US Wellness

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Running: Day 1

I've ambitiously set my goal for the 5K at 25 minutes - which I completely think is do-able as long as we continue to run between now and the end of April.  I started the "training" today and ran 2 miles.  The first mile I just ran at a very easy pace just to see what time it would turn out and it was around 10:30.  I ran the second mile a little quicker at 10:00 even.  Running felt awesome today so I'm really excited to see how much we can push ourselves by race time!  Also, I cannot wait to run outside when its nice.  This is the spring and summer that I start running at the lake.

I loved the workout today!!  It was quick, but challenging.

Snatch:  2 reps at the top of each minute for 12 minutes @ 60% of best snatch effort
-  I did several reps to warm up at lower weights and then quickly got started.
-  I went with 42 lbs for my 60%.
-  This went really awesome.  I was definitely tired towards the end, but I never broke form.

Power Clean + Push Press:  2 sets of 2 + 2 and 3 sets of 2 + 1  (I know that seems confusing!!)
-  I'm gonna throw it out there that I think I could have lifted heavier for this because I should really be able to clean more and I'm sure I can, but I also had to think about the press and how much I can do there.  I went with 42 lbs for this, too.
- The 2 sets of 2 power cleans and 2 push presses were quick and painless.
-  The 3 sets of 2 power cleans and 1 push press were also easy.

The workout online called for strict chin ups but I can never seem to find the freakin' band when I want to do this.  I'm going to have to order one I think because pull ups are never gonna happen on their own!

After the lifting I did the running that I mentioned above.

Last night I didn't get home from work in time to hit the gym so I did an ab video.  I'm totally feeling it today!! :)

Since I wasn't able to hit the gym last night I took the opportunity to cook.  I gotta say that I'm pretty proud of myself for branching out and trying new recipes and not just sticking with burgers and breakfast stuff.  (Those things sound really good, btw, but I'm refraining!)  I've noticed that I am crazy for certain foods for a period of time and then all of a sudden I don't want anything to do with them.  Right now I'm eating apples like it's my job and I probably bake a batch of brussel sprouts every other day.  A month ago it was broccoli and the mango slices from Whole Foods....and a number of other things I've cycled through.  I don't know if I'm the only person who does this, but it's weird, right?

So I did a little shopping over the weekend and I've (of course) been wearing things this week.  Here's my work outfit from yesterday.  I'm a little obsessed with these grey dress pants so that's why they're constantly showing up. Maybe I should throw my other ones back into the rotation, too? ;)


Black sweater from Zara.  You can't see it, but the back has such cool detail.  There's a gold zipper that runs the length of the shirt and the hem is asymmetrical in the sense its shorter where the zipper comes together and then gets longer and meets the length of the front of the shirt. So cute! Gray Editor pants from Express (Love them!) and my Tory Burch flats.   

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Dressing Room Disasters

For those of you who follow me on Pinterest you'll notice that I am obsessed lately with one thing.....mint colored jeans.  Jeans are a purchase that I hate to make.  In fact, I even have an entire post in the archives here about how much it stresses me out. Shopping for these jeans amplifies the drama because I don't want to spend a fortune on them as they're a trendy thing, but the cheaply made pairs are a joke in terms of cut and fit. No joke - if they fit me in the legs then a family of 4 can usually fit inside the waistband gap!

Traveling for work now means that I'm frequently passing by Old Orchard.  I can already tell that this is going to be a problem, especially when its nice out.  (It's an out door mall with every store you could ever think of.)  On the way home from work yesterday I decided that it was time to find these jeans that I have been dreaming of for a while now.  How hard can this be?  Right?  I didn't even expect to spend an hour ....or 2....or 3.... but 4 hours, 1 venti chai latte, and 15 pairs of jeans in the "no fucking way" pile later I found a pair that I liked.  Of course, I will rock them soon and share a pic.

I think that shopping for jeans is particularly traumatic because I start thinking that my body is way out of proportion, which in fact is not true.  It leaves one to believe that having a butt and thighs is a crime because jeans are not cut to accommodate you.  Honestly, who's legs look like sticks?!  Apologies to anyone that reads this who does...but you need to squat more! :)  Just sayin'!!

The other thing I haven't figure out is why not make the lighting in the dressing rooms favorable for trying on clothes?  Soften that shit up people!  I don't want my constant inner monologue to consist of...."Ugh...not a good angle" ...."OOOh....that's even worse!"  Don't worry, I treated myself to additional retail therapy in form of candles to get over the psychological damages.  ;)

As you might expect, I didn't work out this weekend.  I intended to, but then I had a 4:30 am night and a 6:00 am night.  Good bye weekend productivity and motivation!!  Honestly though, I wouldn't trade sleep for laughs and good times any day of the week so it's all worth it in the end.  I am reminded of how incredibly lucky I am to be living this life.  Good times and good people.

Food and drink choices were pretty good over the weekend.  All paleo except for some bread and feta cheese I had on Friday night.

I'm going to start incorporating some running into workouts this week.  Not every day because I'm not really too stressed about running a 5k, but I want to make sure its smooth and effortless come 4/27.....and my partner in crime started running this last week so I have to keep up! ;)

....and now for the outfits.

I went out Friday, but forgot to take a picture before I left.  I donned the leather pants again and a silver/grey  lightweight tee from the Limited and a black sweater.  Cute stuff!! :)  Here's from last night:  green sweatshirt from Zara, grey tank from Target, jeans from H & M, and brown boots....and yes, no need to rub your eyes and check again....I curled my hair.


Thursday, February 21, 2013

Nice Surprise

Okay, literally ran home from the gym tonight to tell you how stupid I am. :)  Obviously, Conviction doesn't have exactly the same equipment that WCCF had so when I was doing the snatch work with the shorter bar I assumed it was very light in weight - 7 - 10 lbs - like I was used to there.  I calculated all of my January and February snatch weights thinking it was no more than that.  Wrong.  It weights about 22.2 lbs!

Let's recalculate my snatch math:  I finished the month thinking I was doing around 37-40 lbs when really I was doing 52 lbs!  That seriously made my day and for sure my week! :)  So last week when I mentally was having trouble with what I thought was 42 lbs....it was really 57 lbs and that's like 15 lbs off my 1RM of ever.  MIND BLOWN! :)

I went to the gym tonight after I got home from work and it worked out well that Clerky and Maggie were there.  It was awesome to see them to to lift with them.  I was happy, too, that they thought my lifts looked good!!  I must be doing okay by myself...even though its not my favorite!

  • Hang Snatch 5x2 @ 65% of 1RM
    • I warmed up with 22, 32, and then did the 5 sets with 42 lbs.  Honestly, no further comments.....I am just so excited!!
  • Hang Clean & Jerk 5x2 @ 65% of 1RM
    • Sets were completed with 44 lbs, which is 65% of 57 lbs (my known max for now)
    • These were easy and I had no trouble knocking them out quickly.  The cleans even felt good and I felt like I was making the bar travel straight up - instead of chasing it outward sometimes like I do.  :)  
  • Prowler - another couple was using this so I didn't get a chance to.  
  • Sit ups - I will take care of here at home 4 x 15 reps
I'm not sure what I'll be able to squeeze in tomorrow workout wise.  I would like to do yoga, but someone hit my car today so I have to get a couple estimates for the damage which will take up most of my morning.  Perhaps tomorrow is a rest day?  or....I will dance enough tomorrow night to count it as a workout.  I'm kinda hoping that's the case.  I love to dance and I never get the chance very often to do it.  Very excited!

Alright, here's an outfit of the day pic.  I worked this afternoon so you'll probably notice its less trendy and more work appropriate.  Don't look at my hair.  I am hatin' on my bangs big time.

Dress pants from Express, off white button down from the CK Outlet, CK jean jacket that I may have gotten from Marshall's a few years back, and my gray Steve Madden suede booties (love!)  





Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Decade 3.0

"One kind word can change someone else's day."

A few days ago, when I wasn't exactly at my best, a friend said to me that its remarkable how resilient I am.  At that moment, I think I wasn't really listening because I was emotionally wrapped up in what I was saying. Even if I was completely tuned in I may have just dismissed it in disagreement. It's a few days later now and I've found myself going back to those words a lot and feeling good each time I do.  I'm not sure that I see exactly what they do, but each unexpected and difficult situation that's come up I think I've not only survived but re-emerged a better version of myself.  If anything, I'm more appreciative of the good things that fill up my life, which is true now more than ever.  

Also, I just entered a new decade.  Some days the idea of 30 scares me, but I'm trying to think of it as the dawn of a time for me to really figure out what excites me.  Maybe I'll do a few things that scare me and I'll discover some new things in the process?  For instance, a couple of years ago, I would have never thought that I would be where I am now with the health and fitness part of my life.  I thought about being in shape but I had very little direction and/or motivation.  It was another time, similar to this, when I was trying to figure myself out.  Fast forward through being scared and intimidated....now the gym...lifting weights....doing wods...kickboxing....it's all familiar.  What's not?  Running.  I actually hate to run, so last week I decided that I wanted to do a 5k.  Serendipitously, the Rave 5K showed up on Living Social today and I knew that was going to be my first race.  My friend Josh and I signed up! I'm so excited about doing something that I never thought it would...even if I suck at it.  Hopefully, its the first of many things. :)

No gym today.  I woke up with a little bit of a cold and I reset my alarm so I could get some more sleep.  Honestly, I was disappointed, but I'm sure I wouldn't have had a very productive session.  I hope I'm feeling better tomorrow!

Food today was paleo minus the chai latte.  I looked up that it's gluten-free-ness on the Starbucks website.  I rationalized that it would make my sore throat feel better.  I was right....but then again...when am I wrong?? ;) *jk* 

A couple of random things....

1) I am so obsessed with hockey right now.  My interest in this is on a whole new level this season.  I'm not sure if it's because I had to wait so long for the season to start or what.  Whatever it is...exciting times being a Hawks fan at the moment!  Fingers crossed that I get to another game in March.

2) You know that they say that people and their pets start to resemble each other?  I took this picture of Sharpie tonight and I thought it looked familiar.  See for yourself. :)


3) Tomorrow's promise is to wear something not featured in the Slob Kabob Spring 2013 Collection and to blog about it, to cook, and to go to the gym! ;) 




Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Haircut Panic

Do you ever wish you could throw as much energy into important tasks as you do to completely silly and useless ones?  For example, you would think that I was writing a literary masterpiece about some monumental moment in history....I have several browsers open....I'm flipping back and forth....taking notes...drawing diagrams......working up a bibliography....and what am I doing??  Trying to find a new place to get my haircut.  You think you have solid Yelp skills? You got nothin' on me. ;)  After several painstaking hours of research I finally settled on Charmed on Damen.  I wasn't sold looking at the website or the headshots of the stylists themselves but the reviews convinced me to give it to try.  Noon is the bewitching hour tomorrow so wish me luck.  I'll keep you posted.

I went to yoga today and had another good class.  I didn't even have that typical "what the f&(k am I doing here" feeling half way through.  Tomorrow is a lifting day and I'm really excited for it!!  This week got a little busy on me so I won't make it to a kickboxing class, but next week I will be there!!  The other thing I've become really interested in doing is running a 5K.  There's a couple coming up in the city and I am going to need a running buddy here very soon! Put your applications in for my consideration! :)

My paleo life has been going great.  I made brisket in the crock pot this week and it turned out amazing! Other recent things on the menu have been pork loin, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, and various snacks.  I discovered almond butter again so that's been showing up a lot.

Alright, short post tonight.  Off to bed! :)

Monday, February 18, 2013

Big Post

"I love people that make me laugh.  I honestly think its the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."   - Audrey Hepburn


Today I woke up and I was thinking back on my weekend.  It wasn't a particularly special weekend, no parties, no holidays, or etc.  It was just a few days filled with people I really enjoy being around and for who I'm grateful to have in my life.  For those of you who don't know me as well, my friendships are some of my most prized possessions.  I really try my best to take care of those relationships and to frequently let people know how much they mean to me.  I have the best friends that anyone could ever ask for, be it long-term people or people I just met.  I'm so lucky.  

This past weekend just makes me thankful that I have the ability to do whatever I want and to be with people who make me laugh.  (See tie in to quote above!)  I live in a city that has endless opportunities and I can't imagine myself anywhere else at this point in time.  I feel like I'm on the brink of something big sometimes...and maybe things had to fall apart a little for them to start falling back together.  Either way, I couldn't be more excited.  :) 

So I was thinking about doing an update of progress since I started back at the gym a little over a month ago.  I know I've been on repeat about how frustrating my decline so I will try to refrain from adding that comment next to everything I post. :)  

I would love to say that I jumped 20 lbs on all my lifts or that I was so close to where I was before but that's not the case.  However, this situation is so different then at WCCF.  I'm by myself 99.9% of the time and its only then you realize how much you miss the people that you had around you before and especially your lifting partner in crime (Shoutout K2!).  Looking at a month's worth of videos it looks like I had to start over with myself and then re-train myself to do everything correctly.  It's hard, especially for someone who relied so much on someone else to do that for her.  I guess, if anything, I should be really proud of last month from a completely non-numerical standpoint.  

So for the lifts:

  • Snatch:  I started again really, really light and worked on form.  Honestly, it's like I joke to say I was around 20 lbs.  I would say that currently I'm right about 40 lbs.  
  • Clean and Jerk:  I started the month around 25 lbs to be conservative and I had successfully C&J'd 57 lbs.  
  • OHS:  My first attempts were around 30 lbs and I maxed a couple weeks ago with 50 lbs.
  • Front Squat:  Beginning of the month was about 50 lbs and I can do 75lbs now.  
  • Deadlift:  I'm not sure where I was with this before, but I did about 110 this month so we can only go up from here. I want to say my original max was around 160? 170? 
Well...not so bad huh?  I guess I should go ahead and say that I put 20 lbs on all my lifts.  This makes me so excited for this month!!  :)

As I blogged about last time for yoga, I can tell I'm stronger.  

Paleo was a rocky road so far.  What can I say....I'm not perfect and I'm not a machine.  It's like a matter now of putting that delayed reinforcer of looking good for summer (yeah, yeah and being healthy) into perspective.  I really want those things and I know they're do-able.  Now to keep it in mind the next time a cheat shows up!!  :)

My weight stayed right about the same.  I hovered around 132.  I'm not sure what to expect from this now.  Will I continue to lose?? What will happen as I'm putting on muscle??  I guess we'll find out.  So this may not be an accurate barometer of progress anymore as weight loss should really taper off.  Let's be honest here...who really wants to see me be under 130 lbs?  I sure as hell don't.  :)

The Sharp Attack and I are feeling pretty settled in here now and happy. :)  Here's a picture because I am shameless cat mom who wants to show off her baby!! So cute! Have you also noticed that I got this cat and then the Hawks just never lose?  Coincidence?? ;)
As promised, some decorating pictures to come soon and some more outfits of the day to please my most avid readers. :)  

I'll throw a gym update in here from tonight, too, when I get home so check back! 


Friday, February 15, 2013

Thursday and Friday

Thursday:  After spending most of the day locked inside working on paperwork I decided to venture out to yoga tonight.  It had been a couple of weeks since my last class.  I decided to sign up for a time tonight with a new instructor - just for something different.  I find that the hour draaaaaaaaaaaaaags on when the same person does the same moves in the same order every time.  I was pleasantly surprised that I liked tonight's class the best so far.  It was a nice mix of things I'm good at (always a plus in my book) and challenging poses that I'm getting better at.

My hips were tight today and really sore from lifting yesterday so the fact that he had just doing a lot to open up that part of my body was great ....even though it hurt like hell sometimes.  One announcement: I cannot do the splits.  How I ever managed this when I was a kid amazes me.  I should probably work on this outside of class so I'm not feeling like a complete loser when we do this again.  ;)

Things I noticed tonight:
1) First of all, I could have stayed in high plank forever.  It just felt good and strong.
2) My transitions from high plank to low plank and then to up-dog were the BEST I've ever done them.  They were slow and controlled too, not just me lowering my stomach down and then down to my elbows and so on.
3)  I can "do" the splits a lot better on my left side than right.
4)  Umm..."crow" ....wtf?

Okay so quick Friday update.  I finished hanging all of the artwork in my bedroom and new stuff for the bathroom today!  I post a few pics soon.  I did a lot of cleaning today and organizing and I'm feeling pretty settled here now.  I have one or 2 things that I want to get from IKEA, but I'll tell you more about them after they're here.

Here's my outfit for tonight.  I'm going to meet a frieeeeeeend for drinks in Lincoln Square and then out with some people to watch the Hawks game in Wrigleyville.

The angle makes me look really short?  haha  So weird.

Outfit details:  CUTE peplum top from Target, Express Jeans, Tory Burch flats, my Tiffany bean necklace I got for Xmas a few years ago and a necklace with charms that came from Express several years ago.


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

the shower coffee episode

I have always struggled with going to bed at a decent time but I had gotten myself on a routine of lights out around 10:30 or 11:00 pm when I was working my "normal" job.  That has completely gone out the window now as I've realized that I don't have to get up at a certain time every morning.  The challenge for the upcoming weeks is to get myself back on a routine and to have some normalcy in the mornings to do paperwork.  \

This morning, for instance, I needed to get up and get moving to the gym because I had a very busy day planned.  I hadn't obeyed the 10:30/11:00 pm rule the night before and I was reaaaaaallly looking/feeling rough this morning at 7.  I went to the gym and ran home to get in the shower.  So.....show of hands....(seriously, do it) .....how many of you have ever had a "shower beer?"  You know, the beer you have when you're getting ready because you don't want to waste that precious time that you could be pre-gaming?  This morning I had a "shower coffee."  You know...the coffee you have when you're getting ready because if you don't have caffeine you might fall asleep standing up?  I have stooped to a new lows.  :)

The gym was rough this morning.  My body was tired and lethargic.  I'd like to forget that today ever happened, except the fact that I went. 

Here's the workout:
Snatch:  5 x 2 @ 85% of 1RM

  • I warmed up sufficiently and had zero pain.  Yay!
  • I did my sets at 37 lbs.  I * really * wanted to go to 42, but I also didn't want to chance re-injuring myself.  After last week's mental breakdown I needed to work on my confidence, too.  
  • Here's a video from a different angle this time:  


Front Squat:  4 x 3 @ 80% of FS1RM
  • I did my first set at 60 lbs and then moved to 70 for the final 3.  
  • It was apparent that I was soooo tired during this.  I was sluggish.
  • The bright spot is that last week when I was doing these I stopped between each rep and today I would knock out all 3, even if they weren't the prettiest.  Progress, at least.
RDL's:  4 x 5 @ 80% of CJ1RM
  • 1 set @ 75 lbs
  • 4 sets @ 70 lbs

Okay...and let's move on to the exciting part....my outfit! ;)
Black tissue tee from The Limited, Black blazer from NY&C, dark jeans from Express, Tory Burch flats (Thanks, mom!) and a turquoise statement necklace that I think came from Tar-jay a couple summers ago.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

100th Post

Alright so the wagon should be circling back around by my place shortly and I'm jumping back on!!  I won't bore you with what you already know this week - I cheated on paleo and I haven't worked out since last week.  Shame on me!!  I got groceries yesterday and my shoulder is a-ok.  I'm ready for you, Wednesday.

I honestly can't say the cheats are all regretful.  Sunday I ate part of a skillet cookie sundae while I was out with friends watching hockey.  I'm not gonna trade that. ;)  Last night I didn't make it to the gym because a really good thing happened with my job and I was trying to sort out the details.  I stayed up late talking to my best friend, too. Today, I treated myself to a mani/pedi and they gave me champagne.  Who cares if I drank 3 glasses and came home and needed a nap?!  I never plan for paleo to take over my life and rob me of the fun things, but typically these things are more spaced out.  

In other news, I have a cute outfit to post.  

Black cardigan sweater from Lululemon - I'm obsessed! I wear the heck out of this thing.  Gray/Silver tissue tee from the Limited.  Pink/salmon jeans from "Tar-jay".  Black wedge booties that I ordered online from Amazon.  I don't remember their brand.  

Randomness:  I have re-discovered heels and I'm loving it.  I am obsessed with the peplum.  I want a pair of mint colored jeans.  What if the Hawks never lose? ;)  Sharpie and I make great roomies.  I need to go dancing - stat!  

So I was just thinking about this post and if I should care that its an "I've struggled" lately theme as opposed to "I'm kicking ass and taking names" theme??  My conclusion is this:  I share all of these things with you guys - the good, the bad, the interesting, the only interesting to me - so it is what it is.  Here's where I am today.  It's not where I'll be tomorrow.  All I know is that things have changed a lot in a year and one week doesn't derail me from any of those accomplishments.  Like I said before - Wednesday, I'm ready for you!!  :)

Saturday, February 9, 2013

PaleOMG...I ate Oreos the other night.

So this post will just be a little hodge podge of things from the past couple of days as I haven't really updated since Wednesday.  If you read that post then you won't be surprised that I took Thursday off from working out to give my shoulder a break.  It was a tiny bit sore I noticed that day, but nothing that made me concerned.  I probably just didn't stretch enough or do enough weights at lower reps like I needed to.  Note to self:  plan on spending more time at the gym to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Thursday night I went out with a friend to watch the Hawks game and to grab a drink. :)  Here would be my outfit of the day for that:  


Red blazer from Express, basic white shirt from Victoria's Secret, black cotton/stretch pants from Express, and my black Corso Como boots.  

I wasn't sure if I was going to try to hit the gym on Friday because I had a lot of paperwork to do for work and I was meeting a friend for dinner around 5:30 downtown.  I ended up not going, which was probably a good thing to give myself another day to rest my shoulder.  Today (Saturday) will be my final rest day before I go back to normal activity tomorrow.  I enjoyed the look of the regular WOD for Friday so maybe I'll try to knock that out.  I also need to sign up for yoga this week.  

Also, I'm a little disappointed in my self about this, but I haven't been eating paleo since Wednesday.  I'm not really sure what started my cheating, but I'm sure an alcohol-infused choice was what gave me the first push off the wagon. Starting over today and pretending Oreos didn't happen.  Also, I have to think of what I'm going to give up for Lent, which completely snuck up on me.  Any suggestions??  

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Ode to Icy Hot

Well to follow up the awesome day I had lifting on Monday was a shitty day today!  GRRRR!!! It's great for my ego to work in this pattern that way I don't start thinking that I'm doing okay. ;)   As I type this I have an icy/hot patch on my right shoulder and I can tell that it's only going to get more sore as the night goes on.  I'm not exactly sure if the problem was that I didn't warm up enough or if I did something when I was snatching.

At any rate, here's the workout:

  • Snatch 5 x 2 @ 75% of 1RM
    • I warmed up and everything was feeling really good.  I did a couple of snatches at 27 lbs and I power snatched them without even trying.  I moved to 37 lbs and I "accidentally" power snatched that, too.  I'm not sure if it happened then, but I didn't notice it if it did.  I added 5 more lbs to do the workout sets.  When I went to do this I got the bar to about shoulder height and then I dropped it.  Something psyched me out.  I took off the other weights and went back down to 37 lbs.  I did 4 reps and by the 4th one my right shoulder in the socket was killing me. Time to stop.  :( 
  • Front Squat 3 x 5 @ 80% of 1RM
    • Looking back in my notebook my last front squat was at 65% and that was 60 lbs.  I did 1 set at 40 lbs to warm up and then jumped to 60 lbs, then 70 lbs, and then 75lbs.  I am having a little trouble not breaking the plane of my back as I'm coming up.  I am tending to dump the weight a little forwards and use my quads more than my glutes.  I really tried to focus hard on keeping my back straight and pushing up with the big muscles.  75 lbs was challenging but I didn't have to make any crazy noises to get it up so not that bad. :)  
  • RDL's 4 x 8 @ 65% of CJ1RM
    • I lifted a little heavy here and kept 70 lbs on the bar from when I was front squatting.  
  • 4 x 30 sec handstand hold 
    • No problems...although I'm sure I popped little blood vessels around my eyes per my usual with the handstand.  Good think I have 50 lbs of concealer on hand at all times because I am part raccoon in the mornings.  
  • 4 x max effort pushups in 30s 
    • I didn't do this because of my shoulder.  :(
  • I did break out my muay thai gloves and hit/kick around on the bag a little.  OMG, I am missing this!!  I think I'm going to have to start going to class again.  It felt really awesome to kick something and I'm sure I could use the release I get from it.  I'll have to try dropping in one day during the lunch class to get my fix.  

Yesterday was a rest day, no yoga.  I'm going to sign up for yoga for tomorrow in the am.  Also, I discovered that Nike opened a store on Armitage and that they are offering free classes every day for different things.  You can sign up for up to 4 classes a week - completely free - so I registered with the store.  Now, they don't have a ton of options for times, but for free?...I'll try it out for some variety.  I'm not sure how long this is going to go on so time to capitalized on it now.

A recap of food from yesterday:

Black Tea
Bison burger from DMK (no bun) + sweet potato fries
Salad from Chipotle (no dressing, fajita veggies, mild salsa, guac, and steak - no carnitas available)
2 bananas

A recap of food from today:

Coffee + heavy whipping cream
1 banana
grass-fed beef patty + mushrooms
brussel sprouts
dinner is TBD at this point

Monday, February 4, 2013

L is for Lifting :)

Lifting today was AWESOME!! Days like today are the motivation that keeps me wanting to do this.  First of all, I liked the look of the workout before I ever got to the gym - lots of fave things.  Second, I felt awesome lifting.  Everything was clicking.  I was pushing myself.  It just all around felt incredible. If I were to write a meme about it ....it would be a la Dos Equis guy....."I don't always leave the gym feeling like a total badass, but when I do I go home and blog about it immediately!"  ;)

Here was the workout:

Hang Snatch: 5 x 2 @ 65% of Snatch1RM

  • All sets done at 37 lbs.  This went great.  I snatched 37 lbs last week, but only once or twice.  I got this one 10 times and it was easy!!  I didn't video myself, but I have a feeling that since things are going up easier and easier that my form is on par.  This has always been my favorite lift because it just clicks.
Overhead Squat:  5 x 3 @ 75% of Snatch1RM
  • I did 4 of the 5 sets at 40 lbs.  The last set I added weight to get to 50 to see if I could do it.  I did the  3 squats with no problem. :)  So the cool thing about this is if I can OHS 50 lbs...that means I can probably snatch 50 lbs!! I'm not ready to give that a try, yet, but psychologically that feels amazing.  My last known 1RM for snatch was about 72 lbs/33kgs.  
Push Jerk/Split Jerk: 4 x 1.2 @ 65% of CJ1RM
  • So last week I gauged that 40lbs might be 75% of my 1RM, today I assumed it might be 65%.  I did 1 set at 40 lbs and it felt too easy.  I bumped myself up to 50 for the last 3.  I felt great!  I tried to move faster and make sure my timing helped me to get under the bar.  
  • Doing a little math (Wow, I know...I did math? all by myself? Shocking!) if 50 is truly my 65% then around 77 lbs should be my 1RM for now.  Previous 1RM was around 110 lbs/45kgs.  I could clean it, but I struggled with the jerk.  It was mostly a psychological thing I think because people would start watching me.  
Chin ups:  Max reps x 3 sets
  • I couldn't get this in because the rubberband was MIA.  I looked all over for it.  I may have to invest in one myself because that sucks.  It will be my intention to do pushups later at home to try to work on some tricep strength instead.
The food log for the day goes a little something like:
  • 1 cup of coffee w/ heavy cream
  • 2 scrambled eggs
  • 2 pc of uncured bacon
  • small portion of strawberries and kiwi
I would prefer not to talk about my food choices from yesterday.  My evening is a blur of buffalo chicken dip + chips, brownies, and Stella Artois. :)  

I don't have to go out today for work so I'm dressed like a slob kabob.  No picture necessary. :)

The only other big announcement I have is that I got a new roommate yesterday. :)  Here's a picture of him in the bathroom.  


....and here he is laying around on the couch helping me work....



His original name was Boo, but I'm trying out some other things to see how I feel.  I'm really leaning towards calling him Sharpie.  So far we're getting along great, except he thinks that I need to wake up a few times in the night to give him attention.  He will soon learn that I don't give a shit how cute you are....that is not acceptable!!! :P

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Crab Cakes

I think that I am the self-proclaimed expert on crab cakes in the city of Chicago.  After several missions to find the very best ones I can, with confidence, reveal my results this far:

  1. Coobah's - Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict
  2. Joe's Stone Crab House - Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
  3. Glen's Diner - Crab Cakes
  4. Marmalade - Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict
  5. Whole Foods Crab Cakes (I made myself)
  6. Ann Sather's  - Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict  
Clearly my research will not stop here, but I've been working hard to try to cover this topic for you guys. :)  As you can guess, I had some crab cakes tonight at Joe's.  I'm not sure they were 100% paleo, but they weren't breaded so I didn't think they were that bad.  I also had a salad and a couple glasses of wine.  Earlier in the day I finished off the rest of the baked butternut squash and I also had an apple.  Also for the sake of full disclosure, I cheated tonight and had a few bites of Mike's dessert.  Oh well.  I know that Monday will end up being the OFFICIAL, official first day anyways. :)

Today was a rest day due to my schedule.  I'm going to do yoga tomorrow morning and then I have a few errands to run before heading over to a Superbowl party.  My back has been a little sore the past couple days so another day without lifting will probably be good for me.  #mybodyisold

Strangely enough I weighed 130.4 today.....I'm not sure what made me weigh myself, but I thought that was interesting b/c I was 133 yesterday.

I am going to post a couple of links that I found interesting:



and finally my outfit....

Black tank from Target, white button up dress shirt from CK outlet, black blazer from NY&C, black leggings which I am obsessed with from Lululemon, and black CorsoComo boots.  I must also mention, although you can't see it too well, my necklace is a Meshu that my BFF had made for me.  I'm in love with it!! 




Friday, February 1, 2013

Paleo - Day 1

Honestly, who starts doing diet and lifestyle changes on a Friday....a specially the Friday before SuperBowl Sunday???  Me.  I'm gonna throw it out there that should I blackout on Sunday evening for a few hours I should not be held accountable for any buffalo chicken dip I may eat.  Let's hope that doesn't happen, but just. in. case. it does Monday is a new day. ;)  

So, here were my measurements for 2/1/13.  I didn't bother to go back and find the old post with last year's measurements....they're so 2012.  :)  If you want to look it up then you're free to, but just know that I lost a bunch of weight and inches.  

This morning I weighed exactly 133 lbs when I woke up.

Arms:

  • Right bicep, relaxed:  10"
  • Left bicep, relaxed: 9.75"
Waist:
  • @ smallest point: 26.5"
  • @ belly button: 28.5"
Thighs/Hips:
  • Right thigh, relaxed: 21.5"
  • Left thigh, relaxed: 22"
  • Hips: 38"
Waist to Hip Ratio:  .70

I've been back in the gym regularly since 1/7/13, so I'm going to continue my routine of lifting and then trying to do yoga as some active rest on my off days.  I think I might start bringing my gloves with me to the gym and doing a little kickboxing on my own.  I am really missing that and I don't want to totally lose my skills.  

As far as food goes for today, I have had 2 bananas and I finished off the roast/veggies that I made earlier in the week.  I skipped Starbucks today (yay willpower!) and for dinner I had some left over chicken stirfry and some baked butternut squash with cinnamon.  

Over the past year I've become a big fan of reading other people's blogs....no surprise there.  I want to see what other people are doing and I clearly want to make sure my blog is the best. .....just kidding.....kinda ;)  Anyways, some of my favorite blogs are doing "Outfits of the Day" which I realize has absolutely nothing to do with paleo + health......or does it?  Stretch your thinking for a second and come on this journey into my mind where wearing cute clothes and feeling good about the way things look are a direct result of my lifestyle changes.  You following me?  Okay, good.  I think this is the perfect way to 1) show off feeling confident about the way I look and 2) to put to use all the outfit ideas that I pin on Pinterest.  #addictedmuch? #pinningcouldbemyfulltimejob  :)   So, here's today's outfit:  

Details:  These jeans are from H&M and I got them over 5 years ago, but I couldn't wear them for probably 4 of those 5 years because they didn't fit.  They're a little big now!;  navy top is from Express; Sweater was a Target find a few years ago, and my shoes (which I love) are tan suede Steve Madden booties.