Whole30 Week 1

A week ago today I started the Whole30 Challenge. For those of you who aren’t familiar, it is a 30 day cleanse of processed foods, added sugars, leguems, grains, dairy, and alcohol. AKA anything super delicious… Don’t even think about it!! 

Update: 
Days 1&2 were pretty rough, I was always starving. I couldn’t seem to eat enough calories. Day 3, I noticed my energy was up but eating so many fruits and veggies defiantly caught up to my digestive system if you know what I mean… Day 4&5, a lot better. I started to get the hang of eating a lot more protein. Day 6&7, rough again. I had a long run on day 6 and a long bike on day 7 (10miles on day 6 and 2hrs on the bike on day 7). This is when my lack of carbohydrates caught up to me. My run was good but I did notice I was getting a headache and a slightly dizzy feeling by the end, like my blood sugar was low. Day 7, my legs felt like lead, my head ached, and I had zero energy. I ate 2 Lara Bars (190 calories each) before beginning and I was only able to make it to 20min before calling it quits so I could eat some more and potentially recover a little more from my previous days run….
…because of this issue and the amount of training that I am doing I will be adding some whole grains to my diet for the coming week to see if that makes a difference. From what I have read, many other triathletes had to alter the plan as well to be able to maintain their training appropriately. Even though I hate to make alterations to the challenge.. Fingers crossed it works!
What I’m Missing Most: 
Tortilla chips and cheese. I didn’t realize how much I loved each of these until I could no longer have them. 
Best Meals So Far: 
Valentines Day Dinner: zucchini pasta, shrimp and scallops and some kind of other squash. It was delicious and all thanks to my Valentine 😉 

Mushroom stuffed with ground turkey and guacamole and a side of clementine. 

What I’ve Learned So Far: 
You must like eggs, sweet potatoes, and avocado to survive the challenge. These are the staples to my diet. 
A few more thoughts to close out week 1…For as tough as this “diet plan” is to follow, I am enjoying mixing it up and trying some new things. It is also forcing me to cook more often which isn’t always a bad thing either. Hopefully I will learn a couple more good dishes for you to try as well. I’ll be back again next Monday for week two update. 

Happy Monday Y’all! 

Whole30 Update

I’m STARVING!!!! I love all that I am eating I just feel like I can’t get enough food in me.  Day one, I consumed less than 1,000 calories and I felt like I ate all day. Day two I did much better, getting to 1,900 calories, thanks to the addition of smoothies, but still I feel like I am never full. I know I am an avid exerciser so I am sure that has a little something to do with constantly being hungry… so I want to know if anyone else who maybe started off with this, “I’m Starving” issue was able to turn the tables to feeling full while remaining on the plan? Any and all suggestions/comments welcome!!

On a positive though, I am sleeping better and generally feel more refreshed when I wake up in the morning 🙂

Here is what my first two days on the Whole30 plan consisted of:

DAY 1:
Breakfast: Hardboiled egg and berries
Lunch: Almonds (probably not the most substantial lunch ever)
Dinner: Spaghetti Squash, Broccoli, Chicken, and a Clementine
Snacks: Hardboiled egg, and an apple with almond butter

DAY 2:
Breakfast: Hardboiled egg, berries, and a kale, orange, mango, and strawberry smoothie
Lunch: Sweet Potato and kale chips
Dinner: Salmon, kale chips, and half an avocado
Snacks: Apple Pie Lara Bar, almonds, banana and apple in almond butter, and another smoothie just like I had at breakfast

Whole30 Challenge…

Accepted!! Starting on Monday, my good friend and training partner, Kimberly and I will be embarking on a 30 day challenge of no processed foods. The challenge is to eat only whole foods for thirty days in a row. This means no dairy, grains, alcohol, legumes, or anything with added sugar. Calories are not restricted only the foods we eat are. 

The point of this “diet” plan is to help aid curbing those cravings for “bad” foods. Also it has been noted by past participants that their energy levels have increased, feelings of being less bloated, weight loss, less frequent headaches, and better sleep. We will see what happens to the two of us through the process.  
But for now, we are in the planning stages using this as our guideline for the weeks ahead: 
Do any of you have recommendations for recipes based on this list? All suggestions are welcome!! 
I will be sure to keep you updated weekly as to my progress and if this sounds like something you are interested in or would like more information about check out the website listed below. 

http://whole30.com
**Please note I say “diet” in quotes as I do not believe in dieting, I believe in lifestyle changes. This although is temporary, it will hopefully envoke some lifestyle changes in my eating patterns long term. Also note “bad” is in quotes. There are no such thing as “bad” foods. There are just foods that are “better choices” and there are foods that should only be consumed be in moderation.**

Daily Odd Compliments

Earlier today as I was looking through Pinterest and I found this thing called Daily Odd Compliments. They kind of remind me of goofy/cheesy pick up lines. So today’s post is in honor of some of my favorites that I came across. I hope you enjoy and maybe even giggle about them a little as I did. 

I hope these made you laugh a little and possibly even brighten your Wednesday! And if you see fitting.. Throw one of these lines at your best friend or significant other. If you do so, please let me know how it goes! 
Happy Hump Day Y’all !!

Things I’m Loving Tuesday

Back again for another round of Things I’m Loving Tuesday. This weeks addition will be a little different as it will be all the apps that I am loving. 

1. Blogger. Without this one you wouldn’t hear from me nearly as often. I love it because it allows me to post quickly on the go (or at my desk when I have some free time). Anyone who is into the blogging thing, I defiantly recommend it. 
2. Nike Training Club. I think I raved enough about this one yesterday. If you missed it, check out yesterday’s post to get the down low on that one.
3. Training Peaks. Training peaks is a website where my triathlon coach posts all my workouts. I love having it as an app so I can easily make plans of how to incorporate my workout into my day without having to get on the computer. I feel like it makes me much less likely to miss a workout. 
4. My Fitness Pal. This is a great free app that allows you to easily track your calorie consumption and exertion. 
5. IFTTT, If this then that. Many of you who read my blog via Facebook may have noticed that I’m not the one who posts it there now. This app automatically posts my blog for me once I have published it. Additionally it sends me a text message alerting me of the weather forecast for the day every morning at 5am and let’s me know when it’s going to rain. It can do plenty of other things but that is all I have figured out so far. Do any of you use it? If so, what for?  

That’s all for this week. Are there any apps that you are currently using and would recommend? Please let me know, I’d love to give them a try. 

Have a great Tuesday! 

P.S. If you would like to have my blog emailed to you after every post please check out the home page. In the top left corner, there is a spot that you can add your email address. Thanks for reading! 🙂 

Nike Training Club

I know I have already raved about this app before but Nike Training Club has to be one of my favorite fitness apps I have ever used. Today, since it was technically my off day but I felt like I needed to do something after all the chips and dips I consumed during the Super Bowl, I did the Arm Definer and Alpha Abs followed by the Full Stretch Guide to cool down (I wanted to avoid cardio and working my legs too hard). 

Since I have raved about it so much I wanted to give you some of the pros and cons about the app so you can see if it is right for you. 
Pros: 
1. All levels welcome. They have beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.  
2. Talks to you the whole time, giving helpful cues and a continuous count down all while allowing you to keep your music playing in the background. 
3. A variety of options based on what you are trying to accomplish and the equipment you have available. 
4. Gives short video demonstrations to help clarify any confusion about an exercise. 
Cons:
1. The cuing isn’t always the same based on who the “instructor” is so at times it may be easy to miss when you’re supposed to switch sides, change directions, etc. during the exercise. 
2. For someone who is super new to fitness, it can be a bit overwhelming. There are such a vast the number of options so it could be confusing picking which one to start with. **did notice today that there is a make your plan section so maybe this could help alleviate this issue**
3. Transitions are really quick so it is extremely important to have all your equipment ready before you get started. 

If you give it a try let me know what you think and to any of you who have tried it before, what’d you think? 

Happy Monday! 


Homemade Pizza

Everyone loves a little pizza every now and again, but unfortunately, pizza isn’t always as loving to our insides as it is to our taste buds. Pizza is often loaded with with high fat cheeses, refined carbs for dough, sugary sauces, and greasy meats. Fortunately, there are ways to make it a little healthier by taking matters into your own hands and making it yourself (ps it’s a lot of fun and makes a great date night)…. 

Homemade Pizza: 
Ingredients: 
1.whole wheat dough and flour (I bought this premade at the local grocery store), 
2.a low sugar pizza sauce (read the labels and compare),
3.mozzarella cheese (2% or fat free), 
4.turkey pepperoni, and 
5. Chopped up veggies of your choice (we used mushrooms and spinach) 
Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Spread some whole wheat flour on the counter to keep dough from sticking. 
3. Stretch the dough into the shape that you would like and lay on a cookie sheet. 
4. Add sauce using a spoon to spread. Don’t forget to leave a little room for the crust. 
5. Add cheese and toppings (be sure not to over due it on the cheese. Even with a low fat option, it can hurt you on the calorie count) 
6. Bake for 10-15min depending on your oven. 
7. Remove, slice, and Enjoy! 
Here is the final product of the pizza we made last night: 
Let me know if you decide to give it a try! And happy Super Bowl Sunday!! 

Top 5 Dates

After going out on a date last night, it got me thinking a little about some of the best dates I’ve ever been on and/or dates that I think would be really fun.  Here are my top 5 picks: 

1. Stating with my date from last night; dinner and bowling. Dinner allowed for some quality get to know each other time then bowling allowed us to interact and be a little competitive. It was fun getting to see his goofy side. Here is a picture from the bowling evening… 

2. Going to a sporting event. This can be a little expensive but if you pay attention there are almost always ways of getting cheap tickets. I’ve been lucky enough to score some great tickets to Hurricans games lately. 

3. Cooking dinner together followed by a movie. Cheap date… Always nice when dating on a budget. And who knows, you may learn he can cook 😉 
4. Going to a local park. Again, it is cheap. You can pack a picnic and a frisbee or just go for a walk. 
5. Dinner and game night with another couple. I’ve never actually done this but I think it could be a lot of fun with the right couple. 
What are some of your favorite dates? 

Raleigh Snow Day

As much as us southerners complain about the cold, I think we all really do love those one or two snow days we get a year. Yes, it does close down everything but it does bring about a few good things as well….

First and foremost, most of us got a lot more fresh air and exercise during the snowy weather. Many went outside to throw a few snowballs and maybe even sled down a half dirt, half ice little hill. Bet you didn’t think of all the exercise you were getting as you laughed and ran back up the hill to go again. Then once you were outside for a while, shivering set in. This shivering although it was uncomfortable helped you to burn a few extra calories. And finally, snow often times means a little more family and friend time that is often lacking in our busy day to day lives.
I hope you took some time to enjoy the snowy weather. Never know when it’ll hit again down here! 

Exercising in the Cold

I don’t know about you but these freezing temps and crazy lows with the wind chill has been about enough to put me over the edge when it comes to getting my workouts in. So I wanted to give you some tips on how I manage exercising in these not so great conditions: 

1. Dress appropriately. This means layer up. Dress in some form of dry fit, sweat wicking layer on the bottom to help keep you dry, a major part in staying warm. Then add a couple layers to keep your core warm. My favorite top layer is a fleece vest from old navy (see picture below). Next add some warm gloves (get sports gloves, you’ll be happy you did). Finally keep that head warm. I know many of you females don’t like hats so at a minimum wear something to keep your ears warms. 

2. If working out indoors fits you better: 
– find something good to watch. I have much better luck completing my indoor trainer rides when I put on some action packed movie. 
– you can still run with your running partner. Just because you are running inside, run on the treadmills side by side and carry on your conversations as you normally would. 
– since running or biking can be a bit of a drag inside, mix it up a little by working in some intervals. For example, instead of a steady 4mile run, do a 1mile easy warm up, then ever quarter of a mile pick it up or slow down alternating each time. Then for your last half mile slow down like you are doing a cool down. This way you are breaking it up into little pieces and it will be easier to get through the whole thing. 
What are some tips you have for getting your workouts in during these not so great weather conditions?