Now that you have found your WHY for doing a Whole30, the next step is to set yourself up to win. If you go into it unprepared then you will struggle so why do that? You can make this experience so much easier with a little organization.
Let's talk the kitchen! You will be spending more time in there. I'm not going to lie, it won't be easy. If you don't like to cook than meal prep will be your friend. Also if you don't like dishes....well, sorry because you WILL be doing a lot of them.
First things first. I bet you would be surprised what in your cupboard has sugar. When I first did a Whole30 I was shocked that you can find sugar in almost all processed foods and even seasonings have added stuff. So take a few hours to clean out the crap. Now if it's new or barely used, find someone you can give it to so as not to be wasteful.
I understand that if you are the only one in a house doing this then you may want to find a separate location for your condiments and food so you won't make a slip-up and sabotage your Whole30 without even realizing it.
Next:
Let's talk meal prep and menu planning along with shopping.
You are going to want to sit down and plan a menu for at least a week out, if not two. If you are searching around in your fridge trying to figure out what to make at the last minute you will more than likely just grab something that is off plan. With your menu planned then you can make your shopping list.
Meal prep for me is usually on Sunday just because that is my rest days from workouts. Get all you bulk stuff done like cooking your meats and then separating them and putting stuff in the freezer. Cut up all your veggies and make your salads.
Motivation and accountability
Another way to get prepared for a Whole30 would be a way to keep yourself accountable. I myself like to journal and blog but I also have a calendar where I can mark off the days. The website has a timeline that is fun to have. It kind of gives you an idea as to what to expect. I printed one off.
With the new year coming everyone has some resolutions that they want to make and I am no different. Mine is to slay my sugar demon. It has taken over my life again so it's that time.....here I come Whole30!!
Do you have a resolution that involves your health in some way? Do you want to eat healthier or stop drinking pop? Doing a Whole30 would help with that. It's like hitting the reset button on your body.
First things first. You need to have a solid WHY to be doing this because if is flimsy then more than likely you won't be as committed and fail. This is not something to be taken lightly. Giving up stuff you have grown an addiction to is hard so go at it with a strong, positive mind-frame.
My reason for taking on another Whole30 is to get my addiction to sugar under control. I have done 3 other Whole30's and the longer I am post-Whole30, the more I fall back to bad habits. It starts with just a little cookie and piece of pizza, followed by a pop. Then it is 2 monsters a day followed by 3 pieces of pizza twice a week.
I have been having serious issues with inflammation and getting injured when working out and that has become my life so to get rid of the inflammation that comes with bad eating habits would be wonderful. And I am dealing with chronic exhaustion. I try to find a solution with loading up on artificial stimulants but it just is making it worse.
Those would be my NSV to come from this round of Whole30. I don't even care if I lose any weight. I got that covered with my workouts I just want to feel better and I know that after my carb flu the first week or so I should feel better or I guess I should be saying that I HOPE I feel better. There is no way to tell.
I think that if you have had any thoughts like I do, if what I just said sounds like you and want to try to feel better than why not try it. It's only 30 days. You can do it!!
Dealing with DOMS. You may not know what on earth DOMS is or are like me and wanted to know why it kept affecting you.
Well, DOMS is, delayed onset muscle soreness and more than likely you have had to deal with it if you are in some way an athlete or just starting to workout.
If you have, then you know that it can be very painful. I suffered quite often from DOMS so I started to look into what causes it.
According to Wikipedia DOMS is soreness caused by eccentric exercise. It is pain you will feel the onset of it after 24 hours up to 72 hours.
The old idea that DOMS is caused by build up of lactic acid has been disproved by this article. So if it's not lactic acid then what is it?
Inflammation is the culprit states this article. I feel that there is something behind this. I suffer from inflammation and have for some time and can see that being the case.
Of course you are doing some damage to your muscles and tissues also so that will cause some pain. "no pain, no gain" Is the saying, right! Well lets try to limit the pain part!
How to reduce inflammation?
* Diet- remove foods in your diet that cause inflammation and add foods that fight it
* Take your fish oil/ omega-3 supplements
* Get plenty of rest and de-stress often
* Excersize, try to stay active. The longer you sit the harder it is on your body
I hope this gave you some ideas on how to help with DOMS and if you have any helpful hints, please leave me a comment.
Have you ever done a program that you just were unsure of? One that you could do the moves OK but there just was nothing great to keep you wanting more?
Well that is what I have been feeling with this Hammer & Chisel program. I am doing fine with the moves all be it some of them are more difficult than others.
Being out in my garage gym the jumping around has really taken a toll on my heel so if you are going into this program with an injury be cautious of it because it may get worse.
So far this program is great for your legs. That is a plus, but I feel like I'm still having to do my regular weight routine on top of it. I was hoping to find it did a good job on it's own.
I can see where it would work for people who have never done a weight routine before. it gets you use to using weights.
What are the pros?
* It is a workout you can do at home
* It doesn't require a lot of weight or equipment
* Can be done in a half hour or less
What are the cons?
* I find the voices to be annoying (I'm weird!)
* It could use more weights on some
I also have to point out that if you are like me and find it hard to do a program that the voices of the trainers annoy you , then this is not for you. Not only are they hard to follow the man seems to have an undertone of....well...I hate to say it because it sounds so weird but it sounds kind of sexual. Like you know when your talking to someone and there is double entendres.
That is kind of how my husband and I interpret it. Now we may be completely miss reading it or just taking it the wrong way but for me it makes it harder to workout.
We have 5 more weeks to go so I will be doing another review when we complete it.
*If you have done this program please leave me a comment on how you liked it. I'm interested to see what others think.
Ever wonder the difference between Crossfit and Weight-training? Well, I wanted to know which was more effective when it came to making gains so I did a little research.
First, let's look at the differences:
* Free weights means that you either are at a gym or if you have weights at your home. You can create your own workouts and go at your own pace.
* Crossfit is usually done in a gym setting but can be done at home. You are not really able to go at your own pace because Crossfit is all about the higher intensity of it to burn calories. Mostly Crossfit has workouts preset for the day called MOD.
* Free weight work doesn't usually require or include cardio. If you do too much cardio and don't eat a good diet then you can burn up your gains.
* Crossfit is a mix between cardio and weights at a higher intensity. It builds stamina.
* Free weights are good for building muscle mass and looking pumped.
* Crossfit is more about being physically fit all around not just having muscle mass.
