Showing posts with label whole food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whole food. Show all posts

July 4, 2012

I didn’t make it…


I didn't make the whole30 diet perfectly for 30 days. =(

The last night of my whole30 I found myself feeling frustrated, annoyed and my head in the toilet…
 I’d like to tell you it wasn’t my fault but I’d be lying.
I was overly excited thinking since “technically” my Whole30 started June 3rd at dinnertime then I’d be done with it at dinner yesterday.
Sooo… When I was making my husbands protein shake after he got off work, I made a little extra for me too… because I have been dying to have one… (weird  I know!)

The shake consisted of:
1 scoop ISO Pure protein
6oz Almond Milk
1 tablespoon PB
½ banana

YES! It tasted delicious to my taste buds…. Not so much to my insides… Holy cramps! ALL night my tummy was yelling at me, telling me how mad it is that I would go from eating so great (minus 3 minor mishaps the whole time) for 30 days to having something completely off track.
Yet this is something I used to drink almost EVERYDAY!
I’m still feeling the affects today and can tell you I will not be straying too far from the Whole9/Paleo way of eating today or any other day!!!

I am seriously stunned flabbergasted that my body reacted this way! I shouldn’t be because when I ate off the plan 3 times (sweet potato fries, oatmeal w/ pb and a ½ glass of Rumchatata ...I know!! self discipline where you at??) during the challenge my body was not liking me too much either. 

In the book (It Starts With Food) it tells you to not have any cheats the whole 30 days or it will not work. I am going to have to say that is false! I made it 11 days with NO cheats and when I did slip my body was totally telling me, "What the (insert word here) are you doing to yourself!? This (insert another word here) doesn't belong in your precious body Lallenia!" I promise I never even had a full out binge or full meal of junk. Even a small portion and my body did not like it.

I can't believe how much I used to mistake the times I was not feeling great with the idea that I must be getting a virus when really it was because of the food choices I made. Seriously think about all the times you feel gross, bloated, under the weather, sluggish, depressed, unmotivated, etc.... think about what it is you are eating first before you go to the Dr and are prescribed some medications that will only be a temporary fix.

Here is something to gnaw on... (haha!! GNAW...nerd alert!)

When you place anything (food, pills, tobacco, alcohol, dog food... ok maybe if you're two...)  into your body, it needs to be absorbed and digested or  it is rejected. Your body decides what it will do with it based on what it is. Digestion involves mixing the substance with digestive juices, moving it through the digestive tract, and breaking down large molecules into smaller molecules. Digestion begins in the mouth, when you chew and swallow, and is completed in the small intestine.
It's a little more complicated than that but you get the idea right?

So why not digest foods that work with your body instead of against it? I mean after all if pills (which go through the same process) can help you feel better, don't you think eating the right kind of food can do the same?
What you put into your body is what you get out of it. There is NO other way around this.
SO WHAT you don't LIKE something... if it's good for your body and brain Eat it. Simple solution. I mean we aren't kids anymore....we buy our own food and make our own choices.

If you choose to fuel your body with junk, expect junk to come out of it. That's like putting oil in your gas tank.... good luck. Also don't sit there and complain about being over weight, having inflammation, not having any energy, feeling depressed, etc. Unless you are HONESTLY learning and working really hard to change your lifestyle. I see it all the time when people say I want to look like this or lose X amount of weight or run a mile this fast but yet they "don't like" broccoli and chicken or they don't like doing certain workouts. OK... obviously it's not that big of a deal to you or you would figure out a way to make it happen.

I relate with this scenario as well. I would LOVE to have a full 6 pack (abs not bud light) and a shredded back but I have  not been able to stick with a super strict diet and workout regimen to get it yet. I am healthy, strong and happy. I have attempted to train for a fitness show 3 times now and have had a traumatic event happen each time... pregnancy (yay for Wyatt!), shoulder dislocation, and shoulder subluxation. I am not complaining just saying life does get in the way BUT I have not let those events bring me down or let myself go. It is still on my bucket list of things to do.

Whole30 Review:
I am a HUGE fan of the Whole30 diet and way of life. I think the book (It Starts With Food) is one of the most educational, straight forward, and very well researched book out there in the world of diet and nutrition. The authors know their stuff and went to GREAT means of research to develop a resource at the tip of our fingers that will be saving and changing peoples lives! (all for $15 on amazon!)

They tell you straight up and I found out first hand; if you are doing this strictly for weight loss then this may not be the right book/diet for you. Weight loss does happen for most (95% of) people (especially for those who are overweight) but is not the reason for the "diet." This is ALL about resetting your metabolism, taste buds, digestive system, thinking, habits, and all around HEALTH. It is teaching you how to eat what your body needs.

When people focus more on being healthy rather than all the other junk then their bodies are able to perform correctly to reach other goals such as losing weight, gaining muscle and strength or becoming faster and feeling better.

My results:
I sleep deeper.
I have had NO sugar cravings... AMAZING.
I have had NO desire to binge.... AMAZING.
I have gained strength and feel tighter. (Had i followed it 100% and didn't get overly excited with snacking on nuts I guarantee I would be feeling even tighter and stronger.)
I have confidence turning down food that I don't want or need.
I LOVE making healthy recipes even more than before.
I am learning how to cook for my family to eat with me as well.
I didn't beat myself up on my mishaps like i normally would (you know... oh I just ate a couple bites I might as well eat the whole pie now)

I guess you can say this HAS changed my life. I feel like my life doesn't revolve around what I shouldn't be eating but yet what I SHOULD be eating.
I plan on sticking to paleo pretty closely. I am going to try to eat oatmeal again occasionally and sprouted bread with eggs if i desire, oh AND i LOVE my baileys and coffee on Sundays! But if my body says no thanks then why force it? After all your body knows what it needs better than stupid cravings and habits from your brain.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!! Hope you are motivated to fuel your body and mind with explosive nutrition and sparkling thoughts =)


Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!
*Lallenia*

PS Use a lettuce wrap for your burger or hot dog instead of bread.... you'll feel better if you do... promise!

I topped mine with mustard and grilled veggies with a side of Kale chips... YUM!










June 4, 2012

Day 1 out of 30!

Day 1

I wake up at 4:15am to get ready to teach my amazing forged fit camp this morning. Brush my teeth, drink my coffee (black) and 20oz of water,  make sure my music is ready and load up my trunk with Sandbells.

As i am crusin down the road I realized my breath smells like coffee... yuck! I go to grab a piece gum and realize oh... this is processed I am not going to have this or anything else processed for 30 DAYS! I grit my teeth annoyed, wondering what was I thinking to agree to this? I'm sure my crew was super exited to know i had some mint smelling lip gloss to cover up coffee breath! =)

My good friend and client has turned me on to this Whole30 day challenge. We agreed to do it together from June 4th til July 4th.  If you want to learn more about it go here > http://whole9life.com/start/

(When I mention the word I diet I am talking about its real meaning: habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat.)

In a nut shell it is basically where you eat fresh foods and nothing processed. Kind of like a paleo diet but it is a little more in depth as to what you eat. (Oh! No counting calories or ratios of fats, protein and carbs... I love that!!!!)

I have always thought I am a substantially healthy girl. I did not think this would be very different from how I do eat. It may only be Day 1, but I can tell I am in for an eye opener! For instance:


  • Breakfast I always have berries, 3 eggs and 1-2 pieces of sprouted bread. I am not going to have bread in the morning anymore... i will replace it with a kale shake. (yay!! i can still have my coffee!)
  • My Favorite snack is oatmeal, a tablespoon of PB and chocolate protein powder.... none of that is on the list of foods to eat.
  • I love almond milk shakes with protein powder, a banana and peanut butter... I will now have coconut milk with a banana and raw almond butter.

As one can see this will be an endeavor for me. Lets not forget I live with 3 guys...my husband who still loves to sneak white bread in the house and M&M's, my "little" brother who is 21 and brings junk food home from his church, and a little 2 1/2 year old who doesn't know what he wants half the time.

Why am I doing this? A couple reasons to be honest;


  • I want to see what kind of changes i will experience as far as cravings & resetting my body's natural instincts. Yes, I have a crazy sweet tooth which is why we do not have sweets in our house (not just because its unhealthy but I will eat all of them).
  •  I am excited to see the change in energy levels (I know some of you are thinking i do not need more energy!)
  •  I want to see how much it costs to the "average" person and how difficult it really is or isn't. That way when/if I make a recommendation I have been there and done that.
  •  I am SO tired of all these lose weight fast shakes and processed bologna (pun intended) companies who are only in it to make money! I have tried them out both drinking them and "selling." It is not for me. They are so easy to get sucked into (I've been there!). I want to feel healthy about who I am and what I am doing. I do not want to get "rich" because other people are buying my products that could potentially not be healthy for them in the end. My job is to help people on the right path to feeling healthy, fit and fabulous! I feel like the Whole30 people are right there with me!!

 This is the only life we have to live! Why not live it feeling the best we can by eating what God gave us to eat. Our bodies will look and feel better as a result of taking care of the environment by eating locally grown produce and meats that are not full of chemicals and junk.

Today's meals Consisted of:

Breakfast:
2 eggs made by my wonderful hubby over easy/medium yum!!
Shake: 1/4 cup full coconut milk, 1 cup kale, 1/2 banana, 2 prunes with ice blended.
I will be honest here... this shake was not the best! I am still playing with this kale, and my magic bullet finally died so it didn't get it all blended up =(



Lunch:

-2 pieces watermelon
-handful of cashews and almonds
-Organic Ground beef, kale, broccoli, onions, garlic, baby peppers, and 1/2 avocado.
Sauteed it all together (except avocado) Took about 20 minutes to chop and cook it all in a pan. Not bad! Plus I made extra for my husbands lunch tomorrow (saving time and money!)

I always sit my son next to me so he sees how mommy makes him healthy and strong! Its so cute because he tries all the veggies & food with me! He LOVES peppers and avocados! (he calls them "uh-bah-cah-dos") However he thinks raw white onions are "ucky mama."


Snack around 4 is an apple with Almond butter smeared on top, a few cherries & handful of raw almonds.

Dinner: My husbands friend gave us fillet mignons so i grilled these up with onions and peppers, sweet potato fries (chop, olive oil and broil 15 min= delish!) and sauteed yellow squash... total of about an hour considering we have a old charcoal grill (which the lid just broke on me... haha not having great luck today with my appliances!)



Probably one of my favorite meals! I do have to be careful with those sweet potatoes... I love em!

Snack: Craving sweets a little so we cut up a pineapple and I had some more raw cashews and almonds before bedtime to tie me over.

Can you believe my brother just walked in with a BOX of donuts!?? REALLY? On my first day with nothing processed he comes in with donuts?? Where in the heck was he yesterday??  ;)

Don't worry I ran as fast as I could to my room and started writing in my blog to distract me! (thanks guys!)

I do feel a little hungry right now even though i feel i ate a lot today and did not go hungry so i am thinking this is just my mind and habit kicking in OH and maybe those donuts on the counter nagging at my brain... i will choose to ignore that feeling....

Looking forward to tomorrow and getting some of my clients in my new home gym!! It's so close to being completely finished!! It's nothing fancy but yet so perfect!! Just like my life! =D Happy Monday!


Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!
*Lallenia*