Days 36, 37, and 38 aka a week without Crossfit and Paleo while travelling

It is Wednesday night and I have not been to a gym since last Friday...I feel awful, horrible, terrible about it.  As each day passes I get more and more paranoid that my journey is over.  I am done.  It's time to sign off and move on...go back to my old self - uncomfortable in my clothes, eating what I want, feeling sick all the time......seriously, it really does scare me!

I planned to go to the gym on Monday morning, just like any other week.  But, I knew I would be out of town for work on Weds. through Sun. and Abby begged me to not to go in the morning...she came into my bedroom and asked if we could cuddle...she's on spring break this week and I was already feeling horrible for being in DC for most of it.  So I caved, promising myself I would Tuesday.  Then Tuesday came around and I still didn't go - I stayed up late the night before....I wanted to spend more time with the kids in the morning..I have so many excuses but, at the same time, I have no excuse.

Moving on to Wednesday - I had a flight our of New Orleans at 6:00am requiring me to get up at 3:15 am...definitely no exercising today.  I don't know what happened.  I have been so nervous about travel and the diet and exercise and, before I even left, I pretty much blew it for the week.

Tomorrow is Thursday - I am DC...if I didn't need such modified workouts, I would find a Crossfit gym to go to...my hotel doesn't have a gym, but, they give out free passes to Bally.  My fabulous sister in law, Erin, who is accompanying me on this trip, has graciously agreed to head there tomorrow morning after we woke up.  I must do it or I will feel very disappointed in myself.  Seriously, five days of no GeauxCrossfit?  There is no good excuse...none.

chicken vindaloo - thumbs up!

Okay..on to the things I have been doing right.  Both Monday and Tuesday were great eating days for me.  On Monday night Jason made an AMAZING Paleo pork vindaloo...I really do not think I could be successful if it wasn't for coconut milk.  Thank God for coconut milk.  On Tuesday I made a paleo friendly marinade for some steaks and Jason grilled them up....they were perfect.

paleo airport breakfast

I have been really nervous about travelling and eating right...especially in the airport.  I packed some nuts and seeds but, since I was up at 3:00am..I was starving by the time I got to the airport.  I weighed my options and actually think I did pretty good.  I got scrambled eggs with peppers and onions and some bacon.  My layover was in Atlanta and I am not going to lie. I literally had to run by the Dunkin Donuts - I am originally from Massachusetts and theres a Dunkin Donuts on every corner...I LOVE Dunkin Donuts...there are none in Baton Rouge so when I am around one, believe me, I usually partake in at least an Iced Coffee (medium regular) and a few donuts (jelly sticks..I love jelly sticks).  Sooo...I ran.  I ran away from the temptation.  I am just not strong enough to go there and get an unsweetened iced tea (which I got at Starbucks, a couple stores down from Dunkin Donuts).

I was starving on the flight from Atlanta to DC but luckily a handful of raw macadamia nuts did the trick.  By the time we got to our hotel it was lunch time.  We went out for Thai and I got the coconut milk soup...yum. and the basil chicken..yum.  The meal was delicious and it did not make me sick.  I avoided the rice, which, in theory, I could have because it is gluten free (but not paleo friendly).  Catherine's voice went through my head..."it won't make you sick, but it will make you fat."  I stayed away.

Paleo pork bowl at Chipotle...amazing

We are staying in a hotel room that happens to have a small kitchenette.  Erin, a vegetarian, and I headed to Trader Joes where I got some snacks including nitrate and gluten free turkey and carrot sticks for me.  While I went to a meeting that had delicious looking refreshments - a wall of different kinds of cupcakes, rice crispie treats, various chips, lemonade with all kinds of fruit mixers - Erin did some Internet research to find us a place to eat that had vegetarian and paleo options.  We ended up at Chipotle, a sort of fast food Mexican restaurant that only serves "food with integrity" and has an amazing nutrition guide on their website.  I knew exactly what to get that was gluten and dairy free and it was DELICIOUS.  I had the burrito bowl and I really, really wish we had this restaurant in Baton Rouge.  Since I moved there in 2002 I have been complaining that there is no Dunkin Donuts but now I will be complaining there is no Chipotle. 

There is a free continental breakfast included at our hotel and I am pretty sure they will have nothing for me.  I have already planned it out - I will go to Bally's tomorrow morning and then head to the Subway near the hotel to get a turkey salad with oil and vinegar...I will head to our continental breakfast and get a hard boiled egg to cut up in it and then, if needed, I can add some of my Trader Joes turkey.  Lunch and dinner will probably be with some of my fabulous colleagues from across the state so I can't quite plan those meals out...but so far so good!

And I WILL be at the gym tomorrow or else I will be living with the guilt I have felt since Monday - yuck!

Sister in law Erin and I have made it to DC!

Day 35 aka Weigh in Number 5

 This morning was weigh in number five and....drum roll... I lost 3.8 pounds!  Thats 21.8 pounds since Day 1 of Crossfit and Paleo!!  Craziness!

Couldn't Resist....

That is the good news...the bad news is....that I had my biggest cheat last night since starting this journey.  My brother Chris and sister in law Erin were in town and we decided to go out for Greek...I know I did so much better than before I started but I still didn't eat 100% Paleo - I had chicken kabobs that were DELICIOUS and hummus.  In place of rice, I got a feta salad with greek dressing.  I scraped off most of the feta cheese but there was definitely some left.  I ate a total of four bites of the salad and it was soooo good.  Yum!  Sooo..I cheated.  It is over now and I am proud of myself for eating a paleo breakfast and lunch yesterday and for going to greek and not eating any pita bread and to the movies and resisting the popcorn.

HAPPY EASTER!

Easter was super good!  We had ham and all kinds of paleo friendly sides - everyone volunteered to make something!  We had butternut squash, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower "rice", turnips and carrots, a very little bit of unsweetened apple sauce...really, it felt like a feast.  We also had mashed potatoes that everyone raved about but I avoided.

My dad made his famous (at least in our family) chocolate bread pudding and whipped cream for dessert.  I made two different kinds of coconut milk ice cream.  I tried one recipe with strawberries and pureed mango...this one did not have any eggs in it.  The flavoring was really good but the texture was all wrong.  For the other one, I used the recipe found on Paleo Diet Lifestyle.  It was more of a custard recipe that called for egg yolks.  I also added a very little amount of grated dark chocolate.  The texture was PERFECT but it was not sweet enough.  My fabulous sister in law Erin had a brilliant idea of adding a little honey to it..that made it soo amazing!  Now this is certainly a special occasion treat..not something I will eat everyday...but it was really good and I know I will use this recipe again.  Actually, it has made me decide to purchase the Paleo Diet Lifestyle cookbook - I cannot wait to try out more recipes!

Easter was pretty hard - I really, really, really love Easter candy!  And my dad's chocolate bread pudding and my mother's mashed potatoes and pita bread and movie theatre popcorn and the list could go on and on and on..... it is a constant battle and I know it probably always will be.  I really do have to take one day (sometimes one meal) at a time or else it seems so overwhelming.  I have caught myself making mental lists of all the foods I love and can no longer have and it is tough - especially when everyone around you is enjoying in those foods..but I have a total weight loss of over 21 pounds...in five weeks!!!  And I really have not felt hungry even once...a big difference from when I have tried other weight loss plans...

There was a photo op at the movie theatre last night and I thought I could use it as my "goal" picture...or at least for a good laugh:

Month 2 - Days 2 and 3

Totally worth the not-so-good meal

Yesterday was a good day - nothing too troublesome.  It was Thursday so Abby had gymnastics.  It was her turn to pick the restaurant for dinner..she went with Piccadilly because Trixie the clown was going to be there doing balloon animals and face painting.



Not as good as it looked.



This meal was a little difficult - I got the roast beef they carve and the green beans and carrots because they looked the least like they were laying in better.  One bite of the carrots was all I needed to know they were soaked in sugar...ick.  The green beans tasted okay..they had some bacon in them but I was scared they may have had butter so I just had a taste.  I pretty much just ate the roast beef...I was sure that I would be starving by the time I got home but I TOTALLY wasn't!  I am not quite sure how this whole Paleo thing works and would guess it has a lot to do with my blood sugar levels but I am rarely hungry between meals.  It is so crazy!  I would always have a snack between breakfast and lunch - usually something "good" for me like a yogurt or granola bar.  Then my afternoon snack would pretty much always be chocolate...a candy bar, cupcake, brownie, fudge round....on the days that I was trying to eat well, I would convince myself that tootsie rolls were okay because they are low in fat.  Now, if I am feeling hungry between meals, a slice of turkey or a spoonful of cashew or almond butter, usually does the trick.  Seriously, I know it sounds like I am making it up....but it is totally the truth.

When I got home from dinner, I decided to attempt (for the first time) to make Paleo ice cream for our Easter dinner.  My dad is making one of my favorites - chocolate bread pudding.  I know I have to stay away from that so, after a little research, I decided to make coconut milk ice cream.  I went for the recipe on Paleo Diet Lifestyle.  I decided to treat myself some and added two Dove dark chocolate squares that I shaved into little specks of delicousness- only two for a whole double batch.  I think the ice cream came out pretty good - ice cream is one of my favorite foods.... It isn't as delicious as I hoped for.  I had this fantasy that my family would pass on the bread pudding because my ice cream was the best dessert they ever had....not going to happen.  I know it isn't quite sweet enough...I am going to make a second batch using the strawberries Abby picked during her field trip to a strawberry farm.  I think I will probably try to add some honey to sweeten it up some.  It was a good first attempt though.

Today was a GREAT day!  I forced myself out of bed even though we had the day off from work.  I got to the gym for the 6:00am workout.  We started with a 1000 meter row.  Then we did some stretches...The WOD was:
Workout of the DayPush Jerk 3-3-3
Then
-100 Kb Swings for Time
Then
-100 Sit ups for Time

And, here is the exciting part - for the first time ever, it was not modified for me!!!  I did the exact same workout everyone did!  In crossfit lingo, that means I RXd.......I did the workout "as prescribed."  And if that wasn't exciting enough, one of the guys that usually goes to the same WOD with me said, "wow bethany your workout is becoming legit" because my time was on par with everyone elses!!!  YAYAYAYAY!

Not bad for fast food!

I left that workout feeling exhausted but so motivated.  I got home to my husband Jason cooking breakfast!  So, I ate breakfast and then took the kids to an Easter hunt at a BREC park....it was fun but exhausting.  The kids wanted to go to Chickfila afterwords because they gave everyone coupons for free chicken nuggets at the Easter Egg hunt.  So we went and I am very proud of myself - I got the grilled chicken and fruit salad..it was a giant salad with lettuce, cabbage, carrots, cheese (which I took out and gave to Abby),  strawberries, mandarin oranges (abby ate), grapes and apples (abby ate).  It came with a packet of granola that I ignored and a packet of sunflower seeds.  Get this, they had all kinds of bad ingredients in them..including high fructose corn syrup...so they were trashed as well.  I asked for the low fat berry balsamic vinaigrette but it was full with all kinds of ingredients I couldn't pronounce. Luckily, Chickfila has packets of honey (real honey, not processed fake honey) so I mixed a couple of them with some packets of mustard and had a DELICIOUS honey mustard!!  It was sooo good that I decided to keep an "emergency" stash of honey and mustard in my purse so I won't be tempted to eat processed dressing.

After lunch, my mum, Abby and I got all of our Easter dinner shopping done.  We are having - ham, turkey, cauliflower rice, turnips and carrots, butternut squash - all prepared without butter, sugar, or dairy.  My mother in law is making asparagus and broccoli/cooked paleo friendly.  So the only foods I will have to  avoid are mashed potatoes, dinner rolls and dessert.  Not bad for my first large dinner party since Paleo!  Of course there is the temptation of Easter candy but I am feeling confident that I will do fine.

Sooo..I was exhausted when I got home but, for some reason, I woke up today deciding that I will do my best to integrate calorie burning exercises into my daily routine...sooo...I mowed the lawn for the first time ever!  It really did feel like a workout....I am so glad I did it!!  I am just going to try to be really focused about burning calories - parking further from the entrance of stores, using the stairs, etc...every extra movement counts.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Month 2, Day 1 aka Day 31!!

I woke up this morning and did not want to go to the gym - I was still in pain from Monday's workout.  But, I gotta tell you, I kept thinking about the comments that I have received on this blog, on Facebook, and by email....I picked myself up and got to Geaux Crossfit in time for their 6:00am session.  Here is the WOD:

Workout of the Day
Bench Press 3-3-3
Then
6 Rounds for Time:
-10 Box Jumps
-10 Knees to Elbows
-10 Dips


Here were my modifications - I did the box jumps step aerobic style and, instead of knees to elbows I did sit ups.  Then for the dips I did a modified version that used a bench - I did four rounds...there was a point during those four rounds when I didn't think I was going to make it...this was a tough one for me.  But...I was done with my workout and home relaxing before work by 7:00am!

For breakfast I had an apple, two pieces of turkey and a bacon.  It sounds like a weird combination bit it worked for me...and it kept me full until lunchtime!



My kind of diet!

 I had a coupon for La Carreta so Kelly P. and I went for lunch - our waiter was WONDERFUL and totally accommodating regarding my dietary needs.  I got the chicken and steak fajitas minus the cheese, sour cream rice and beans.  He suggested I get a different side, free of charge.  I had the steamed veggies which were actually very good dipped in salsa!

I am so proud of Kelly P and me
.  They gave us the big basket of chips and we both avoided it....she and I have a love for queso...and we didn't have any; not even a bite!  My food was totally delicious and afterwards, I didn't have that I feel so sick...like pretty much any other time I went  out for Mexican food.  It was hard to resist but now that I have done it, and left feeling good and satisfied...I think it will be easier next time.

Dinner was unbelievable...thanks to my mother!  I found this gluten free/sugar free/organic bbq sauce at Whole Foods and tried it the other night and really didn't like the flavor.  I brought it to my mum's house because she is the best cook I know - and, of course, she was able to fix it only using paleo friendly ingredients!  She made amazing bbq pork with zucchini and corn.....she actually made it two ways - with flour and rice for everyone else and paleo style for me!  What a great way to start month two!  Soooo,,,,Day 1 of month two went by without a problem..I felt good all day and am looking forward to day number 2!

post workout photo..did I really sign up for another month??

Day 30...aka The Finish Line!

Well that was the fastest 30 days of my life...I cannot believe it is already over!  I made it through and lost a total of 18 pounds!!!!!

Sooo...I have some major decisions to make.  When I began this 30 day journey I most certainly did not think it would be a life changing experience.  I have done diets off and on for years and have joined and rejoined gym after gym.

But I kind of feel like I have gone through a cleansing of sorts...obviously of body - eating only meat, veggies and nuts, along with a regular fitness routine, can certainly be considered a cleansing.

And of the mind - I have gotten up and gone to the gym....done workouts that I didn't think I could do - went without sugar (including chocolate!) and processed foods, said NO to mashed potatoes, and given 100% for the last 30 days.

I feel stronger mentally and physically and, the biggest thing for me is the fact that I do not feel sick.  I didn't even know how sick I felt before I started this diet.  I cannot believe that I was willing to live my life that way - upset stomach, cramps, etc...pretty much all the time.  yuck.

Now...it certainly has not all been easy - donuts at work, going out to dinner with friends, celebrating special events, having to eat differently then my family, etc.....I have cried more than once over the last 30 days because of the frustration of it all.....

But I feel like I cannot stop now.  As soon as I added it all up and realized I lost 18 pounds, I started thinking about trying to top that next month!  If I can keep up even almost that amount of weight loss, think where I will be for my brother's wedding in 6 months...I will not be avoiding the dance floor like I used to!

Now, I am not saying that I will never eat dairy again - I just may have a bit of cheese once in awhile...and, on my birthday, if I decide to have a cupcake, I will do it.  But I vow to spend another 30 days living at least 90% Paleo and dedicated to Crossfit.  The 30 day commitment thing really seems to work for me.  I am just not ready to proclaim a lifestyle change...I am just doing 30 days at a time.

I am trying really, really hard to not sound sappy...it is just that this is so incredibly emotional for me.  I just cannot express in words how much all of this support means to me - from the comments left here on my blog...to the ones left on Facebook....from dear friends and family to people I have never met......the support of my family on a daily basis...Kelly P - how can I be so lucky to have a friend that, instead of calling me crazy when I talked about going paleo, you said, "when do we begin?"  My doctors who are totally supporting me through this and acknowledging my successes.....and Geaux Crossfit - who knew a gym could change your life?  Certainly not me...and, of course, Catherine ...I just don't know what to say.  You are more than a trainer....you are a friend and a mentor and a role model.....I am so lucky! 

I do not think I could be better set up for success!  So, I choose to embrace it...I can barely wait for Month 2...Day 1!

DAY 29 DONE!...it was a lllloooonnngggg one....

After a less than perfect night  of sleep I got up and arrived at the gym a little before 6:00am...I don't know why but for some reason I felt like I was in the "zone" during this workout .  I was determined to give it at least 100%.  This was my last Crossfit workout during my 30 day challenge.  I had mentioned on Geaux Crossfit's website that this week I would work on running.  Sooo..after my WOD, I decided to run my jelly legs around the building..actually, my plan was to run for maybe 1/4 of it and then briskly walk for the rest.  Catherine, however, had other plans and decided to join me for this run...and I DID IT!  I am so happy she pushed me to really run it...soo here is the WOD:

Workout of the Day3-3-3 Back Squat
Then
15 Minute AMRAP
-10 Thrusters (95/65)
-5 Pull Ups

My modified version was 10 thrusters using a PVC pipe instead of weights and 5 jumping pull ups.  I did 8 reps plus 7 thrusters!  I am sooo excited!



emergency cashew butter

 Sooo..the rest of the day I pretty much felt blah.  I don't know why..I really couldn't bring myself to eat breakfast.  Then, around 1030ish I started to feel really lightheaded.  Luckily Kelly P. had given me an emergency serving of cashew butter which I ate on a spoon...I felt better after that; not 100% but at least not like I was going to pass out.

Delicious!...on a good day..

At lunchtime, I still didn't feel well enough really to eat - I had a DELICIOUS pork chop that Jason had grilled the night before and some paleo friendly chicken apple sausage...I added a side of green beans and, normally, this would be a favorite meal for me...it wasn't though.  I just couldn't get over feeling kind of yucky.

At about 3, I had that lightheaded feeling again and decided to eat another pork chop...that lasted me until I got home. 

Mmmm.Thanks Mum!

My AMAZING and FABULOUS mother seems to know when I need a little TLC..or, in this case, something yummy to eat.  She made some delicious coconut crusted chicken breast..yum!!  I brought it home and whipped up some honey mustard sauce..(why is the stuff you buy in the store filled of so many bad things like corn syrup??) It was so nice to "dip" something that seemed breaded!!!  What a treat!  I managed to eat entire chicken breast - the most I ate all day.  It really was exactly what I needed.  I hate to say it but Day 29, to me, felt like a near breaking point of some sort....I am getting stuck in a rut and need to start finding some more recipes before I burn out...I at least got to make it for 24 more hours and finish Day 30!!  One more day to go!!!!

 

Days 26, 27 and 28...the weekend away

Let me start by saying I cannot believe I only have two days left!  I actually had to go back to previous entries and count the days....time is flying by!

Jason and I went away for our 5 year anniversary and I left the computer at home...so I will try my best to recount the 72 hours.

Friday's WOD was craziness....it was so crazy that I pretty much did something completely different..I had to do AMRAP (as many reps as possible...LOVE the lingo!) in 15 minutes:
15 sit ups
15 back extensions
15 kettle ball lifts

I did all exercises three times and sit ups 4 times...that is 60 SIT UPS!!

I don't remember Friday breakfast but for lunch I went to Truly Free Bakery.  I actually left the Paleo diet for a bit and got their pizza with no soy cheese.  It had turkey, chicken and ham and was DELICIOUS!  Unfortunately, just when i was about done I pretty much knew I was allergic to one of the ingredients... I won't go into details but even 5 hours later when Jason and I were driving to our getaway, I still felt crappy... Catherine (my fabulous trainer at Geaux CrossFit said it was probably soy in the crust because it is common for people to have issues with both gluten and soy.

I emailed the restaurant and they emailed me back almost immediately...they were SOOO helpful and told me that there was indeed soy in the crust.  They gave me a list of their foods with soy and without soy and told me to make sure the waitress knows of my problem with soy so that she can help me...they also said that just about anything can be made without soy if I special order it.  How great is that?  I mean great that they are so accommodating but it makes me real sad to find another food problem I have...seriously...the list of foods I CAN eat is getting smaller and smaller...,,

So we went away for our anniversary and stayed in a cottage that had a kitchen.  For our Friday night dinner we ate totally Paleo - steak (i made the marinade) cauliflower "cous cous" and asparagus.  It was really delicious...Saturday morning breakfast was tough for me...included in our stay is a breakfast in our cottage - there are delicious muffins and croissants, cereal, juice and pretty much the opposite of what I can eat.  I brought eggs and bacon and ate that but it was tough...with Jason sitting next to me eating fresh out of the oven croissants and a chocolate muffin for dessert.

We spent much of Saturday outdoors, wandering through gardens, hiking in the woods...just enjoying the great weather.  Like a true Louisianan, the fabulous weather made Jason crave some spicy crawfish and beer.  We stopped at the local seafood shop/gas station and got a couple pounds...crawfish isn't really my thing and I was going to get some food at the Subway but decided it would be safer for me to go back to our cottage and make myself a paleo taco salad.

Our plans were to cook dinner in the cottage too but my fabulous parents surprised us with a certificate to have dinner at the Myrtles.  They had gone there a few months ago and said the steaks were great.  I called to make a reservation and ask if they could serve me gluten free and  the chef said yes!  I was sooo excited!  I also decided that, since it was our anniversary, I was going to be okay with ordering some non-paleo food like garlic mashed potatoes with extra butter....when we got there though I changed my mind.  I ordered a steak with green beans and a side salad with oil and vinegar instead of dressing.  Of course when it came, they forgot about the non potatoes and they were loaded onto my plate..I reluctantly sent it back.... they returned with a side salad in it's place.  I added a little olive oil and lots of vinegar and took a big bite...and..the vinegar...was rancid.  Totally disappointing!  I won't go into anymore details but will say that the restaurant did not handle the situation well and we will never return to eat there.  I mean NEVER.  It was a horrible experience.  Ugh.

So we got back to the cottage and, I admit, I was grumpy.  I was still hungry and annoyed that I couldn't just go through a drive thru like I would have 28 days ago....luckily I had packed some raw cashews and ate that.

Sunday breakfast was really tough.  Dinner the night before was not at all satisfying and I did not want eggs again.  I ended up eating a slice of ham while Jason ate FOUR croissants with butter and jelly on them.  Not fair!

It was a tough weekend food wise but really a lovely celebration of five years of  marriage.....walks in the gardens and scrabble in bed, what more could we ask for???



I'll have a side of meat with my meat please!

After having a little breakdown in the car on the way home....(while explaining to Jason how tough this food thing is for me) I felt ready to prepare for the rest of the week so I headed to Whole Foods to get the stuff I couldn't find anywhere else and then headed to Albertsons.....Tonight we grilled chicken and pork chops and paleo friendly chicken sausage so I have no excuses to finish out the 30 days of Paleo!
This was the toughest weekend yet...it was EXTREMELY emotional for me... still...celebration = food for me.  I was on "vacation" and wanted to take a break from everything, including Paleo...I made it through though....sure I shed a few tears along the way..was a little upset mentally..but physically I felt great.  My stomach didn't bother me..there was no cramping.  I am proud of myself....and ready to make it till the end - two more days!!  I have decided to hold off two days for the weigh in and do it on Day 30!

I love spending time with Jason...being dorks together...watching everyone else take serious photos while we mimic the statues and hide in flower baskets...thank God we found each other!! 

Day 25...the final countdown!!!..and no not another pity party...



yummy breakfast



crazy lunch



Well today was a good day...breakfast involved steak from earlier in the week and some watermelon.  Now I totally get that, in order to lose weight, I have to limit my intake of fruit.  But, I have decided that being healthy is most important and there is no way that I am going to feel bad about eating something as delicious as watermelon.  I know it has a high sugar content...but it also has lots of vitamin a and c...so, since I live in South Louisiana and it is the beginning of watermelon season..I will splurge off and on and not feel guilty about it.

Lunch was a mess - for some reason neither Kelly P. nor I planned it out well and it basically consisted of us scraping the tupperware for the week to make a meal.  It filled us up though and kept us on Paleo.

Today is Thursday so we had Abby's gymnastics and out to dinner.  We went to Chilis and before we ate, I looked up their no dairy and no gluten menus and compared them to get something as Paleo as possible.  I ended up getting the chicken and green chile soup without rice.  It was tasty and had chunks of avocado and cilantro in it. I then had the dry rub ribs with now bbq sauce.  I ordered half a rack and ate half of that so I could bring the rest home to Jason.  I got it with broccoli instead of fries...I sent it back once because it was cold...like they just took it out of the fridge.  Then they brought it back and, for some reason, it was covered in salt...I ended up not eating it.

Okay, I am going to write another thought I have been having that will again confirm my insanity but it is something that happens to me every time I lose weight.... I have lost about 16 pounds so far and I feel like I look worse than I started.  I get it....before I started I did everything I could do to avoid my body...but now I am super critical...looking in the mirror constantly, weighing myself at least once (usually closer to three) times a day....comparing myself to others.  It just sucks.  I try very hard to not have those "why did I ever allow myself to get this way" or "I am fat and sad and want to give up" moments but it can be hard...really, really hard.  I know there will come a time when I look in the mirror and congratulate myself for my hard work...but I also know that will not be for a really, really long.  We don't have cable in my house so I haven't watched must tv in awhile.  We used to watch Biggest Loser (while eating brownies) and I decided the other night to watch the the first episode of this new season online.  It was really emotional for me.  I pretty much cried through the whole thing...I am those people.  There story is mine in so many ways.  I just know that I got to get myself in shape because, more than anything, I do not want to be a mother/daughter Biggest Loser team with abby....I want her to have a chance for a healthy life and I know I can only do that by leading one myself.  This is my motivation...this has to be my focus or I may feel defeated....


chilis dairy and gluten free soup is yummy



Day 24......6 More Days to go...aka 10th Geaux Crossfit Workout!

Who needs tortillas?

no way is this gonna taste like  potato

Yesterday was a good day...really, I have felt good this whole week as far as my diet goes.  Breakfast was just leftovers from last evening's dinner.  Lunch was really great - I had "tacos" with lettuce wraps...it included lots of seasoned beef and yummy veggies.  Salsa and avocado were excellent replacements for cheese and sour cream. It was one of those meals where I feel like I am cheating....just too good to believe  is part of the plan (thank you Kelly P!!).
 
For dinner I had leftover roast and carrots and onions....which certainly made a great meal once again. I also tried out celery root because I read online that it is similar to mashed potatoes.  I peeled it, cut it up and boiled it like a potato.  It came out looking like mashed potatoes and had the same texture but it most definitely tasted like celery...maybe if I could have added butter, and cheese, and sour cream....but....it was not my favorite.  Luckily my two year old Lucas loved it and ate it up! 

This morning I got up and made it to the gym!  I can hardly believe that this was my 10th workout (not including the introductory "baseline).  It was a tough one, I am not going to lie.  I am sure some of it was the fact that I did not work out for four days and my knee is still killing me.  The WOD was:

Is it legal to ice your knee while driving?

Workout of the Day
Front Squat 5-5-5

Then

For Time:
-200 Meter Run
-20 Pull Ups
    -400 Meter Run
    -30 Pull Ups
    -600 Meter run
        -40 Pull Ups

Because of my knee, Catherine had me do 500 meters on the rowing machine between each set up of pull ups.  For warm up we did a run where you have to kick your knees up as high as you can...then we did some squats while holding barbells (or, in my case a pvc pipe).  I also did 3 rounds of five squats...  and after all that, the workout began.  I am very proud because I kept all of my rowing under 2:30..but I seriously almost didn't make it...I really reached exhaustion by the end of this workout.  And my knee is still hurting so bad that iced it pretty much all day...including while I was driving to work.

Seriously, the cabbage wrap was amazing

Truly Delicious

 Okay...food today was fabulous!  I started off with hard boiled eggs and two strips of bacon.  Then Kelly P, Maida and I decided to try out the Truly Free Bakery and Deli in Baton Rouge...everything they serve is free of gluten, dairy, etc..  Before Day 1 I probably would not have tried this place out.  And, let me tell you, I really would have been missing out.  I started off with the tomato soup and it was delicious.  It had croutons on it, that I am sure would be delicious, but I decided not to partake in them...I then had a cabbage wrap with turkey, black olives, lettuce, red peppers, and other veggies.  It was really, really unbelievably good.  it came with one side and I went with the oven baked sweet potato fries.  They were more like baked or boiled sweet potato sliced into fry-esque pieces but they were really, really good.  And the portions were really, really unbelievable.  They had a cup of soup and half sandwich special that I decided not to get because I was afraid I would still be hungry.  I was so very, very wrong.  I left there with a full stomach (actually probably too full) and a full lunch for tomorrow too.  I would go there again (and again and again) and look forward to trying out other menu items...very soon!

So, today I went to my primary care physician.  Since having my children, I have been dealing with some depression - I wasn't sleeping well, my stomach was always upset, I was heavier than I had ever been..I really didn't have anything (except for an amazing family) going for me.  My doctor has been so great and supportive during this hard time and I was really excited to share with her all of my exciting new lifestyle changes...well...she asked me about my weight loss and I immediately started crying...with tears of happiness!!  I told her the entire story - how I ran into the amazing (AMAZING) trainer Catherine at the grocery store...who trained me at another gym a few years ago..I ran into her right when I was trying to get a hold of my life and my depression...how I started researching Crossfit during the long Mardi Gras meeting after running into her..and that led me to the Paleo diet...how I started by reading Robb Wolf's Paleo Solutions which convinced me to give it a go for 30 days...how I had no idea this 30 day commitment was truly going to change my life...Geaux Crossfit and paleo...where have you been all my life? Which leads me to another important change...my children.  What should they be eating?  What kind of activity should they be taking part in?  There are so many questions...but I don't feel overwhelmed by it all...I feel excited...excited to end my official 30 days and make some real, permanent decisions about my life.....only 6 more days to go!

Workout #10 almost killed me...but instead I finished my first punch card!!

Day 22!

Well..today is the first Monday that did not involve a visit to the gym....I just did not get enough sleep last night to have the energy to do it.  I had a hard time falling asleep (mostly because I am reading The Nazi Officer's Wife for my book club and I couldn't stop thinking about it) and then Abby wasn't feeling well and kept me up most of the night.

Too bad too because I have grown fond of the AMRAP workouts....you have a set time and you have to do as many reps as possible within that set time.  I prefer this kind of workout much more than the ones where you have to to a certain number of reps and be timed for how long it takes...seriously..does that make any sense?  I am not sure that it does.  But, I am moving forward and not allowing myself to feel too guilty.

YUM YUM YUM!

Today was a great eating day.  I started and ended with the same meal - a crockpot pot roast with carrots and onions.  For lunch I had a leftover steak from last night's dinner. I made one for Kelly P. to enjoy for lunch too and she brought in some fabulous sides - spinach with garlic and summer squash with onion.  Yumm...it was an amazing lunch.

I had a few olives for a snack before heading to my endocrinologist.  I was a little nervous to tell him about Paleo because I would not have been surprised if I got a lecture about a "fad diet" that was not healthy.  That was not the case though....he thought it was a great idea and challenged me to stay on it for four more months so I could get my blood work done again for comparison.  He also TOTALLY supported Crossfit and said that is a perfect kind of gym routine because "variety is the spice of life."  Sooo true!  I haven't decided yet about the four month commitment....it would be interesting to compare blood work though...
I am eager to see what my primary care physician has to say about all of this - I am meeting with her on Wednesday.

nighttime treat!

I usually don't have a snack at night..at least not sense Day 1.  But for some reason, I was in the mood for a little something.  It could have been because my mom and I ran to Whole Foods so I could get some coconut milk creamer for my coffee...we joked that I got that and she got a bag of carbs - delicious bread (two kinds) and some sort of baked goods for her and my dad.... Well, my bedtime snack was a little different than what I would have had in the past (aka big glass of milk and brownies or cake).  I made up a little plate of various seeds and nuts and washed it down with a glass of decaffeinated herbal tea!!

Jason and I are going away this weekend for our five year anniversary.  We are staying at a bed and breakfast that only provides non-paleo breakfast items - croissants, jams, cereal, yogurt, juice, etc.... It is our favorite place to go to and the first place we ever stayed as a couple...I am so excited to go but so nervous about the eating.  Luckily the cottage we are staying in has a full kitchen but, at the same time, I hate to think about spending our romantic getaway cooking food and cleaning a kitchen. Ugh...weekends are so tough..there is always something that complicates my eating........food has always been such an important part of any celebration.  Every year we go away for our anniversary and I carefully plan a menu that includes all of our favorites...I would have also chosen where and what we were going to eat at different restaurants.  Sometimes it is till hard for me to wrap my head around the new and improved (paleo) me....even if I feel 100% better than I have felt in years..no stomach issues/lots of energy/feel amazing...I still wish I could eat donuts, mashed potatoes, and brownies.  I have such a strange relationship with food...I guess I always will.

Day 21 - aka weigh in number 3...and the single digit countdown begins!

Well...I knew I wasn't going to do as well this weigh in because I ate out weigh to much....but...I lost 3.8 pounds!  That is 16.8 pounds in three weeks and I feel great!

And the buffet is officially closed

I had a really good weekend and feel like I am back on the paleo bandwagon 100%.  We got up early this morning and started the day with a trip to Lowes to begin working on our vegetable garden.  We have one every year but are mostly disappointed because birds, squirrels and other animals treat it like their very own buffet and eat everything as it ripens.  I am VERY proud to say that I came up with a plan (after extensive online research) and we implemented it today!  Soo...tomatoes (all except for one plant I still need to get), peppers, summer squash, zucchini and onions are planted!  Herbs were planted last weekend.

Jasons vs my fro yo/non fro yo

After all that excitement, we hosed off the kids (literally...as we watered the plants, and headed to finish our errands for the weekend.  The afternoon ended with a trip to the new frozen yogurt shop.  Now any type of ice cream or frozen yogurt is pretty much my favorite food....I knew this would be a tough one.  But I also knew it was time to face it...so we took the kids to a new place not far from our house.  it is all self serve where there are many different kinds of yogurt and toppings and you help yourself and then pay by the ounce.  Abby had strawberry, Luke had chocolate, Jason had a little of each kind, and they all chose some delicious toppings..  I actually think this was better than going to a place that serves you because I made a little fruit salad with some of their (unsweetened) toppings and it was quite delicious - blackberries, strawberries, mango, banana...I would be lying if I said that I didn't want some of their pistachio or mango frozen yogurt but I still felt like I was having a treat.

Ooh..sooo good!

After that we came home, cleaned the house, gave the kids baths and had dinner.  Now this is the type of dinner that makes me feel like I am not dieting at all...grilled steaks with delicious asparagus.  You don't get much better than that.  I cooked two small steaks to bring to work for me and Kelly P.  Just when I was about to confirm how she wanted it cooked, she called me to tell me that she made some other Paleo treats (including a spinach with mustard and garlic that I cannot wait to try) for the week.  I have a feeling that this week - my last full week of my 30 day commitment is going to be good!!

My knee is still bothering me - it is swollen and aches and I have been putting ice on it off and on all weekend.  It is soo bad that I bought a PVC pipe to try to roll out my calf like Catherine taught at Geaux Crossfit.  Speaking of, I am so excited to go back to the gym tomorrow.  That sounds so crazy I know...but by Sunday I am ready to see what kind of crazy workout they have in store for me there!!

Sooo..so long week three - I cannot believe I am down to the single digit countdown!  Nine days to go!!!

Day 20 - aka fun in the sun (a la paleo)

Well yesterday began with some excitement for me - Before then, my best time for 500m on the rowing matching was 2:33 and as of yesterday it is now 2:09!!  I am so excited!  However, that, along with the rest of the killer WOD left me so tired last night I could not even lift my laptop to my desk to type my blog... Food wise yesterday was not very exciting... nothing really new..a lot of leftovers.  One cheat - went out to eat with the gang from work.  I ordered a very paleo friendly chicken salad but they did not have olive oil/vinegar.  I used their balsamic vinaigrette sparingly but I am sure there was sugar in it...

Paleo Picnic!

The weather here in South Louisiana has been so amazing...Jason and I decided it was time to take the kids for a road trip so we headed to Tickfaw State Park in Springfield, LA.  They have an amazing outdoor water park that is just right for Abby and Luke's age.  The kids had a blast and we all enjoyed a paleo friendly picnic.  While we were there, Jason and I talked about how different the picnic would have been pre - Day 1.  There would have been chips, brownies and/or cookies, lots of bread, cheese, deli meat and who knows what else.  This time we had grilled chicken, along with all kinds of fruit and nuts.  The only thing that is probably not completely Paleo is hummus..but the kids love it and so do Jason and I so that, along with carrot sticks, was a welcomed addition to our picnic.  Jason and I both felt great for the whole afternoon - no weird stomach sickness that usually comes along with the heavy eating that would have been done at a picnic three weeks ago....

When we got home, I decided to cook some Paleo meals that would get me through the week.  I was originally going to do Paleo stuffed peppers but ended up making up a "lazy man's stuffed pepper casserole" instead.  There were peppers on the top and bottom and a meat/veggie mixture sandwiched between.  It ended up really, really delicious but it was not the show stopper... if you are doing Paleo like me and do some recipe research, it won't take you long to come across many, many versions of Paleo "rice" which is just finely chopped cauliflower.  I found myself avoiding these recipes because I was sure I would be disappointed.  I was so, so wrong.  this dish will now be a staple on our dinner table....it was soo good.  There is much debate online about how to go about actually making this rice dish but I went for convenience.  I had about a 1.5 bags of frozen cauliflower in the freezer and microwaved it so it was still cold but not frozen.  I then put small batches into my chopster and chopped until, to me, it looked like cous cous.  I heated some olive oil in a pan and started by throwing in some diced zucchini - I am always up for including as many veggies as possible in each meal.  Then I added the cauliflower and some basic spices and cooked until it was warm all the way through....It was really, really soo good!  I think this will be a great side dish to take the place of spaghetti squash.  I love it and all, but don't want to get burnt out of any specific food....

So tomorrow is weigh in day.  I have a feeling I didn't do as well as my last two weigh ins; mostly because I ate out alot this week.  But I am ready!  Sure, I miss baked goods, especially brownies, bad enough to have dreams about eating them..( these are my erotic dreams...haha...me sitting by myself eating a brownie and drinking a big glass of milk)  But I feel good and healthy and have an amazing family that deserves a healthy mom!

 

Day 18...AKA 12 More Days AKA I will have a bag of frozen vegetables with my Pancakeless Omelet please

I woke up today in some major pain.....my knee was throbbing...my thighs are burning and I was feeling the post workout aches...I was home from work today and spent much of my time running errands.  I didn't have much breakfast and was hungry by 12:00pm.  I had a Paleo friendly taco salad (aka minus chips, cheese, sour cream, etc).

Paleo Omelet...hold the pancake batter??

Today was Abby's gymnastics day so she got to choose where we wanted to go for dinner.  IHOP was her choice...it took me awhile to decide what to eat.  I ended up going with an omelet (minus cheese) that had bell peppers, onions, and different meat in it.  Here's the crazy thing though...they put pancake batter in their scrambled eggs to make them fluffier so I have learned that I must specifically ask for an omelet made with eggs in the shell. Who knew?  IHOP is most certainly a restaurant that would ALWAYS make me sick after eating there and tonight it did not!

I really did kinda stumble through today.  Yikes...the thought of having to workout tomorrow makes me nervous.  My legs are seriously still in some kind of pain since the workout on Wednesday.  I haven't felt this kind of pain since my introductory (baseline) workout at Geaux Crossfit.  I am going to bed now...with bags of frozen veggies icing down various parts of my body.  Hopefully I will wake up tomorrow ready for another killer WOD!

Day 17 AKA...oh no..not my knee...

Well...today started with a tough workout:
Workout of the Day3-3-3 Back Squat
Then
4 Rounds for Time:
-10 Right Arm Snatch
-20 Squats
-200 Meter run
-10 Left Arm Snatch
-20 Squats
-200 Meter Run

I only did two time and I almost didn't make it for two main reasons:

Please let my knee get better!

1. my knee has really been bugging me for the last few days...it isn't bad when I am working out but afterwards, and as the day progresses, it gets swollen and hurts.
2. I woke up with what I thought was going to turn into a migraine.  Every time I bent down to start an arm snatch (haha..sorry, that just makes me laugh) my head would pound.  Luckily by the end of the workout it didn't hurt anymore!

that workout was insane

Catherine showed me some stretches to do that will hopefully help me knee.  I am so afraid that my knee is going to keep me from reaching my goals...ugh.. I have a package of frozen peas and carrots on it as I type this.  Soo...this was seriously a tough workout.  After the squats, my knees felt like spaghetti and I couldn't get them to work right.  Running was tough, even more than usual.  I really thought I wasn't going to make it for my final run around the building.  I was standing there just about to say screw it when Lee, one of the guys that is usually working out in the morning, gave me the encouraging words I needed to run (well, stagger is more like it) around the building that final time.  Then I made Catherine look at my right arm biceps because they are not jiggly anymore!  ha..oooh the sad life of a trainer.  I feel bad that I put her through that..but it is really exciting for me!

Once again I still had a tough time eating breakfast.  I am really struggling with it.  I ate a few macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds but I could not make myself eat anything else.

should have eaten homemade

For lunch I ordered a brisket salad from a bbq place with no dressing and no cheese.  I made an olive oil and vinegar dressing that I added.  It was mediocre at best.  I should have just eaten leftover curry....

Dinner was a bit late for me.  I had a meeting at Abby's school (where I was elected PTO President!!!) and then had to stop at the grocery store on the way home.  I ended up eating rotisserie chicken and green beans.

In all, I guess I could say it was not a bad day.  I just still cannot get over how much less food I consume then when I have tried other weight loss strategies....I swear I barely get hungry between meals.

It is Wednesday and I still haven't done very well with my water intake.  I really need to focus on that!  Since Day 1 I have grown and appreciation for herbal teas...I have been making some (without caffeine) in big batches and putting in the fridge to serve on ice..It is soo delicious.  I think I would actually choose it over soda!  That is insane!

Can't wait for tomorrow!

Day 16.....14 days to go!

Well, for the most part, today was uneventful...I had a leftover meatball for breakfast and leftover green curry for lunch.  Both were satisfying..nothing to exciting.

For dinner tonight, we went out to celebrate my dad's birthday.  He let me choose the restaurant so we could go to one that I could easily eat at (how wonderful is that??).  I did some research and chose Carrabbas because they have a gluten free menu and I figured that was a good place to start.  I avoided  the delicious bread and olive oil...ugh...it was hard.  I got the chicken soup with no noodles - who knew that was an option?  I was afraid it would contain beans and dairy but they said no to both.  I got the chicken marsala with zucchini.  The first time they brought it out, it had delicious looking Parmesan cheese on  it.  The waitress apologized and brought a new batch out without the cheese.  My meal really was delicious and satisfying and I couldn't even finish it.  I think about before this all started..how much bread I would have had in addition to my meal.  Abby got ice cream for dessert - she tried many new foods - an Italian salad, my soup, etc.. and she usually doesn't try anything!  I was very proud.  And they gave my dad a gigantic piece of yellow cake with whipped cream and strawberries that looked sooo good.  I looked the other way to all of that and guess what?  I do not feel sick after eating out!  That is the first time in a long time that has happened!

Sooo..in a way I guess it is bittersweet.  I made it through my first special event (dad's birthday) and I am proud I didn't eat totally off the diet.  But I miss being able to eat the cake with everyone and discuss what we think of it...or talk about how the bread compares to others...or eat the piece of pizza or ice cream or other food that Lucas and Abby are trying to feed me.  I think about my son's birthday in May and my birthday in June.  I think about upcoming weddings and vacations and holidays and anniversary celebrations... am I really going to be able to do this?  For me, food plays such a big role in all of those events..I am so happy that I feel good and am moving towards becoming healthy but (and I know this is just another thing that makes me sound crazy) I feel like I am losing a piece of me too.  I honestly have to rethink pretty much every special event and what it is going to mean to me.  I am trying to take one day at a time but I can't help to think about what lies ahead in the near future. 

Today is day 16 and I am beginning to realize that, in 14 days when my commitment is over, I have some big decisions to make about how I want to live my life.....

Pre Paleo me drinking a beer..eating some gluten...knowing that I will be sick before the night is over...