What Whole30 Did for Me: ABsolutely eating healthier & feeling better!

Please don’t hate me when I tell you that I’ve never really dieted. What I have done consistently all my life is exercise like a fiend and eat like a banshee (for the most part consuming large quantities of anything and everything I wanted.) My personal training clients and people who have seen me racing (triathlon) or training, all assume that I eat healthy and adhere to a strictly nutritious diet. Only my inner circle know my dirty secret: horrible eating habits. “Do as I say, not as I eat.” I’m embarrassed to admit how much junk and chocolate and sugary items I’ve consumed every day for decades. And I now realize how fortunate I am that it didn’t have a disastrous effect on my health.

Another confession is that I have secretly envied people who eat nutritiously and say they feel great and perform better. I’ve always wanted to make healthier choices and reap the rewards of eating more nutritiously. But as we all know, wanting isn’t doing, is it?

What made me give Whole30 a try? I’d heard about it before (a colleague at work had an incredible post-pregnancy transformation) and my sister happened to mention that she was doing it so I figured, why not give it go? I’ve been feeling a bit sub-optimal and wanted to get rid of the bloating around my abs (that were a 6-pack not so long ago) and reduce my body fat %. (Note: the pics of me in the margins of this website are about a decade old.) I also wanted to defy the stereotype of the 50⁺ woman complaining that belly bloating and belly fat are inevitable consequences of aging. I’d say belly bloating and belly fat are inevitable consequences of chronic inactivity and poor food choices. For me, it’s the poor food choices.

I also wanted to see if losing some weight and eliminating inflammatory foods (such as dairy, fatty red meats, cheese, margarine, processed meats, alcohol, refined sugar and additives) would help me with my knee pain. (After 35 years of running, I literally ran through the cartilage in my knees and have severe arthritis, which prevents me from running and causes pain when biking, swimming, hiking, and even walking.) They say every pound of body weight equates to about 4 pounds on the knees so that in itself was enough to spur on my dietary experiment. I planned to do Whole30 for ~2 weeks or so to see what would happen. Note: The creators of Whole30 are adamant about sticking with it for 30 days and not weighing yourself until the end. I violated both these rules, and by Day 10, I’d lost 6 pounds and 2% body fat. Wow, I was impressed and hooked. Granted, I was super grumpy the first week and had to put myself on house arrest to avoid temptations of social eating and drinking. Within a week, I noticed my abs were coming back and belly bloating had become a thing of the past.My knee pain had faded too. I put on a pair of shorts that used to be a bit tight and the waist and backside area were loose. On Day 11, I went on a one-week active vaca, managing to stay true to the plan about 85 percent of the time.

It’s Day 40 and I’ve lost 7 pounds & 3% body fat. Mind you, I still exercise somewhat fiendishly, but am no longer eating like a sugar-crazed banshee. Note: I’ve been genetically blessed with a relatively flat stomach and high rib cage,which helps pop your abs when your body fat percentage is low. (My fat storage area is my butt and legs.) Also, I’ve never had kids so that could be considered another “unfair” advantage.

Here’s my ab progression:

Day 1

Day 7

Day 21

Day 30

I’ve also been able to run about 3 miles on the beach in the thick sand 3X without knee pain. Most importantly, the plan has led me to a healthier way of eating and living.

Albacore Salad

Egg Avo Arugula Salad

Berries, bananas and chia seeds

Tumeric Coconut Chips

Egg Over Avocado Salad

Tumeric Chicken

Sunny Side Up Avo & tomato

Shrimp Salad

Hitting the reset button with Whole 30 was exactly what I needed to change my eating habits for the better. I actually enjoy cooking now and coming up with creative, satisfying pure and simple nutritious meals.

Sure, the strictness of Whole 30 or any diet that eliminates certain food groups in their entirety, may not be sustainable, but “eating clean” / consuming fresh, unprocessed food is. Sure, it takes effort, discipline and determination, but I am here to tell you it works. Look for my updates at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and a year from now and I’ll share how I’m doing.

If you try it and then use it as your general guide or launch pad for your plan to eat healthy for life as I have, it just might work for you too.

What is the Whole30?

The premise of Whole30 is that certain food groups (like sugars, grains, dairy and legumes) are likely having a negative impact on your health and fitness—energy levels, moods, ache and pains, skin, digestion, allergies, sleep, bloating tummy, weight gain, body fat %, etc.

With Whole30, you eliminate these food groups (many of them inflammatory and blood- sugar spiking) and all preservatives and chemicals completely from your diet and focus on eating clean, pure, simple foods. (Recently read an article that your body transforms chemicals, preservatives and other unnatural ingredients into fat. Here’s the scientific study on that one. Another study just came out that diet sodas causes diabetes too. And yet another study linked sugar to Alzheimers. YIKES!)

Thirty days gives your body time to recover from whatever ill effects those foods may be having. It’s like pushing the reset button on your health, habits, and relationship with food while highlighting the physical and psychological impact of the food choices you’ve been making.

The promise

Weight loss and enhanced wellness is the most obvious benefit, but that’s not all they promise:

It will change the way you think about food. Yes, I’ve been aware that I’ve been poisoning my body with sugar / chocolate binges, exacerbating my knee pain, and sabotaging my health. I always wondered what good nutrition could do for me. Finally, I’m on the path to reap the rewards.

 It will change your tastes. Vegetables are tasting sweeter and I am enjoying them more.

It will change your habits and your cravings. Given that I have walked by rows of candy bars and passed them by several times, this must be true. And as I get more results, I become more resolved to stay true to eating well.

It will restore a healthy emotional relationship with food, and with your body. Yes, thinking of sweets as “treats” or “rewards” is a trap that sets up eating nutritiously as a punishment. This is part of why I was so grumpy the first week. You have to find other ways to reward yourself– mani-pedi, massage, chat with a friend, take a walk, play a game, etc.

It has the potential to improve the way you eat for the rest of your life and to improve your life on a larger scale. Yes, I believe and am now an evangelist. Try Whole 30 for a jump start to eating clean for life. Share your healthy eating story and tell us how you did it.

Note: I’m not an advocate of gimmicks or diets per se, nor a paid spokesperson for Whole30. As a personal trainer, I like to share what has worked for me and what may help others on the path to live more vigorous and healthy lives.

Rise up to your challenges; I dare ya.

A good friend of mine from college, Chris Fortunato, just biked the Great Cycle Challenge to help kids fight cancer.

Chris Fortunato, Cyclist & Half-Century Victor

He’d been logging 17 mile rides. The personal trainer in me couldn’t help wanting to make it a little more interesting for Chris so I challenged him to ride a 25 miler, a 35 miler & a 50 miler – with a promised donation of a dollar per mile. He named it the Daunting Dobbs Dare. Note, Chris is NOT a hard core cyclist or triathlete (yet). And guess what?  He completed my challenge today with his grand finale, half-century ride, a notable feat even for experienced cyclists! And he thanked me for throwing down the gauntlet and said it wasn’t bad at all. (I see a century ride in his future.)

Inspiration & Motivation

Sometimes it takes that extra push from an external source to just do it or do the things that we weren’t even sure we were capable of or hadn’t even imagined in the first place. Chris was inspired by a great cause and then my “daunting dare” topped it off.

Back when I used to run some grueling trail marathons, thinking about my Dad who had a stroke and was confined to wheelchair always renewed my grit and determination. I’ve also participated in a couple challenging 100 mile / century rides for cancer, thinking about what cancer patients go through helped me tell my legs to just shut up and keep pedaling.

If causes inspire you, there are tons of walks, runs and bike rides out there where you can contribute to a greater good, improve your health and fitness, and have a good time with like-minded peeps.

Even personal trainers and coaches need motivation and more often than not it comes back to us from people we coach. For instance, I’ve  gotten away from biking lately, other than an occasional 35 mile ride. I’ve been doing other things, swimming, yoga, hiking, mt. biking, rollerblading, weight-lifting etc., but just haven’t been motivated to go the distance on the bike. The thing is, I have been missing the quality endurance training and serious calorie burning of a long ride. So guess what? After Chris achieved his 50 mile goal yesterday, I amped-up my standard route and road 50 in solidarity with him. Chris inspired me.

Notablely, I was inspired and encouraged by good friends to create this health and wellness blog and my adventure travel blog. It took their kind and persistent nudging to get me to commit to taking those first few steps.

I’m also inspired by other fitness professionals. Last week I took a handstand class from local yoganastic guru, Lexi Beal.

Lexi Beal, Yoganastic Guru Extraordinaire

Her grace and strength inspire me and I wanted to challenge myself to do a handstand. Why? Because I’ve never done one and I aspire to have that kind of strength, balance and core control. Did I do it? Well, I did go heels over hands, but only made it to a wall stand.

And that was still a feat for me. Still “on the wall” about taking my handstand practice further. While I love trying something new, I do want to preserve and protect my shoulders for swimming…As we get older, we sometime have to make those kind of choices. (Sigh, but that’s a subject for another post.)

We’re all on this life, health and fitness journey together. Who can you inspire to help them fulfill their potential or explore something new today? And who will inspire or motivate you to rise up to your next challenge, personal, professional or fitness?

Share your stories and let’s help each other grow and become our best selves – mind, body and spirit. Nameste.

 

Get in the moment for mind and body fitness

I captioned this pic of my first time surfing a short board “In the Moment” for my Instagram feed@onthelooselive. It captures the great thing about so many vigorous, outdoor athletic pursuits and creative pursuits as well. When you are in the moment, aka “the zone”, you are completely absorbed, anchored by your senses and grounded by your physicality and concentration. There’s no room for all that other stuff that can bog you down. Total immersion – it’s the best way to cleanse your mind and renew your spirit of joie de vivre.

There are so many wonderful ways in this life for us to experience those magnificence moments of pure bliss.

I’m not a a very good surfer, but I enjoy it, especially when the water is warm and the waves are friendly. I’ve been surfing an 8 foot board for a while, but have always wanted to try a shorter one. They’re a lot more challenging though… Since I don’t surf  a lot, I’ve been hesitant to try because my skills aren’t up to par and I don’t practice enough…Lots of excuses not to … (Sound familiar?) So the other day, my BF brought a 5 foot foamy to the beach and encouraged me to try it. I had a blast. Sometimes, even self-motivated peeps, need a little extra push to get out of their comfort zone.  Thanks Ken. : )

So back to the fitness bandwagon, there are a couple takeaways here. In order to create and immerse ourselves in these moments of pure joy in our activities of choice, we must be fit enough to participate.

Sadly, I know many women who no longer surf because they didn’t maintain the upper body strength to push themselves up. (Semi-regular push ups would have kept them surfing and most could start strengthening and return to it if they were so inclined…) Unfortunately, there is so much more to lose and at risk when we relinquish our strength and baseline fitness levels.

Being fit for life means preserving our quality of life and health, enjoying the activities we love, and being able to discover new ones.

Cultivating our health and fitness in some way everyday is essential – even it just translates to eating extra vegetables and taking more walks. What we do today determines what we’ll be able to do tomorrow and the day after. No doubt I owe being able to push off of and stand up on the 5 foot board to my regular swim sessions, push-ups, weight training and yoga practice.

What’s your favorite “In the Moment” activity? (Keep it PG please.)  And how do you stay fit for life?

 

Ps. I know the pic is horrible quality, but it does capture the essence of this post and my feat. (Also, it’s probably the worst pic of me – 2 people who know me thought it was my BF. So much for vanity these days anyway…)

Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Tap into an internal fountain of youth to stay nimble & quick.

For all of you old dogs like me out there, and all the rest of you too, I ask “What new trick are you learning today?” Learning skills of any kind stimulates our brains to create new neural pathways  and coordinate with our bodies to develop new motor skills / patterns.

Whether an artist, musician, or athlete, we recognize that learning a new skill requires time and patience. As we get older, there may be a tendency to be less open to trying something new and to be less patient with ourselves when we do. We may get to a certain stage in life where we’ve mastered so many skills that we’re easily frustrated and discouraged when we don’t get something right the first time. And some people as they grow older become close minded, finding comfort (however small) in living a narrow, unchallenged life. Change it up and challenge yourself  and you’ll reap the rewards.

As a beginner triathlete, my biggest “opportunity for improvement” was swimming. Despite surprising myself with 3rd place in my first triathlon, I was the last one out of the water in my age group. (Wearing my heavy surf wetsuit didn’t help me much, but neither did my “muscling the water” style.) I really disliked swimming then, but realized if I wanted to pursue triathlons, I’d have to get with the program. After 6 lessons with a pro coach and lots of practice sessions, I was 5th in my age group out of the water in my next triathlon. Great, right? Yes, improved, but still plenty of room for improvement.

And now, nearly two decades later, I love swimming and am still working on my technique. Yikes, you may say, but this doesn’t discourage me.  It excites me that I still have the capacity to improve. (If you’re a swimmer, you know it’s all about technique.) I swim regularly with a Masters Swim Group and get tips on my stroke whenever I can.

What I haven’t mentioned is that despite all these years of Masters Swimming, I never learned how to flip turn. I rationalized that triathlons are races in open water so flip turns don’t apply to me. Truth be told,  I thought I wouldn’t like it or be coordinated enough to pull them off. I think the translation is FEAR of FAILURE.

“Giving up [or not trying in the first place] is the only sure way to fail.”

 – Gena Showalter

While my swimming technique improvements have made me faster, flip turners gain a whole body length on me at ever turn – very annoying. So this annoyance had to grow bigger than my fear of failure in order for me to do something about it.

Fortunately,  my boyfriend, who taught himself flip turns years ago encouraged me and patiently gave me 3 lessons. The first lesson lasted 45 miserable minutes. I got water up my nose and was so nauseous after so many failed attempts that I was dry heaving by the side of the pool. Anyway, I hated it right away and felt like giving up. We had 2 more fifteen minute sessions where I got a couple partially right. Next, I started practicing on my own – throwing them into the swim workout here and there and actually “nailing” one or two of them. Today, I threw a bunch of flip turns into the workout. At one point, I noticed a much faster gal swimming parallel in the lane next me. (She’s my athletic benchmark across the board.) The only thing is, she doesn’t do flip turns either. She is known for her quick open turns though… So I did my flip and didn’t see her anywhere next to me. For a moment, I wondered if she’d somehow managed to get in front of me. But no, there she was coming up from behind. I’d gained a whole body length! Now she might have been fixing her goggles or her suit for all I know, but I’m counting this as a flip turn victory and proof that any old dog can learn new tricks.

New skills make us nimble and quick in body & mind. Practice makes perfect.

 

When it comes to keeping our minds and bodies nimble and quick, learning new tricks is our virtual fountain of youth. We are so fortunate to have so many opportunities in this life to learn, adapt, improve and grow.  I’m so grateful for that and for my boyfriend’s patience with me – certainly more than I had for myself.

So tell me, what new skill will you try today?

 

 

Roll out of your exercise rut: 10 tips to change it up for better results

Are you doing the same exercise routine day in and day out? Most likely you’re bored and not getting the results you hoped for. Guess what? Your muscles are bored too- they’ve already adapted to the activity and are at ho hum status quo. Chances are you’ve hit a plateau and your progress has halted.

You have to change it up to get the results you want and to stay committed. The great thing about triathlon is cross training is built in (swim, bike, run), but even triathletes can get in a rut. The solution? Change it up. If you’re not feeling it, forcing yourself into a prescribed workout is not always the answer and can lead to burnout. Substituting a fun activity that you don’t do often is one way to combat exercise ennui.

This weekend, instead of another bike ride, I laced up my roller blades (remember those things?) and rolled out the door. It was quite refreshing and is a great, low impact leg workout that targets different muscles than biking or running.

 

10 Tips to change it up for better results

• Change your route regularly. If you run / bike on roads, hit the trails. At the beach? Run barefoot in the thick sand.
• Boost your intensity / speed.  Add interval training, track workouts or hills.
• Increase your load in the gym.  Add weight so that you can just barely do  3 sets of 8 until you’re able to do 3 sets of 12, then up it again. (And no, ladies, you won’t get too big – that takes a ton more work.)
• Alternate exercises. Doing the exact same routine every day may make it easy to go through the motions, but unfortunately that’s all your muscles will be doing too.  And you’ll be sacrificing results and possibly inviting injury. Switch out bench presses for chest flys with dumbells, etc..
• Include strength & core training. It will enhance everything you do and help protect you from injury. Not to mention the vanity dividends.
• Get outside. A good dose of Vitamin D, fresh air and scenery will do wonders for your energy level and your spirit.
• Do yoga. Your body will thank you.
• Try something entirely different – SUP, surfing, skiing, snowboarding, wake boarding, rollerblading, soccer, softball, tennis, dancing,  limitless options.
• Make exercise time your fun time. What physical activity makes you smile? Starts with S? I meant skipping rope, but yes, of course the other too!
• Cultivate a handful of activity partners so you always have a playmate for different activities.

 

What do you do to roll out if your exercise ruts?

Iconic N. County Camp P bike route & a chance encounter with the “Starving Cyclist”

A great iconic North County ride and one of my favs is through Camp Pendleton, a US Marine Corps base, to San Clemente State Beach. Bring your driver’s license as they check IDs at the gates both entering and leaving the base. It can be a little tricky merging with traffic to get onto the base from the South in Oceanside, but once you’re through that – it smooth cycling with minimal traffic and very few lights or stops signs. The roads are generally in good shape, but the rain storms have beat them up a bit so be alert to debris and bumps. Just one hill and the rest is flat with a couple rollers. (I’ll have to film it for you.)

Once you exit the northern gate of Camp Pendleton, / Las Pulgas exit off Interstate 5, you’ll be in the blissful no car zone along the old airstrip and out to the San Onofre bike trail and the beach. Cruise along enjoying fantastic vistas of bluffs, beaches, and the Pacific. In the summer, you do need to be on the watch for campers, kids and surfers running amok. There’s camping, picnic and restrooms available throughout the park.

Yay, getting back in the road bike saddle. This was my 5^th and longest ride post kidney stone surgery (see my Honoring the gift of health post). (Yes, I drank my H2o on the ride.) I cut it about 10 miles short for a total of 46 miles with 2,015 elevation gain/loss. 

Speaking of camping and biking, I ran into the “starving cyclist” , AKA Greg Valenzuela, on my ride. He’s been on the road for nearly 5 years biking around the world on his Cannondale. Greg didn’t want his picture taken so here’s his rig instead.

I asked Greg some questions about his adventures.

How many miles do you ride a day?

Between 40 and 100 depending where I am and where the next stop is.

Where’s the best place to ride in the States?

Washington and Oregon as there are so many cyclists who live there and the scenery is great.

Where have you felt the least safe?

Mexico and Nicaragua are sketchy (understatement).

Did you get any tickets?

4 tickets in New Zealand for not wearing a helmet.

How much does your rig weigh?

Got it down to about 121lbs…

Have you been in any accidents?

Yeah, a couple, but nothing serious.

Any tips?

If you’re riding in hot climates like Thailand, take saunas in the morning if you can. It will help you acclimate to the heat.

Where to next?

Dana Point on my way to Redondo Beach and then off to Morocco.

Who inspires you?

Check out the inspiration page on my blog.

And who inspires your inspirator? (Some really great sites & videos here!)

http://www.bikewanderer.com/inspiration-1/

Happy adventuring!

Stop making resolutions. Start setting goals and getting off your butt!

Day 5, 2014. How are those New Year’s resolutions going? If you’re already falling short, you’re not alone. (I was supposed to be on my 5^th blog by now.) According to the University of Scranton, of the 45% of us who make New Year’s resolutions, a mere 8% actually achieve them. So what’s one to do? Instead of making blanket, generic resolutions – be healthier, lose weight, exercise― get specific.

Running transforms a man’s life—–from homeless to business owner

http://screen.yahoo.com/yahoo-originals/homeless-business-owner-one-running-154620319.html

We all (all of us runners, anyway) know running is a great cure for pretty much everything that ails ya…Apparently, it’s a cure for homelessness too…. Here’s a quick video about Anne Mahlum, one inspirational runner who has made a difference with her unique running club, Back on My Feet. She uses running to help homeless men and women change the way they see themselves so they can make real changes in their lives. And it works. What can running do for you?

I’ve always believed in the transformational power of running, or any kind of exercise, especially those outdoor activities where you are immersed in nature, to cure whatever ails you…