How to Succeed on the Whole30

For Sarah and I, Wednesday, October 1st was day 30 of our Whole30. For me, it was my second round of completing the Whole30. But, for Sarah, it was her first endeavor on the Whole30. Our venture started the day after a long weekend away at her family's cabin up in the north woods of Wisconsin. It was a weekend of not only getting away and enjoying time with the family, but also eating rather unhealthily with no real cares. Speaking for myself, I know I drank plenty of beer, sweets, breads, and baked goods. It was ultimately what lead to my decision of going through another round of the Whole30. I wanted to get my diet back on track, especially with my upcoming marathon on October 11th.

Initially when I had come up with the idea and personally committed to doing a Whole30, I brought it up to Sarah, initially she said something similar to, "hell no." I took the strategy of reverse psychology to try and persuade her to join me. I replied to her convincing "no" with a snarky comment like, "I figured you wouldn't be able to do it," and "you're too unwilling to make changes." Sure, it was a risky decision to make some pretty mean comments to a touchy topic for most women, but it ended up paying off. She ultimately agreed to join me, more out of spite to prove me wrong, than to make a positive change in her diet than anything. I must say though, now that we both successfully completed the full Whole30, I think she was glad she did it and not only truly proved me wrong, but proved to herself that she succeeded with something that isn't as easy as it may seem.

As I just mentioned, Sarah honestly proved me wrong, as I had her pegged to make it a week. See, without putting myself at risk for starting a fight, Sarah doesn't share the same motivation and drive when it comes to diet and fitness as I do. Don't get me wrong, she does a lot of good things and it probably still in the minority when it comes to physical activity, but nothing above the general population. She, does her best to find 30-60 minutes a day of physical activity, such as walking with the kids and dog, or riding her stationary bike in the mornings before work. About once or twice a week she'll get in a longer workout in at the YMCA where she will walk on a treadmill and then do a short strength circuit following. As far as diet, she was as I stated early, unwilling to make the changes as, she simply didn't want to. She drank at least a soda or two a day, all diet. She would often snack at work throughout the day, especially when coworkers would bring in candy, cake, snacks, etc for everyone to share. More times than not, she would eat "right," but it was the in-between time that was having the negative impact. So, when she told me she was going to do the Whole30 with me, I was thrilled and honestly proud of her. At the same time, I had my doubts that she wouldn't make it. I thought, she give up and say it just wasn't worth it for her. But, here we are, on Day 31, and she did it, she didn't cheat, she didn't complain, and honestly, I think she kind of enjoyed it.

Apples were a staple throughout our Whole30

I am very proud of what she accomplished. This was a huge change for her. She gave up all forms of soda, coffee creamer, breads, her occasional treats while at work, and going out to eat at some of her favorite restaurants. There were days of frustration, anger, grogginess, and down right crabbiness, but throughout the 30 days I honestly saw a change in her. Not only in her physical appearance, but in her perception of food and food preparation.  In the end we both lost 9 lbs.  I started at 178 lbs and ended at 169 lbs.  I was hoping to be in the 165 ball park, but am happy with how I feel, look, and more importantly how I my training is going.  I also utilized Hammer Nutrition's Phytolean prior to any of my meals which were higher in carbohydrates to lessen the impact on my insulin release and better metabolize fat for energy opposed to carbohydrates (you can also click this link to save 15% off a bottle of Phytolean from Hammer Nutrition).  As for Sarah, I know she took more away than just weight lost over the last 30 days, because she regularly mentioned having more energy at work, especially on longer days.  She also said how she just feels "better."  So, I know if she can go 30 days eating this strict, a lot of you can too!  Below are a couple before and after pictures of myself.

Now, instead of continuing to talk about our experience from doing the Whole30, I would like to offer some suggestions and expectations for those who are considering doing their own Whole30. So, below are 7 suggestions, tips, expectations, and how to set yourself up for success with your Whole30. All of which I have learned from my 2 experiences on the Whole30.

1. Plan Ahead

In my opinion, the only way to succeed on the Whole30 is to plan. At a minimum, you should plan out your meals for each week. When you plan ahead, you know what you will be eating for dinner in advance. This will prevent those nights where you look around and just order a couple of pizzas for dinner instead of making a healthy dinner at home. I planned out a menu for each week and constructed our grocery list off of our menu. This not only structured our meals throughout the week, but kept only healthy foods in our house opposed to just stocking the shelves with random snack foods. In addition to planning your weekly dinner menu, you should plan ahead each individual day. Pack lunches for work, know what you are going to eat for breakfast before you go to bed. When you plan ahead, you basically force yourself to eat the right foods. If you know you are going to be going out to eat for a meal, jump online and check out their menu in advance and know what you are going to order and how you are going to order it even before getting to the restaurant. Having a plan sets you up for success, the more you plan, the more you will succeed.

2. Don't Do It Alone

My first Whole30 back in February was a lonely Whole30. I did it alone. There were some days where I would eat a separate dinner from Sarah and the girls. It was not nearly as easy as it was the second time around when I had Sarah along for the ride. Instead of buying multiple styles and types of foods, I was buy a lot of fruits and vegetables and didn't even have to bother with processed grains and breads. This time around, we cleaned out our cupboards of all non Whole30 foods, which wasn't going to happen my first time. Along setting ourselves up for success inside the home, it was nice to have someone else to talk to who was going through the same things I was. We were able to talk about our cravings and challenges each day. We helped each other throughout the 30 days. It really helped having someone else who is experiencing the exact same feelings you are and would highly recommend you convince someone, anyone else to join you in your journey.

3. Expect It To Be Time Consuming

Yes, cooking takes time. In fact, just about everything during the Whole30 takes extra time. Making your weekly menu. Takes time. Making your grocery list. Takes time. Grocery shopping and having to read just about every label before you buy it. Takes time. Packing all your meals. Takes time. Cooking each and every meal. Takes time. You get the idea, the Whole30 takes patience. But, it does get easier. You get into a new routine, you learn tricks, you adapt. Just about any meal that you will be eating during your Whole30 needs to be prepared in some way or another. There is nothing easy about it, but I will tell you, it is so worth it. You feel good about yourself, almost a sense of accomplishment. Just, be warned, that you need to be prepared for the extra commitment to being successful during your Whole30. It falls right back to planning. When you are planning your individual day, plan on scheduling a little extra time for meal prep!

4. Expect There To Be Difficult Days

No doubt, there will be days that you want to quit. Most people quit their Whole30 on days 10 or 11. Just know that better days lie ahead. But there will be days when a coworker will leave a bowl of M&M's sitting on your work desk and they will sit there all day just tempting you to have 1, 2, 50. There will be nights where you will go out to dinner for your parents birthday and then meet up at their house for cake and ice cream and you won't be able to have anything all night. Plan ahead! Plan for this, check out the menu in advance. If there is literally NOTHING on the menu for you to eat, eat something before going. Plan, plan, plan. You will not succeed if you do not plan ahead. Know what you will do ahead of time so you don't just say, "screw it, I want some of that cake!"  Here is a link to a typical timeline so you have an idea of what to expect throughout your Whole30.

5. Be Open To New Things

So, you're used to eating a traditional American diet of breads, pastas, pizzas, grains, and cereals. You are going to have to eat some new foods. You can't eat steak and sweet potatoes each and every day throughout your Whole30. Be open to experimenting with new foods and recipes. During both of my Whole30's I repeated a single meal, Bacon and Apple Stuffed Pork Chops. We tried new recipes like Cauliflower Hummus to replace our traditional store bought Hummus. You have to be willing to try new things and you also need to be willing to accept the fact that you may not like what you made, and have a back up plan in case your new recipe is just unpalatable.

6. Have A Plan For After

When I finished my first Whole30, I just wanted to have a bowl of oatmeal, ice cream, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. So, on day 31, I woke up, had a bowl of oatmeal, had some yogurt and cheese, and then within a couple days of finishing my Whole30 I was basically right back to where I was before. I had no plan on how to handle day 31. All I knew is I was done with the Whole30 and no longer had to follow any of the strict diet rules and I took full advantage of that. This time around, I did the Whole30, not just to do it as I did in February, but to put myself into a position to succeed with a new lifestyle and diet. I am planning on continuing with the Whole30 principles until my marathon on October 11th, making it a Whole40 for myself. Coming off the marathon, I will have a beer or two, and do plan on treating myself a little that weekend, especially if I meet my goals.  I will also probably have a piece of cake for my daughter's birthday on Monday after the marathon. But, my plan is to follow a Paleo lifestyle and completely avoid grains, processed foods, added sugar, and focus on high quality meats, fruits, and vegetables, with the occasional dairy (cheese). The main difference between the Whole30 and Paleo, is that Paleo allows real sugars, such as honey and maple syrup, it also allows altered foods, such as Paleo Cookies, Cakes, etc, where the Whole30 does not allow Paleo altered foods. I have not decided if I will just allow myself 2 or 3 "cheat days" each month, or just trust myself to make the right decisions and eat a Paleo/Whole30 lifestyle and eat an occasional treat every now and again. But I do know that I will start following a Paleo Diet coming off the marathon and will make a few exceptions, especially in the week or two coming off the marathon.

7. It's Over Before You Realize It

30 days is 30 days, and sure, 30 days sounds long, I mean it's basically a full month. Its 1/12th of the year. With that being said, it's ONLY 30 days. It is not that long. It WILL be over before you realize it and you WILL be better for it. Have faith in the process and stick with it. I can recall several times throughout our Whole30 that Sarah would say something about how she was surprised that she was already 10, 15, 20, and then 29 days through the Whole30. It goes by quick. For most the second half, it becomes routine and it's just a part of your life. So don't get steered away because you think you could never make it 30 days, or 30 days is just too long. Challenge yourself, prove yourself wrong. Do what my wife Sarah did and make take on a challenge to improve yourself. You won't be disappointed, I promise you. I know that Sarah would also say that it was worth it, that she, at a minimum learned something about herself and her relationship with food.

Healthy Eating 101

I am often asked, "what should I be eating?"  "What's the best diet?"  "How do I loose weight?"  Or some other form of one of these questions.  It's a popular question.  So?  What is the best way to eat?  Should you be avoiding gluten?  Should I follow a paleo diet?

I have no FREAKIN' idea....

But let me first explain.  Ever since I have started taking my racing and training seriously, I have been in search of the best diet for endurance athletes to follow.  I'd estimate that I have purchased at least 10 different books just on this topic alone.  If you were to jump onto my personal computer you'd find very elaborate Microsoft Excel documents entitled "The Diet," "The Diet 1," all the way to "The Diet Version 8."  I think there is even a "The Diet Version 3.2."  I have tried just about everything.  I have followed a high carb diet, a balanced diet, Paleo, I did the Whole30, I was even a "vegetarian" for about a year.  If you just look back throughout my blog, you will see at least 5-6 different articles one my desire to try a new diet with the hopes of losing weight to increase my race performance.  In fact, I am not afraid to admit, my latest adventure with wanting to follow a high fat/low carb diet, or a "ketogenic" diet.  I have also researched just about every other "diet" that is out there and the positives and the negatives of each of them.  To be honest with you, it got down right frustrating.  I would read an article that touts the health benefits of whole wheat grains, just to read a second article claiming wheat to be a major carcinogenic.

It's not like this is anything new, however.  Just look back at our nations past.  We have blamed fat for people being fat, we are currently blaming sugar and carbohydrates as the cause of people being fat.  It seems that we are constantly looking for the one reason why people are overweight and continuing to gain weight, but we are oblivious to the most logic reason, we eat too damn much.

Just using myself as an example, I have tried to follow many fad diets hoping that would be the magic ingredient to shed some pounds easily.  I would eat great for a week or two, just to fall back to my piss poor eating habits of snacking between meals and craving a sweet dessert after dinner.  I would succumb to my cravings and give in.  After the initial week or two I would find myself eating really nutritious, "healthy" meals just to eat crap between them.  Where did that get me?  Right where I am at today, 15-20 heavier than I think I should be.  Is it sugars fault?  Is fat to blame?  It must be that damn gluten!  No, the real reason, is I eat too much.  Pretty simple, almost too simple.

What lead me to this concept is a recent podcast I listened to from Endurance Planet.  They interviewed sports nutritionist Matt Fitzgerald regarding his newest book, "Diet Cults."  The book is not out there to "debunk" or mock all the new diet fads, such as paleo, gluten free, and just about any other diet out there that is claiming to be the "one right way to eat."  During the interview Matt discusses a recent research study where a research group went out to find what exactly was the healthiest diet for humans.  The way they were going to determine this was by finding a group of people who have recently lost 30 or more pounds on their own AND have maintained that weight loss for at least one year.  You figure, if someone has lost at least 30 pounds and have been able to maintain that weight loss, they must be doing something right nutritionally.  They studied these individuals for an extended period of time monitoring everything they had eaten.  So, what did they find?  They found that there was very minimal similarities within their diets.  Some of the similarities they found during their study include; most individuals exercised for at least 60 minutes a day, most individuals increased fruits and vegetables, and most individuals followed a redundant diet - meaning many of them followed a regular routine and repeated meals often.  One guy actually just eliminated his daily lunch...that's it, just completely took out an entire meal! You can listen to the Podcast HERE or below.

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Ironically, just after listening to this podcast, Runner's World posted an article called, "Study: What's the Healthiest Diet?"  This study followed 424,000 subjects for 15 years - seems pretty legit.  The study looked specifically at an individuals overall diet's effect on morality rates.  What they concluded was there were four diet classifications which were deemed to be "most healthy." The four diets were: the Healthy Eating Index 2010, the alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010, the alternate Mediterranean diet, and the DASH diet.  When you look at the similarities between all four diets, you'll find that they all recommended balanced consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and plant based proteins.

So, with all this considered, what is the healthiest diet, in my opinion?  Well first, I think you need to define what it means to be healthy.  Is it longevity?  Having a healthy body mass index (BMI)?  The ability to race fast?  Or maybe it's something as simple as looking good naked.  In my opinion, I would look at some typical markers which are commonly tested at your local doctors office.  These would include, cholesterol, fasted blood sugar, systemic inflammation, and body fat percentage.  I would also take into consideration of a person's overall feeling of well being.  Basically, does an individual feel better when eating a certain way.  Just looking at some elite athletes, who are often deemed as "healthy," often eat not-so-healthy foods.  You'll find athletes eating pancakes, fried foods, plain white bread, and even fast food.  Yet, so many people consider these elite athletes to be very healthy.  Even elite athletes who follow strict diets, follow a wide range of diets, from vegan to paleo.  So what gives?  Personally, I fully agree with Matt Fitzgerald's opinion, where there is no ONE right diet.  Each diet presents positives and negatives.  The best thing any individual person can do for themselves, is eat what makes them feel better.  Eat healthy foods.  What's considered healthy?  This is not as complicated as it's made out to be.  Just ask any 6 year old what healthy food is and they'll tell you.  Eat plenty of vegetables and leafy greens.  Add a lean source of protein, whether that is animal based or plant based.  Drink plenty of water.  Avoid artificially produced sweeteners if possible.  Try not to drink calories.  Have an drink of alcohol every now and again.  Exercise regularly at a moderate intensity.  Eat as much real food as possible, avoiding processed foods when able.  Do not stress over what you are eating.  Enjoy your food.  And, lastly, indulge every now and then.

So there you have it.  As Matt Fitzgerald says, eat an agnostic diet.  Where you do not follow any specific diet, but follow a little of eat.  You know the difference between health food and junk food, just follow that and exercise, and you'll find your diet to be right were it needs to be.  Plus you will never have to worry if what you are eating is "allowed."

The Whole30: Final Overview

February 18th was my final day on the Whole30.  My 30 day adventure (or how ever you want to phrase it) began on January 20th.  I had no idea what to expect.  Would it be hard?  Would I struggle? Would I really feel any different?  Would I even make it the full 30 days?  When I started, I was at a point in my life where my eating habits were progressively getting worse and worse.  I found myself binge eating foods that I have had no issues saying "no" to.  I was drinking more beer then I have in the past and just found myself in a downward spiral of uncontrollable cravings that I would regularly give in to.  I had lost all my self control and discipline when it came to food and diet.  My weight had exceeded 180 pounds, which for me was well above even my high end of where I wanted to be.  I needed to do something.  I knew that I had to do something or I'd continue going the wrong direction.  I had tried simply cutting the amount of food I would consume during meals, but then would find myself eating between meals or before meals to satisfy my hunger.  I also knew that working third shift had a significant impact on my eating habits and knew going in that I would need some flexibility in what ever diet/program I decide to attempt.  That's is when I pulled up the Whole30 and read up on it.  I remember hearing about the W30 from a gal at work who attempted it last year, but I never really dove into exactly what it was about.  So, I did some reading and figured I would give it a try.  It sounded simple in terms of rules and the format.  While at the same time, sounded pretty challenging, in terms of actually accomplishing the Whole30 for the full 30 day period.  Basically, you eliminate all added sugars, artificial sweeteners, sugars, grains, dairy, legumes, and white potatoes from your diet and rely solely on veggies, fruit, and high quality meats.  Again, simply, yet challenging.  And hell, I like a good challenge.  I was asked quite frequently, why I chose to do this Whole30 when I really don't need to lose any weight.  Well, first my main reasons for doing the W30 were not weight loss, as I just explained, but I knew that would also happen and I would definitely welcome the weight loss.  I weighed myself at the start of my W30 and was 184.4 pounds.  The first thing I did the morning after day 30 was jump on the same scale.  I weighed 172 pounds.  I lost 12 pounds on the Whole30!  I was happy, and definitely can tell I had lost some body fat over the past 30 days.  

The final 9 days (days 22-30) were actually the easiest of the days.  It hit me on day 22 or 23 that I really feel better, or so I thought.  During the final week and 2 days of my W30, my work schedule had changed a bit.  I was scheduled to train our department on our new CAD system for our in squad computers, and was assigned to "normal" work hours of 8-5.  It was great, I was sleeping at night, going to bed early and getting up earlier for morning workouts before leaving for work.  I felt great during my workouts and never really felt sore or tired throughout the day while at work.  I was getting up before 5am and usually working out before 5:45am.  It was during this week that I reintroduced caffeinated coffee to my diet after abstaining from caffeine for 3 full weeks.  I have only been making my own partially caffeinated coffee by using one scoop of decaf with 2 scoops of regular coffee in my morning coffee.  I would drink a small cup of coffee on my way to the gym in the morning and then would not eat until while on my way into work.  I made a simple breakfast of diced sweet potato and diced apple sauteed in a small amount of clarified butter topped with unsweetened coconut flakes and cinnamon.  This has become one of my favorite simple meals for post workout.  I would also have a couple of hard boiled eggs as a source of protein.  I stayed satiated without cravings until lunch which I would eat around 12:30.  I packed my own lunch of a salad, sardines, and some veggies.  I would then have a simple afternoon snack of nuts and a piece of fruit (either grapefruit or a kiwi).  At night we would have dinners as a family and then I would do the same thing the very next day.  We had some of my favorite meals during this past phase of the W30; some of which include, Mocha Rubbed Beef Roast, Chicken Bacon Mushroom Quiche, Zucchini Noodles with Pesto topped with Baked Spiced Chicken, Crab Cakes, and a Slow Cooker Whole Chicken.  I even took the time to make my own mayonnaise, almond butter, and ketchup.  

Delaney helping make the pesto sauce

On Tuesday, we went out to dinner with my in-laws for my Father-in-Law's birthday.  I chose to order their Liver and Onions, something that I had not had in years.  It was surprisingly good and a successful W30 meal....a win-win!  The hardest moment came on Valentine's Day, Day 26 of my W30.  I was damn close to just saying 26 is close enough, I am not going to let my W30 ruin my Valentine's Day.  Sarah and I had made plans to go out for dinner with our good friends, Pat and Melissa for a couple's date.  We went to a high end Latin restaurant- Osorio's Latin Fusion.  I read each individual menu item and chose to order the Baked Sea Bass topped with a lime, cucumber, cilantro sauce, with two sides.  I chose to order their vegetable medley and a salad for my two sides.  My salad came which was fine, I ordered it with out cheese and no croutons.  Then my meal came, it looked soooooooo good, it smelled amazing.  The fish was flaky and done perfectly, but it was topped with a cream sauce, obviously made with dairy.  The veggies, were a Mexican/Latin inspired veggie mix with spinach, beans, corn, and cheese - basically a lot of things I can't eat.  I sat there and just stared at my dinner, trying to decide what to do.  Do I just not eat it and get it to-go and then eat it after my W30 is done?  Do I say screw it, and just eat it.  Luckily, Melissa ordered fajitas, which came in a large lava rock bowl and consisted of just meat, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and seasonings.  She offered her dinner to me, which I gladly accepted.  I gave her my fish and veggies and I just ate the meat and vegetable portion of her fajitas.  Yup, I did that, part of me thought, how pathetic, while the other part of me thought, nice work, you're still going strong and only have a few more days left.

The last couple days came and went and I had continued to feel pretty damn good.  I am curious however what was causing me to feel noticeably better.  It is either one of three things or a combination of the following.  1. It quite possibly could be my very strict diet I had been following with the W30 guidelines.  2.  I had started supplementing with several of Hammer Nutrition's top daily essential supplements specifically formulated for endurance athletes.  3.  It very well could have been the fact that I was on a normal sleep pattern for the first time in a long while.  My personal feelings are that it was ultimately a combination of all three things.  There is no way I would just look past how clean I had been eating over the past 30 days.  But at the same time, Hammer's essential supplements are highly engineered and formulated to allow athletes to better recover and perform at a higher level more frequently with less built up fatigue.  Even with those two significant facts, having the ability to sleep at night and live a normal life for more then just a day or two, no doubt, had a positive effect on my body, recovery, and mood.

Maya at Gymnastics class.

My training had continued to progress nicely over throughout this past 9-10 days.  The past week, I had a total training volume of over 10 hours.  My running is back to a high level.  During this past week were I had a total volume over 10 hours, I ran a total of over 46 miles.  I ran 8 miles twice during the mid week and then had two key workouts on the weekend.  With my sights firmly set on running 30 miles on my 30th birthday, I had planned a back-to-back long run on Saturday and Sunday.  On my training plan I had a 12-16 mile run on Saturday with a 10-12 mile run on Sunday.  I did my run outside on Saturday and felt so good, I opted to run 17 total miles on Saturday.  After my run, I felt fantastic.  I was not sore (relatively speaking) and was moving great.  Sunday I woke up feeling pretty good.  My quads were a little sore, but more of a fatigue-based soreness as opposed to a painful-soreness.  We got a decent about of snow over night and chose to run indoors at the YMCA on a treadmill.  I again felt pretty darn good and ran a total of 13 miles on Sunday for a total of 30 miles covered in two days.  I was thrilled with how I ran and how I felt during and after both runs.  I left that weekend feeling confident for my 30 mile run which was now just two weeks away.  My plan is now to complete a 20 mile long run this upcoming Sunday to work on my fueling strategy and then cut my mileage and rest the next week before running a 3 mile loop 10 times for 30 miles on my 30th birthday, March 2nd.  After running my 30 mile long run, I will begin focusing my efforts on running the Green Bay Marathon in under 3 hours.  I am extremely excited and confident right now and am feeling motivated again, especially coming off my shin/calf injury last month.  I have been in a great mood lately, similar to how I felt throughout most of last year as I trained for Ironman Wisconsin.  At times, I feel that I am setting myself up for more success then I had last year.  I feel this way mainly because I think my extended rest period I took immediately after finishing the Ironman and even the extra break I took following the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving.  I also can't look past the 3 week hiatus I took from running in January.  I just need to be careful not to get overly ambitious and end up pushing myself too hard/far too fast.  I have taken the mindset to listen to my body better and pay attention to any possible signs of injury or fatigue and have been using that as a way for me to formulate a day-to-day training plan as I build up to my 30 mile run on March 2nd.

Delaney and I at my cousins hockey game.

All that is left at this point is to figure out where do I go from here in regards to my diet and nutritional decisions.  I have just spent the past 30 days eating extremely strict.  I would read nutritional labels closer than I ever had and simply said "no" to so many foods that I regular consume without ever thinking otherwise.  So now what the hell do I do?  Do, I reward myself for doing a good job and eat food that I had wanted to eat the past 30 days but didn't allow myself to?  Do I continue to eat this way with out the same level of paranoia and allow for slips and a few non-Whole30 approved foods?  Or do I slowing reintroduce specific food groups and see how my body reacts to that specific food to see if I have a reaction or intolerance to specific food groups (gluten, oats, dairy, legumes, etc).  I will tell you that on my 1st day off the Whole30, was already a pretty busy day as I had SWAT training from 8a-4p and then I had to work third shift that night from 10p-6a, so I had little room for snacking or treats.  I woke up Wednesday morning at 5am to go to the YMCA and run.  I ran a solid 9 miles and made myself a small bowl of oatmeal (one thing I REALLY wanted throughout my W30).  I made it was whole oats, full fat coconut milk, banana, almond butter, chia seeds, wheat germ, and unsweetened coconut flakes.  I also had two hard boiled eggs.  I then attended our SWAT training which we worked through lunch and did not eat lunch until close to 2:30p.  I never once had any noticeable stomach pains or issues and never felt hungry or low on energy.  For lunch I ordered a Greek Salad which had feta cheese, kalmata olives, artichoke hearts, and a vinaigrette dressing with two pieces of pita bread (2 things I was not allowed to eat while on the W30).  After getting home from training I had a clementine orange at home and a small partial handful of a trail mix (nuts, raisins, and m&ms) and then went to bed and slept from 5-9.  Before leaving for work I ate a slice of my left over Quiche, another small portion of trail mix and then I dipped some banana chips in peanut butter.  Again, more food that are not that inherently unhealthy, but definitely do not live up to W30 standards.  Honestly, up to this point I have not felt any different in the 24+ hours after finishing my W30.  I have had the same energy levels, same cravings, same hunger pangs, and same overall feeling.  Personally I am going to continue to eat with an awareness of what I am putting in my body but will definitely eat some non-Whole30 approved foods (peanut butter, some foods with small amounts of added sugar (pickles), and high quality breads).  I will monitor how my body reacts to these foods and make note of specific food that cause my digestive system issues/discomfort.  I will continue to eat freely for the next week or two, at least through my birthday.  I will not restrict myself the weekend of my birthday and eat freely that weekend and have some beer as well.  After that weekend I think I may try another diet experience to see how my body reacts to a different diet philosophy.  I think I will follow a diet recommended by my sponsor Hammer Nutrition.  Their diet is basically the exact opposite of the Whole30's diet philosophies.  Hammer's diet recommendations are more plant/grain based as opposed to meat/vegetable based.  Hammer recommends that you minimally eat meat, once a week at most.  And focus on fruits, vegetables, and grains as the main staples for your diet.  I would still limit if not continue to avoid any added sugars and artificial sweeteners in foods.  But not nearly as strict as I have been.  I will start using fuels and supplements which I had avoided the past 30 days due to the added sugars in them.  I will continue to avoid junk food and limit between meal snacking.  This will be a dramatic switch in my nutrient breakdown from a higher fat higher protein lower carb diet to a high carb, moderate fat, low protein diet.  I will follow this protocol for 30 days and see how my body reacts.  I will compare my body weight, overall feeling of health, recovery, sleep, and overall mood over those 30 days and compare them to how my 30 days of following the W30 protocol to see which style of diet is better suited for my body.  I have attached the PDF file of a simple breakdown of how I plan on eating while following the recommendations set forth by Hammer Nutrition.  I am really curious to see how my body reacts.  I really think it won't have a large impact on my body as I feel I have a rather strong stomach and have had very little issues with my digestive system when I eat highly nutritious foods including gluten, grains, dairy, and other typically sensitive foods....but there is only one way to really find out and that's to experiment, which is exactly what I intend to do.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE HAMMER NUTRITON PHYTOLEAN NUTRITION PLAN FROM HAMMER NUTRITION'S PUBLICATION "ENDURANCE NEWS ISSUE #88"

Whole30 Update: Week 2

14 of 30 days are done.  And today is in fact the half way point.  When I first started the W30, everything I read talked about how it was only 30 days, or just 30 days.  I thought to myself, sure, it is just 30 days, but that's still 30 days, over 4 weeks, a full month - they only say that it's just 30 days to make it sound easy.  But here I am, nearly half way through my 30 day journey.  According to a post on the Whole30 Blog titled, The Whole30 Timeline, week 2 consists of "Days 8-9: My Pants are TIGHTER?!," "Days 10-11:The Hardest Days," and "Days 12-15: Boundless Energy."  I have pretty much followed this timeline pretty closely.  I wouldn't say I ever felt as though my close were tighter, leading me to believe I gain weight.  Most of the time to this point, I have felt about the same or slightly thinner, never heavier, or thicker.  To be honest though, I hadn't really had a feeling of this process being difficult.  It has been a big change in my eating habits, no doubt.  But for the most part, I have eaten similar to this, just with more snacking.  Basically, The only change I have made during these past 14 days has been eliminating my excessive snacking.  Yes, I have eliminated many of my regular foods, including yogurt, rice, oatmeal, peanut butter, and bread.  But like I said, the biggest change has been my elimination of excessive snacking of junk food.  I hadn't really had any cravings....until day 13 or 14.

During days 10-12 I began to have thoughts about comfort foods or foods like I can't eat...and shouldn't eat, such as cake, cookies, ice cream, and pizza.  It wasn't ever a craving or a thought of, "Oh, I just have to have _________!"  It was more of a generalized thought of, "If I stick with this style diet after the 30 days, I will never have _________ again. <sigh>"  I truly think the whole reason I have been thinking like this is the idea of falling back to my poor relationship with junk food; where I start eating some junk food with an acceptable portion, but then end up going back for seconds....then thirds....then - oh wait, I just ate it all....  Let me tell you, I do NOT want to fall back into that cycle.  I won't fall back into that cycle.  

Even now, with 14 days under my belt, I am still trying to figure out the right strategy to eat right while working 3rd shift.  As if figuring out the right sleeping pattern isn't challenging enough, now I have to find how to eat right without overeating and leaving myself craving junk food?  I heard on The Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast, that sleep deprivation can produce false signals in your brain telling you to eat more, on top of that, sleep deprivation induces cravings for sweets and sugars.  You want to talk about stacking the deck against you.  Working 3rd shift leaves you tired on most days, especially on my first days on or off (turn-around days).  So now, besides, being tired, cranky, and lethargic, now I have to deal with cravings and hunger-pangs.  I have been handling this by drinking tea and water.  

Kombucha...with chia seeds....Brilliant!!

Last week I discussed needing to decrease the amount of fruit I was eating on a daily basis.  To help with this, I purchased less sugary fruits when I went grocery shopping, picking up kiwis and grapefruits.  I have cut back the amount of fruit I have been eating considerably, down to just 1-2 pieces.  For the most part, my eating has been very good.  I never really over ate during any one meal. My pre and post workout meals have been going good.  I have been eating some nuts with a small fruit about 1-2 hours prior to my morning workouts when I work.  On days when I worked the night before working out, I will just have a can of coconut water to replenish and rehydrate.  During my off days this week, I had some combination of sweet potatoes and eggs.  If there was one thing I need to focus on for the final half of my W30, it would be my between meal snacks.  I have been snacking pretty regularly, but still on healthy vegetables and nuts.  I think to stay in spirit of the W30 program, I need to cut out all between meal snacking and focus solely on the main meals throughout the day.  I still plan on eating a couple of smaller meals during my night shifts at work, just to better handle the unknown factor with my job.  I just never know when or sometimes even if I will be able to eat.  What I do know is just eat a small meal of sardines and veggies earlier during the shift and then some nuts and a small piece of fruit later for my pre workout meal.  Most of those foods are easily eating on the go, which is perfect.  

A new staple in our home, 100% Organic Grassfed Beef

This past week, we have had some more really good Whole30 approved meals.  On Tuesday, I made a crock pot chili which was easy and very good.  Wednesday was my first night back at work, plus I had training for most of the day from 8-4pm.  I did have a decent break between a morning session and my afternoon session and took advantage by going for a quick run during my lunch break.  For food, I packed a salad topped with salmon along with some vegetables.  It really wasn't too difficult and tasted really good.  After training I went home and grabbed a couple hours of sleep before returning to work for my first night back.  Wednesday, I tried something new, with making blueberry turkey breakfast patties.  Surprisingly they were a hit.  We did a breakfast theme dinner and fired up some potatoes for the girls and had pancakes, while I had a small sweet potato.  On Friday, we had one of my favorite simple meals of fried butternut squash with quartered Brussels sprouts.  Saturday I had picked up overtime and went in early to work and just packed a salad and chili left overs for my dinner and then my regular work lunch for the remainder of my shift.  For Super Bowl Sunday, I kind of fell off the wagon, but still stayed true to the Whole30.  I baked a filet of cod topped with salsa for dinner, and steamed green beans for a side.  I also finished the little remains of the chili left overs and then went on to the squash and Brussels sprouts left overs.  I didn't stop there though, I had a banana with almond butter for a dessert, and started getting the same cravings I used to get before starting the Whole30, where I would go dive into the candy jar and finish anything and everything I wanted.  I resisted the temptation to quit the W30, and just had a second banana with almond butter.  This was the first actual thought I had of just scrapping the entire Whole30 thing and just eating some Rolo's my wife has sitting in the pantry, or a granola bar, or some Scooby Snack graham crackers.  I wanted to eat the junk food that previously controlled my eating.  After eating so much food, I still wanted to eat some treats.  I ate a small clementine orange then a kid's sized box of raisins.  Yes, I realize that this was way to much food and was completely NOT what I should have done.  But at least, I am still on track to finish my W30 and didn't jump off.

I have been getting used to not consuming any caffeine, almost to the point were I am considering staying caffeine free for the remaining 16 days.  My plan as of today, is to stay caffeine free until Saturday, day 20, and my first night back to 3rd shift.  My thought is that not only will I limit the amount of coffee I drink at any one time, but also start mixing decaf with caffeinated coffee to blend my own half-caf coffee.

First run in my Newton Gravity's

My training has been going surprisingly well.  The past two weeks my training has been right at 9 hours per week.  I have been in the pool quite a bit and on a bike more then usual.  My running is slowing building back up.  After first returning back to running last week Sunday, I followed it up with a 5 mile run on Wednesday, a 3 mile brick run on Friday, and then another 5 mile run on Sunday.  I am starting to put together a plan to get me back on track to run 30 miles on my 30th birthday March 2nd.  On Monday, I plan on biking for an hour and then running 3 miles immediately after.  My thoughts are, that I have two tests to determine if I am able to dive head first back into running.  1 - running frequency and 2 - running volume.  For frequency, I started first with taking a 2 day break between my first and second run, followed by 2 day break between the next couple runs.  Now, I am running on back to back days, from Sunday to Monday.  With my volume, that will be a little more tricky to figure out.  Because, with volume, you need to consider proper rest between runs following more damage to my legs.  I plan on trying an 8-10 mile run on either Wednesday or Thursday.  Based on both, how my shin feels during that run and how my legs feel the day or two following that run, I will play it by ear when my next run is.  My fear right now is that I either re-aggravate my shin injury, or worse, produce a new running related injury from rushing back too quick.  It's really tricky for me, who just wants to plan everything.  I need to know what I am doing next week.  I need to know where I am going.  But, realistically, I need to really listen to my body until I can run consistently without any issues.  Once I reach that point, I can start putting together a training plan.  I have the knowledge to train on the fly and do it smart, it just makes it that much more challenging.  It's hard enough planning out 3 months worth of training on a blank calendar, not to mention basing the next day's training schedule on the how the previous day went, all while keeping the following day and the next race in mind.  

Running out of room to put the snow!

Maya got to play while Daddy worked

Week 3 of my Whole30 looks like it will resemble more of a "normal" human's schedule.  Tuesday-Thursday are my scheduled off days and then Friday I have SWAT training from 8-4pm which means I am off that night from 3rd shift.  I then work 3rd shift on Saturday, only to have Sunday off for more training.  I am going to focus more on decreasing, if not eliminating, my snacking and focus on eating during main meals only.  I think this week will be the hardest week of the W30.  I have a feeling I will be most tempted to abandon ship during the next 7-10 days, but if I can stay focused, the last 7-10 days will fly by.  

Whole 30 Update: Week 1

My reasons for starting the Whole30 were explained in my last post.  But, I have written countless posts about wanting to either lose weight, cleanse/detox my body, change the way I eat (traditional high carb to high fat), and changing my body composition for the better.  But, as usual, I start and stay on the plan for about a day or two.  I think I even stuck with a previous goal for a couple weeks.  Each and every attempt to change my relationship with food and eating.  I have been eating mostly based on my poor decisions and unwillingness to simply say "no" coupled with the impacts that food has on your hormones and subconscious.  Knowing that I have created so many poor habits over the years while eating a high carb diet on top of splurging in so many sugary sweets, I was aware that this wasn't going to be easy when I started.  But, I must admit throughout the first full week, it really wasn't overly difficult.

From beer to organic Kombucha

Monday, January 20th was the official kick off day of my Whole30 (W30).  I started by first creating a daily check-off/daily log form to help track how I feel each day and what happened as I work toward completing 30 straight days of strict clean eating.  My W30 began the day after coming home from our family weekend getaway to Chicago.  Just like many folks do the day before a new diet, I pigged out, not only Sunday, but the entire weekend in Chicago.  So on Monday morning I opted to skip breakfast all together, since I was still pretty full from a weekend full of indulgences.  I did my workout that morning consisting of a 2 mile swim that morning then heading up to the cardio floor and sitting on an elliptical for another hour.  That has seemed to become my new normal - ellipticals instead of good old fashioned running.  The one nice thing about it has been my ability to get out and do my "running" workouts longer and on back-to-back days without the stress that comes with pounding the pavement.  Ever since I stopped running, I canned my training plan in favor for a "plan on the go" style of training.  Now, I know that this is not the right type of mindset for someone who wants to qualify for Boston while running a sub 3 hour marathon in May, but there was no way I was going to be able to sit on an elliptical  for multiple hours and expect similar gains from long runs.  So, I have simply taken the mindset of this being an extended off season.  Honestly, it's been working out pretty well.  My training volume is up higher then it was this time last year, and the highest its been since my taper for Ironman Wisconsin.  Anyway, back to my W30 experience.  After my workouts, I had a Lara Bar and then went grocery shopping to stock up my cupboards with W30 approved foods.  I picked up a bunch of tins of sardines, tons of fruits and vegetables, along with some organic kombucha, decaf teas, nuts, and some quality meats.  After grocery shopping it was off to bed for a short nap before going back to work that night.

After my lunch and before getting to bed for work Monday night I weighed myself for a "starting weight."  The creators of the W30 encourage a start and end weight and then avoid the scales for the entire duration of your W30. Why?  Easy, health is so much more then a number on a scale. It can be as simple as how you feel, how your clothes fit, how you sleep, your energy levels throughout the day, your day to day stress levels, how your joints feel, and I could go one and on, but I think you get the point. Yes weight lose normally comes while doing the W30 and it is honestly not the reason I am doing the W30. Granted, I do want to loose some of my off season winter coat, but I know with my training coupled with new, healthy eating habits that will come with time.  I mean, I didn't add this extra twenty pounds in 30 days, so how can I expect to lose it in 30? 

Caffeine free coconut chai latte

No doubt, the biggest impact which I felt immediately was my decision to quit caffeine throughout the 30 days.  This was a decision I had made that was different from the standards set forth by the Whole30 creators.  They allow caffeine during the W30, but urge to consume in moderation.  But, I have gotten to a point in my life where I truly love the taste of quality coffee, but also drink it to help get through nights on 3rd shift.  I drink roughly 4-6 cups of coffee (32-48oz) a day/night, which in my opinion is a bit excessive.  Caffeine has a similar response in our brains as stress, and in simple terms, the more caffeine you consume, the more sleeping chemicals your body needs to produce to induce sleep.  In other words the more caffeine you consume, the harder it is to fall asleep, even after the energizing effects of caffeine wear off.  The good news?  This can be "reset" by abstaining from caffeine for 14-20 days.  This will reset some of the receptors in your brain that help you fall asleep.  This is in part as to why I am opting to give up caffeine.  However, when I first started this endeavor, I was planning on going caffeine free for the entire 30 days, which I still may.  But, during days 1-7, I must admit, I have never been more tired while at work.  I think this just goes to show, how much I have relied on artificial energy in the past (caffeine, sugar, carbohydrates).  If this trend continues into and beyond my next rotation, I will go back to drinking coffee but in smaller quantities and just be more cognizant of how much coffee I am consuming.  Regardless, I will at least continue to go caffeine free for a minimum of 2 weeks during my W30, for the "system reset" of my receptors in my brain.  I have also stopped drinking my teas which contain caffeine and avoided any other products that commonly contain caffeine.  I have still been drinking warm beverages such as decaf coffee and decaf teas, as I enjoy warm drinks, especially this time of year.  As I have done some research on coffee, specifically decaf coffee, I have found that majority of decaf coffees remove the caffeine through processes that involve several chemicals and therefore should be avoided.  You should opt for organic decaf coffee whenever possible.  

As far as how I have felt throughout my first 7 days, I would say, that my sleep has been sub par, I have been lethargic, and just generally tired.  I should say that this isn't necessarily a surprise, however.  I am drastically changing my primary source of energy from carbohydrates to fats.  So, this does take some time to effectively make the switch, roughly 2-3 weeks, depending on the person.  I haven't had any cravings or temptations throughout my first 7 days.  But, I would say my 2 challenges thus far have been the quantity of fruit I consume and the frequency of between meal snacking.  As far as fruit, I was relying on fruit as my source of sweets for the first 4-5 days, until Sarah read some of my W30 info forms laying around the house.  She pointed out that I have been eating a ton of fruit, when, according to W30, I should only be consuming minimal fruit as opposed to my 5+ pieces of fruit a day.  After she mentioned this, I cut back to about 2 pieces a day, with an occasional third.  As with my snacking, I have come to accept it as that is how I am going to have to complete my W30.  The true sense of the W30 is to have your day revolve around 3 meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a potential pre and post workout meal.  But, when you are working 3rd shift with a varying schedule and then while at work, I never know when I will be able to eat, I just have to eat food when I am hungry and get food when I can.  I just make sure that the food I eat is W30 approved and in sensible portions.  However, on the couple nights that I had off this week, I did attempt to cut out my snacking and focus on my main meals.  

In the past, typically my first days off were always hell for me when it came to constantly grazing on poor quality foods.  I would usually come home from working all night and then grab only 1-2 hours of sleep before being up for the remainder of the day, meaning I would be extremely sleep deprived.  Sleep deprivation has a ton of negative effects on the body and its systems, one of which, is it tells your body that you are hungry, even though that may not be the case.  I'm not making excuses, just telling you the facts.  It was still my choice to choose the shitty foods.  So, in the first 7 days, I had two days like this, which went great, with minimal hunger and/or cravings.  When they would come, I would have some nuts, or a piece of fruit or vegetables.  On day 4 I had a SWAT training and as we always do, we go out for lunch.  This week, it was to a local Chinese buffet - which believe it or not, I was happy about.  They have a stir-fry grill in the back corner with a whole buffet of raw veggies and meats.  I avoided the processed, low quality meats and opted for just veggies with some vegetable oil.  The vegetable oil is the lowest accepted item on the W30 list and is only accepted due to the overabundance of it in the culinary world.  It would be damn near impossible to go out to eat and avoid vegetable oil these days....kind of sad really.

Our dinners have been fantastic and believe it or not, Sarah and the girls have really liked most of them.  I have been finding recipes on Chow Stalker, Nom Nom Paleo, and The Foodee, and I have yet to be disappointed.  In my first 7 days, some of the dinners we have had include; Crock Pot Coconut Curried Chicken, Shrimp Fried "Rice," Baked Chicken Drumsticks with Mashed Cauliflower, and Apple & Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops.  I must say, that the Apple & Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops were absolutely delicious, even Sarah said, "I could eat like this every day if this is what we had for dinner!"  As for my lunches at work are rather simple with a bag of mixed vegetables (celery, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower), a tin of sardines, nuts, and a piece of fruit.  My pre and post workout meals need some work. I have been having a small piece of fruit with some nuts or a tablespoon of nut butter for a pre workout snack, but would like to cut out the fruit all together from my pre workout meal. As for post work, this cries defendant on if I am going to bed after working out or just starting my day. If I am going to bed I will just have a can of coconut water, but if I am working out to start my morning I have been going with some combination of sweet potato, egg, avocado, and/or salsa. I have also had a sweet potato fried up with an apple and coconut flakes, with a dash of cinnamon, which was surprisingly tasty. That's about all I have been eating and I feel good. I haven't noticed any physical changes that you can see, but Sarah seems to think I have lost some weight. I know that I don't feel so bloated - imagine that - you stop pigging out everyday and you don't feel bloated and full all the time! I have also found it extremely frustrating when looking for common products that do not contain any added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Even simple products like seasonings....have sugar. But I eneded up finding a seafood seasoning with just herbs and spices and no sugar or preservatives. As for other stuff, I just opt to buy food that doesn't come in a package and avoid pretty much everything else. The biggest thing I can say, is that I honestly haven't had a single urge to go off the beaten path, but I know that will come. I am still in the "newness" stage of this and still have another 23 days to go. But, I am motivated and committed to seeing this through.

Oh!  And how can I forget that on day 7 was not only the last day of my first week of W30, but also the last day of my 3 week lay off from running.  That Sunday, I came home from work and ran a short 4 miles before getting on my indoor trainer and riding for an hour.  The run was awesome!  I felt great, almost as though I never missed a step.  From there, I planned on taking 2 full days with no running before trying again.  My plan is to err on the side of caution and make sure I allow ample time to recover from each individual run and take baby steps progressing my mileage back to where I'd like it.  As of today, I am still planning on running my 30 miles on my 30th birthday, which is only 32 days away!

Back to running in my new
Hoka One One Bondi Speed 2's!

The Whole30 & Training Update

It's been a long time since I have written a post specifically about my training and me personally.  Majority of my posts have revolved around my daughters and my family.  Granted, those posts are probably more interesting then listening to me talk about my training, racing, nutrition, etc.  But truthfully, now that I have been blogging for over a year, I have grown to use this platform to get stuff off my chest, express myself, share my struggles and successes, and a place for me to just "figure stuff out."  I have used this website to share my dreams, no matter how far fetched, my struggles balancing my racing career with raising 2 daughters, and even many recipes that we have made at our home.  My blog is not a typical blog, focused on one aspect of life.  But rather a full encompassing site where I share my life.  As much as my life revolves around my kids and my racing, there is much more to me and who I am.  As I continue to grow as a father, husband, friend, triathlete, police officer, this blog will be here for me to share my life. This blog is me...

Anyway...As many of you probably have read, I started the Whole30 program/detox/cleanse this past Monday (January 20th).  The program itself is rather simple, but can become as specific/difficult as you want to make it.  The rules to the Whole30 are rather simple... (Or check out The Whole30 Programs Rules)

1. Eat REAL food - Eat meat, eggs, seafood, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts, and seeds.
2. Avoid added sugar of any kind, real or artificial, alcohol in any form, grains, legumes, dairy, white potatoes, carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites, and no "Paleo-ifying" baked goods, treats, or junk food.
3. The last rule is you are not allowed to step on a scale throughout the duration of the 30 days.  

Now, like I said you can make this program as specific and as difficult as you choose.  You can consume products that are sold in cans, jars, bottles, packages, etc.  But you really need to look closely at the ingredients list.  If the product has any of the forbidden ingredients the food should be avoided.  Why such the strict diet?  Certain food groups (sugar, dairy, grains, and legumes) can significantly have a negative impact on your health without even knowing it.  An example of this can be best shown with the growth of "gluten free products."  Gluten is the protein found in wheat and has a highly inflammatory response in many people.  This response causes several different symptoms in people, including bloating, gas, indigestion, migraine headaches, and allergies, just to name a few.  The other food groups listed above can have similar responses.  So how do you know if a certain food group negatively effecting you?  You simply cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you've been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you've been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health.

Why for 30 days?  It generally takes 20-30 days for our bodies to truly reset themselves and clear out and heal from previous damaged caused by foods.  It also is enough time to mentally change the way you think about food.  Many foods can have a significant psychological effect on you and your brain.  Specifically, sugar.  Sugar can act like a drug, causing a dangerous addiction that leaves you wanting and needing more sugar to fulfill your "need" for sugar.  Just watch the video below.

In order to break the vicious cycle of sugar cravings, you need to take time to reset your subconscious to learn a new, healthier way to eat.  

So why have I decided to do the Whole30?  Simple...I need to change my eating habits.  I do not eat as healthy as one may think.  Yes, I do eat pretty damn healthy, especially compared to the majority of middle aged Americans.  But, I do not want to be average.  I want to excel, I want to be the best I can be.  I want to be fast, fit, and healthy.  Over the past few years, I have found myself eating healthy most of the time, but then usually once a day, I break down and go on a binge.  Typically, my binges consist of some form of sweet, whether chocolate, ice cream, baked goods, granola bars, sugar filled cereals...you name it, I've pigged out on it.  I have taken down an entire box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in one sitting after work one morning, I polished off a bag of Hershey Kisses, I usually eat most of my kids granola bars before they get their second one.  Yea....I have a problem.  I struggle to eat to comfortably full, usually, I eat until I am stuffed.  Evidently I hide this pretty well, because most of my co-workers think I am the healthiest eater they know of.  Maybe it's because I am relatively fit and look like I am in shape, but I guess when you train as much as I do, it makes it that much easier to hide the excess calorie intake.  I have developed many of the above listed symptoms.  I may not have a severe reaction to many of the aggravating food groups, but I can tell you with a large degree of certainty, wheat does not fully agree with my stomach.  My sleep lately has slowly gotten worse, my attitude has been less then desirable, and I am up over 20 pounds from when I was in my athletic peak.  I really just need to hit the "reset" button and relearn healthy eating habits.  

During my Whole30, I have personally decided to add caffeine to the list of foods to avoid.  Similar to sugar and other foods, caffeine has a significant effect on your hormonal response and your brain.  You also develop an addiction to caffeine which can greatly effect sleeping patterns.  Typically it takes about 10-14 days to reset your bodies response to caffeine, but I figured if 14 is good 30 is better!  

Like I said, I started the program on Monday the 20th which means I will complete the program on February 18th.  On the front it sounds easy...it's "just 30 days."  But when you look at it, that's a fricken month.  But, I am committed to this, I am committed to become a better person, a healthier person.  I am committed to developing healthier eating habits.  I am fully committed to the Whole30.  Here are some examples of the foods/meals I have been eating thus far during my Whole30.  I fried up a small sweet potato with an apple and unsweetened coconut flakes with some Ghee (see "Making Ghee")) for a post workout meal.  The flavors actually blended together nicely.  I made a coconut curried chicken in the crock pot on Tuesday for dinner for the family, which went over well with everyone.  For my lunch at work, I have been packing vegetables along with a small tin of sardines.  I can honestly say, that in just the couple days I have been eating super clean, I have been sleeping better, have not had any digestion issues, and have been in a better mood all around.  I must admit, I have been generally more tired then usual, but I am writing that off due to my cutting off caffeine with no real weening off.  I am anticipating my energy levels to come back up to normal and even exceed where I was prior as I progress along the next 30 days.

As far as my training, it has been a very prolonged off season for me.  Much longer than I am used to.  Unfortunately, it's not by choice.  I am still not running due to a diagnosed stress reaction (fracture) in my lower right tibia (shin bone).  This has been a very difficult time for me.  I have really been struggling mentally this winter.  I don't know if it is just a mid winter funk or something more.  I know that life has been a little more stressful then usual with the anticipation of our third kid, who is due to arrive in mid-March.  I have also still been trying to solidify some new goals for my future.  In the past I have always been training for one specific goal in mind, now that is gone.  I have since come up with a few goals, such as running a sub 3 hour marathon, qualifying for Team USA, and running a 50 mile ultra marathon.  Unfortunately all those goals revolve around me running, which is just not happening and hasn't happened for over 2 weeks now.  I know it has just been 2 weeks, but it's killing me mentally.  I bagged my previous training plan in favor of a more general base building plan where I honestly kind of fly by the seat of my pants each and every day and do at least an hour of training and day in either the pool, on the bike, or on an elliptical, or some combination of 2 of the 3.  I can't even begin to describe how bad a just want to go out and run and be "normal" again.  I feel like a waste, I feel like I am working out, as opposed to training.  I have basically given up on my goal of running a sub 3 hour marathon at the Green Bay Marathon on May 18th, as time is just running out.  I am having an extremely difficult time wrapping my mind around the idea that I will not be able to run 30 miles on my 30th birthday - as I have been planning this event for over the past 2-3 years now.  It's depressing.  It puts me a dark, gloomy mood just writing about it.  

I am also having a difficult time comprehending the fact that I will be turning 30 years old in a month and a half.  I am refusing to accept the idea that it is all downhill from here and that my best racing years of my life are behind me.  I am just refusing that let that happen.  I still have so much I want to accomplish and I fear that as I get older and my kids get older, it will become that much more difficult to achieve them.  I am also realizing that I can not eat like I did when I was younger (see the entire post above...) and I do not recover like I used to.  Life is getting rough, I don't like it one bit, and frankly, I am dreading it greatly.  Things are just not going how I saw them going for me in 2014.  It's been a rough first couple weeks of 2014 and quite honestly, it's got me in a funk.  Hopefully, by this weekend I am easing my way back into running and slowly building my mileage back up where I'd like it to be.  With only 27 days left of the Whole30, hopefully I am on my way to becoming a healthier athlete, which should have me in a better mood with higher spirits with my expectations and goals back in sight for the upcoming race season!

Off Season Diet

March of 2012, weighing about 175-180

I have always wanted to do a short 3-5 day cleansing diet.  I know that I eat a pretty clean diet, at least cleaner than most.  But,  I do have weaknesses.  Especially, over the past month.  It seems as though I have been making up for lost time since finishing the IM.  My diet has been more of an "eat what I want, when I want it," type of diet.  I have had beer, lots of processed foods, breads, crackers, granola bars, cereals, sweets, and ice cream.  It has been a complete 180* shift from what I was eating - and even then, my diet while training for the IM wasn't what I intended.  It was kind of tough, since I was always hungry.  I was constantly eating.  I tried to eat healthy, nutrient dense foods, but sometimes, a simple granola bar, or bowl of cereal was just easier.  But now, my training volume has dropped off the face of the planet.  I went from 15-20 hours of training a week, to about 4-5 hours a week...tops!

My post Ironman trip to Mexico, still hovering around 175

Back in 2009, and about 155, with a marathon PR of 3:03

Also, since I started working 3rd shift full time, my body has changed.  Not terribly, but the difference has definitely been noticed.  When I started with Winnebago County, I weighed in the range of 155-160 and now, I'm in the range of 170-175.  That's 15 pounds heavier!  Over the past year to year and a half, I have really wanted to get back down to that 155 range, which was lean and fast.  Weight can have a significant effect on running and biking times.  It's estimated that simply losing 10 pounds can result in a decrease of 15-20 seconds per mile in a 5k, which can knock off nearly a full minute, with everything remaining constant.  That crosses over to nearly a 10 minute decrease in a marathon time, with no change to your fitness, just weight lost.  For cycling, it's a little more difficult to estimate, but it's said that for a 160 pound rider riding up a 5 kilometer climb at a 7% grade, it would take an estimated 30 seconds longer for every additional 5 pounds of body weight added.  So, in other words, if a rider were to lose 20 pounds, they could do the same 5k climb a whole 2 minutes faster!  It's pretty obvious that there is a direct correlation to weight and speed in running and cycling.

High Cliff Triathlon, 2009

In attempt to drop my weight back down to the 155-160 range, I will begin a rather strict diet that will not only allow me to drop the excess weight I have put on over the past 2-3 years, but also fuel my body appropriately to be an efficient endurance machine (hopefully).  I will start with a 3-4 day cleanse/detox to clean out the system prior to initiating my new diet.  Starting on Friday, October 4th, I will start an Apple Detox.  It's pretty simple actually.  Eat nothing but organic apples, drink warm beverages, and drink either apple juice or apple cider.  I can eat as many apples as necessary to stay satiated, but there should be an fasting element to it.  At the end of the 3rd or 4th day, it is recommended to drink 2 tbsp of pure extra virgin olive oil to assist with processing whole food again.  I am choosing to do this cleanse/detox for a couple reasons.  First, it is something I have always wanted to try for the mental aspect as well as the health aspect.  Second, it will aid in starting a new style of eating for me.  Lastly, it will give me a head start with getting used to the lower daily caloric intake.  I have definitely been used to stuffing my face every day.  The past year I have eaten like a grazing cow, just throwing what ever is in front of me into my face.  And that needs to change.

Another from the Fox Cities Marathon, 2009

After completing the fast I will begin eating a higher fat diet than usual.  My plan is to not follow a strict diet each and every day, but to eat generally less food in volume, but much more nutrient dense food.  I will basically eliminate carbohydrates completely and increase fats and protein.  If I were to guess, while I was in the bulk of my Ironman training i ate about 70% carbs, 15% protein, and 15% fat.  My plan, now, is to be more around 15% carbs, 20% protein, 65% fat.  Why in the world would you eat so much fat???  Well, the human body burns fat as its primary fuel source at lower intensities, including low intensity exercising... i.e. running, biking, and swimming.  Many ultra runners and serious endurance athletes follow this type of diet, also called a ketogenic diet.  I want to at least give this diet a shot and be able to say I tried it.  I will not follow it to the letter, as many ultra marathoners do.  But, rather follow it closely, while still supplying my body with sugars when it needs them, such as before an intense 5k or short duration of a race.  My goal is to ultimately turn my body into a lean, light, fast, efficient fat burning machine.  A typical day would look something like this...

Breakfast (eaten late in the morning after a 12-16 hour overnight fast) : Avocado, with a few eggs
Lunch: Nuts, vegetables, fish filet
Dinner: Salad with sardines

Pretty basic, eat clean, eat unprocessed, and know what the hell your eating!

I want to give it a serious attempt before I quit.  I want to do it for 3 months, I figure that will allow me to develop an honest opinion on it as to whether or not I feel any different or if it is even worth it.  That will bring me to the new year, January 4th, 90 days.  It will be a new challenge of sorts, but a fun one - and what better time to try something like this than now.  I have no concrete plans for the future that I need to be concerned with, so if I fall flat on my face and find out the diet isn't for me and my fitness suffers, oh well.  I can at least look back and say, "hey, I tried that once."