Honest

I have been on the verge of tears all day.  I came home from work tonight at 6:20 pm in time to change, grab a quick snack, start some laundry and then run to the gym for 7 pm Oly class.  Well....I got home, did all of those things, and then looked around and thought all at once - Laundry!, Crossfit?, packing!!!, dishes!, errands, work, which suitcase?, what to pack?, I wonder how the flights look?, how will I get it all done!?, I'm hungry!!, I'm tired. What will I take for lunch tomorrow? I hate cooking! Ahh! It's now 7:17 pm and I'm sitting on the couch trying to chill out.  Unfortunately, I knew that to feel better I needed more time to accomplish things tonight, so I chose not to go to CF.  I'm disappointed, but I instantly felt better knowing I had some breathing room.  So, I should make this a quick update in order to make the most of my time.

My sleep quality last night was terrible.  It's rare that I have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.  I struggled with both last night and that is evidenced by my dark under eye circles.  I'd probably fit in with a pack of raccoon right now about.  I was incredibly pale today  ...and while I'm thinking about it I'll go for the trifecta - my hair was a hot mess today as well.  Sorry if you had to see me in person. :)

I made myself scrambled eggs and bacon today (again).  Its easy and I can't screw it up.  Lunch was the other bison burger that I made last night.  I didn't have a chance to snack today, but there were veggies and 2 hard boiled eggs in my bag.  While cooking dinner I ate a banana and then a piece of salmon that I covered with seasoning and lemon juice.  I really try to like fish, but yuck...most of the time I just think its gross.  (PS. Dad, I forgot it was Ash Weds so try to over look that I ate meat.)  I had some coffee with heavy cream.

I have to cook some more tonight for tomorrow's lunch and dinner and then pack my lunch.

I will go to CF tomorrow.  I'm concerned about how my numbers will be at the end of this month.  I'm also excited to see how things went with my goals and to set some new ones, too.

I'm flying to Hong Kong on Friday!!! [insert excitement and also panic]  I'm so happy to see Mark and spend some time in a place I'd probably never have gone.  I'm nervous to fly and to have to entertain myself for 15 hours.  (Another thing I have to do - load my new ipod.)  I think I have enough books - one hardcover and 4 Nook books.

Okay, gotta get movin'!!!

Quick Update

Just a quick update about food today.

Today was my first workday of making breakfast for myself.  It went okay and Mark and I were skyping while I was cooking so it was almost like he was there lurking over me...silently judging my cooking like he usually does.  What?!  Did I just go there?! Sorry, babe! ;)  I made 2 fried eggs and 3 pc of bacon.  The keurig made me some Starbucks Breakfast Blend with heavy cream.

For lunch, I had 2 grass fed hot dogs...which might sound gross, but are totally amazing.  I'm kinda sad that was the last 2.  I also had some strawberries and blueberries throughout the morning and afternoon.

Before I left work, I snacked on some cucumber pcs and broccoli and also a banana.  (So much for cutting back on fruit?!)   I just finished eating dinner - yes, this late - and it consisted of a bison burger and 2 small pc of organic cheese.

No CF today.  I needed a rest after yesterday.  I'm going to *try* to go tomorrow night.  I have to finish packing so I'm not trying to do that Thursday night.

Alright, gotta shower and hit the hay!

Thank you, Presidents

Having an extra day off is exactly what I needed.  I feel well rested today and ready to take on this week before the trip.  All of the laundry is put away.  (If you know me, this is a miracle!)  The dishes are done and I've even accomplished some work from home.  I started laying out a few outfits for HK - according to everything I've found online I should wear black, bring layers, and bring comfy shoes.  That seems pretty easy.

Before I blog about food and CF plans for the day I want to share a virtual post-it that I found that seems perfect.  Erinn, this is for you. :) 

I ate dinner with Mark's parents last night.  They made stuffed salmon, mashed potatoes, and spinach salad.  Not 100% paleo, but it was really good!!  I also splurged and had 3 peanut butter cookies Girl Scout cookies.  As far as other food yesterday, I had eggs and a sausage slider and some fruit (mango strawberry mix).  Earlier in the morning I had an apple and some almond butter.

The plan for tonight is to go to CF at 7 for Oly class.  I've missed going to that and CF in general, actually. I'll update this post later to include details from the workout.   

UPDATE: Food and the Oly Workout

Okay, so first, the wod.  Before I even get into numbers let me just say that tonight was a good night!! I had 2 PRs. :)

• Snatch: 60%, 70%, 80%, 85% (all x's 2), 90% x 1, 95% x1 or 1RM x 1
• I started a little lower than 60% because I had been off for a week and I wanted to make sure I was warmed up.  So my numbers were as follows:  10 kg, 14kg, 16kg, 18kg, 20kg, 23kg, 25kg, and *26kg*  (57.2 lbs)  
• That's definitely a PR for me as I think my previous best was 23 kg.  
• Front Squat:  60%, 70%, 80%, 85% (all times 2), 90% x 1, 95% x1 or 1RM x 1
• I started higher than my 60% this time because doing the bar is easier than trying to load the lighter bar with more weight and doing more math. :)
• Lifts = 35kg, 35 kg, 36kg, 39kg, 42 kg, *44kg*  (97 lbs)
• My previous best was 92 lbs and I actually did that a while back before Xmas.  I didn't fail on this attempt and I put it up with only a little struggle so I know its not a 1RM.
• Hang Clean:
• By this time I was tired!
• 60%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 80% (all x's 2)
• Lifts = 25kg, 32kg, 34kg, 39kg, 40kg (I failed on attempt 1 and decided I was spent)
• Snatch Pull - I didn't get to.

After I got home from the office, I snacked on a couple pieces of cheese and 2 grass fed hot dogs with some mustard.  Dinner may be a piece of salmon....or a hamburger....I haven't decided.

Return to Zumba and 2 Exciting Pieces of News

I had the wrong idea today that Zumba would be a "piece of cake" because I'm a *ahem* Crossfitter now and I did it for solid year before we moved into the city.  About 30 minutes into it I looked for the clock and I was desperately hoping that it was 11:50 and we'd be cooling down soon.  [Insert face of disappointment here]  Honestly, the hour went pretty fast and it was fun, but I couldn't help but notice that my cardio ability was not as great as I'd hoped.  By the time a year had passed when I was doing it in the burbs I would dance my heart out for an hour and it hardly phased me.  In Crossfit we are doing some cardio activities, but just different things and for much shorter durations typically.  Rest is built into a lot of workouts.  I think I will probably try to keep up with Zumba to keep this piece going.  The challenge is how do I find time for CF and also yoga and Zumba? On a side note, I was a bit nervous about going to class this morning - the whole new girl who doesn't know the routines thing.  However, I think that I did pretty well on the fly and for being front and center in class.  :)

This post seems like it will be a bit sporadic because I have lots of things to comment on.  I'll jump to weighing myself.  As you know, I didn't do any CF this week and I had to do the best I could with paleo at Starved Rock and at my parents' house.  I'm happy to say that I weighed myself this morning and I was 142.6.  I maintained and that's awesome!!  I will be very glad to get back into swing of things with the gym again this week and then do my best to do some physical activity while I'm in China.

So for the 2 exciting pieces of news which are gym related:
1)  I did NOT ONE, BUT TWO 100% boy push-ups today in a row.  :)
2)  I've noticed that my legs no longer touch when I'm standing with my feet together - clothed or not.

I went to Whole Foods this morning post Zumba to stock up on some things for the week.  It was an expensive trip because I tried to get some things that were pre-cut, pre-packaged, and easy as I know this week is going to be hectic.  In terms of snacks I got some fruit and some veggies to supplement the nuts I had bought to take on the retreat.  For dinners I got some grass-fed buffalo meat (for burgers), a piece of salmon (You read that correctly, Mark), and some chicken breasts.  I also picked up some frozen veggies.  Simple is best for me right now.

I ran onto this article recently...maybe WCCF posted it? or I found it somewhere?  I can't remember. Why Women Need Fat  I was reading it more thoroughly this morning.  Maybe give it a look if you're struggling with the idea that you have to eat fats (omega 3, specifically).  I know this was something that I couldn't really wrap my brain around last spring.

I'm making the trip to Hong Kong this weekend to hang out with Mark.  I'm incredibly nervous about going for some reason.  I'm excited to get there, but its the travel part that is stressing me out.  As a friend suggested to me this morning I'll need to take a Tylenol PM when I get on the flight and sleep so that I'll be more in sync with HK time when I get there.  I hope that works because I don't want to waste a lot of time with jet lag.

The Jeans Saga: Part 1 and Thoughts from My Mom

Jeans shopping  s-u-c-k-s.   (Its right up there with swimsuit shopping.)  Its easier to shop for jeans when you have plenty of normal options, but stores are full of cheap and tacky looking options right now.  Rips, fades, washes, and bedazzling - oh my!  Not to mention the ultra super low rise option?  My mom called them "Vagina Jeans" because your crack woudln't be the only thing showing if you wore them.  ;)  

Friday night I propositioned my mom to head into Peoria to shop.  She agreed and so we decided to start at Gordman's (because I didn't want to spend $$$$$ for jeans that might not fit me for too long) and if that didn't work - Bergners and maybe the Gap.  Gordman's was a joke.  Nothing even worth trying on.  Next stop - Kohls.  To my surprise they are now carrying Rock and Republic jeans which looked promising.  No luck.  Finally, we ended up at Bergners where I tried on a couple of Guess pairs and one Jessica Simpson pair.  I wasn't feeling confident about either, but to my surprise the Jessica Simpson pair worked.  They were $60 and I thought that was reasonable for a pair that I might not fit into if I lost much more weight. 

Backing up to my arrival at my parent's house I was showing my mom my need for new pants by pointing out the roominess in the waistband.  She didn't say anything there, but as soon as we go in the car she said that my face is very thin.  "You should probably stop losing weight"  she added.  I understand the concern about weight loss - afterall, I was the first person to tell Mark that I thought maybe he needed to stop.  However, I still think there are changes to be made - without dropping tons of weight.  I still have "problem areas" and I have high hopes that those will change.  It's not my goal to weight 135 lbs and be stick thin.  It's my goal to weigh what I will, but to decrease my body fat and increase muscle. 

Food recap from Friday - now:

Friday Brunch:
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon
Pineapple

Snack:
Almonds
Strawberries with Almond Butter

Dinner:
Chili Colorado fajitas (minus the tortillas)
*chips and salsa (my mom made me)

Saturday Breakfast:
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon
Coffee with Skim Milk (all they had here)

I looked into signing up for yoga tomorrow morning, but the classes and the waitlist are full.  I think I'll try Zumba again and then get back into CF this week.  I'll weigh myself when I'm back home in Chicago so I can use the same scale. 

Starved Rock: Day 1

I know that the first day of being at Starved Rock isn't over but I'll blog about food and my lack of physical activity. 

I'm glad that I thought ahead to bring lots of paleo-friendly snacks because there are zero options here if I was having to make decisions on the fly.  For breakfast this morning, I had a large cup of coffee with half and half (no heavy cream available) and a banana.  Mid morning I snacked on some almonds.  I thought I might be starving at lunch time, but my cravings were manageable.  For lunch they offered a buffet of cold cuts, salad, and etc.  I filled my plate with some roast beef, onion (with mustard) and some salad (with ranch).  I sampled a couple of other meats and I also had a TINY bit of potato salad. 

Dinner is going to be a bigger challenge as fried chicken is generally on the menu.  If I have that as my only option, then I'll remove the skin.  Surely there will be salad and veggies.  After dinner, I may have a couple of drinks, but I will definitely keep it light. 

I'm not even sure if there is a gym here....I would guess so?  Obviously I haven't gone to check it out.  I probably won't.  :P  I'll do a travel wod tomorrow at my parents' house. 

I forgot to mention the other day that Mark brought up the idea of adding a food review/critic section to our blog in which we document our trials and tribulations of eating paleo at restuarants.  I thought that sounded like a great idea so once we're back in the swing of things we'll start doing that. 

Overdue Updates

Things have been so busy the past couple of days that I haven't had much chance to update.  Both Monday and Tuesday nights we didn't go to CF as we both worked late and then celebrated Valentine's day yesterday. I'm feeling guilty about not being more motivated to go in the mornings, but this week I'm just not.  I'm not sure if we'll hit up the gym tonight either.  It's "Grace" (see below) tonight for the wod, so I would like to do that one for time and see where I'm at.  While I'm out of town for work I'm going to try to hit up the gym (if there even is one?) at Starved Rock.  It won't be CF, but the best I can do.  I guess this will be a rest week and that will just have to be okay!  Hopefully I can sign up for yoga this weekend and start the week off right.

Food has continued to go well.  The only cheats I've had were 2 chocolates the other night that Mark's mom bought us for Vday and some milk.  Other than that, I've been back to pretty strict paleo.  I can't remember exactly what I had on Monday for lunch (maybe steak and avocado?), but breakfast consisted of eggs and bacon.  Monday at the work Valentine's party I had a bit of fruit and a couple pieces of deli meat.  There were TONS of temptations there, but I stayed away from everything.  I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for the will power that I have when I need it.  That night Mark cooked up a couple of sausages for a late night dinner/snack.  Tuesday I'm sure we started the day with eggs.  Lunch was 2 sausages and some pineapple and strawberries.  I made a paleo recipe for dinner and while I followed directions I didn't think it turned out very well.  The recipe was for chicken breasts with a sun dried tomato sauce and I'm not sure what I expected, but it was tooooo sweet.  Mark thought it was fine (at least he said), but I would never make it again.  Today we again had eggs and beef bacon.  For lunch I had 2 grass fed hot dogs, a banana, and some nuts.  Dinner will be grass fed bison burgers.

I was worried earlier in the week about having to eat at the work function and what I'd do for snacks.  At Whole Foods on Monday night I got some bananas, apples, and nuts.  I hope this helps me to keep any temptations at bay.  If dinners are as they've been in the past there are a lot of carbs involved.  :(  I hope that not a lot of people notice that I'm not eating them because I hate trying to explain paleo to people who aren't really interested in it.

Mark leaves tomorrow for Hong Kong, which changes my schedule around as I blogged about a few days ago.  Earlier to bed and earlier to rise so I can skype with him and make myself breakfast and lunch.  I'll be on the hunt for new recipes for the next few weeks too that aren't super complicated.  If anyone has any ideas for me that would be awesome.  I definitely have Erinn's salad ideas in mind.

I'll try to update as I can for the next few days!