We've made it 7 days Paleo!!! Our only "cheats" were some mashed potatoes (per our nutritionist they're okay as long as we peel em and we did), Paleo-ish Pizza, and a little indulgence at the movie theater with Organic Beef Jerky, dried Mango, and nuts. Mashed potatoes without milk turn out just fine. You could use coconut or almond milk. I used organic chicken broth and some butter (butter doesn't ding us for dairy, it's considered more of an "animal fat" rather than dairy). They were really good. For the Paleo-ish Pizza, I used a coconut flour crust. I was thinking I would use almond flour, but almond flour is hella expensive and then I'd feel guilty about eating more nuts later. I love snacking on nuts. Coconut flour is inexpensive, LOADED with fiber, and absorbs moisture very well so you don't need to use very much of it.
Here's a link to the crust recipe I used: http://eatthecookie.wordpress.com/2010/06/11/dear-pizza-i-missed-you-so-much/. I changed it a little. I don't have a garlic press, so I added extra garlic powder, I added a little extra salt (based on other comments), and I also added a whopping dose of Italian herbs. I cut out just a lil bit of the coconut milk (also based on other comments), and it was pretty darn good! Somewhere between crispy and chewy...didn't get soggy at all. For the sauce I mixed tomato paste with tomato sauce and some more garlic and herbs. And then (here comes the paleo-ISH part) we topped it off with cheese and pepperoni. We really shouldn't have dairy, but for us it doesn't count as a full cheat. We just don't gain anything by eating it. Here's the end result!
And, as I mentioned before, it's LOADED with fiber. Two little slices and I was done. If you eat this at night, the fiber will wake you up early...if you know what I mean. I might make some muffins, too! Yum!
As far as the diet results so far...I feel AWESOME! I have so much energy, my period has gone virtually unnoticed, I've lost several pounds, and cut down a little percentage of my body fat. I don't WANT to cheat. It's amazing. Still lovin' CrossFit, too. Every time I work out, I'm like "That is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life." And the encouragement from all your fellow CrossFitters just can't be beat. You won't find gym camaraderie like that anywhere else. It's too much fun. So looking forward to the next workout.
Sorry, dudes...you may not want to read this. It's mostly for the ladies. It's cool if you want to stick around though.
My period actually managed to surprise me yesterday. Seriously. Usually there is this long prelude of crying over Hallmark Card commercials, sore boobs, bloating, cramping. I had NONE of that. Zero. I was shocked. Technically, today would be day 2. I should be doubled over in crippling pain right now. It generally feels like a small animal is trying to fork it's way out of my uterus. I feel fine. Did my WOD this morning, visited two dog parks with the Murph (he went SWIMMING!), cooked breakfast for a late lunch. Overall, pretty awesome day. I googled this phenomenon and saw that this blessing has fallen among other female Paleoticians as well. It even helped erase one young woman's uterine fibroids. BONUS! I'm so excited about this. I had no idea this would happen. Hopefully it will help alleviate some of the other health issues I've been experiencing. It also could explain why I've been a food MONSTER for the past week.
Now I would like to offer up a bit of CrossFit Inspiration. Hubs and I love to watch CrossFit videos online, tutorials, work-outs, all kinds of stuff and I stumbled across this amazing video of a young woman who has Cerebral Palsy. Long story short, cerebral palsy does all kinds of horrible stuff to your body through your brain and nervous system. It can be mild or severe, affect one or both sides of the body. This young lady happens to also be partially blind. Seeing what she could do brought tears to my eyes and filled me with hope about my own future. Check it out. If she can do it, you can too.
Here we are, day 4. Not gonna lie...I've been pretty hungry. And THIRSTY! I've been so thirsty. I've been plowing through 4-5 liters of water a day. I've kind of looked into this and apparently lack of carbohydrates can make you experience excessive thirst. I don't know if that's true, but I've seen some other complaints of this on the interwebz from fellow Paleoticians. I just made that word up..."Paleotician." You like?
Snap. I was going to revisit supplements in this blog and I've misplaced my copy of Get the Sugar Out. Hrmph. I've never really stopped the Cod Liver Oil, that's a built in habit for me now. Have I discussed Cod Liver Oil yet? I buy the Carlson's brand in a big bottle in it's natural oil form...no capsules for this girl. Here's my tip for getting it down the hatch. I pour some in a spoon, and as I'm tipping my head back with my mouth wide open I get the spoon as far back there as I can. I'm basically just pouring it down my throat. I've been doing this long enough that the taste doesn't bother me at all. I usually suck the remaining oil off the spoon so nothing is wasted. This stuff comes in orange or lemon flavor, too, so it really does not taste fishy at all. I like Cod Liver Oil more than just Fish Oil because you're getting the extra dose of vitamin D. According to a lot of Dr's these days, NOBODY is getting enough Vitamin D. I spoke to a nurse who had her levels checked after a week of constant sun exposure and she was still low. Go figure. Another tip. If you do try this stuff but burp it up, take it on an empty stomach. This might help you absorb it better. Before you buy fish/cod liver oil, do some serious research. What type of fish, where did it come from, how is it processed, etc.
I'm also supplementing with a Cal-Mag-Zinc capsule and Glucosamine-Chondroitin. Glucosamine can seriously help with recovery when busting your ass and chondroitin is good for your joints. Cal-mag-zinc are all things that can also help curb cravings when you're trying to get rid of carbs and sugar. That's why I was looking for my Get the Sugar Out book. I think I posted something about these supplements in an earlier blog but I can't find it. Boogers.
I have been hungry. I'm not sure I'm getting enough protein...I need to research that. I may have solved my hunger issues for today with my dinner: ALMOND BUTTER BACON BURGER!
Yum. That was good. I feel pretty satisfied at the moment. If I had any sweet potatoes right now, I would have had a big pile of that with this burger. But I don't have sweet potatoes right now. Maybe next time.
Okay...so it's time to bite the bullet and nip this diet issue once and for all. Seriously. If you've been following my blog, you know I've "crossed-over" to the CrossFit side of working out. I finished the fundamentals program at Crossfit Bellevue and have been working my way into doing the regular WOD (workout of the day) classes there. They had a nutrition seminar yesterday about the Paleo Diet (which I've also blogged about) to kick off an 8 WEEK PALEO CHALLENGE. See the picture above? Those are all things you can eat on the Paleo Diet. That's a lot of food! Variety...all delicious...healthy. So why has it always been so hard for me to stick with it?
That's a difficult question to answer. I kind of feel like hubs and I tend to sabotage each other on diet. One of us will be trying really hard to stick with it, while the other is like "PIZZAPIZZA." Luckily, we are doing this together. And there's MONEY involved. And PRIZES. Incentive. That's what we've been lacking (as if better health is not enough). They've even come up with a handy spreadsheet to help us track things and calculate points. Half the work is already done. The other half is hitting the gym. 3 WODS a week or more. You get BONUS points for doing other healthy things...like 8 hours of sleep at night, and supplementing with fish oil.
I guess I'm kind of starting over with the blog. I've tried to stick to strict Paleo before and my heart just wasn't in it. This is the real deal. Not only are hubs and I doing it together, but about 40 other people at the gym are doing it as well. They've taken my "before" picture. It's been captured. No turning back. No grains. No dairy. No legumes. Here we go.
...I'm sorry I've neglected you :-/ It's kinda hard to keep up when you seriously have no time to write. I can't believe it's been so long since I sat down to do this. So what have I been doing with my time?
1) I've completed CrossFit Bellevue Fundamentals! 10 workouts spread out over several weeks working out M/W/F. I think the last workout I blogged was #2? I promise I'll catch up.
2) Hubs and I went from three kids in our Tae Kwon Do classes on T/Th to about 25 students total, give or take a few. Our largest group is the adult group...we have about 15 adults, which is exactly the opposite of what we had going in Missouri. It's crazy! And ALL of our students are AWESOME! Everyone is so dedicated. We had our first Orange Belt Testing with the original 3 and I am so proud of them. It was extremely difficult to not cry while they were getting their belts. These little guys are so awesome.
3) I work. A lot. I'm in the middle of a 9 day work week right now.
So, basically, I haven't had any nights to sit on my ass and do nothing. At least, to do nothing coherently? If that makes any sense?
What else, what else. Um...I gained 5 lbs. Which is pretty much expected for a CrossFit noob who's upping their protein intake. When you haven't been working out like that and you throw yourself into it, you put on muscle pretty fast. Ignoring the numbers on the scale, I'm looking at these little differences in my body. My arms look a little more cut, my waist looks a little smaller, my upper back looks a little tighter. Not too shabby. I'd post pictures, but I'm being lazy right now.
My nemesis is still DIET. Argh. I'm eating clean only about 50% of the time. My body is not going to really change till I kick my bad habits in the arse. One day it's eggs, nuts, fruits, veggies and fish...the next day it's Muscle Milk + Cake/Ice Cream for dinner. What the hell? I just love food SOOOO much. There's nothing wrong with the good stuff...fresh protein and produce is delicious!!! What's better than ripe, juicy strawberries? Pan seared Tilapia? Crisp spinach? Donuts, apparently. Ack.
All I can do is keep trying, right? Anywhooo...sorry there's no pictures in this one. I'll try to be more consistent in my posting. Now that I'm no longer in fundamentals, I have a little more freedom in my schedule.
*sigh*
I'm just gonna sit here and veg out while my abs scream at me. I'm not even going to edit this right now. If you find spelling and grammatical errors, please, make fun of me.
...is that any sort of "descending"movements=ouch. Like walking down a hill, moving down a flight of stairs, bending over, sitting down....ouch. I'm not quite as sore as I thought I would be, but it is definitely noticeable. And it feels kinda good! It feels good to use your body. I really don't believe it's possible to see a difference in your body after only two workouts, but I could swear that my quads look bigger. Maybe they're swollen? I dunno. But I can't wait for number three.
Okay, so number two. I warmed up with some running drills like high knees, butt kicks, and grape vines. I know that in CrossFit, they put an emphasis on pose running. I don't know very much about this yet, but I'm looking forward to learning about it as I feel it will make running less painful and more enjoyable for me. Here is a short article I found on pose running: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/64_07_PoseRun_Techniques.pdf
I then learned the proper technique for doing Sumo Dead lift High Pulls , Kettlebell Swings, and Lunges. I then did three rounds of these three things combined in reps of 21, 15, 9. I completed my three rounds in just 7:40! I'm not sure if this is awesome or not...but I felt pretty awesome just for pushing my way through it. I was trying to explain to someone why I like the idea of CrossFit so much and why it's more expensive than a gym membership. When you pay for CrossFit, it's not just a gym membership...you have someone standing there with a stop watch, motivating you to keep going. There is NO WAY I would have completed three rounds of that if nobody was watching. Seriously. I would have crapped out, I'm sure.
Then I did a cool-down walk in the parking lot and came back in to learn how to do some movements on a GHD (Glute/Ham developer) machine. Sit ups, back extensions and a few other things I hope I will remember later. I've also finally realized how a foam roller can be your best friend.
I'm going to post some video clips so you can see what I'm talking about...but I'll warn you that for some reason I have trouble doing it so that it looks nice. I'm obviously going to have to do some work on formatting.
Also, I don't know how many of my readers actually do CrossFit as well...but I would like to point out that I'm a total novice. If you ever think it looks like I don't have a clue what I'm talking about, leave a comment. Please. Correct me! I want to know!
Sumo Dead lift high pulls , Kettlebell Swings, GHD exercises.
Okay...so I'm just starting out with Fundamentals (a crossfit intro course), so it's not TECHNICALLY like I'm on the whiteboard. In CrossFit, your achievements are recorded on a whiteboard for all to see. You can see how you compare with your fellow crossfitters, what you need to work on, where you're succeeding. I found a pretty cool link that really breaks down the idea of the whiteboard here: http://www.fletcherfitness.com/the-psychology-of-the-crossfit-whiteboard/ Here was the whiteboard after I finished my very first workout!
If you look just right of the middle, under 6:00pm...there I am!
So let's talk a little bit more about what I'm doing. Wednesday was my first workout in the Fundamentals program at CrossFit Bellevue. What this involves is 6 weeks, three days a week MWF working through all the basics of CrossFit in a small group setting. Currently, I'm the only one in my "group" so it's kind of like I'm working with a personal trainer. I got a little lesson regarding what crossfit is about. I tried to explain it before, but I think my trainer explained it better. CrossFit (at the gym where I'm at) is comprised of three main ideas: Gymnastics (anything like pushups, pullups, handstand pushups,etc), Olympic Weight Training (self explanatory), and Monostructural movement (like running, rowing, swimming). So all three of these ideas are combined in fast-paced interval-style training done in multiple repetitions. I hope I'm explaining this correctly. Here was my first workout: Wall Balls, Situps with an AbMat, Box Jumps, Rowing. Wall balls are like doing a deep squat while holding a 10lb ball and as you move from squatting to standing you throw the ball up the wall and catch it as you squat back down. Sit ups with an AbMat provide a full range of motion rather than just doing sit ups with your back flat on the floor. We do these sit ups with our legs in a butterfly position to reduce stress on the hip flexors. I feel like most people know what box jumps and rowing involve, but I'm going to link up some videos so you can see what it all looks like.
Okay, so after I was shown proper technique on all this it was time for the actual workout. I did 3 reps of 10 wall balls, 10 sit ups, 10 box jumps, and 500 meters of rowing. And this was timed. So in 14min and 20sec I did 30 wall balls, 30 sit ups, 30 box jumps, and 1500 meters of rowing. I'll just say that I did this workout only 2 MINUTES slower than my husband, who has previous CrossFit experience. This earned a stamp of approval from my coach who called me a "Stud."
Awesome.
I'm not going to go into the details of workout #2, which I completed this evening, because I want to talk about what I've been eating. I'm not doing super strict Paleo, but I'm staying pretty close to it. Still limiting dairy and bread/grains. Today I had two scrambled eggs, a serving of macadamia nuts, about 8 huge strawberries, an apple, Caesar Salad (yes...I had the 5 or so croutons and sprinkle of parmesan with a little Caesar Dressing), Cherry tomatoes with tuna, and about 3 liters of water. This was broken down throughout the day in small meals leading up to my workout. After my workout I had one Muscle Milk drink (as per my coach, Dan) for better recovery since my quads feel like they're going to snap right off my body, a liter of water, and about a quarter of a chicken. I should have had vegetables with that...but I didn't feel like it. Also per my coach's instruction (and because it's good for you) I'm supplementing my diet with fish oil, glucosamine, calcium, and magnesium. When it comes to supplements, make sure you're buying the good stuff. Don't go to Sam's or Costco and buy the biggest, cheapest bottle of fish oil capsules you can find. That is LOW QUALITY sh*t that will go rancid before you can consume it. I like Carlson's cod liver oil, not in capsule form (those capsules are made with weird stuff). Just pure oil. You can get it flavored with lemon or orange oil and just throw it back down the hatch. No big deal. And the other supplements, try to make sure it's derived from a whole food source (ie. veggies)...none of that synthetic crap. I really like NOW foods supplements. Very good quality and not as expensive as some of the other stuff I've seen. Whole Foods brand is pretty good as well.
Whew. That's a lot of info. Soak it in. More coming soon!
