New Blog!

I'm moving!!!

I love this blog, but frankly I just haven't had the desire to write lately. I'm redirecting my "blog" focus more to my training. I have a new blog called "Stronger and Faster". I will still write about nutrtion, just not all time.

Thanks for all the motivation over the last few years to keep it clean!

Come visit!

Cinco de Mayo!

It is the 5th of May. It is a day that Americans love to celebrate with lots of chips, salsa, beer and margaritas. Isn't it wonderful how we embrace other cultures? Days like this can be really tough if you are trying to keep a clean (or cleaner) diet. So how do you survive today when you are out and about with your friends?

If you are at home, forgo the chips an thinly slice some crisp cucumber. My mom taught me this and it is a stable at their home. We almost never have tortilla chips with salsa anymore. It is always cucumber. Believe me, it tastes pretty much the same. You still have the crispness of the chip and you still get to enjoy the deliciousness that is salsa.

Today is also a day to celebrate one of the most fabulous fats in the world...avocado. Put it on everything. I swear guacamole makes everything taste better. Delicious.

Are you hungry for a meal? Fajitas are the way to go. Forget the enchiladas or burrito today. Don't use the day as an excuse. Order fajitas! Go crazy and get steak or shrimp. Make them special. This is our go to meal at Mexican restaurants. We ask for just the skillet. No tortillas, no beans, no rice. Don't be scared about being specific. Your waiter won't care so why should you? Ask for extra salsa and guacamole, mix it up and go to town.

Now, if you love beer I can't really help you that much. If you must have some, try to limit it to one. If you are a margarita drinker, many restaurants have "skinny" versions. If you must partake try one of those instead! Also, stay away from the frozen ones. They are packed with a ton more calories than they other version because it is so dense. You can still have your beverage, but not ruin your diet while doing it.

Eating clean doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the fun so don't pretend it does. If you decide to have a few chips don't beat yourself up, but don't go crazy. Put a few on your plate and limit yourself to those. Eat them slow, laugh with friends and enjoy your night! If you feel like putting on a sombrero and dancing a little bit do that as well.

In CrossFit News:

The Open is over! The Open is over! I qualified for regionals and I have about three until go time. Excited. Nervous. Terrified. CrossFit OKC kicked some serious tail. Our team finished 4th in the region! We have a few individuals competing in addition to the team. Chicago here we come! Everyone was amazing.

What Is The Deal?!?!

I'm starving.

Seriously, all I want to do is eat. I see food and my eyes feel like they are about to jump out of my eye sockets. I just finished lunch about an hour ago and I'm already on the look out for my next fix. I'm not sure what is going on. I'm actually working out less this week. One would think that would slow down my hunger pains, right?

I'm eating just like I normally do for the most part. No drastic changes. I'm drinking water with the occasional caffeine fix. Lots of fats because I can't function without my almond butter and avocado. I really have no idea what is going on.

My sleep is wacky too. I was up at 4AM this morning and could not go back to sleep. Awful. Of course, this is because my husband left the house before 4AM and I had to endure really early morning alarms. Ugh. I think I'm just "off" this week. Even at 4AM though the first thing I thought was, "Oh my goodness get me food this instant."

Suggestions? Thoughts?

I do have to brag for a second about myself though....I went to Outback last night and only had two small sized slices of bread. Yes, that is an accomplishment. Yes, everyone else I was with resisted, but I'm weak when it comes to Outback bread. Since I normally eat about three loaves on my own I'm claiming this visit victorious.

To Trevor - I'm actually still trying to find my favorite places to shop paleo in the area. Whole Foods is opening in October/November which will be wonderful. I can usually find really good produce at Homeland, but it is more expensive. I don't worry about buying organic so for the most part I shop wherever it is convenient and there is almond butter. If you find a a good place though please share and good luck!

Good News

Today I went to the store for the first time in almost two weeks. I was trying out a new economical system. It was called, starving ourselves. :) Basically the plan was to just clean out the entire house before I went to the store again so we could save money. That worked OK, until all we had left were cans of beans, two mini Larabars and an avocado. The Mr. wasn't such a fan of my plan.

It actually worked out great that he kindly requested a shopping trip because now I have eggs, pork chops, lean steak, celery and almond butter (ahhhh heaven), bananas, natural almonds and some dried fruit for the Mr. to make his own trail mix. Yes, it feels good to have a house full of good food again.

The most amazing part is that we went one whole week without Diet Dr. Pepper in the house. For me, that is perfectly fine. For him, it is like asking someone to not breathe for one week. We survived though. No worries.

Probably the most exciting thing I can report, however, is that I only have one WOD left to go in the CrossFit Open! Hallelujah. I cannot tell you how excited I am to get the final WOD completed and in the books. If it wasn't for a phenomenal rip on my right hand during the fifth WOD, I would be doing WOD 6 this weekend and be done with it. Thanks toes to bar. I knew I hated you. Minor rips are major for me...I don't rip often so I don't handle the healing process well. More than likely it means I will wait until next week to get 11.6 completed, but that is fine with me.

This has been such a great learning process for me. Things that used to make me nervous now don't make me nervous at all (muscle ups). It has made me keep pushing myself because there is always someone somewhere that is kicking my butt. It has helped me stay in the moment and not freak out when a rep doesn't go well or I feel like I'm slowing down. Just keep moving. One rep after another. Stay focused. Just breathe.

Confession Time

I posted this on Facebook yesterday:

"Thank God for Twizzlers and Cinnamon Rolls. Yup, I said that."

I did mean every word. Yes, I know it goes against a lot of what I say and what I normally do. I have also always been very upfront that I think it is 100% impossible to eat 100% paleo 100% of the time. At least, for me it is. It is unrealistic. I like treats too much. However, I know how restrain myself and not go overboard.

Let me set the scene so you know how I came to that Facebook statement.

This week was week three of the CrossFit Open. The wod this week was an AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of a squat clean and a jerk. Each movement counted for one point so a full clean and jerk was two points. The weight was 165# for men and 110# for women. Heavier, but manageable.

I had set a goal of getting thirty five reps. That is a lot. I know. On Friday I attempted the wod and got thirty full reps and one squat clean. I felt really good about the outcome. I knew I wanted more, but I was sitting in a good spot in the standings. No need to freak out and try again. However, I told myself if on Sunday I felt up for it I would give it another go. This is the type of wod I need to to more frequently. Heavier, fast and lots of reps. I actually want to start incorporating part of this into my weekly strength training with a shorter time domain. It is good to challenge yourself!

I worked out Saturday like normal. Sunday I was feeling fine so I showed up at the gym with a couple of other OKC'ers. I have to admit, prior to starting I was feeling very blah. The bar felt heavy and I wasn't feeling spunky. My approach was, "You already have a good score. Just pick it up and go. " I do so much better when I don't put pressure on myself. I knocked out thirty four reps. I had about six seconds to spare. My husband was kindly encouraging me to get another clean as I just turned around and sat down. I was done.

This brings me to my Facebook post. I was happy. My guilty pleasure is Twizzlers. They were the first thing I consumed after regionals last year and they are usually the first thing I want when I decide I'm going to indulge. It works for me. A small treat and when it is gone I am satisfied. I love my Twizzlers. On our way home we stopped to get a drink AND a nice little pack of Twizzlers all for me. I enjoyed every bite.

What is your guilty pleasure? Your special reward? Everyone has one and it is 100% OK to give yourself that wiggle room every now and then...even when you are training. It is good for your mental state. I know it is good for mine.

Don't worry, as I write this I'm drinking lots of water, eating turkey sausage and my almond butter.

Crystal Clear

We go through dishes really fast at our house. It seems like all twenty four of our spoons (twelve small, twelve large) are dirty in three days. Between two people, that seems pretty fast. The same goes for our cups. We use a lot of plastic cups in our house. Not the disposable plastic cups, but the novelty kind. They don't match, but they are functional. We are pretty low maintenance when it comes to that kind of stuff.

Yesterday, all of our trusty plastic wear was dirty. ::sigh:: We have a set of really pretty glass glasses that we got for our wedding. They have a little bubble in the bottom that is so cute. I fell in love with them when we registered for our wedding five years ago. We just don't use them that often unless people are over. I grabbed one of the small bubble glasses for my morning water since all my other options were dirty.

As I was watching the glass fill up I noticed something...the water was really pretty and soothing. I know, that sounds so silly, but I was completely mesmerized by the bubbles and flow of the water in my glass bubble glass! I had never really noticed before because I always use plastic.

It made me start thinking about how simple and beautiful it was at the same time. How wonderful, pure, clean items are refreshing and lovely. It made me want to keep filling up my glass throughout the day. I drank SO much water. I felt awesome.

My new rule: Never drink water out of a plastic glass. I want to enjoy the purity of it. Seeing it helps remind me how clean items help keep my body clean. An easy reminder that I am making a good choice for my body and my health!

Wasteful

I don't know what my deal is. I go to the store. I buy lots of wonderful, clean foods. Celery, carrots, strawberries, pork, lean steak, eggs, etc. I have great plans of what I will make each evening for dinner. I have visions of zucchini noodles dancing through my head. However, as I should know with my life track record, my plans almost 85% of the time do not plan out. Why? Because life is unpredictable. Sure, it doesn't help that I have a husband who has no control over his schedule. I like to eat with him. I hate cooking for one so when he can't make it home at a decent hour I tend to forgo my lovely meal plans and eat some hard boiled eggs and almonds. Ugh. The problem with this, besides the fact that my food choices for dinner get boring, is that all the good meat I buy goes out of date! It ends up going in the freezer on the "Use By" date and usually doesn't make it's way out of the freezer. Does anyone else have this problem? This morning I am going through my fridge trying to make sure nothing is out of date and what do I see?? A package of pork chops and two beautiful steaks that have a "Use By" date of TODAY. AHH! I was not about to let the freezer eat my food again. I just finished grilling my pork chops and the steak is being cooked for dinner tonight...no matter what. I swear I just bought them two days ago, but my weeks go by so fast that I'm pretty sure they have been sitting there for almost a week. I am so embarrassed. I think I'm going to make a calendar and post it on my fridge. I am going to mark the calendar with the expiration dates of all the fresh food in my fridge so I don't have to dig through it anymore. Hopefully this will cut down on waste AND encourage me to keep eating healthy, clean meals for dinner. CrossFit Open Update: WOD 2 is done and in the books. I'm really happy with how it went. I only hope the next four weeks are as positive regardless of outcome. Speaking of outcome, there has been a lot of negativity about The Open. I have had my few choice thoughts and words about it. Today on CrossFit Lisbeth she had a GREAT post. Please go here and read it even if you aren't a CrossFitter. It is all about perspective. Sometimes we all need a little bit of that when we get wrapped up in our own crazy world.

Failure

Warning...

This post is not about food.

What is failure? To a lot of people failure is defeat. It is not accomplishing something you set out to accomplish. It is missing the mark. It is disappointment.

Being the crazy list maker/goal setter that I am, I have been faced with failure many times. Failure to check everything off my list in what I thought was an appropriate amount of time. Failure to hit my goal weight or time on a lift or WOD. Failure to be happy with the progress I have made.

So how do you handle failure?

When I was younger I would pout or get upset. Completely natural. With disappointment comes emotion. If you don't feel emotion then you probably don't care enough. If you don't care then what is the point in pursuing a goal?

However, now I am older. Now I know how to deal with failure and disappointment better. Does it mean I deal with it the right what all the time? No, but I try. I know I won't always win, but I will try. I know I won't make every lift, but I will try.

I say all this because currently I am going through the CrossFit Open to hopefully win a spot to participate in the North Central Regional in May. I have set goals for myself with skill work and lifts. I have decided the things I need to be able to do to get to my end goal. The Games.

In the past year I have 100% changed my outlook on CrossFit. I do my best to not compare myself to others, but to compare myself to ME. For instance, I am self confessed awful at overhead strength. I know it is all relative, but for me it is not where it needs to be. I have hurt both shoulders in the last year, but that is not an excuse. It is just a weakness that I have to work extremely hard to overcome. I'm getting better. Today, I push pressed 140. That was a 12 pound PR. I was happy. That was not failure. After that I attempted to set a PR on a push jerk. I failed miserably at 170. In my mind, anything under 180 is unacceptable even though I have never hit 180. Why? Because I know I am capable of that weight. Does that mean I am capable of it right now though? Maybe not. Have I put in the work to get there? Not yet. Will I continue to put in the work so I can get there? Yes. Will I get there. You betcha.

In the past, failing at that weight when I have my heart set on something else would destroy me. I would think about it for days. Let it consume me. Today, my failure motivated me. Today, my failure told me to keep working. Today, my failure pushed me to get better. It doesn't mean I'm satisfied, but it means I know to take progress in stride and be excited and proud of myself even when I don't get where I want to be. It takes time.

Success does not come overnight. Bring on the failed attempts. Bring on the less than stellar benchmark WOD times. Bring on anything to keep pushing me to work harder, get stronger and get faster. I like the motivation.

Breakfast Score!

I love sausage. I love the smell of bacon, sausage and eggs cooking in the morning. It gives me a happy feeling inside. For the last year I have been making my own turkey sausage, which is great. It doesn't take a terribly long time and it is pretty tasty. However, sometimes I get in a rut and need a change.

Last week at the store I found something that changed my life. How I haven't run across this before is beyond me, but our paths finally crossed and all is now right with the world.

Jennie-O Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links.

There is something different about sausage links. They just taste more breakfast-y.

Fourteen come in a package. I cooked all of them on the skillet ::sigh::. I love cooking on the skillet. They keep really great in the fridge and are an easy treat during the middle of the day. Inexpensive and tasty.

Confession:

I also bought a jar of Nutella. Thankfully it isn't empty yet. I have a tendency to demolish it in two days. Shame.

I'm Having an Affair With...

...Jason's Deli.


I have to apologize to my kitchen. I think it misses me. However, I am in heaven every time I walk in the doors....salad bar heaven that is. No excuses. No guessing. Tons of fresh veggies at an arms reach.


I will be honest. I have a problem eating enough veggies in my diet. I get plenty of protein. I get plenty of fruit. I get PLENTY of fat. Salad bars are a perfect fix for me. There is always protein in the form of hard boiled eggs. Sometimes you get lucky and have some chicken or turkey. There is always good fat in the form of sunflower seeds and olive oil. You really can't go wrong!


Today I loaded up with mounds of field greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, sprouts, onions, eggs, a little bacon, sunflower seeds and some paleo friendly dressing.


On busy days between coaching it is an easy, fast lunch. Clean and delicious.

Getting in the Groove!

Ok, first of all I have to vent. I cannot find my favorite Larabar, Cocoa Mole, anywhere!!! It is also no longer listed on the Larabar website with the rest of their flavors. I'm very very sad about this. However, I did have the pleasure of trying a new flavor....Blueberry Muffin. It was delicious. I love blueberries. There is also a Carrot Cake larabar, but I have not tried it yet. If anyone happened to stock up on Cocoa Mole and wants to send me cases of it I would apprecaite it.

On to the better news....

I starting to feel like me again. My life, as you have read, has been in chaos the last year. Moving, moving again, new gyms, new jobs, new friends, old friends, etc. This past weekend I competed in a fun CrossFit event in Oklahoma called Cupid's Revenge. It was put on by CrossFit OKC in Edmond. I competed with my friend Denver from CrossFit Jenks, my old box home which I miss with all of my heart. We competed in 4 wods in one day. Absolutely brutal! It was so much fun being on a team. It pushes you even more because you don't want to let your teammate down. It has a very cool vibe. It has me going back and forth debating on whether I want to try to compete on a team or as an individual this year because I had SO much fun. We will see how it all goes!

We ended up winning the event, which was awesome. The day ended with a back to back FRAN. Yes, after three wods we did FRAN. If you aren't familiar with Fran, she is a good ole CrossFit WOD of 21-15-9 Thrusters (95/65) and pull ups. We finished with a combined time of 6:31....both of us set individual PR's which is kind of insane considering what we had already done that day.

I have done so many new things the past two months since I have been at new CrossFit gyms. I'm learning a lot more about mobility which is helping my shoulders out a lot. I'm also focusing more on core strength and skill work. I finally mastered pistols and did 37 in a WOD about a week ago. YAY! I'm stringing together four muscle ups, ten handstand push ups and now I'm working on getting my L-sits better. Core, core, core! I can tell it is paying off in other movements too. In the last two weeks I have PR'd my Overhead squat by 15 pounds, my back squat by 20 pounds, my front squat by 15 pounds, my clean and jerk by 15 pounds, squat snatch by 10 pounds (hate this one), deadlift by 20 pounds and my bench by 5 pounds!

I'm setting small, obtainable goals. I mark them off and set new ones. It lets me feel accomplishment, but also pushes me. Accomplishing these things has helped me to feel like me again. I'm in the groove. I'm getting stronger. I'm becoming much better at skilled movements.

So far I'm also sticking to my resolution of eating a clean, healthy breakfast! It changes my entire outlook on the day. I've been on a blueberry kick the last week (hence my excitement about the blueberry muffin larabar). I'm also back making my homemade turkey sausage. I'm going to try making some egg casserole or egg muffins next week. It will be a good change from the hard boiled eggs. Anyone have any suggestions?

Shrimp and Salsa

We have been a one car family for the last five days. It was fine at first, but now it is just flat out annoying. I haven't been able to go to the store and my fresh food supplies are on the decline. I had to be a little inventive today.

Thankfully I had some hard boiled eggs on hand. I love to have those in my fridge ready to go when I need some quick protein. Plus, my dog loves the hard boiled yolk so I always give her a piece if I'm not eating all of it. I had one egg left today which I saved for lunch.

I have some ground turkey which I haven't got around to cooking yet. I was feeling lazy and not in the mood to drag out The George even though it is super easy. Then I remembered the other day I bought some shrimp! It was previously frozen, but had defrosted in my fridge over the last few days. I decided to fill a bowl with the cute pre cooked baby shrimp and I topped it with some fresh salsa!

It wasn't the fanciest of lunches, but it did the trick. It was fast, easy and full of protein. If you make sure to have good food on hand you can always turn it into something yummy!

Snowed In

We have been snowed in for a few days. Today is the first day the Mr. was able to make it work....thanks to an all wheel drive car. Luckily I work from home. The biggest challenge when you can't get out of the house and you want to keep a clean diet is exactly that....keeping a clean diet.

If you keep junk in your house, you are basically done for. I challenge anyone to stay inside for three days and resist the temptation. I don't care how strong willed you are, it just won't happen. Boredom sets in. You get fidgety. You make excuses and go for it. In order to try to avoid disaster or starvation I hit the store Monday afternoon with all the other crazies. I'm so glad I did. In Oklahoma we have a tendency to "overreact" about winter storms. This was no overreaction. We had over a foot of ice and snow where I am and nearby parts of the state had almost 20 inches! Schools and businesses have been shut down since Tuesday.

So what did I stock up on Monday?
*Bacon wrapped fillets (3 oz each...perfect size!)
*Asparagus
*Spinach
*Grapefruit
*Eggs
*Turkey chili stuff
*Celery
*Archer Farms Almond, Peanut and Cashew butter (it is a combo butter and so delicious!)
*Mini larabars

I made the bacon wrapped fillets the first snowed in night and we had enough left over for lunch the next day. They were delicious! Tonight I'm making chili which makes me really happy. There is nothing better than some paleo friendly chili on a cold night.

Having some nice healthy snacks and our super awesome garage gym has kept us sane the last few days. I did enjoy some natural salt and lime popcorn...it was my treat and I enjoyed every bite.

Today I'm going to tackle some snowed in yoga. Flexibility and balance are not my strengths so what better time to focus on some weaknesses than when I have no where else to go?

What do you eat and how do you spend your time when you can't get out of the house?

Flashback!

Today I did something that I haven't done in years....

I went to Taco Bueno.

A little background....Taco Bueno is awesome. It was a regular for me in high school. My crew would be there for lunch at least once a week. We always purchased the number 3. What was the number 3 you ask? Pure awesomeness. A mexi dips and chips (double beans, no guac!) and a muchaco. Total cost = $4.08.

We would arrive with exact change. I didn't get the guacamole because I thought it was gross. I didn't try guacamole until my honeymoon and now I am obsessed with it. I loved that thick pita like bread on the muchaco. I loved the cheese, the beans, the pure lard fest that went on ever single time I walked in that place.

Since I was swimming two hours a day and then usually going to some sort of softball or soccer practice it wasn't a big deal. Plus, I was seventeen. Oh seventeen year old metabolism!

Today's visit was different. I'm not sure what drew me to the TB today, but something did. I took a look at the menu and nothing really appealed to me....nothing I mean that would normally appeal to me at Taco Bueno. No tostadas, no bean burritos, not mexi dips and chips. I ordered a chicken taco salad sans cheese. I wasn't sure what else was on it, but I arrived home to find heaven in a take out bag. I scooped the sour cream off. I've never been a huge fan of sour cream anyway so no loss there. Then I saw it...a large, lovely scoop of guacamole. My first guacamole experience at Taco Bueno! I was excited this time.

I have to say the salad was quite good. I didn't eat the taco shell and I was quite satisfied when I was finished. The chicken was tasty, the lettuce and tomatoes were very fresh, I had plenty of salsa and lots of guacamole. I was a happy girl. Don't be afraid of fast food places. Honestly, I think fast food Mexican is about as good as you can get. There is always some sort of salad with lean protein and healthy fat. Today was a good reminder that there is no excuse to eat unhealthy...not even at Taco Bueno!

I've Become Obsessed With...

...Eggs.

Every other day I boil four. I have four going right now. I love the sounds of the rolling boil. I've been eating two every morning. I know, two eggs a day. Wow. I only eat one yolk. I give the other one to my dog. She loves it. The great thing about eggs is that they are super easy and super tasty. I pair them with a simple fruit like blueberries or grapefruit and add a spoonful of nut butter and I am on my way to a terrific day.

Eggs are cheap and easy to manage. You don't have to use them right away like other proteins (chicken, turkey, etc.). I know there is a lot of conflicting thought on eggs and paleo, but I happen to think they are a perfect food. Pick up a carton today and start your day off right with some super protein.

Biggest Change

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!

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.

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!

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...

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:

• 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.