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

Whole30 Results and...the rest of the story

The results are in!! I applied for a new job at the beginning of this process and because of everything listed above, I had the confidence to go through the interview process. Yesterday, on my last whole30 day, I was told I got the job which is a huge promotion. I will be leaving the position I've had for 9 years! Oh and I guess I should also mention I lost 15 lbs, 3.5 inches from my stomach, 3 inches from my chest, 2 inches from my hips, and an inch from each thigh!!! All of those numbers are just icing on the cake!

Here is my whole story...

In 2004 I was having horrible mood swings and I just didn't feel good. That year I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and started on medications. That started a 12 year battle with medications to control my sleep, medications for my mood, medications to counteract the side effects of other medications. I gained 100 lbs which I was told was a side effect of all the medications. The doctors had to keep switching my medications because nothing seemed to really work.

Things changed when we brought a puppy into our home and my allergies got out of control and to diagnose it my ENT ordered a full gambit of allergy tests. Other than the dog, we found out I had a huge reaction to yeast and mold. My allergist recommended that I go on a yeast free diet. I went home and immediately started researching what kind of diet that entailed, but also the symptoms of a yeast allergy. I noticed that there are a number of psychological symptoms to anaphylactic shock. I started thinking about the times when I felt the worse with depression and anxiety and realized that those were the times I was eating what was the worst for a yeast allergy- fast food and preservatives. I immediately started to clean up my diet. Luckily my psychiatrist was very open minded and willing listen to my theory that I wasn't bipolar, just having an extreme allergic reaction and the reason we couldn't find a medication to help me was because we were trying psychiatric drugs on a physical problem. He tapered me off of my medication and I continued cleaning up my diet. 

In March of this year I was official dismissed as a patient of the UNC Neurosciences Clinic and have been medication free for almost 2 years. I have struggled though when it came to sticking to eating clean. I started paying attention to the mood swings I would have and think about how they were caused by slipping in to old habits. That is why I chose to do the Whole30 program. I needed something to give me the kick in the butt that I needed to do what is right for me, not just for 30 days, but to be the first 30 days of the rest of my life.

I can't help but think about all the years that I have wasted by not trying to eat clean when I first started having problems, but I won't think about it too hard. At 33, I have a long life ahead of me and this 30 day period wad just the start!!!

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 17: Learning more and seeing more benefits

While I have noticed a ton of benefits so far for this 30 days, I seem to be having more arthritis pain than usual. Several people on the forum for the Whole30 have mentioned eliminating nightshades. I had never even heard the term nightshades before, but I started reading. Nightshades are part of a species of plants that are commonly used in my diet on a daily basis. They include tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes among many others. Many spices also fall in this family, like paprika. Nightshades seem to cause more inflammation in the body. Since I have started the Whole30 program, I have been eating so many more of these veggies and spices and it could possibly be the reason I am having more pain. I am now looking at eliminating nightshades and/or doing the autoimmune version of the Whole30 in the future.

Outside of my painful joints, I am noticing so many wonderful benefits. My skin is so clear and even toned that I haven't needed to wear foundation for a week. I love that my already minimal makeup has been cut back even more. I also have noticed that my nails are stronger. When I went shopping over the weekend I was trying on clothes in regular stores, not just stores with plus sizes and that felt amazing! I am dying to take my measurements, but I can hold off another 13 days!

When I started the Whole30 I was hungry all the time and really had to play with my portions to feel satiated. Now, I am noticing the size of my portions is leveling off and I am starting to leave some on my plate at the end of the meal. I love that not only am I eating the right foods, I no longer feel the need to eat all of the food on my plate.

Here is my day 16 recap:

Breakfast:
Deviled eggs
Broccoli slaw salad







Lunch:
Pork chop w/ strawberry avacado salad
Roasted cauliflower
Collard greens

Yup, ate dinner sitting in the car!

Dinner:
Roasted chicken
Steamed broccoli
Sweet potato
w/ ghee
and cinnamon


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

Learning to listen to my body

After years of athletic training and almost a dozen surgeries, I have finally learned to listen to my body. Saturday's first attempt at running was painful. I know the difference between soreness, caused by micro-tears in the muscle fibers that as they repair helps make the muscle stronger, and pain. My knees have been hurting a lot following my run so I decided to back off. I rested for two days taking time to ice my knees and taking Advil. Last night I walked 2 miles and lightly jogged a few staggered minutes. My knees are not as painful and stiff today, so I think I am on the right track. I made an appointment with my surgeon to have her take a look at my "good" knee. I call it my good knee because while it is bad, I haven't had surgery on it yet. I want to make sure I am not doing irreparable damage and what she says will be the difference between trying to run my first 5k in October versus walking the 5k.

My quest to get healthy has been full of ups and downs. I have lost 50 lbs in the last year and a half which is awesome, but I still find myself getting discouraged by set backs like knee pain. Maybe I need to listen harder to what my body is saying. Maybe it isn't really saying, "I am in pain. Slow down." Maybe my body is really saying, "I just can't keep taking the same abuse anymore!" I think during the course of this blog that I have decided walking the 5k isn't such a bad thing. I'm going to have to change the way I look at exercise and realize the philosophies of "No pain, No gain" and "Go hard or go home" just aren't working for me. I saw a sign up the road from where I live advertising a yoga class. Maybe it is time I take a different path to get to where I want to be.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah