Claire received a hand-me-down dolly with a realistic face (you know, the kind that opens and closes her eyes when you lay her down), and Claire thinks it’s the weirdest thing ever. She’s not sure if it’s real or not and will reach out to touch it before shrinking back at the last minute. Hah!
So – this week’s exercise theme was MAKE TIME FOR WHAT MATTERS MOST. I cleared some room in my workout schedule and really decided to buckle down with triathlon training. And I am now SO excited for the race in August. Having a plan – and a big goal – is so invigorating.
Also, I actually wrote my plan out (instead of just winging it on a daily basis in accordance to what I feel like I “should†be doing) and had a lot of success with that. Putting my workouts in my daily planner – right next to deadlines and conference calls and doctor appointments – made them really concrete.
Here’s what I did last week!
Monday – Rest
Tuesday – Swam 1500 meters + 2.0 miles of speedwork on the treadmill
Wednesday – 6.0 mile long run
Thursday – I got terribly sick on Wednesday evening (I puked 13 times in 4 hours!) and obviously took Thursday off to recover. I spent almost the whole day in bed.
Friday – I woke up Friday feeling totally normal, so it must’ve been something I ate. I went to spin class (but took it easy) and swam a really gentle 250 yards.
Saturday – 7.0 mile long run
Sunday – Rest
Grand Totals: Swam about 1700 meters, ran 15.0 miles, cycled in one spin class
Super happy with my run total, but definitely need more time on the bike and in the pool.
Speaking of the pool, we had a lot of family time at the pool this weekend… Claire has truly become a water baby – she kicks her feet so much when she sees the water! And Henry, of course, adores the pool life. Especially because we always get Popsicles when we need a break from the heat.
Here’s the plot summary: “From an early age, Kate and her identical twin sister, Violet, knew that they were unlike everyone else. Kate and Vi were born with peculiar “sensesâ€â€”innate psychic abilities concerning future events and other people’s secrets. Though Vi embraced her visions, Kate did her best to hide them. Now, years later, their different paths have led them both back to their hometown of St. Louis. Vi has pursued an eccentric career as a psychic medium, while Kate, a devoted wife and mother, has settled down in the suburbs to raise her two young children. But when a minor earthquake hits in the middle of the night, the normal life Kate has always wished for begins to shift. After Vi goes on television to share a premonition that another, more devastating earthquake will soon hit the St. Louis area, Kate is mortified. Equally troubling, however, is her fear that Vi may be right. As the date of the predicted earthquake quickly approaches, Kate is forced to reconcile her fraught relationship with her sister and to face truths about herself she’s long tried to deny.â€
I’ve also read American Wife by the same author (I hear I have to read Prep), and the thing that I love the most about her writing is how she really delves into the character’s past and present, as well as their innermost thoughts, in a way that is fun and interesting to read. The details are so rich! But not boring. And Kate was a great character – not perfect at all but completely human… Someone you both liked and were annoyed with at the same time. And I really did NOT see the ending of the book coming and thought it was a creative way to wrap up a big plot line. It gets a little “soap operaish†but I thought the build-up and drama was great.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. A fun and fast read with a lot of drama.
Seriously, the IKEA high chair is the best. I wrote that I hated my old high chair (which had its benefits but also major drawbacks – mainly the way food stuck in all the cracks of the fabric) and so many of you said to buy the IKEA highchair. So I went to IKEA and got it. And I am SO grateful. For $19, I cannot imagine a better chair. It’s basically a single piece of molded plastic so it wipes down really easily. DO NOT buy a $300 high chair – buy this one! No regrets.
I can’t say enough good things about this carrier. I had it with Henry and barely used it because he didn’t like facing in, but Claire loves it. This Boba carrier is REALLY easy to put on (so many aren’t) and feels so secure. I wish the pockets on the outside were bigger, but there’s room for my phone under her butt and keys behind her neck.
This crib mattress is so nice and supportive. She sleeps so much better in her crib than in the pack and play… and I know it’s because of the mattress. To me, it’s worth every penny to know she’s not laying on super chemically-treated surface each night (seriously, some conventional mattresses STINK when you unwrap them). Here’s our mesh breathable bumper.
These teething necklaces were created a blog reader, and I did a review of them a few months ago. We love them SO much. I try to wear one when she’s in the Boba, but it’s also nice to just loop it around my neck before we head out because then I know I have a toy for her – it’s hard to remember baby toys when you’re juggling two kiddos!
This was Henry’s car seat, and I love it for Claire, too. We originally bought it for the ease that it snaps into the base. Now that I’ve been using it again, I remembered there are so many reason to love this simple but great infant car seat. It’s easy to use and adjust, and I think it’s probably pretty comfy for her. My one and only complaint about this seat is that I think it gets hot in the summer, but I suspect that’s a problem for many infant seats.
I cannot say enough great things about this stroller. I originally received the Tre as a blog sample and wrote a detailed review of it here (that post also compares it to the BOB Ironman). Hands down, this is the best stroller I’ve tried. It is much more compact than many other joggers, so I feel comfortable taking it to places like the mall. Oh, and the KeyFit carseat drops into the stroller without an attachment, which was great when she was younger.
Moms always come up to me in the park and ask about this sunhat. It’s a nice material that covers her ears and neck – it was hand-me-down from Henry, and it’s so nice that I bought it in a bigger size for him, too. I also love rashguard swimsuit that she wears because it covers so much skin.
One last post about the epic The North Face Mountain Athletics app!
I originally wrote my review of the app here –> Need Strength Training Direction? But I wanted to pop in one more time and share some of the best moves from the free app.
Download the Mountain Athletics App – it’s free for iOS! The app provides access to expert-created, 6-week strength and conditioning training programs specific to outdoor sports including, running, skiing, climbing and mountaineering. Many of the moves require gym equipment or pretty heavy weights, but you can do a lot at home, too.
Here are some of my favorite moves from the app (I love how the 6-week plans have the videos right there so you can easily pull them in while completing the workout and check your form!).
If you need some strength training direction, I can’t say enough good things about that app. It has a load of creative workouts and the 6-week plans are a great way to stay motivated. And now – for a review of that cute top in the first picture….
It’s the Women’s MA-X tank from the Mountain Athletics from The North Face. I’ve been wearing it for workouts for about two months, and I have to say that it quickly became my favorite tank ever. The material is awesome – it’s not too light or too heavy, but it wicks sweat away really effectively and is super comfy. Also – love the length! It’s not too short and doesn’t ride up during hard workouts.
The big The North Face giveaway is coming to an end – if you haven’t entered yet, please do! You can win $500 to The North Face.
So. I am on Day 11 of the Vegetarian Whole 30 (well, technically, Day 4 of my restart but more on that below). I was inspired to try this 30-day whole eating plan after reading the two Whole 30 books.
It Starts With Food (the reason this hasn’t been a Book a Week yet is I’m halfway through – it’s sciencey and slow reading).
WHAT IS WHOLE 30?
The Whole 30 website is really great, so I suggest you check it out for the details. But the original version of the plan is pretty much what most people think of when they think of a paleo diet. Here’s a detailed description of what the Whole 30 is. On Whole 30, you eat “real food†and (like paleo) avoid stuff like added sugar (real or artificial), alcohol, grains, dairy, soy, legumes, carrageenan, MSG, and sulfites. You are also not allowed to re-create junk food or baked goods with Whole 30 approved ingredients. And last, but not least, you’re not allowed to weigh yourself during the Whole 30. Some differences between paleo and Whole 30 is you can eat potatoes on Whole 30, and there’s a larger emotional component to Whole 30 (hence, the no creation of approved junk food or weighing yourself). There are other differences, too.
THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE YOU, CAITLIN!
I know it doesn’t! First – I’m not really into structured eating plans in general. In the past, I found them restrictive and, well, not very fun. I strive to eat mostly real food but eat my fair share of processed food or sugary treats, too. Second (and the biggest, really) – I’m a vegetarian. So a plan that cuts out stuff like dairy, legumes, and tofu is a huge flip would be a huge flip from my normal diet. (But spoiler… the vegetarian version of Whole 30 DOESN’T eliminate these vegetarian staples).
SO WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?
I originally heard about Whole 30 when browsing hashtags on Instagram (try #whole30beforeandafter). Because of the big emotional component to Whole 30, there’s a large focus on the non-weight loss benefits of the eating plan. People claim health improvements like mental clarity and better sleep. People crush their sugar cravings, get more creative in the kitchen, stop reaching for junky carbs when they’re tired, etc. I was intrigued by all these endorsements of Instagram users, which is why I picked up the books, especially once I noticed there was also a #vegetarianwhole30 hashtag, too.
Side note – many people see improvements such as the elimination of skin and digestive issues, etc. That’s because many of the items that people eliminate from their diet on Whole 30 are thought to be “hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory†– foods (not for everyone, of course, but for some – and the only way to figure it out is to cut those foods out for 30 days, according to Whole 30). It Starts With Food does a good job of describing this.
Anyway – so I read the books. I read the website. And I was definitely intrigued. You see, after several years of being really great at balanced and intuitive eating, I’ve noticed a few “habits†develop…
I eat way more junk food than I used to.
I mindlessly eat, especially when I’m tired or stressed.
I crave sugar all the time. And I eat it all the time.
A large part of these habits, I think, was having children. Parenting is challenging and stressful with odd hours. I was no longer able to sit down to thoughtfully prepared meals. I ate a lot of my meals on the go. I randomly grabbed things from the pantry. Lunches were sometimes three granola bars from the bottom of my purse (seriously). I would put a lot of effort into preparing healthy meals for Henry and then I’d cook a frozen pizza for myself. The sugar stuff is definitely related to sleep deprivation and breastfeeding (breastfeeding makes you crave sugar!); also, there is a huge “vicious cycle†with my sugar consumption… the more I eat, the more I want.
I had HUGE energy crashes constantly. I was drinking a lot of coffee. I knew that some of this up-and-down was situational (hello, small children), but I also was positive that a great deal of it was related to my diet.
I kept trying to change my habits with an ‘everything in moderation’ approach, which had worked for me in the past. But I wasn’t finding that technique successful in the slightest. When I realized there was a vegetarian version of Whole 30, I thought – “Hmmm, this could be the food reset that I’ve been looking for!†That’s kind of how I see it – a food reset. Get back to the basics, eliminate processed stuff, and focus on real food.
ISN’T VEGETARIAN WHOLE 30 NOT REALLY WHOLE 30? I’M CONFUSED.
Yeah – it is confusing. I suspect they made a vegetarian version (here is the shopping list, which you can compare to the regular shopping list) because they knew vegetarians may want to participate but they wouldn’t be able to convince many vegetarian to eat a ton of meat for 30 days (and that is what they try to do in the books, actually – many foods you eat on the vegetarian version are known to cause health issues with some individuals [soy, legumes, dairy] so if you want the most health benefits, they say to go regular, not vegetarian, for the month). However, I am a pretty firm vegetarian and could not imagine eating meat for an entire month, so I didn’t consider the regular version at all.
Here’s what you can have on the vegetarian version that you cannot on the regular version: organic yogurt and kefir, whey protein; organic tempeh, natto, edamame, and tofu; lentils, beans, and hemp or pea protein powder. So it’s pretty different than the regular version.
SO WAIT. WHAT DAY ARE YOU ON?
Whole 30 is very strict. If you eat a food that is not on the Whole 30 plan, you are supposed to start all over – regardless of whether you intentionally or accidentally ate the food <— that’s a good explanation of why. On Day 7, I ate pizza for dinner. I was hungry and had nothing Whole 30-friendly that I could easily prepare. That puts me on Day 11 or Day 4, depending on how you look at it. If you’re strictly following “the rules,†yeah – I’m on Day 4. But I only intend to do this for 30 days, whether or not I choose to eat non-Whole 30 foods during that time period (and I’m trying really hard not to and haven’t since those three glorious slices of cheesy pizza!).
WHAT DO YOUR MEALS LOOK LIKE?
My meals include a protein (eggs, tofu, legumes, edamame, or lentils), a vegetable or two (broccoli, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes are my favorites), fruit, and a starchy veggie (potatoes or squash). I cook everything in coconut oil or ghee. I also eat nuts (cashews, macadamia nuts, almonds, and pistachios). I have some organic, full-fat yogurt every day, and I’ve discovered the awesomeness that are coconut flakes, which are an awesome sub-in for cereal or granola with yogurt.
IS THIS AS LIFE-CHANGING AS PROMISED?
Actually… yes. I’m not going to lie – the first few days were hard, especially as I went through a sugar detox. I had a killer headache and was grumpy. But then, around Day 5, it was like the fog lifted. So far, I’ve noticed several benefits:
The food is really yummy, satisfying whole foods. I feel so well-nourished.
More even energy levels – I haven’t been having that 3 PM slump, no matter how tired I am (I have seen a slight improvement in nighttime sleep but not much yet).
I don’t get super sleepy right after I eat a big meal.
I feel like I recover from workouts faster.
I haven’t had junk food cravings (except that pizza, I guess!).
I am eating WAYYYYYYYYY more vegetables and fruits than before. Like – three times as much.
I am much more thoughtful in what I eat and why. I have been forced to stop the mindless munching. Everything that goes into my mouth tastes good AND is quality fuel.
ANY DRAWBACKS?
So much food prep. And a lot of grocery shopping because I’m tearing through perishables like veggies and fruits. Thank goodness for a Costco membership (my grocery bill hasn’t gone up much because I’m not buying as many expensive packaged foods). If you don’t food prep on Whole 30, you get stuck without something to eat (and then you eat pizza!).
It took a few days for me to figure out HOW to eat on Whole 30, too. I felt like I was eating a lot but would end up hungry before bed. I upped the volume and added in more fat, and now I’m in a good place. Also, you aren’t supposed to snack on Whole 30 (three big meals a day is preferred over constantly grazing, and meals should be big enough to get you through to the next without a snack). However, with breastfeeding and my exercise, that didn’t work for me no matter how big I made my meals, so I’m still snacking.
Eating out sucks, of course. But a benefit of that is that we’re saving money by not going to Chipotle every three days. Wahoo.
FINAL THOUGHTS?
I’m really glad I’m doing this challenge. As mentioned, structured eating plans aren’t typically my thing, but I see this as sort of an emotional and nutritional food reset. I tried several times since Claire was born to kick my sugar addiction on my own, but for once, the philosophy of “everything in moderation!†wasn’t working for me. I kind of needed all-or-nothing to really do it. Here’s to another few weeks of Whole 30!
Have you done Whole 30? What did you think about it?
One way or the other, we’ve been spending a lot of time in the water. Henry goes to the splash park and then the pool for swim lessons every day as part of camp, and then we return in the afternoons so Claire can have a little water exposure. We basically live there! I always have swimsuits, beach towels, sunscreen, and floaties in the back of my car – just in case we make a detour for a quick splash.
But first – let’s do some POOL WORK.
As part of my renewed commitment to triathlon training, I hit the pool for a nice 1500 meter swim. 1500 meters is the race distance, and this workout felt a lot tougher than I would’ve preferred. I’ve got a lot of work to do!
This is my standard swim workout when I don’t have Training Buddy Brandi with me to provide direction (she’s that awesome type of swimmer who is always prepared with a workout and I am… not).
Swim 5 laps (250 meters)
Kickboard 1 lap (50 meters)
Repeat 4 times
Swim 6 laps (300 meters)
Total –1500 meters
After that was done, I hit the treadmill for a speedy 2.0 mile run at 8:40/mile. Whew. I was really proud of myself when that workout was over – I felt like I was making good progress!
Also – this song is my WORKOUT JAM. Seriously, whenever this comes on, I feel like I sprint forever and ever.
This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill Fifteen percent concentrated power of will Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain And a hundred percent reason to remember the name
So… back to the fun stuff (well, tri training is fun, but you know what I mean!).
I absolutely love, love, love the swimsuits from Albion Fit. They are such high quality and hold up so well. And they actually make sexy one pieces – know what I mean? Here are some of my other Albion Fit suits!
And now I have the Sunset Blvd. It’s super pretty and has this amazing bow detail in the back. One thing I personally like about this suit is the bust area is pretty generous and supportive. It does run a bit larger than their other suits, so I would order this in a size smaller than you would normally wear.
My hat is from Target – it was my Mother’s Day present and I love it sooo much.
My friends at Albion Fit have created a discount code – use code summersun15 for 15% off your purchase! And they also offered to give one lucky HTP reader a suit of her choice. You’ll need an Instagram account to enter. So head over to my Instagram page to enter to win <—just click that link. Good luck and happy swimming!
