I'm baaaaack

Well, we are back from our cruise vacation which was, sorry to say, not Paleo in the least! Some days and meals were, but we had a week of eating and drinking (yummy margaritas and mojitos on that boat!! :)). I felt pretty bad after the first day with alcohol & non-paleo food, so had a good paleo day after that & then kind of alternated between paleo/non-paleo meals. As with anything, however, we do adapt & I didn't feel as sick later on in the week. We've been back since Monday and I have been strict since then - it feels good to be back to normal! I don't want to publish what I am eating every day any more, but will come back regularly to blog about things as they come up.

Vacation time...

Today will probably be my last post during the challenge as we are off tomorrow for a cruise vacation for a week - makes the challenge a little more..well..challenging for sure. I'm sure we will not be strict on vacation, but I'm okay with that - this really is a lifestyle and sometimes you've just got to have dessert! We will stick with it most of the time I'm sure as I really can't eat a lot of non-paleo food without feeling really unwell and who wants to feel that way on vacation?

Breakfast:

boiled eggs
paleo bread with almond butter
handful veggies

Lunch:

stirfry with chicken breast and veggies

Snack:

bison pepperoni
cauliflower

Dinner:

salad with turkey breast
brussels sprouts

CrossFit:

Grace
30 clean & jerk 95/135

Rx'd. 5:18. Not a pr day today (4:57), but darned happy with this performance! After yesterday & 115 lb. c&j's earlier in the week, my shoulder, neck & elbow are in bad shape. Wasn't sure I had it in me to do rx'd today, but went for it. Time not bad considering - but just didn't feel the rhythm, never got into the groove of it.

Oops...

Haven't posted for a couple of days. Eating-wise - all the usual stuff! :) Highlight was Tuesday night - I made a bison stew and dijon biscuits with some of our stew meat from Meteor Lakes. It was delicious. We are leaving for a cruise Saturday, so my mind has been elsewhere, but will try to remember to post today. Yesterday I actually wasn't hungry all day long for about the first time in 2 weeks. Yay!

Breakfast:

boiled eggs
paleo bread with almond butter
handful veggies

Lunch:

turkey breast
salad

Snack:

bison pepperoni
nuts

Dinner:

bison patties
fried mushrooms & onions
roasted rutabaga & butternut squash

CrossFit:

weighted pullups 5x5 2 mins.

10-1
ring dips
pushups

Pullups:

5x5, 7.5x5, 10x5, 12.5x4, 12.5x3

WOD:

Did 4 ring dips in the 6's. First 10 ring dips u/a, 3/9 in second round then that was it - went to smallest beige band for rest - black band might have better - would have gotten a few more in. Have done many more ring dips before, but tough WOD after arm fatigue from weighted pullups.

That was freakin' heavy...

My arms are already sore from today's WOD - shoulders, neck, collarbone all feel like they're being ripped out of my body - tomorrow should be great! Can't wait!

Lunch:

turkey breast & salad

Snack:

bison pepperoni
raw veggies

Dinner:

bison sausage
salad

CrossFit:

10 rounds:

3 push jerk 115/155
6 K2E
9 box jumps

20:23
Did 2 rounds at 105, then when more warmed up decided to go up to 115 & completed it at this. Cleans no problem today. Did step ups.

Recovery

I have been doing a lot of reading about recovery, which in all honesty, I'm not a big fan of. :) I tend to push myself and have been known to do 6 on/1 off in CrossFit. Lately, I've been trying to take more recovery time and have been trying to do 3 on/1 off, but usually do 4 or 5 on/1 off. I sometimes find, however, that I get to a point where I just feel extremely tired & sore and like I just want to quit CrossFit (well, not really, but I have the fleeting thought). I'm starting to feel that way now. My arms are so sore from yesterday's WOD that I actually feel kind of sick. There wasn't anything particularly awful about yesterday, so I think it's my body's way of telling me that it needs more rest (or less wine! :)). Mark's Daily Apple has a lot of good articles about the importance of rest & recovery and how it is such an important part of fitness, especially as we get older - my 40's body just takes longer to recover than my 20's body would have and I just have to accept that! :) We are going on holidays next week, so I will probably be away from the weights during that time & have more rest days & focus on bodyweight stuff. I think it will be a needed break.

Breakfast:

turkey breast
salad

Lunch:

same

Snack:

bison pepperoni
Asian pear

Dinner:

spinach salad with bacon, egg, chicken breast

CrossFit:

Took an extra rest day. Did an interval hill/running program on the treadmill. Can't remember the last time I did this! Found it fatiguing on low back/hips, but it didn't cause any back pain which is good! I think I'll incorporate this sometimes as a kind of active recovery when I just want a break from CF.

The whole shebang...

Today we went out for our anniversary (20th!) and Valentine's day and strict paleo was not in the cards. I didn't order a plate of pasta or anything, but we went to the River House Grill in St. Albert which was absolutely wonderful & I wanted to try everything, so had wine, some potato and dessert. Most of the meal was paleo (it certainly wouldn't have been difficult to be entirely paleo there) & every bite of it was deeeelicious!

Lunch:

salad with turkey breast

Snack:

bison pepperoni
mixed vegetables
nuts

Dinner:

wine
champagne
elk sausage salad
arctic char, vegetables, potato
creme brulee

CrossFit:

Ladders:

Start with 2 reps & every minute increase by 2 reps to a maximum of 10 minutes per exercise:

wallballs 16/20
SDHP 55/75
burpees

Order was SDHP, wallballs, burpees. Got 10, 7, 5.

Friday

Breakfast:

bison bacon (first time trying this - yummy!)
egg
paleo bread w/almond butter

Lunch:

stirfry with chicken breast & mixed veggies

Snack:

garlic sausage
almonds
mixed veggies

Dinner:

bison burger on portobello mushroom 'buns'
guacamole
rutabaga fries

CrossFit:

Rest day - definitely need it. I am so tired. Slept a bit better last night, but still not great & need to catch up.

Need Sleep..

I slept horribly last night & am really tired today. I think 20 years of bad sleep is taking its toll - I really feel awful now when I don't sleep well. Being tired also makes me hungry & crave comfort foods, so it just compounds an already bad situation. To top it off, today should have been a rest day, but I came because Chad said the WOD was one of my favorites. I made sure it wasn't rowing sprints which is actually the worst workout in the world and makes me sick. Nope, he said, but make sure you come because you like it. So I did...and...it was row 2k. Grrrr.....still not as bad as the 4x500 though.

Breakfast:

turkey breast salad

Lunch:

same!

Snack:

boiled egg
pear

Dinner:

salmon
broccoli & cauliflower soup

CrossFit:

Row 2k

8:36.5

Dairy

Although I haven't been eating dairy on the challenge, it is something that I think I will add back when done. I don't eat huge amounts of it, but the primal way of eating (which I prefer - very similar to paleo, but some slight differences) does allow for some dairy - particularly full fat items such as butter and cheese. Although I don't eat a lot of these things, I do enjoy some cheese in a salad if we're eating out. Dairy doesn't seem to bother me - no bloating, gas, cravings, etc., so I don't think I have a problem with it.

Breakfast:

salad with vinaigrette
turkey breast

Lunch:

same thing!

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
cauliflower
carrots

Dinner:

shrimp & avocado omelette
broccoli & cauliflower soup

CrossFit:

7x1 push press

1-10-1
kettlebell swings 55/35
situps

Push press: maxed at 125. Failed at 130 (gave up mentally)

WOD: 7:24

Feeling Energetic & Good Today!

I think eating a bit more (esp. carbs) over the weekend helped a bit. Today I feel great & back to normal. Felt really good going into CrossFit & managed to do a couple of things I've never done before!

Breakfast:

turkey breast
salad with vinaigrette

Lunch:

turkey breast
salad with vinaigrette

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
pear

Dinner:

stirfry with chicken, beef, shrimp, veggies

CrossFit:

Hang squat clean 6x2 - technique focus, keep it light enough to feel getting under the bar

5 rounds:
5 thrusters 135/95
3 muscle ups
15 minute time cap

HSC - 110. Happy with this as anything from the hang position is a big goat of mine & I've never done anything this heavy from that position.

WOD: 95 lb. thrusters - unbroken. Subbed 6 jumping mu's for 3 mu's. Bottom of rings at shoulder height. Haven't been able to do these before (always kind of lost control when jumping up & then couldn't do the dip), so happy about this.

Today was a bit better..

Felt better today - feel like I'm getting back to normal! Yay!

Breakfast:

turkey breast
salad
vinaigrette

Lunch:

stirfry with chicken, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, water chestnuts

Snack:

tuna in olive oil
pear

Dinner:

bison smokies
sauerkraut
broccoli & cauliflower soup

Snack:

carrots
nuts

CrossFit:

Power Snatch 7x1 2 mins

5 rounds:
10 ring pushups
lunge across
15 box jumps
lunge back

Did hang power snatches for practice (worked on not pulling too early). Only did up to 75 with this. Practiced full progression - shrug, pull, muscle snatch, snatch with 55, 60, 65.

WOD:

11:32 (but didn't lunge back at the very end!). Ring pushups rx'd, step ups.

I Don't Know What is Wrong With Me...

but I have been starving lately - not just hungry, but really feeling unwell. I also may be coming down with a cold or something (missed CF today, just too headachy & feeling blech), but sometimes eating issues make me feel this way. I just can't seem to get full, or my stomach will feel full volume-wise, but I still have that shaky, low blood sugar, give me food NOW feeling. I ate a big lunch & bought some baby carrots which I've eaten some of (higher sugar content than most vegetables) and I'm maybe feeling a little better. I'm really tempted to just eat something non-paleo (don't know what - really craving chocolate or something like fries or buttered popcorn) just to try to feel better. I probably won't give in, but hope I start feeling better soon.

Breakfast:

turkey breast
cabbage salad with vinaigrette
cauliflower

Lunch:

baby carrots
turkey breast
cabbage salad with vinaigrette

Snack:

baby carrots
bison pepperoni
nuts

Dinner:

pot roast
mashed cauliflower
roasted brussels sprouts

CrossFit:

Rest day - shouldn't have been, but not feeling well

ICC Day...

Well, today is the Inter-City Challenge. These events always make me nervous - I feel sick already! :) The whole competition thing isn't really my deal. I'm never sure whether to actually go in them or not - we always do & it ends up being fun, but I hate the lead up to it!

Done the ICC! - Ugh, pullups is all I can say. I don't think kipping pullups will ever be easy for me. I'm just glad I finished this one, even if I did go over the time cap! Good turnout at the challenge & Lisa D. took the win for the girls! Aaron C. took third in the men's, and overall, CFE did a great job!

I ate breakfast at around 10, but was too hungry by then, so about a half hour after the challenge, I was starving! Just couldn't get full, so kind of nibbled/snacked all afternoon. I went out for dinner with my daughter and ate half my meal (so about 3 oz. steak & a few veggies) as I finally felt okay. I'm actually pretty happy about this as I tend to be a 'plate cleaner' and I'm trying to pay more attention to my hunger signals. That WOD really did me in though - kind of left me feeling sick all day. I'm not sure why some days that happens - maybe yesterday that push to go, go, go made me push a little harder/faster than I would have otherwise.

Breakfast:

turkey breast
cabbage salad
vinaigrette

Lunch/Snacks

trail mix
nuts
bison/turkey pepperoni
pear
cauliflower
small piece zucchini loaf

Dinner

steak
mixed vegetables - broccoli, carrots, zucchini

CrossFit:

Inter-city challenge:

5 rounds for time:
5 ground-to-overhead 95/135
10 pull ups
15 box jumps (step ups allowed)

Rx'd 16:00. Pullups sucked as usual. 5 per round is great, anything more (especially when feeling nervous) - not so great. Did all clean & jerks unbroken. Step ups.

Hungry..

Even though today was a rest day, I was starving all day! Ended up having an extra snack - it's supposed to be about listening to your body, but I still find that hard - too many years of dieting mentality!

We picked up a large order of bison today, so I am excited to try some of the products!

Breakfast:

pickerel
salad w/vinaigrette

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
almonds

Lunch:

stirfry with chicken and mixed vegetables

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
almonds

Dinner:

spinach salad with chicken breast, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, egg, bacon, vinaigrette

CrossFit:

Rest day

A Good Couple of Weeks...

The last while in CrossFit had generally been going pretty well. I'm not sure if paleo is helping, but it certainly can't be hurting! I've had a few pr's & other accomplishments. I think some of the programming changes have had a beneficial effect as well. I even feel less sore than usual!

Breakfast:

salmon
coleslaw mix with vinaigrette

Lunch:

beef, chicken, shrimp & vegetable stirfry

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
almonds
pear

Dinner:

lettuce wraps with ground beef, cabbage, bean sprouts, mushrooms & coconut almond curry sauce
paleo chocolate macaroons

CrossFit:

push press
5x3 11x2 3 mins

AMRAP 15 mins.

5 pullups
10 medball squats 20/16
15 pushups

Push press - 120
WOD - rx'd 6 rounds + 11 reps.

Breakfast:

salmon
cabbage salad with vinaigrette

Lunch:

Hap's:
chef's salad with lettuce, assorted veggies, turkey, egg, ham, oil & vinegar

Snack:

tuna
almonds

Dinner:

pickerel
tomato & avocado salsa
roasted brussels sprouts, cauliflower & broccoli

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
cauliflower

CrossFit:

Diane
21-15-9
Deadlift 155/225
HSPU

155 DL. Subbed 65 lb. OHP for HSPU. Time 7:19.

Kids & Paleo

Interestingly, I was thinking about making a post on this topic yesterday and it was the topic du jour on Mark's Daily Apple! Beth's birthday party, complete with cake, popcorn, chips and make-your-own tacos for dinner made me think about the reality of having kids on a completely paleo diet. Normally, we don't have that food in our home. The meals I cook are paleo. Even the school lunches I pack have really changed - I can't remember the last time I sent a sandwich for example. But I haven't gone totally paleo with my daughter. The nut ban in schools makes it difficult for one thing - most paleo baking, etc. is off limits. And if kids do anything at all in the outside world (i.e., aren't locked in your basement! :)), they are going to eat non-paleo food. Probably plenty of it when they get the chance. I'm okay with doing the best I can and hoping that as an adult, she will choose to eat this way.

I also have a teenager - again, if she is home and eating with us, she gets the paleo meal. Often, however, she is working or out with friends eating typical teenager fare and drinking what amounts to cups of liquid sugar from her favorite coffee place. It's difficult to accept that I have no control over this, but I hope that at some point, the example will set in.

Breakfast:

boiled eggs
paleo bread with almond butter
Asian pear

Lunch:

Mongolia Express:
stirfry with chicken & vegetables

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
almonds

Dinner:

beef chili with cauliflower fried rice

Snack:

nuts
turkey pepperoni
cauliflower

CrossFit:

power snatch 5x3 11x1 2 mins

3 rounds for time:

250 m row
30 situps
15 db push presses 45/30

Snatch - worked up to 85. Not good technique, so stayed here. WOD - 9:32 rx'd.

Breakfast:

omelette with guacamole, mushrooms & pancetta

Lunch:

Mongolia Express:
stirfry with chicken and vegetables

Snack:

turkey breast
nuts
cauliflower

Dinner:

minute steak (did not like, so switched to..)
turkey breast
broccoli & cauliflower soup

CrossFit:

Rest day

Let them eat cake...

Well, yesterday was 'cake day' (aka Bethany's birthday party). Over half a cake was left over - normally at least part of this would have found its way into my mouth, but happily, yesterday that did not happen. I kept one extra piece for Beth and the rest went into the garburator. A waste? Maybe, but the money/ingredients are already gone, so better into the garburator than me! On the downside, being around all that party food gave me a munchie craving, so I did have an evening snack when I really wasn't actually hungry, but grapes, carrots and nuts are better than half a cake!

Lunch:

mixed vegetable salad
turkey breast
vinaigrette

Snack:

zucchini slices with guacamole
turkey breast

Dinner

salmon
cabbage salad with vinaigrette
broccoli & cauliflower soup

CrossFit:

Karen
150 wallballs for time

10 ft. target, 16 lb. wallball - 16:33

This WOD sucked so, so massively. First time I've done it to the 10 foot line - my time is at least double what it was to the 8 foot line. The actual rx'd weight for this WOD is 14 lbs. I wish we had some medballs in that weight! :) I couldn't get any kind of rhythm going for probably the first 30 - had to keep readjusting my stance, the ball I was squatting to, etc. Today was day 4 at CF and I honestly just didn't want to do this one. Didn't have a good mindset going into it. Tomorrow will be a welcome rest day.

Starving...

So, I've really cut down on the carbs the last few days - yesterday was pretty minimal, and today I am STARVING in spite of all-you-can-eat ribs night last night (deeelicious!!). I'm going to eat a few more carbs today & then try for fewer again tomorrow. Days where I don't work out, I will try to keep them lower.

Breakfast (late):

mixed salad with turkey breast & vinaigrette
pear

Snack/lunch:

baby carrots
cauliflower
mixed nuts
boiled egg

Dinner:

taco salad with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, olives, avocado
pineapple

Snack:

baby carrots
grapes
nuts

CrossFit:

Partner WOD:

3 rounds of as many reps as possible:

2 minutes pullups
2 minutes hang power cleans 135/95
2 minutes box jumps

Parnters switch as needed during each interval. Partnered with Lisa, which made our pullup numbers very high! My totals = 35, 38, 65 (step ups). Overall totals = 114, 65, 136. Always love the partner WOD's.

Another weekend approaches....

Weekends are definitely the most difficult part of paleo for me. This is when we're most likely to go out with non-paleo friends (actually going out is not as bad as being invited over - then it becomes really difficult!). So far, so good though - tonight we're going out with some fellow paleoites for all-you-can-eat ribs (will have be be sans sauce which is fine).

Breakfast:

2 boiled eggs
1 chicken wiener
1/2 avocado
handful cauliflower

Lunch:

Subway

salad with chicken breast (double meat) & Italian dressing

Snack:

almonds
garlic sausage

Dinner:

Montanas:

all-you-can-eat ribs (no sauce)
salad with lemon garlic vinaigrette

CrossFit:

Front squat
5x5 31x1 3 mins.

Max set was 130. Failed at 135.

10-1 reps of

deadlift 185/135
clapping pushups

Rx'd 10:45

Temptation...

I just finished putting my daughter's birthday cake into the oven. Baking is definitely a trigger for me. Normally, I 'taste' everything both before and after it's done (I much prefer the unbaked version of most things, so how much of it actually makes it into the oven sometimes is questionable!). I am not quite hardcore enough to force 10-year-old girls to eat paleo-friendly cake, so regular from-scratch devil's food it is! I am very happy to say that not one bit made it into my mouth! I credit the challenge with that as I know I would have succumbed normally (yes, I am WEAK! :)). Now just to stay away from the frosting (!) and the finished cake. I'm feeling pretty committed, so I think it will go well. I keep telling myself that the party will be over and I will or will not have eaten any cake - in which position do I want to be?

Breakfast:

2 boiled eggs
chicken breast
1/2 avocado

Lunch:

mixed vegetable salad with vinaigrette
chicken breast
a few pieces of chicken wiener (organic & paleo-friendly!)

Snack:

leftover salad from lunch
chicken wiener

Dinner:

chicken breast
spinach salad w/ pancetta, boiled egg, mushrooms, tomatoes, vinaigrette
mashed cauliflower

CrossFit:

500 m row x 4

This is, hands down, my most hated (feared?) WOD. Last time I did it, I was sick all day. This time I feel better, but still had to miss a couple of strokes in round 3 because I thought I was going to pass out & fall off! :)

The idea was to keep all rows within a second of each other (ideally). I went too hard on the first one - should have tried for around the 1:55 mark. Next time, I will try to do this & then I probably won't feel so trashed by the third & fourth sprints.

Times:

1:49.3, 1:59.8, 2:08.8, 2:06.0

PR is 148.3. I could have probably at least matched it on the first row, but was still kind of trying to not completely go 'all out'. Bad strategy - either go 'all out' or try to keep them consistent.

Looking forward to the next couple of days...

My oldest daughter is away on a school trip, and my youngest is off school for the next couple of days, so I will have to bring her to CrossFit with me. I won't force her to get up at 5 a.m. to make our usual 6 a.m. class :), so I will be going to some classes later in the morning. It's always nice to break the routine every once in a while and get a chance to see some people that I don't often see!

Breakfast:

3 eggs
Guacamole
Decaf with almond milk

Lunch:

Mixed vegetable salad with chicken breast & dijon vinaigrette

Snack:

Smoked oysters
Cauliflower

Dinner:

Smokies with fried onions & sauerkraut
Mixed vegetable salad

CrossFit:

Rest day

Weight a minute....

So, in typical male fashion, my husband Bruce is down 5 1/2 pounds after his first week on paleo. Actually, I'm very happy for his success - he had gotten a little off track over the holidays and I'm glad he decided to participate in the challenge with me! Makes it so much easier!

As for my weight - I have no idea. I never weigh myself. I guess I shouldn't say 'never' as about once a year I'll pull out the scale and when I go for a physical they seem to insist on seeing that number and charting out the BMI (MOST useless number in the world!). At one point, I was over 100 pounds heavier than I am now and I know how addicting that scale can be. And how it can ruin what was otherwise a good day (I was so 'good' this week, how did I gain half a pound!!!...well, if I'm going to gain weight anyway, I might as well eat ________ (insert carb/fat combo item here)).

I do go by the fit of my clothes and the way my midsection looks - I can usually see the bloat here fairly easily and when the abs become more apparent. And I do have 'the pants' - the ones that probably most of us have that put the kibosh on that whole denial thing pretty quick. I'll probably stick them on/wear them every now & then to see what's happening with the body composition. Anecdotal reports from paleo boards + from others here at CF Edmonton that have done paleo suggest that weight often doesn't change too much, but the body becomes much leaner.

Breakfast:

3 boiled eggs
paleo bread with almond butter
pear

Lunch:

salad with turkey breast, coleslaw mix & dijon vinaigrette (homemade)
broccoli & cauliflower soup

Snack:

tuna in olive oil
mixed nuts
cauliflower

Dinner:

pork rib roast
roasted brussels sprouts
mashed cauliflower

After supper had some mixed nuts & piece of cauliflower - dumb! Not hungry, just feel like munching.

CrossFit:

5 rounds:

50 double unders
30 SDHP 35/55
10 burpees

Effin double unders!! Finished 4 rounds + 30 double unders in 30 minute time cap.

Holy Guacamole!

Guacamole is definitely the theme of the day as I plan on having it for at least two meals (maybe 3, who knows?!). I'm incorporating a lot of avocados into my diet as a healthy fat option, partly because I really like them and find they give a richness and creaminess to a meal, and partly because I am trying to avoid eating too many nuts. Nuts are something that I can really go, well, nuts over. I just find it way too easy to grab a few here & there and munch mindlessly or eat too many at one time. I wouldn't sit and eat 4 avocados at one time, but could easily polish off an equivalent quantity of nuts without much difficulty!

Breakfast:

3 egg omelette with guacamole (small avocado, spoonful salsa, garlic, lime juice, salt)
decaf with almond milk

Lunch:

Red Lobster:
pickerel with shrimp & tomato topping
garden salad with oil & vinegar
steamed broccoli

Snack:

tuna in olive oil
almonds

Dinner:

chicken breast with guacamole
broccoli sauteed with garlic and almonds

CrossFit:

Rest day

One week down...

I went to the T&T Supermarket and picked up ingredients to make Thai food. It was very inexpensive and any extras (lime leaves, Thai basil, chilies, etc.) can be frozen and used later. This is Thai green curry chicken. It was very yummy!



Well, today is the end of the first week of the challenge - so far, so good. Started focusing on more fats/less carbs on Day 3 & it's getting easier. Today was day 5 of CrossFit, but tomorrow and Wednesday will probably be rest days. I don't know if it's paleo, but I feel very energetic & don't even feel like I need a rest day right now. That could also be because we haven't had any heavy duty metcon for a while.

Lunch:

turkey breast
broccoli & cauliflower soup
1/2 small avocado

Snack:

turkey breast
mixed nuts
cauliflower

Supper:

Thai green curry chicken
cauliflower fried rice


CrossFit:

Overhead Squat
5x10

75, 80 (need to focus on depth), 80x9, 80, 85 (felt the best of any), 90 (did a 6th set to see how it went). Did all push presses from behind the head - normally this freaks me out, but felt good today.

I can't even remember the last time we had an OHS grinder, so enjoyed doing this one.

Intermittent Fasting

The aftermath of Elizabeth..ring dip bruises

I know that intermittent fasting is a big part of paleo for a lot of people. I have tried it (mainly just for 16 hours), but am not real thrilled with it. As someone who has a history of binge eating, getting this hungry (which always happens when doing CrossFit at 6 a.m.) is not a good idea. I do generally skip breakfast on Saturdays & Sundays when going to CrossFit, but I sometimes feel like I reach a point later in the day where I just can't get enough to eat - I'm constantly hungry and have that shaky, headachy, low blood sugar feeling when I haven't eaten breakfast. For now, I don't think it's something that I want to experiment with too much.

Lunch:

broccoli & califlower soup
turkey breast on cauliflower fried rice
1/2 avocado

Snack:

canned salmon
1/2 small avocado
cauliflower

Dinner:

Boston Pizza:
Spinach salad (no cheese) with chicken breast, tomato, egg, bacon, mushrooms, vinaigrette

CrossFit:

Tabata Something Else:

pullups
pushups
situps
squats

Started with squats - 131, 24, 44, 109 = 308. Pullups kind of blew today.

So sore...

Okay, today's WOD really did me in - I was already sporting bruises and muscle soreness by 8 a.m. This does NOT bode well for tomorrow...Yesterday was pretty good hunger-wise, today I am ravenous! Could be the WOD, sometimes it does that to me or the lower carbs - again, my instinct is to carb it up, but I am trying to use proteins/fats instead.

Breakfast:

3 boiled eggs
1/2 avocado
pear

Lunch:

stir fry with chicken breast, broccoli, bok choy, mushrooms, zucchini
small handful almonds

Snack:

smoked oysters
almonds

Dinner

meatballs with tomato & vegetable sauce
cauliflower fried rice

CrossFit:

Elizabeth

21-15-9

cleans 95/135
ring dips

17:01

I did the power clean version. Rx'd!! First time making it through the ring dips. Singles for a lot of it, but I'll take it!

Fear of Fat...

I admit it...I'm afraid of fat. I think it's partly a throwback to growing up in the '70's & '80's where 'low fat' was the mantra. Eat all the pasta with tomato sauce you want! But for the love of God, don't put any ground beef with it! That's how you'll gain weight! Baked potatoes - fine! Just leave off that butter! No chocolate - jujubes and jelly beans are fine though - no fat!

Now in my head, I know the benefits of healthy fats and incorporate them into my diet. I take omega 3 supplements as well. I am definitely feeling uncomfortable as I try to shift away from using carbs to feel full (I overdo the veggies, especially baby carrots) and moving towards incorporating more fats to feel full. I still have this 'I could eat a whole head of cauliflower for the calories in these 10 nuts!' mentality. I guess the proof will be in the pudding as they say - I'm sticking with it and will see for myself what happens!

Breakfast:

2 boiled eggs
paleo bread with almond butter
pear

Lunch:

turkey breast
broccoli & cauliflower soup (again! Love it - thanks Stacy, will probably have this every day!)
1/2 avocado

Snack:

turkey breast
mixed nuts

Dinner:

beef & pork patty with portabella mushroom 'buns', avocado & salsa (pictured above)
broccoli & cauliflower soup

CrossFit:

Split jerk 5x3 12x1 3 mins.

Gymnastics skill practice of our choice

Worked up to 105. Have only done this lift a couple of times - lots of technique to work on. Worked on kipping pullups. Will they ever NOT be the bane of my existence? Doubt it.

Move away from the carbs....

I like to eat - a lot. As in a lot of food at one time. I like to feel really full. I usually accomplish this paleo-style by filling up on a lot of raw veggies - cauliflower, baby carrots, zucchini. The thing is, though, that I eat beyond what I need and just because something is paleo-friendly doesn't mean it's a licence to eat for the sake of eating. I think I actually end up eating a lot of carbs this way - especially with baby carrots. My focus is going to be adding more good fats to my meals. I eat lots of protein, so I'm not worried about tweaking this too much right now.

Definitely noticed the lower carb intake today - really, really hungry in late afternoon, like wanting to chew my arm off hungry. Now, a few hours after supper, though, I am feeling good.

Breakfast:

1 boiled egg
1 slice paleo bread (recipe from www.elanaspantry.com)
almond butter
apple

Lunch:

turkey breast
broccoli & cauliflower soup
1/2 avocado
zucchini

Snack:

turkey breast
mixed nuts
cauliflower

Dinner:

broccoli & cauliflower soup
bacon & avocado omelette

CrossFit:

Today is a hopper WOD. Every class will be different, so I won't be giving anything away:

5 rounds:
5 HSPU
20 toes to bar
10 ring dips
40 squats

20 minute time cap. Finished 2 rounds + 30 reps. HSPU's with 2 ab mats, ring dips unassisted (these took a long time, but wanted to focus on them). Toes to bar sucked!

We started a 6-week paleo eating challenge at CrossFit. Although I have been eating this way for some time, I was losing interest and motivation and becoming a little more lax, so I am hoping the challenge and group accountability will get me back on track. In all honesty, I haven't been feeling too motivated these first couple of days. Maybe this blog will help!

I will start posting my meals tomorrow and will post some recipes as well.