Sunday, April 3, 2011

weekends are tough

I have discovered my downfall of my weight loss goals.... WEEKENDS!  I am really good all week (lost 3 pounds this week)!!!  But by the weekend I am tired of being good and ignoring my sweet friend chocolate.  Also, on the weekends I am out with friends and it is tough to make healthy choices when you eat out.  This weekend I invited a friend and my sister and her fiance over to play games and what did we eat?  pizza!  It wasn't the greatest pizza ever, but did I eat it?  You betcha!  And did I eat the ice cream?  Guilty!  And did I eat the left over pizza today... I sure did... I couldn't let it go bad!  And oh wait.... did I have another bowl of ice cream.... did I ever.  I will just stop at that because this confession is getting uglier by the moment.  I just cannot allow myself any cheats (or big cheats) because I have a hard time stopping at one and getting back on track.  It would be fine if this was once in awhile but it feels like it is every weekend.  SMH!

This weeks menu:
Breakfast:  Egg muffins (from primalpalate.com)

Snack:  apple slices with almond butter

lunch:  spinach salad, red peppers, carrots, chicken
plus a piece of fruit if I am still hungry.  The salad is pretty big though so I'm not sure that I will be.

snack:  yogurt OR some almonds and fruit

Dinner:  I'm not sure yet.... I bought a ton of veggies though so I'm going to concoct something tomorrow night that will include: cauliflower, broccoli, red, yellow and green peppers and chicken or beef... not sure which I'm in the mood for yet.  I may also include some pesto.  I was indecisive today.  :o)

I know I'll be fine this week... it's next weekend I'm worried about.... and let's not even begin thinking about the following weekend when I am quite possibly going to be sitting at Fenway.... Oh boy... I'm in trouble....

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Life goes on... with healthy eating

With the loss of my father nearly two weeks ago, I admit that I did not concentrate much on healthy eating.  It was (and is) a painful time for me, but it has also reaffirmed my belief in taking good care of myself.  My father was sick for a long time, much because he made bad choices when it came to his health.  Towards the end I realize that he knew there was nothing that could be done, so he wanted to do the things he enjoyed the most and not worry about it (smoking cigarettes, eating things that were not good for his body, etc).  I want to live a long life so that I can be here for my friends and family and to enjoy all the world has to offer.  I did indulge more than I'd like to admit these last couple of weeks.... comfort food at its best.... but I know I can't live the life I want to live if I make those choices every day.  SO, I am back on the wagon.... back to CF, back to paleo (or mostly paleo), and time to find my way without my dad.  It will be tough, but I am grateful for all of my friends, family and co-workers that have really stepped in to show their support.  I am truly blessed.

This weeks menu:

breakfast:  breakfast bowl from  http://www.masteringtheartofpaleocooking.com
      *There is also a recipe for the turkey sausage used in this recipe on this same blog

snack: 1 cup yogurt

lunch:  meatballs, cooked baby carrots, small salad (baby spinach, cucumbers, peppers), possibly some fruit... depends on how full I am...

snack:  1 piece of fruit and almonds

dinner:  I'm make the stuffed peppers from my last blog because I only ate one and then got the bad news.  Those peppers were delicious, but went untouched the rest of the week.

I'm hungry just reading this menu!  I better eat before I go to the store!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Menu time

I haven't posted much this past week for a couple of reasons.  First my internet wasn't working well (if at all)... second it was not a great week.  I ate everything I planned and I worked out like crazy but I went up a pound!  :o(  I knew it was going to be that way too because it was just a cranky week and I didn't get much sleep.  It's amazing how stress will affect your body no matter what you are doing!

Hopefully this is a better week!

Breakfast:  grain free breakfast burrito http://www.primal-palate.com

Snack: 1 cup yogurt and a piece of fruit

Lunch:  salad with spinach, mixed greens, radishes, sliced carrots, grilled chicken and red peppers

Snack:  1 orange and almonds (I'm addicted to oranges lately, what can I say)

Dinner:  Stuffed Peppers (CANNOT WAIT to make these!!)  http://www.primal-palate.com

I'm altering the breakfast and dinner recipes some to fit my taste, but the bulk of it I will be following.

Wish me luck!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

it's the little things

I am having a tough week this week... my body is achy and I am exhausted.  I want nothing more than to eat a darn cheeseburger and fries!  BUT, I came home and ate my stupid healthy chicken and veggies instead.  I just reminded myself on the way home from the gym that it's all those little slip ups that will cause me to gain instead of lose and to feel gross on the beach this summer instead of feeling strong and proud.  It helped... for tonight....

Monday, March 7, 2011

burpee squat clean thrusters

I'm not going to lie.... burpee squat clean thrusters suck!  They undeniably SUCK!  I will have to think long and hard before I decide to go to CF on a day that it's posted as the WOD again!  The panic set in the minute I read the WOD on the website... then I looked it up on youtube so I would know what exactly a burpee squat clean thruster would look like.   THEN I walked in and watched the 4:30 class completing them.  I SHOULD HAVE turned around right then and there, but NOOOOOOO!  I stuck around.  When it came time to try one I was already more nervous than I think I've ever been for a CF workout.  I tried one and let's just say it was not pretty.  The weight BENT and all I could think was that I would have to do this fifty times!  Certain movements make me especially nervous because of the jarring it does to my back so that is where this panic began.  I kept thinking how much pressure I was putting on my back when I jumped out to do one burpee... how would I do FIFTY???  Luckily, Donna and Andrea convinced me I could do it and Brendan (our fantabulous trainer) showed me how to do it in a way that was not so hard on my back.  Of course my knees have mat burn because of it, but my back is grateful.  I did it... fifty bleepin burpee squat clean thrusters in 10:59!  I do not wish to try it again to beat that time!  So I hated it, but I did it!

I also killed my personal record on back squats!  I went UP 30 pounds!  Those of you who don't CF may think that's no big deal, but often a personal record goes up by 5-10 pounds (maybe even less).  It just goes to show you that I was not bullshitting you when I told you how much my back was hurting me before the procedure.  It's not 100% better by any means, but it is so much better than it was!

Also, following my meal plan that I posted yesterday kept me full, so hopefully it's the right combo to help me lose weight too.  :o)

YAAWWWNN!  That's my cue!  

Sunday, March 6, 2011

This weeks menu

Last week, by following the menu I created, I managed to lose 3.5 pounds!  Let's see if I do as well this week.  I did my best, but paleo is difficult to follow because I do not like seafood so that eliminates many options.  Plus, I am only willing to eat certain kinds of meat.  SOOOO... I am doing my best to provide a variety of food that I will WANT to eat.  Last week was great and I was not hungry once.  As a matter of fact, there were times I went to eat my next meal and was barely hungry, but I forced myself to eat so that I wouldn't get to the starving point later.

Breakfast:  fauxtmeal (found this recipe on lifeasaplate.com)

snack:  orange and almonds OR coconut milk

Lunch:  Pizza Salad (recipe from  http://www.health-bent.com/salads/pizza-salad )

snack:  turkey roll ups and kale chips (recipe on http://feedmepaleo.blogspot.com/search/label/snack )

Dinner: Chicken Apple (paleoplan.com) and veggies

I did my best to pick the right combo of food that would keep me full and be satisfying to my taste buds.  I am going to make some of the recipes today to make sure I will really enjoy eating them!

I am essentially eating the same thing M-F for a couple of reasons.  First, because I don't usually get bored eating the same thing all week, plus it's easier!  Also, because I am shopping for just one person so I don't want to go overboard buying food that might go bad if I don't eat it fast enough.  Fresh veggies, fruit and meats get expensive and it's more costly if it goes bad!  If you have a big family that you are cooking for you may want to change meals up a bit more.  I may switch out my snacks here and there, but it will be to change what fruit I eat if anything.

Oh, AND I will be adding a boost shake or other snack to eat following any of my CF workouts this week which I eat on my way home.  This helps me refuel and I am not starving when it's time for dinner which helps me to not overeat or splurge on dessert.

Feel free to send suggestions or meal/snack ideas.  :o)

Friday, March 4, 2011

If you kick ass and you know it, clap your hands!

I'm tooting my own horn today!  I lost 3.5 pounds this week, which I believe is the most weight I've ever lost in one week!!  I know it doesn't sound like a lot to some people, but that is a lot for me!  I don't have THAT much weight to lose, so it's almost harder to lose for me than someone who might need to lose a bit more.  I know, poor me, but it IS annoying!  I work out so hard and try to eat healthy and NOTHING!  I stuck to paleo as much as possible and it really helped and I didn't feel hungry at all because I was constantly eating!  I can't promise to stay as strict every week, but I sure am going to try.  Tomorrow I start planning my menu for next week.  :o)

Thursday, March 3, 2011

and on the 7th day we rest

Ok, so it's not really the 7th day, but it sounded good!  After 3 days of work outs (2 being exceptionally hard), I needed a night of rest.  My body is achy (borderline overtraining kind of achy).  I am no stranger to exercising by any means, so I know when to listen to my body.  I will push myself when I feel tired or a little run down, but when this kind of ache sets in it's time for a night off.  I will be back to the grind tomorrow though because my body gets equally as mad at me when I take too much time off. 

On a good note... I managed to go out to eat for dinner with my mom and feel like I made a good choice (which is NOT easy to do).  I got a salad with baby spinach, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, eggs and pieces of steak cut up.  It was supposed to be served over roasted potatoes, which sounded weird to me first of all, but also not very paleo friendly so I asked them to leave them out.  Go Me!  My first "weigh in" since I started this craziness, is tomorrow.  Can't wait to see the results!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Thou shalt not compare yourself to others

One of the hardest parts of being on a weight loss/improve yourself (or whatever you want to call it) journey... and even for those whom aren't... is NOT comparing yourself to those around you.  Everyday I see other woman whom somehow manage to get that flat stomach (even after having kids... bitches)... or whom can work out better or harder than me.  It's very frustrating because I know that this is not the right way to think.  It's fine to admire a quality in someone else, but comparing yourself to them is stupid and doesn't change anything.  We are all genetically different so there's really no point.  I suffer back trouble and come from a family where obesity or being slightly over-weight at least, runs high.  I may never have the six pack ab thing going for me... but damn it I'm going to TRY! 

Honestly, the best part of working out and losing weight is how strong I feel.  That is why I loved hearing the term, "strong is the new skinny."  I don't want all of my focus to be on getting rail thin (not that my body would ever allow that).  I want to focus on being the strongest, healthiest person that I can be.  So far, so good.  :o)

Monday, February 28, 2011

treat day? I don't need no stinkin treat day!

I realize the day is not over yet, but I am proud to say that I avoided all of the treats at work today!  While it was a very nice gesture from my co-workers to make all sorts of goodies for us today, I said NO THANKS and stuck to my healthy foods!  I know it's only one day of will power but every journey begins with one step!  Usually I am the first to (gladly) indulge in all the yumminess.  Everyone always says "It's ok to indulge once in awhile" and I totally agree, but when once in awhile becomes ALL THE TIME... Houston we have a problem.  That is what made me start this blog to begin with!

I am heading to CF in a few minutes, so I will post this when I get home to record my WOD results.  Hopefully I will be hungry enough to eat when I get home.  After those tough workouts I almost feel too sick to eat, but I know how crucial it is to refuel.  It's one thing to KNOW what to do, and another to actually DO IT!  Again, another reason I am in the challenge.  I think it may be one of the best things I have chosen to do (aside from joining CF of course)!  :o)

Aaaaaand I'm home... I'm quick like that...

Today's WOD was tough, but great as usual.  We did Rowing Nancy, which is 5 rounds of 500 m row and 15 OHS (Overhead squats), for time.  I completed it in 17:50!!  :o)  We also worked on reaching our one rep max for OHS at the beginning of class and I made it 50lbs, but I think I could have gone higher.  Actually I KNOW I could have.  I can't wait until our next chance to try it so I can kick some more butt!  (Yes, CF is a sickness/addiction....)  lol!

Feeling really good today!  :o)  Momentum is UP!!!!!! 

Sunday, February 27, 2011

what to eat this week

I am doing my best to follow the highly recommended (by CF anyway) paleo diet, but I must warn any diehards... there is SOME dairy on my menu.... GASP! Sorry, but I love dairy even if my stomach does not, so I refuse to give it up entirely.  I have no problem reducing it and being cautious of the type of dairy I eat, but I'll never give it up completely.  The more you tell me not to, the more I'm going to want it, so just give up trying to convince me. 

With that said.... my shopping cart was filled with foods I think most paleo followers would approve of (or at least they wouldn't completely shun me) :o)

This weeks menu:

Breakfast:  Bacon and Eggs (I bought turkey bacon which I've never tried before.... I just cooked some up and YUM)!  If I am still hungry I am going to throw a piece of fruit into the meal.

Snack (Here comes the dairy... OH NO).... 1 cup of lowfat plain yogurt, 1 apple diced, and 1 tsp agave nectar all mixed together

Lunch: Avocado sliced and diced, diced tomatoes, 3 pieces of bacon crumbled (all mixed together to make a little salad) and fresh lemon to squeeze over the top as the "dressing"  Again, I will keep fruit or almonds handy in case this does not fill me up

Snack: 1 orange and a handful of almonds

Dinner: Turkey burger (minus the bun), slices of avocado and roasted red peppers on top, a side of roasted broccoli.  Please feel free to contact me for the recipe for the roasted broccoli because it is SOOOO good!!!!

How did I do?  I think the menu is fairly proportionate, but I'm just hoping I'm not still hungry.  I am ALWAYS hungry!  Especially because of CF!!

Hopefully this week goes well.  I'll keep you posted!

raising the bar

Anyone who knows me knows how much I work out and how much I love it!  I know, it's kind of a sick addiction, but it's better than many other things I could be addicted to.  My problem is not that I don't exercise enough... it's that I love to EAT!  And I don't always want some little salad... GIVE ME A CHEESEBURGER STAT!  (Oh, and follow that up with pretty much anything chocolate please)!

While I realize that I am not obese, I am not getting the results that I should be getting considering I have been doing one of the hardest, best workouts out there (Crossfit baby)!!  So I am joining the SINS  (Strong is the New Skinny) challenge of making a pledge to be my healthiest self possible and keeping a blog about it.  Maybe no one will read it, but that's ok.  It's first and foremost for me.  I need to hold myself accountable and I'm hoping this will help.  If it happens to help someone else in the process, then it will make it even more worthwhile.

My plan is to keep a log of how I've been eating, share recipes with anyone interested, and to also keep track of my crossfit workouts.  I am still somewhat new to Crossfit (since August, 2010, with a break in between when I was moving and fighting illness after illness).  I'm still learning what everything is called and am building up to heavier weights and breaking my own PR's. (personal records).  I found out this past summer, after YEARS of pain, that I have tears in the discs of my spine and arthritis from my neck down through my lower back.  It has made exercise difficult at times, which is awful for me considering all the sports I played growing up and how active I have always been.  I have learned, however, that not exercising is NOT an option.  My back gets worse if I don't MOVE, so even when I don't want to work out I still have to get myself moving or I will suffer for it more later.  Some would say that Crossfitting may be a bit too challenging for someone in my position, but to them I say.... well I will keep my opinions to myself, but I won't give up CF!  It's amazing and if any of you want to give REAL exercise a try, feel free to come with me to a WOD (work out of the day).

If you are a teacher, I promise the stress relief from CF is well worth the "pain"! 

K, I'm off to the store to buy some healthy food choices... hopefully I am able to stick to the list I made, which matches the menu for the week that I concocted.  I'll post some of my food choices in my next blog entry.