Becoming WHOLE Again
30 days of Clean Eating and Taking Back Ownership of my Life
I was active all my
life – playing sports and running around from point a to point b, but I always
struggled with my weight. I didn’t always eat the best things. And although I ‘went
to the gym’ *occasionally* I wasn’t doing
the right things.
Around 4 years ago I went
on a life-changing fitness journey. As I started to get older, and with obesity
a real genetic threat for me, I decided enough is enough. It was time to get in
shape. I wasn’t overweight, but I also wasn’t healthy. I got sick all the time.
I just didn’t feel good.
So I made a
commitment. And stuck to it. The alarm would go off at 5:30 am. It was pitch
black in the dead of winter and freezing cold, but I was in the gym by 6am,
showered and on the train to White Plains by 7:52 am and in the office by 9am.
That was my life. I love/hated it.
HATED: Waking up
early. The dark. The freezing 3-block walk to the gym. The actual activity at
the gym.
LOVED: 15 minutes into
the workout and the pride I felt for making it there. The energy I had as a
result of that morning workout all day. The capacity to make smarter decisions
about what I was eating. And, of course, the results after many, many workouts
that made the sleepy, freezing walks to the gym worth every minute I lost in
sleep.
The best part was that
I never had a goal weight in mind. I knew my starting weight, and didn’t get on
the scale for months later. I was genuinely surprised to see the number
starring back at me. It was a number I didn’t think my body was capable of
reaching. I felt good. No, actually, I felt on top of the world. And not because
of the number, but because, for the first time in my life, I was fit (not ‘skinny’)
and I had achieved something I didn’t think I could. Honestly. In my wildest
dreams.
And then 2018
happened.
I travel, a lot. I
love good food. I work, a lot. I travel for work a lot. And as amazing as my
little story is above, I’m human and can still find every excuse not to go to
the gym (especially when my gym in the Netherlands is not open 24/7 like my gym
was in NY. I can deal with that, but I still don’t understand why the gym opens
at 7am instead of 6am – that extra hour is crucial for working people! - and
why it closes at 4pm on the weekends. Extremely inconvenient!). We all see
where this is going…
So, like everyone
else, I made a New Year’s resolution. Everyone makes them. Not many keep them.
This year, I have no choice. It’s time to get back on track. No excuses.
Last year my friend
Jenna did something called the Whole 30 in January. I had never heard of it
before. I instantaneously ruled it out, somewhat tuning out all the limitations
as she rattled them off, which included going out for drinks and/or a meal. I
mean, what else is there to do?! Caveat: although I disregarded it, I thought
it was very commendable she saw it through J
Naturally, when I had
my ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO YOURSELF’ breakdown moment in December, she’s the
first person I reached out to:
Me: “Are you doing
that Whole 30 thing again in January”
Jenna: “Yes, and so is
my friend Celia, whom I want you to meet. We should all do it together!”
And so I changed my tune.
Me: “Count me in!”
WHAT did I just commit
to?
I committed to no
carbs, sugar, legumes, dairy or alcohol for 30 days. Wait, what?
To prepare, I grabbed
one of the official Whole 30 recipe books. I selected the Fast & Easy
recipe book. I love to cook, but with my busy schedule, anything that takes
more than 30 - 40 minutes is just not feasible. I took the book to the US with
me over Christmas and read it from front to back, starting with the intro to
the program, understanding the science/theory behind it, and then excitedly
made my way through the 120+ recipes, happily earmarking all the deliciousness
to come.
With 31 days in the
month of January, I planned to start on January 2nd and go until
January 31st. 30 whole days. So January 2nd rolled
around. I took my initial weight the morning of and off I went.
Whole 30 seems
daunting. It’s definitely not easy. You need to do it when you’re not traveling,
not entertaining company, not in a position where you can’t make your own meals
3x/day for 30 days. For me, this is nearly IMPOSSIBLE. But let me tell you, it’s
doable. If I can do it, I think most people can!
The key is to plan. Meal
prep is key, and so that became part of my routine. Every Saturday I’d map out
my meals for the week and then Sunday was my grocery shop and meal prep day.
This is really hard, especially since it’s unrealistic to reserve 1 full day
over the weekend to slave over your meals in the kitchen. But I somehow found
at least 2.5-3 hours every Sunday night to cook. Most recipes in my book make
servings of 2-4, so I’d make about 3 or 4 different recipes at a time, leave a
variety out for the week and freeze the rest.
I really enjoyed the
cooking part! Like I said earlier, I genuinely love to cook, and this is proof
that if you make the time, there is time.
In the month of January
I had 4 different groups of visitors, which means dinners. Dinners out in the
world that doesn’t use ingredients you use. What to do, what to do? I did my
best! For three of them, I picked my favourite seafood place in AMS, one that
is always packed on a Friday night and has a great vibe, but also has something
I can eat on the menu. Each time I opted for the cod and roasted veggies and my
only alteration: hold the mustard sauce. Done. Easy. Delicious.
The first time I went,
I salivated over the bread and butter on the table. Literally. I love bread. I
love butter. ESPECIALLY in Europe and especially at this restaurant. I also
tried not to think about the chilled white wine just inches away from my reach
that I couldn’t have. It was hard, really, really hard. But it came, and it
went, and I got over it. In fact, the two additional times I went back with my
other friends, I didn’t even care. Willpower at its finest!
It was tough planning
lunch meetings for work. I tried to hold some of them in the office so I could
bring my own lunch, or strategically plan to pick the restaurant that I knew
would have a salad + protein that didn’t involve a million substitutions. After
all, this isn’t the US and that is not a thing here anyway. You cannot go to a
restaurant and do the very-American: “I’ll have this, but no this and no that,
and can you add this with no dressing and that on the side?” You just can’t.
And while I’ve grown to love that because it has made me so much more
adventurous with my eating, it makes doing Whole 30 even more challenging!
There was one working
lunch where the team ordered pizza. PIZZA! My love. And it was from this new
place that I had heard about that does NY-style slices of pizza that I really
wanted to try. The pizza arrives in the conference room. That wonderful pizza-y
aroma fills the room. And for a second, I think, ok you can have one. Just one.
I quickly snapped out of it, stuck my hand in my bag, and pulled out my packed
lunch. I made a commitment. Back to reality. Le sigh.
Don’t clap for me just
yet. I did cheat. Approximately 5 times. But all with what I would argue is
VERY good reason:
· Celebrating a friend’s very
well-deserved and exciting promotion with a glass of champagne, and then a
glass of wine (Day 15)
·
Dining
at a delicious restaurant in a castle outside of Maastricht with one of my best
friend’s who came all the way from LA. The dinner itself was Whole 30 approved,
but there’s no way you can enjoy a phenomenal cote de boef than with anything
other than an amazing French red wine (Day 17)
·
Dinner
with friends that included hummus – but I ate it with veggies instead of bread!
My rationale: it’s not alcohol, chocolate, ice cream, or bread. A little chickpea
is not going to kill me. (Day 19)
·
Dining
at a Michelin star restaurant (booked BEFORE the Whole 30 commitment) – hard to
avoid dessert as part of a tasting menu, and again, a perfectly paired glass of
wine (capped at 2 glasses for 5 courses). Earlier that day, knowing I was
cheating later on, I may have also had a few French fries. Cheating is bad.
Very bad. (Day 20)
· Having friends over for a Whole 30
approved brunch only to find out one accepted a new job offer and the other got
a promotion. Cue bottle of opened champagne here. (Day 26)
Was I proud of these
cheats? No. After eating certain foods I felt bad. Not sure if it was mental,
but it was enough to make me feel guilty.
So, aside from the
above, how did I do? I’d give myself a B+. Here’s why:
· Aside from the 5 cheats, I think I made
a valiant effort. I put a lot into my meal planning/prep and I enjoyed it. I
discovered a host of new recipes that I will continue to make. But I still
cheated, and I can’t help but think how much progress I could’ve made if I was
that much stricter
·
I
feel better. SO much better than I have felt in a long time. I have more
energy. I am sleeping better. This is the most important of all. But I am still
not there yet.
·
I
went a little crazy with my fruit and nut intake. While fruits and nuts are
allowed on Whole 30 (except for peanuts, those are legumes and not nuts – fun fact!),
fruits are full of sugar and nuts are extremely caloric. I found myself
overeating these two groups because I’m a snack-er and needed something ‘approved’
to snack on. What I should’ve done is up my protein intake with my meals, wait
20 minutes to get full, and then skip the snacking. See, I know exactly what to
do. I still am working on the ‘just do it!’ part
·
And
the number on the scale? Well, here’s a funny story. I dropped 2.1 kilos, or
4.6 lbs in the first two days! WHAT? Miracle diet over here! No, actually. I
had the flu. So I think that had something to do with it. But I’m convinced I would’ve
gotten there eventually after eliminating all the toxins I had been putting in
my mouth the last few months. I ended with an overall loss of 2.6 kilos, or 5.7
lbs. Not bad. But I still have a loooong way to go
·
I
didn’t get to the gym as much as I would’ve liked this month. Cue the excuses.
No, no, really good reason (except for the last one)
o
The
flu took me out of the gym for a good 1.5 weeks. Understandable. And I am sure
my fellow gym-goers would thank me for keeping my germs home.
o
I
have been experiencing terrible back pain and have started seeing a
chiropractor. She’s pro-gym, but I felt like I needed to get my back situation
under control before returning to lifting weights and doing things that might
counteract her work. Not becoming a hunchback at 30 is also part of getting fit
again.
o
It’s
really cold and dark in Amsterdam. Journeys take time.
Where do I go from
here? Well, quite literally to Mexico for 9 days where there will be
temptations all around, and while I’ve made no commitment to remain Whole 30
compliant on what I would consider to be my first real vacation (sans laptop!)
in 2 years, I am going into this week way more aware of what I put in my body than
I was 30 days ago, and that already will help me. Plus, I have a new rule that I
can only pack what I will definitely wear, and there are a lot of workout
clothes in my bag.
But after Mexico?
Being Whole 30 compliant all the time is just not realistic for me. But what I can
do is try to stick to a 5/2 rule (5 days compliant, 2 days non), or will
definitely continue the meal prep/recipe exploration when I am home. I know
what my body likes and what it doesn’t. Am I never going to eat bread again?
No. But I’ve tested mind over matter and I know I can do it, so I will think
twice before reaching for that piece of bread on the table.
Did I convince you to
consider doing Whole 30? Here’s some recipe inspiration from my journey over
the last few weeks!
My first creation: Chinese-style beef and broccoli with cauliflower cabbage rice
My first-ever attempt at poached eggs. Looks gross, tasted great!
A new cauliflower rice recipe with bone-in chicken broth, ghee, and herbs!
Ginger garlic shrimp with zoodles
Lemongrass chicken with bok choy and steamed broccoli
Chicken and zucchini hash with basil
Lemon thyme cod with zoodles and brussel sprouts
My first attempt at shakshuka - so easy to make, and delicious!
Breakfast has always been an issue for me. I am not hungry, and don't like breakfast foods. Luckily, I got creative with these egg 'cupcakes', switching up the veggie fillings each week
Sesame ginger chicken with sugar snaps
Getting creative with the sparkling water mocktails
My Whole 30 Bible!
