The Whole 28.5: Loading Your Hoard of Goodness

The Whole 28 and a Half:

Groceries, Gear and Gulp!

First and foremost: I'm nerd-level excited that there's an awesome group of people who have already volunteered to come on this fanciful food journey with us! Seriously, my heart grew three sizes this day.  As you play along with us, please feel free to send me your questions, successes, blunders, recipes, photos, etc! I would love to feature everyone involved in some way or another.

Moving on...ehem!
As you may have guessed it, this isn't just a situation where I'm going to wake up on Sunday and be perfectly equipped to take on this challenge without a little help and without some stuff. That's just balderdash. I most definitely have to "pack my gear" for this journey and so should you! Here is the list of suggested materials.

#1. Grocery List...Duh, Rachel.

Trust me, I'm not insulting anyone's intelligence here. It's important that a new and improved grocery list is prepared and executed! We're shopping on Friday this week...since that's when we get paid. Easy as that. This first food-run will most likely be a larger scale haul and there are some pantry items and spices to reestablish in our house. Once we're stocked, then we can reevaluate for the next trip.

If you're looking for a VERY thorough pre-made grocery list that is already prepared for you to print out and check off, I suggest this Bad Boy right here, available at Whole30.com (represent!). They also have another version, that is two-pages to include Pantry, Herbs and Spices, which you can find Here.

I have equipped our first shopping list from the 2-Pager. And here it is:

Bold items are pretty much guaranteed. Yellow means they can/should be frozen. ;)

Now, this list is a LOT more intricate than our usual shopping agenda. We will go in with the best of intentions to get it all, but we don't fail if some items get left off. The important thing is this: 

Items that you Don't see on the list Don't make it into the cart!

(That means you, Big Reece's Cup. Sigh....)

Also, I just want to highlight a few reminders laid out by the Whole30, which we ARE applying to the Whole 28.5: 

• Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet , xylitol,  stevia,  etc.
• Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa.
• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts.
• Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. 

However, we shall note, the rules of the NEW Whole30 Program established in 2014: 

• If you want and need them, WHITE POTATOES are now totally allowed. But you still have the options of other starchy goodies like parsnips and sweet potatoes. Obvi: not tater-chips or French fries, Homies.
• Also: Salt has made a comeback, as long as it’s not from some processed or packaged food. You are personally and responsibly seasoning your grub.

NEXT!

#2. Get a Journal AND use an App.

Currently a MyFitnessPal Gal

Okay, this is really geared towards the folks who normally only use an app to track food and exercise. If being handheld-tech-savvy isn't a part of this challenge for you, stick to the pen and paper. I will provide you with some websites for when we roll up our sleeves and discuss Macros!

Now, why do I suggest using pen and paper ? 

Full disclosure: I love any reason to
get a new notebook.

Here it is: I feel that pen and paper allow for that full-blown honesty. Sometimes with an App (Like MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, My Food Diary, MyPlate by Livestrong, etc)  we demure to the default portion sizes (though we know we had more/less), or due to the hassle of wifi and data packages, we feel we don't really need to log that tablespoon of Almond Butter. Things can add up, and let me tell you--I have personally been a victim of this self sabotage! I promise, it's super easy to just jot down your grub, maybe even write down some feelings. Who knows what we we might discover!

Keep it movin', Sister.

#3. A Trusty Water Bottle. 

I have two that travel with me every day. That way I can be sure that I have 60 ounces on me right from the start, early in the morning. Refill often. You're going to need it. All the water. We're cutting out all the daily beverages that include sugar, fake sugar, weird hard-to-spell-sugar, and all that other nonsense. Which leaves us with water, coffee, tea, club soda....um, yeah. So get ready to enjoy your water!

And finally....

#4. Your Preferred Portable Food Devices.

During this challenge, we will be cooking up a storm, meal prepping for days, and planning out snacks to keep us full and on-point when we're out of the house. Thus, we need a way to transport this goodness! Whether is a butt-load of Tupperware (that's our house!), an adorable lunchbox, or a big-ass cooler, you're going to need to tote some food around. Find what's right for you.

That's the list of gear and goodies! 

What we need after that is confidence and will-power, which sadly we cannot pick up during checkout. But we've got it. It's in there. We'll find it! As we get more experimental with recipes, there's a good possibility that we will run into some roadblocks in the kitchen with missing ingredients or tools, so if you know you're going to jump out into the unknown: check the recipe a day or two ahead of time and make sure the kitchen is fully equipped.

Now for the part that you've all been waiting for....

I do think it is important that before day one, we open up our new trusty notebooks and write down a few things:

1) A goal or two! 

Why not? Even if it's just to finally use that julienne slicer.

2) Your "Stats"

If your goals include anything like weight-loss, "losing inches," fitting into last year's jeans, this is the perfect time to whip out that measuring tape, step on the scale (I promise, I won't ask you to do it again until the end!), and write down the size and length of those jeans. Sticking with these kinds of short-term dietary boosts is usually just the thing to spur these successes!

Googling "Fake Before & After Pics"
Hilarious.

And then, close out of your food log app, pop open the camera and TAKE A FEW PICTURES! I know, I know, I know...this isn't exactly my favorite part, but it's a good way to get a true idea of yourself. Specifically, for the positive! After getting around to taking my photos, I looked at them and realized I am waaaaaay harder on myself than I should be.  The only thing I ask when you do this is: SMILE. Or at least don't look like you just received a jury duty summons. That always grinds my gears on those infomercial "Before & Afters."

You DO NOT need to post any of this information publicly. I am doing so for my own accountability and, of course, entertainment value. Dance, Monkey, Dance!

Rachel's Starting Stats: 10/7/15

These are the areas of my bod where I usually see change (for the better and worse) so I'm tracking these. You can choose anything you like!

Bust/Chest: 40"

Waist: 31"

"Waist above Hip": 35"

Hip: 38"

Bicep: 12.5"

Thigh: 23.5"

Weight: 159.6 

<-- "Workin' Me"

Good to see yourself in your everyday duds.

"Measurin' Me" -->

'Nuff said. Note: no retouching, as I'm rocking that elastic waistband line from the pants on the left!

AWESOME SAUCE!

Now we have a general list of what we need to succeed! Mainly, it's just a full fridge and an adventurous heart. I know we've all got that in spades. 

If you have any questions, concerns, stories to tell, PLEASE feel free to share! You can comment here on the blog, send me a message on Facebook, or email me at Rachel@RachelPinkstone.com

- Be cool, Soda Pop -