Long Time...

I haven't been updating lately, but my excuse is not that I have been off the wagon! I've just been super busy and writing down my daily food intake took a backseat.

I have been very good Paleo all of last week and so far this week. As is typical, I went off Paleo on Saturday at lunch (an arugula and ham pizza so at least it had lots of greens), but other than that I've been great.

A few things I've realized:
1. I actually don't vary my daily meals too much. Breakfast is almonds, fruit and an egg and/or turkey. Lunch is a chicken salad. Dinner is a grilled or baked meat and steamed or roasted veggies. I always get hungry in the later evening and my go-to then is fruit.
2. Brussel sprouts are my new favorite vegetable!
3. I am not a person who can just have a tiny bit of something, like those who can have just one bite of pizza or dessert. If I start, I will finish. Some people can moderate their portions and not deprive themselves of anything. Not me!
4. I am very good at eating Paleo Sunday-Friday, but when Saturday comes around I need to kick back a bit. If I try to go 100% all the time, I end up crashing and going way off Paleo to an extreme. So this challenge has helped me realize that my best approach is one that is extremely Paleo six days a week with one day of letting go.

I realize also that I have not been strict Paleo for 30 days so I may not have realized the benefits. But I do know that when I eat Paleo I feel great. I can throw in a non-Paleo meal once in awhile but I need to return to Paleo to feel good.

I did my max pull-ups yesterday (January 24) and got 27! I was so proud of that number. Two weeks ago I would never have thought I could do that many. I have Amanda to thank for helping me strive toward a goal. She looks like such a badass when she does so many at once that she provided the motivation and knowing that she was working toward a goal for so many pull-ups helped me. Thanks Amanda! You are awesome!

So I'm headed out of town for the next month and that will be a true test for me. I won't have a Crossfit gym so I'll have to motivate by myself to work hard and I will hardly know what exercises to do in a traditional gym. But I realize in five weeks I'll be back at the gym and I want to work hard now to make that return less painful.

If any of you are in Vail next month let me know. We'll hit the slopes and I'll take you to my favorite bar in the world too!

Back on It

I haven't posted in a few days, so my recollection of meals is a little fuzzy, but here's the jist:

Friday:
8 am: banana, 1/4 green pepper, 2 slices turkey
12 pm: grilled chicken salad with tomatoes
8 pm: sashimi, steak, one spicy tuna roll (yes, a roll with rice), 1 glass red wine, 1 tequila, soda and lime juice

Saturday:
I enjoyed the huge luxury of sleeping in until 11 on Saturday. For you young whippersnappers that may be a common occurrence, but once I had kids it became pure gold only received once in awhile.
12:15 pm: salmon, green beans, artichoke hearts
4:30 pm: queso and chips (I entertained people for a football game and I couldn't resist my own thing...I know, excuses are plentiful but don't add up to anything of substance.)
6:30 pm: pork chop, asparagus

Sunday:
8:30 am: 1 egg, apple
12 pm: chicken fajitas with onions, peppers, lettuce, pico de gallo and guacamole
6:30 pm: pizza (we ended having an impromptu family visit and not enough food to serve dinner, so pizza was ordered).

So I sit here tonight at 9:30 reviewing the last three days and see that I would be so on and then so off in one fell swoop. Why am I so quick to accept temptations? When I go out of my routine (going for a night on the town or having people over to my house and choosing to serve something that's not Paleo-friendly), I cave. I need to think about that some more.

And for the record, after eating pizza tonight, I feel terrible physically. I'm excited for a new week and a healthy day tomorrow.

In a Funk

The last couple days I have been feeling very apathetic about staying on this more strict Paleo diet. Right now the only thing keeping me on it is knowing I am writing this blog and thinking about doing more pull-ups at the end of the month. I don't know why I'm feeling down on this right now, especially when I'd had such an easy first several days. Oh well, I'm still on and will continue.

Thursday:
8 am: one egg, spinach
11:15 am: Chipotle chicken and beef salad, guacamole, tomatoes
3 pm: Paleo brownie apple
6 pm: ribs, half a sweet potato, zucchini and squash

Wednesday:
7:45 am: banana, slice of turkey, handful of pecans
8:30 am: Crossfit
12:30 pm: chicken lettuce wraps
3:45 pm: handful of pecans
7:30 pm: hummus (I know, not Paleo), carrots and green peppers, spaghetti squash, pomodoro sauce, chicken and zucchini

Back in the Groove

Tuesday went well and though I'm having some sugar cravings, I've been able to stay away:
8 am: banana, handful of pecans, slice of turkey
10 am: Crossfit
1 pm: grilled vegetable salad with chicken
3:30 pm: turkey jerky (this may not be great with the preservatives or whatever, but I looked at the ingredients and nothing stuck out and it was tasty!)
6 pm: brussel sprouts, chicken and a tortilla soup minus the tortillas
8:45 pm: large grapefruit

The Floodgates Opened (but Closed Again)!

One can frame Saturday in two different ways. If looking at it from the perspective of a 30 day Paleo Challenge, it was a big FAIL. If looking at it as one day of moderation in an otherwise stellar Paleo week, then it is pretty reasonable.

I hosted 40 people for my daughter's birthday party where we served pizza, cake, oranges and salad. I was busy the whole time and had a little plate of salad and some orange slices. I stayed away from the pizza and cake. But three hours later as I was cleaning up I couldn't resist a slice of bbq chicken pizza and one bite of each of the two cakes we had for the party. I should have done a couple things differently--1. plan to have a better lunch than just some basic salad (which was lettuce only) and 2. had somebody else clean the pizza up.

Saturday evening we went out with friends who ordered drinks for us, and I didn't turn them down. I had two vodka sodas and two glasses of wine, but otherwise stuck pretty well to a Paleo meal of duck and no dessert.

Sunday I woke up ready and motivated to start a new week.
10 am: a few pecans and a slice of turkey
12 pm: sausage and pork ribs, side salad from the County Line
5:45 pm: grilled salmon on a bed of spinach with sliced almonds
9 pm: small bowl of blueberries

Monday:
8 am: slice of turkey, one banana
8:30 am: Crossfit
12:15 pm: grilled chicken salad with tomatoes and onions
4:30 pm: handful of pecans
6 pm: grilled chicken on a bed of spinach with tomatoes and green peppers covered in homemade tomato sauce
8:45 pm: small bowl of strawberries

Tonight I went to support Jesse as he busted out 500 burpees in 50 minutes. He was a marvel to watch. Talk about mental toughness, not to mention being in such good shape that his form never suffered through all those burpees. It is great to have a trainer who is so committed and such a good example. You are a total stud Jesse!

Tough Day

Today was by far the hardest day I've had so far. My cravings hit me hard. I sat and stared for an hour at the bowl of candy that sat on the table in front of me at the title company during my closing this afternoon. I was dying for something so while at HEB I went to the dry goodies area and looked at the cinnamon pecans I love. I read the label that stated they have sugar, butter, etc. and I actually walked away. At dinner tonight, I wanted to dive face first into the queso, but I made it. All because I don't want to have to write that I gave in.

7:45 am: 1 turkey slice, 5 pecans, one banana
8:30 am: Crossfit workout
12:30 pm: grilled chicken salad with bacon and tomatoes
3:30 pm: 5 oz. chicken salad
5:00 pm: 6 pecans
6:30 pm: chicken fajita meat with onions and peppers

The challenge tomorrow--my daughter's 3rd birthday party where we will serve pizza (my favorite!) and cake. I'll be having salad. And then a night out with friends tomorrow evening. Wish me luck!

Have a great weekend!

18 Pull-ups!

I thought I had 19, but Jarrod took the last one away because my head wasn't above the bar, so I am tied for second place now.

Amanda, here I come...!