Whole30 day 3 & 4 recap...still going

I'm not going to lie to ya'll...I was a little depressed yesterday and didn't feel up to blogging. The pain in my knee is finally easing off a bit today. I didn't do any workout the last couple of days because I knew that if I went to the gym even if I was doing an upper body workout, I would be pissed off. You have to know when to take a break and there is no better time than when you are in real pain.

Work has been crazy this week since I was on vacation for the last two weeks, combine that with knee pain, and headaches from cutting sugars out again and I have not been the happiest of campers. I'm definitely looking forward to this weekend.

Day 3
Breakfast: Deviled eggs, sweet potato hash, roasted brussel sprouts
Lunch: Chicken breast w/ marinara, steamed broccoli, cherries
Dinner: 3 egg fritata w/ spinach, peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and coconut milk

Day 4
Breakfast: pizza casserole
Lunch: Chicken breast with marinara, boiled potatoes and green beans
Dinner: Meatballs and 1/2 of a baked potato with beef mushroom gravy, and steamed broccoli

Whole30 day 3...a tough blow to my momentum

This has been one of the single worst days for me...not even whole30 related. I hurt my "good" knee yesterday (good knee because it has only had one surgery as opposed to my bad knee which has had 8!) I felt okay during my workout, but when I was walking down stairs on my way out of work, a sharp pain went thru my knee and it buckled on me. I iced it last night twice and took Advil, but it remained so painful all night that I couldn't sleep and was still really bad this morning. I have never been in this much pain (even post surgical) and when I went to my doctor, I was told to just take advil and tylonal for a couple weeks until insurance will approve an MRI. I feel like I might cut my leg off myself by that point, but I have no choice. (to make it more ironic, I work for the insurance company...lol) So between the pain and last minute appointment I didn't feel like eating much breakfast and didn't have time to eat all my lunch. Now it is an hour till dinner and I am starving, lightheaded, in pain that is keeping tears in my eyes... but you know what?!?!?!?!
I AM REMAINING COMPLIANT!!! Life is not perfect and will never be perfect, but my health is more important that a bad day!

Pizza casserole and fresh cherries

Scrambled eggs, sweet potato hash and 1/2 a cucumber.

So...Day 2 recap

Chicken baked with marinara sauce, potatoes boiled with green beans, and roasted brussel sprouts

 Day 2 workout: 20 min. on the elliptical, leg press, hamstring curls, lat pull down, and seated rows.

Whole30 Day 1 recap...breaking habits again

Well...Day 2 of my second whole30 is winding down now. Yesterday went smoothly as I knew it would, but I came to a realization late in the day. I realized that the snacking habit that I had broken during my first whole30 had come back in my life during my two weeks on vacation. I didn't eat unhealthy snacks, but they were still mindless calories. So...that is my struggle again this time.

I went to the gym this afternoon for my workout and I am excited because I can feel myself getting stronger again with every workout. I am taking it slow, because, as I mentioned before, I will spend the rest of my life recovering from the damage I did to my body during my younger and more athletic days. That is okay though. Instead of increasing my weights each week and doing 3 sets of 10, 8, and 6 reps with a higher rep each set, I will be staying at 3 sets of 12 reps all at the same weight and not increasing until it becomes ridiculously easy. Just as with everything in life, the ability to adapt and change is the key to survival!



Day 1 recap

Breakfast:
2 eggs scrambled
3 pieces of compliant bacon
1/2 of a cucumber sliced
fresh cherries

Lunch:
Taco salad with seasoned ground beef, spring greens, spinach, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, salsa, guacamole, and a sprinkle of lime juice

Dinner:
Steak grilled with Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning
Boiled red potatoes with green beans (both from the farmer's market)
Watermelon

Workout:
30 min. of yoga
2 hours of yardwork ;-)

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Overcoming trials

The 5k I was training for was this past Saturday and as of race time I was sitting at home on my couch watching something on Netflix. I had surgery on my "good" knee four weeks ago, but my doctor, who knows how I tend to push myself, said I was forbidden to even walk in the 5k. I know that my doctor knows best, but it was hard to not go. I am finding myself increasingly discouraged by my body which seems to be increasingly rebellious against me. Rehab for my knee started off really well and I was weeks ahead of the protocol and then I hit the wall. A wall not caused by my recently operated on "good" knee, but rather a wall of limitations that are the result of my "bad" knee. My right knee which has been operated on 8 times is still so bad that the pain and grinding of that knee is negatively impacting the rehab of my left knee which has the "potential to be a perfect knee" to quote my doctor. My physical therapists are trying to get creative with my rehab and are going to talk to my doctor about my setback. I'll speak with my doctor tomorrow and I admit that I am nervous about my prospects.

In the mean time, I am still focusing on my eating. I have discovered the amazing world of freezer meals! I have tried out many new recipes that can be made ahead and then frozen and also several crock pot recipes. I have a severe yeast allergy which means that I shouldn't have preservatives and processed foods and for that reason I have to do a lot of cooking. Learning about freezing meals has greatly helped. Sometimes I choose one day of the weekend and cook a lot of meals to freeze. Other times I double a recipe that I am making for dinner so that I can freeze a portion for another. Look for me on Pintrest!

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah