Post Whole 30 Update

So after Bob and I finished our Whole 30 almost a couple weeks ago, we added beer and alcohol back in our diet. I noticed a big change on how I was feeling. I only would have a few drinks (not enough to get drunk), but I would wake up really groggy with low energy and foggy head. I’m not sure if it was re-introducing the sugars, the gluten, the poison alcohol, or a combination of these things into my diet that caused this change. As I am writing this, I am realizing that some readers may be thinking, “duh! Of course, you are going to feel like crap when you wake up the next morning after drinking.” Maybe it was stupid for me to not expect it, but since I wasn’t drinking enough to get drunk, nor was I drinking enough to get a hangover, I didn’t expect to wake up feeling kind of crappy the next day.

I had my first cheat meal 5 days after Whole 30 had ended. I had friends in town and we all got fish tacos, fries, and onion rings. After eating that, I felt incredibly weighed down. I crashed hard about an hour after finishing dinner, causing me to go to bed at 9pm (that is VERY early for me).

After that night I enjoyed a clean (and sober) paleo lifestyle for a few days until Bob and I left for Denver to attend the Great American Beer Fest. Needless to say we drank a lot of beer. We also had a lot of meals out. From French toast, to French fries, to burgers, to lots of beers…we didn’t maintain a paleo diet while we were traveling. We just got back last night and are very gung-ho about getting our diet back on the paleo track. I want to feel like I did during Whole 30. I also don’t want to undo the results of all the hard work I put into those 30 days. So salad for tonight’s dinner!

Whole 30 Results

Bob and I have successfully completed the Whole 30 program with no cheats (except for the accidental canola oil in the mixed nuts incident at the beginning)! We are pretty happy with the results as well! We feel great! Energy levels are stabilized and high. We are no longer “carb-burners”, but “fat-adapted” and we can go a long time without eating if need be.  I particularly feel stronger and faster during my WODS. My skin has never been this clear for this long. My friends have noticed and keep complimenting me on my clear skin. My digestion is INCREDIBLE. I normally suffer from heartburn, acid-reflux, mild to severe stomach aches due to indigestion, bloating, bowel irregularity… we will stop there. It gets worse and I assure you that you don’t want to hear more. During Whole 30 my digestion was (and is) incredibly normal. I feel slimmer and more confident…. which brings me to how much we lost. I know this is what you guys really want to know.

Bob lost 17 lbs. I lost 11lbs. For me that’s more than 2 lbs per week, which I think is pretty good. Bob basically lost a pound every other day. We are pretty happy with our numbers. I think we both lost a lot in 30 days (without it being drastic or unhealthy).

 

 

I will expand more on our findings within the next few days…. But for now, we are pretty busy drinking today! ;-) In fact, we are drinking our first beer in 30 days as I write this. We are enjoying one of Bob’s homebrews. A double IPA… You know we’re happy!

Scaling Back -- literally and figuratively -- On Nuts and Fruits

So in order to keep myself from indulging too much with fruits and nuts, I decided to only allow myself one or the other each day. One day I could eat fruit and no nuts. The next day I could eat nuts, but no fruit. I think this trick was somewhat successful for a while… but after a week or two I found myself coming home at 3 in the morning from work and eating a shit ton of frozen berries right out of the bag… or mindlessly munching away at nuts while watching TV, because “I could” that day. So last week, I decided I wouldn’t eat ANY nuts or fruits for three days (Monday through Wednesday) and just focus on getting more protein and vegetables in me. It was actually surprisingly easy. Since it had already been over three weeks since I started Whole 30, carb withdrawal (or needing energy from carbohydrates) wasn’t an issue. My body didn’t really need the fruits or nuts, because I have become a “fat burner” not a “carb burner.” To learn more about being fat-adapted (or a fat-burner) read this article by Mark Sisson. You may know him better as Mark's Daily Apple!

It was so easy in fact, that by Thursday I was thinking I would just go the rest of the week  with no nuts or fruits….maybe even until my Whole 30 is over!

But Bob, of course, roasted nuts that night. His seasoning is perfect… and right out of the oven I couldn’t say no! I went the 3 days, so I decided to eat those delicious, roasty nuts. I haven’t touched the leftovers though, because I decided to go another 3 days (Friday through Sunday) without nuts or fruits. Depending on how I feel tomorrow, I may have some fruit for dessert. I may not.

Fruits are a significant source of sugar, which causes an insulin response, which causes fat storage. Nuts are calorically dense and if eating more than a small handful add up to a significant amount of carbohydrates too. If one of your main goals is to lose weight during Whole 30, I would suggest after you start feeling great (2^nd or 3^rd week) you should cut way back (or even better – cut out) nuts and fruits. They are great healthy food choices for weight maintenance, but can slow weight-loss progress. If you are doing Whole 30 for other reasons then go nuts! :-P

CrossFit PR and Leaderboard Triumph!

It’s Bob and my 1 year anniversary! We will not be celebrating by going out to dinner or indulging in a decadent dessert. I think Bob is going to grill some steaks (yum)! Maybe we will throw the rest of the zucchini from our CSA on the grill too. We decided last year that we would go to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver to celebrate our mutual love for beer and each other for our anniversary. We leave for Denver in 12 days! Very “paleo,” I know! ;-) What is WHOLE 30 approved? Bob gave me a paleo cookbook this morning (along with a dozen roses and a pumpkin beer to be consumed after Whole 30 is over). Already started reading, “Practical Paleo” by Diane Sanfilippo!

In other news, I made the leaderboard at CrossFit this week! That’s a first for me! And during my Whole 30 too…

On Wednesday we did the benchmark WOD, Nicole: AMRAP in 20 minutes of 400 meter run and max rep pull-ups (unbroken). Your score equals the total amount of pull-ups you complete over the course of the WOD. My score was 70 and I got the second highest score out of all the girls! I had never done Nicole. When I saw the WOD my goal was to get 100 pull-ups. After finishing the WOD I was thinking about how I wish I could run faster… I would have been able to get more pull-ups in. But needless to say, I am pretty happy with my score. I guess 100 is a good goal for the future. I really need to work on my running.

 On Thursday we had time to find our split jerk 1 rep max. Pull-ups and jerks are my two favorite (strongest) movements, so it was a good week for me… or should have been at least. For some reason I was having trouble with split jerks on Thursday. 125lbs has been my 1 rep max for months… maybe even 6 months. I even had just split jerked 125 the week before. I jumped to 115lbs too quickly and failed. I was pissed! It got into my head. I scaled the weight down a little bit, succeeded at 115, but failed when I bumped up the weight to 125. I hated those weights and I took my failure personally. I am a horrible person! I have to be; otherwise I wouldn’t have failed so completely. I left the gym without stretching with everyone in the noon class, because I couldn’t stand to be there anymore.

Well, Friday was a new day! I completed the WOD, which was: -5 rounds for time- 200 meter run, 5  squat cleans (135#/95#), 5 Shoulder-to-overhead (135#/95#). I scaled the weight down to 85lbs (hey it was fifth day WODing in a row) and completed the WOD in a little over 15 minutes. After stretching with all the ladies in the class, I decided to take some time and work on my back squat form with low weight. While working I noticed Coach Ian (owner of CrossFit Mission Gorge) getting all the high split jerk numbers to put up on the leaderboard. THAT killed me after my failure the day before. In between my back squat sets I peeked over at the list Ian was making. If I had performed like I normally would have the day before I totally would have made the leaderboard. I continued my squats, but couldn’t help feeling bummed out. Should I just suck it up, admit that yesterday was not my day, and accept that being on the leaderboard isn’t that important – that it doesn’t prove anything. I couldn’t let it go. I went up to Ian and told him that 125 has been my 1 rep max for split jerks for months and I asked if I get it today could I still get on the leaderboard. Ian said, “Yes, if you get it now before you leave.” Awesome! I knew despite my tired body after WODing and squatting I could get 125. I had just the week before and I had no choice, but to do it right then and there. After a few warm-up sets, I loaded the bar. 115 –easy. 120 – easy. I took a 2 minute rest. 125 – got it! Phew! I loaded 1lb baby plates on each side – I mean, I have to at least try for a PR! 127 – eeeeeeh, got it! So my new PR for split jerk is 127lbs and I got up on the leaderboard for that lift too! All in all, it was a good week. :-)

Recipe: Slow Cooked Round Roast (AKA Paleo Pot Roast)

We used a lot of the goodies from our CSA in tonight’s dinner! This morning I started our protein portion of dinner by filling up our crockpot! I used the onions and the herbs (sage, thyme, oregano) from our CSA along with a grass-fed beef round roast we bought from Whole Foods yesterday. For the sides I roasted some of the zucchini that came in our CSA with olive oil, garlic powder, herbs de provence, fresh cracked black pepper and Himalayan pink salt (which only takes about 15 minutes at 450 degrees). I made a side salad out of the lettuce and yellow cherry tomatoes that came in the CSA and also added red bell pepper and avocado. I dressed by salad with my homemade Garlic Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette… I even ended up topping the salad with the meat-marinated onions from the crockpot. ;-)

Recipe: Slow Cooked Round Roast (AKA Paleo Pot Roast)

What you need:

2 medium sized onions

2 lb grass-fed round roast

Garlic powder

Paprika

Fresh cracked black pepper

Sea salt

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

2 cups beef broth

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Thyme

Sage

Oregano

1.) Chop onions and line the bottom of crockpot.

2.) If you are not using grass-fed beef, trim the fat. If you are using grass-fed beef you may leave the fat on. Rub garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and salt on all sides of roast.

3.) Heat skillet to medium-high. When skillet reaches medium-high heat, add coconut oil. Brown the round roast on the two biggest sides (which takes about 1 minute and a half per side).

4.) Place roast on top of the onions in the crock pot. Add beef broth (or broth of your choice), balsamic vinegar, thyme, sage, and oregano.

I left the meat cooking at the low (8 hour) setting. You can cook at whichever heat setting is most convenient for you.

When ready to serve. Slice roast into half inch slices and top with the onions and juice in the crockpot.