This is a guest post by Flow Member, Caroline Zelonka, participating in The Reset.

Made it through the hump, and another pizza- and ice cream-filled weekend, and I’m feeling pretty fly. I’m not missing sugar or cheese that much, and am enjoying the mental clarity that comes with a wine-free existence. Is it Tiger Blood? Not sure, but I feel terrific.

I did go a little crazy with the nuts and dried fruit on Saturday night. Obeying the letter of the law, but not the spirit. I want to lose weight, and that stuff is packed with calories. And carbs, which I normally like to limit.

As a former Atkins devotee, I’d experimented successfully with nutritional ketosis, a metabolic state where fat becomes the preferred fuel for the body. It can be induced by a diet low in sugars, and measured through acetone in the breath.

At Tuesday’s Reset meetup and potluck (which I’ll get to later), we got to try out a neat new device. The LEVL detects acetone levels in parts per million, and they claim a reading of 2 or more translates into an “elevated state of fat metabolism” and loss of at least a half-pound body fat per week.

Testing was easy. Hold your breath and exhale slowly into a straw connected to a pod, which is placed in a machine the size of a clock radio and which reads the level in about 15 seconds. About eight of us were there to try it, registering levels of 1.5 to a whopping 8.6.

I scored a 2.5, but being the competitive person that I am, I’m now gunning for a higher score. So for the remainder of this program, I’m going to try to limit the potatoes, bananas, and especially the dried fruit, and stick to meat, vegetables, eggs, and lower-carb fruit like apples and blueberries.

I’m turning 50 in May, and am hoping to celebrate with a trip to Hawaii, somewhere I’ve never been. And it would be nice to have a fitter new body to take on the trip.

But I didn’t commit to the low-carb version of the Whole 30 that night, as there were several yummy dishes to try, including bacon-wrapped dates, roasted winter vegetables, a vegetable hash, cabbage and sausage, Cajun chicken drummettes, and my favorite, haricots verts (French green beans) with almond pesto.

Erin K, the chef behind the dish, thoughtfully supplied a recipe card, and has given me permission to publish it on this blog. She says it makes a great breakfast dish paired with eggs, but take it from me, it’s tasty any time.

Onto week four!

This is a guest post by Flow Member, Caroline Zelonka, participating in The Reset.

A little over a week and I’m feeling … well .. so-so. My energy levels are all over the place. I’m finding it easier to get going in the morning, but in the afternoons and early evenings I start to drag.

I’m also getting really tired of potatoes.

On a positive note, I’m proud of myself for making it through the first weekend despite plenty of temptation – wine, pizza, chocolate cake – waved in my face. (Literally: my 11-year-old nephew playfully taunted me after I explained my eating plan. He later redeemed himself by engaging me in a competitive game of ping-pong.)

But I gained newfound resolve at Tuesday’s Reset meetup. Beth led us in some stretching exercises, and we shared some tips and tricks. Speaking of, I wanted to share some of the advice I’ve gleaned, from Reset members and elsewhere.

1. Read labels: You’d be surprised what foods contain sugars, disguised as sucrose, dextrose, maltose, barley malt and more. (The blog Sugar Science claims there are at least 61 different names for sugar on food labels.) But just as often, you can find surprisingly-compliant foods. My favorite Kroger brand mustard, for example, is fine.
   
2. Freeze treats: Ambushed by a gift of homemade cookies or birthday cake? Thank the giver profusely, then throw it into the freezer to enjoy once the Reset is over. If you think you’ll be too tempted having it in your house, throw them in your work fridge (if you have one) or ask a friend to keep them for you.
   
3. Design your plate: Take some time to plate your dishes nicely, and don’t forget the garnish. “Even a sprig of parsley helps,” said one Reset member. Attractive plating can also help convince your partner or kids to eat, or at least try, your Whole 30 creations.
4. Chia seeds: A good source of soluble fiber, these little seeds can be mixed with any fluid (I prefer coconut milk) to make a pudding-like substance or thicken a smoothie. Add some ripe banana or pear for sweetness. If you don’t like them, you can always throw them in your Chia Pet.
5. Infused water: These cold, dry days are dehydrating enough, and if you’re like me, this diet makes you pee more than usual. One solution: try creating waters infused with cucumber, berries, citrus juice, fresh ginger, or tea. (Ginger tea also makes a yummy hot drink.) You can also sip garnished sparkling water and sorta-kinda pretend it’s a cocktail.
6. Keep your eyes on the prize: It’s only been 10 days, likely not enough time to see much progress. But I’m trying to celebrate every healthy food choice, label read, sugary snack skipped, red wine not ordered. I put the scale away, but I can tell my belly is a little less bloated. And though my energy levels are rather unpredictable, I can feel the “tiger blood” starting to form.

I’m also thinking about rewards. I’m keeping track of the money I’m not spending on snacks, wine, and cocktails, and am putting it into an account which I will use to buy … well, I’m not sure. Any ideas? Let me and others know in the comments, and feel free to share your own Whole 30 tips.

This is a guest post by Flow Member, Caroline Zelonka, participating in The Reset.

After a full month of eating, drinking, cocktailing, and ignoring my expanding waistline, I am going into this Whole 30 Reset with high hopes.

My name is Caroline. I’m a writer and Flow Fitness member (you might have seen me on the elliptical, watching Pioneer Woman), and will be blogging about the Reset experience. It’s my first time doing a Whole 30, though I’ve tried almost every diet out there, starting with The Zone in the mid 1990s.

While I’d love to drop a few pounds, my main goal for my Whole 30 is to reduce inflammation. I’d love for my eczema to clear up, and my recurrent knee pain to subside. Not convinced my diet has anything to do with these things, but it can’t hurt to try. I was one of those kids who was allergic to everything, nuts especially, so I’m thinking eliminating potentially problematic foods might be helpful.

So in preparation for this week’s start, I stocked my kitchen. Coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, almond milk, chia seeds, eggs, raw walnuts, a bunch of frozen veggies and fruit. I live by myself, so this was pretty easy. I found good prices on a lot of these things at Trader Joe’s, but they also can be had at the South Lake Union Whole Foods if you are into convenience over cost.

I also prepped by making some chia pudding (one can coconut milk, one cup almond milk, ⅔ cups chia seeds, whipped and refrigerated overnight), and roasting some cajun-seasoned skinless chicken thighs and sweet potatoes. I also made a sweet potato Shepherd’s pie, subbing white potatoes for the sweets. (I prefer sweet potatoes, but I had picky eaters to feed that night.)

I’m going to try to go to the gym at least three days this week. Normally, I also walk to and from my house in Judkins Park to my office in SLU, but the extreme cold has made this unpleasant. (I take the bus if the weather is nasty, or if I’m late. Today it was both.)

Two days in, I feel pretty good, but I haven’t been confronted with any serious temptations yet. At my office, all we have left in terms of treats is a large bucket of candy canes. And I’ve cleared out my house pretty well, foisting off a jar of peanut butter and wedge of cheese onto my neighbor.

It was great meeting some of the Reset participants at the Kick Off at Flow. I’m collecting your tips and tricks for possible use in a future blog post. If you have anything you want to share, or ideas for a Reset blog post, please email me at czelonka@gmail.com.