5 lbs down!

While I am sitting at 160 even this morning, I am 5 lbs down from 2 weeks ago.

March got completely away from me, and I forgot my number one rule "each meal is a chance to start fresh".  No more excuses.  As of March 28, I started cleaning things up substantially.  I went through the cupboards (lucky for me there was a spring food drive in my apartment complex!) and then the fridge and freezer. 

TEMPTATION BE GONE!  If it's not there, I won't eat it.  If I crave it, I will have to physically go out and get it, and I just don't do that! 

I have been working on prep, and that makes things much easier.  Making sure that when I get home from grocery shopping I get things ready to "grab and go".  I also bought the Primal Blueprint Cookbook (Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier) it is stuffed with fantastic options and recipes.  I started by making the Baked Egg Muffins (p 160).  I actually made 2 different variations.  One with lean ground beef, the other with the meat from some local turkey/spinach/onion sausages (Hayters for the locals).  Peppers and onions in the beef and I put asparagus and reconstituted dried cranberries in the turkey one.  A bit different with the cranberry, but good none the less. 

My quick dinner for when I have been late at the gym has been chicken thighs done on the George Foreman grill.  As long as I avoided getting one of those (I don't know why) I don't regret having it one bit.  Sprinkle some Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning on them and pop the lid over them.  Steam some asparagus and broccoli, and the quickest, yummiest dinner ever.

Quick dessert of Greek yogurt with berries and a drizzle of agave and I have had an awesome, tasty and filling dinner - cheap and good for me.

I have also started to run again, after a 4 month hiatus, it is hard.  I knew it would be, and this is the longest I have gone without running in 7 years.  I won't beat myself up over it, what's done is done.. but I realize now (even with it being "hard") that I missed it terribly.

So.. quick update only.  Back to the kitchen I go..

Zucchini Egg Bake (p 166) and Turkey Kabobs (p 90) are on today's cook ahead plan...  

I am a planner...

I like to plan but I find that I can find a way to wiggle out of that plan relatively quickly when things get busy.  So, to be able to move to a more paleo/primal eating style, I need to have a set of solid (and preferably easy) group of meals to grab from.

I've been thinking about this a fair bit over the last 24 hours and have come up with a set of 4-5 possible meal options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I am looking for a few additional ideas, so if you have some "secret faves" please, fee free comment.

Breakfast:

• egg and Canadian bacon
• Greek yogourt and fruit
• protein shake (on busy mornings)
• cottage cheese and avocado
• protein pancakes (have some rolled oats in them)

Lunch:

• grilled meat (chicken, pork, beef) and salad
• cottage cheese with salmon or tuna
• grilled meat and grilled veggies
• omelette with cheese and veggies

Dinner:

• Grilled meat/fish with roasted or mashed sweet potato
• Large salad with salmon/tuna or eggs
• Eggs with lots of veggies

Snacks:
Lots of nuts and seeds (almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds) a bit of dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries) fruit  (apples, avocado, grapes, berries), Greek yogourt.

I am going to go back to drinking black coffee ( I can't give up my java!) and I already drink anywhere from 3-4 litres of water a day.  The occasional green, orange pekoe or herbal tea at night as well.

So, feedback, opinions are always welcome!  I am going to make a basic grocery list that I will be able to use weekly to replenish my cupboard.   


I will be posting some recipes once I have tested them out (and approved by my Foodie palate) over the next couple of weeks.  While I am OK with keeping the basics in rotation, I do enjoy cooking and recipe testing, so I will be playing around with those "basics"

Have an AWESOME DAY!

Friday musings.....

First off, thanks for the comments in my first post.  I appreciate them, and some of the links that I have found while perusing through your respective blogs! 

Today will probably be a whole lot, about a bunch of things.  I'm in one of those moods.. lol.

First topic of discussion:  Strong is the New Skinny (SINS).  I ADORE this term.  This is how I talk to my clients, and how I perceive myself.  While now I have a little excess over my strong, it is my motto, and my training method.  At the previous gym I worked at, I got into a very lengthy discussion with a woman (about my own age) one evening.  She was waiting for her daughter to finish a yoga class and I was just finishing up my day and leaving the Trainer Office.  She looked as though she wanted to ask me a question, so I stopped to chat with her.  I didn't get the comment that I expected, but I took it like a big girl.

"You're a personal trainer, how come you are big?"

Yes.. she said that... While it did cross my mind to drop her to the floor right there, I sucked up my pride and defended strong vs "skinny".  I know what I look like at 125 lbs.  I am waify and my spine is noticeable.  It's not nice.  I am desperately trying to find some pics so I can put them in my blog, but 2002 was pre-digital!  I always seemed to be behind the camera, even at my thinnest!  I told her I would rather weigh 10-15 lbs more (so 135-140) and look/feel strong. 

   This is me, September 2006, at about 138 lbs.... Has to be one of my fave running photos. 

She still wasn't getting it.  She is/was stuck on that THIN = FIT.  So, to make my point, I asked her to point out someone she thought was "fit" in the gym... then get that girl to do a side-by-side plank against me... I may not be "fit" (in her mind) but I can do a 2+ minute straight arm plank....

Being a single and looking girl as well, I often struggle with filling out the body description area of my profile.  I always lean towards "athletic" but know that far too many men equate athletic with skinny.  Where on earth do they get that from?  I mean - look at female cyclists & speedskaters (whom I resemble most build wise).  They are strong, powerful and ATHLETIC!  But I know that by putting athletic as my body type I am just setting myself up for discussions that I don't want to get into, so I simply put "average" .  :(  I can't even flaunt my athleticism when looking for a date. 

So that is my constant dilemma.  Lord knows I have actually had dreams lately that I have been fired from the gym I train in because I am not skinny.  Which is a silly, silly idea.

Speaking of work, I had a FANTASTIC work out today.  First strength workout in about 5 weeks.  Between being super busy and hurting my back a week and a half ago I made myself work out after I had finished my last client today.  3 circuits, 15 reps & 3 sets of each.

1:
Plate press (200 lbs)
Tricep pull down (cable) 25 lbs
Bench step ups

2:
Laying Hamstring curls 30 lbs
Lat Pull down 45 lbs
Good Mornings 20 lb barbell

3:
Smith Squats 90 lbs
Decline chest press 10 lbs
Piston squats

I was "done" when I was finished, but I had a smile on my face and felt awesome.  Workouts scheduled for S, T & Th next week.  Same legs, mix up the upper body work. 

Food, not completely paleo/primal yet, but working on it.  I can't afford to clear the fridge and start from fresh right now (February has been a brutally expensive month for me) so I am making do with what I had already.  I am pretty much out of bread products, so the last 2 days have been completely bread free.  Tonight I did have some rice, but that was due to my workout..... A lot of the other trainers I work with will have some carbs, but only after they have done a work out.  So that worked for me today. 

Well, if you are still reading, thank you.. my ramblings are done for tonight! 

See you in a day or two! 

ONE SIXTY ONE...

Yes, that's the number that greeted me (or rather mocked me) on the scale this morning....

How did it get to that? 

Easy, I have been eating like crap, no time to work out, you name it, I have an excuse for it.

There.  Said it....

Today is the start, the start of my returning back to the person I "like"

I took before pictures (which may NEVER bee seen by the public eye) and re-visited some web sites that I have bookmarked.  The Warrior Diet, Mark's Daily Apple, Weight Watchers and SINS of course (Strong is the new skinny). 

What's left to do today? 

•  measurements
• food plan
• grocery shopping

What are my short term goals for this week:

• Get a couple of work outs in.  My back is still not 100%, but that doesn't preclude me from doing some upper body
• Eat well - basic paleo, lots of protein, start cutting back the excess carbs
• Make a pact with a couple of my co-workers to kick me in the @ss when they see me wasting time that I could be working out.  

I am going to think about a 4 week goal, and an 8 week goal for my next post.  But I know that I want to get back to around 23-25 % body fat (perfect for endurance) and get back to running shorter distances, heck just RUNNING again would be awesome, over the next few months, maybe target a 10K in May, followed by a couple of shorter triathlons in the summer.  

Anyhow, thanks for reading, and if you decide to follow, comments and @ss kicking are always encouraged!