Whole30: Self-Care Edition 10/10/12

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:

 

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 8 (Tuesday, October 9)

Sleep
8.5 hours

Activity
No exercise because my day started with a pretty sweet interview and photo shoot (for the cover!) for a health/fitness magazine. More on that when I’m officially allowed to talk about it. Anyway, that took the first half of the day, then lying on the couch, watching Midsomer Murders really ate up the afternoon. Whew! Watching British murders is such hard work.

But… I just tried to call the new craptastic gym, to see if some barbells would be a possibility tomorrow morning. In true craptastic fashion, there was no answer, so Day 9’s workout is going to be Wednesday sprints, then Thursday, I’ll be devising a CrossFit-inspired, bootcamp-style workout, a.k.a., backyard workout!

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, 10:00 a.m.
1/2 cup roasted sweet potato
4 ounces roasted chicken breast
1 cup roasted Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Lunch, 2:30 p.m.
Mediterranean Zucchini Noodles with Sardines:
1 can sardines
3 cups zucchini noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil from the sardines
10 black olives
Penzeys Foxpoint Seasoning

Dinner, 8:00 p.m.
big-ass salad:
4 ounces roasted chicken breast + 1 ounce roasted pork shoulder
1/2 head lettuce (raw)
1/2 large cucumber (raw)
1/4 sweet onion (raw)
1 cup snap peas (raw)
1 cup jicama (raw)
Penzeys Pasta Sprinkle + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 large navel orange

Mood
Excited! Optimistic! Fired up!

Song of the Day
Lisztomania, Phoenix
I’ve had Prague on the brain for two days solid because we talked to a friend yesterday that gave us really supportive news about how he might help us make our transition to living there in the next few years. Frexciting! Anyway, for no obvious or explicable reason, this song reminds me of being in Prague. Pretending to be a spy. Getting lost. Saying vlk! (‘Cause I’m fascinated by a word with no vowels… which reminds me, I just started an online Czech class, so wish me luck ’cause that sh*t is hard.)

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Comments

  • Michele says:

    Hi Melissa,

    Prague is not too far (5 hour drive) from Munich! So you’ll have an American contact here once you arrive and if you want to explore Bavaria!

    All the best with your plans and if there is anyway I can help, you have my mail address!

  • Juni says:

    Really enjoying reading about your experience with the AI protocol—there is very little in the blogosphere on the personal experience of it. I fell off the wagon the three or so times I tried it. I’m curious to know if you’ve checked out the “Thyroid Meal Plan” from Balanced Bites. I started cooking some stuff out of it and felt improvements that I have never seemed to get from Primal or even Whole 30 experiments.
    Lately, I’ve experimented with Bone Broth and Liver (both plugged heavily in Balanced Bites). Have you ever gone there?
    I’m sure you have–just thought I’d throw it out there as I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed someone more willing to TRY their freaking ass off to gain optimum health. I admire your perseverance despite the frustration/challenges. I’ve caught some of the same hurdles but you seem to remain convicted in times when I wanted to say F’THIS.
    Good for you, it’s amazing!Keep writing and I’ll keep reading. 🙂

    • Mel says:

      I’ve been trying to remember to incorporate more liver into my week. I’ll take a look at Dianne’ plan — thanks for the reminder! And thank you for the kind words.

      I am the most stubborn person, so you will never see me give up. Ever. 🙂

  • front page of a mag? awesome!

  • Tom R. says:

    US Wellness liverwurst is an awesome way to get in organ meats. Love the stuff and I don’t like liver.

    Can’t wait to hear about the new craptastic gym!

  • Hope says:

    I haven’t checked out the blog for awhile (long story) but was delighted to come back tonight and find you’d started a Whole30 — I started one yesterday! I’ve been pretty Paleo-compliant for over a year now but I wanted to tweak some areas of resistance — mainly my caffeine and alcohol consumption — and also I’ve been quite ill (Shingles/Post-Herpetic Trigiminal Neuralgia) so I’m hoping this will help jumpstart my immune system! I will be following your Whole30 posts eagerly! GO US!!!!!

    • Mel says:

      Congrats on starting a Whole30 — hope you had a smooth, awesome experience. Really sorry to hear about your health woes. We’re here to support you through your Whole30!

  • Kel says:

    You inspire me to step out of my cooking and flavor comfort zone! I enjoy sardines but would never have thought of using them this way.

    I made your zucchini et aglio from Well Fed, and beaten eggs and a can of sardines.

    DUDE. Righteousness.

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