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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Review of the past two weeks on Paleo

I started out the Crossfit Paleo challenge two weeks ago.  And while I have had some successes, there have also been some fails.  I have lost a few pounds (I started out at 142, and am now around 135) which is great.  I still have about 10 pounds to go to get to goal.  I was hoping to be further ahead as far as weight loss goes at this point, BUT...I have been cooking and eating like a wild caveman asshole.

Here's how that works.  I started the challenge in full force- low carb and kicking ass.  Then, I started losing weight really quickly and took the bitch out mentality of:  I'm losing a shit ton of weight, I can coast a little bit. 

Coasting turned into experimenting with all sorts of new recipes and concocting Paleo delights.  It has been fun, but now I have to get back down to business.  I have two weeks left and a contest to win BITCHES!!!!  So it is go time. 

My lost time in the challenge is your gain.  Here are a few of recipes I have tried:

Pumpkin Chilli
28 oz can of Plain Pumpkin
28 oz can of Crushed Tomatoes
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 red pepper
1 onion
1 lb ground turkey
ground cinnamon (1-2 tsp), allspice (1/4 tsp), nutmeg (1/4 tsp), and ginger (1/4)  or to taste.  You can omit any of the spices if you aren't into them
salt and pepper to taste

Chop your peppers and onion
Melt the coconut oil in a pan/cast iron skillet and saute your veggies
While they are working, dump in your can of pumpkin, tomatoes, and spices into a crock pot
Dump sauted veggies into the crockpot
Brown your turkey in your skillet and add it to the crock pot
cook on low until you are ready to chow down

Salmon Salad
1 precooked salmon filet (I used leftovers from last night's dinner, or you can quickly pan sear your own)
2 cups of salad greens (I used butter leaf lettuce)
2 slices of Applegate Farms Procuitto chopped
5 or 6 strawberries chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon coconut oil melted
salt and pepper to taste

I was so tired of olive oil on salads that I experimented with the coconut butter.  It solidify a little bit on the sides of my bowl, but it was a tasty change of taste bud scenery. 

Snack Time Trail Mix
2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons of almonds
1 teaspoon of honey
1 tablespoon of melted coconut butter
sprinkling of cinnamon
a pinch of salt
stir it all together and eat the hell out of it!!!! 

Nate and I made Paleo Pizzas the other night.  They were really good and if Nate liked them, they are a win (because he will totally tell me if something tastes like a trash can).  The crust is here:

http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/08/04/everyday-paleo-pizza/
We did sausage, spinach, and onion for one pizza and cheese steak (minus the cheese), onion, and mushrooms for the second

I was talking to some insightful pals at Crossfit today.  We were discussing how challenging transitioning to this lifestyle can be without baby steps.  Some great ways to ease your transition are:
-Take it one meal at a time
-Remove one thing at a time (ex:  first sugar, then wheat, then dairy)
-Try two new recipes a week

We didn't develop shitty eating habits overnight and they can't be completely shut down overnight.  There is a huge emotional component to eating that can be an ongoing challenge.  Celebrate your successes and acknowledge your failures.  Let them teach you about yourself and learn so that the previous fail becomes a win.   
Happy Halloween!!!!  Guess who won't be eating candy????  That's right, my ass is sweet enough without it ;0) 

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