Suzie Homemaker Alert!!

This crazy thing has been happening this past weekend.  I've been spending more time in the kitchen (insert sexist joke here).  I've decided that I want to save WAY more money, so that I can possibly move away from Omaha after I get my degree.  I noticed I tend to spend the most amount of wasted money on food from Panera or Blue Planet Natural Grill (a local restaurant that only makes food from fresh ingredients and doesn't fry anything!).  

They are both AMAZE-BALLS, but let's face it..they're not saving me anything.  I started searching on Pinterest and the internet for healthy, easy-to-make meals for myself.  Here's what I've come up with so far:

Grain Free Tortillas and Tacos
 

Makes 1 large tortilla or 2 small

Tortilla:

2 tbsp almond flour

1/2 tbsp water

1 egg

Mix together and cook on med heat skillet.  Flip when golden brown (about 3min). Cook for another 2-3min

Top with choice of meat, veggies, and other taco toppers.  In this picture I have ground turkey, lettuce, and organic salsa

Naked Turkey Burgers (from Muscle and Fitness Hers)

Makes 7 small turkey burgers

1lb ground turkey
1egg white
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 garlic powder
1/4 poultry seasoning
2tsp Dijon mustard
(I also added 1/4 cup bread crumbs)

Combine all ingredients and divide into patties
Cook on skillet or grill! (It was too cold to fire up the grill so I opted for the skillet)

Sweet Potato Chips

1 sweet potato
1tsp olive oil

Cut thin with mandolin (I LOVE MY MANDOLIN!)
Toss with olive oil and spread on cooking sheet (make sure they don't overlap)
Cook at 400 for 25-30min

Also, I made the turkey burgers and sweet potato chips on the same day, so I decided to top the burgers with some chips.  My only remark--WHY DID I NOT THINK OF THIS BEFORE?!?

Avocado, Egg, and Bacon Bake (from Pinterest- not sure who made it)

It's pretty simple:
Cut avocado, take out pit and about 3/4 of the insides and save for meals
Put in cooking pan WITH LIPS!! (this is so the avocado doesn't roll over and dump out the egg). 
CAREFULLY pour egg in each side of the avocado.
Sprinkle on top UNCOOKED bacon
Bake at 425 for at least 15min (more if you like your egg cooked well- like me)

...Oh and for anyone that thinks eating little to nothing is the way to go..well here's my answer..

YEAH..I eat a lot of food!!

November Goals

I know it's already 2 weeks into November, but I finally figured out my goals for this month!  Here they are:

• Stick to Half Marathon Training Runs

I've been alright so far 3 weeks into my training, but I'm still slacking.  I need to make sure I'm getting all 3 runs in each week or there's no way I'll hit my goal time for the race in February.

• Crossfit at least 5x a week

This is one of my goals that I've been really good at keeping!  

• Stick to nutrition challenge rules

I've had WAY too many cheat meals than I should be!  Other than the cheat meals I have been doing quite well.

Do you have any November goals?  How are you going to stay strong through the Holidays?!

CROSSFIT COMPETITION!!!!!!

Okay, seriously I need to figure out how to add sound effects (I feel like the title should have an awesome voice).  If you've ever talked to me you know how much I LOVE using sound effects.  My boyfriend laughs at me all the time when as I make turning and breaking noises when I drive.

ANYWAYS, let's get to business!  This past weekend I participated in my second crossfit competition! Instead, this time we went to one of the other gyms, CrossFit402.  I'll quickly list the three WODs we had to complete, but I'm not going to go into great detail (I could write a novel, if I did).  PS- I used ENERGYBits in between WODs to keep me strong and energized!

WOD #1:
25 Toes 2 Bar (I scaled to Knees to Elbow)
9-7-5 Deadlift and Hang Clean (full squat; 75#)
25 Toes 2 Bar (Knees to Elbow)
Completed in: 8:49min

WOD #2:
3 RDS: Lateral Burpees (over bar) and OH Walking Lunges (10x, 10#)
Use remainder of 8min to find 3RM OH Squat (have to snatch bar into place)

Got 65#

WOD #3:
8min AMRAP
Before you can begin AMRAP: 550m Run and 200 Single Unders
2 Snatch- 2 Wall Walks
4 Snatches- 4 Wall Walks, etc
I got to round 4 and 2 snatches.

I got to peek at the WODs on Wednesday when the hosting box posted them on their blog.  I knew right away that I wasn't going to be placing or even in the running to place.  The WODs contained A LOT of strength and shoulder work..my weaknesses!  Now if there would have been pull-ups, running, burpees, or anything like that; it would have been a different story, but it wasn't.  At first I was little bummed that I would be no where near competitive that Saturday, but then I remembered the whole reason why I started crossfit: TO GET STRONGER.  If I went lower scaled weights and could go faster, would I place?  Maybe, but would I really be improving..probably not.  That's when I decided I would use this competition as a way to push myself; with all these people cheering you on...why not try for higher weights.  What's the worst that could happen?  I don't get it, but at least I tried.

I didn't place, but it felt AMAZING to get those higher weights and to work on my form (my snatch form is awful!).  It was a great competition and I really enjoyed the atmosphere.  I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!!!

Does your box compete with other boxes?  Or do you compete within your box?

The athletes from the different gyms

Some of the athletes from my box

MINI UPDATE ON NUTRITION CHALLENGE:
This past weekend I had a football/halloween party and kinda hiccuped on the nutrition challenge.  It wasn't terrible; it just wasn't zone and paleo.  I didn't get all bent out of shape and then I felt even better about it when I talked to some of the other people participating, on Monday.  They also talked about how they had fallen off the wagon.  I got back on the next day and didn't think too much about it.

Lunch yesterday..had to use TWO plates!

BY THE WAY: If you're friends or anyone say that eating healthy leaves them hungry..they're doing it wrong!!  Do you see that picture^^^  That was my lunch yesterday; I had to use TWO plates for all my food!!  I can't believe how much I WASN'T eating vegetables.  The amount of vegetables I have consumed in the last week is RIDICULOUS, but it's what I needed to do!  I'll keep you updated on more meals and recipes because raw veggies are getting boring.  

AND here's some more pictures from the competition that I couldn't leave out!

Some of the girls that competed from my box

Me before the last WOD- my mom's an aspiring photographer ;)

GOTTA LOVE PICSTITCH

Pre-Snatch

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!! 

What are you going as?  Or did you already have a party, like me??

I was "The Walk of Shame" and my boyfriend (top right corner) was a Rabbi

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?  

Progress

I've been doing CrossFit for close to two months now and I'm finally getting my eating down.  I've always known that your "diet" is 80% of your results, but just because you know something doesn't mean you follow it.  Am I right or what?  I wanted to share some pictures because I haven't really been seeing a difference in myself.  I also decided to take my measurements recently and I am:

1. Up 2lbs
2. Down 3% in Body Fat
3. My muscles (biceps, legs, and butt) have all grown at least .5 an inch
4. My chest has gone down an inch (not sure how that was possible)
5. I PR'd in a recent 5K!!

I feel stronger and more confident than ever!!  To prove that sometimes all that matters is a mental change; here are some before and currents.  Why don't I say after?  I always consider myself and under construction and still working to be better than before!  Stole this idea as well from Rachelle, of Bare-To-Bake.  Also, I'm using these pictures to show why nutrition is SO important when it comes to seeing results!  I have no idea where I would be today if I would have nailed nutrition down much sooner, but oh well you can't dwell on the past.  I only learn and move forward :)

This was me two years ago when I first started really getting into fitness after quitting college soccer and started training for my first half marathon.

These were both taken about two weeks ago.  About a month into finally nailing down my nutrition!

Also, what has helped me change my physique and muscle tone has been CrossFit!  My muscles are growing, I notice my biceps and legs are harder, and I'm so much stronger already!!

A picture during a Sunday WOD...WARM-UP= technique practice!!

Do you see those shoulders!!  I've never had that definition before.  Plus, I've never felt confident rocking my 80s inspired PINK top, but now I LOVE it and how it makes my muscles look. :)

Flashdance anyone??

I will leave you with a picture of my "dream board."  It has sayings and pictures to motivate me.  It also has a list/pictures of my long and short term goals, along with steps I have to get to every day in order to complete my goals!

Do you use a dream board??  Have you reached any of your goals??

And On The 7th Day, She Cooked

"If you fail to plan, then plan to fail."  

Such a TRUE statement for anything in life, even your diet.  That's why I am always cooking food in advance if I know that I won't be home for a meal.  Sometimes I have a big cooking day, like Sunday's or I'll cook during my class breaks in the week.  I don't usually cook these massive, amazing concoctions.  Usually it's just ground turkey, chicken, and some sort of meat in the crock pot as well.  I'm a pretty simple kinda girl.  I don't like to put a lot of time or effort into my meals, so it usually ends up being meat and a veggie or salad.  If I can mix it all together into one dish...YIPPIE!

Here's a pretty common example of a meal.

Cooked ground meat, sauteed veggies, mix together, and TADAA..AMAZINGNESS :)

For some reason this week though I was channeling my inner Rachel Ray.  The first two recipes are based on different ones from PaleOMG.  If you haven't checked out her blog...DO IT!  The first one was egg muffins.  I put one whole, beaten egg in a muffin tin and sliced up a piece of bacon inside of it.  You can honestly put anything you want with it- veggies, bacon, cheese, etc.  I just think bacon is the BOMB DIGGITY!  Next, I made a turkey dish.  I baked cooked ground turkey, hot sauce, and sweet potatoes...yummy in my tummy.

Egg Muffins:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

Beat one egg and pour into muffin tin

Mix in any other ingredients you want

Cook for 10-15min (or until eggs are no longer gooey)

Turkey Meatza..maybe:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

Shred a whole sweet potato

Place in Skillet and cook with Coconut oil for 5min

Add in Ground Turkey and cook until turkey is completely cooked

Add 1/4 cup Hot Sauce

Coat turkey and sweet potatoes evenly

Pour mix into a baking pan and place in oven

Cook for 5min

The next thing I decided to bake is based off of Bare-To-Bake's recipe for peakaboos.  I exchanged some ingredients to make it paleo-acceptable.  

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees

Mix 1/2 cup coconut flour (next time I'll use less), 3 whole eggs, 1tsp of baking soda, 1tsp vanilla extract, cinnamon (to taste)

Place evenly among muffin tins and cook for 10-15min (will still be gooey in center)

Cut in half and place a nut butter (I used cashew) and stick back together

Top with more cinnamon!!

When I went shopping on Sunday, I decided to try something new that I have been seeing on Facebook, Instagram, and LOTS and LOTS of blogs: Kombacha Tea.

I had the mango one.  There is also plain and a chia seed one.  It's pretty good, but it does have a little bite!

So, do you need to make all these meals and spend all this time making meals for the entire week??  No, but make sure every day you know exactly what you are going to eat. Whether you are eating at home or some where else; YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLAN! With that I will leave you with a picture of my scheduled cheat meal this past weekend: FROYO..mmmmm

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!!!  

Whole30 Week 2

I've made it 11 days so far!!  The timeline I attached to my previous post on my Whole30 Challenge: Wholly What Challenge??, is pretty much spot on!!  I felt the withdrawal symptoms during the first week.  Literally, if you did not have coffee in your hand and weren't giving it to me; I wanted to punch you in the FACE!  I can't believe how addicted to sugars and processed foods I am.  Then, after I made it through that hot mess; I was EXHAUSTED!  I'm not sure if that was from the change or if it was from not getting sleep during the 36 hours of Ragnar (either way it was TOTALLY worth it).  I slept 12 hours on Sunday night.  Yesterday, I finally made it past the exhaustion and now I feel like an energizer bunny!

I got SO much done yesterday including a schedule for my semester.  I scheduled in my work schedule, school/studying schedule, and workout schedule.  I even made sure to write-in "going out" time and nap time!

I did CrossFit in the morning, biked to and from class, and took a Pilates Reformer class.  I've been teaching it recently, but haven't taken it and it was an amazing feeling to remember why I love it so much and why I love teaching it.  Today I biked to and from class, did CrossFit, and plan to bike to and from class again!  Usually in the morning I never WANT to workout, but I pull my a$$ out of bed and do it and about 5 minutes into it I NEVER regret going.  

I'm not only gaining more energy, but I feel SOO much better.  I feel "clean", my face has started clearing up, and my running has improved.  I usually have TERRIBLE intestinal/bowel issues when I run over 5 miles and during Ragnar two of my three runs were over 5.  I was very nervous going in because there were no porto-johns on the course, but to my surprise I didn't have ANY issues.  My stomach never hurt and never had to rush to the nearest bush or anything that resembled a bathroom.  After 4 years of having these issues while training for endurance events it feels great to finally feel "normal" and not worry about using the bathroom during a run.  

Also, this challenge has made me get creative with food and I actually enjoy making up recipes or tweeking recipes I find, especially on Pinterest, to make them Whole30 approved.  Here are some recipes/ dishes I have done so far (I know I need more pictures)...

squash, cucumber, peppers, small amount of sweet potatoes and chicken

Sweet Potato Skillet and Kale on the side

I'm also in the process of making squash chips (the timer actually just dinged).  In my slow cooker is chicken cooking in tomatoes, cilantro, and hot peppers.  I'll make sure to take pictures of these!  I discovered an AMAZING app on the IPhone called, myKitchen.  It's a database of paleo recipes for everything from meat to desserts!!  I haven't made anything from it yet, but I plan to make "Paleo Tacos" this week!  Another great resource has been Pinterest.  I have searched for paleo recipes, Whole30 recipes, and then just found other delicious recipes that I plan to make paleo by exchanging ingredients or just taking out ingredients. I'll be sure to post these as well!

I recently found at the grocery store homemade trail mix.  It's made by a farm somewhere in Lincoln, NE!!  It has no sugars (other than what's in the fruit naturally) and no salts.  It has raisins, bananas, apricots, pineapple, dates, walnuts, almonds, and coconut shavings.  This definitely helped me during the first week when I was having those awful withdrawals.  The coconut shavings helped SOO much.  Just gnawing on a few of those when I got a craving and they were gone within seconds.  

Num Num..I'd eat this screen if I could!

I'm really enjoying this experience and finally getting why putting natural food (meat, nuts, eggs, vegetables, and fruit) is the only way to go!  Almost two weeks down and two more to go :)

Well, I'm going to get back to my documentary, "The Loving Story" about a couple that is a "mixed" couple and were arrested for being married!!  Another reason as to why I'm so glad I grew up in this age.  I can't believe people really thought "mixing" was bad for the races (boggles my mind)?!?  

Wholly What Challenge?!?

Strict Paleo for 30 days!  Yep, you read that right...I've dumped my processed foods, my dairy, and I've locked up the alcohol and sweets.

One of the ladies that works out at my CrossFit gym, who is pretty much the most beastly person I have ever met, sent me some awesome documents to help me on my own Whole30 Challenge.  In a nutshell here's what eating "Paleo" means:  eat what humans used to eat before we started processing and making it in bulk.  My meals have consisted of: eggs, green veggies, turkey, lean beef, chicken, some fruit, and nuts (NO peanuts, unsalted).  I know it sounds bland, but I'm going to do it.  I'm not doing it for the weight loss or fat loss.  I'm doing it because I know that I have become WAY too attached to sugar and grains.  Even those pesky sugar alcohols and "fake" sugars are off limits!!  Approved drinks are: black coffee, unsweetened tea, and water..lots and lots of water!

Here's some simple charts that explain the nuts and bolts of Paleo:

I've told just a few people I'm doing this and their response has been (mostly because they've never done it or heard of it), "That sounds too hard."  "That's a lot of dedication."  That's when I started to re-think this decision before I started, but I did anyway.  Then today I got a real nice reality check.  I was looking up on the internet tips to getting through the Whole30 with sanity left and similar topics.  That's when I ran across what the woman, Melissa Hartwig, who started this program said, (just a summary) "It's not hard..Fighting cancer is hard, losing a child is hard."  I then thought WOW she's so right.  This isn't hard.  It's 30 days, that's it!  This isn't even that much dedication.  Dedication is training for 4 years for a 15 second race that you don't even know if you'll win!  

I'm on Day 2 and so far so good.  I found this great article written by Whole30 Challenge: The Whole30 Timeline.  It's spot on these last two days- Day 1 I felt amazing and thought, "Wow this will be great.  I feel awesome, hello walk in the park!"  Day 2- REALITY CHECK!  The author wrote, "the suck is proportionate to the amount of crap you put in your body before the program."  It's so true, I ate pretty healthy, but I did eat a lot of things (including endless amounts of gum) that had sugar alcohols and other fake sugars.  I woke up this morning for spin class and WOW!  I somehow put a smile on my face and was energetic during class, but the minute I stopped the music I wanted nothing to do with human interaction.  The only motivation I had was food and COFFEE!!  Coffee has literally saved my life people's lives...by me not wanting to KILL them.  Today I wanted nothing to do with conversation until I had coffee and once that one wore off I needed another one.  I'm not too worried though because the timeline said that after a while this phase will fade away.  I also noticed that WATER (imagine that) helps SOO much with my energy levels.  When I start getting exhausted I just guzzle down a glass of water and I'm good to go.  

To help curb a little of the sweet tooth I have half a handful of dried fruit (organic, natural AKA no sugars or salts) or a spoonful of this amazing organic almond butter I found..all it is is crushed almonds- NOTHING ELSE.  I think I may have died and gone to heaven!!

I'll be sure to update on how this awesome timeline pans out and I'll post some pictures of the meals I eat.  Here's the first one from Day 1: breakfast after CrossFit, so I added a banana for a little help recovering.  Of course, I had a big cup of black coffee on the side :)  I just keep thinking..less than 30 days; I can do anything for 30 days!

5 eggs and banana