Well I survived my 3rd Whole 30 experience! I think this time truly was a charm, as it seemed to be the easiest one. Part of this may have been due to the timing. January is an easy time of the year for me to reset and tighten up on food choices. It is cold and I don't feel compelled to drive to Starbucks for an iced chai latte. With my busy schedule, it was easy to focus on work, school, and the gym. I have no idea how much weight I lost, but since I coincidentally had a physical scheduled for Day 30, I knew where I was by the end. When I saw that number, I was REALLY glad I did not weigh myself at the beginning because I would have been so discouraged. Now I know I still have plenty of work to do, but I've managed to accomplish it in the past and am certain I can be successful again this year.
For the month of January, I had 22 perfect bricks--so awesome! The days that were not perfect were only due to missed AM cardio. I still ate well those days, so I don't consider those to be total wasted days. Nonetheless, 22 was a solid number and if I average this number consistently, I should hit 150 bricks by mid-July. Some of those mornings were very difficult. This past week, I woke up at 4:30AM three days to get to boot camp, and spin classes. With the freezing cold temps, I could have easily remained snuggled in bed, but I gave myself a pep talk each morning and managed to get to the classes. Every time I did, I felt better. It may not have been the desirable action, but I was so pleased once I completed the classes.
At Crossfit, I saw some significant gains by cleaning up my diet. I recently switched back to the whole class programming. The Wendler plan was awesome; however, it was taking too long. One of the reasons I enjoy crossfit is the ability to accomplish a lot in an hour. I'm thrilled I made the switch, as the programming has been challenging and fun. Somehow, I figured out how to do double-unders and banded kipped pull ups. These movements had been evading me for many months, so I am going to attribute these gains to a cleaner diet. Mentally and physically, Whole 30 does the job.
Would I do this again? Absolutely. Did it leave me craving tons of cheat foods and drink? No, not really. I did have some delicious port tonight. However, I'll be happy to return to healthy choices tomorrow. Last year, I was not in the right state of mind to be successful with Whole 30 or clean eating. 2014 is different and I've started it with a solid foundation.
Up next...I signed up for the 2014 Crossfit Games! Also, Melissa Hartwig of
Whole 9 is presenting a seminar at CrossfitFree in Salem, NH. I'm signed up and ready to hear her tips for clean eating!
For the 2014 season, I am tossing around ideas of sprint triathlons, half marathons, and some other events. Stay tuned! What is your race plan for 2014? Or fitness/health goals? I'd love to read about your goals in the comments section.
Congrats to my co-workers and gym buddies who successfully met their Whole 30 goals--you are amazing :)
Here are some meals and images from Days 14-30:
