Oh Sweet Smoothie Goodness!

So I realized that my vegetable intake has seriously been lacking.....
I also realized that my schedule this semester is going to OWN me....example- I left home yesterday at 430am to teach spin (#PoweredByBits of course) and did not get home until 830pm! Today I left at 8am and will maybe get home around 10pm...yikes!

I decided that adding a smoothie to my day would help with both of my issues- I can put massive amounts of veggies in it and it takes about 5min to make (including clean up).

Here's my first recipe: (Sorry for lack of pictures- I drank it too fast!)

Spinach Goodness
Serves 1

Add the ingredients in this order
4 cups spinach (I also tried 2c spinach and 2c kale..yummy)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Blend
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I used Blue Diamond)
1 banana cut
Blend
ENJOY!

I told you it's super easy! I'll be keeping you updated on other creations I make!

I'm off to Les Mis tonight...has anyone seen it yet?!?
Do you have a smoothie recipe with veggies you'd be willing to share?

8-Week Nutrition Challenge!

My CrossFit box is having a nutrition challenge for the next 8 weeks and I was crazy enough to join!!  It was a $50 buy-in, but I have an opportunity to win it all back!!  Here's the rules, as written by one of the coaches:

Okay, if you're not as skilled in reading messy handwriting (I've had life-long practice with my dad's atrocious writing..you'd think he was a doctor); I'll explain here:

1. It's a combination of zone and paleo (don't worry I'm not done explaining).
2. For the paleo aspect: 
1. Eat all meats, nuts (NO peanuts are not nuts), seeds, and veggies
2. Some fruit is allowed (eat it with breakfast or post workout; try and avoid it later at night, unless you workout at night).
3. Little starch (a little is allowed around workouts and morning)
4. NO SUGAR! (fake sugars are included in this, so dump that crap down the drain!)
5. Keep alcohol VERY limited
3. For the zone aspect: 
1. He took our measurements (weight, body fat %, butt, waist, and arm)
2. Based off all these he gave us our "blocks" (instead of using calories, zone uses blocks, so that you eat more balanced- carbs, fats, and protein)
3. I was given 12 blocks a day 
4. We have to break that into 5 meals a day, so I chose: 3 2 3 1 3
1. This means that at a given meal I will eat that many "blocks" of EACH macro- carb, fat, protein
5. Then we went over what constitutes as a "block"
1. In general, most lean meats are 1oz=1block
2. Eggs: 1egg=1block
3. It varies with veggies and fruits, but if you google "zone diet" there's really good documents that have how much amount of food= a block
4. Every night we have to fill out our charts that give us points, or take away, for everything we've ingested and our workouts.
5. We are also suggested to start taking fish oil (or eat fish) and multivitamins
1. I choose a fish oil (I HATE fish) and it has a special coating, so it doesn't taste funky
2. I have a multivitamin from HyVee based on GNC's women's mega (for WAY cheaper)
6. We also are told to pick 3 meals a week and not worry about zone or paleo.  This does NOT mean to let loose and go crazy; still try and stay healthy, but don't get caught up on staying within the exact blocks.

Okay, so that was a pretty simplified explanation, so if you have any questions: comment below or ask me on my Facebook or Twitter!  Of course, I will still be eating my ENERGYBits before workouts because they fit within my guidelines and they've improved my performance SOOO much!!

Now, why am I doing this?!  Well, recently at CrossFit we've been talking about our weaknesses and nutrition is definitely one of them!  I mean I eat pretty healthy, but I could do so much better!!  Also, it really hit me when one of the girls, that I usually try and keep up with during workouts, said, "I just want to do it to show off all the hard work I put in here."  It's SOOO true; I work my ass off and only eat "pretty" healthy?!  Does that make sense..yeah doesn't to me either!  My sister-in-law tells her friends/coworkers that I'm a "shit, brick house."  Well, I'm pretty small and built, but I'd like anyone on the street who saw me to say that about me!

Also, I decided it was time to make a change and hold myself accountable after the coach took our measurements...yikes!  Now they're not horrible, but NO WHERE near where I would like them.  Here goes..don't judge:

1. Weight: 125#
2. Body Fat %: 22.5%
3. Waist: 29.5"
4. Butt: 35.5"
5. Arm: 10.5"

I'd like my BF% in the teens (not low teens though) and my waist closer to 27-26."

I'll leave you with a picture from my breakfast this AM: 1/4 cantaloupe, 3/4 cup egg whites, and 2.25 cup kale sauteed in olive oil.

Do you follow any special diets?  If so, which one?  

Primal Blueprint

In my previous post I talked about my trip.  Well, it was a LONG plane ride and I decided to read my free ebook, Primal Blueprint.  It is Mark Wolff’s take on Paleo as a lifestyle, rather than a quick fix diet.  If you want to know the basics of Paleo and the Primal lifestyle, I highly recommend it.  He breaks down the acceptable foods, improvements you’ll see, and what you won’t see.  

I read his take on physical activity first.  I REALLY REALLY liked it.  It wasn’t “spend hours and hours lifting and running each day.”  It was completely opposite actually.  He says to revert back to childhood and play.  Do what you love to do and make it your regular activity.  Mark states his is Ultimate Frisbee, for me it is running and CrossFit.  He doesn’t want you to dread working out, but rather wants you to wake up every day thinking about what game you are going to play before or after work.  I started thinking like that this week and let me tell you it helped!  

On Sunday and Monday, I really had to itch to run, so I did.  Instead of my usual, “well how far should I go?  how fast?” I JUST RAN.  On Sunday, I was feeling a casual run with rolling hills, so before my flight I ran 4.5 miles, not too fast, not too slow.  Then Monday, I was dying to sprint (I know, weird).  I decided I would do sprints 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off; increasing my incline as well.  After I went from 8.0 speed and 2.0 incline to 9.5 and 4.5 (my planned end).  Turned out I wanted more.  I decided to “cool down,”  where I then went back down my speed and incline, until I was back to my starting point.  

Mark also wrote about how people don’t need to lift for hours on end to get the results they want, so I took that into account.  Technically, I have already been doing this with CrossFit, but I still did it while on vacation.  I did lots of Tabata circuits.  I would pick a movement, like the squat, and perform it for 8 rounds of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off.  Trust me, it burns by the 3rd round.

Next, is his view on the Paleo Diet.  Mark does not mess around with this one!  He does not let anything slide by, like you know how most diets and even a lot of Paleo follower will make their old favorite meals to fit inside the diet rule dimensions?  Well, Mark says that that is a no-no.  He doesn’t want people to think of this as a “diet” that is going to hinder you from enjoying life.  He wants his readers to make their mind think of food differently.  Now he’s not against every once in a while having a paleo cookie or pizza, but for the most part he wants people to follow the basic plate: half meat, half veggies, some fats, and a little fruit (every once in a while and mostly berries).  I like this approach, especially for me.  I’ve always tried to make pizza, cookies, etc. “healthy.”  What did that end up doing to me?  I just kept craving that food and eventually all I wanted was the real deal, not some low-carb or low-fat version.  

After Whole30 and not allowing myself to make any “Paleo *Insert Cheat Food*”  I no longer crave those foods.  I actually see myself craving meats and veggies A LOT more!  Maybe it’s not that I’m craving them more over sweets, but my body is recognizing that I don’t crave the sweet or salty treat.  I’m just HUNGRY.  Whatever it is I like it!

Overall, he pretty much wants to get across that the majority of the population are not professional athletes or models sporting a front cover or a fashion show.  That because of this we should stop worrying about our physique so much and worry more about our health and figuring out what will really make you happy.  Will having that six pack or a football game every Saturday morning with your friends happier?

What am I trying to get across with this post?  That if you’re really serious about Paleo as a lifestyle, not just something that you think will make you look like a bikini model (which Mark states will NOT happen.  You’ll get a better body, but you’ll get the body your biology wants).  CHECK THIS BOOK OUT!  

PS:  Ladies, if you look at ACTUAL pictures of our primal female ancestors they are NOT extremely cut with six packs.  Were they fat?  NO!  They did however have some meat on their bones because back then what was more important than showing off their six packs?  Making sure their species SURVIVED!  Guess what?  Most women can't conceive at 9% body fat!

If you’re wondering, do I have a six pack?  Nope! I’m about 19% body fat at 5’0”, but I can still lift any day I want, run however far I want, and just be a plain bad ass when I please.  Guess what?  I don’t hear any complaints from my boyfriend and I like filling out my jeans!

Whole 30 and Moving Forward

PREFACE:  I’m writing this on my plane ride back from New York, so I’m sorry if I start ramble, but sitting still drives me nuts, so I just keep thinking of things to talk about!  Give me a break, I had 7 hours to kill!

Alright, so I didn’t make it 30 days of the Whole30 Challenge, but I made it further than 21 days.  Which is apparently the magic number; if you can make it at least 21 days you are usually good to go.  Let me tell you, it is SO true!  I honestly have not felt better since taking out the gluten, grains, and cutting way back on fruit.  I went against everything I thought eating a lot more fats and meat, but man do I feel AMAZING!  I feel like I work harder during my workouts because I’m not worrying about stomach pains or bloating I used to get from eating all those supposed “necessary pre- and post-workout carbs.”  Am I saying that carbs are bad? Am I saying that you shouldn’t eat bread or pasta?  Not necessarily, it all depends on what works for YOU!  Personally, I noticed when I started running long distance my stomach became more sensitive and it seemed like NOTHING I did could fix that.  I tried eating “all natural”, “low fat”, “sugar free.”  It wasn’t until this Whole30 that I truly understood what all those cute little categories meant:

All Natural: “everything we put in our food is natural.”  Does NOT mean it is good for you.  If you check some “all natural” foods it will still have hydrogenated oil or those nasty -lose ending ingredients, which are usually fake sugars that make you bloat.

Low Fat: “low-no fat.”  Did you know skittles are technically “low fat,” but would you eat them? 

Sugar Free: MY FAVORITE haha.  They don’t contain sugar, BUT they contain those pesky fake sugars that can reek more havoc on your body then the real deal.  Sometimes your body has a harder time digesting them and that’s why you end up feeling bloated and gassy. 

So why did I cut the 30 short if I am so pro-Whole30?  Well, in case you don’t follow me on Facebook or Twitter, I went to visit my boyfriend this week in New York for his last home series (yes, he’s a baseball player..love my boy of summer).  Monday-Wednesday  he took me out for really nice dinners after his games.  He wanted me to get some really good hearty meals in since he knows I try really hard to eat “clean.”  Now, before you say anything about “he should be supportive of your healthy eating.” BLAH BLAH BLAH.  He is, but every once in a while he likes me to let loose and just enjoy myself.  I did!  I didn’t go hog wild the whole time I was out there.  I would eat really good during the day, workout (workouts below post), go watch him play, and then indulge at night.  

What I learned the most from indulging?  I no longer have an emotional attachment to food, like I used to.  Don’t get me wrong, the food was DELICIOUS, but I wasn’t all giddy or excited when I ate the food and I didn’t kick myself afterwards.  Instead, I ate until I was no longer hungry and then pushed the rest to the side.  Those 21 days really allowed me to just focus and re-teach myself to use food as my fuel.  I learned how to eat around my workouts, so that I was properly fueled and I wasn’t eating things just because I had a craving for it.  

I know you’re next question: where do you go from here?  What do I do now that I’m finished with my Whole30?  Do I go back to eating like I did before?  NO WAY!!  I plan on staying paleo and just adding some things back in, like the occasional piece of gum, almond milk, and coconut flour to bake with (when I get the initiative haha).  I honestly do not miss bread or pasta anymore.  I don’t crave sugary drinks or my energy drinks.  I actually had one of my favorite energy drinks this week to give me a boost one of my boyfriend’s games and for the first time I realized how AWFUL energy drinks taste.  It tasted like metal against my tongue and I was no longer a fan.  I actually was craving my dark roast, black coffee!  The front desk got so used to me coming down for extra coffee that they had it out before I even asked (gotta love good customer service).  

Moving forward my diet is going to look like this because there are somethings I still want to tweak.  I want to try and keep my fruit intake to once a day, maybe two when I have a heavy cardio AND weight day.  I also want to keep my fruit intake mostly from berries and melons.  I also want to start making my plates half protein, half non-starchy veggies.  Have a cheat meal once a week or every other week.  

I have still a little ways until I reach my physique goal, but for once in my life that is no longer my main goal.  It no longer fills my every waking moment.  It finally hit me, “why am I worrying so much about my physique,” this vacation.  My boyfriend never has anything to say about my physique turning him off or wishing I looked different.  Why shouldn’t I give myself the same respect as he does?  

What I gained from all this?  A challenge for September (and I challenge you all to do the same)!!  

1. Love myself every day!  Whether it is replacing every bad comment to myself with a positive or giving myself a break on a stressful day.

2. Eat paleo 90-95% Why only 90-95%?  Well, we’re not all perfect and damnit I want a cheat meal every once in a while ;)  

1. Plan my meals for the week and cook (as much as I can) on Sundays.

3. Drink more water!  At least half a gallon a day.

Well, I think that’s about enough writing for today and I’m sure you’re trying to figure out when my rambling ends, so here you go....THE END.

PS: here’s my hotel workouts!  Also, you may notice that they’re a little easier than usual and you’re exactly right!  I wanted to back off a little from my intensity, focus on my form, and let my body recover a little so I can (hopefully) ROCK my 5K on Friday night!  Don’t think for a second though that if you do these RIGHT you won’t be sore.  I was definitely still sore, but not the sore that makes it hard to roll out of bed.  Rather the sore that keeps me coming back for more!

SUNDAY: Ran 4.5 miles before getting on my plane

MONDAY: 4 rounds:
20 backward lunges Overhead (2 10# dumbbells)
10 pushups
20 Kettlebell Swings (25#)
15 chair dips
TIME- 9min

Sprints: 30secs on, 30secs off increase incline every minute
TIME- 14min

Tabata: 8 rounds (20 sec on, 10sec off)
Squats

TUESDAY: 4 Rounds:
15 burpees
25 squats
35 situps
TIME- 11:45

Tabata: 8 rounds (20sec on, 10sec off) 3x

Burpees
Situps
Pushups

WEDNESDAY: 5 rounds:
30 Kettle bell swings (25#)
25 squats (2 12.5# dumbbells)
20 overhead lunges (2 7.5#)
15 push presses (2 12.5#)
10 burpees

Arc Trainer: 30min

Bye Bye Trail Mix and Fruit..kind of

HALF WAY!!  I've made it half way through my Whole30..14 days of unprocessed, no sugar gloriousness (yes, that's a word..at least in my dictionary).  I can't believe I've made it this far!  I feel amazing.  I haven't had this much energy since I was a kid!  Plus, I just feel better and feel like I'm moving, thinking, and just living in general in less of a "fog."

Now, I'm on the home stretch into week 3!  I want to keep challenging myself though, so I'm going to cut back my trail mix and my fruit intake.  I think I've started to rely a little too much on trail mix and fruit to get over my sugar/fake sugar addiction.  Honestly, I could sit down and eat an entire bag of trail mix (the brand that's from Lincoln, NE without peanuts or other types of soy nuts and no sugars).  I also realized that my fruit intake is lower than it was in the past, but I know I could still do better.  My new goal is to only buy trail mix every other week and to only eat berries as my fruit.  I'm also going to challenge myself to one serving of fruit a day.  I'll have a cup of berries with breakfast!

The timeline is still SPOT ON!  Here's what it said for week 2 "Hurray! The slump is over! Your energy levels are better than normal – you’re downright Tigger the bouncing tiger!  But something weird is happening.  You’re dreaming. Not crazy nightmare or strange surrealist dreams, either. Incredibly normal and realistic dreams – about donuts. Or Twinkies. Or Snickers.* In your mind, sometimes you get caught and feel guilty. Sometimes you just brazenly eat the contraband. But then, the feelings start following you into the waking hours. Suddenly, you’re craving things you don’t even like. (For me, it’s Diet Coke and Twinkies, for Melissa Hartwig, it was fast-food cheeseburgers!) Your co-workers; heads transform into giant Girl Scout Cookies as you gaze on in disbelief. Seriously, you’ve almost hit the halfway mark, and now this?!

All joking aside, though, this phase gets really intense and for some people. This is the part of the program where our minds try to drive us back to the comfort of the foods we used to know. Our food relationships are deeply rooted and strongly reinforced throughout the course of our lives and breaking through them is really big deal. Journaling can be especially enlightening and helpful during this phase, and helpful for reflection later. Take some time to jot down what you’re craving, how you’re feeling and what tools you’re using to work through the cravings." (Whole 9) 

It was so true because during that time (this weekend especially) I went to a wedding reception.  Before the wedding party arrived there was popcorn, candy, and all sorts of sweets to indulge in.  There was also an open bar and I'm not a big drinker, but for some reason a big, tall cold beer sounded amazing.  The dinner was a BBQ/Buffet style.  There was salad (with all sorts of toppings), potato salad, beans, bread galore, shredded pork, and BBQ sauce.  Let's not forget the cupcakes and cakes after dinner!  I was so proud of myself though because I stayed away from ALL OF IT!  I had some salad (without toppings and dressing) and a good portion of the shredded pork without BBQ sauce.  Did I miss the beginning snacks or the decadent desserts?  Maybe a little, but man it felt great to leave knowing I hadn't let my cravings or eyes takeover what I ate!  

I've also gotten into cooking (I know, weird).  I've cooked chicken in my crockpot, sauteed vegetables, baked vegetables, combined vegetables, and eaten them raw!!  I feel pretty awesome since my idea of cooking was the microwave!

Here's to week 3!!!