Day 30

Readers,

We did it.

Assuming my face doesn't fall into a box of donuts from now until I fall asleep, we have successfully completed our first Whole 30. Through weddings with open bars, birthday parties with candy buffets,  travelling Comedy Festivals, and even Las Vegas we stuck to the plan. We stayed the course.

We did it.

My husband gave me the SWEETEST gift today. Go check out my Instagram page to see it! I couldn't believe it! Also, shout out to all my dearhearted students that read this blog and interrogate me regarding all things Whole 30 in the classroom. You guys are awesome.

Wish me, and my donut-less face, good luck these last few hours.

xx,
Jess
@paperback_lifter

Day 29....

Whoa.

Guys. That was actually REALLY fast.

I never understood why some people were using #Whole45. Now I do.

Reintroduction.

Hallelujah. Because the idea of going back to eating OFF the Whole 30 now is TERRIFYING.

I can't believe I am done with The Whole 30. Which is why I've decided to keep it going.....to a Whole 45. The results are REALLY that awesome.

But you know what my proudest result is?

My husband and 9 year old son WANT to do one. Like, they ASKED me about it.

ON THEIR OWN.

How amazing is that?

I'll just be over here in the corner, eating my food, cheering on my awesome family.

xx,
Jess
@paperback_lifter
(P.S. for more pictures of what I eat check out the ole Instagram!)

It's TUESDAY!

I almost forgot! It's Tuesday! Here is my weigh in information: (Reader, I cringe.)

146.4 pounds
65.7 lbs SMM
19.4 % body fat

For those of you keeping track, thats NOT GOOD.

That's up in body fat and down in SMM. No no noooooooo!

More protein. Seriously. MORE PROTEIN.

Anyone have any suggestions? As my marathon training progresses I'll keep running the risk of losing my muscle mass. This will not do.

So, Dear Readers, how do you protect your muscle mass while putting in extra miles?

Change of Perspective

 Hey Internets!

Manuel is back with another motivating post for us! This one is solid. Manny reminds me ALL THE TIME to keep my head in the game, and I hope he does that for you too. Here we go!

xx,
Jess
@paperback_lifter


     So I started writing this couple days ago and was not happy with it. The title kept ringing

in my head but I just couldn’t get it done. Until today that I read these quotes

“remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go” and “you may not be

where you want, but not where you were.”

     We’ve all heard these before or some sort of variation; like the cup half full or half

empty kind’ a thing - which I still get confused. But to me it resounds truer than ever

especially on the ever-elusive quest of personal fitness. Side note - had to make sure

‘truer’ is right just in case Professor Danger got on my case. (Prof. D. here: He's right.)

     See, I love working out because it’s a parallel of life – you get what you put into it. Same

with our bodies, we feel and perform according to what we eat. So it’s all connected –

ok, got sidetracked, ADD is kicking in. My point is… If you’re like me that am too hard on

myself, ease off some of the pressure. Now don’t slack off, keep pressing – literally.

     Even if you’re “back to square one” – I was playing monopoly recently – (gosh this ADD

thing). My… point… is… Every major change takes time and perseverance and there are

no shortcuts. But you can focus on what you have left or how much you have

accomplished. So far it’s working well.

     Hope you’re having a great week. If not, change your perspective 

Let’s go!

Manuel.

A Weekend in Vegas on the Whole 30

Yes, yes it has been too long.

Here is how you survive the Whole 30 while in Vegas: Stay away from all things Vegasy.

We were in Las Vegas this weekend visiting my brother and his family. I didn't even have to pack any food in my purse this time! But I did eat ground turkey, brussels sprout slaw, and yams in the dark in the middle of the desert while driving, which did not please my mother. We went hiking and grilled out and the kids made s'mores. And! And! Get this- I was helping my youngest smoosh his marshmallow in between his graham crackers and I got a bunch of marshmallow goo on my thumb and forefinger. Enough to eat.....but I did not. I left it there on my fingers until we were all done with everything and then I went inside and washed my hands. Made it out unscathed.

Here is a non-scale victory for you, to the largest degree. With all the strength training this year and how great I feel now on the Whole 30 I am able to do things I never thought I would be able to do. Things I didn't even know I WANTED to do until I discovered them. A few weeks ago I was able to overhead press my 6 year old to the ceiling while he pretended to be Wolverine. This weekend my non-scale victory was helping my brother take the engine out of our Dad's old 1950 Chevy pick-up. I was strong enough, I am strong enough, to be out there in the garage helping him the whole way. And that is something.

Only a few more days on the Whole 30. I am almost finished! We'll get there yet!

P.S. YOU GUYS. My students READ MY BLOG. How cool is that? (Hello students!)

Day 20

Hey! It's Tuesday! I weighed in with my coach this morning:

149.1 pounds
67.0 SMM
19.1 % body fat

So, my body fat is down 03%. I gained 1.5 pounds BUT my SMM is up 1.1 so I'm pleased. (Do you hear that, Gregg? I'm pleased!)

Yesterday I was heading to a fancy dinner with my husband and I knew that there would be NOTHING for me to eat, so I packed a pork chop and a sweet potato in my purse. I was immediately pissed.

I am. So. Sick. of PURSE FOOD.

And my husband knew it, so instead he took me out to dinner at this cool little gastro pub in Carlsbad called The Compass. They server was SO NICE and she let me bombard her with questions and she brought me EXACTLY what I wanted. And it was delicious. And I didn't have to cook it!

I threw the pork chop away. DEFINITELY still ate the sweet potato.

It was a welcome reprieve.

xx,
Jess.
@paperback_lifter
P.S. Check out my Instagram page! I started my marathon training. You can poke fun at how slow I am !

How Bad Do You Want It?

 Hey Internets!
Today we have a nice little gem of a post from one of my teamates, Manuel. Here's a little sneak peek into what goes on in that head of his when we train together. He's an awesome training partner and I am so excited to share this post with you.

xx,
Jess.
@paperback_lifter



Defeat disappointment, annihilate weakness, and punish the competition… Those words

kept ringing in my ear throughout a nice workout this morning. Who is the competition?

For me, it is myself… I don’t worry about the next person. That takes care of itself. If I

keep pushing I know eventually I’ll get to a point where I can pick a “rabbit” to go after.


Today was one of those workouts that you’re like “Shit, I don’t know if I’m gonna finish

this.” You look left and right, back and forth for an excuse. Oooh, my hands hurt, I’m out

of breath, my legs are sore, etc. But trust me, when you keep those words in your head,

you keep yourself in check. You don’t have to be the strongest or the fastest; God knows

I’m not. Go lighter in weight if you have to, there’s no shame on that. I did today, and do

often. Just make sure it is something that gets you out of a comfort zone safely and is

one more step towards being the best version of you.


By the way, those words: “defeat disappointment, annihilate weakness, and punish the

competition” are not my own. I encourage you to watch this video every so often and

tell me what you think in the comments.

How Bad Do You Want It?

Let’s go!

Manuel

p.s. sorry about the ads on the video.