Whole30: Self-Care Edition 10/13/12

From October 2 through at least October 31, I’m documenting my Whole30 and autoimmune protocol, including the when, what, where, and how much of my sleep, activity, food, and mood. Although I follow the Whole30 guidelines 90% of the time anyway, I’m going all-in for the next 30 (or maybe 60) days to give my body a chance to stabilize after enduring adrenal burnout and a thyroid medication experiment.

As Melissa and Dallas of Whole9Life are good at reminding us, context matters, so if you’re not familiar with my checkered past, you might want to read these previous posts:

• A Healing Experiment: to deal with adrenal and thyroid issues
• The Thyroid Experiment and Update on the Experiment
• Weight & Body Image Stuff: I Love My Body and Why is Thinner Better?
• N=1: or why self-experimentation is a pain in the butt but the only option

Not familiar with the Whole30? Learn all about it here and get extra help with the Whole30 Daily.

Not interested in the Whole30? Don’t sweat it! I’ll be posting other stuff like recipes, workouts, and other adventures, too.

Whole30: Day 11 (Friday, October 12)

Sleep
8 hours

Activity
Kundalini yoga. We’re starting an 8-week series that focuses on recognizing and overcoming fear. I like this idea! Robin talked about how fear is insidious, subconscious, and holds us back from achieving not just the things we want, but joy. We discussed how being open to sorrow and really feeling the shadows is what allows us to feel true happiness, too. Honestly, that’s one of the things I love about Prague: I feel like the city so whole-heartedly embraces both the shadow and the light — and that makes it beautiful.

Food
I’ve found my appetite is less ravenous, and I feel better if I eat in a 12-hour window — usually between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. so I can stop eating about 2-3 hours before going to bed — and don’t snack between meals or before bed. Because I’m on a mission to lose weight/body fat, I’m measuring and tracking my food right now; all quantities are cooked unless otherwise specified. I’m also following the autoimmune protocol. I train in the morning, so breakfast is right after my workout.

Breakfast, 9:30 a.m.
1/2 cup roasted sweet potato w/ cinnamon and garlic
3 ounces roast chicken breast + 1 ounce roast pork
2 cups broccoli
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Lunch, 2:30 p.m.
Hot Plate:
3 ounces roast pork shoulder + 1 ounce beef roast + 1 cup broccoli
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil + chives
1 cucumber (raw)
1 cup snap peas (raw)
3/4 cup blackberries

Dinner, 8:00 p.m.
4 ounces ground beef w/ garlic + 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon mint
… on top of 2 cups green beans + 1/2 cup roasted butternut squash sautéed in 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Mood
Mostly meh. My monthly cramps hurt, so I took Pamprin, which kills the cramps but makes me moody and sleepy. Not sure which is worse.

Song of the Day
Forgiveness from Jane Eyre: The Musical
“Forgiveness is the mightiest sword.” I had some painfully disappointing experiences with a few people this week, and I’ve been walking around angry. I don’t like that! So I’m actively working on finding compassion for them and feeling forgiveness — for my sake and theirs. Not easy, but I’m doing my best.