Monday, April 4, 2011

Will Power at the Baby Shower

I cheated!
Ok not really. I had a vegan chick pea/sun dried tomato/olive salad/hummus. I'm not sure what was in it but I know the beans alone were on the no list. It was at the baby shower and I had just decided I would eat whatever. I also had the inside part of a pita wrap, but not the pita. It was just grilled veggies and hummus. For some reason the garbanzo beans tore my stomach up, so I think I will avoid them from now on. I was pretty proud of myself for passing up the following on my trip:
- the giant loaf of fresh baked bread at the restaurant in the airport that sat on the table throughout the whole meal, mocking me
- a hamburger, onion rings and French fries at Red Robin
- the mini vegan cupcakes at my sister's shower - one was a mini Hostess style and looked incredible
- the vegan cake at my sister's shower.
My 5 year old niece was an inspiration at the shower. She had gone to the park with her grandpa and uncle and when she came back we were all having cake (except me. I was having fruit). She looked around and said "mommy, can I have some fruit?" upon finishing her fruit she moved on to cupcakes and cake, but still, I was thoroughly impressed. All the other kids came tearing in, like normal 5 and 6 year olds and had chocolate all over hands and face within seconds, without asking. Anna, on the other hand, wanted fruit - I mean, it was a giant and beautiful filled glass bowl with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, pineapple, mango, melon. She appreciates good food and it reminded me that the fruit was all I needed. I must note that she was also snacking on slices red bell peppers, carrots an raw almonds with me in the car. Pretty unusual for a 5 year old. 
Overall I am pretty happy with how I did. I'm going to Seattle in two weeks to play derby with the travel team and this was a little test run of how I do out of my comfort zone

Friday, April 1, 2011

Paleo at the Airport

I left San Francisco today for Pennsylvania to visit my sister. My mom and I are flying out to go to her baby shower - the first of her 3 baby showers I have actually been able to attend :)
My mom is doing weight watchers and my sister is a pretty hard core vegan, so I am in good company for the weekend. They are super supportive of my diet change and helpful for idea sharing. After talking to my mom a bunch, weight watchers actually has some similarities to the Paleo, like that you can eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want and that you are encouraged to "cheat," or allow yourself foods you love from time to time. I think the cheating idea is healthy for any diet because it makes it reasonable. I can't fathom the thought of depriving myself Birite ice cream for the rest of my life. I have seen a lot of people really succeed in losing weight with weight watchers, so I commend her for doing it.
My sister makes a lot of food from scratch an is quite an amazing cook. I always like to visit her because she motivates me to do more cooking. I don't want to be a total inconvenience this weekend, so I might have to cheat.
It wasn't as hard as I thought to find food at the airport - I had a salad with carrots, tomato and chicken. The chicken was barely seasoned so I think it was fine, but I definitely cheated with adding some of the dressing. I didn't even ask what it was, but it was some kind of balsamic vinegar (Paleo no no) and oil. I am fine with it. I also got a cup of fruit, a banana and 2 hard boiled eggs. I have a layover in Chicago and I'm going to hunt for a juice bar that may have fresh vegetable juice, fingers crossed.
I have been failing miserably on the coffee front, but pretty much on a 95/5 rule for the almost 3 weeks I've been doing this. So I. Have been having 1 - 2 cups of coffee at home, which I make not very strong and sometimes I have a small cup of half decaf from a coffee shop. Really my only fail has been coffee, though, which is pretty good. I'm going to force tea as a replacement starting tomorrow.
I also discovered raw dessert while I was eating at a raw food restaurant an I was pretty excited to find out that I could eat it. They even have a cooking class on how to make raw desserts and Jo wants to take it with me. The desserts are definitely not low fat, which is great for me but not for Jo. They are make of nuts and dates for the crust and things like almond butter, soaked cashews, agave and coconut milk for fillings. So if weight loss is your goal, these should be eaten in moderation. I'm a little confused about an ingredient called lecathin, which is an emulsifier used in raw desserts. Can I have it? I'm not clear based on wikipedia's definition of it, but it sounds like it might be a soy product. Again, if I'm having a dessert with no dairy and no sugar, I don't really care if there is a small amount of lecithin. I'm not gonna have it every day.
Airplane trailmix (made ahead of time and sqirreled away in purse:
Dry roasted almonds
Chopped up dates
Raw cocoa nibs
Cut up dried peaches and pineapple.
If I did this again, I would substitute the dried pineapple and peaches with raisins, a nut like cashews or pecans, coconut flakes and maybe some crushed espresso beans but only a few for the taste. The sweetness of the fruit was kind weird but the gewyness of the date with the cocoa nibs and almonds was delicious.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Day 12: Paleo Responsibly

I wanted to put a disclaimer out there about this particular diet - it is super high maintenance to execute, time consuming, taxing on the body and can be harmful if not done correctly - I think I learned that the hard way. Mace sent me a cheat sheet for how athletes should follow the diet and I am posting it here to help anyone else that might way to try it out. I highly recommend that you read the book Paleo Diet for Athletes before trying the diet so you are informed about your food choices and what it might do to your body. Though the food is basic and clean, it involves a lot of cooking and preparing, which can be a real shift if you are not used to doing that. On more than one occasion in the last 12 days, I have found myself running off to an appointment or from work to derby with "no time to eat" (there is always time to eat!) and the result is always feeling dizzy, which becomes hard to bounce back from. I have started carrying around little snacks in my car and purse just in case I need something on the run. I am a fruit horder bag lady. Literally, if you open my purse you will find grapefruit, almonds, oranges, bananas.
So, especially if you are an athlete, be careful not to dive into trying this diet without planning it through and making sure you are still getting all the nutrients you need to fuel yourself.
Here is what Mace calls Stage 1 (she hasn't given me Stage 2. I am allowed Stage 2 when I have mastered Stage 1):
STAGE 1:
1. Eliminate refined flours and sugars (white flours, white/brown sugar, cakes, white breads, muffins, candy, doritos, etc). 
2. Eliminate fried foods (french fries, sweet potato fries, chips, tatertots etc)
3. Reduce caffeine intake as much as possible
4. >50% of your food intake should be fruits and veggies
      30% protein (especially lean meats, not bacon)
20% whole grains/legumes (brown rice, quinoa, spelt, millet, barley, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, mung beans, lentils - white potatoes also fall into this category)
5. Use canola/olive oil for cooking rather than butter
6. Try to reduce dairy intake, but some low-fat milk, yogurt, or other low fat dairy products, okay
7. Drink LOTs of water, herbal teas, or water with lemon/lime or a splash of fruit juice
8. Be sure to eat a combo of protein (chicken, egg whites, protein powder) and quick burning carbs (fruit juice, grains, etc) after working out.  A shake is a good way to combine these and more appealing.

Today I ate:
steamed salmon for breakfast
a fresh mango ad some dried mango for a snack
a huge salad with greens, red pepper, avocado, tomato and red onion with lemon and olive oil drizzled on top and a piece of marinated and grilled ahi steak
a few dates and green tea for a snack
half decaf coffee (I needed it!)
a shrimp, mango, avocado, cilantro, red onion, habanero, lemon juice salad for an appetizer (a la Jo!)
diced chicken, pineapple, green bean, mushroom, broccoli, yellow onion and garlic stir fry sauteed in coconut oil and coconut water (a la Jo!)
I had more than 8 ounces of wine....

I signed up for START Fitness bootcamp at 8am on 4/24. It is a five week program that meets to do an outdoor group fitness/bootcamp 4 days a week. Jo is signed up with me. I am pretty excited. 
 

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Energy Back in Tact

Today I had travel team practice and it was totaly like normal again. I had energy, I didn't feel dizzy or lathargic. My muscles were pretty sore from the workout Monday, but that was the only thing holding me back.
Mace was back from vacation today and talking to her was really helpful. She mentioned that she thinks I am not getting enough carbs and my body might be burning muscle (which is a total BOOOOO. I don't want to burn my muscle!) She said I should start yamming it up after practice and maybe trying a small amount of brown rice. Apparently that is allowed if you are exercising. It is currently 11:44pm and I have brown rice on the stove - you are supposed to consume high glycemic foods immediately following exercise (30 minutes or less). Total fail. Have you ever cooked brown rice? It takes forever! Oh well. Better than nothing. I am making enough so that I can have it tomorrow after scrimmage.
I marinated some chicken in canola oil, lime juice, orange juice (fresh squeezed), chipotle chili powder, paprika, fresh garlic, fresh parsley and ground pepper. Then Jo grilled it and we had it around today to snack on (all caveman style) and it was delicious.
ok good night.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

"Before Pics"


So it has been a little over a week and I finally took some "before" pictures, which is unfortunate because my body already feels different - I am sure it will me mostly accurate though. My goal is to get more defined and gain a little (or a lot) of muscle.
My favorite meal today was the sashimi I had at lunch. Jo and I both cheated a little little little little cuz we made a sauce for the fish with lemon, wasabi and about a teaspoon of soy sauce, the soy sauce being the cheat.I didn't feel bad about it, though. I am ok with a little cheating here and there, as long as we are following it for the most part.
I felt full all day for the first time, but I also experienced cravings for the first time. I want things I never really crave. I usually want sweets all the time and I could care less about bread, but my cravings are all about pizza and lasagne right now.
I thought the diet had prevented me from getting sore somehow, which I realize now is totally inaccurate. I did that workout yesterdy and I am super sore, so I am scratching that off my list.
I forgot to mention two things:
1. I am a total coffee addict. I have tried quitting and made it to day 8 with a debilitating headache. I am clearly not strong enough to quit, thoug I think I gave it a good run. I am currently allowing myself 8 ozs a day with about a spoonfull of cream and a packet of Stevia, which Mace said is allowed but I haven't confirmed (I don' actually care that much). I look forward to my cup like a big slice of cheesecake or scoop of honey lavendar ice cream, so I am leaving it.
2. I am taking the following vitamins:
- liquid multivitamin ("source of life") which might not be totally Paloe, but I panicked after day 1 when I was so low energy and dizzy that I insist on taking it
- liquid L - Carnitine, which the Paloe Book for Athletes calls bogus, but I like it. It promotes cell growth and muscle recovery.
- probiotics
- Coenzyme Q-10
- Alpha Liptic Acid
- Bomelein
- Omega 3
- Vitamin E
Good night!

Week One Complete

I had another extremely vivid food dream. This one was about a bacon cheeseburger that I "accidentally" ate a bite of and then remembered that I couldn't have it. Then my french fries turned into yellow pepper slices and I throw out my bun and, in the dream, I totally wasn't disappointed. Hmmmm.
I noticed that my joints don't hurt. I don't know if it is correlated to the diet, but my right knee usually has a tough time if I squat down to pick something up or go down stairs (I had ACL reconstructive surgery on it a few years ago). I squated down to scavage for shoes today in my closet and got back up with no pain, a total breeze.
I worked out today, off skates, for an hour and a half and never felt dizzy or weak at all, not even a little bit. In fact, I am kinda buzzed off the exercise right now and can't really calm down to sleep!
Here is what I did:
I coerced about 8 of my team mates to stay after practice and work out - I don't like to do it alone.
We set up a circuit where everyone had a different exercise and after a minute, we switched to the next one. We went through the whole circuit 3 times. The first time through was a lot of noodling around and because there were so many of us, but by the second time through we were all working hard without much of a break. Here is what we did, one minute each:
- Jump rope
- backward lungs on a glide disk (you can use a towel or a paper plate)
- squat with 10 pound kettle bell swing
- modified burpees: push up on to 8 pound weights, jump legs in, stand up to bicep curl
- side step up
- skater side lunge jumps fast
- plank rotations
- swiss ball sit ups
Then we did the following together (3 sets total):
- 45 calf raises on each leg (lots in a row with holds at the top so it feels like your leg is on fire)
- 15 lunge/squat combo: forward lunge on each leg, backward lunge on each leg and the two squat jumps
- butt ciruit: on all fours, lift one leg (keep at 90 degree angle), lift with straight leg, draw a rainbow with a straight leg, lift your leg like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant, then swith legs and repeat. Do entire circuit on left leg first, then switch legs.
- 15 bicycles slower than you would ever do them on your own
I am pretty sure I am going to be sore.
Sassy told me today that she started the Paleo diet and today was her first day. YAY Sassy! I am so excited to have another friend to share ideas with.
My favorite meal today was the beef and pineapple kabobs we grilled. I marinated a pound of top sirloin (cubed) in wine and chopped onion. If I was gonna do it again, I would have added garlic and some spices, maybe some thyme. Then I put it on skewers with diced fresh pineapple, cherry tomatoes, button mushrooms and red onion. I steamed greenbeans and drizzled a littel almond oil and slivered almonds on top as a side. Jo and I split a yam as well, which was not that exciting.
Yesterday Jo made mahi mahi grilled and I am not sure what he did to it but I want it every day now. It was spicy and grilled and he made a fresh mango, avocato, cilantro, red onion salsa to go on top. The fish was just frozen from Trader Joes, but it was so good.
This was a recipe my sister shared with me (she is vegan, so is this recipe):
 http://cravingchronicles.com/2010/08/04/banana-soft-serve-ice-cream/
pictures coming, I promise.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Doing the derbs on the Paleo

I had a game today - Oakland Outlaws vs Berkeley Resistance. We won! (barely - it was 138 to 134 and the final jam was what called it). I was really worried about playing because of how I felt on Monday at practice (I got dizzy and I was pretty low energy), but I did ok. I was a little bit of a crazy person all day about fueling because I wanted to make sure I could perform. I was basically force feeding, which is not actually new. I always feel like I am choking down my food on game day because I am eating for fuel, not cuz it tastes good - I am usually all nervous, so I don't really want to eat but know I have to. I definitely had a moment after coming back from half time where I felt dizzy, even though I was back in the locker room the whole time shoveling food down. Seriously. At half time I ate a banana, the rest of my microwaved yam that was totally cold and mildly disgusting, a coconut water, some grapes, some apple sauce and the rest of this hippy raw food sushi bowl thing from Gratitude (ode to Berkeley on this one - it said "I am accepting" on the box cuz that's how Gratitude names everything, which is frankly kind of irritating).
I think it is still too soon to tell if it is the diet that caused the dizziness since this is only day 6. I always feel a little like I'm losing my mind when I jam in an actual game cuz, well, it is EXHAUSTING! The good news is that my muscles didn't feel fatigued even once during the game and I didn't get shaky at all - I just got a little dizzy and didn't feel likeI had quite the hop in my step that I normally do, but I was jamming a lot and Berkeley has some pretty tough blockers, so it is pretty reasonable to be tired, right?
I am feeling like this is a little high maintencance, but it is manageable. I am gonna stick with it - especially for Jo. He already lost 8 lbs (he went to 191 to 183 pounds which is pretty amazing - if you want to track his progress, look here: http://jolara-fitnessadventures.blogspot.com/). Oh, I gained some weight back, which rules. I am now 136 (I started at 140, so I think that is ok). I have been adding flax seed oil and coconut oil to basically everything, both of which are pretty damn fatty.
Starting Monday, I am going to commit to doing at least 2 off skates workouts a week and I will note them here. Hopefully by then my body will be able to handle it. I am hoping that might help with the hops in my step.
I am also going to pow-wow with Chantilly Mace, who started the diet on Tuesday. I know she is a really good resource for what to eat for fuel because she is always eating some crazy concoction when the travel team is on the road. She even brings an emersion blender. She is totally comitted.
I am going to fall into bed - I have to be at Peralta at 10:30am for a travel team scrimmage against Sacred, which is not that long from now. Had to sacrifice the after party so I could rest a little. No ice bath tonight, though. I only really do that for tournaments, and cuz Demanda Riot makes me.