Four days into my "realistic resolution" and things are going great. Yesterday I had some talapia with verde salsa and broccoli for breakfast. Yes, broccoli. Even during my strict strict paleo days I never had broccoli for breakfast, but it was fantastic. Once you get out of the mindset that breakfast should be sweet you can eat anything.
Eating broccoli, however, isn't the biggest change this week. It is how much water I have been drinking. I have two lovely ladies to thank for that. For Christmas I was given a super fabulous pink Camelbak water bottle. It is my new best friend. I now have 24 ounces of pure, clean water by my side at all times. I carry it around the house, drink it while I work, keep it in my car, put it on my bedside stand at night...it is my shadow. My pink shadow.
I've always loved water, but if it isn't in front of me I don't think about drinking water. If I see it then I drink it. It just proves you should keep bad things out of your sight and keep the good things within reach! Nothing keeps me feeling better during the day than water. I also like having my own bottle so I don't just run through store bought water bottles all the time. It is so much cheaper and eco friendly! Tap water is A-OK in my book.
Also, if you were concerned about my lack of almond butter (Allison)...we are getting a Whole Foods. It is scheduled to open at the end of 2011 so for now I'm still on the look out!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Re-Stocking
So we moved.
Again.
Long, good story, but for the short version...we moved from Oklahoma to Michigan this summer and from Michigan to a different part of Oklahoma in November. Needless to say, my life has been in a bit of turmoil the last few months.
Today I went to the store. After a few weeks of holiday traveling it was finally time to restock the kitchen. I hadn't replenished anything since the move. I confess, the majority of our meals the last six weeks have not been cooked at home.
It is amazing the things that I'm so used to having on hand that make cooking healthy so easy. Coconut oil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, low sugar Italian dressing....I could go on and on....
Today I had the grocery bill to prove I was out of everything. Thankfully, after a good, calculated sweep through the neighborhood Wal Mart I think our house is ready to start cooking...literally. Eggs, chicken, pork, fresh green beans, carrots, celery (which will be the boat for my gobs of peanut butter).
Speaking of peanut butter, I'm on the search for some good almond butter. I don't have a place close to our new home where I have found almond butter. Natural peanut butter is going to have to do for now...which works for me because it is still delicious and I love it on celery. So does the Mr. I was going back and for between Smuckers natural and organic peanut butter. Same basic nutrition. Deciding factor....the organic cost $1.50 more. Sheesh! Natural won.
Again.
Long, good story, but for the short version...we moved from Oklahoma to Michigan this summer and from Michigan to a different part of Oklahoma in November. Needless to say, my life has been in a bit of turmoil the last few months.
Today I went to the store. After a few weeks of holiday traveling it was finally time to restock the kitchen. I hadn't replenished anything since the move. I confess, the majority of our meals the last six weeks have not been cooked at home.
It is amazing the things that I'm so used to having on hand that make cooking healthy so easy. Coconut oil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, low sugar Italian dressing....I could go on and on....
Today I had the grocery bill to prove I was out of everything. Thankfully, after a good, calculated sweep through the neighborhood Wal Mart I think our house is ready to start cooking...literally. Eggs, chicken, pork, fresh green beans, carrots, celery (which will be the boat for my gobs of peanut butter).
Speaking of peanut butter, I'm on the search for some good almond butter. I don't have a place close to our new home where I have found almond butter. Natural peanut butter is going to have to do for now...which works for me because it is still delicious and I love it on celery. So does the Mr. I was going back and for between Smuckers natural and organic peanut butter. Same basic nutrition. Deciding factor....the organic cost $1.50 more. Sheesh! Natural won.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Realistic Resolutions
I like New Year's resolutions in theory, but I hate them in practicality. I think people wanting to change and better themselves is fantastic. Deciding for yourself that a change needs to be made is amazing. No one is making the decision for you. You are making it for yourself. However, let's be real. How many people truly stick to a resolution for longer than a month? A week? A day?
Not many.
Too much too fast.
What happens to people who make the ever popular "I'm going to lose weight" resolution? They start going to the gym every day and after a week they are burnt out because they have never worked out before. Next thing you know they are back into the same routine of doing nothing.
Same thing with your diet. Saying, "Starting Monday I'm never eating (insert food) ever again." How practical is that? Now, I know when I started this blog I went "strict" paleo for a month. I kept to it. However, I had zoned before, I already ate very low grainy carb and loved lean meats. The change was not too drastic for me...it was a natural, challenging step.
I say all of this to encourage everyone to be realistic and practical in their healthy resolutions this year. Truly examine your situation and what your end goal is. What is that throws you off track? Do you need extra "me" time? Do you need to take a different route to work to avoid that donut shop on the way to work? Do you need to try to cook at home one more night a week instead of going out? Some examples:
If your goal is to work out more and you haven't worked out much in your life...shoot for two to three days a week of fifteen to twenty minutes and increase as you get more comfortable.
If you want to start running, but have never really ran any kind of distance before start slow. Run a half a mile three days a week for two weeks. The next week increase to 3/4 of a mile. Two weeks later try a mile. Before you know it you'll be running three miles like it is no big deal without feeling overwhelmed by the idea!
If you want to eat better find that one thing you think is causing you problems and limit it to twice a week (if it is an every day sort of thing). After a few weeks move to once a week and then cut it out completely. You have to let your body adjust. Sometimes shocking it to intensely too fast can cause you to get back into your bad habit and you'll never give yourself a chance to succeed.
I say all of this as I share my realistic resolution:
Eat a healthy, clean breakfast everyday.
For me, if I eat a great, paleo/zone friendly breakfast in the morning I have automatically set myself up for a great day. I already feel better. I am inclined to continue with healthy snacks and lunch. If I wake up and end up eating nothing or something not desirable my day, as far as eating is concerned, can fall off track fast.
2011 will be the year of a healthy, clean breakfast. Eggs, lean meats, nuts and lots of berries and grapefruit!
What is your realistic resolution for 2011?
P.S. I'm also going to try to blog at least once a week. Blogging helps hold me accountable even if I don't know how many people read it. Find something to help hold you accountable and stick with it.
Good luck and happy New Year!
Not many.
Too much too fast.
What happens to people who make the ever popular "I'm going to lose weight" resolution? They start going to the gym every day and after a week they are burnt out because they have never worked out before. Next thing you know they are back into the same routine of doing nothing.
Same thing with your diet. Saying, "Starting Monday I'm never eating (insert food) ever again." How practical is that? Now, I know when I started this blog I went "strict" paleo for a month. I kept to it. However, I had zoned before, I already ate very low grainy carb and loved lean meats. The change was not too drastic for me...it was a natural, challenging step.
I say all of this to encourage everyone to be realistic and practical in their healthy resolutions this year. Truly examine your situation and what your end goal is. What is that throws you off track? Do you need extra "me" time? Do you need to take a different route to work to avoid that donut shop on the way to work? Do you need to try to cook at home one more night a week instead of going out? Some examples:
If your goal is to work out more and you haven't worked out much in your life...shoot for two to three days a week of fifteen to twenty minutes and increase as you get more comfortable.
If you want to start running, but have never really ran any kind of distance before start slow. Run a half a mile three days a week for two weeks. The next week increase to 3/4 of a mile. Two weeks later try a mile. Before you know it you'll be running three miles like it is no big deal without feeling overwhelmed by the idea!
If you want to eat better find that one thing you think is causing you problems and limit it to twice a week (if it is an every day sort of thing). After a few weeks move to once a week and then cut it out completely. You have to let your body adjust. Sometimes shocking it to intensely too fast can cause you to get back into your bad habit and you'll never give yourself a chance to succeed.
I say all of this as I share my realistic resolution:
Eat a healthy, clean breakfast everyday.
For me, if I eat a great, paleo/zone friendly breakfast in the morning I have automatically set myself up for a great day. I already feel better. I am inclined to continue with healthy snacks and lunch. If I wake up and end up eating nothing or something not desirable my day, as far as eating is concerned, can fall off track fast.
2011 will be the year of a healthy, clean breakfast. Eggs, lean meats, nuts and lots of berries and grapefruit!
What is your realistic resolution for 2011?
P.S. I'm also going to try to blog at least once a week. Blogging helps hold me accountable even if I don't know how many people read it. Find something to help hold you accountable and stick with it.
Good luck and happy New Year!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Success!
I'm still learning my way around. I don't know where anything is if it is not within a one mile radius of my house, the gym or hospital. Awesome. Tonight I was on the prowl for something decent to eat. I had nothing prepared at home and felt far too lazy to actually come home and cook.
When I say I don't know where anything is I'm serious. I drove aimlessly singing Britney in my car hoping to come upon something that sparked my interest. There are a lot of restaurants here that we did not have in Oklahoma and a lot of favorites from home that are not here. I made it out to Hall Road and saw Salsarita's. I had heard it was pretty good and I am always up for Mexican. (Ted's I miss you!) I decided to go for it.
I'm pretty excited about my find. It is a great paleo spot! I ordered a taco salad sans the taco shell. Remember, don't be afraid to be particular when you order! They had a great variety of meats. Grilled chicken, grilled steak, pork, shrimp (Yes, shrimp! Hallelujah!) and a few others. Not only that, but they don't charge extra for guacamole AND I had about two scoops. I do love my guacamole. I topped it off with plenty of fresh pico and was good to go. No cheese, no sour cream ::insert strange look from girl behind counter here:: but I was happy and hungry.
I made it home just in time to watch Grey's Anatomy. All in all it was a very successful evening.
Tomorrow I will be grilling a pound and a half of pork chops. I'm pretty excited. This weekend I'm making a care package for my sister who is deployed in Kuwait. She requested baked goods with chocolate. I love chocolate about as much as a I love guacamole...which is a lot...this could be a problem...
When I say I don't know where anything is I'm serious. I drove aimlessly singing Britney in my car hoping to come upon something that sparked my interest. There are a lot of restaurants here that we did not have in Oklahoma and a lot of favorites from home that are not here. I made it out to Hall Road and saw Salsarita's. I had heard it was pretty good and I am always up for Mexican. (Ted's I miss you!) I decided to go for it.
I'm pretty excited about my find. It is a great paleo spot! I ordered a taco salad sans the taco shell. Remember, don't be afraid to be particular when you order! They had a great variety of meats. Grilled chicken, grilled steak, pork, shrimp (Yes, shrimp! Hallelujah!) and a few others. Not only that, but they don't charge extra for guacamole AND I had about two scoops. I do love my guacamole. I topped it off with plenty of fresh pico and was good to go. No cheese, no sour cream ::insert strange look from girl behind counter here:: but I was happy and hungry.
I made it home just in time to watch Grey's Anatomy. All in all it was a very successful evening.
Tomorrow I will be grilling a pound and a half of pork chops. I'm pretty excited. This weekend I'm making a care package for my sister who is deployed in Kuwait. She requested baked goods with chocolate. I love chocolate about as much as a I love guacamole...which is a lot...this could be a problem...
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
I'm Back...For Real
After driving from Oklahoma to Michigan, moving into a temporary apartment, looking tirelessly for something permanent to move into, flying back to Oklahoma to move out and close on the house, flying back to Michigan, moving into a super, wonderful condo and moving out of a temporary apartment...I finally feel settled.
It only took one month.
I finally have all my stuff...and by stuff I mean, I have my kitchen back! I have all my pots and pans, my George, my coconut oil, my steamer bags, a big, beautiful fridge and lots and lots of storage. It is feels like heaven.
We have been in our new digs for six days. I cannot tell you how much living "in limbo" as I have called it will wear you down and let you talk yourself into eating things you don't normally even consider eating. I have sent far too many emails to friends "back home" admitting things like, "I just ate half a bag of Twizzlers" (movie night!) or "I just ate a meal from McDonald's." Welp, that is life for you. Thankfully, getting into a good routine is super easy.
I visited one of the natural markets, Randazzo's, that I live only .7 miles from (hooray!) last Friday. It is beautiful. Everything is fresh....nothing frozen! I purchased two pounds of flank steak which made me a little bit giddy. I love flank steak because I love red meat and it is super lean so I feel like I can eat it all the time. If you haven't made it before I highly recommend it. I prefer to broil mine. Here is what I did:
It only took one month.
I finally have all my stuff...and by stuff I mean, I have my kitchen back! I have all my pots and pans, my George, my coconut oil, my steamer bags, a big, beautiful fridge and lots and lots of storage. It is feels like heaven.
We have been in our new digs for six days. I cannot tell you how much living "in limbo" as I have called it will wear you down and let you talk yourself into eating things you don't normally even consider eating. I have sent far too many emails to friends "back home" admitting things like, "I just ate half a bag of Twizzlers" (movie night!) or "I just ate a meal from McDonald's." Welp, that is life for you. Thankfully, getting into a good routine is super easy.
I visited one of the natural markets, Randazzo's, that I live only .7 miles from (hooray!) last Friday. It is beautiful. Everything is fresh....nothing frozen! I purchased two pounds of flank steak which made me a little bit giddy. I love flank steak because I love red meat and it is super lean so I feel like I can eat it all the time. If you haven't made it before I highly recommend it. I prefer to broil mine. Here is what I did:
- Marinate 2 lbs of meat in olive oil, worchestershire sauce, a little sea salt and pepper
- Refrigerate for three to four hours
- Broil on high for eight to ten minutes per side
- Let meat "rest" and then cut into eight 4oz pieces
I steamed some asparagus (of course) to go with the steak. The Mr. was more than thrilled with dinner. I think I only cooked dinner for us twice during our one month stint in the apartment aka dorm room. Poor guy. I'm also making sure to kick the morning off right by boiling eggs. Having a nice, paleo friendly go to protein source for me is key to staying on track.
What do you do every day to make sure you stay the course?
I want to give a shout out to some of my Tulsa ladies who are embarking on a month long zone challange. Keep it up girls!
Michigan is treating us well. Our new gym is great. I'm looking forward to getting back into blogging and being in the kitchen. I will close with some famous words from little orphan Annie...I think I'm going to like it here.
Friday, September 3, 2010
I Made It!
I finally made it to Michigan after a long thirteen hour drive north with my dog. I went through multiple bottles of water, cans of diet coke, an entire bag of twizzlers, a small bag of gummy bears, lots of trail mix, turkey jerky and a stop at Jack in the Box. Don't give me grief. It is a car trip and I was moving. I did what I had to do to make the drive bearable! Really, it was all Paige's fault anyway. Her treat bag was loaded with the good and the bad, which I 100% appreciated! Thanks Paige!
First order of business when I got to Michigan was to go to the store. Our temporary apartment had three items that you could consume:
1. Diet Dr. Pepper
2. Sliced deli ham
3. Pickles
I found a Kroger not far from our humble abode. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I was starting from scratch. I needed everything. I got my good old favorites like asparagus, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, blueberries and strawberries. I bought some pork chops and lean ground turkey. Then, I found heaven. An organic isle. Huge jars of almond butter and ten plus flavors of larabars! Oh me oh my. I no longer have to trek all the way to Whole Foods to get my treats!
There are a few really neat looking natural food markets here. I have been to one on a prior trip when we were scoping the place out. I'm going to try to visit them next week and report back on them.
Weird thing about Michigan...they sell alcohol in grocery stores. I know everyone probably thinks Oklahoma is strange because we don't, but I'm still getting used to seeing it when I walk in.
I honestly have to say I'm having a hard time eating regualr, full meals. I'm working from home now so my schedule is very differet. It will be 3PM and I realize I haven't eaten lunch. I know once I get in a better routine I'll be eating every two hours like before. :) I jumped right into the gym here. I'm going to start running some classes next week which I am very excited about. No sense in waiting around, right?
First order of business when I got to Michigan was to go to the store. Our temporary apartment had three items that you could consume:
1. Diet Dr. Pepper
2. Sliced deli ham
3. Pickles
I found a Kroger not far from our humble abode. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I was starting from scratch. I needed everything. I got my good old favorites like asparagus, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, blueberries and strawberries. I bought some pork chops and lean ground turkey. Then, I found heaven. An organic isle. Huge jars of almond butter and ten plus flavors of larabars! Oh me oh my. I no longer have to trek all the way to Whole Foods to get my treats!
There are a few really neat looking natural food markets here. I have been to one on a prior trip when we were scoping the place out. I'm going to try to visit them next week and report back on them.
Weird thing about Michigan...they sell alcohol in grocery stores. I know everyone probably thinks Oklahoma is strange because we don't, but I'm still getting used to seeing it when I walk in.
I honestly have to say I'm having a hard time eating regualr, full meals. I'm working from home now so my schedule is very differet. It will be 3PM and I realize I haven't eaten lunch. I know once I get in a better routine I'll be eating every two hours like before. :) I jumped right into the gym here. I'm going to start running some classes next week which I am very excited about. No sense in waiting around, right?
Monday, August 23, 2010
What a Difference a Week Makes
A full week of strict paleo down. Feeling awesome. I am feeling so awesome in fact I am going to keep it up another week. I guess to say I was on "strict" paleo would be a bit of a lie. That was the goal, but I did have a few deviations. Nevertheless, I was eating clean about 98% of the time and my slight deviations were very slight.
I already feel leaner and lighter. Muscle ups and handstand push ups towards the end of the week are a true testament to that. Maybe I was having a good day, but moving through those movements felt like a breeze compared to how they had been feeling. I'm not a scale girl, but I think if I were to get on a scale I would be happy with what I saw.
The steamer bags have been phenomenal! Get them now. The best news is that last week we sold our house! YAY! This means I can start destroying my kitchen again. Of course, I will be packing up my car and making the move north this weekend...fingers crossed. I fully plan on demolishing that kitchen when I get there though.
I've been eating a lot of shrimp. A LOT. Tonight I'm cooking up a pound of beautiful, lean pork chops. I have some gorgeous blackberries and raspberries as well. Eating good food just makes me feel exactly that...good! I've needed to feel like this again and I'm so thrilled that after only a week I'm getting there. It doesn't take much to get back into a good routine. Make the decision and do it. I dare you.
I already feel leaner and lighter. Muscle ups and handstand push ups towards the end of the week are a true testament to that. Maybe I was having a good day, but moving through those movements felt like a breeze compared to how they had been feeling. I'm not a scale girl, but I think if I were to get on a scale I would be happy with what I saw.
The steamer bags have been phenomenal! Get them now. The best news is that last week we sold our house! YAY! This means I can start destroying my kitchen again. Of course, I will be packing up my car and making the move north this weekend...fingers crossed. I fully plan on demolishing that kitchen when I get there though.
I've been eating a lot of shrimp. A LOT. Tonight I'm cooking up a pound of beautiful, lean pork chops. I have some gorgeous blackberries and raspberries as well. Eating good food just makes me feel exactly that...good! I've needed to feel like this again and I'm so thrilled that after only a week I'm getting there. It doesn't take much to get back into a good routine. Make the decision and do it. I dare you.
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