Day 31 - Jan 31

WOOHOO!!! Congrats to all of you for finishing the Whole 30!!!

I would love to hear about your experiences....here are some questions to think about:

1. what are you most proud of?
2. what physical changes have you noticed?
3. what emotional/mental changes have you noticed?
4. what was your biggest challenge?
5. what are you most excited about?
6. what are you going to do now? are you going to re-introduce some foods?
7. what did you learn?
8. anything else that you want to share!!

I have alot to say - so will post my thoughts in a comment...

Overall I have really enjoyed having this blog, and will likely continue to post my meals as it holds me accountable :)

Jenny

Day 30 - Jan 30

DAY 30!!!!!!

Wow - that went by quickly! Right?

Tomorrow will be a big final post where we can all share our wins, learnings, challenges etc.

Matt and I are going to take our measurements - I will share the results tomorrow :)

For now - enjoy Whole 9's fantastic post:

http://whole9life.com/2012/01/ride-your-own-bike-2/

Have a wonderful day everyone!! Post meals to comments!!

Jenny

Day 29 - Jan 29

Happy Birthday Lory!!! I love that your family made you a Whole-30 friendly birthday dinner.....very cool. Hope you have a great day!!

Wow - day 29!! Woohoo!!

Jenny

Dy 28 - Jan 28

Happy Saturday everyone!

Post to comments....

Jenny

Day 27 - Jan 27

Great comments yesterday! I totally agree with all of you. For me - I will indulge once in a while - but not on crap. A peice of really dark chocolate, or a glass of good wine - but definitely will NOT be adding any kind of grains or dairy back into my diet...it's just not worth it for me.

I have done alot of reading about how these foods impact your body - which I think is a big part of why I will not eat then anymore. They are inflammatory. I would really encourage you guys to read about it too - everyone takes something different from these books:

Robb Wolf's book is great - definitely a little science heavy - but he is an expert and it's really eye opening: http://www.amazon.ca/Paleo-Solution-Robb-Wolf/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327683449&sr=8-1

Mark Sisson is kind of a guru when it comes to paleo - this book is an easy read and is actually really entertaining - I loved it: http://www.amazon.ca/Primal-Blueprint-Reprogram-effortless-boundless/dp/0982207786/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327683524&sr=1-5

There are also many great cookbooks out there! I will share those tomorrow :)

Jenny

Day 26 - Jan 26

Today I want you all to read this article by Whole 9:

http://whole9life.com/2012/01/the-five-stages-of-food-grief/

It REALLY resonated with me. Especially the "bargaining" stage. Wow.

It's so interesting to me - how connected our emotions are to food. Last night I was feeling a little depressed about something, and automatically I wanted sugar. For me sadness = deserving a treat. Of course I didn't eat any, and I was fine (and saved myself from feeling like shit this morning), but it was so obvious to me that I still have alot of work to do.

Sure - it may be "easier", "cheaper", "more convenient" to eat bread/cereal/milk etc.....but is my health less important than waking up 15 minutes earlier to grill some meat & poach some eggs? NOT FOR ME!!

I would love to hear what comes up for you guys when you read this....

Jenny

Day 25 - Jan 25

Wow, can you believe that we are 25 days in already? (Well - technically Lory, Matt and I have a few more to go...) but still everyone is doing great!!

I am not feeling as energetic as I had expected to at this point - which is why I will continue. But my skin & nails are fantastic, and I am definitely feeling good at the gym!

Post to comments!!

Jenny

Day 24 - Jan 24

Where is everyone? It's so sad to see that you all have dropped off in the past week....hopefully you are still eating "whole 30" strict? This is such an important time - please let me know if you are still on board!!

For those of you that are counting down the days - or dreading the end - here are a few articles regarding the "end" of your Whole 30 Program!! Enjoy.

http://whole9life.com/2011/07/ride-your-own-bike/

http://whole9life.com/2010/06/life-after-whole30/

http://whole9life.com/2011/04/whole9s-guide-to-nutritional-off-roading/

Post to comments!!

Jenny

Day 23 - Jan 23

Hello Monday!!

Wow, only one week left - woohoo! Although I plan on continuing...and I will keep blogging here for those that want to stay on board past 30 days!

Claudia - did you buy the bacon again?!?!?!?! We are still waiting!! Matt and I looked this weekend but couldn't find any :(

Here are 2 inspiring stories for you to enjoy - PLEASE READ THEM - they push me to keep going!!

I posted this one last week but thought it deserved a re-post:

http://whole9life.com/2012/01/whole30-success-jenn/

And a new one:

http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/08/16/paleo-stories-from-the-frontline-3/

Enjoy!

Jenny

Day 22 - Jan 22

Day 22! Would love to hear how everyone is doing...

Hilary are you there?? It would be great to hear from you!!

Matt and I just cleaned out our cupboards - we have a big bag of food that we are taking to the food bank (pasta, rice, popcorn etc all unopened) - we know that we never plan on eating it, so may as well free up some space in the kitchen!

Post to comments...

Jenny

Day 21 - Jan 21

Where is everyone?? There has been a big lack of comments lately....hope you are all still on board!!

Day 21 - feeling great - I definitely plan to continue past 30 days as I still have a long way to go...

Have a great weekend - post to comments!!

Jenny

Day 20 - Jan 20

Happy Friday!!

Really great story posted by Whole 9 yesterday:

http://whole9life.com/2012/01/whole30-success-jenn/

Read it if you want to be inspired!!!

Post to comments - have a great day :)

Jenny

Day 19 - Jan 19

The great fruit debate...

I have read alot about fruit + paleo + whole 30....

Like Claudia said - you should not feel guilty about eating fruit. At the end of the day, it's still real food!!

However - if your goal is fat loss - then eating too much fruit can slow your progress. Especially fruit that is high in sugar (grapes, apples, bananas etc). I have read this a million times, and I believe it.

The same thing goes for nuts!

This is something that I am constantly challenged with. I know that if I cut out the fruit & nuts - that I would see more results. But still I choose to buy & eat both of them!!

I am going to work on different snacks (veggies, hard boiled eggs etc...) in fact I have both in my bag right now (I am at the airport!!)

Post to comments!!

Update - I just did a little google search about fruit + sugar. What I learned: be careful with any dried fruit - they pack ALOT of sugar (dates/raisins/apricots/prunes). The other ones that are high in sugar are bananas, grapes, tangerines, mangos, cherries...

If you need fruit - your best bet is berries - however they are definitely not in season :( AND - make sure they are organic!! They have such delicate skin, so non-organic berries are full of chemicals...that's why they look so perfect in the middle of winter ;)

Jenny

Day 18 - Jan 18

Hi everyone! Moving right along...day 18 already! I have heard a few comments here and there from a bunch of you...some people are feeling sluggish, tired, headaches, getting sick etc.

Whatever you do - DO NOT QUIT. These are all completely normal side effects of ridding your body of inflamatory foods.

I was reading a blog about the 30 day challenge, and thought that this guys' points were so clear and such a good reminder, I thought i'd share...

Eat!

And don’t stop eating until you’re satisfied. You’re going to be altering your body’s basic chemistry here by switching it from a primarily carb-burning machine to a fat-burning machine. With this may come some side effects. You may experience sluggishness, lack of clarity, headaches, body aches, and maybe some minor digestive issues. But none of them are too severe, and shouldn’t last too long. Whatever you do, don’t quit.
If fat loss is your primary goal, you should probably go easy on the fruit and nuts. When I first started Paleo, I found that my body didn’t really switch over to burning fat until I got rid of the apple a day.

Destroy your scale

The scale is the biggest source of mental anguish that will derail you in no time. Weigh yourself once at the beginning of 30 days, and once at the end. Or not at all. Who cares how much you weigh? I don’t, for one. I would much rather see improved blood work, progress pictures, and increased exercise capacity. Your clothes will fit better, your mood will be elevated. That should be your measure of success, not some stupid number that can change drastically for random reasons.

Move

I’m a CrossFitter. I love it, but it’s not for everyone. I will say this about Paleo plus exercise: fat loss is 10% exercise, 10% genetics, and 80% what’s on your plate. I’m making these numbers up, but it conveys the point that you will lose fat on Paleo even if you don’t exercise. I don’t recommend that you stop exercising, but if you see your energy dip, take it easy at the gym and get some rest. Your body is going through serious change and it’s important to take the time to listen to what it is telling you.

Sleep

At least 8 hours in a pitch black room. This is going to be really challenging for most people as our society is one that prides itself on being as productive as possible and that any hour not working is an hour wasted. Lack of sleep causes a rise in cortisol, a crucial hormone that is linked to fat loss and stress. Makes sense right? The more you sleep and the less you stress, the easier it will be to lose fat and function at a higher level.

Day 17 - Jan 17

Claudia - we are still waiting for the bacon info!! Share the wealth!!

There is a great post on the Whole 9 site - check it out - lots of tips & tricks for cooking paleo (great for those of us that are super busy!!)

http://whole9life.com/2012/01/kitchen-tips-and-trick/

Post to comments!!

Jenny

Day 16 - Jan 16

Happy snowy Monday!

Claudia - tell me more about this bacon....we want some! What are the ingredients listed??

Hope everyone had a great weekend. We are past the halfway point - great work!!

Post to comments!

Jenny

Day 15 - Jan 15

HALFWAY DONE!!!

How is everyone feeling? I'd love to hear about your energy, how your clothes are fitting, skin etc - and anything else you are noticing...you may not be feeling anything at all, and that is completely fine too!!! Getting your body used to not eating grains/dairy/sugar takes time, and is different for everyone.

Post your meals to comments!!

We went snowshoeing this morning - so beautiful!!

Day 14 - Jan 14

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KURT!!!

Hope you are enjoying a big Whole 30 approved dinner & a big cold glass of water tonight!!! :)

Don't worry - we will celebrate later. And Claudia - I don't think that smelling brownies is cheating....but isn't that just torture???

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Matt and I just loaded up on groceries for the next little while.....check out our fridge....doesn't really look like we are depriving ourselves does it? Yumm...

Post meals to comments!!

Day 13 - Jan 13

Happy Friday everyone!!

Heading into another weekend....stay strong!!

We are planning to get outside for some snowshoeing.....what are you all up to?

I love seeing your comments & meal ideas - keep sharing - we are almost halfway!!

Here is the picture that I promised.....good fats! Use the coconut oil for high heat (we cook our meat in this, sauteeing veggies etc - you can really use it for anything), the Olive Oil is great for salad dressings (not good for high heat), and the ghee is clarified butter (scrambled eggs! mashed yams! sauteed spinach & tomatoes)....the possibilities are endless!!! We buy the coconut oil at Whole Foods or Save-On :)

Day 12 - Jan 12

I saw this picture on Whole 9's site and wanted to share it. I have heard it so many times, yet still struggle with putting sleep in front of exercise. Last summer I went to Robb Wolf's seminar (www.robbwolf.com) and he talked about this for a long time...that it doesn't matter if you are eating perfectly and working out 5 times a week - if you aren't getting enough sleep - NOTHING WILL CHANGE.

Dallas from Whole 9 shares his thoughts here: http://whole9life.com/2011/12/sleep-and-exercise/



Post your meals & thoughts to comments!

Jenny

Day 11 - Jan 11

Hello!!

The low energy/headaches etc are completely normal....your body is detoxing!

Check out this link: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/low-carb-flu/#axzz1jBOLJdZL

Stay strong and you will come through it....all of sudden you will notice that you don't crash at 3pm, that its easier to get out of bed etc. It's worth the wait!!

Post your meals to comments!

Jenny

Day 10 - Jan 10

WHERE IS EVERYONE??

The number of people recording their meals is dropping off...

If you are checking out the blog - you should be taking 2 minutes to record your meals! This is how we hold each other accountable!! This is how other people get ideas for recipes & snacks - just like you are getting them from the people that are actually taking the time to share every day!!!

Hilary! Cindy! Renee! Kurt! Claudia! We want to hear from you!!!

Looking forward to hearing from ya'll :)

Jenny

Day 9 - Jan 9

Happy Monday!

Matt shared this the other day, and I thought it was worth a re-post on the main page.....it from Whole 9's article called the 400,000 hour body. To me it really makes it so clear that this is not a sprint, it's a marathon. I cannot expect to feel perfect & look exactly that way that I want to, after changing my habits for 30 days. It's a shift that I am making for the rest of my life. It took me 30 years to get this way, so I can't expect to reverse all of my bad habits & damage in a month!

Check it out: http://whole9life.com/2011/07/the-400000-hour-body/

I have highlighted 2 parts that I really want you guys to think about....there are a few people doing this challenge that might underestimate the value of recovery/rest time, and I think that all of us could focus more on sleeping 8 hours in a pitch black room - I know that I can!!

Eat foods that makes you healthier, every meal, every day. Eat foods that makes you less healthy infrequently, if at all. Eat just enough to support activity levels and goals.
Exercise. Work hard. Harder than you are now. But more importantly, work smart. Too much volume, intensity and frequency is just as bad as too little.

Recover. Devote as much effort to recovery practices as you do to training. This is not optional. Most fall miserably short in this category.
Sleep 8-9 hours a night, in a cool, dark room. Make time for this. You can get away with less, but only if it’s summertime.
Manage your stress. Deal with it in a healthy fashion. Stress will undermine all of the above.
Do this, day in and day out, for years and years and years, as consistently as you can.”
An excerpt from the 400,000 hour body, Whole9

I would love to hear your thoughts! Does this speak to you? What are your opportunities? Post to comments!! And post your meals!!!

Day 8 - Jan 8

Hello everyone! So nice to see more & more people on here.

HILARY - stop lurking and join the club already!!!

Kurt - you know the answer - natural juice (100%) is ok if you need it in a recipe or something - but drinking glasses of it is not a good idea.

Lory - Kirsten wrote the location of the butcher - there MUST be a good one closer to you though!!??

It's very cool to see everyone fighting their cravings!! Kurt & Claudia at the bday party, Amy at the movie theatre, Kirsten at the hockey game....amazing!!

Kirsten - there are LOTS of things that you can take with you - basically anything. I know it might seem "weird" to some people, but I take slices of steak, chicken thighs, ham slices etc everywhere with me...you should be careful about meat at the stadium - especially the hot dogs :) But if it's literally your last resort, than it's better than going hungry.

Jenny

Day 7 - Jan 7

Wow, it's day 7 already! Can you believe that we are almost finished a whole week??

Hope you are all surviving your first Saturday on Whole 30 - temptation can be tough on the weekends - stay strong - you are not going out like that! It's SO not worth it.

Plan ahead, bring Whole 30 approved snacks, and wake up feeling great instead of hungover :)

Post your meals to comments!

Jenny

A few things...

Hello Lory! Thanks for confessing! If you really want to do the Whole 30, you should start again, with today as your "day 1" - I would highly encourage this, as it really does take 30 days of strict eating to make a difference and reset your cravings etc. Vega has a long list of non-Whole 30 approved ingredients (not just the stevia - basically everything):

Organic hemp protein, yellow pea protein, organic brown rice protein, whole flax seed, ChlorEssence (high CGF chlorella), Frutafit Inulin FOS (from chicory root), organic gelatinized maca root, protease I, protease II, amylase, lipase, cellulase, wild blueberry, blueberry, black raspberry, cherry, marion berry, blackberry, L. Acidophilus, B. Bifidum, natural vanilla flavour, xanthan gum, stevia leaf extract

As for the calorie question - you said it - you really don't need to do this, and it is not encouraged. If you are only eating real, good quality food, for a long period of time, your body composition will naturally change. Especially for you - because you are athletic - you will be turning fat into muscle and may not see the results as much on the scale, but will see it in inches! You can't overeat on good quality protein & veggies. Just listen to your body!! This is from the Whole 30 site:

Weighing, counting, measuring blocks or grams or points simply isn’t sustainable long-term. In addition, we don’t want you to use arbitrary numbers or calculations to determine your nutritional needs.  Let your body do that for you, the way it was designed to!   Our Whole30 program is the way to reset your natural hunger mechanism, so you can re-learn how to trust the signals your body is sending to you.

Hope this helps :)

Day 6 - Jan 6

Happy Friday!

Anyone noticing any changes? Energy?

My skin got worse for the first few days, but is now starting to look & feel much better - weird!

Like Kurt said, because I have done this a couple of times, it seems to be a bit easier for me....I am still working on not eating too many nuts & too much fruit - which is a really common issue, as they are easy & sweet. Feeding a sugar craving with fruit is still feeding the craving :)

My energy has felt really good, until I worked out in the hotel gym this morning - I felt like dead weight! Very sluggish. The time change might be a factor too.

Post your thoughts/meals/comments & questions!!!

Jenny

Day 5 - Jan 5

Nice to see more people on here! I know for a fact that there are bunch of you lurking & not posting.....join us!! It really helps everyone to see different meals/ideas and to hear how other people are doing......no more taking without sharing :)

Kurt & Claudia - post already!! haha

I am doing well, I know that the protein that I am eating isn't organic & free range....but it's the best I can do while eating at hotels, airports & malls!! I am looking forward to trying a few organic, local restaraunts that people have told me about around here...

Overall I feel really good, definitely less puffy!

Post to comments!

Jenny

Day 4 - Jan 4

You guys are doing great!!

I am now on the road for 5 days....today was fine as I packed food for the flights, but it will get interesting tomorrow!!

Post your meals/thoughts/questions to the comment section.

Kirdy - we will post the flank steak recipe - SO good :)

Day 3 - Jan 3

How is everyone doing/feeling?

I had a headache last night, and am feeling pretty sluggish.....but I guess that's what happens when I detox my body from sugar :) I know that it will all be worth it.

So far the food has been easy, as I have been home. Tomorrow I leave for Halifax for 5 nights....which will be difficult, eating at hotels & airports....but I can do it!

Post your meals/thoughts/questions to comments!!

Jenny

Day 2 - Jan 2nd

How is everyone doing? If you are lurking here....record your meals & thoughts to comments!


Here is an interesting post about the "low carb flu".....you may feel it in the first couple of weeks...don't give up!! 


http://www.marksdailyapple.com/low-carb-flu/#axzz1iJg1t8GY 


And here is a picture of my delicious breakfast:

Day 1 - Jan 1 - Here we go!!

I am SO ready to get started...


This morning I took my starting weight, and I am about to take some measurements & "before" pictures. I encourage you all to do the same! 


It's not good to weigh yourself throughout the month, just at the end :)


Post your meals & other thoughts to the comments link.


Jenny