Guess what?! My biceps hate me.
But that’s okay because when I braided my hair in the mirror today I saw them winking at me.
Good times… I can’t wait to be buff.
I’ve been talking to some friends from Crossfit Littleton who are doing a Whole 30 challenge for the month of May. They are super excited about it. If you want to join them you can join their Facebook page May 2013 Whole 30… You’ve been officially invited, I double checked.
I’ve been thinking about it all weekend and despite a little peer pressure I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not going to do it. This officially makes me the not cool kid.
I’m sure it’s great and if you give it a try you will benefit from it. But it’s just not for me.
You can do anything for thirty days but I think it would screw with my head. I’m kind of a perfectionist… the problem is I screw up all of the time. Can you imagine the turmoil this causes?!
This is how the Whole 30 would go for me…
It doesn’t start until May 1st which is Wednesday so I would spend the next few days leading up to that point gorging myself on whatever I felt I was going to be deprived of, even if I didn’t want to eat it. I’d gain a good 5 pounds and already be worse off than if I had never done the damn thing.
I would be all gung ho on Wednesday until I screwed up three hours into it. I would eat like crap for the rest of the day because I was going to have a redo the next day. But then I would screw up again…
You get the point.
I don’t fall off wagons, they just completely fall apart. Then not only do I have to get back on the wagon but I have to rebuild the whole damn thing too.
This might sound like a defeatist attitude but it is my reality. We all have to acknowledge our limitations. Taking away food options just isn’t my thang. This whole journey is about finding balance. I can’t tip too far either direction or my whole equilibrium will be thrown off.
That being said, I do plan on tightening things up a bit.
Instead of taking things away I am adding things in the hopes of crowding out the crap. I did this back in late February when I did the Veggie Challenge. During this time I had to drink a ton of water and eat veggies with breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was a four day challenge and it worked.
I’m not much of a meal planner because I don’t like feeling like I’m stuck eating something I’m not in the mood for…I’m a brat, we know this.
However, I do have a few back up recipes on hand just in case I get in a veggie funk…
1. Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Meatballs on top of zucchini noodles and marinara sauce. (I bought a zucchini spiralizer and I’m dying to use it.)
2. Raw Kale and Brussel Sprouts Salad with Tahini-Maple Dressing. I have tahini in my pantry. I have no idea how it got there.
3. Cauliflower Crust Pizza– This just looked too yummy to pass up.
I’ll probably be eating several Whole 30/paleo approved meals but I’ll also be eating my signature afternoon snack of greek yogurt, strawberries and chia seeds. I eat it. Every. Day. I love it!
With that said I better hit the hay, I’ve got some fat to lose and some muscles to build.
What are you doing to get ready for the upcoming summer season?
Nina in the Now 
I want to try cross fit. I’d like to experiment with new exercise forms I haven’t tried before, like Pilates and barre too.
You should definitely try it! It’s great because it challenges you in ways you would never imagine but it also has a community feel to it which makes returning for more torture super appealing. I’ve tons of friends doing crossfit.
I think adding in healthy items is usually more successful than taking things out. I’m doing a little bit of both trying to slim down my Diet Coke habit. Add more H2O will hopefully decrease the amount of diet coke!
That cauliflower crus pizza looks amazing. I bookmarked the recipe and will have to attempt it myself!
If you get to it before I do let me know how it works out for you.
Will do. I picked up frozen cauliflower for next to nothing yesterday (in Japan produce is painfully expensive) so I might make it soon!
I don’t think I could give up fun snacks for an entire month. I’m sure I’d see awesome results if I did, but I’m a big brat like you. If I can’t have something, I get pissed.
The Whole30 gave me results that I’ve been looking for for years! I’m down to my lowest weight in 12 years and as a result a lot of my muscles are much more noticeable. The Whole30 is really hard but it’s so worth it. I get that it’s not for everyone, but I think it’s a great tool.
That’s awesome, you’re a much stronger woman than I am. I might revisit the idea later on when I’ve only got a few more pounds to lose. It may just end up being that last push I need to reach my goal.
I’ve heard about the whole 30 before and it sounds like something I’d like to try, however as a vegetarian, my options would be very limited so I’m not sure I’d really be able to do it. I think it’s very important to be able to know yourself well enough to know when something is going to work for you and when it isn’t!
I totally agree, Lisa!
I joined the May Challenge. I saw that Corene also like it, so with you two liking this plan and veggies are just good for us. I have inflammatory arthritis and did a veggie challenge Jan/Feb and it did work. Why I strayed away…who knows. Good news, I have tahini and Brussels sprouts in the fridge. Count me in to get this summer kickin’.
I strayed from my veggie challenge because I didn’t want to have veggie scrambles in the morning anymore. I always crave fruit in the morning. Corene’s really good and calling me out when I’m being a wimp. She did that with my whole 30 decision, but I just couldn’t budge on it.