Here's What's Cooking

I am about ready to be done with the detox.  I am really missing eating fruit!  As I was grocery shopping last night I saw beautiful pineapples, mangoes, and strawberries.  I am going to dive head first into a fruit salad when I am done.  

I have been cooking today to prepare myself for the upcoming week and this weekend.  I have prepared Stuffed Peppers for the crockpot tomorrow.  Pizza Crackers are in the oven now and the sauce was just finished up.  Also buttery chicken thighs and bacon wrapped chicken thighs with a side of asparagus and a snack of prosciutto wrapped asparagus.  I was able to complete all of this cooking in just under 2 hours.  

I am learning that preparation of every piece of food that I consume is the best way for me to make sure I am getting the nutrients that I need to function daily.  It is a chunk of my weekend to make this happen, but I am worth it!  

Here's a few photos from tonight's cooking.  

Day 11 and Bulletproof Coffee

I started my day off with a cup of bulletproof coffee.  (Here's a link if you would like to try it for yourself http://www.dailypercolator.com/food_ventures/bulletproofcoffee/)  It was amazing!  It was just as good as any fancy coffee house drink I get and it is a great way to start the day with some healthy fats.  My workday was fabulous and I almost forgot to eat lunch again.  I went to Chipotle and had a Chicken Salad with tomato salsa and guacamole only.  I honestly did not miss the rice, cheese, or sour cream that I would normally get.  I did have a hard time saying no to the corn salsa though.  I love that stuff and I was proud I had the willpower to not get it.

CF Endurance tonight was brutal and I loved it!  Kettlebell swings, squats, push ups, plenty of running, planks, and my nemesis burpees were all present in tonights workout.  After completing 94 burpees on the asphalt in the rain tonight I will be fine not seeing them in a workout for at least a week.  I am learning to appreciate the abilities my body has to push through more each week.  I am always amazed when I finish at what I have accomplished in one hour.

Tomorrow is grocery day so I need to get started on my list of things to try for my last week of Sugar Detox.  I have never enjoyed making a list and the daunting task of grocery shopping.  My poor husband has to drag me there almost weekly.  However, I am beginning to enjoy the process a little more knowing that I have been finding all these new and exciting recipes to keep it fresh in the kitchen.

Almost Halfway There~And Still Sugar Free

Detox Day 10 down and I am still going strong.  I noticed that I had a significant decrease in hunger today.  I actually almost forgot to eat my lunch.  I am not sure if it is from all the food I shoved in my face over the weekend or if I am really having a reduction because of the increased fats and decrease sugars in my diet.  Either way, it is welcome.  I felt as if I was stuffing my face all day for the first week.  I am also enjoying the green tipped banana over the green apple each day.  I look forward to eating it.

It was nice getting to the gym tonight to see a partner workout.  Especially after sloshing through the thunderstorms, puddles, and then coming home to a stressed out dog (because she is terrified of thunder.)  I laughed and enjoyed all the fun of tire flipping and piggyback rides while getting in a workout and de-stressing myself from the day.

I also finally found a recipe that I do not care for.  It was bound to happen with all the new things I have been trying on the detox.  Chocolate, Almond, Coconut Bites, YUCK!  They are dry and bitter.  I would like them better with a little bit of honey.

Only 11 more days left of the detox.  I am beginning to think that I may be able to have a different relationship with sugars when this is complete.

One Week Complete!

I have made it a week!  I have been very careful to follow the 21DSD exactly.  I am feeling great today.  I have found my adjustments to make for the next 2 weekends.  I took the extra time that was available to cook special meals and snacks that I don't have the time to do during the week.  I feel like I lived in the kitchen all weekend.  I am looking forward to knowing what I am doing and what to expect this coming week.  I am prepared to take on the next 7 days!

Now that I am a third of the way through the detox I took some time to reflect today.  Here are a few things that I have learned over the past week.

1.  I no longer need Diet drinks to get through my day.

2.  Chocolate doesn't have complete control over me. (I am still having a hard time watching it on TV)

3.  Low carb takes a ton of effort and patience.  

4.  Sugar Detox headaches and lethargy SUCK!  I don't want to go through it again.

Finding New Weekend Activities

My trip to the farmers' market was busted when I realized I overslept this morning.  Instead, I went on a nice little jog.  First one of 2013 with my running partner and cousin Ginger.  It was great to get out and run on my favorite towpath trails again.  Although, running uphill and even worse downhill made my calves feel like they were going to explode.  Must have been from all the jumping rope I did this week.

Day 6 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox and I felt pretty good all day.  I had a cup of coffee this morning and then went the rest of the day drinking only water.  I did miss my iced green tea so I just brewed myself some for tomorrow.  I also talked my parents into letting me come over and cook dinner for them so I could make chicken and beef kabobs on their grill.  I am too lazy to drag mine out of the shed and I prefer the charcoal/wood grill that they have over my gas one anyway.  I marinated the chicken in olive oil, lemon juice and basil with a pinch of salt.  Then added onion, peppers and cherry tomatoes to the skewers.  The beef I marinated in garlic, onion powder, and olive oil and added the same veggies.  I am really getting used to having all this beef around and being able to make pretty much anything I want.  Mom did go to the market (even though my lazy butt stayed in bed) and had fresh lettuce and breakfast radishes and made a salad to go along with our kabobs.  I didn't feel like I was missing out this Saturday at all.  I thought it would be much harder since we usually go out to dinner on weekends.  I really enjoyed cooking a great meal that I could share with the family instead.

Rest Days Are Great Days!

My body must be thanking me for a rest day today.  I feel great!  I have so much energy, feel focused and alive again!  I hope this feeling lasts throughout the next 16 days.  

With rest days, well, they aren't really lay around the house days for me anymore.  It was shopping right after work.  On the menu this week:

Beef and Chicken Kabobs on Saturday night with the parents.  (hopefully there will be some leftovers)

Grilled Chicken Salad

Pizza Crackers with pizza sauce (OMG!  These are amazing I made them tonight.  Check for recipe in Recipe! link)

Golden Beet Chips 

Apples or Bananas with Almond butter

Hamburgers with sweet potato buns

Fresh veggies and almonds as snacks

I am looking forward to the farmers' market tomorrow to see what else I can find.  I also picked up the kit for my Square Foot Gardening.  I cannot wait to get in the garden and pick my own veggies this year.  I am still working out what exactly I am going to grow, but I have plenty of ideas!

What's on your menu this week?

Day 4 and 1 Mile Time Trial

Day 4 of no sugar was a little better.  I started the day having a hard time focusing, but I was able to get myself together.  The cravings are for the most part gone now.  I am nervous about the upcoming weekend since that is when I tend to do the least watching what I am eating.  So I am working on the grocery list tonight to keep myself in check over the weekend.

Tonight's CF Endurance workout started with a 1 mile time trial.  I was actually excited about it.  Finished in 10:10.  Not too bad since my goal is to get that under 10 this year.  That was followed by a two 7minute AMRAPs of wall balls and hand release push ups, and then burpees and sit ups.  Quickly realizing that it is intense and that I don't ever want to check the website for the WOD in advance because I will never go.  It's better for me to go and be shocked by it.  

I am so glad tomorrow is a rest day!

Day 3 Crushed Me. But I haven't given up!

Oh Day 3 I hate you!  I woke up with a killer headache that lasted most of the morning.  I was a little nauseous so I just drank some green tea and skipped breakfast.  I felt better around 10:30am and ate some almonds and jerky.  Lunch today was a burger with grilled onions plain, no bun and raw carrots and cucumbers.  I completely crashed at 3.  So when I finished work I came home and made 2 scrambled eggs and then took a 20 minute power nap in the recliner with the window blinds opened to let the sunshine hit my face while I slept.

I somehow got myself to CF.  Even not feeling the best today I got 3 65lb snatches and 1 70lb snatch, followed by 5 rounds of 400m runs and 5 wall climbs, completed in 22:09.  I am now totally crushed and headed to bed early.  I really hope that tomorrow will be a little easier on me.  

Detox Day 2 and Some CF Endurance

The lows of day 2 began a little earlier in the day.  Today I felt the low about 2:30.  I started feeling like I was moving in slow motion and unable to move any faster.  This may have been from having to eat my lunch at 11am due to a non eating lunch meeting that I had.  My wacky schedule can be a help or hinderance when it comes to diet and exercise for me.  So I chugged down some green tea instead of my usual pick me up of diet coke in the afternoon.  It actually helped.  I felt good until I walked in the house and found a pile of dog vomit to clean up.  I had enough energy to unload the dishwasher, cut up some fruit for my husband (that I will not be eating), and get ready for my first CF Endurance class.

Those same feelings from the first time I walked into a CF Box last year came over me as I walked up to the doors.  Excited and nervous.  I hope I don't puke in front of everyone.  Well I didn't puke, but I did fall to the floor the second the 40 minute time was up.  The WOD was an endurance version of Annie with 400 meter runs mixed in.  I have to admit that this is what I was looking to do with my endurance.  It is a little mix up of running and CF.  I am pretty excited to see where this program will get me to in the next 4 weeks.

I am nervous about tomorrow.  Reading over some blogs and FB posts from people that have done this detox before it sounds like most of them struggled days 3-8.  I am going to prepare myself for a successful day tomorrow and remember that this is to better myself.

Day 1 and Hero WOD, What Have I Done?!

Sugar Detox Day 1:
Woke up late so had to eat hard boiled eggs in the car on the way to work.  Not the best start to the day.  Good thing I packed my lunch the night before.  I took coconut milk in a little container to add to my coffee at the office.  The coffee helped me regain my focus and get into the swing of the day.  I had some nuts and jerky on my hour long drive to my first appointment.
For lunch I had a big hamburger salad with olive oil and lemon as the dressing.  It was really yummy.  I felt very satisfied.  When I got off work I ate my 1 green apple for the day.  I am not really a fan of the tart taste of the apples.  Not sure if they are really going to satisfy me much.  I may need to switch to the green tipped banana next week.
I completely hit a wall about 5pm tonight.  Not good considering I planned on CrossFit at 6:30.  I drank my 8oz of kombucha and ate a Savory biscuit from the 21 day detox recipes.
When I got to the gym I looked at the White Board and thought "what have I gotten myself into today?".  I realized that on Day #1 of this, I was going to have a Hero WOD (Cameron) to complete!  This came with all the bells and whistles including triple unders and 2 for 1 wall balls.
Well one of my goals for this detox was better focus in the gym and this was my first test.  Tonight I may not have been able to complete the triple unders, but I got my VERY FIRST double unders.  I got all 25 of them too.  I completed the 2 for 1 wall balls with a light weight only 8lbs, but I did all 25.  I also had my very first 20 inch box jump and I completed 50 of these.
I think that a Hero WOD was just what I needed tonight to really make this day a success for me.  I CAN do this!