Whole 30 Challenge Follow-up

Well, I some what finished. I did the challenge for 3 weeks and I ate what I was suppose to only eat maybe 85% of the time. I cheated mostly on the weekends. I gave up the weekend before my last week on the challenge because it was Memorial Day weekend and yeah who wants to eat a strict diet when you are hanging out with friends and family having fun. I decided that I will keep up with the diet plan during the week as much as possible and probably just switch over to the paleo diet because its not as strict. I hate for the 3 weeks that I did do go to waste so I figure it can be my Monday - Friday meal plan and then on the weekend I can splurge a tiny bit.

My overall results from the challenge. At 85% I noticed a lot differences in my body and how I felt while doing the challenge. The first week was the hardest because I was coming of off all the carbs I was eating so I was tired a lot and slightly cranky. I really did eat a lot of processed foods and sugar so those weren't for hard for me to give up as well as legumes. By the second week I was in the habit of eating the whole 30 approved foods and I started to notice a change in my energy level. Instead of having that high than low feeling I had more of a steady energy level. It actually felt better to have a steady energy level and my workouts felt a bit better. I noticed a decrease in my stomach and I wasn't bloated a lot anymore. I think by eliminating the foods that agitated your digestive tract you have a big decrease in bloating and stomach issues. My belly did not go down completely but it did go down enough for my pants to fit better and for people to notice a difference in my size. As far as weight lost I don't really know if I lost any weight. I did not weigh myself in the beginning because they tell you not to weigh or measure yourself because the challenge is not for weight lost but is for jump starting a healthier way of eating. I do feel like I probably lost about 5 lbs. I'm assuming mostly water weight due to my water intake, a decrease in complex carbs, and beer. I do recommend if you do this that you don't do it for weight lost purposes but to make a lifestyle change. If your only focus is to lose a few pounds than you will not get from this diet what you expect and once you finish you will immediately revert back to your old ways.When you do something as a lifestyle change then you tend to be more successful and after a few months of following a healthy diet you will see the results. I will say I probably did have some weight lost and it was probably due to working out 4-6 days a week.

So, will I recommend this challenge? Yes, but only to people who are looking for a healthy lifestyle change and not just looking to lose weight in a short period of time. I did in fact do this challenge to lose weight but also to change my eating habits. In order to lose weight you have to change your eating habits and avoid the foods that are not good for you. I was already eating pretty healthy on a daily basis but some of the stuff I thought was healthy was actually bad for me. I now know what my body likes and what it hates and what agitates my stomach and intestinal track. I say give it a try if you a looking for a long term lifestyle change but for those looking to only lose weight quickly in a short period of time don't even bother.

Those of you just starting out I suggest you meal plan weekly. I was meal planning before I started because meal planning saves me money at the store but it also helps organize your meals because you have to do a lot of cooking at home on this challenge. I also suggest that you join the whole9 forum for support and google whole30 recipes and meals online. You'll be surprised at all the bloggers like me that have done the challenge and posted about as well as posted yummy recipes you'll like. Lastly, be creative because you have to. You'll get bored just eating the same thing all the time so you have be very creative with your meals and experiment.You'll soon find stuff you like better than the stuff you can't have. For me it was using cauliflower for a rice substitute and spaghetti squash for a pasta substitute.

Good luck to any new whole 30 challengers. I hope you get from it what I did...a whole new way of healthy eating and living.

Happy Transitioning!!!!

Monique

Health Slips: Whole30 Week 3 Meal Plan

So, It's now week 3 of my Whole30 challenge which I'm doing semi well on. I do very well during the week because I mostly cook and eat at home but on the weekends its another story. I normally only eat breakfast at home on Saturday and Sunday and its normally a late breakfast so by the evening time I am starving. Another reason I have been cheating a bit is because I'm out somewhere that don't have anything I can eat which I stated in my last post. Luckily, my cheating has been so minimal that I don't think it will make a big difference in the results I have been getting from the challenge. I also believe I will continue to follow my meal plans even after I complete the challenge. I'm really beginning to embrace not eating most of the stuff I was eating on a daily basis....but anywhooo here's my meal plan for this week:

Monday:

• Breakfast: Protein box from Starbucks. I didn't have anything to fix for breakfast :(
• Lunch: Left overs from my dinner on Saturday from Pappadeaux's. Grilled Tilapia with spaghetti squash and a orange
• Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala with cauliflower substitute for rice

Tuesday:

• Breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs and a black berry, blue berry, strawberry, flax seed and coconut milk smooothie.
• Lunch: Left over dinner from Monday
• Dinner: Southwestern Tilapia, spinach, and carrots...recipe  http://nutmegnotebook.com/2010/09/baked-southwestern-tilapia/

Wednesday:

• Breakfast:  Two hard boiled eggs, bacon and a black berry, blue berry, strawberry, flax seed and coconut milk smooothie.
• Lunch: Left overs from Tuesday
• Dinner: Pesto Salmon, mashed sweet potatoes, and broccoli

Recipe for Wed. dinner....http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2008/01/foil-baked-salmon-recipe-with-basil.html

Thursday:

• Breakfast:  Two hard boiled eggs, bacon and a black berry, blue berry, strawberry, flax seed and coconut milk smooothie.
• Lunch: Left overs from Wednesday
• Dinner Spaghetti squash, ground turkey, diced tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms.

Friday: 

• Breakfast:  Two hard boiled eggs, bacon, and a black berry, blue berry, strawberry, flax seed and coconut milk smooothie.
• Lunch: Left overs from Thursday
• Dinner: most likely eat out or leftovers from Monday

Saturday and Sunday:

• Breakfast: Cowboy breakfast skillet here's the recipe  http://www.health-bent.com/pork/paleo-cowboy-breakfast-skillet.
• Lunch: I usually skip or have a snack before my weekly runs
• Dinner: Out somewhere

There you go....week 3. After this week I'll have one more week to go and I'm done...Well somewhat done. I have to say it really does get easier after the first week and I am feeling a lot better these days. The one thing I notice is the decrease in my stomach and bloating.....no bloating. I also feel a different type of energy daily. Its hard to explain but my energy level is different and better. None of that high energy and then crash type of feeling. I love it. Its really worth the sacrifice of all the bad/good tasty things I used to eat. Until next week....

Happy Transitioning!

Monique 

Health Slips: Whole30 Week 2 Meal Plan

This weeks meal plan for my Whole30 Challenge. Last week I did well until the weekend mostly due to the fact that the weekends for me is usually spent out and about so its difficult to adhere to the diet plan when there is not much you can eat where you go. I have decided that I will follow the diet to a T during the week but if I'm at an event that has nothing I can eat that is allowed than I'm going to cheat a bit because I can't starve. I will do myself to take snacks though. If at a restaurant I will do my best to order something on the menu that is allowed rather than ordering what I want and getting a stomach ache after.

So, here's this weeks meal plan:

Monday:

• Breakfast - two boiled eggs, strawberries, and grape tomatoes.
• Lunch - can of white tuna, chopped roma tomato, chopped cucumber, chopped avocado, and a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
• Dinner - Chicken Tikka Masala and cauliflower as a rice sub (the sauce I'm using have a couple of no no ingredients but whatev)

Tuesday:

• Breakfast - ground pork, scrabble eggs, sweet potato hash, and berries. 
• Snack - banana
• Lunch - left overs from Monday
• Snack - almonds and a orange
• Dinner - Baked salmon, green beans, and mashed sweet potato

Wednesday:

• Breakfast -  ground pork, scrabble eggs, sweet potato hash, and berries.
• Snack - banana
• Lunch - left overs from Tuesday
• Snack - almonds and a pear
• Dinner - Turkey burger minus the bun topped with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, and avocado. Side of roasted sweet potatoes 

Thursday: 

• Breakfast -  ground pork, scrabble eggs, sweet potato hash, and berries.
• Snack - banana
• Lunch - left overs from Wednesday
• Snack - almonds and a orange
• Dinner - Spicy lime shrimp salad with avocado, cilantro, spinach and white wine vinegar and olive oil dressing. 

Friday:

• Breakfast -  ground pork, scrabble eggs, sweet potato hash, and berries.
• Snack - banana
• Lunch - leftovers from Thursday
• Snack - almonds and a pear
• Dinner - eat out

Saturday and Sunday:

Not sure what the plan is because I usually skip meals due to sleeping in or running errands. Typically eat out for dinner.

There it is for week 2. If anyone is following my blog then hopefully this is helpful to you if you are on the challenge as well. 

Happy Transitioning!!!

Monique

Health Slips: Whole30 Week 2

I'm starting week 2 of the whole30 diet tomorrow and I have to say I'm a little disappointed in myself. All last week I did really well staying strict to the diet plan and only eating what was allowed but than the weekend came. I think the hardest part about this diet is going to outings and there not being anything you can eat that is allowed. Sooooooooo, I cheated a bit. I had a little bit of cheese, french fries, a little bit of chips, little bit of rice, half a cookie, half a cup of beer....so forth. Sunday was the worst. For Mother's Day breakfast I decided to order french toast. I don't know what it was...maybe the sugar but my stomach was really hurting today after breakfast. I should have just gotten eggs, bacon, and fruit but yeah. After dealing with an upset stomach, which is what usually forces me to stop eating certain foods, I've decided that I am going to stay strict with the plan but allow myself some no nos when there is nothing available I can eat. I think my biggest accomplishment was the no alcohol part of the diet. I have tried and failed going off of beer and alcohol many of times but for some reason right now I just don't have the urge the drink. I had a half a cup of beer Saturday and today only because one was a home brew I wanted to try and the other I just wanted a taste of it because it was new to me. On the upside I have been doing really well with my water challenge and have been drink more than enough water for the past few weeks. I was going pretty strong with my hair growth vitamins but I have been skipping them a bit lately...meh.

This week I plan to get back to the gym. Last week I did not work out at all except for a 7 mile run/walk on Thursday. Due to withdrawals from my camp out weekend binge fest I was very fatigued and motivation for working out was very low. I have to say that Thursday was a good run for me. The type of energy I had felt a bit different from my normal energy level and I ran a bit more than normal. Today's run wasn't so great but I think its associated with the breakfast I had or at least  I think it is.

Anywhoo, I haven't planned my meals for the week yet but I will do it tomorrow and post what I'll be eating for the week. For the most part tomorrow I plan on making chicken curry with cauliflower for a rice substitute so I'm hoping it turns out well. I'm praying this week I hold true the diet plan...maybe week 2 won't be as hard as last week.

Happy Transitioning!!!

Monique

Health Slips: Week 1 of Whole30

This is week one of my attempt to do the Whole30 diet program. If you don't know what it is read my previous post with information on the diet plan. Here is just a run down of my meal plan for the week. The only way to get myself through this diet for the next month I have to plan my meals and reduce how often I eat out. The hardest part is going to be giving up alcohol/beer but we'll see how I do this weekend. 

Week 1 meal plan:

Breakfast everyday this week will be:

• ground turkey patty
• hard boil egg
• strawberries, black berries, and pear

Snacks in between breakfast and lunch will be a banana and carrots in between lunch and dinner

Lunch is usually left overs from the previous night's dinner.Friday lunch will be Tuna with chopped cucumber, tomatoes, and pack of carrots. 

Dinner this week:

• Monday
• Turkey burger minus the bun with sauteed spinach and avocado
• Roasted herb sweet potatoes
• Tuesday
• Tilapia
• broccoli
• carrots
• Wednesday
• Chicken thighs
• Yellow squash
• green beans
• Thursday
• I plan to eat out 
• Friday
• I plan to eat out
• Saturday
• I plan to eat out

Thursday through Saturday I plan to eat out for dinner because I have runs with my running group and happy hour with them on Friday. I will most likely do a salad or something on the menu where ever we go that is within the guidelines. 

Tonight's dinner turned out so well and was really good. You definitely have to be creative with this diet but you can do it if you plan your meals wisely and look for recipes online that work or you can alter to fit the program.I've very creative in the kitchen so maybe I'll post some recipes for you guys. Main thing is to just keep it simple.

Happy Transitioning!

Monique

Health Slips: The Whole 30 Challenge

So, I've decided to take on yet another challenge. For the past week and a half I have been doing a hair growth and water challenge which has actually been going well. I have been keeping up with my supplements and drinking about 2.5 liters of water per day (the recommended dosage for my size and activity level). I still have about 2 more weeks to go with that challenge before I check my hair growth so why not add another challenge to my load. This year is all about me going natural and bettering my health. I'm a pretty healthy person but I still have some bad eating habits I want to kick for good. I heard about this program from a friend and decided I would look into it. I have tried a similar diet before and failed but I think this time might be a little better because I'm motivated to getting healthier this year. 


What is the Whole 30 Program?


Its pretty much a paleo diet that includes only eating meat, veggies, fruit, healthy oils, and seeds. With this healthy eating plan you pretty much stop eating all the foods that have a negative effect on the body. According to the website for this program they state that this type of diet helps decrease various health issues, increase energy, and overall fitness. 


What are the rules to this program?
*All information have been taken from the Whole9 website 

Eat real food – meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re totally natural and unprocessed. 

More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.

• Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.

• Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)

• Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. Yes, we said corn… for the purposes of this program, corn is a grain! This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.

• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).

• Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. (See below for details.)

• Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.

• Do not eat white potatoes. This is somewhat arbitrary, but if we are trying to change your habits and improve the hormonal impact of your food choices, it’s best to leave white, red, purple, Yukon gold and fingerling potatoes off your plate. 

In addition, no Paleo-ifying dessert or junk food choices! We call this “Sex With Your Pants On” (SWYPO), and it will ruin your Whole30 faster than you can say, “Paleo pizza.” Do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” desserts or junk food – no Paleo pancakes, pizza, brownies or ice cream. Trying to replicate junk food with “technically approved” ingredients misses the point of the Whole30 entirely.

One last and final rule. You are not allowed to step on the scale or take any body measurements for the duration of the program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic and lifelong benefits this plan has to offer. So, no weighing yourself, analyzing body fat or taking comparative measurements duringyour Whole30. (We do encourage you to weigh yourself before and after, however, so you can see one of the more tangible results of your efforts when your program is over.)

Here's the link to the website so that you guys can read up about to program and decided if its something you will like to try. 

Whole30 Challenge

I'll be starting this diet on Monday after my running groups spring camp out. I'm planning to use this weekend to pig out on all the stuff I'll be giving up for the next month and so forth. I'm hoping I can keep this diet going longer than a month but we'll see. 

Happy Transitioning!!!

Monique