Paleo Challenge: Complete! And a huge Thank YOU!

As of Monday Jonathan and I have completed the 30 days of Paleo. And you know what? We actually love it so much that we will continue to do it, however, we will be throwing in a cheat meal (not day) on a weekend day. So we've decided this weekend we're going to eat dim sum (YESSSSSS!!! I'm craving dumplings too :D :D ). At day 30 these are my results compared to day 1.

 

I know the poses aren't the same but the lighting from the window was better in these angles heh heh heh. Here are the results and I will resume to uploading monthly progress pictures as I did in the past. As I continue this lifestyle I am seeing more and more gains. My strength is stronger and my workouts are tough enough. Here are some other pics that I'd like to share with you, the calves which I have already posted on Facebook and my quads which I saved for this :) 

 

Anyway, enough about muscles ;) My last post elicited many responses from an unexpected audience: those of you whom I haven't spoken to or seen in such a long time. I am in awe at the outreach you all expressed, and I am extremely touched by your words. To have such support is.... amazing. That's an understatement because at this point words cannot fully express my gratitude for all of your words and support!!

And speaking of support, you have goals right? Whether it's to pass a test, or move out of your parents house, or just have a healthier lifestyle, you have goals. In order to be a couple steps closer to your goals must surround yourself with those who will push you, to motivate you, to support you, and, most of all, respect you. Tackling these goals are hard to do on your own. And you know what? There is nothing wrong with asking for or seeking help. And I don't mean surrounding yourself with those who will shove a shot glass or drink in your hand and tell you to down it so you can get piss drunk then do shit that you probably will forget/regret. These are the people that will tell you,  "You sure you wanna buy that purse? That's less money toward 'moving-out-fund.' " Or "No, you can't eat that because you promised yourself you wouldn't," or "Let's take a hike on a new trail, it would be nice to see different things." It's kind of like guilt tripping but beneficial for you than them. These are the people who are also willing to make a change with you and help you through it. I am incredibly fortunate to have Jonathan and the handful of you readers inspiring me to keep going and accepting change as well as challenges.

With that I vow to you, and myself, that I will stay consistent, I will continue to inspire, I will continue to be raw, I will continue to push myself, and I will continue to be strong.

Thank you, and don't give up!

Marie

30 Days of Paleo

I was going to upload this yesterday but I didn’t have enough time after I got off the train/forgot to do it. Anywho, yesterday was Day 5 of the Paleo 30 day challenge, so far so good, although cravings are hard to deter from. With the help of resources and Paleo friends Jonathan and I have been thinking and planning on what and where we can eat. We have decided to make Saturday as grocery days where we hit up the farmers market and Costco to purchase the things we need for the week. Then Sunday we spend half the day cooking up the veggies and meats to make our lives easier when planning our dinners and lunches. When we feel like eating out hot pot and Chipotle are ideal choices of eating oaut. Hot pot has no seasonings or greasy oils, just order as much meat and veggies while making sure the broth is plain. We’ve decided the clear broth as our weapon of choice. At Chipotle there has been a lot of praise (from Robb Wolf, and other hardcore Paleos) for their Paleo friendly menu.

Planning ahead of time is really key to this challenge (I sure as hell can’t afford to waste a lot of time in the morning). I work odd late hours along with my long commutes. So packing my meals the night before helps so much. I eat when I get on the train, then workout once I get to work.  I'll eat my dinner on the train ride home or in between basketball games. I can say that I do not feel starved without all the carbs. I have cut out whole wheat bread, brown rice, almond butter, dairy, salty foods, and dark chocolate. I will admit I have had some difficulty with cravings, yet Jonathan helps to remind me what we’re doing this for.

To be honest not having carbs is a little hard. I didn’t eat a lot of it, just a slice of toasted bread with almond butter in the morning and then brown rice at night. The killer is that I what I ate in between those times: snacking on unsalted pb filled nuggets and veggie root chips from Trader Joes, sweet potato chips, and the like. I mean, they don’t sound as bad is it could be (although those bag of veggie root chips can get pretty damn addicting), it’s just that these items were still processed. And I like feeling sated, and so does everyone else! How I’m managing my satiation is to eat my veggies first, from the least dense to most dense of veggies. I will always eat protein last. For example, tonight I ate sautéed kale first, then roasted Brussels sprouts, lastly, baked beef meatballs. I am also being conscious of chewing my food thoroughly and slowly. However, when it comes to my lunch it’s different… this past week has been a variety of salads. Always including some protein I make my salads more interesting each day just so I don’t get bored with it.

Is this lifestyle getting in the way of the quality of my workouts? I can’t say if it is, yet. I lifted yesterday and today, and I’m not dead from them. So I guess that’s a good sign. Now that I am starting a consistent workout schedule it’s hard to answer that question. Jonathan says he felt weak when he went back to lifting. I’ve decided to alternate my weeks with a week of lifting and the following week of HIIT workouts to improve my cardio and shed off some fat. After a 2 week vacay in Washington with family and Jonathan this is a great lifestyle to start off 2013 with.

Wait, what are your goals during this challenge?? Oh yeah… goals. Hmmm, my long term goal is to see what transformation I will see at Day 30 and compare it to Day 1. The other long term goal is, honestly, look good naked. Why? My readers, that’s a whole different issue. My short term goals are to maintain consistency with my workouts and food prep, remind myself to take everything a day at a time, and not give in!

Obstacles

So we all have our rough days. We also have days where our motivation levels have plummeted southwards. How do you get through those days? That's a pretty good question.
Today was definitely one of those days for me. I guess it didn't help that I lacked a couple hours of sleep today then attempted a 20 min nap that turned into an hour and a half nap. That sabotaged my day. I felt sluggish, groggy, crappy, and unmotivated. I ate like crap too might I add. I looked outside my window to find really lovely weather but the wind was so harsh that it didn't even look worthwhile to go outside to enjoy some fresh air. Reluctantly I had to run a couple errands that required walking a couple blocks to Trader Joe's and a postal service place. Both nearby but I really hate walking in the wind. I wanted to stay cooped up in my room and do... nothing. But deep down I knew not moving around while feeling mopey  is really bad so I'm thankful I went on those walks despite that fresh air whipping against my face and ears.

I ended up doing a 12 min HIIT workout around 6p. I felt better-ish but still feeling sluggish. But at this time of night I realize that the biggest obstacle with my goals is my will power and, well, myself overall.  A skinny model from a H&M advertisement at the Muni bus shelter doesn't make me feel ugly or fat.  It's when I look at myself in the mirror to remind myself I have a long journey ahead of me that pulls at my motivation.  I need to have stricter discipline when it comes to eating. Living at home with my parents doesn't exactly help either. Although my mom cooks very healthy food it's the snacks that are bought in between. My dad doesn't exactly have a healthy palate either. He likes his burgers, ice cream, sweets, and other not-so-healthy foods. I'm trying to work on improving my will power even more. Anyway, enough mopey crap.

Here's today's HIIT WOTD:
50 seconds active/ 10 seconds rest
20lb sandbag squat/overhead clean- 19, 20, 20
Alternating mountain climbers- 36, 42, 37
Leg lifts- 13, 21, 20
Plank w/ alternating toe touch- 22, 30, 30

At the end of the workout I wanted to do a little more so I tacked on 50 squat jacks to make it more satisfying. :) Ya know, playing the right workout music also plays a big role in getting into your workout and your day. I kind of forgot about that today. Gotta make sure I upload the right songs onto my iPod :)

Alright, it's getting late, I need a proper beauty sleep.

Happy lifting! And don't forget to persevere!

- Marie