January 20, 2017

Whole30 Week 1: Am I Skinny, Yet? (Part 2)

Join Coach Kaleena as she goes through the Whole30 Program.

We did it! Seven days down, and only twenty-three more to go (good grief that’s so far away). I won’t lie, Week 1 was freaking hard with a lot of ups and downs. The concept of “that’s not an approved item” inspired moments of total food rage in Days 1-2. Days 3-4 were my “Kill-All-Things” days, and my poor boyfriend, Phil, had to put up with my f(m)ood swings during those 48 hours. Good thing I’m cute!

Those first 4 days were definitely my most challenging and frustrating. Moments of frustration included:

learning that Siracha has sugar in it,
wanting a chip but getting a carrot instead,
protein-style hamburgers with no ketchup or cheese,
forgetting to bring my carefully prepped lunch to work and instead settling for almonds,
a seemingly taunting cheese platter in the office fridge,
missing out on Taco Tuesday and Wine Wednesday,
burning my mouth 2 days in a row because my coffee is now 200°F without creamer in it,
trying raw shredded beets in my salad (never again),
missing out on Stout (beer) Fest,
taste testing coconut amino “teriyaki” sauce,
not getting free samples at Costco,
realizing that going out to eat is impossible for the next month.

While pretty tasty, this is false advertising. This is NOT teriyaki sauce

Our staff fridge had a PLATTER OF CHEESE in it all week. Not cool.

On Day 1, I was convinced that I would have to spend the weekend hiding under a rock to avoid the temptation of going out for cocktails followed by nachos, French fries, and late night burritos (my favorite).

But, by Day 5 I was actually feeling pretty damn good. No more irritability, the meal prep was getting easier, and not having cheese was getting less frustrating every day. I did spend Friday afternoon and all of Saturday avoiding social situations and activities that would involve alcohol and temptation. Surfing, running, and reading helped me stay busy and motivated to continue on “The Path”.

Nom nom nom. Cashew and coconut crusted chicken.

Phil’s birthday was on Sunday, so he wanted to go to Ventana Grill for their all you can eat and drink brunch buffet. You’re kidding me, right? I painfully managed to make it through brunch without breaking down and taking advantage of bottomless mimosas or loading up a plate full of churro French toast. I did, however, eat my body weight in crab. It was delicious, totally worth it, and Whole30 approved.

Through all the frustrations of Week 1, there were a lot of great “Ah-Ha!” moments. That sluggish/food hangover feeling I get after a carb heavy meal – gone. I don’t feel guilty after eating because I’m not consuming anything that I know is horrible for me. Not spending money on going out for meals is a huge bonus. Waking up on Day 5 and realizing “I’ve got this”. Hearing encouragement and success stories from you guys is amazing! Now I’m actually looking to find ways to add calories to my meals instead of trying to figure out how I’m going to burn the calories I’ve put down. I actually really love to cook, so trying new recipes has been fun. We watch a lot of Bizarre Foods and Chopped from the Food Network in our house, and my absolute favorite creation this week was a cashew and coconut crusted chicken breast with cauliflower rice, steamed broccoli and carrots. It was so good and so easy! That will be a repeat dinner for sure. I’m definitely finding satisfaction in eating real foods, and I know that my body is really liking kicking out the processed junk.

I’ve been affectionately referred to as “Panda” through various times in my life. Maybe it’s because of my Asian heritage, or that they’re one of my favorite animals, or the likeness in only wanting to spend my time eating and sleeping, or maybe it’s because I’m cute and cuddly. At the beginning of the week I felt like Po, from Kung Fu Panda, but by Day 7 I feel more like Tigress-surviving only on the dew from a single gingko leave and the energy of the universe. I’m feeling empowered and determined.

In all seriousness and without stepping on a scale, I can tell that I’m leaning out. I was half expecting a 6-pack because that’s just how my brain works, “I tried hard for 7 days! I’m skinny now, right?” But, sadly, no 6-pack in sight so I’ll just have to keep at it. I made a promise this year to stop body shaming myself and instead listen to how my body feels over the numbers on the scale. It made me so stressed about what I’m eating and how much I’m working out that I never get to enjoy my day to day activities. Whole30 has been a perfect mental and physical kick start towards keeping that promise. How I’m feeling is so encouraging to keep working hard, eating clean and training dirty. I’m optimistic as we enter Week 2 and looking forward to conquering another 7 days. Every day down on the calendar is one day closer to beer…I mean abs!

Body Comparison: Progress is Progress