obviously don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on this but if you want to make this a lifestyle change, it's helpful to pick up a new tool every few weeks. Here are my favorites:
    • One really good knife - of course more are better but one very good knife that you can use for anything will save you a lot of frustration
    • A food processor - this is the most pricey item, but is a big time saver and will allow you to make sauces, soups, salsas, purees, or just chop things quicker. I have one that has attachments for a blender, processor, and smoothie cups which is awesome.
    • A spiralizer - this is the most fun item on the list. If you were every wondering how to make zoodles, this is it! 
    • A Crock Pot - for all those times you think "I don't have time to cook." I used my Crock Pot several times during Whole30 and I'm excited to keep unlocking it's potential. It's so awesome to pop a few ingredients in, turn it on, and then go to sleep or work and have dinner cooking in the background

Will You Continue Whole30 or Do Another One?


So after all of that, I'm sure you know what my answer is.... yes! I don't know if I would commit to another pure Whole30 short of being pregnant or completely losing all self control. I might consider hoping on the January ones every year as a post-holiday detox, but other than that, doing a full 30 day Whole30 might not be necessary.

However, I think Dan and I both really liked the effects and want to strive to a mostly Whole30 lifestyle. I'm obviously going to start having wine and cheese and chocolate again but maybe in moderation now. I think we don't have to eat out and have cheat meals as much. I want to use treats as an award for my hard work. For example, I still have leftover birthday cake in the freezer. I had a bad day last week and almost ate it... and then stopped myself. I wanted to earn it so I'm saving it for after one of my long runs.

I also really like Melissa Hartwig's "One Bite Rule." The rule is that if you decide you can or want to have a cheat meal in your clean post-Whole30 life, there's nothing wrong with that. However, if you take a bite of your treat and realize it isn't everything you hoped and dreamed it would be, you're not obligated to finish it. We trick ourselves into thinking we have to and we feed our cravings by doing that.

Are You Driving the Food-Train or Does Dan Have Some Input? How Does He Feel About This?


We have a pretty easy time balancing our relationship and food. I buy and make most of the food we eat and Dan mostly goes along with it. He lets me know what he likes and doesn't like and I take that into account when I'm figuring out meals. Sometimes he'll say "We haven't had x in a while." or "We should grill soon." or something and I'll work on that too. I'd like to think about it as a very balanced, adult relationship. He's pretty open to trying new things that I make and I try to be sensitive to not making it too spicy or citrusy or whatever he doesn't like (especially since it's pretty easy to add that stuff to just my own plate).

What really surprised me though, was how much he ended up loving all of this. He wasn't as strict as me, of course. He had a couple of burgers and his birthday cake and a beer here and there. However, he mostly followed Whole30 - probably to a slightly stricter plan than what I would hope to continue on when we are done... and he has felt amazing. Dan's visible weight loss has also been obvious. He has a killer metabolism and works out a lot and he's a large person so weight changes really show up for him. I thought he would be unhappy with that but he told me he was having a much easier time at the gym. His pull-ups were much easier and he wasn't feeling and knee pain when running (which is something he had been struggling with a for a while). That all came at a time when I was struggling with Whole30 (as a consequence of struggling with other things). Hearing his non-scale victories was a great motivator.

If you can, do this with a partner. I know that I'm really lucky to 1) have an amazing partner to begin with and 2) have one that didn't bat an eye when I said I was going to do this. Ok... maybe he asked if our food was going to suck and then gave me a big hug when I said I wouldn't be drinking for a month. Anyways, the point is, if you can get your family on board (even just 90% on board), you'll have a much easier time doing this and sticking with it.

What is Your Plan for Moving Forward?


The most fun I had with this challenge was dusting off my cook books and making things that I've been meaning to try since I bought them... and I barely scratched the surface. For someone that enjoys cooking, having a huge stockpile of recipes is a Godsend. We were not bored with our food once I really got going on trying new things. We didn't even really have to repeat anything. If I did, it was more out of convenience or love of a dish than boredom or lack of options.

In general, I'd say our day to day will look more like strict paleo/primal. I'd like to stick with being mostly dairy free and only have cheese on occasion, maybe a couple of times a week for the dishes that really aren't the same without it. I think a glass of wine a night is fine and maybe a little more on the weekends. I still have a lot of training I want to do though which I think will keep me from hitting the sauce too hard. I also am ok with paleo baking going forward. For me, that was the silliest of the the Whole30 rules. I definiely understand that paleo waffles still aren't the healthiest food but I think allowing those treats every now and then and doing them in a way that is controlled and less bad is better than buying some over processed crap.

I just really want to continue on this path. I want to plan out more of my meals and use new recipes. I want to drink a little less wine than I was before. I want to save cheese and chocolate for special occasions. I want cheat meals to be a rare treat, not a regular occurrence. Mostly - I want to keep feeling good. I want my clothes to keep fitting well. I want my skin to keep glowing. I want to have control over my food and my health. But also - I want to be able to treat myself when I've earned it and enjoy social settings where there is food and alcohol. I feel like I'm in such an awesome place to make the best decisions for my health and my body... and my future.

Happy and Healthy



Friday, August 21, 2015

Whole30 - Days 30 and Beyond - Crossing the Finish Line

And the finish line!!! For me this was a literal and figurative finish line. I planned my Whole30 to end the night before my first half marathoner. Obviously, I didn't want to risk a stomach ache before my race so this carried through until I literally crossed the finish line. For me, it was really helpful to have an event as my ending date. It gave me a very real idea of how close I was to the finish.

But... let's see how we got there.

Day 30



Day 30 got off to an early start... like very early... like before 4 am early. For those who don't know, the half marathon was organized by Lululemon. One of the highlights of the event, is an exclusive store for the race. Limited edition race gear is released and for Lulu fanatics, this is a main reason to go. I'm not a crazy Lululemon fan (but that's changing day by day) but I've been getting into better shape and wanted to celebrate my half by picking up a few souveniers. I would have gone to the store a little later but my friends are crazy Lulu fanatics so we woke up early enough to make a rooster cry and headed out to wait in line. 


In the end though, it was fun to wait in line and shop with my friends. I picked up some fun things as well! I'll get into all of that in another post though. 


After all of that shopping though, I was hangry. My friend and I walked around forever before we found anything that I could work with. Finally, I found a place with eggs benedict. They had a few options for them - classic and one with tomatoes. While there was gluten free bread, I knew it probably wasn't compliant so I asked if I could use tomatoes instead of toast. The guy has absolultely no issues with my substitutions. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it came with a side of veggies as well. 

Note: I'm sure the hollandaise wasn't 100% compliant but it's not too far off and at this point, I think it's more reasonable to make a tiny exception rather than have trouble finding anything substantial to eat. 


For dinner, my friend coordinating the trip did an AMAZING job finding a place that would work with everyone's different eating restrictions (we also had a vegan and a carb lover). I was happy to have a few options that would give me the meat and carbs I needed pre-race and in the end, the menu had even more available than what was posted online. I ended up having this super balanced steak, potato, and asparagus meal.


But most of all... I FINISHED!!!! Finishing any big goal is awesome - as awesome as a ninja cat with a golden gun riding a fire breathing unicorn into a rainbow. It's funny, I actually almost missed the significance of finishing Whole30 since I was on a trip and getting mentally prepared for my race. I had a little moment of personal celebration though and then it was time for sleep.


Day 31


Since I was going into a half, I wanted to be careful about sticking with my normal Whole30 pre-race rituals so I didn't feel sick on the course. This is a pretty careful line since race day is always a little more anxious than a normal run and lots of things can contribute to throwing you off.


For pre-race, I'd been having fruit squeezes (Basically and organic apple sauce with other fruits mixed in. My favorite is apple, mango, & kale.) and some turkey. I was a little anxious so I didn't have a lot of my pre-race food but on such a long run, it was good to get something in.


And then I ran a half marathon! I ended up having cramps at some points and had to walk. I think that will all the craziness with traveling, I just didn't hydrate enough the day before. I made sure to stop at every water stop after that though and it helped a ton. As much as I would have wanted to run the whole thing, it was best to listen to my body. It's not going to be my last half and it gives me more to strive for.


And then there was post-race brunch! The race actually provided food which was awesome. Obviously this was not Whole30 and honestly, that was ok. I ran a half marathon, I burned 1300 calories, and my body needed sustenance. It was nice to have something to put into it right away and I started feeling better after getting some food and warmth back into my body.


And then it was treat time!! I obviously didn't want to fall off the wagon the first day off of Whole30 but I was on vacation and wanted at least one special Canadian treat... POUTINE!!! It was amazing and definitely a great reward for everything I'd done that day.


Of course, I didn't quite stop there... There was also the exclusive Lululemon beer that I had to try after the run. It was really good too!


...and then of course wine. Don't worry - I actually had a Whole30 dinner (kale slaw and deli meats) but I had a few drinks to celebrate as well. I thought I did great though - I was able to try the drinks I was curious about but didn't get drunk or overdo it. If the big takeaway here is just learning to enjoy alcohol responsibly and for the taste and enjoyment rather than getting wasted, then that's huge and this whole thing is a win.


And Beyond!


But after Day 31, there are many more days. I let myself have a few treats on Day 31, mostly because of the race, but I didn't want to let myself think that it was now ok to just binge. I really want to stick with an 80% Whole30 lifestyle and that picks up again immediately.


So I wanted Day 32 to be on track again and start experimenting with life after Whole30. The first stop was breakfast. I was able to get some potatoes, bacon, and eggs with no problem. I just asked them to hold the toast and it was so easy. 

It actually feels really nice to not feel restricted by a challenge but want to keep going with it and eating healthy. When I was reading through the menu, many of the exceptions just didn't even sound great. I'd rather keep doing what I'm doing and feel awesome than get back into the bad habits that had me feeling down in the first place.

For dinner, aside from the wine, I still stuck to something Whole30 - a salad with crab, shrimp, avocado, and tomatoes. It didn't need cheese or anything else that wasn't compliant. I even nursed my glass of wine. I was mostly just thirsty and wanted to down a lot of water. After one small glass, I stopped up the bottle to save the rest for another night.

Actually, the next night was a little rough for me. We had a crazy day at work and my whole team had to be on all night. Dan's family was in town so I was trying to barbecue dinner while working. After work was finally done, I decided to just finish the bottle of wine - a bad, old habit.

I'm sure you could guess what happened... I felt terrible. I didn't like the foggy feeling in my head or not being fully in control of myself. It was a bad slip but also an important one. It was good for me to realize that I don't need more than a glass of wine a lot and that drinking more doesn't make me feel better. It's ok to enjoy wine, but there's really no pointing in continuing to drink it once you've passed the point of enjoyment.

Summary



I also took my before and after pictures. It's so easy to see that I definitely had a lot of bloat before. My tummy is flatter now, and my facial features are more prominent. I'm generally in a better mood with more energy (although a lot of recent stress has been working against that). My legs (where I carry my weight more) lost A LOT of size. The shorts in both aren't the exact same but they are the same size/cut/brand and you can see how much looser they are around my thighs. For weight, I went from 136 to 131 so not huge but something. I chalked it up to muscle gain from all my working out.

But there was still something curious about that... my change seemed more drastic than 5 pounds and running usually is a weight loser not a weight gainer like lifting is. I hadn't been doing as much strength training because I was a little over expended with work, running, and family issues.

And then I saw something interesting... many of the women who ran the half marathon were saying they were up 5 pounds the day(s) after the race and wanted to know if anyone else had experienced that. So, a few days later, I decided to weigh again.. this time the scale said 127. The next day... 126. All in all, I came out about 9 pounds down which is way more in line with the results I was seeing. 

I also took another picture:



I guess after the shock to your body of running a half marathon, you retain water and nutrients for a few days. Seeing my total transformation though is such a great motivator to keep this going. Dan and I weren't hungry and we weren't bored. We loved the food we were eating and were both really happy with the developments we saw in 30 days. Now, we aren't planning on being as strict - a little cheese or treat every now and then isn't terrible, but I want to do at least enough to maintain where I am. I don't feel like I need to lose anymore weight but I want to keep feeding my body well and letting it decide where it feels more healthy. 

I'm going to do one more wrap up post with my all encompassing feelings about Whole30 so be sure to tune in for that as well!!

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Whole30 - Days 27-29 - On the Road

Almost done!!! Of course I couldn't make it easy and include Day 30 in this. You'll have to wait a little longer to see how that goes.

I apologize in advance for the lack of pictures. I thought it would be easier to take some while I was traveling but being on the road really throws me off and I just didn't think about it a lot of the time. I hope that doesn't take away from the post too much!

Day 27


I maybe had the best night of sleep I've had since starting this thing. I was worried last week when my sleep was bad. Good sleep was one of the better side effects I'd noticed and then it disapeared so I was worried I was doing something wrong. It turns out it was just the stress. Food affects us so much, but stress affects us even more. Having work calm down and getting things ready for my trip (as well as my super long walk) definitely put me in a good spot to get a better night's sleep. I woke up really rested and it felt wonderful.


I started with a nice leftovers breakfast. We still had a couple of pork chops so I heated those up with some potatoes and eggs. I have the worst non-stick pans ever so my over easy eggs always turn out over scrambled. I really need to invest in something better. 


For dinner, I wanted something easy but nice. Getting ready for a trip can be a little stressful with packing and make sure work is wrapped up, but from an eating perspective, it's also nice to enjoy your last home cooked meal in a while. The balance is finding something easy and quick. 

I decided to go with some Mahi Mahi over cauliflower rice with two salsas. The Mahi Mahi was super easy. I thawed my fish fillets over the course of the day then I just lightly seasoned them with salt,garlic powder, and ghee (lime works well too) and baked them for 20 minutes. It's also nice to broil for the last couple of minutes to get some nice color. The cauliflower just needed to be cut up and then pulsed in the food processor until it was in rice sized pieces. Then I just cooked it in bacon fat in a large skillet. The salsas were the easiest part. I started with the mango - I cut up a mango, some cilantro, and a jalapeno. I put it in a food processor with some lime juice and pulsed it a couple of times until I had big chunks. This salsa ended up being way too spicy on its own so I paired it with a milder pico de gallo I had in the fridge. Then I just sliced up some avocado and served it all together. 

This sounds like a lot of work but it was all really easy and I was able to do everything while the fish was baking while also taking plenty of breaks.


And then it was time to mentally get ready to leave my puppy behind. We went on a long walk and got some fun pictures, but I knew I would be sad to leave her behind. 

Day 28


Time to hit the road!


I didn't get a lot of pictures on day 28, but I managed to capture this one of one of my travel solutions. When I drive up to LA in the morning sometimes, I'm definitely guilty of stopping at McDonald's for something quick to grab and go. This obviously wasn't a Whole30 option. I decided just to pack up a little container of leftovers. This gave me something to munch on when I got hungry (or bored sitting it traffic) and made sure I was eating right.

For lunch, I knew exactly where to go - Chipotle. Chipotle is an amazing option for Paleo/Whole30 eating on the go. You can get the burrito bowl salad - no rice or beans, add fajita veggies along with your meat, and then you can have any salsa except corn as well as the extra guac. I did double meat and it was way too much food for me to finish - aka you won't starve eating Whole30 at Chipotle.

For dinner, my mom really came through for me. She make me steak and veggies with a side of mashed butternut squash. It was so delicious and I was really grateful she had no problem adapting dinner to meet my restrictions. 

On that note too, on this kind of challenge, it can be hard to see the day to day changes in yourself. I'd seen my mom about 6 weeks before and when I showed up, she immediately noticed a difference in my appearance. That definitely goes down as a non-scale victory!

Day 29


And then it was off to the races!!! 


Day 29 had me getting up early and heading to the airport to go to Vancouver for my half marathon! Even thought travel is annoying, getting to a new destination is always fun and I was pumped to flaunt my workout gear and excitement for the trip ahead!


But traveling on a restricted eating plan isn't easy. I had a little breakfast before leaving but I wasn't sure if that would be enough so I picked up some pistachios at the airport shop in case I got hungry.


And then we were off! The takeoff out of LAX goes over the ocean and since I nabbed a window seat, I got an awesome view of the beach on takeoff.


When I arrived in Vancouver, I was definitley hungry. A small breakfast and some nuts to snack on definitely don't cut it for a day of traveling. I was able to find a little salad place to get lunch at. It wasn't quite as filling as I'd hoped but it was enough to hold me over until dinner.

For dinner, one of my friends and I went to sushi. I was able to eat some seaweed salad and lots of sashimi to fill me up. I would have taken some pictures but we ended up having a lot of great conversation and it completely distracted me from the food. As much as I love taking food pictures, sometimes it's way more important to live in the moment and it's totally ok to miss a picture if you're just really present in what you're doing.

Summary 


Finding Whole30 options on the road isn't the easiest thing but it's not impossible. You just have to bring along some smart snacks and be patient in the search for menu items that work or can be easily adapted.