Days 29 and 30 - The end? Or, just the beginning?

I made it! I can't even imagine going back to my naughty ways. The creamy, rich addition of cream to my coffee; or the smooth, cold sweetness of ice cream on my tongue; or the gassy, uncomfortable, bubbles of beans in my guts; or the classic post-sugar pig out nap; or the morning after nausea and headache after a night of too much wine....Or even worse, dwindling improvements to my WOD times and lifts. Aaaaah!!

The day 30 measurements are:
31 - Belly (start 32)
32.7 - hips (start 34)

That is a new bodyfat total of 17% - a loss of 3.36% in 30 days. If that isn't reason enough to try something like this for yourself, I don't know what is.

Well here are some other reasons -
I started out with very bad cravings for alcohol and chocolate. They are gone.
I successfully started tapering the citalopram (generic Celexa).
I learned a ton about myself through this process.
I went from 2 unassisted chin ups to 3.
I stepped outside my comfort zone and challenged myself to try something different.
Kale is my new best friend.
I love black coffee.
I found joy in blogging about this journey.
I signed up for CF L1 Trainer certification.
I found myself feeling euphoric in the middle of the week.
I am better able to concentrate.
I learned how to ask for help when needed. (Thank you Joe, Gina and Christy! You are my rocks.)

All of this in 30 days!!! What a trip.

What's next you ask?

I will continue to eat Paleo, but at 85%. This will allow for cheat meals and occasional libations. I will not be adding grains back in as they are not for me. I will continue to work hard on my work outs to see just how far I can take this 37.5 year old body. I will also continue to blog.

Thank you for reading and supporting me. Stay tuned for more adventures in Paleo Land.

Day 28 - Getting by

I read back through the past 27 days and it feels like it has been no time at all. A month is nothing in the grand scheme of things - just a start. It takes thirty days to change a new routine into a habit. I am grateful to be on this journey.

I was talking to someone at CF today about my college experience. I originally was a Pre-Physical Therapy major. This was the right place for me in hindsight, but I got off track. I was cut from the University of Kansas Division I softball team. I was really good at softball, in Illinois. In college I was competing with gals from California and Arizona who were able to play all year long. I wasn't that good apparently. This was my first major heartbreak in life. I cried for days and decided to abuse myself for a number of years after. I started smoking and stopped working out. I would show up to my health classes reeking of cigarette smoke. I felt like a hypocrite and decided I couldn't do it anymore. I transferred into the College of Arts and Sciences and changed my major to Sociology. Don't get me wrong, I loved Sociology and did well, but I've spent the last 15 year trying to get back to where I left off.

I became a massage therapist and had to give it up because of the RA. I now feel good enough to do it again, though it has been 12 years!!!! I started working on the prerequisites needed for PT programs last spring. It would have taken me 3 years to fulfill them. Then I would have to take the GRE and get into a full-time 3 year PT program. I make a good salary now and have good benefits. The idea of getting into debt, reducing my annual salary, and spending all that time back in school just doesn't feel good to me. Working on becoming a CrossFit Level 1 coach feels like me getting back on track. That feels good to me. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect work out/tribe/coaching opportunity/nutritional routine/group of friends.

Life is all about compromise. Back when I was 21 or 22 going to PT school would have made a ton of sense. Now, not so much. It is hard trying to figure things out, but I fully intend on taking it one day at a time, focusing on the things that make me happy, and following the path that feels right.

Day 27 - vertigo

A friend forwarded me this video about how Dr. Terry Wahls healed her MS through the Paleo Diet - http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxIowaCity-Dr-Terry-Wahls-Min. I am amazed! It really makes you wonder what the priorities of this country/people are. To support big pharma business in all ways possible? I have friends who would rather pop a pill or have surgery to heal themselves than eat the right foods. Waaah? Why not support local farmers and health through FOOD? That is where the future is - in small sustainable communities with self-sufficient food sources and cooperative living arrangements.

On a slightly related topic, I am suffering from vertigo. I'm not sure how the paleo diet is going to fix it, but I'll investigate. I think I have some low grade sinus BS happening that is making my world spin a bit. Happy Day 27.

Day 25 and Day 26 combined

As this winds down and I have the finish line in my sights I feel the need to combine posts. This week has been tough. I mentioned my struggles with RA over the years and how I've only had one flare up since starting CrossFit previously. I think I over did it on Sunday - sprinting like a maniac. I am still sore and haven't recovered fully. I believe I'm having a mild flare up.

I mentioned to Joe how sad it is to remember that I used to be in this place constantly. The flare ups used to put me in bed though and this is a far cry from that. After experiencing life without this mess, my tolerance for pain and fatigue is much less. I keep hearing Dr. Seton, my rheumatologist, in my head yelling - "take the methotrexate too!" Eh....

The sage wisdom from Joe is that I am ahead of the RA, but not far enough. I need to continue eating clean and double my fish oil intake (for no more than two weeks) to see if that helps at all.

Christy asked me what I was going to eat first after this is over. Funny....I didn't really have a craving for anything in particular. I said wine though. Probably not wine...probably some of Damema's limoncello that has been steeping in front of my face for the last 2 weeks.

Day 24 - the scale mistake

I decided to get on the scale today. I actually originally set out with the intention of never getting on the scale. What can I say? I haven't lost that much weight in pounds. It goes to show how this kind of diet and work out regimen can change your proportions and size, without changing the scale that much. I've had good success with body fat reduction and pants that used to be tight are now comfortable. Most importantly, I feel great. These are the things to pay attention to.

I was reminded that my gym is doing a 30 day paleo challenge beginning in February. Haha! I told Damema and her head about turned 360 degrees. I'm not sure I can commit to another challenge right on the heels of this one (for the sake of my relationship). A couple cheat meals and we'll see though.

For all you people interested in going paleo, but who have reservations because your spouse is your opposite and eats junk food - never fear! My better half has experienced weight loss from my eating this way. It's what is being cooked, eaten and more importantly NOT eaten. You have more power than you know. Stay on track and leave the room when you need to. Text or call your friends who support you when you need to. Go work out when you need to. Eat when you need to. Stay true to yourself and you will change and inspire others around you.

Day 23 - Sleep is good

When I started this back on January 2, I was having a hard time sleeping. In fact, I had been having a hard time sleeping for a good year. This is evidence that paleo + crossfit - drinking = good sleep.

It has been 10 days and it is time for the measure in.

Hips 33 (started at 34)

Belly 31 (started at 32)

= 17.65 % bodyfat

That my friends is a 2.71% decrease in body fat in 23 days. Wowza!!

Day 22 - Meeeeeeeat

I need more meeeeeat. That is all.

Day 21 - or ONLY 9 DAYS TO GO!!!

Well.... I hate to be Debby Downer, but I'm over this challenge. I'm holding on by a hair. Damema is making homemade limoncello (Using gluten free vodka. Doesn't that sound weird? Not all vodka is grain free, but most of it is gluten free. These are the important things to learn while doing a challenge like this.) and it is steeping in its beautiful glory center stage in the dining room.

On the other hand - I have just 9 days to go... and as a reward for holding on by a hair Damema made me another paleo dessert. Same dessert as last week - peach paleo crumble. It satisfied a little, but to really get through this (heed the warning) - you need more meat. I was a bottomless pit today with an insatiable hunger.

I used to be afraid of eating too much meat. I would stay away from anything with human-like eyes. I figured if I couldn't kill it, I shouldn't be eating it. Flawed thinking perhaps. As a result of going paleo, I'm going to change my meat motto from "nothing with eye lashes" to "all meat all the time." I realize I don't need to kill my food -- that's what grocery stores are for. The choice you have here though is to make good meat choices: free range everything, grass fed beef, nitrate free bacon and sustainably farmed or wild caught fishies. I think paleo advocates for wild caught, but Damema advocates for sustainably farmed....

If you couldn't tell, I'm looking forward to the end and am thrilled that I can continue the countdown on two hands. Oh, and the Patriots are going to the Super Bowl!

Day 20 - looking into the future

Growth and stretching usually happens outside of the comfort zone. As such, this June I am going to participate in No Baby, Leave the Socks ON...2!!

While this blog was initially created to keep me honest and on track during my 30 day challenge, I do think I will keep it up, though not every day. I do envision myself doing 100% Paleo 2-3 times a year and the rest of the time will be 80%. Also, I'm heading to CrossFit Level I trainer certification in March! (So excited!!)

If you've been keeping up with this blog, you may recall that another goal I set out for myself was to start tapering the citalopram. Since I've been feeling so euphoric I thought that now is as good a time as any. I'm on day 2 of the first phase of this endeavor. So far so good, I think. Damema asked me if I was cranky today though. I don't feel cranky.

I can't believe it is day 20. I'm going to need to start planning an exit strategy. I'm not looking to add grains back in, but I think I will try half and half again in my coffee. It is amazing how flexible and adaptive we are. I think about the cravings that drove me crazy during the first 13 days of this challenge and I no longer have a physical response. It is much easier to make good decisions when you have that space.

Day 19 - new shoes

Here, my friends, are my new o-lifting shoes. I bought these from Risto Sports (at Joe's suggestion) which is a shop specializing in weightlifting gear, training and technique up in Maine. I'm still a total newbie to all of this lifting stuff, but the shoes are supposed to stabilize me and give just enough lift to the heal to make the squat more efficient. Christy says now she can't do any o-lifts without them. She thinks they have become a crutch, but who cares because they totally stabilize and allow her to lift very heavy things. I have so much to learn about all of this - it is very exciting.

I've been an athlete my whole life, so weights have been a part of my world. I remember in volleyball we used to lift in the cages that lived next to the indoor track. We did not lift free weights though - those were specifically for the boys in another cage on the other side of the track. I did get myself my own set of dumbbells and have lifted regularly and not so regularly at different points in my life, though. I think I even took a weightlifting class in college.

I recently visited CrossFit Wilmette, which is very close to where I grew up. There were a couple of high school students in the class. I just keep thinking about what life would have been like if CrossFit had been part of my routine in high school. I would have been a tooooooooooooootal badass athlete.

Speaking of high school... My 20th reunion is this year at the end of October.... Motivation! I keep getting weird Facebook messages and friend requests from people that look familiar, but that I honestly don't remember at all. I have more high school friends on Facebook than I actually had in high school.

Day 18 - Work it

Day 17 - cruise control

I'm actually losing a bit of my enthusiasm for writing this blog. I feel so frickin' great - cruising along. I've gotten past the drama, the roller coaster ride, the internal conflict, the craving attacks.... What else is there to write about? Seriously though, if you haven't tested yourself like this I highly recommend it.

On a different note - a shameless plug...

If you're reading this and are in the area - CrossFit MASS is expanding.

February 6th, there will be 2 new daytime classes - one at 9am and one at 12 noon.
The first 3 weeks of both class times will be geared for people new to CrossFit (or those who have just been away for awhile).

Still not sure if this is for for you? Try one of the free intro sessions. There will be one each Tuesday night at 6pm. Please be sure to reserve a spot by emailing joe at joe@crossfitmass.com, as the sizes of the sessions are limited.

If you're not in the area and are reading this - get thee to a CrossFit gym. You can find one close by you: http://map.crossfit.com/ .

Some things to consider in selecting a CrossFit gym (aka 'box'). If you feel judged or like you don't fit in, find another box. If you don't like the vibe or the trainers, try another box. If there isn't an on-ramp program try another box. I'm not expert and honestly I lucked out with the first place I tried. Just know that not all CrossFit gyms are created equal and you have a choice.

Day 16 - not just a fluke

I tried the chin ups again yesterday to make sure I wasn't making things up and was still able to do 3 unassisted. Sweet!! I also had dreams all last night about doing loads of chin ups. The only catch was that no one ever witnessed me doing them. Is that like a tree falling in the forest?

Honestly, I'm pretty tired tonight and I don't feel particularly verbose. Until next time...

Day 15 - feeling good!

I am 15 days into this thing! Wooooo hooooo! I must admit that I am feeling outstanding today. Yesterday I ate and ate and ate. Breakfast was egg whites, red peppers and salsa; lunch was chicken soup; and dinner was buffalo stuffed green peppers. Then we topped it off with yummmmmmmy peach cobbler with an almond flour topping. The ingredients included, peaches, mango, lemon juice, lemon zest, coconut oil and coconut flakes.

On a side note - I'm looking for a good volleyball league to play in. If you know of any please leave a comment.

By the way, I don't want to jump out of an airplane, but I do want to fly!!!!! Anyone want to join me?

Day 14 - the dirty details

Last night I went out to a fabulous dinner with my mom and some of her old Whitehead Institute colleagues. This occasion was a social one involving good food, drink, and conversation. I headed into this dinner knowing full well that I wasn't going to partake in the "drink" part of the event and was ok with that. Of course, the minute I looked at the drink menu and saw the beautiful gin martini in front of my mom, that changed. Luckily, once again, Gina saved me. Her key advice was, "You are stronger than your cravings."

Yeah, but when am I going to be able to do this on my own, without needing to text someone for an intervention????!!!!!

The question is not that simple. I have had a long and turbulent history with food. At some point it became clear that I was not built like a small-framed, delicate-ankled, narrow-shouldered girl. There were only two buckets for size - fat and skinny. I was considered FAT. I internalized that and was reminded constantly by anyone who felt like they had to share their opinion with me. I used to binge and the purging was not the standard. Instead I would starve myself for a day or take laxatives. I used to encourage my "skinny" friends to eat cake in front of me while I watched. There was a sense of accomplishment in having that control over myself...

There was an 8 year period where I basically stopped giving a shit about my weight and health. The first half of that was college. I (the total anti-smoking campaigner) took up smoking during that time. Talk about indulging all the serotonin and addiction centers of the brain.

Anyhow, I had a "born again" event and that was going to massage therapy school in 2000. There, I learned of the diet Body-for-Life, by Bill Phillips. This plan basically pairs carbohydrates and protein for every meal and prescribes 6 small meals a day instead of 3. Also key to the plan is exercising 6 days a week - alternating weight and cardio days. The best part of the diet is the that the 7th day is a total free day - no exercise and no food restrictions. I was able to lose 30 pounds following the plan and have been able to keep within 5 pounds of that weight for just over a decade (except when I played rugby). I think I've gotten comfortable over the years - exercising enough to support my drinking/eating habits. Mind you, I gravitated during this time to friends and sports that incorporated (or required?) drinking as part of the social experience AND I was trying to treat my newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis on my own. Of course I have an emotional attachment to drinking, socializing, and the heartbreak of my body turning on me.

I'm reminded that the title of this blog Outside of the comfort zone is appropriate. I am at times, truly uncomfortable. I also have to remind myself that this is a process and that changing my lifestyle and eating habits does take strength, help, and patience. I know full well that once I get past this first 30 days things will get easier. Already, things are easier. I am still attached to my cravings, but I am not my cravings. I am stronger than my cravings.

Day 13 - Body comp 2

I wanted to do this every ten days, but I missed it on day 10. Using, once again, The Zone method for calculating body mass we have the following:

33.3@ hips (started at 34)

31.3 @ bellybutton (started at 32)

New body comp calculation puts me at 18.18%!!!! That's already a loss of 2.18%.

I may bust through my SMART goals way before April after all. Thank you!!

Day 12 - Twitchy

Today my eye started to twitch. I used to have a chronic eye twitch and then all of a sudden it went away. According to PubMed Health: The most common things that make the muscle in your eyelid twitch are fatigue, stress, and caffeine. Well hell! Coffee is the one treat I've been able to have on this paleo endeavor. So...I've had a little extra. Instead of the second cup being a tall, I've gone with the grande. And I've gone with the Organic Ethiopia Sidamo from the Starbucks Clover machine. Not only that but I've filled up my Starbucks card and registered it. Now I can pay for my coffee via iPhone. I also get to see my rewards instantaneously. I get to drink my coffee and get rewarded for it too. I really have to debate this whole caffeine eye twitch thing. Is it worth it?

Today was a good day other than the twitchiness. I was a little tired on the way home, but cruised over to the gym to get the blood moving. I focused on overhead squats. I struggle with getting the right depth in the squat and of course balancing the weight over my head. Tighten the core, squeeze the glutes, lock out the shoulders and go for it - break parallel. Well, that is something else to work on - WHICH is one of the many reasons I love CrossFit. I love to practice to perfection and CF gives me plenty to work on.

Tonight's dinner was chicken (baked in the oven with a touch of bacon fat), and broccoli! Soooo good. Day 12 is a wrap! Happy long weekend.

Day 11 - Miracles abound

It's funny how things change. I'm working hard to just be in the moment so I don't start expecting anything. The picture is of my CrossFit crew working through a horrid work out involving some torturous volume of pull ups. As I recall, I was the last person to finish this WOD.

Well.....today I was able to do three (yes 3!!!) unassisted chin ups in a row. I needed a sign that this paleo thing was doing something and I got one! That was miracle number one.

Miracle number two was that for the first time EVER on this challenge, I did not crave alcohol or chocolate! I did make an effort to eat more, so that may have had something to do with it. I did do something that I won't repeat though. I had some almond butter before the workout tonight. Not a good idea.

That's it for Day 11 - the best yet.

Day 10 - On repeat

Honestly, I'm not sure why this isn't getting easier. I feel like I'm on repeat. I want chocolate and wine (actually whiskey today) at some point each and every day. WTF? I am also extra tired today from last night's adventure, so perhaps that has thrown me off a bit. I was so jazzed when I got home from shooting I couldn't fall asleep until about midnight and then I woke up before the alarm at 5:00am.

Regardless, I thought my lunch would solve all the world's problems (see picture), but alas it did not...

I am frustrated and annoyed with my cravings. Sometimes I can work it out at CrossFit - but tonight, I've got to tell you, was not one of those nights. The WOD really just added to my frustration -- stupid pull ups and hand stand push ups.

I was so annoyed when I got home I shoveled pumpkin seeds in my face. I realize I need to take it easy on stuff like that, but it felt good, dammit! I can't believe it's only day 10!!

Day 9 - Wow, just wow

I am writing this a day late because there was nothing normal about last night. As you can see from the pictures we spent some time playing with guns. Gina and Christy (my fellow CrossFitters) are showing off their badass selves shooting up the place. This was the first time I've ever shot a gun. Now, I live in a place where I hear gun shots every now and then and over time I have developed quite an aversion to the sound. This was no different and there were times I wanted to curl up in a ball and rock back and forth. Then I actually started shooting the guns! I have to figure out how to get Damema to agree to have a gun in the house. I could use the usual excuse about wanting to protect us and our domain should the zombie apocalypse go down. Though I may have screwed myself on that because we've already got a plan in place. Meet at Joe's and then head north...

I was talking to my mom about what was about to go down at the shooting range and she had a great suggestion. The CrossFitters should all come up with their bucket lists and every month we should draw one from a hat and go do it as a group. There are two things that are on my "no way" list though (unless of course it is absolutely necessary to survive the zombie apocalypse) -- parachuting from a plane and bungee jumping. I have NO desire to do either.

On that note - Paleo day 9 is over. I did have to have a small intervention (thanks Joe) because my office has chocolate everywhere!! It was talking to me at one point. I do have to say it is interesting hanging out with the group I did last night. Everyone was drinking water or ice tea. Most of my social gatherings at restaurants involve booze as part of the experience. This was clearly an event to refuel. Oh and we talked about fun words that creep us out - (sorry Gina) "moist" tops my list, "panties", "supple", "bitch"...

It's Wednesday and that means shot day. Stay tuned for day 10 updates later.

Day 8 - Here Fishy Fishy

I know it is important to take fish oil daily, but I have so many questions as to why.

Why is it that sometimes when I take my Carlson lemon flavored fish oil I burp it up? Not every time, just sometimes. Why do Joe's knees hurt when he doesn't take fish oil? Why is it that my back pain comes and goes with no explanation regardless of whether or not I take fish oil? Why do my hips and knees grind and pop so much even when taking fish oil? Why do all social interactions end up feeling like I'm back in high school taking fish oil? Why do dogs and cats torment each other with fish oil? Why are there "cat people" and "dog people" who take fish oil? Why do we choose to suffer through life by taking fish oil? Why is it only 8:37 pm and I want to go to bed burping fish oil? Why does my cat insist on sitting on me while I eat dinner dreaming of fish oil?

Seriously though - I want to know the answer to the fish oil question.

Day 7 - Gentle Reminder

I hadn't realized until today that historically Sundays have been drinking and movie days. I went to the 10:00 am CrossFit class where I was amped, hyper and feeling great. When I got home all I wanted to do was drink. (By the way, I don't have a drinking problem. I have a sugar/carbohydrate problem and it shows up as cravings for alcohol. Just want to make sure you are all clear on that!) Thank goodness Gina was available via text to offer a quick intervention. She reminded me of all the benefits of doing a 30 day Paleo.

• You're hitting your body's reset button.
• You're allowing your digestive system to be cleared of known irritants so you're able to process nutrients more effectively.
• You're increasing insulin sensitivity.
• You're working your way to your most badass self in the process.
• You'll lift heavier, jump higher, and increase your efficiency with very little additional physical effort.

I needed the reminder because Damema (in front of me!!) enjoyed multiple helpings of ice cream and varied alcoholic beverages. At one point I had to leave the house to go to a Bikram class just to save myself. I will get to the point where I can conduct my own simple interventions. In the meantime though, I appreciate the help. You rock Gina and I am noticing a difference in my workouts already!

Day 6 cont. - All my ducks in a row (or geese as the case may be).

I've made it paleo-style without a hitch all the way through day 6 (and Saturday none-the-less).

I have a lot on my mind - mostly about friends and family. I tend to fall in friendship with people far more quickly than they do with me. I invite people into my clan, house and/or heart very quickly. The fact that we share an experience or event makes them family to me. This, of course, doesn't apply to every Joe Schmoe. You definitely have to be special to be in my gaggle, but it isn't hard to get there if you are.

There are a number of you who I have wanted to be closer friends with over the years, but I was not quite cool, wild, single, popular, or bad ass enough to meet your criteria. I have found myself on the outside looking in quite a few times - close enough, but not quite there. I'm actually shy which makes things a little harder. Perhaps my approach isn't quite right. Maybe I should practice here: "Hi, we do CrossFit and/or Bikram together and that workout sucked; but because we both laughed together through the whole thing you are now part of my family. Come over and eat meat with me." How was that? Pretty bad - right? I have scared more people off with that approach...

There is no point to this posting. Mostly I'm just thinking about it. Making friends is much harder as I get older and the east coast has been a hard place to break the ice. Just know that if I am paying attention to you, you mean a great deal to me - especially if I answer the phone when you call or return your text messages.

Day 6 - Cleaning up

I realize the last couple of posts have been kind of negative nelly. I didn't think this challenge would be all fun and games, which is partly why I wanted to keep a blog of the adventure. If it had been just me, I would have said "screw it" - while drinking a bottle of wine. But you all stopped me! Well and my CrossFit tribe too. It is interesting to see where my emotions connect with food. I am trying to be a passive observer and an aggressive interventionist.

Last night I cruised over to the gym to catch up on the Thursday night lifts that I missed. I hate looking like an idiot. Let me tell you, a good deal of these lifts have me looking like an idiot. Last night I worked on the clean and Christy told me I had a good 80's dance going with a delayed shoulder shrug. My typical response to this kind of feedback is to practice, practice, practice. This time is no different. It is ON like Donkey Kong!

I'm not sure what the weekend will bring, but I'll keep you posted. Thanks for being here with me.

Day 5 - Uncomfortable.

I posted a very non-paleo glass of beer here. Why? Because I want one. It is Friday night - the first Friday of this challenge. Not only that, but I just went with my mom to put her dog down. I would normally help myself to a glass of wine or a bit of chocolate to comfort myself after a long work week or a stressful event. Now what do I do? I don't have the answers yet. I'm learning new ways to cope and react to regular life. I can't just reach for those comfort foods and drinks. This sucks.

Man down.

This has been a tough day. We've been watching my mom's dog Doobie, while she's been out of town. He's been sick for a few weeks - the kind of sick that hasn't been easy to diagnose or fix. Today, I took him for an ultrasound of the abdomen and they found a large mass attached to his right kidney. The surgery to remove the growth would be too much for the little guy. He's also so severely anemic that he is a good candidate for a blood transfusion. Sadly, Doobie will soon join Mae Pearl Louise, Taylor, Josie, Bonnie Rae, Elvis and all our other furry friends who have transitioned. There will be a party in doggie heaven for sure.

Also, I've been feeling a bit weird today. I have had odd cramps in my feet and a stitch in my side while at rest. I feel spacey and my lungs are tight. Joe suggested that I might be adjusting to ketosis and possibly fighting a bug. I went so far as to show up to CrossFit tonight and then leave after it was clear that I wasn't in a good place to stress myself further. I will take Joe's advice tonight - increase D3 levels, drink Nuun to hydrate, and get extra sleep.

That's a wrap on day 4.

Subliminal messages.

Phat Fat - still day 3

You might be wondering what I've been eating. I keep posting photos of my food on Facebook and people seem to *like* what they see. This was last night's dinner and today's lunch. (If you've seen it already, you might want to shut your eyes.) Simple meals with protein and veggies.

I usually eat breakfast around 6:00 AM and today at 8:00 AM I was craving Starbucks mocha and by 10:00 AM I was starving! The advice "my guy" gave me was to do burpees to fend off the mocha cravings and then to eat "meeaaaat" to cure my hunger. Both really good pieces of advice, though I was in my cubicle at work for the burpees text message and I had already eaten shhhreeeeeeiiimmmp by the meat Facebook message. By 3:00 PM I wanted to close my eyes and call it a day. What the hell - right? This Paleo stuff is supposed to make me feel great.

Thank goodness for my CrossFit community. They are some of the most inspiring people I know and they really keep me in check. The moment she had a chance, Christy grilled me about what I had had for breakfast. Three eggs over lettuce. "What about the fat?" she says. OH YEAH! The fat. So people, The Zone formula is 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat, which is a good formula to use. Apparently my body will burn the fat more efficiently, especially with all the working out. The lack of fat in my diet has left me tired and hungry. There is a much better explanation for how this all works, but I'm too tired tonight. I forgot the fat in my dinner apparently too.

Sleep, oh sleep where art thou?

I used to be the best sleeper ever. What happened? Toss and turn, awake, asleep, awake, turn, turn, toss, toss. Last night I had the worst back pain that literally made it hard to breathe. I also had the most bizarre dreams with big black men and my boss at work. I won't get into too many of the details...

I hope this all balances out in time. For now, I am drinking my black coffee and getting ready to do my weekly Enbrel shot.

Happy hump day.

Day 2. Sometimes you need some help.

Thanks to a persuasive invite from one of my inspiring CrossFit coaches Gina, I flew on a trapeze this past weekend. This was a great way to end the year. I had never had the desire to flail myself by a bar back and forth 22 feet in the air before then, but now I can't wait to go back.

I guess that is the point. How many times have you convinced yourself you can't do something? I walked into that place - Jordan's Furniture in Reading, you know where the IMAX theater is - and almost walked right back out. I got there early and had to keep myself from leaving, so I texted Damema for moral support. Luckily, Gina walked in. She appeared calm and cool, but had a slight crease in the middle of her forehead that gave away the fact that she was slightly nervous as well. We were in this together and if she needed reassurance, I was going to give it to her. She already told me I was "going to be *great*" on Facebook, so I had to believe.

The one thing I learned about this adventure was that I just had to let go and trust the process. If I followed the directions, moved myself correctly, and looked for the catcher's hands, everything was going to work out. If I missed, things were still going to work out because someone was watching my back and controlling my fall to the net. I was successful because I had help the whole way.

So on this Paleo challenge I have some help. I have a guy. His name is Joe and he is my coach at CrossFit MASS. I also have a partner, Damema; and another CrossFit coach, Gina; and my friend Karen from work; and Tom, my brother from another mother; and Webb who promises to read this blog; and my buddy Katherine in Milwaukee. I have asked for help because I know myself enough to know that is how I am going to succeed both with this challenge and in life. If you need help, just ask. I'm here for you too.

Another day down.

Lots to say.

This is only day one I realize. I'm sure once life gets back in the swing I will ease up my "sharing" on here -- maybe. In the mean time though, I suppose I want to address why I am doing this Paleo challenge.

There are a number of reasons. 1) I deserve to feel good. This is a simple statement, but it has taken me years and years to be able to say it and mean it. This lifestyle kicks out all processed junk and toxins such as gluten and alcohol from the diet. I will only ingest fruits, vegetables, nuts and the highest quality grassfed, organic, free-range, scratch your butt freely meats and seafood. Fats are in there as well, like coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, fish oil...etc. I have suffered from a sensitivity to wheat for a long time and cutting out gluten and other grains eases the odd, twitchy, aches and pains, and stomach upsets. 2) I work out and try to take care of myself physically. Sometimes I just shove things in my mouth without thinking about the consequences. I want to think as carefully about what I feed myself as I do about how I move myself. 3) I work out and want to see the results. I used to work out to maintain my weight while eating unhealthy things (actually mainly to support my wine habit). We all have potential that can't be realized unless input and output balance and support each other. In simple terms, I want to be cut. 4) I have always been athletic and am strong. I want to continue to grow stronger and support that through a proper diet. "Strong is the new skinny" baby!! 5) I have suffered with autoimmune issues for a long time. Cutting out the foods that cause allergic reactions reduces my suffering and my recovery time. I have had one, yes only one flare up since starting CrossFit in August. This lifestyle and way of eating in conjunction with Enbrel has my rheumatoid arthritis in check = very low activity. I love being able to push myself without worrying about how my joints will feel tomorrow. LOVE IT!

I have a few SMART goals as well 1) to reduce or discontinue the citalopram by May 2012; 2) to do 4 pull ups in a row by April 2012 (I'm already at 2 chin ups in a row.); 3) reduce my body fat by 3-4%.

I guess that about does it. I'm off to a Bikram class.

Starting body comp

So this is a really rough way to calculate body fat percentages, but I'm going to use it anyway. It is from the book The Zone by Barry Sears, PhD. The formula utilizes your hip and belly (at the belly button) measurements as well as your height. (I am not interested in paying any attention to the scale on this adventure and am much more concerned with body composition changes.)

Starting #'s

Hip: 34"

Waist: 32"

Height: 68"

This according to the tables and formulas provided in the book comes out to a 20.36% body fat comp. Seems like a good starting point with room to improve. This number, by the way, makes me feel better than the standard weight/height measurements. Those measurements have me falling around 25% or so.

Funny story - I had to have a mammogram recently (nothing wrong folks) and the technician asked if I worked out. When I told her I did, she said, "yes, there is a lot of pec in this image, a lot of pec." And there you have it folks -- more brawn than boob.

Showing up is the easy part

I have tried many iterations of this blog over the last few years. What's one more? As I say, showing up is the easy part. I'm going to try to summarize the last two years in one post.

After spending 9 years with untreated rheumatoid arthritis, my doctor finally convinced me it was a good idea to try taking medicine. I spent almost a year on methotrexate, which helped a little, but not enough and left me depressed. Not to mention, I couldn't drink while taking it which made my social life suffer a little. Last January (2011) I decided to stop MTX and a month later started Enbrel. WOW! This drug changed my life. You don't really understand how much you're suffering until the suffering stops.

Still depressed and anxious as hell though, I also started taking citalopram. In combination with drinking and citalopram I started to put on weight (which I hadn't done in a decade). Still physically feeling good I started to crave more from my work outs. I was doing Bikram yoga regularly, but wanted to push myself and see what my body was capable of.

By chance I found an advertisement for CrossFit, which I investigated further. I found a local box less than a mile from my house: CrossFit MASS. WOW! WOW! WOW! Three major changes in my life in one year!!

This blog is about showing up, busting my butt and reaping the rewards of all the hard work - in ALL areas of my life. I'm inspired and ready to go.

Today, I begin a personal 100% Paleo challenge...

(Want more info? Check out - Paleo Basics and what is CrossFit.)