Happy Friday. I'm off to coach the CrossFit Kettlebell Instructor Certification, down at North Shore CrossFit. (That's my boy Danny Vee's joint, which is what is going to make this gig extra fun.) Vee and I will be helping Martone sling some 'bells and teach some stuff all weekend, which means the blog will be without parental supervision until Monday. You kids better behave yourselves.
Also, I know there are a bunch of you coming up on your 30 day mile marker. I'm drafting a post now about what NOT to do when those 30 days are up, but I won't have time to get it up on the site until Monday or Tuesday. So, for those of you whose 30 day period may be up before then... wait for me. Seriously - what's another day or two? You really don't want to waste the last 30 days, and I'm going to help you make the most of them. But I'm busy, and I can't do it this weekend. So... wait. That's an order. No complaining, either.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Friday, July 31, 2009
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I finally started today, Melissa. I'd been traveling basically the entire month of July (Road trip to the CF Games and back with my mom), and knew I'd have issues adhering to 100% Paleo while eating out at restaurants and such.
That being said, I arrived home last Friday to find that the 90-95% I'd been able to maintain lost me 5lbs on the trip, putting me right on the edge of hitting the 160s, a marker I was always striving towards (and beyond), but never really thought I could make it. Yesterday I hit 169, giving me 40lbs lost since starting CrossFit/loose Paleo last September, and 70lbs lost from my heaviest.
Anyway...Day 1 began with eggs, onions and brisket. Looking forward to a fantastic month :)
Renee... congratulations! That's AWESOME! Losing weight on a roadtrip is a massive accomplishment. And saying goodbye to 70/40 lbs. is fantastic!
I can't wait to hear more about your successes!
Day 26 today. While I no longer have much desire for non-Paleo foods, I still need to eat more vegetables and less fruit. Paleo alone hasn't rendered me immune to having lousy days, but bodyweight is more or less stable at 170. Training is still going pretty well. I've discovered brussels sprouts and artichokes, so it's a win for me.
Ok, I can hold out a few more days of being super strict but I am planning to have ONE beer tomorrow as a mini-celebration. (Please don't hurt me!)
Jimi,
I 100% thumbs-up a beer. See how the gluten hits you. If you find it's not quite so fun any more, you can always try a gluten-free beer. They're making them pretty tasty these days - I've had New Grist before, and liked it quite a bit.
My biggest concern is people going out and having a blow-out cheat day, full of ALL of the things they've just cleaned out of their system, all at once. So, say you dive in to a couple of beers, a few slices of pizza and a hot fudge and peanut butter ice cream sundae. That's grains, dairy, legumes and alcohol ALL at once. So when you wake up the next day feeling awful (and you will), you'll have no idea what to blame!
I'll offer more strategy and direction next week, but in the meantime, stick to your beer, and ENJOY.
Melissa
I am kind of afraid to leave this post but I am going to anyway! :)
Renee congrats on your success and I will be joining you today as well for 'Day 1'. I tried several times in July to adhere to the 30 day strict Paleo but never did. Why? I don't have ANY valid reasons or excuses. I deliberately chose to make poor and non-Paleo eating choices. That's it. But after reading all of the amazing success stories and comments on the blog I am inspired more than ever and am going to give it another shot.
Congratulations to everyone out there that rocked the last 30 days out!
Today is day thirty for me!
So when people say "I no longer have any desire for xx bad food" do you all really mean it?
I open the fridge and have to talk myself out of ripping into the dinner rolls or leftover tuna noodle casserole. I wouldn't even call it a craving, more like an urge.
I still "desire" french fries, KFC, McDonalds, pizza, bread, nachos. I just constantly remind myself that I will probably feel like crap if I eat that stuff, and (at least for the challenge) just kept telling myself "it's only 30 days" - of course now I'm going until Oct 11th. Heh.
Amy - you bring up an EXCELLENT point. For many of us, thirty days just isn't long enough to change patterns of behavior that have been in place for 10, 20 or 30 years! I will confidently say that if you give this new way of eating enough time (how long is different for everyone), there WILL come a day when your tastes have truly changed, and the idea of eating McDonald's will no longer be even remotely appealing. That WILL happen. You just have to hang in there with these new patterns long enough for that shift to take place.
So, are you really going to continue with these practices until October? If so, then high five, sister! Because that's what I would have asked of you. If you haven't experienced this shift that others are talking about - give it more time. You've already come this far - don't short-change the process. So, good for you. (And stick around so you can help some of the newer people, too!)
This topic deserves its own post, because I guarantee there are others coming up on their 30 days too, feeling the exact same way. Thanks for the inspiration, Amy, and keep up the strong work.
Renee!!! It is SO good to have you here! I know how hard you've been working, and how far you've come. This is going to pull all that hard work together for you - I know you've got the dedication and determination to make it through. Keep posting, and I'll help however I can.
Amy! Hang in there... and riddle me this, sister...
Why are there DINNER ROLLS and LEFTOVER TUNA CASSEROLE in your fridge. Banish them immediately! Be kind to yourself and don't make this harder than it needs to be.
Toss it! Even if it belongs to someone else. Give them an apple and a jar of Sunbuttter and a kiss and say it's from me.
@Amy-
I use to live off fast food. (I know, bad!) It was all I ever ate, and I was fortunate to not gain weight from it, I guess I was blessed to have a fast metabolism when I was a teen (thats looonng gone, quite the opposite now in fact lol, oh the irony). Anywho, due to various reasons, I cut out several "bad" foods and I PROMISE YOU that with time, like Byers said, those cravings WILL go away. You won't even want it when you smell it. You won't even have to force yourself to think about how bad it'll make u feel because u really won't find it appetizing at all. Props to you for going til October!! I'll be right there wit ya girl!! Hoping to eat paleo fo the rest of my life =) (with of course a more realistic approach (i.e., I rarely drink alcohol, but I know that in my lifetime I will have a few drinks or more lol)). I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how you won't even want foods you may have loved/craved and it will hit you when you least expect it. All in good time!!!
=)
-Min
Day 22 here and truly feeling good. After Day 30 I can honestly say that the only thing I really want is a tall Coke Zero and a few bites of cheesecake. From there I will stick with the Paleo since it's oh so good!!
Question: I have PCOS and while I feel great on this diet I am just wondering if there's anyone else out there with PCOS or that knows someone with it and has done Paleo? I have heard conflicting reports with regards to carb consumption. Some people telling me to not cut too much, others that 50g/day is about right. Anyone have an expertise here? I currently have been eating about 1.5servings fruit with my first meal, and the rest of my carbs throughout the day from fibrous veggies (broccoli, brussel sprouts, lettuces, snap peas, cabbage etc). I know that with PCOS I have a harder time losing the weight and expect to have to do a good bit of tinkering.
Thanks!!
@Amy:
I can honestly say that I used to have the exact same experience you describe whenever I opened the fridge. Now, however, I really can't say I desire anything grainy/sugary.
Occasionally I get the urge to rip into a bag of grapes (mmm, grapes), but other than that, the past 25 days have not been difficult at all for me. The weird thing is, I had never held my resolve for longer than about 48 hours before now. I can probably thank the combination of Melissa's tough love and friendly support.
Day 4 for me. I gave it a half assed attempt during the second week of July but couldn't get past the no alcohol. Stupid really.. I don't drink more than 2 or 3 beers on the weekend, but the thought of telling a buddy that I wasn't drinking gave me fits.
Besides that, I've been kicked around by diets for the past two years. Zone. Paleo. Paleo / Zone w/ Dairy @ 2X Fat (Christ..). I've never really reverted to a "bad" diet, but I could never stick to one method, so I had no idea what worked.
Anyway, this weekend will be my first real test. Stocked up on mineral water and limes instead of my usual Sam Adams.
Byers - You are doing a great thing with your blog. It is appreciated.
Jack
@ Amy
My sister had pcos diagnosed a few years ago. It was really bad with any soy products. She's given up grains now except rice (she's working on that). Says she feels much better since getting of the soy. ( she believed all "those" people that promote soy as healthy)
On another note I AM going to have a couple of beer while camping this weekend (if I REALLY want one ).Today is Day 30 ! yay! But only beer. Like our Moxy Boss said I want to know how I feel with it. Everything else remains Paleo until further instructions.
Happy Weekend Everyone ;;)
Congrats to all you graduates! I reeeeaaaalllly want a beer. It's day 8 for me and not one cheat, not even a cookie offer from my boss. I'm really sticking. Does anyone have advice for constipation? I read it somewhere here, but it took me hours to get up-to-speed and I just can't go back tonight. Perhaps someone who had a similar problem can tell me what to do. It's been a couple days....By the way, I found some creamed coconut which I found to be very good in my coffee. Although I really don't mind my coffee black now. Anyway, it's all pure 100% coconut from my healthfood store in the asian section, you just add hot water to it). Lots of fiber but unfortunately it didn't help my little problem :-( I would normally pop a colace tablet for a stubborn bout, but wanted to do it the natural way first. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Thanks everyone for the replies. BTW - I'm the Amy with cravings, not the Amy with PCOS.
I don't think my cravings were ever as bad as they were yesterday - day 30 of all days. Things are a bit disorganized in my home because we just adopted a second dog. My meal timing was off and so it was hunger that was pushing my craving buttons.
But I made it and will continue on until October. I can't afford to eat bad because I've just committed myself to do the "Fight Gone Bad" charity event in September and my metcons SUCK. I need to have immaculate diet and rest so I can improve on my...everything.
day 17 for me. everything is going well. i discovered curry powder -WHOA. it's guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud. and i've been cooking w/ my coconut oil. i love it.
@Amy-like everyone said the cravings or urges will go away. it's been over a year since i've had McDonalds and the last time i had fast food type french fries was September 08. now if i walk or drive by a fast food joint what used to smell good now turns my stomach.
I'm Paleo for life. My 30 days is up around august 15th. that next weekend i'm going up to NYC and i'm gonna drink martini and dance Salsa, Meringue and Bachata until my Crossfitting legs can't handle it anymore.
Moxy-Boss- cheers to you. it is a wonderful thing you're doing here. Any word on the shirts?
100% Pure Cacao -
That was the missing piece to my life..
=)
Happy Saturday to all!!!
Day 19 for me!
made some paleo cookies from a recipe on paleo steves blog as a treat and they were fantastic, but need to make sure I dont make them too often
my cheat after my 31 days of strict paleo was to use some greenpeas and chicken broth with salt in my curry. hardly a cheat, but i felt wild! ;)
Only three more days to go....yayooooo!
Day 7 for us in Iraq. We've been traveling, but Dining Facilities are Dining Facilities so keeping as true as we can isn't so hard. Had a great beet salad yesterday. I never thought I'd find something that impressed me in Institutional Cooking.
Congrats to the Day 30 grads. I'm looking forward to it myself, as my Day 30 will be back in the USA!
@Amy with Cravings: I often wonder how much of it is just muscle memory vs. real cravings. Remember, all the senses get stimulated when eating (touch, sight, smell, as well as taste), and they all work together to drive our decision-making process. Even the movement of opening the fridge we connect with feeding (and usually mindlessly eating). How many people just open the fridge and gaze without pulling anything out? My point is that it's a psycho-physical game as much as a dietary shift. So, a wider change of habits may be needed.
Plus, if you still have the bad stuff hanging around in the fridge, it'll make things tougher to complete the new perspective you're looking for--maybe you haven't quite let go? Let it go.
Wife just watched me pick all the baby corn out of a bag of frozen veggies.
Just thought I'd share that with everyone.
Hello all!
alex here; Well its day 28 for me and today I ran 9.25 miles. I felt so good while doing it and that is a first.
I still don't think i am eating enough protein but i am working on that.
Yesterday I tried some grilled halibit, not great but I tried it. so that's a win no matter what.
Another win for me was putting on size 6 suit jackets and 8 pants, this makes me very happy.
Keep the faith everyone!
Finished 30 days on Fri.
Sat 4 coors light around the campfire
Sun a little parmesan cheese on my veggies.
Said no thanks to ice cream, hamburger buns, french fries and granola :) (and more beer)
can't wait for more Moxy Boss guidance :)
www.aurelioinator.blogspot.com
Melissa in 30 days I learned a lot and on my blog is a write up for what my next journey is. I honestly cannot wait to dive in head first :)
And there's an awesome coconut chicken curry recipe on my blog, too :)
Saturday I had dinner at Arby's and a piece of cake at my mom-in-law's house. I don't know for sure if the quesiness I felt afterwards was a result of that, but I'd say it's rather likely. The next day I had terrible cravings all day. It sucked. Back on track for the next 30 days, as I prepare for an upcoming trip to Chicago where I'm going to stuff myself with deep dish pizza atleast one night even if it does make me sick :)
Day 28 for me and I am going to have pizza on Friday night but stay true till then and after then. I have officially lost 8 lbs and about 4 inches. I am going to really jump in head first into the training/working out side of this now that I have the diet down to a certian point (always going to be a learning process). I just got back from traveling on the road for 9 days and I did NOT CHEAT ONCE and I did pretty good on making sure I ate enough. All in all a great 30 days, went faster than I ever imagined.
Karl - I am so proud of you for even being in Iraq and doing this on top of THAT. YOU my friend motivated me this past week "If Karl can do this in Iraq, I can do this sitting in Texas".
THANK YOU...
Congratulations to all you 30 dayers. I’m at Day 18, and just not feeling good. My pep comes and goes, but mostly it’s gone. For those of you that experienced a performance or energy dip, did it clear up? I’m sticking it out for 30 days, but I’m starting to really look forward to a bowl of oatmeal before a workout. I wonder if I’m just not a Paleo person.
Bernie - the only time I felt run down and susceptible to cravings was when I wasn't eating enough.
Day 29 and holding strong. Went out of town this weekend and no cheats! Even picked up some local fresh fish to cook this week....yum! I do plan to have some icecream on Wednesday and maybe a couple of beers by the poolside this weekend. Can't wait for your post Moxy Boss....
Bernie - I had a solid three weeks of feeling that way and I was so discouraged and moody sometimes. It did go away. I started to wonder as I felt better if it was just how toxic I really was releasing. Who knows, but I had to wonder as I started to feel better!!!!
Ok and I just tried to find this and I can't. Someone a few weeks ago asked about having coco and if I remember correctly Byers told them where to go and how to get there if they felt it was ok to eat that. Am I crazy? I could be.. trying to keep everything clear in my head. Someone asked about the coco in the chocolate lara bar. Not that I am going to eat it, dont' want it thankfully, but started having a conversation with someone in regards. Thank you guys!
Day 18 I can't believe it! I made it through a week long vacation on Mackinac Island where fudge literally oozes out of every store front. I had only a few very small managable pangs of wanting a hot dog and a bit of fudge, but my macadamia nuts, sunbutter, and lots of fresh juicy fruit made it pass quickly. I still can't believe it! The only trouble I am having that just started recently is a bit more nagging hunger. I think I eat plenty of fat, and I am trying to up that more. Does too much fruit tend to make you hungrier? I am starting to see more of my abs, and my fat around my legs and hips feels different. Like, softer and looser. Something is happening. I still can't believe how solid and strong I have been. Paleo is an eye opener. Cant wait to hear Moxy Boss' directions for after 30 days.
@ Oh
I live near that fudge and actually have a race (run) there in sept. It'll be hard to resist the temptation. I forgot about the fudge until now...LOL
Melissa, there is chocolate cake from the best metro-boston bakery outside of the north end in my house right now. It was my father's birthday party last night, and the remnants of the cake are calling to me! I moved it out of my direct line of sight this morning, so it's slowly releasing its hold on me...but oh how I wanted to rationalize a piece.
I rarely crave cake and would never go searching for it myself; I even told my parents I didn't want a cake for my birthday a few months ago! Being around it and watching everybody but my mom and I partaking (btw, did i tell you?! i got my mom on board with the 30 days too!) was painful.
What's the mantra again? Ah yes: "No, thank you"
Day 4 in the books, staying (relatively) strong
Renee, good job for passing up the cake!! I'm pretty good at saying "no thank you", but I'm not good at the hours following. My mind remembers it missed out on something and wants compensation :p
So, I stopped counting the days after my 30 days, but I am still going paleo. How many people are sticking?
So I did not follow Moxy-Boss`s orders on the weekend. We just had a long weekend in Halifax and it ended up being beautiful for a change! A friend ended up coming into town from Calgary, I wasn’t prepared for it and I just didn’t stay strong. My over-indulgences were as follows:
Saturday:
Gluten free buckwheat crepe with ham, mozzarella and veggies at the market
French fries
Drinks – several glasses of wine and there may have been a gin and tonic later in the evening...
Sunday
A piece of zucchini flax bread toasted with breakfast.
Salad with pre-mixed salad dressing (somebody had already added it in)
Angel food cake, real whipped cream with fruit and berries
A Caesar (a Canadian drink that I believe has at least one serving of vegetables in it...)
Monday
A piece of Pizza
We did JT on Sunday between rounds of lying by the pool and volleyball in the pool which was how I validated (bad!) the angel food cake and whipping cream. Note: My version of JT was not as prescribed. It wasn`t until we went for a run last night that I had really regretted my choices over the weekend. I had been feeling some guilt but when I realised the impact on my performance I was really disappointed in myself. I was sucking wind hard. The difference from the week before just astounded me. So to everyone who stayed strong, good work! I’ll be back on track starting today.
Kat -
what race is it? We ran around the perimeter road - I think about 7.5-8 miles? Does the race follow that or does it venture into the 'hills' in the interior? And, if you have finished the 30 days by then, a small piece of post race fudge (especially the walnut or macadamia one) is def, prescribed!
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