First Weigh-In...A Success!

So as some of you may know, I recently met with one of the trainers at VO2max, Jenn MacKinnon,  & had a nutrition assessment done. I had to log my food for a week & then we met. She weighed me & did my measurements & took photos (*gasp*). Then we met a few days later & she gave me a meal plan.  I was surprised at how many calories were involved. (1,800 is my "low" day) I was a little scared but I went forward with it.  When I had my first weigh in (a week & a half later) I'd lost 6lbs! Yay!

I'm trying my best to stick to it exactly.  I still have slip ups, but I'm doing much better than I had been in the past with eating properly.  I'm motivated because I meet with her every week to weigh in. So eating has been going great, I'd say...and working out is going amazing too. I've been going to both bootcamps & CrossFit (depending on which one I can get to that day) & I'm loving it. Except burpees...Burpees suck.

Yummy Apple Bacon Chicken

Here's a recipe for some yummy chicken I made yesterday. Didn't take all that long either (well, less time than I thought it would).

1 pkg (500g) of bacon
2 med sized gala apples
1 large(ish) onion
3 chicken breasts (about 6-7oz each), or the equivalent in boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Preheat oven to 400. Chop bacon, apples & onions. Saute until bacon is cooked through & starting to get crispy. Fly the chicken breasts, or thighs (slice down the middle) & pund to 3/4" thick. Place chicken in roasting pan or casserole dish (or whatever else) & spoon some of the apple, bacon, onion mixture onto each piece of chicken, folding the top over afterward. Pour the rest of the mixture over the tops of all the chicken pieces.

Bake for about 25 minutes (depending on the size & thickness of the chicken).

Sorry for the "no picture" thing, I didn't think I would be posting the recipe until after I had it for leftovers today & it was just as amazing!

I Heart CrossFit

I remember being super nervous at the idea of going to a CrossFit class. I loved the idea of it & immersed myself in everything CrossFit (YouTube videos, etc) but was really intimidated by it. I was a strict bootcamper. The idea of Olympic lifting was fascinating but totally scary to me.

Then one day, (I'm not even sure what clicked) I decided to take the Fundamentals classes & there was no looking back. I love it. It's hard...challenging...and sometimes I look at VO2max's website to check to see what the W.O.D. (Workout of the Day) is & will psych myself out of going because I'm still very insecure about my skill set & abilities.

Despite the fear, I need CrossFit.  I've discovered that unless I have some big event (or the chance at a $5000 grand prize) I just don't tend to be that motivated on my own.  I know I have a lot of weight to lose, but I've just been at a dangerous happy medium between comfortable & uncomfortable such that I haven't been driven enough to do the work that needs to be done. So I need to go to something where I'm told what to do & I do it. And it's hard. But I feel accomplished when it's done.

Still Chugging Along & Running a Bit Too!

Well... I sucked out on the ol' 21 Day Sugar Detox this time around.  I am terrible with food. I'm a food addict & a compulsive overeater...It's been a lifelong battle.  I've just recently joined Overeaters Anonymous (not very anonymous when I announce it to the world, but hey :) )  & so far it's been very beneficial.  I've done MILES better with eating properly & my focus on my goals has improved drastically.  I feel like it was the missing link.  Before, I'd do really well for a little while & then have a freak out, feel guilty & get derailed.  Now I feel more confident in my eating choices & have stuck to my eating plan without feeling extreme temptations.

And the good news is...it's been showing on the scales & in my appearance.  I've been working out quite a bit so I know that's helped as well.  Here's my current schedule. M-W-F is spent at the gym & week by week I alternate strength training with a full body TRX routine. T-T-S is running (well, let's be honest, walking/jogging - I'm doing the couch to 5K) with Saturday being my big run...at least 6K.  AND...this Friday I'm going to V02max to take my first session of CrossFit Fundamentals...so I'm pretty excited about that :)

So all in all things are going well...Just need to sweat it out & keep going!

p.s. Any suggestions for songs to add to a new playlist???

21 Day Sugar Detox - Round 2

Well... I decided it was time to do another sugar detox... I was finding that sugar and carbs were running through my thoughts & I was caving into my cravings way too often...So today is Day 2 & it's going really well. All of the info for it is here.



I really like all of the material that comes with it... the guide is very informative & the recipes are so amazing. What's been tricky for me is it involves cutting artificial sweeteners (and for me that means pop) ~ which I know I shouldn't be having anyway...BUT...   So I've cut that cold turkey as well... so far so good with my ice water & lemon.

I had to have lunch on the go today & I decided to try this amazing little bistro (Escape Bistro ~ for those of you in the GP area) & I had an Artisan Romaine Salad with grilled chicken. It was divine!  It was a whole head of romaine sliced in half lengthwise & then...get this... grilled. I would've never thought that would be a good idea, let alone a great one, but let me tell you, it was so good.  And it was completely 21 Sugar Detox approved (Yay!)

On another topic, the gym has been going well for me.  I have chronic pain issues & mild injuries that I'm working with right now...things are going ok so far. I just can't do anything high impact or pivoting in my lower back (compressed discs in that area).  So I'm currently working with what I'm able to do (what my body will let me do) & hoping to be able to do CrossFit in the future (that's my goal! ~ that and a Spartan Race &/or Tough Mudder) But I've been going almost everyday...alternating a full body TRX workout with HIIT cardio.  I'm hoping that combining the working out & the 21 Day Sugar Detox I'll see some progress weight loss-wise.  I just have to keep at it.

Here's a recipe for a snack that's loosely based on one from the 21 Day Sugar Detox Guide. (It's what I just finished having in lieu of the S'mores Blizzard I really wanted to have but opted to not have)

1 TBSP almond butter
1/2 tsp cacao powder
2 tsp unsw coconut
1 green tipped banana - sliced

Mix first 3 ingredients together in a bowl. Slice banana on top & mix slightly to coat each banana piece.  Enjoy!

Breakfast Ice Cream

Sometimes you need (want) to eat your breakfast rather than slurp it. (Like me, today...I went to make some eggs...no eggs)  So this is a delicious option for you when that situation arises...*I use a VitaMix, so I can't speak to how this would work with any other device.*

(This is a stock photo, but aside from the chia/sesame seeds, this is pretty much exactly what it looks like)

Breakfast Ice Cream

2/3 C Greek yogurt
1/4 C vanilla yogurt
1/2 frozen banana
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 TBSP cacao nibs
2/3 scoop chocolate protein powder*
1 TBSP vanilla
1 tsp chocolate extract
Ice cubes to desired consistency (I used probably 10-12 to get it ice cream-like)

So yummy! I'm finding that half way through I'm satisfied, so I'm going to stick the rest in the freezer & have it a bit later for a snack.

*I know some of you strict Paleo People may be saying to yourself...wait... yogurt & protein powder aren't Paleo... I don't drink cow's milk, but I do eat greek yogurt (& sometimes other kinds too), I have protein powder & eat cheese occasionally.  I find that my digestive system is okay with these things... it's just my personal choice & I hope you're all cool with that :)

Cacao Coconut Bliss Smoothie

So I have a green smoothie every morning for breakfast (Are you proud of me Kristi?) - and that can get boring if they are the same... So I like to mix it up - like, literally :)   So here's today's ... I've labelled it Cacao Coconut Bliss ...

1/3 C unsw. Chocolate Almond Milk
1/3 C unsw. Coconut Water
1/3 C straight up water
3 spinach ice cubes*
3-4 pineapple ice cubes
3 regular ice cubes
1 TBSP coconut oil (buy the stuff at Costco...so much more cost effective!)
2 TBSP greek yogurt
1 TBSP Cacao Nibs
1-2 TBSP toasted coconut
1-2 tsp vanilla (to taste)

~things should be sweet enough because of the pineapple, but you could add sweetener of choice to taste

DELICIOUS!  I am drinking it right now & LOVING IT!!!


*So I hate keeping huge bags of spinach & other greens in the fridge, just to have to put into my smoothies, especially since I keep greens in my fridge for my salads (oh, first world problems, right?) - So since I'm a genius I decided to start taking different things that I know I'm going to be putting into my smoothies & freezing them into icecubes.  First up - spinach - take massive amounts & blend down in your Vita-Mix, BlendTec (or whatever you have) until you get a smooth, liquid mixture. Pour into ice cube tray(s). Freeze. Place cubes in freezer bag for future smoothie making.

I'm Back!!!

So... I've been avoiding writing this post like the plague...like seriously dreading it...because I feel like a failure.  But for the good of some readers that may be helped by my situation & the gory truth of it, I will share with all the honesty I can muster.

I have been battling depression...post-partum? regular? Who knows... maybe some of both.  The depression led to overeating (not of good foods either, think like, a 3 month Mini Egg Bender)...which led to weight gain & more depression...which then fueled more overeating & so on & so on...VICIOUS cycle...Brutal.  I've gained 20 lbs since my last post. Ugh.

So what changed? Well... I realized something just wasn't right. I sought help. That was a very humbling experience, let me tell you... I also realized I couldn't keep living the way I was... I was miserable...in every sense of the word. Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, as a mother, as a wife, as a co-worker... I just couldn't do it anymore.

So with help from my amazing husband & his amazing cousin Ashley - who runs a very helpful blog over here, my doctor, a wonderful counselor, amazingly patient co-workers, loving friends & from Heavenly Father ... I've slowly been climbing my way out of what I would easily classify as a pit of despair (no Princess Bride humor intended ~ well, maybe a little bit).  I've been getting back on track...have been eating healthier, have begun working out again & have even lost a couple of pounds (YAY!) ... So stay tuned...I will be posting some of the yummy things I've been eating lately & how my progress is coming along.

"Every journey begins with a single step...but you have to keep going in the right direction if you want to end up at your desired destination"

21 Day Sugar Detox...Done & Done!

Okay!  So after a mostly Paleo Christmas, I wanted to get back on the 100% Paleo wagon.  Most of my meals were Paleo, but I was allowing myself some treats, etc.  I heard about the 21 Day Sugar Detox when I was listening to a Balanced Bites podcast & was on board.  I bought the guide & went for it.  I lost 6.5 lbs the first week & lost a total of 8.2 lbs.

It's not meant to be for weight loss...it's supposed to be about resetting your interpretation of what sweet tastes like & as such you needed to cut out all sweeteners, calorie laden & calorie free.  I definitely found it to be worthwhile.  It was challenging at times, but now I better appreciate making choices about the intake of  Paleo & non-Paleo sweeteners.

Before, I felt like I needed to have something sweet at least every day...sometimes with both lunch and dinner.  But now, even after it's been over for a few days, I'm finding that I'm still acting like I'm on the detox & won't have any kind of sweeteners.  And when I do want to have something sweet, I a) don't worry about doing it & b) am satisfied with less than I would've been previously.  I feel like my calibration of the desire for sweet things has been "re-set".

So all in all, very happy with the results & I'll do it again for sure!  Thanks Balanced Bites!

One week down & loving it! ...And a blog makeover

Okay... Here's my recap of my frist week doing the 21 Day Sugar Detox.  I would love to blog about it everyday, but I haven't been able to find the extra time, with chasing a very active 3 & 1/2 yr old, Owen (who is constantly ripping the heads off of lego guys & turning them into amputees)  & caring for my adorable 9 month old,  Miss Kacie Jayne.

So here I am, one week down 2 to go, 6 lbs gone & I am feeling great.  I've noticed that some other people doing the Sugar Detox seem to be having headaches & other not so nice things going on. I haven't had any of that & am grateful for that.

There are so many wonderful foods that I've tried for the first time...fennel, endive, jicama... I never bothered trying new things before.  And the food has been amazing.  Most times when we're having a meal that's Paleo, I say, "I can definitely eat like this for the rest of my life"  I just love it  :)

And I also began training at home with Everyday Paleo Lifestyle & Fitness (eplifefit for short).  They're having a promotion on for the month of January where you can sign up for 75% off ... only $5.00 for the month...using the code eplf7513.  I'm loving it.  It's the movements I was used to at VO2max, but at my own pace & I don't feel like I'm competing against everyone, or feel embarrassed when I have to modify certain things (both because of my size & because of issues with my left knee & hip).

So that's been my start to the New Year.  Backing up to Christmas a bit... We were staying with some extended family & I was a little nervous about eating Paleo in front of a bunch of people that weren't used to the idea.  The hostess was very accepting & immediately offered up the use of her pantry & suggested items that she knew were Paleo.  I did a little shopping trip to collect supplies & then got started on making some Paleo dishes for Christmas dinner.  There were lots of questions about my methods & why I was doing what I was doing, but in the end, here is what I ended up with, (all completely Paleo):

*mashed sweet potatoes with a candied pecan topping.
*sausage stuffing
*roasted broccoli, brussel sprout, onion & bacon dish
*2 pumpkin pies
Most of the dishes are based on these recipes from Everyday Paleo

There were about 30 people at the dinner & almost everyone tried all of the dishes.  People really liked the pies.  I was happy to have shared Paleo with them.  (Although a lot of the quotes in my banner came from that weekend :)  )

Alright!  On to Week 2 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox ... and I'll keep going with my workouts & report back next week.  Take care everyone!  See you on Facebook!