BEASTMODE!!!

Whoaaaaa... we’re halfway the-ere... Yes, you’ve earned today’s guilty-pleasure video.

Congrats ladies.  We have made it two weeks.  I am sitting at my desk this morning eating my pulled pork and sweet potato hash, ( Because the boyfriend forgot to buy eggs) no worries we modify and adapt.  I have to say that I think my body is getting into the swing of things.  I had a HARD arm workout yesterday.  Today I have energy, less sore, and ready for more. I am running faster and feeling less pain. I am hoping "fat adapted" continues to feel like BEASTMODE!!!

I am less hungry, little to no cravings, grateful for this process.

I am noticing that my (60 year old ) shoulder is no longer hurting as often, and my knee seems to be responding better.  I am pushing hard, icing when I need to and seem to be recovering faster.  Something is going right.  I see that one of you at least seems to be running faster.  Is anyone else starting to see positive results from clean eating.

I am really excited for the next couple of weeks to see what my body can do.

Have a great Wednesday Ladies.

I read this great article yesterday about Paleo on a budget.  I have found a few ways I can still pinch some pennies.

15 Tips For Eating Paleo On A Budget

• Buy seasonal produce.
• Shop at a farmer’s market.
• Learn how to make homemade goods, such as fermented veggies, kombucha, almond milk and ghee.
• Grow your own produce, even if it’s fresh herbs on the windowsill of your apartment.
• Look for sales—even stores such as Whole Foods put meat on sale from time to time.
• For meats, if you can only afford grain-fed, buy lean cuts and trim the fat before cooking.
• Use a vacuum sealer to prevent foods from losing freshness or getting freezer burned.
• Limit Paleo baking or speciality ingredients. Nobody *needs* coconut aminos to survive.
• Buy in bulk at stores such as Costco. I’ve even spotted big tubs of coconut oil there.
• Limit how much you go out to eat.
• Buy from the bulk bins at the health food market.
• Purchase spices in bulk and make your own blends. It’s cheaper that way.
• Join your local CSA—community supported agriculture—group.
• Join a cow- or pig-share. You chip in to buy a large quantity of meat, and the price is often cheaper per pound than the grocery store. You’ll need a large amount of freezer space.
• If you absolutely cannot get by without staple foods, steer clear of gluten and dairy but perhaps add in less problematic foods such as white rice or white potato. I don’t recommend this from an optimal-nutrition standpoint, but if you’re struggling financially, it’s an option.

What if…?

Today, we’ll also address some commonly asked questions—things that tend to come up in the middle of your program.

Q: What if…you’ve discovered that you accidently ate something off-plan. Should you start over?

A: That depends. We really want you to have a full 30 days of squeaky-clean eating, and that’s what your body needs to “reset.” So if you’ve accidentally (or purposefully) eaten something that contains alcohol, gluten, dairy, soy, or peanuts, we’d suggest starting over to give your body that whole month of food-freedom.

If you accidentally ingested something with added sugar—say the salad dressing your Mom assured you was “sugar-free” actually had some agave—it’s less important to start over. Added sugar isn’t going to disrupt the healing process nearly as much as the other stuff.

In summary, regardless of our recommendation to complete 30 straight days of 100% Whole30, this question is always up to you. Think about your goals, and what you hoped to get out of this program, and decide for yourself whether you need to start over, or treat it as a lesson learned and keep right on truckin’.

Q: What if…after 15 days, you haven't noticed much happening? Nothing miraculous, nothing huge, nothing "magical.” Is the Whole30 really working?

A: First, depending on your past dietary and exercise habits, it might take you more than a few weeks to go through the complete adaptive process and to let your body “heal” from all of those inflammatory foods you used to eat. You can’t expect to completely undo decades of poor dietary and exercise habits in just 15 days! Be patient and persistent, as it might take more time before things start to really hum.

However, run through this checklist first:

• Is your food quality truly 100% Whole30 approved? A few small diversions (a single bite of cake here, a splash of cream in your coffee there, and that one beer when you really needed it) is enough to impede progress. The program must be completed with 100% food quality for the full 30 day period for optimal results.
• Are you eating three solid meals a day? Our template is built around 3-ish meals, so don’t cheat yourself out of valuable nutrients by eating too little or too infrequently. (That especially means don’t miss breakfast.) And are you eating your post-workout meal right after your high-intensity training, in addition to your regular meals? If you’re working hard, you need fuel for recovery. (Review the post-workout section of It Starts With Food for details.)
• Are you adding plenty of good fat to each meal? Healthy fats are a necessary part of every meal. Don’t skip this part (or cut back on your added fat), or you’ll never have enough energy. Fat is your friend! In addition, if you’re active, you may need more carbohydrates to support that activity level. Don’t be afraid of sweet potato, butternut or acorn squash, or pumpkin if you play a sport, participate in high-intensity exercise regularly or have a very active job.
• Are you sleeping enough? Missing those 8-9 hours a night can affect everything from performance to recovery to, yes, body composition.
• Are you exercising too much? Talk to your coach or a trusted fitness professional, and let them help you determine if you should take some extra rest days. (More exercise is not always better! Adding extra lifting or “cardio” may actually hinder your progress.)
• Stressed out? Stress has a potent impact on all of your hormonal processes, so do your best to manage life stressors.

If you can honestly say you’ve got all of these factors in line, then we’ll say… be patient! Many people report that it takes until the very last days of their program before they start feeling the magic. Your time will come—trust that you are doing everything you need to do to take good care of your body, and let your body heal on its own time.*

* In addition, you might have some underlying medical condition that is affecting your energy production, or you simply might need some help from a professional consultant or medical professional to “troubleshoot” your complex life. It starts with food… but food can’t fix everything. Be honest about your own context—if you’re dealing with a medical condition, serious metabolic derangement, or other unfavorable (non-changeable) lifestyle factors, do you need to modify your expectations to be more realistic?

Q: What if…you’re having scale withdrawal?

A: Don’t give in! Stepping away from the scale allows you to focus on all of the other results you are experiencing. There are so many physical, mental, and emotional benefits that you may end up ignoring just because you’re distracted by that silly number on the scale.

If you really need physical evidence of your progress, use other signs that you’re getting healthier. Are your clothes fitting better? Is your skin clearer? Are your eyes brighter? Do people say you look better, leaner, happier? These things are far more important than the number on the scale anyway!

Q: What if…you’re getting bored with the food you’re eating?

A: Then hold tight! We have a great post coming up on Day 17 with tons of ideas on how to spice things up in the kitchen.

Q: What if…there’s a Zombie Apocalypse and you’re in the middle of your Whole30?

A: Don’t worry, we’ve covered that, too! Read our plan for surviving a Zombie Invasion. Yes! You can still eat Good Food while attempting to fight off the gathering undead hordes. And our plan works really well for other natural disasters too, like blizzards, ice storms, and hurricanes.

Caution: The “What the Hell” Effect

Our first “what if” question above is probably the most common. Whether you make a bad decision, or are accidentally “dosed” with an off-plan ingredient in a food served to you, discovering you’ve broken your 100% Whole30 streak can make you feel disappointed and frustrated. But beware not to step into the dangerous zone scientists have christened the “What the Hell” Effect. (For real—that’s the science-y name for this phenomenon!)

It goes like this: you’re eating a Whole30 family dinner, enjoying every bite. Then you realize—the dressing on your salad tastes really, really sweet. So you ask your Mom, “Hey, does this dressing have sugar in it?” and your Mom replies, “No, sweetie, I told you—no sugar. It’s sweetened with agave!”

This is the part where you feel disappointed, frustrated, angry for messing up (whether intentional or not). But here’s where the WTH Effect comes in; where you say, “Ah, crap, my Whole30 is ruined… I might as well eat the dessert everyone else is enjoying/ have that glass of wine after all/eat the darn bread.” You see where we’re going?

The WTH Effect isn’t just about self-control, it’s about failure to reach a goal. And with each “slip,” the following slip(s) become easier and easier to make. But that’s faulty logic, isn’t it? The lessons you’ve learned during your Whole30 aren’t “ruined” because you had some added sugar/gluten/dairy. You’ve got 16 days of clean eating under your belt, and there is absolutely no reason to throw that all down the drain because you made a bad choice, or received some bad information.

Don’t let your emotions, guilt, frustration, or the WTH Effect rain on your Whole30, even if you’ve gone off-plan. The key is acknowledging your actions, and creating a smart plan about how you’re going to handle it. No guilt, only consequences, right?