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.