back on the band wagon?

Well....it's been a rough couple of weeks.  A vacation abroad on the  mainland, birthdays, surprise visitors and my paleo-ness has taken a pretty substantial hit.  Mostly in the form of booze and french fries, though not always those two together.

Eating out while we were away - not terribly different or difficult, save for the lack of coffee 'cream' alternatives and the requisite martinis/wine just because we can. However it was a bit of a free-for-all for my birthday, and the subsequent week I'm still in with surprise visitor's from home.

It really takes a trip to the grocery store with non-paleos to drive home how terrible and impulsive my diet used to be.

I am very much looking forward for the shift back to feeling good and 'digested'.  Also, taking a break from crossfit to try something different. Am thinking about Yoga, but am definitely going to incorporate running back into my routine, if for no other reason than the slimming properties. 3 months consistently at Crossfit, no measurable difference in body size or composition, time to switch it up and see how that goes.  Goodbye Beyondthewhiteboard.com, hello mapmyrun.com!

roasting a chicken is not for the faint of heart!

So I decided to bite the domesticity bullet and learn how to roast a chicken.  And by learn I mean google.

A lot of the paleo sites recommend this method as you generally get the whole chicken for about the price of 3/4 breasts and you have the added bonus of getting to eat the entire thing!  Well, not the bones.....okay maybe the bones, it was a X-fit day after all.

Okay, post-roast (bahahaha! TOTALLY intentional) and I'm miraculously still alive.  Turns out this is a super, idiot-proof recipe! http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/03/12/easy-and-amazing-roast-chicken/  that I modified.....  But only slightly. Surely everyone looks at recipes as just places to start, right? I mean, who ever has ALL of the ingredients? Like turmeric. Do you have turmeric in your cupboard?  I didn't even know how to properly spell turmeric until this spellcheck slapped me in the face with its cheeky, squiggly red line of judgement.

But you know what isn't easy?  Taking the meat off the bones.  Nobody talks about this step because it's heinous.  Forks, knives, spoons, tongs and fingers were used/hurt in the extracting of our dinner.

However, I did make one hell of a gravy.  Turns out I may be the gravy master of the universe.

If you're not doing two suppers - you're doing something wrong

Today, supper number one, awesome.  Double-coated coconut flour chicken tenderloins - conveniently prepared while I was in the shower, and some steamed broccoli = DELISH.  The boy did a bang up job.

And yet, I was starving.  I could probably have eaten ten of those tenderloins.  Twice.

I've done some more reading and I think I'm not eating enough, which is a revelation I'm pretty excited about seeing as I love to eat.  That love is why I'm on paleo in the first place after all.......  But I think my total system shut-down at Crossfit on Friday is attributable to a deficiency in calories vs what I'm outputting.

This week's mission - stuff the cakehole!  oh baby!  Starting with tonight.

Some background on today - both weather and the season have contributed to not a lot of work for this girl this entire month.  I've been driving myself crazy, I'm still not sure how the boy hasn't smothered me in my sleep. However, the figurative tides have turned, and I found a way to do some diving - albeit in a pool.  I'm getting so desperate to get my gills wet, I secretly contemplated hucking my gear on for a feisty bath.... Today's pool work meant I worked the entire day, which was good for my spirit, bad for my tummy.  I was STARVING.  Hence two suppers.

My new favorite thing - asking what's for supper, after we've eaten supper.  Try it.  It's amazing. Also, yam fries are totally paleo in my books. Sweet potato + fat (fried) = paleo yumminess in a way that has my tummy singing.

It's been a good day!

bring on the food!!

So the aforementioned weigh-in and measurements were postponed indefinitely due to my eating my body weight in homemade nachos last night. It seems the lack of appetite on Friday was compensated for - ten fold - throughout the weekend.  damnit.  I am avoiding eye contact with the scale, despite it's best efforts to lure me in.

(cue cheat justification:) I don't think ONE MEAL is really that big of a deal overall.  That said, I do think the way that ONE MEAL made me feel both immediately and still this morning, should be enough to dissuade this from happening next weekend.  I'm staying strict for one full month, which puts me at exactly one week today.  And to be honest, I didn't really WANT to cheat. I WANT to feel better and look better.  damn you devil cheese.

Checking out some paleo blogs from a friend and fellow paleo'r, and I am going to have to find some way to get more sleep.  yay!

success!!!

So despite what anyone else says, nobody does paleo without the goal of losing weight. And let's be honest here people, unless your guard is down (and by that I mean you're drunk), losing weight is a goal every day is it not?

Well I'm happy to say, that the scale and I are now back on talking terms, minus 6 extra pounds that I didn't need anyway!  huzzah!!

I've added running and ...............wait for it..........pole dancing classes to the regime (Sorry crossfit, I'll be back on Monday, I promise!!  Will also do measurements again, just for kicks) but by and large, while working out is definitely making me stronger, I'm certain I have paleo to thank for the pound droppage.

So stick with it!  I'm still 3 days out of the 3 week mark!

I'm in love

with frozen mango.  forget eating my body weight in cheese (you think I'm kidding about this, but I have a dozen pairs of pants presently collecting dust that can confirm otherwise), I'm now compensating with the frozen mango at Cost-u-less (Cayman's version of Costco).

Also, last nights supper - yum.  try it: http://fastpaleo.com/lime-grilled-chicken/  you won't be disappointed.  well you might, depending on your expectations, those dishes aren't doing themselves.

I think I'm finally over the fatigue hurdle and am feeling pretty damn good today!  Good enough that I'm going to attempt to achieve that yummy crust restaurants are able to put onto salmon.  Keep your fingers crossed and your first-aid kits close......

now I must go....hazelnut milk is calling....

well the headaches are gone!

Coming into the 3rd week of Paleo and here's where we're at.

I think the websites waving the Paleo flag should be a little more forthcoming with the not-so-glamorous side effects.  Like the need for a good book - because (sorry, TMI alert) you're going to be spending a lot of time in the 'quiet room'.  I mean a lot.  And often.  Might be worth buying an iPad for.

Also, the headaches, mood swings, and lightheaded-ness.  Those were fun.  Rumor has it the first month is the hardest, as it's the biggest adjustment to your system, so if you've decided to give this a go and you're finding some of these fun and unexpected 'gifts', persevere!  Apparently it gets better.

Also, the initial enthusiasm for new recipes has been dwarfed by my disinterest in scouring 1000 websites looking for something DIFFERENT.  It's alarming at how confined you feel staring at your fridge full of vegetables, meat and fruit. I mean, what did we eat before?  Meat and veg.  Maybe I was dependent on sauces and I just didn't know it?  Do I miss teriyaki sauce?   Yes I do.  Deeply.

Also, eating my body weight in cheese each week.  But today at the gym I was told I'm looking 'very lean' and in fact have inspired a friend to give paleo a go herself and that's damn good motivation.  Also the revelation that hobbits must have been Paleo.  I now completely understand the need for breakfast, second breakfast (one of my fav's), 11's, lunch....etc....  I can easily commit myself to an eating regime where I'm encouraged to eat at will.  I can eat. and I will.

Tonight's supper menu ='s lime grilled chicken done on our peculiar outdoor electric grill - I've not told the man he is cooking yet, I figure that's better left as a surprise! Maybe sauteed peppers for some color on the plate? Done and done.