With Labor Day weekend fast approaching, I've been doing some thinking about how to stay on track over a holiday weekend. For me, staying true to my food choice of no grains, dairy, and legumes is pretty easy since when I eat grains I don't feel well and when I eat dairy I break out. Beans are not that tempting for me so they are pretty easy to pass up. I still have occasional treats and indulgences, and with my first Olympic Triathlon coming up on September 12th I decided to clean up my diet and stay super strict for the next two weeks prior to the triathlon. So how do I get back on track, well this is a first for me so what I'm thinking is that I"m going to go back to the Whole 9's Whole 30 program and cut my current 'vices' which are wine, dark chocolate and paleo treats like paleo cookies and fudge babies. Starting officially on Sept. 1st (since that's easiest to count from really) I'm going to go strict with my diet because I know that it helps increase my athletic performance and makes me feel great - plus I think its a great way to get in tune with how your body processes food and how it really makes you look, feel and perform.
With the official end of summer nearing, is anyone else willing to try to shape up and get back on track...or just tweak what you're doing to be a little better? Post to comments if you're in and let me know what kind of information you want as I go through my journey for the next 30 days.
Hi, my name is Susan and I met your husband in grad school. We have had some conversations about diet/nutrition as well as running. He emailed me the link to your blog, as I've been interested in losing the weight I gained during my knee injury and subsequent surgery and rehabilitation. I also want to get back to being the fit athlete I used to be (I'm an ice hockey player and former dancer myself, but I only recently have gotten into running). I bought two of the books that you recommended as well.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I myself am trying to clean up my diet and have decided to eliminate grains, legumes, artificial sweeteners, sweets, and processed foods. Right now, I'm not giving up all dairy (I'm giving up cheese and milk, but I still like my Greek yogurt) to see how I feel when I gradually wean myself off of the things I shouldn't be eating. So I'm with you in trying to see how I feel after 30 days, and hopefully adopting these diet changes as lifestyle changes! I've officially started today as well and I know the holiday weekend plus my birthday coming up will be challenges. But, I believe I'm up for the challenge!
Hmmm, ok I did eat Greek yogurt today but now that I read the Whole30 site you talked about, it says to give up everything then add something back in after the 30 days to see how you feel. So, I guess starting tomorrow I will not eat the yogurt either.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting Susan! Keep me updated on your progress and how you feel. Cleaning up your diet as you mentioned, even if you try it first while keeping some dairy, will be an eye opening experience for you and I hope that you are seeing lots of positive changes. It took me over a year to cut dairy out, if you want to try the 30 days with dairy keep it as whole as possible - whole milk, cream, full fat greek yogurt (plain), and if you can try to get fresh milk from a farm - we have bought it from whole foods its delicious!
ReplyDeleteI suggest you keep a food journal and write down what you're eating - you don't have to worry so much about the quantities but its helpful to see what you do eat and if you're thinking about cheating you may deter yourself if you have to write it down.
Whole 30 (days) was actually awesome because it enabled me to recognize what was causing inflammation and how great I felt without certain foods. Eating clean was tough to fight in the beginning but after the 32days because more of a lifestyle change that continued for many days weekend, months after that initial 30days. The most importantly thing with the Whole 30 program is that you are testing yourself out and TRYING THIS for 30days. You will not, just as the program says, feel the feelings you are supposed to feel unless you can complete the whole 30days. If you don't stick to it, so fine then, but at least you can say to yourself that you tried it. There is a reason this is not called the "whole 8", or the "whole 13"I added some things back in and stayed on a 80/20 food plan and now want to also start hat whole9life.com calls the Whole 30 Version 2.0, giddyup.
ReplyDeletePS, also, as Robb Wolf of The Paleo Solution says, it's gonna be a heartbreak for some people to get rid of inflammatory foods, but that's just the way it is, and you will get over it--- if you want to feel good in the end.
Thanks for the tips, Laura and Tim! I haven't eaten any grains or legumes so far and I haven't eaten any dairy since Sept 1st. My question is: Do you still use vinegar at all (such as for salad dressings)? I often make my own salad dressing but noticed in Loren Cordain's The Paleo Diet book that he says you shouldn't have vinegar either. I know vinegar is derived from wine and is acidic, but he did say that wine on occasion isn't a bad thing, right?
ReplyDeleteSusan,awesome work on your progress. I still eat vinegar primarily in the same way it sounds like you do, when making our own salad dressing. I don't use bottled dressing at allanymore since its got extra sugar and chemicals that I'd perfer not to have. Our salads always have oil and vinegar on them.
ReplyDeleteHey Laura,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you decided to start photo posting!! I decided after a week of pain and stomach issues to cut out wheat completely. Never had that bad of reaction that I noticed but its started.....
Megs