Day 11

Oh crap, I am late! I decided to ice my shoulders, do a load of laundry and shave all on one morning. Great thinking. Crap, I need something for breakfast and lunch. Run around, run around. Blend up a protein shake, jump in the car. Crap, I am late for real. Its only 10 minutes but I sure do hate being late. Awesome, missed a phone call from the boss- she never calls in the morning. Calling her right back. Drink a sip of the shake:
Betsy: Hey girl, I am running around like crazy this morning!
Me: If you only knew. (Another drink of the shake, gosh its freezing cold holding it between my legs).
Betsy: Well, when you get to work I have a closing to go to right away so Ill meet you in the parking lot with Amy's cupcakes. If you could set those up for me that would be great!
Me: Yep, you're the boss. (Crap, forgot about Amy's bridal shower at work today).
Betsy: See ya in a bit.

Get to work and have to set up cupcake display. Put them on the plate really fast and DO NOT lick your fingers. Go, Go, GO! OMG- its a yellow cupcake with chocolate frosting. This is my kryptonite. You can do this- you are better and stronger than some flour and some sugar. I put it down and literally ran out of the conference room.

How did your day start? Has it ever started like that? Show up late to a function and just grab whatever they are eating. Did you ever think, I dont have time, Ill get a Chick-Fil-A biscuit on the way in. Or how about I wont even eat breakfast! I know I have chosen all three of these at least 20 times.
I am NOT, by any means, a dietician; however, I have a few thoughts on this. Is eating healthy more time consuming? I bet I could make my protein shake before a person even got done paying for their food in the drive-thru. Is it expensive? Ok, some items are more expensive but last I checked apples and oranges were cheaper than cereal and milk. Don't get me wrong some items ARE more expensive and you CANNOT beat a $5 already ready pizza but eating healthy doesnt always mean spending more $$$. Is eating healthy less convenient? Yes, there are days when I come home after work and a hard workout and do not even want to consider pulling a salad out of the fridge. I don't even want to prepare the dressing- from the bottle. You do have to make food but I think the benefit from a hand prepared meal far out ways the option I would rather pick up on my way home. (Even though every once in a while I will make a trip through the drive thru too) :)

Ok, so I am on a soap box and in no way deserve to be on one. Please, I have been hard on myself for 11 days. No pats on the back here but I want you to know that no matter what I put in my mouth from now on, I know in my heart of hearts that something natural is better than anything I can grab in a drive thru. Whether or not you eat healthy is your choice, but I do want you to know that its ok to eat the cupcakes as long as you know that a bowl full of colorful veggies is better for you. Ok, enough, I love you and I will learn along with you.

Reed said the popsicles were great so give em a whirl! I also just made some protein balls (snacks) and I will taste them before I post the recipe, just in case. I am still trying to figure all these foods I have never tasted. Oh and check this out! A store that has NO PACKAGING and of course its in Austin, they have everything!

http://news.yahoo.com/americas-first-zero-packaging-grocery-store-open-austin-155410687.html?bouchon=623,tx

Day 10

Let me start off by saying I forgot we had dessert last night. A whole apple sliced up with cinnamon and honey and baked. Reed and I decided this would be really good in the winter! I have also had some watermelon the last two days (one of my faves!) and I forgot to post.

Breakfast:
Cereal with strawberries. I have been asked about my cereal today. I make my own with sunflower seeds and sliced almonds (unsalted), unsweetened coconut shreds, a fruit, and coconut milk. This is my favorite coconut milk and a picture of the cereal. Its great- try it!

Snack:
1/2 avocado and a boiled egg
Lunch:
Salad with boiled egg (yep, tired of eggs today), tomatoes, and a vinaigrette dressing. That spelling doesn't look right but spell check keeps correcting it to that!
Snack:
Apple and some chocolate almond milk. Big thumbs down the the almond milk but eh, how would I know if I didn't try?!
Protein shake after Crossfit where I overhead squatted 105 lbs 8 times- just a highlight!
Dinner:
I was craving steak so I had a bacon wrapped filet and some asparagus. Wal-Mart has these filets pre-packaged. Probably not the best steak you have ever eaten but it was pretty good.

I made chocolate pudding tonight!

2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
2 TBLS coconut oil
1 TSP vanilla

This was pretty good, especially if you like dark chocolate. Do not dish out a whole lot because it is very rich. If you have some fresh berries (I didn't) I bet it would be a great addition on top. I put some coconut shavings on mine. I also mixed some strawberries, coconut milk, and a little honey in the blender and poured it into popsicle makers for a creamy treat during summer. I will let you know how those turn out later.

I was asked about high sugar fruit today and here is a list of the glycemic index on fruit.

http://www.southbeach-diet.info/low-carb-fruit.php

Stay kind to yourself. There was a lot to cover food-wise today but I want to cover some emotional/spiritual stuff tomorrow. Until then- chew on this!

Father, we are abundantly blessed with foods of all kinds, both vegetable and fruit, meat and bread.  Thank you for those who diligently work the land and reap the harvest that we might place food on our tables and be nurtured physically.  You make the grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth.  All we have needed Your hand hath provided. Great is Your faithfulness, Lord, unto me.  Amen.

Day 9

Work is a bit busy these days. This is really good for me but always makes me want to grab chocolate covered pretzels- what the heck right? I felt really good today and I have been drinking tons of water. It is hot after all.

Breakfast:
Cereal with strawberries
Snack:
boiled egg and 1/2 avacado (this filled me right up, surprisingly)
Lunch:
Mi Cocina salad again- no tortilla strips and this time no cheese!
Snack:
Apple
Dinner:
Marinated Caribbean Chicken and kabobs with onions and peppers. Pretty good considering its vegetables lol! I put some garlic salt on them.

I started to wonder why I am doing this today and I had two phone calls right off the bat. A very good friend called to tell me she had changed the way she is eating and has felt changes immediately. I am so excited for her- I cannot explain how awesome it is to know she likes the way she is feeling. We got another phone call from a family member that said they were going to start following the blog too. I am actually starting to perk up and understand why I am doing this. This is NOT a DIET! I will eventually eat cake and pizza again- I will just pick times to do it. I want to indulge in food when I am celebrating. I don't want everyone to think I will continue being this strict for the rest of my life. I am doing a very strict 30 days to wean myself from processed foods. I want to prove to myself that I can survive and thrive on good, healthy foods. Do not think of this as some quick fix or something you will do for a while and then return to your old ways. It is not that. This is a way to taste new foods and treat your body right. Be kind to yourself because no one else will! This is why I do this! Who wouldnt want these people around them as long as possible?!

Day 8

Ok, well I cried today. I just did not want another vegetable to ever touch my lips again. I am so sick of vegetables!! I told Reed this is stupid and I want out. I also had a super hard crossfit workout outside in the heat so that may have been a little bit of the issue. I am kind of a baby sometimes, yes, me. My sister came over tonight and I ended up finishing up the day mostly Paleo (by American standards anyhow!)

Breakfast:
Protein Shake no fruit
Snack:
Almonds
Lunch:
I packed leftover frittata but there is just something about re-heating eggs that was a turn off. I went to Sprouts and got peppered chicken breast, steamed vegetables, and strawberries.
Snack:
Green grapes and a protein shake
Dinner:
Sausage, green beans, and pinto beans (not so Paleo)

My workout rocked but my attitude did not. I cannot explain to you how much processed foods have a hold on our minds and bodies. Once you start eating correctly you begin to notice the subtle changes- more energy, less crabby (even though I had a break down), regularity. You start to feel human and you can see the changes. I hope you are looking into a healthy option for you and your family because I see families around me crying out for help but don't know where to turn. Research! This saves lives!

Creator of The Primal Blueprint (very similar to Paleo)- Mark Sisson
Check out his website- and type in why are grains so bad? (Go to his first post) This is eye opening! I cannot stress this enough.

www.marksdailyapple.com

Change something today!

Day 5, Day 6, and Day 7 complete Week 1!!

Ok so week 1 is over and I have a lot to cover so I won’t be writing very much about how I feel; however, I thought it should be noted that Reed has been asking me a lot why I am being so quiet or if something is wrong so I feel that I am being a bit standoffish. Reed told me this morning that weaning off of processed foods and carbs can put you in a funk for two full weeks. I don’t feel bad; I suppose I am just being quiet. Anyhow, there is that.

Day 5

Breakfast- cereal with ½ banana and blueberries

Snack- apple

Lunch- leftover pork chops (yummy), tons of broccoli, and a boiled egg

Snack- protein shake right before Crossfit made me a little queasy

Dinner- Rico Salad (Mi Cocina). So, I told the chips and salsa guy not to put chips on the table immediately, I had water with lemons, and explained that my salad cannot have tortilla strips. I was feeling so good about myself and I was swollen with pride when I was down to my last 3 bites and Reed said we forgot about the cheese. DANG IT! I have failed you, I cheated.

After date snack- pina colada with coconut milk, pineapples, and ½ banana- pretty rockin’!

Day 6

Breakfast- protein shake

Lunch- Chilis side salad (no croutons or cheese lol), marinated grilled chicken, garlic and lime shrimp, and broccoli. Reed and I shared a meal together. It was more than enough food with the side salads.

Snack- Watermelon poolside at Reed’s parents

Dinner- my sisters 21^st birthday! Joe T Garcia’s. I had Steak fajita meat and veggies. I ATE IT ALL!

Snack- we did pina coladas again because I was very upset watching everyone else have margaritas (all time favorite)

Day 7

Breakfast- we made Paleo pancakes- 2 cups almond meal, 2 cups coconut meal, 4 eggs, 1 TBLS cinnamon, 1 TBLS vanilla, cook. Some people like fruit toppings, some like honey (YUCK), we like sugar free maple syrup.

Lunch- ½ apple, ½ banana, ½ orange, sunflower seeds and sliced almonds on top

Dinner- Frittata with leftover Joe T Garcias meat, broccoli, onions, carrots, and eggs. We ate with salsa and avocados.

I was still very hungry so I made a protein shake and later ate cereal with blueberries. I felt like a heifer but I was full J

I hope you guys have a great week! It’s a holiday weekend and I get to see my brother, his new wife, and my baby niece this weekend. Look for lots of grilling and summer time food!

Day 4

Yippee- I made it through day 4 without totally breaking down and getting a margarita and hiding in my closet like a guilty little rat!

Breakfast:

Protein shake plus ¼ C almond meal (upped protein to 1 and ½ scoops)

Snack:

Apple

Lunch:

Leftover sausage, asparagus, avocado, and a boiled egg- I was so HUNGRY!

Snack:

Homemade cereal with ½ banana and blueberries

Dinner:

A good friend came over and taught me a new marinade for pork- cranberries and a package of dry French onion soup mix. Marinated overnight and then baked along with baked asparagus with some almond meal on it and 2 sweet potato patties with honey and cinnamon (typically starch is not allowed, I know but we did a pretty intense yoga class right before. Plus, I had company c’mon). YUMMY! No need for dessert although we did snack on some unsweetened dehydrated apples while this was cooking J

At the risk of being vulgar I will let you know I am becoming much more regular and I have to get used to this. I have struggled with this in the past and my insides are a little confused right now so don’t be surprised if you go through the same thing when you eat more veggies than you are used to. Here is a GRRRREAT website that has boosted my morale about this process. Spend some time on it this weekend- FANTASTIC recipes that are simple…

www.nomnompaleo.com

TGIF!

Days 2 & 3

Day 2

Breakfast:

½ protein shake

½ apple

½ avocado

Lunch:

Salad with avocado, egg, spinach, and tomatoes

Strawberries and blackberries

Snack:

Other ½ apple

Dinner:

Left over green peppers

Cardio workout at lunch break and worked out in my garage at home. 400M row, 7 “L” pull ups (the best I could), and 9 push ups repeat 3X.

Day 3

Breakfast:

Protein shake with coconut milk (my new fave! Tastes like a strawberry shake!)

Boiled egg and cucumber

Lunch:

Salad with avocado, egg, spinach, and tomatoes (after this I told Reed I was over salads for the week and I will find something else)

Snack:

Made my own cereal with slivered almonds and sunflower seeds (unsalted!), blueberries, raisins (unsweetened), coconut shavings (unsweetened) and coconut milk. It was wonderful; of course, I have a sick obsession with cereal anyhow!

Post workout:

Protein shake and apple

Dinner:

Sausage, green beans, and cauliflower mashed potatoes.

Ok, steam the cauliflower with 2 cloves of garlic and salt. When they get soft take them out and blend/puree them until they are the consistency of mashed potatoes. They are a little soupy but they work; I promise! Then add some cracked pepper and I cut up some green onions and sprinkled on top! You’ll never miss potatoes again!

I am feeling pretty good. I had a sour stomach last night while sleeping, pretty much the whole night. I am not sure if this was something I ate or because it is so incredibly hot in our house at night. We had a CRAZY hard workout yesterday at Crossfit that consisted of 1600M run then repeat 3X- 15 kettle bells (53 lbs) and 15 toes to bar. Of course, the men’s weight was heavier but everyone in the gym was crawling afterwards. It was very humbling! I hope you’re all having a great week- and yes, I am slowly trying to wean off of the fruit! J

Day 1

I have been doing some research on blogging and getting advice on how to go about starting this. Once I have it all set up I will send that out so that you can follow and not be plagued by my emails.

Lets start with Day 1 food:

Breakfast- protein shake with ½ banana and ¼ cup almond meal

Snack- 6 almonds

Lunch- spinach salad with ham, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I used Ranch on the salad today as I forgot my avocado and eggs so I thought I would need some fat.

I workout on my “lunch break” at work which usually consists of 30 minutes of elliptical or treadmill (walking/jogging), then some stretching and ab work. This is more to get out of the office than it is to be a workout. I love going to the gym in the middle of the workday. It makes my day go by much faster I feel; even if I just walk around our building for 30 minutes. I was pretty hungry before this workout but I held out.

Snack- 1/2 protein shake from the gym and ½ orange

I then went to Crossfit and did 5X5 heavy back squats and PR’d at 135 lbs. Then 100 wall balls at 14 lbs. No, this is not my favorite workout! J

Dinner- I tired something very new (to me anyhow). I took ground turkey, onions, tomatoes, ½ jalapeño, garlic salt and pepper, and stuffed green bell peppers with this mixture (after cooking/browning meat and veggies). Then I baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. We chopped up some avocados (they were SUPER hard at the store) and ate them along with it. I wish it could have been more like guac but I am telling you they were too hard! This was pretty good- I hate peppers and most vegetables so the fact that it was quite tasty was simply a bonus!

I do have pictures but- really the story is too long and boring to tell. I can’t figure out the hieroglyphics of symbols on my stupid phone to get from A to B. I will figure out a way to post them to the blog. We are also taking pictures tonight of ourselves; like I said before you lucky ducks you! Reed wants to be a part and I think it be nice for everyone to see the changes in male versus female. So, far I have been a little hungry which Reed says I am not eating enough. It will take me a while to get the fat to carb to protein ratio down for my liking and I am ok with that. I am not irritable or noticing any behavioral changes. I slept well and other than being sore from heavy squats I am ready to conquer Spain. Or whatever! Feel free to give me some suggestions or ask questions. I promise I will make the blog soon and post pics! I will also take measurements and keep track of that on Reed and I. I can already tell you I need to eat less fruit and more protein but c’mon apple/chicken/apple/chicken- apple please!

http://gopractice.typepad.com/files/paleo_buddha_packet.pdf

The website above is a very easy-to- read, short blurb on Paleo and what it’s about. I loved the avoid/ approved list.

“Our food should be our medicine, our medicine our food”. LOVE!

Paleo We Go

Hey guys!

Ok, here is the deal. As many of you know, Reed and I have been researching and trying to stick to a pure Paleo diet. This consists of no man made food ie- grains, dairy, anything man has touched. It makes me feel incredible when I eat the food our bodies were made to eat. My biggest downfall is convenience. I want what I want when I want it. I don’t want to try to come up with some concoction that resembles a tortilla. I also struggle, like many women, with getting enough protein and keeping my sugar low. I would much rather peel and eat an orange than grill up a chicken breast and nosh on that. Can I get an Amen? Ok, I was going to start a blog, but c’mon, who wants to follow someone on a diet?! Raise your hand. So instead I have chosen a few friends close to me that I think will be interested in this journey. You are my guinea pigs you lucky little ducks you!

This is what I am promising:

1)      I am going to get my hands on as much Paleo material as I can and do the research. I want to relay messages to those people who are struggling with illnesses, weight loss, and lack of energy that you are not alone and it IS the food that is killing you! I ate terribly over the weekend because Reed was sick (its so hard to find the motivation to cook a good meal for yourself) and everything from my digestion to my joints were in pain last night!

2)      I will give honest and open feedback on how I feel throughout the process. I hated the Atkins diet although I lost a ton of belly fat. I had a headache everyday and I slept more than I ever had in my life. I promise to give you the good, the bad, and the ugly- even if this experiment is an epic fail!

3)      I will provide the recipes that I will eat throughout the day although many of them will be SUPER basic so don’t expect much.(heads up- I don’t even have a spice rack! I will be shopping this week a little)

4)      I will provide pictures of my meals and myself. It will only be 30 days but I have never stuck to anything for longer than a week- besides Reed and my promise not to bear children for a whileJ

5)      I promise I will not cheat. I will not sneak a pretzel or a cookie J I want to stick to this wholeheartedly so that you can see the changes and see that someone who cannot cook can make great, healthy meals on a TIGHT budget! I want to show this can be convenient and easy! I am lazy….

Basically I am asking for, or rather shoving you guys into holding me accountable. I was thinking of having a girl’s night at our house every so often to share a dinner with my friends and family. Everyone needs a night away and since we don’t have children or hectic schedules I thought this would be great. I promise I will make something that is edible and resembles “real food.” Let me know if you would like to be taken off of this list. I promise to make them short! Day 1!