Today's Workout

Skipped our spin class as my legs are blown. Resting them for tomorrow's trail run. I'm shooting for 8 miles with some nice hills. Decided to lift and work core instead.

I got really upset first set...then I took a deep breath, pulled my baseball cap down low, cranked up my "get swole" playlist and pushed as hard as I could push. Frustrating how weak I am still. Gotta remind myself every time I set foot in the weight room that I'm focusing on endurance and eating to fuel my running etc...I'm not eating to fuel my lifting and I'm not focusing on heavy weights less reps right now. I'm still there, I'm still doing it and I'm still miles ahead of where I was 3 plus years ago! I need to get my self esteem back in the weight room. I feel SO out of place. **sigh**

Today's workout--
Superset--
Curls with  bar 4 x 12 1st set 35lbs , last 3 45 lbs
DB shoulder press 4 x 12  20's first two sets then moved to bar with 45 lbs for the last two.
DB one arm row 4 x 12 30's

Tricep KBs 4 x 12 15's
Tricep skull crushers 4 x 12 25's
DB hammer curls 4 x 12 20's one set then 25's the rest
Bench Dips 4 x 12

Core circuit
Med ball roll outs 16 reps, 14 reps
bicycles (legs straight) 50, 40
side bends 16,14
hip raises 16, 14

Rest Is OK, I Promise!

Today I'm supposed to do spin class with hubby. I honestly don't think I'm up to it. I COULD push through but I'm supposed to run an 8 mile trail run tomorrow morning. Somehow pushing through seems like a dumb idea!I don't want to get injured and my quads are so tight that they feel like rubber bands about to snap! Ouch!

I have such a hard time with taking unscheduled rest days and missing workouts. I know it's silly and I'm working on it.  I won't get big again by skipping a workout. Nobody is going to think me lazy or incapable (and if they do then they can piss off). I guess if he still wants to hit the gym then maybe I'll do some lifting and work upper body instead. Today, these legs can take a rest in preparation for tomorrow's mean run. Be good to your body friends. This means allowing it to rest when it needs to!


xoxoxo,
Me

How Much Do You Spend On Eating Healthy?

I've been asked this very question several times recently. Thing is, I've no idea. So, starting today, I'm going to photograph and document each trip to the farmers market, store and produce stand. I'll do a weekly wrap up on Fridays. Seems like a good plan right? Stay tuned!

Whole 30 Day 19

Woke up well rested again. Quads are still pissed but I'm headed out for a nice slow recovery run with some core work. Dr's appt is today to discuss the fatigue issues.

Update--Recover run my butt! I hauled ass and it felt GOOD. First mile was 7:19 pace. I intentionally slowed it down after that. Whoo. Dr's appt went well. I have a bunch of labs to get drawn on Monday morning. We are checking Iron, B-12 and all the other usual suspects.

Breakfast--Roasted rosemary potatoes, steak, turkey egg, sauteed kale, coffee as usual and a few
slices of a glorious white peach. So into stone fruit right now!

Snack-- Apple pie Lara bar, handful of almonds and dried mango
Lunch--Leftover Damn Fine chicken, a tiny chunk of salmon, kale with pesto, grilled sweet taters and some pineapple.

Snack--The rest of my mango and almonds snack from earlier. 1 slice of US Wellness turkey jerky, date bite.
Dinner--Slow cooker whole chicken with veggies (recipe below), sauteed greens and the lovely BBQ sauce I made earlier.  

To make this chicken I take a whole bird (I buy mine in a two pack from Costco for around $20 for two ORGANIC chickens),
I take out the innards, rinse it, pat it dry, give it a nice massage with avocado oil, season it as I feel fit (today I used Herbs De Provence, garlic powder and onion powder), toss it in the slow cooker on top of whatever veggies float my boat (onions, celery and carrots today), close it all up and cook it on low for 8 hours. Right before serving I CAREFULLY remove the chicken to a foil line baking sheet and broil it for a few til the skin is nice and crisp. I also like to take the juices in the slow cooker and simmer them/season them to make a nice gravy. Yummy, easy and it feeds our family of 3 for several meals. I also save the bones to make bone broth.


BBQ sauce. I need something for my leftover grilled chicken tomorrow and for our ribs on Sunday. :)
http://recipewarrior.com/sauces/whole30-bbq-sauce/

Menu Planning and The Way I Go About It

A friend of mine asked me how I go about meal planning. She commented on how I seem so organized with my meals. I decided to document the process. It's pretty simple really. I'm fortunate enough to have a deep freezer (thanks Santa! You rock!) so I have that bad boy loaded with meats I've bought on sale or that I buy in large packages from Costco. I start by taking a look at what I've got to work with in terms of proteins. Then I make a list of everything and start looking at each day of the week. I note what training I'm doing that day and what extra events we have going on like the kid's karate class etc. If I know it's a busy run around day I'll plan to cook a meal in my slow cooker so it's ready when we get home. If I know I'm doing longer distance running then I'll plan the more carb filled veggies as a side. See where I'm going with this? My start page looks something like this...I never said I had good handwriting...

So after I've got a general idea of the week ahead I print out one of these guys and fill it in using what I know we have. I typically leave the sides blank as I like to pop by the local produce stand a few times a week to see what's fresh and tempting to me.
http://theprojectgirl.com/downloads/theprojectgirl.com-mealplanner.pdf

After it's filled in and I'm happy with the completed plan I post it on the fridge. It really helps me to have a game plan when I walk into my kitchen. As you can see, we do a lot of leftovers for lunches. Hubby works from home now and it's easy for us to just choose something tasty from the fridge to reheat. :) Finished plan looks like this-Yeah, I know Sunday is blank. I'm not sure what else I have in my deep freezer! ;)

There you have it...my easy as pie way to meal plan each week. :)

My Fave Ingredients

A few friends have asked me to list some of my fave ingredients and where I buy them.
Here ya go---

My fave products with links (if available) and info on where I buy.
Honeyville almond flour (baked goods will be pretty dense)-- I buy at Costco and Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Blanched-Almond-Meal-Flour-lbs/dp/B0006ZN538/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408736833&sr=8-1&keywords=honeyville+almond+flour


Coconut Flour (needs extra moisture when baking with it)-- Amazon or Vitacost.
http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Organic-Coconut-Flour-Pound/dp/B008RJMXPQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408736920&sr=8-1&keywords=coconut+flour

Native Forest Organic Classic Coconut Milk--
I buy from Amazon by the case. Since I don't use dairy or almond milk coconut milk is a must in my coffee!
http://www.amazon.com/Native-Forest-Organic-Classic-13-5-Ounce/dp/B001HTJ2BQ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1408736994&sr=8-8&keywords=bpa+organic+coconut+milk

Nutiva Coconut Oil--
I buy a HUGE tub from Costco. I use this for cooking and as a moisturizer on my skin and my son's.
http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Organic-Virgin-Coconut-54-Ounce/dp/B000GAT6NG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408737121&sr=8-1&keywords=nutiva+coconut+oil

Grassfed Organic Ghee by Pure Indian Foods--Fantastic for cooking. Kid says it tastes like butter but better. LOL! I buy mine from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Grassfed-Organic-Ghee-7-8-Oz/dp/B0032RPLSY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408737198&sr=8-1&keywords=organic+ghee

Artisana Coconut Butter--Yummy on so many things...even a spoon! ;) Great for when you need a fat boost. I've found it on clearance at Ross, Marshalls and  TJ Maxx. Otherwise I'll buy from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Artisana-Coconut-Butter-16oz-Glass/dp/B00IMIJHCO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408737282&sr=8-1&keywords=coconut+butter

Artisana Raw Cashew Butter--So creamy and yummy. Hubby LOVES this stuff.
Vitacost and Amazon are the places I can easily find this particular product.
http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Organic-Cashew-Butter-16-ozs/dp/B001RPT6O8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408737366&sr=8-1&keywords=raw+cashew+butter

Dry roasted cashews--Trader Joes has great organic ones.

Crunchy Salted Almond Butter-- Trader Joes is SO good. It's my new fave.

Coconut Aminos--soy free/wheat free sub for soy sauce. It's never out of stock in my pantry!
I buy mine from Nob Hill/Raleys but I've seen it at health food stores and on Amazon but it's WAY
overpriced on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Vegan-Aminos/dp/B003XB5LMU

Red Boat fish sauce--A must for Thai inspired dishes. This is one of the few that doesn't have added sugar. It's pricey BUT a little goes a very long way! I buy mine from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Red-Boat-Fish-Sauce-500/dp/B00B617XK2/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1408738178&sr=1-1&keywords=red+boat

Chosen Foods avocado oil-- I use this on everything in place of plain EVOO. I get mine at Costco. It's under $11 for a big glass bottle.
http://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Foods-Avocado-Bottle-Naturally-Refined/dp/B00CYML9FW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408738271&sr=8-1&keywords=chosen+avocado+oil

US Wellness bacon--It's the only Whole 30 approved bacon out there. Bacon and salt..the end. I order it in bulk and keep it in my freezer.
http://www.grasslandbeef.com/Detail.bok?no=1189

My local Costco also carries the following items that I pretty much always have on hand--
Organic boneless/skinless chicken thighs, organic drumsticks, Great Range ground bison, organic ground beef, bagged  pre-washed organic Power Greens, bagged pre-washed organic baby kale, boxed organic salad greens, boxed organic baby spinach, Medjool dates, macadamia nuts, organic raisins, frozen organic mango chunks and fresh pineapple.

Regarding organic meats...I do the best I can and buy organic meat when the budget allows. On occasion, like when a local store has their pick 5 for $25 sale, I will buy non organic meats. I do what I can when I can.

Trader Joes also has a few items that I like but I don't get to go there much anymore. I stock up on the following when I go though-- Organic dry roasted cashews, macadamia nuts, raw almonds, dried persimmons, my newest fave is there crunchy salted almond butter, salted organic peanut butter (for the kid) and dried mangos.

Whole 30 Day 18

Rest day. Woke up feeling good (quads are sore from yesterday's squats..ouch). Doing well
and not craving anything but good foods. Felt more energetic today. I have my dr's appt tomorrow to discuss having panels drawn etc. Fingers crossed this guy is a decent dr who listens.

Breakfast--Grain free "hot cereal" with almond butter, a cutie and coffee as usual.

Lunch-- Seared Ahi Tuna steak on top of salad greens with green chili evoo and jalapeno balsamic. Served
with mango and watermelon. Had a small mug of French Press with coconut milk. YUM.

Snack--2 dates, some cashew banana muffin batter, and some raw carrot cake bite batter...date/sugar overload. Feeling a bit sick from all the sugars..natural or not. Later I grabbed a small handful of dried mango.
 Dinner--Grilled salmon, steaks, veggie medley, pineapple and sweet potato kabobs. Also had a carrot cake bite afterwards.

Love What You do and Do What You Love!!!

My workout is better than yours....my muscles are bigger than yours...my heart is more conditioned than yours...I'm doing it the RIGHT way...... no I'M doing it the right way!!!!

I'm over the workout shaming. How about everyone just do what they love and love what they do? I love weight lifting...I've spent the last year focusing on it. I also love running....I've let it fall to the side for the most part in order not to "do too much cardio" while building muscle. I found myself looking at both side of the strength training vs cardio fence and wondering who is right. Yeah, muscles are awesome but so is being super fast and being able to run for a long time. I think that my focus now is going to be just being a more well rounded athlete in general. My workouts have been and always will be based on what ever goal I'm trying to achieve at that time. Muscles...well, I fought long and hard. I got strong. I see more muscle than I used to have but not enough to make me super excited. I burned myself out on lifting heavy for a while. I miss it and I feel frustrated in the weight room BUT I know that if I were to focus all my energy and fueling on lifting again I'd be back to it in no time. Thing is, I don't think I want to right now. I want to run. I want to be fast. I want to be with a group of like minded people who will encourage and support me instead of being a lone wolf in the weight room. I may not have the crossfit athlete body that I so covet but so be it. I'm trying to be the best ME that I can be. One day I'll be able to hire a lifting coach and I'll see where I go with that. For now, I need to do what's best for my sanity...I think that means taking a step back from trying to lift 4 days a week and trying to stuff myself with mass quantities of food in order to make those workouts count.

I respect several online fitness folks. Nia Shanks offers sane advice for us regular people. She just posted an article with a 2 times a week strength training workout for people who are busy or who are training for other types of events. http://www.niashanks.com/two-day-strength-program/.  I think I'm going to try out her workouts twice a week, do my Saturday morning spin class with hubby then run twice a week with one short and one distance run. I'll let my body decide if this is a good plan or not. I'm constantly tweaking and trying to find the right "fit" for my body with my workouts. I'm ok with that. It doesn't mean I'm flighty or inconsistent. If you don't know me then you may not know that I've been training hard for a few years now. I got from here in 2010--

To here (yesterday)--

 and I worked my ass off to achieve what I've achieved. I've cried, I've bled, I've hurt in ways I didn't know were possible. I've been injured a few times too. I had a trainer that I hired after I lost all of my weight because I wanted to start strength training and I knew my form needed help. We moved end of November and since then I've been on my own. I'm proud of what I've accomplished especially when you consider that I was NEVER active before.

I feel like I've rambled on enough. I guess long and short of this post was to say...do what works for YOU. If it works for someone else then good for them. Everyone has different goals and different aesthetics. Focus on YOU. Not on the person next to you or the person who's posting how this is better than that. It's YOUR journey. Not anyone else's! Live it, love it and rock the hell out of it!

Whole 30 Day 17-- Nobody Reads This So Why Bother?

I guess I've decided to document all this so I can go back and remember what I ate/how I was feeling. I'm sad nobody is reading my blog but whatever.

Took a sleep aid so I could sleep last night. Woke up rested and ready to go. Got the kiddo to his first day
of 3rd grade (OMG>>SO BIG!!) and hit the gym for some lifting. I have a long way to go to get back to my heavy lifting for sure. 100 lb squats on the Smith (boo assisted) machine felt like a million pounds. I'll get there though. It's all good. No cravings, no anything other than just enjoying eating real, junk free foods.


Breakfast-- "Pancakes" (eggs, bananas, vanilla bean, cinnamon) with crunchy almond butter and coffee as usual.

Snack--Pre-workout I ate 2 dried dates along with my BCAA capsules.
Lunch--Sloppy Joes, yams, spinach and watermelon along with a big glass of coconut water.

Snack-- raisins and roasted almonds, clementine
Dinner--Baked marinated skinless thighs,  Jalapeno Balsamic Brussels and leftover coconut cauliflower "rice"

Whole 30 Day 16-- Hey, My Pants Fit!!!

Didn't sleep worth a toot last night. Too much swirling around in my head. I went for a run this morning. First
mile kicked ass. 2nd and 3rd stunk. I didn't have enough energy to keep up my fast pace. Going to keep trying and hope things work out for my race on the 30th. Not feeling super confindent I'll PR right now.

On a good note, my pants that didn't fit 2 weeks ago are now fitting better. Hooray for reduced bloating! Wonder if it's the food or the not taking psyllium husk anymore?

Breakfast-- Power greens topped with an egg, bacon, yams fried in bacon grease and coffee as usual.

Snack on the go-- Coconut Cream Lara bar
Lunch-- Lamb and broccoli stir fry with moringa, yam greens, fresh ginger, curry powder and coconut aminos. Fresh mango on the side. Had a cup of peppermint tea afterwards.

Snack-- Banana, crunchy almond butter and flaked coconut
Dinner-- Ginger Coconut Cauliflower "rice" with Nom Nom Paleo's Damn Fine Chicken and yam greens. Had a handful of ice cold grapes afterwards.