_____
Melissa,
I just wanted to drop you a line to say thanks. In January of this year, I was hovering around 200 lbs. Then in March I hit 205 and I had, so I started a modified Zone diet. This modified Zone plus some basic exercise got me down to 169. Not bad... but I did not learn anything about what got me to that number.
Eighteen days ago, I stumbled onto your blog by way of CrossFit NYC. I was going to start on August 1st, but then my partner said, "Start now. Don't wait." So I did. Here is what has happened in the past 15 days.
- I gave up my addition to caffeine, along with a very harmful attachment to Splenda.
- I learned how to read labels - who knew that a basic plum tomato in a can contains sugar and salt?
- I've learned to love veggies (something I have never done)
- I am down to a lean 158 pounds
- Being a creature of habit, I always ate the same thing for breakfast and lunch. Now I am searching out new things and new textures. Can you believe I have never had a blueberry or an avocado before last week?
- I follow your instructions to the 'T' and shake my head when I hear questions about cocoa powder and coffee with cream.
Alex
_____
Thank you so much for the note, Alex. I am so happy for you, and for the positive changes you are making. Keep up the strong work, and keep me posted as to how things are going.
Best to all of you.
Moxy-Boss
108 comments:
Way to GO Alex!!!
That whole "start now, don't wait" thing is key. Aren't you glad you didn't "wait" until that magic "first of the month or Monday, or after the -----" ?
I did the same and it made all the difference.
you rock!!
Ditto on what Kat says, how many times have we all said "Saturday I will... ok Sunday I will... Ok MONDAY I will. Thanks for sharing the storing it was perfect to email the one person I know that is using this EXACT excuse. Thank you!
Awesome. Go Alex! Every diet change I've ever done has come before a major holiday weekend, and I have to say that I was always better for it. Who wants to have to undo all the damage of a weekend of binging? Not me!
Thats great to hear Alex, I'm sitting here with a big smile on my face! Don't feel that you are alone in battling with your weight. Even the fittest among us have had our struggles! You should be very pround of the progress you have made, keep keeping on!
#1. ALEX! WOOT! Congratulations. So awesome. Like, indescribably awesome. And how happy are you to have discovered the tasty yummy YAY of blueberries and avocados?!
#2. Don't wait. Right. When I first contacted Melissa to help me with my weight loss adventure, I said, "I"m going on vacation in three weeks, and when I get back..."
And genius, I mean, Moxy-Boss, said, "Why wait?"
And in those first three weeks, I lost 2 lbs. and 1.1% body fat and 6 inches, so I felt like a million bucks when I went on my vacation.
Lesson: Listen to the Moxy-Boss and start NOW.
Have an awesome dino-chow day, y'all. I'm going to Dallas to see the American Idol concert tonight... commence mocking.
But take this: I packed snacks and dinner for tonight so I'm all set to stay the course.
Good job alex!! Do you know how many times I've been asked 'What is that?' while cracking into an avocado at work? I can't believe how many people don't know where their guacamole comes from!
At the beginning of the month I put a Whoopie Pie in the freezer to save for after the 30 days. At first it was really hard to ignore it in there behind the frozen beef and brussel sprouts but now whenever I open the door it doesn't even look appetizing.
HOwever, I STILL miss cheese...it's harder for me to resist than sugar :|
@Alex : way to go, man. Welcome aboard.
@Melicious : have fun at your concert. I shall not mock... for I know what would happen to me if you had your wheels on.
(Speaking of, I followed some of your links and even watched a video of Gotham v The Texecutioners - awesome stuff!)
Yay, Texecutioners! My one regret about my Roller Derby days is that just as I was about to make the cut for our all-star team, I had my first and only injury.
But I think that was also the day I felt like a "real athlete."... "I tore my rotator cuff in the scrimmage before the big game!"
Congrats Alex and everyone on your successes so far! It is very empowering to pass up all the crap food that taunts us every day.
I am on day 14 and just this morning had thoughts of cheating. Every day before today I've thought about food not on the plan, but never with such longing...LOL. Still the only thing I think about cheating with is a Coke Zero. Man that fake sugar (crack) has a hold on me. I know that making it the full 30 days will be a huge accomplishment, and that my only option would be to start over again if I cheated. I am SO not doing that.
Last night I had an encounter with about 1/2 cup nuts/nutbutter mixed. I was snacky and that sounded good. Now I know that is a crap load of nuts, but I am happy about two things:
1. I WANTED the nuts. That was what I first thought about, not sugar, diet soda, or any other fake food.
2. While that is a lot of nuts, I didn't stuff myself (believe it or not I was not even full after all that) and ate until I was satisfied. In the past if I were snacky at night I would have hoovered that whole jar of almond butter and then grabbed whatever else was within my reach.
So yay! It's great to read everyone else's successes with this!
Amy
@Amy, I have two words for you.
Mineral. Water.
I swear, I live on the stuff. Diet sodas, while perhaps sweet, ARE NOT REFRESHING. Mineral water is crisp, bubbly and has that same "kick" as diet soda, but because it's water, it IS refreshing.
I prefer Gerolsteiner, but Pellegrino is good as well. A little lemon or lime, or toss in some fresh berries like a champagne cocktail and you'll never crave another chemical-bomb Coke ever again.
Melissa
Melissa,
Thanks for the mineral water tip. I, like Amy, am seriously addicted to Coke Zero. That's the one poor choice I'm still making after my switch to Paleo.
Nice! Welcome aboard!
Hey, y'all! Turns out we don't have to bother with all those pesky CrossFit workouts to have the bodies we've always wanted.
Look!
http://www.theflexbelt.com/abs/?mcp=4414&b=8057&pid=48784
Sorry, coaches. Guess you need to find a new job ;-)
Melicious, I'll get one if you get one! LOL
*still pondering Rollergirl name*
Melissa,
I could KISS you right now... I am like a 5 year old at Christmas thinking about mineral water and fresh berries. Wow, this stuff must be finally messing with my brain (thank god) that I am this excited by 2 little words.
Amy I am so with you, I use to eat cheese by the pound after work with crackers and now I eat a tbsp of almond butter and feel full! :)
Time for lunch!!!
Melissa-Oooh berries in the mineral water, now THAT is a great idea. I had a bottle of Pellegrino the other day and it just didn't do it for me. I think adding some flavor will help big time. I think it is also the sweetness that I crave. However, I have noticed that since going off the diet soda, I don't ever crave sugar, EVER!! I only craved sugar after drinking diet sodas. Coincidence?? I think NOT!! (I'm defining sugar as cookies, cake, chocolate etc)
To make the long story short...I will get on that fruit infused mineral water and will report back...
Thanks! Amy
Melissa and other local experts,
I have been a "lurker" on this site for a couple of weeks and have been on the paleo plan for about the same amount of time. Loads of success stories here, and that's great, but I've been having a few problems and I really want to stick it out, but not at the expense of my health. I mean, that would pointless, right? I have been having mild gastrointestinal distress. Nothing terribly painful, but things just aren't as, well, how can I say it...firm as they used to be. I can live with that for two more weeks--as I said, it's not really painful or anything, but I just wonder if it's a good sign and, if not, what am doing wrong. The second problem is a little more concerning. At the end of the day I've been having dizzy spells. I noticed them first while I was working out--doing sit-ups. Then last night it happened while I was just lying down! No exertion involved. If there's a doctor in the house, her advice would be appreciated. However, any other advice would probably be helpful, too. I've felt light-headed in the past because I have fairly low blood pressure, but this is more severe. I also tried to pare back on fruit to alleviate the aforementioned digestive problem, but it doesn't seem to help and I really didn't think i was being that excessive with it to begin with. I think I'm pretty balanced about the veggies and protein. I'm pretty conscientious about eating veggies with every meal.
Any ideas?
Paleo Antipasto:
Ground Beef or turkey
A little EVOO
Olives (we used green & kalmata)
Artichokes
Banana Peppers & Onion Sauteed
Season to your liking
BAM....good stuff.
I heart sparkling water (Target Brand is tasty).
Melicious~I've never been a roller derby girl but I have played RUGBY for the past 8 years. Fun times! But if I was a roller derby girl, I would be called "Sunny D. Light" or something like that:) Suggestions?
Day 8 for me. all is well. trying to cut back on the fruit, yesterday i only had a banana and apple. ate sunbutter w/ the banana- whoooaaaaa holy cow bells that it a wonderful combo.
sometimes when i crave a drink like a dirty martini i'll pour a glass of seltzer water and add green olives and a tad bit of olive juice. it's also a great way to disguise a non-alcoholic drink so everyone doesn't say 'why ain't your drinking' as they slobber on themselves.
Seltzer is the same as mineral water, no? Just for the record I haven’t had one of these drinks in well over a month (just in case it’s not paleo approved). But I do enjoy them.
I still haven’t cooked that egg plant yet. I’m so excited about payday tomorrow. I’m buying some pecan, sunflower and maybe hazelnut butters online AND getting coconut oil. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!
Going to find that egg plant recipe now………..
Can I ask a question about my workout’s here?
I just thought of my Rollergirl name!
Okay, my name is Ronesshia (row-knee-sha), but one of my favorite people in this world calls me Ronnie (ron-knee). Also, I hate thunderstorms, but when I'm mad that's pretty much how I act (or when I'm working out, because I will pretty much always hate that I have to do that).
So...RONNIE THUNDER (like Rolling Thunder). A little corny, but I like it.
Comments?
Hi Tamson,
Welcome!! I am sorry to hear you are having GI problems. I am no doctor, but last year I was experiencing dizzy spells too. How is your fat intake? You may need to increase it.
Best,
Min
New DEEELICIOUS discovery... OMG HEAVEN... COCONUT BUTTER!!!!!!!! It's AMAZING!!!
Miiiiiiiiiiindy, omg spill the beans. where did you find coconut butter? what's the ingredients?
@Tamson: The GI question has been asked and answered a few times in comments - you're not alone in this one. First, I'm not surprised, and be patient. Your body reacts in strange ways to a new diet. Sometimes it takes a while for it to settle in. Veggies can also be the culprit - some people don't do well with raw broccoli, or eggplant, etc. Too many fruits (like grapes) can also promote GI issues. And, of course, you MAY be eating too much fat. But I seriously doubt that's the issue.
I don't know how crappy your diet was before this 30 day period, but the dizzy spells could be your body adjusting to the lack of sugar fixes it was getting. Or, you're not eating enough. Good that you're getting veggies with every meal, and balancing your carbs out with protein, but are you getting FAT with every meal too? You should be.
Fat is the answer, people.
@Elizabeth - you can ask anything you want here. Seltzer is just filtered, carbonated tap water. Unlike mineral water, it does not have any added minerals. Both are A-OK to drink here.
I also love mineral water! It is so refreshing. I have never tried it with fruit before, but adding raspberries sounds delicious. I am on day 7 and have started to be more creative. I have been upping fats (olives & walnuts) as much as possible. What are some other sources of fat? For dinner the other night I made a paleo Shepard's Pie with mashed cauliflower in place of the potatos, ground beef & corn topped with tomato sauce (no additives)...OMG I devoured 2/3 of it. So delicious. Can't wait to hear more recipe ideas! I am loving LARABARS and intrigued by both coconut & sunbutter!!
Tyler - sorry to burst your paleo bubble, but corn is a grain, yo. I think it's on Melissa's bad list.
@Tyler, while it's not a major transgression in my book (especially because you just didn't realize)... corn is a grain, yo. Take it out of your recipe, however, and you're solid.
I have heard that corn is one of those ones (like green beans) that it depends who you ask. Bummer! I will take it out and substitute with a different delicious veggie. At least I didn't top it with mini marshmallows, hot fudge and sprinkles which would have been my TRUE heart's desire :)
Tamson, I've had the dizziness and I think it can be due to two things: one, not eating enough, and two, having digestive issues can cause dehydration. Drink lots of water to make up for what your body is losing!
In fact, I've been trying to figure out what's causing my intermittent "digestive issues" (a lovely way to not say "diarrhea"). I'd narrowed it down to four things: caffeine, berries, raw veggies (with a possible single culprit among the veggies), or too much fat.
The last several days I've given up all of the above -- okay, maybe not the fat -- and have felt much, much better. Yesterday, as a test, I had blueberries with breakfast. Hey, no problems! I ate lunch, which was the leftovers from the night before, and which caused no running to the bathroom. So, I decide to walk over to the coffee place on campus and discovered that something I ate was already reacting with my system. The caffeine test was not necessary. I'm thinking it's the blueberries at breakfast. I did some googling and discovered something called fructose malabsorption:
http://www.healthhype.com/fructose-malabsorption-cause-symptoms-and-diagnosis.html
I'm wondering if this is my problem. Bananas don't seem to be an issue (they have less fructose vs. glucose), so it could be caused by certain fruits, like berries, which will suck big time. I love berries. I only recently discovered the joy of blueberries!
I've got to do some more testing to confirm what's the real problem. Eating so clean this month certainly removes a lot of other variables!
Tyler - EW. Somehow the combination of cauliflower and mini marshmallows is just not appealing :)
Can I ask about the paleo focus on lean meats vs. fatty? I have to admit I get ma lot of my fat from fatty beef (only way I can afford organic, grass-fed). Is this something we need to worry about?
Hey Elizabeth!!!! You soo have to try this taste of heaven...MMMM... Raw Organic Coconut Butter. Ingredients: 100% Organic Raw Coconut.
I found it in the "raw foods" area of whole foods. SOOO 'effin good!!!! I bet it would taste even better twisted with almond butter! Gonna try that today!!! ahhh watery mouth!!!!
@flaggal: I found your post very interesting, my friend felt that she has fructose malabsorption as well. She went to the doc and they are going to do tests. I didn't think anything of it in regards to myself, but then I read your post and it made me wonder if a fructose malabsorption was contributing to my painful bloating (I had terrible painful bloating prior paleo). I use to eat a TON of fruit. And like Byers, grapes made my tummy hurt sooo bad, but I still ate the heck out of em hopin one day they wouldn't cause pain. I was wrong. I could eat a few and be fine though. It just got bad when I overate them. My family thought it could be some kind of acidity thing? Anywho, I've taken out dairy, gluten and artifical sweeteners (stevia included) and I hardly eat any fruits at all now, Since I have done this, I am 100% bloat-free!!! I have hypothyroidism and went to my doc about my painful bloating and he was concerned that b/c of my thyroid condition, that I am lactose-intolerant and may have a gluten allergy so paleo has been PERFECT for me. Now that I've taken out all these things, I feel great, I just now wonder which of these things were causing my bloating and dizziness. LOL. Maybe I'll never know, but I've also considered doing some trial and error testing like you have. But not for awhile cuz I'm feeling so great... why try to fix something that ain't broken?!!! Have you talked to your doctor about any of this? I hope you are able to figure what your body likes and dislikes!!!
Sunny D. Light and Ronnie Thunder are officially Melicious-approved™.
Roll on with your bad selves!
Thanks Mindy, Melissa, Flaggal,
All sound plausible. I'm pretty sure I'm getting enough fat, because I eat butt loads of nuts, but I'll definitely be more conscious of it.
Also, sorry to make you rehash. I tried to comb through the comments, but there are lot. You're a popular lady.
@Nadia: As Dallas reminded me JUST today... Fat is not just fat. The SOURCE is important. One, balance your fat intake from meat and whole eggs with things like avocado, nuts and olives. Variety is important here. Variety, in fact, is important EVERYWHERE. Two, if you're eating a lot of meat and whole eggs, you'd better make SURE you are eating lots of vegetables (the green, leafy kind) to maintain a good acid/base balance.
@Tamson: No worries. Sometimes I don't even go back through the comments to copy and paste my own responses. There ARE a lot.
Just in case y'all don't read the Daily Apple... compelling post today about saturated fat.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/saturated-fat-healthy/
I've been reading through all the posts and comments and it's finally pushed me over the edge; I'm starting my 30 days right now, this instant.
The last straw is having to take a week off from Crossfit to try and recover from the various aches, pains and inflammation that have accumulated lately. If eating right means I can start training 5 days a week then that's enough motivation right there.
I wouldn't have had the guts to try this without Melissa's posts and all the comments so thanks to everyone for the inspiration.
Good on you, anthony! Welcome to the paleo party!
I have another question I figured I'd throw up here as long as it's on my mind. My right leg is stronger then my left. I also have scoliosis - one of these factors contributes to the other and vice versa. Are there any exercises I can do just the left side to beef up my right leg a bit? I thought rows using only my left but would appreciate any other ideas!! Thanks! :)
I'm on day 1 and the afternoon craving for something bad is here. I have 2 hour drive home in a few minutes, any ideas for something I can grab at a convenience store?
@Ricky- What are you craving? Sweet? Salty? Larabars are sweet/yummy. All nuts/seeds are great to curb cravings!!! natural beef jerky if you can find some. Water can do wonders as well!! Stay strong.. you can get through this!!! I promise you it will be worth it!!!!
Today is day 1 for me as well. Other than the effects of detoxing from my way too many times daily Monster energy drink habit I'm doing good. Can't wait for all the great things you all are experiencing to start happening for me.
I bought the kids a pepperoni pizza today to eat at the park with friends and got really grossed out watching them eat. and not from their lack of manners... it just did not look like food to me. What a colossal change in my taste! Happy day. And a pr with rx'd "DT" helped too!
I am having trouble finding paleo - friendly sauces. Most of what is offered is loaded with corn syrup, sugar and other unsavory ingredients. Anyone have any recipes? Looking for a barbecue sauce in particular. Here is a marinade/sauce recipe I did last night to try from Jordan Maerin's book for raw food people:
Curried Apple Marinade
1/2 cup apple juice, fresh if you have a juicer
2 Tb. sesame or olive oil
2-4 Tb. diced onion
1 tsp. garam masala or curry powder
1/4 tsp. each dry mustard and black pepper
cayenne or minced hot peppers to taste.
You can marinate veggies in this overnight, or for a few hours. esp. cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers.
Moxy-Boss - soy sauce is not allowed right? What about salting your food?
Hey Tyler, I have a few clients in your boat. Try pistol squats, one legged pickups, jump rope alternating feet, lunges, pushup to plank(put your hands where your elbows are and repeat). One arm DB snatch, One arm kettle swings, staggered hand pushups, DB push press, ring work will do the trick too! How much difference do you have in strength? Keep in mind, some of these are pretty advanced moves and I'm not your trainer, so it'd be a good idea to consult a certified trainer(pref Crossfit) and get some one on one attention. Yoga will do wonders for your scoliosis, opening up tight intercostals, core muscles, shoulders and hips that probably need it badly due to overcompensation.
Just to be clear, I am a certified trainer, but I can't train you with my mouse...no yet anyway, the government is holding the technology back......
Thanks Robbie! I am in my 3rd month of Crossfit with two level 1 certified trainers. I will write down all of the exercises you mentioned and test them out. The strength difference isn't huge, but enough that my trainers point it out during my deadlifts!! I am only at a 135lb PR (female & weigh 111lbs.) and fear the right side compensation will get worse as the weight gets heavier. Thanks for your help!! :)
@Oh, what have I done? - I'm sure you have a reason for this, but I can't help but wonder why you would commit to a 30 day paleo challenge (where the intent is to be getting healthier) and then buy your kids pepperoni pizza? Especially since you said it did not look like food to you. This just seems a little contradictory to me.
Day 22 for me. I am definitely going to see this out (going for 35 days), but I am not sure being this strict works best for me. Overall, I haven't seen any change from when I was paleo 80/20ish to now, except that I feel like I have less energy then before. This however, I am not fully convinced is because of the diet, as I don't sleep well and it's been really hot here. I'm pretty sure my fat is high enough (between 50-65% of cals) and I'm getting between 2000-3000 calories a day. I have lost about five pounds which is a lot for me as I am already very thin and have pretty low body fat. I have also been getting dizzy spells when I stand up too fast (this was not a problem until right after I started this challenge), so I am going to try to drink more water as per the suggestion.
Here's a quote I like a lot: "Bite off more than you can chew and then chew it." I think it fits well with the intent here!
Hello all
Ontheroad= Alex
Thanks for all your comments, this is the first time I had to write all day.
Well today was day 18, yesterday I was able to actually sit in Rays pizza on 6th while my girlfriend ate her dinner and I was fine.
Today was a bit harder, the hardest days are the ones that i am bouncing from client to client in manhattan.
Still 100% clean
Go Cave people!
@flaggal and mindy
I hear ya with the gut issues. Flaggal, I have exactly the same issue with berries and nuts/ fat. Mindy the painful bloating is gone too. I love this way of eating and I'm not missing anything since I feel so much better. Day 22 here and I honestly don't see myself breaking this diet after 30 days. Perhaps an ice cold beer on a hot day, but as for the dairy and grains I'm done!
Keep your focus and have an awesome weekend everyone!
I just found this blog today and I'm starting my 30 days of Paleo right now. I've read The Paleo Diet for Athletes but never implemented it, so now with Crossfit and Paleo I hope to become a lean machine!
It made my day to read that Alex found your blog through the CFNYC blog. This is why I link you all the time! Always with the great stuff! Keep up the great work, Melissa.
Day 1 is in the books and went pretty well. I had this to eat today :
12pm – grilled chicken/pickles/salad/almonds/water
2:30pm – BBQ turkey/BBQ slaw/water
5pm – coffee
9pm – shrimp/hamburger steak/salad
So I had some soaked, ground almonds sitting in the fridge all week (left over from making almond milk). I took it out last night and it smelled a bit yeasty, but I decided to take a risk and cooked it with some coconut milk, ginger, and spices. It made a great porridge! I think I'm adding it to breakfast for the next few days
Anyhow, Mark's daily apple has some good things to say about soaking and sprouting nuts:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/soaking-seeds-and-nuts/
day 9 for me. midsection is looking good but the scale has not went down at all. don't even know why i'm getting on the scale honestly. i'll get my Cf trainer to test my BF at the end of the 30 days.
I'm planning on doing this for life. i maybe have a beer or vino once in a while but crap food makes me feel like crap... so why would i want to eat it?
I mean after the 30 days i may use vinegar on my salad if i'm out to eat or something small like that.
My plan is to be SUPA FLY well into my 60's. HOLLLLAAAHHHHH
I got a solid 7.5 hours sleep last night and i feel like a MACHINE.
working out w/ my 2 gf's at the park after work. gonna get our kettle bell sssshhhaaawiiiing on :)
Moxy-Boss- i have a question about my training. i can only get to my local box 2 times a week starting next week (Wednesday & Saturday) which are group classes. I still have my Y membership and I have some equipment at home (kb, ez-bar, some plates, dumb bells and outside pull up bar will be done this weekend- THANKS POP). I feel like I’m training w/ out a plan. And without a plan/course or direction I feel like I’m going no where. Like I’m driving around in circles. What should I do?
I favor lifting heavy, pretty good runner, usually suck at the met-cons. Can’t yet do a pull-up. I guess I need a plan for that too since it will be done this weekend.
Moxy-Boss- sorry that is a stupid question to ask. i know what i need to do. i need to talk to my CF coach and see if he'll put something together for me.
I know you guys/girls better than i know my own group.
Big hugs to everyone :)
@Elizabeth: Ha! I was going to say, "Um, get a plan." So you're not far off, but it's definitely NOT a dumb question. That can be easier said than done.
First, figure out what your group classes usually hit. Most group classes work way more met-con than strength. If that's the case, maybe you work your heavy stuff at the Y twice a week, and do something fun at home as an optional fifth day. But you have to program around your group classes, because you don't have any control over that programming. And yes... talk to your CF coach, because they should be able to help you figure all of this out.
And - pet peeve - get off the flippin' scale. Honestly - any measurement that fluctuates significantly based on whether you've peed or not shouldn't be bothered with.
Elizabeth,
Buy a pull up bar and install it at home. On days you can't make it to the gym, you can grease the groove.
"Hmmmm... I should have peed this morning" was my first thought after reading all the comments this morning. lol. bad... Elizabeth I am with you. To me running for an hour and then lifting for an hour is what I have always done so I feel lost to. I am greatful you asked the question (and answered it to!) because I had not really gotten to that point of realizing I didn't have a plan. I have the distinct pleasure of working in the woods with no gyms closer than an hour for six months of the year. I am going to hit up a crossfit place and ask for some help... in fact I am doing that right now!
Food wise, feel good, now making some adjustments. I feel like my body doesn't like so many eggs so I am going to kick them back just a bit but still use them. I was eating a cherry this morning and caught myself feeling that it was the best thing I had EVER eaten. That is new, prior I only had that feeling with processed food. Love it!
If you go to www.ultimatecrossfit.com/blog/blog.html and scroll down to this past Tuesday's workout, you can see Mie 'greasing the groove'...aka kicking my ass at Fran :)
Elizabeth:
I find that when I can't think of what to do, the mainsite WOD's make a great plan.
@Mie- My Dad has already installed the 2 wooden post into cement in the groud for my pull up bar. he's getting the actual bar this week. it's gonna be badass.
I'm just wondering should i do like 10 negatives (lower myself slowly from the top) everyday? should i work on my pull ups everyday, every other day?
Sent a message to my trainer about getting a program together. i'll let you know the outcome.
you
Elizabeth,
YAY for a homemade pull up bar! That's so sweet!!
When I first started, my main goal was to get a pull up. I was working out on my own, so I followed the main site wods and I did mostly jumping pull ups for wods with high rep pull ups. I ALWAYS did 15x3 crossfit warm up before the wod. I never used the bands, I never did negatives and I certainly did not use the gravitron machine. My progression was from jumping pull ups to partial pull ups (not going all the way down) to full deadhang pull ups to kipping pull ups. If you have a pull up set up, do what you can whenever you can. I worked on my pull ups everyday on certain weeks. I'd do like 3-5 pull ups when i walked by my closet where my bar was set up and then do 3-5 more the next time i was in the room, etc.
Good luck with programming and getting your pull ups!
I keep coming back here and reading the posts and comments...
My biggest block to actually jumping into all-out paleo eating is the fact that my husband would be a happy vegetarian if I would quit eating meat again and cooking two meals for two people to eat together just seems a) ridiculous and b) a little overwhelming, especially considering that I'd be asking HIM to cook me a different meal a lot of the time. We already have enough trouble because he doesn't feel good eating red meat or dairy and I don't feel good eating grains!
If anyone has ideas or things that have worked for you, please post 'em. I know I feel better on a paleo-type diet. I also know family meals feed my soul, which is more important to me.
@Tirzah- The rest of my family does not eat remotely close to a Paleo diet. I usually cook a meal consisting of some sort of protein (chicken, steak, pork loin etc) and a carb (rice, yam, potato, corn) and lots of green veggies (asparagus, cabbage, brussel sprouts) and sometimes a bowl of fruit. I serve myself the meat and veggies, and the rest of my family eats everything. That way, it's not really two entirely different meals, and you are still eating with and pretty much what, your family is.
I do the same thing Amy does. If I'm making a compound dish like chili (yeah, i just totally made that word up), I will make a paleo-version and my husband just has to eat it or not get dinner :p He does get to add a little bit of cheese though. My husband declared he will never go paleo, but 3 weeks into my paleo journey, I'm noticing that he skipped his weekly pizza and burger king... *smirk*
I think Amy and Mie's answers touched on Emily's confusion about my feeding my kids pizza. The way I see it is once I get my act together, then I can work on the 5 other people in my family. Its a bit overwhelming to try to take on the huge responsibility of converting everyone at once....in fact, that pressure would probably make me cave in and eat crap again. The goal is to be solid within myself, and then move on to my family. I hope 30 days gets me pretty solid.
Tirzah - you have it tougher with the vegetarian issue. I too, often make 2 meals at dinner time, but over time I find my kids eating more and more from my plate. Maybe he will too..? I try not to get overwhelmed and angry about having to be in the kitchen for hours. Buying myself nice kitchen gadgets helps!
I also try to prepare a bunch of my meals ahead of time. So Sunday afternoon I will cook one dish to eat for lunch for the week, and maybe some extra chicken/other protein to use for dinners. That way you have the protein prepared and you can just eat the veggies that you prepare for dinner. It works for me since I don't mind eating the same thing a few days in a row.
Tirzah, I felt the same you do 100% and used that as excuse to a friend, but here would be how I feel (and I am using your phrasing did not want to run into copyright issues Haha). After I said it outloud a light went off in my head.. maybe reading it in a slightly different context will help you!!
My biggest block to actually jumping into all-out paleo eating is the fact that my boyfriend would be a happy fast ass if I would quit eating crappy processed foods again and cooking two meals for two people to eat together just seems a) ridiculous and b) a little overwhelming.
Does that help? I know it is totally different in one way because your husband eats healthy but you can eat, love, and be with him and still cook partial of you and partial for him. It is so frusterating I know, I know!!! But in order for you each to feed each others souls you each need to be in a healthy happy place and it sounds like his is veggies, and yours is paleo, no reason you can't work together!!! Good luck!
Is salting our food allowed? I think in Cordain's book he says salt is a no no. anybody know for sure?
I have the same deal as some of you. My wife and daughter are vegetarians and I am far from handy in the kitchen. So, I bought a George Foreman grill and cook the meat I need myself and then throw it on a plate with the veggies they cook. If they aren't doing any veggies I can use, then I throw asparagus on the GF grill and I'm done. My dinner never takes more than 15 minutes or so and they don't complain about cooking something special for me.
@Tirzah:
I'm in a similar boat, although my husband is paleo-dairy instead of vegan. When I was eating grains, I would make a paleo-friendly dish (lots of salads and vegetable curries) and then cook myself some meat on the side. For carbs, I usually made a pot of rice or quinoa and reheated it for a couple of days.
Now, I make a big vegetarian paleo dish that he can add dairy(cottage or regular cheese) to as he likes, and I just cook my meat on the side and add in veggies. We still share our main meal, and the other elements become more like condiments.
Maybe you could cook up separate batches of meat/vegan protein together on the weekends and then add it in to whatever you're cooking throughout the week? Or make a big dish like tomato sauce or curry beforehand and just cook the meat/tofu/tempeh to add in throughout the week.
I read somewhere by Robb Wolf (http://robbwolf.com/?p=634) - wfs that love handles determine insulin sensitivity is this right? and does that mean someone with love handles should avoid insulin at any cost (aka no fruit/sunbutters/anything heavy carb/natural sug)
@oh what have I done: I'm also still feeding my family members the "normal" pizza and Chinese food that they are accustomed to. There are still many meals we have together. The other night we had steak. I had two servings of asparagus while they had asparagus and potatoes. Yesterday I had spaghetti squash and they had spaghetti.
Yes, the Paleo book by Cordain does say not to add salt to food. At first I went light on the salt and now I've stopped adding it altogether. Shockingly, I am still alive and haven't gone crazy and jacked a bag of chips at the corner store.
@Samantha: the subjects were tested for insulin sensitivity in the area of their love handles, but love handles don't IMPLY insulin sensitivity. I imagine they poke them with some kind of blood sugar reader - what is the test for insulin sensitivity anyway? Since it's SUCH a big deal you would think they'd have a home test kit by now!
@Moxy Boss: I'm on day 24 and I've been tracking all my food on fitday.com. I'm regularly falling short on my calcium intake - about 40-50% of my RDA. Other nutrients are above RDA. Now I've read the argument that other populations take in a lower amount of calcium yet have less incidence of osteoporosis HOWEVER I wonder if I should supplement? The one day I met my RDA for calcium I downed two cups of cooked spinach in a sitting and I found it gagalicious. I'm mixing spinach in with my other meals and can tolerate that, but I'm still not making the magic 1000mg of calcium. I'm going to attempt sardines as well, but it seems that getting calcium intake right might take a lot of effort - the kind of effort that starts making this neurotic and un-fun. So supplement? Are there "good" calcium supplement and "bad"? Maybe you could poke Robb or Dallas about this, I think calcium has come up before?
I took am starting to get the stinkeye from family/friends with all "stuff" I can't/won't eat.
I'm hoping they'll get over it. Hubby will eat it if I cook it so I've been cooking more than I care to. It helps though that I've found a local organic butcher that will take special orders. Today: Paleo Country Sausage. Mmmmmm.
Just popping in here...
Something that made me upset:
Every year my friend throws this awesome WEEK long party at her house. Tonight it begins, I usually only go one night and had planned some time ago to attend this one. Well. Today is day 20 for me. And I kindly said, "I'll be popping by but I wont be drinking if that's okay." and the response I got was, "boooo." and "that blows, vodka is low-cal."
=[ I feel like the odd ball out of my friends. Sorry, needed to stop by for some support.. that really upset me.
@Samantha: Stay strong! My 30 days started on July 5th because I caved (less than a week in) because my family was at, well not the party of the year but, the house of the folks that throw that party. I received the same responses and was determined to struggle through the weekend. I folded that day becase the weather sucked and there wasn't much else to do at the party except drink. The issue was, I still ate paleo the whole weekend but the 6-8 corona's I downed were not... and I felt like ass the next day.
Now I can stand feeling crappy but the fact that I pushed back my start day by like 4 extra days bugs me now. I'm planning a gentle easing of some of my diet restrictions when the thirty days are over and because of my weakness, I have to go an extra 4-5 days. So not worth it. Hang in there. The party will be there next year (as will the booze). Do this for yourself right now. Good luck
Samantha:
my friends are like that too. the thing is to realize that you don't need their permission or blessing not to drink.
In my case, I show up with my sparkling water (which looks just like their gin + tonics), match them sip for sip, and generally enjoy hanging out and watching my friends get sloppy. They probably wouldn't appreciate
hearing that I'm not drinking because I'm working on a healthier lifestyle, any more than I appreciate vegetarians tell me how eating meat is unhealthy.
My husband is also having trouble with this -- his friends are so used to seeing him drunk and sloppy, that they don't know what to make of him showing up sober. So when he does try to hang with his friends, he doesn't have a good time because of the pressure to drink, and their views of his healthy lifestyle. He has been very bummed about not feeling 'in' with the boys lately. I don't know what to tell him to do. He's just been staying home moping rather than hanging out with them...
popin in to say hello
i have my bench press meet tomorrow. feeling good, eating good, looking good and pressing good :)
I think I've been eating too many nuts. They're convenient and easy snack.
Can someone share some other easy alternatives that aren't high in sugar or carbs (i.e. not fruit)? I could pack veggie sticks and what not, but they're not as satisfying as nuts.
Suggestions would be great!
@ winnipeglove
Unsweetened coconut (I bought shredded but there must be shaved somewhere) is a GREAT snack I just discovered.
I relied a lot (too much) on raisins to get me thru the day. Felt like crap tonight for the endurance wod. At least raisins are a better crutch than potato chips (my old crutch!)
Snack ideas that work for me are: turkey sticks (these are like a beef jerky, but with no forbidden ingredients or processing styles. I find them in our organic food co-op.) Prosciutto rolled around cantaloupe, cut up pieces of leftover chicken/meat/whatever. if you pack veggie sticks, throw in a little tub of nut butter for that extra satisfaction.
So I am traveling for work for a week in San Antonio. I stayed up late last night getting all my food together, measured.. organized.. had everything perfect and carefully packed in a large cooler. Left it in my house and did not remember till I hit the airport. I stopped, breathed in and out.. and got over it. So this week will be more tough than I thought, but at least I had my nuts and I stopped by Whole Foods as I am thankfully staying in a hotel with a fridge and microwave. DETERMINED to get through this week. Dinner one down, salad with spinach, sunflower seeds, and shrimp. 7 days to go..... :) Have a great weekend everyone!
23 days in and two people at the gym mentioned they notice I either "look slimmer" or "have muscles popping out everywhere". I don't see it in the mirror but only one more week to go with no slipups! Maybe the before and after shots will tell a different tale. Still feels good to hear it. Feeling very healthy too.
What's wrong with cocoa powder?
Full of shame, I am going to have to withdraw from your challenge. I made one bad choice after another this weekend, and not even for any good reason. Tough love me if you must -- however, I am going to start again, on my own. My commitment is even stronger after what happened this weekend -- I realized that instead of the pasta afficionado that I'd previously considered myself, I am a carb-addicted psychopath.
I never knew.
I wrote a huge nutrition blog today, pointing to you as one of my heroes for leading me to the realization. Thank you for presenting the ideas and the tools. Now I just have to be strong enough to break my addiction! Which I know I can be, because so many other people are being strong, too!
Oh -- I linked to your 30 Day Challenge post and your blog in general, as a great read that I never miss. Hopefully the ripples will continue to spread!
Hey, psychopath... I mean, Jessica: don't despair. One bad weekend can't keep you down, sister! If you read back through my blog archives -- and everyone else's, too, I bet -- you'll see lots of struggles and bad weekends and moments of wanting to give up. It's not easy for anyone, there are just people who make it LOOK easy. I promise.
CORNBALL ALERT
It doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down as long as you keep getting back up.
END CORNALL ALERT
Shame,anger, resolve....my moods on Saturday.Sans les enfants, Friday night I made a poor choice to indulge not in food, but in another long forgotten vice. Two hours later, elbow deep in the cupboards at my buddy's house, crackers, cookies, milk.....what a waste...I'm sorry, I'm stupid, I'm human. Less than a week to go, talk about self sabatoge.
Instead of crazy party endeavors another friend of mine popped by with tea and a Sex and the City DVD... PERFECT.
Hello day 21.
I like humans. Hang in there, Robbie.
So I bought unsweetened almond milk, the ingredients are: Purified Water, Almonds, Tapioca Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Carrageenan, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2 and D-Alpha-Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E).
What do you think??
Thanks Mel...I'm feeling the after effect today...lethargic and moody.
At least you have an excuse... I'm just moody today ;-)
Be hard enough on yourself to get back on the train, but not TOO hard on yourself. What we're all trying to do is extremely difficult.
Eat good food today and be good to yourself.
Wow what a bummer to hear about some of the bad weekends y'all are having. I'm pretty stoked to be able to say I've had 25 days of success. Just five days to go, but between you and me (and the rest of the internet, hah) - I think I'm going to keep this up past the 30 days. There's an "87 days of Paleo" group on Facebook. It started because some dude joined a weight loss challenge at work, and he's going to use paleo to drop the weight. His finish date is Oct 11, and I think that might be my "new" finish date at well.
I just made a 25-day post on my blog, including details of what I eat in a day:
http://www.delicat.ca/index.php/2009/07/26/25-days-of-caveman-food/
Keep up the effort everyone!
I ALMOST gave into my fierce craving for a cheese danish today. I've been done with cravings for over 2 weeks now. I wonder why they're back now. Could I have OD'd on something to set it off? I had more fruit than I probably should have so I'm thinking that might have done it.
The 87 days of paleo sounds interesting but I think I'll stick with this challenge for now :-) I got my groceries for the week and had planned on having tuna with Paleo Mayo with veggies for my snacks this week. Plan is key word as it was my first attempt to make the Paleo mayo. It is really runny... Has anybody on here made some and have some technique suggestions along with a recipe? Would be greatly appreciated!!
Cheers,
Tracy
Alex here!
Day 21 and yesterday I actually forgot what day I was on. That has to be good.
New things I have tried since the my letter to Moxy Boss
Mahi Mahi
Asparagus
White raisons
Broccoli
I am loving them all except for the broccoli.
Doing well, except i was a little cranky yesterday but that could be from anything.
I did go shopping for new clothes since nothing seems to fit anymore.
Go Cave people!
@Tracy I hear you about the runny mayo. My first batch was PERFECT - in texture. I made it with my store-brand extra virgin olive oil and it tasted RANK! The olive oil taste was way too strong. My second batch was runny and the oil separated overnight. My most recent batch is still runny, but it hasn't separated. My next time I'm going to try the methods from this site: http://www.justhungry.com/2006/02/basics_mayonnai.html
@Alex Way to go, I loved the letter! Broccoli is one of my staples, here's how I eat it:
3 heads broccoli (6 cups)
1 box cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
lemon - grate the rind and juice it
2 tsp oregano
Chop the broccoli into florets and put in a big bowl with the cherry tomatoes and minced garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat. Put in a 425 oven for about 15 minutes. Put back into a bowl and toss it with the lemon rind/zest, lemon juice, and oregano. Keeps well in the fridge for 3+ days.
Hmmmm Amy that sounds SO good. I am going to make that when I get home!!!
Thanks, Melicious! I'm definitely armed with some knowledge about myself I didn't have before it happened. That's always a good thing, right?
Today is Day One. Like many of you, I've taken on the 30 Day Challenge STARTING NOW! And with it, I have another challenge--I'm currently deployed in Iraq, nearing the end of my second tour. This presents other challenges: no control over cooking processes, no raw or organic anything, access limited to what makes it to the Dining Facility (DFAC), etc. (nevermind the heat and stress of living here). But, I can exercise the simple matter of choice over what I put into my mouth and keep to the spirit of a Paleo diet. We'll see how this goes.
On the plus side, when I reach the end of my 30 Day Challenge I will have my feet firmly planted on American soil. I figure this will set me up for a healthy return home from the toxic environment that a combat zone is. If I can do this over here, I can certainly do it once I get home. "It's not that effing hard!" Right?!
I look forward to digging through more and more comments from this community, and I'm happy to entertain any questions anyone has for me. Meanwhile, it's off to enjoy Day One.
Cheers,
SSG Schirrmacher, Karl M.
B CO 445 CA BN
COS Marez, Mosul IZ
Tyler:
Why don't you just make your own almond milk? just soak almonds overnight, rinse them and blend them with water in the morning, then strain through a coffee filter. you can use the leftover almond bodies in soup, to make almond porridge, etc.
good morning all.
Day 12 for me. didn't eat much yesterday cause i just wasn't hungry. not sure why but i've been feeling fat lately. i'm sure it's a physiological.
i benched 100lbs at the meet on Sunday. i Missed 105 - kinda upset about that then i realized that i didn't even really train for this so 100lbs it not bad for a slacker.
I'm planning on making the cauliflower rice w/ curry i found on one of the links from Melicious. i finally cooked the eggplant. yeah, i'm still not liking it but i have another one so i'll try it again, maybe add in more spices or mix it w/ my avocado and some chicken or something.
sunbutter w/ out the cane juice is not as good. let me tell ya, on a scale of 1-10 it went from being an 11 to a 3. going to try and cut back on my fruit this week. 1 a day on my rest days and 2 when i workout
Everyone have a great week.
Oh and I finally found lara bars. Not bad and I love that they are 100% paleo approved.
Victory! I had my neice eating yellow bell peppers and paleo pumpkin pie over CAKE last night! Of course her mom claimed "If -I- every offered that to her she would never eat it..." which is total lazy bullcrap, but i kept my mouth shut. She also poured salt all over the childs food. Poor thing.
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