Week 2 on Paleo

Going into week two, I was really excited.  Terry was leaving Monday through Friday for a work trip which meant I could eat whatever I wanted (he's a picky eater) and not be tempted by junk food that he likes to enjoy from time to time.  However, many obstacles got in my way and I found it difficult to find motivation to cook for just one person rather than two.

Tuesday, my one day off this week, was supposed to be filled with food prepping and CrossFit.  But the snow storm had other plans for me.

I ended up spending the day shoveling and helping FOUR cars get unstuck right in front of my house.  It was a clear sign that I should stay put and not attempt driving anywhere, especially with Terry out of town.

I was up until midnight that night finishing my food prep and had an awesome breakfast and lunch packed for work the following day.  BUT... Guess what I forgot to grab the next morning when I left for work?!  My dang lunch!!!  Grr!!  So, I had to wing it and eat in the hospital cafeteria.  It ended up being simple: bacon and eggs for breakfast and salad bar for lunch.  

So, as you can see, my week didn't start off too strong.  I decided to push myself hard throughout the rest of the week.

Here is what my workout schedule looked like this last week:

Monday:  3 mile run on treadmill

Tuesday:  Snow.  Boo.

Wednesday:  3 mile run on treadmill followed by a CrossFit class.

Thursday:  Rest

Friday:  CrossFit Class

Saturday:  CrossFit Class and ice skating with my mother-in-law!

Sunday:  Well, I was supposed to tackle a seven mile run today, but my body is hating me from two days of CrossFit in a row.  Instead, I took the pups for a walk and plan to get my booty on the elliptical in the basement later this evening.

My meals have remained relatively the same.  

Lots of eggs and bacon in the mornings.. and no, I'm not sick of it.  Eggs and bacon is my faaaaaavorite breakfast in the world, so this is a really amazing meal for me every day. 

For work mornings, I pack hard boiled eggs and a few pieces of bacon.  I make my bacon in big batches by baking it - so easy and no mess!

This week, I am making an egg and bacon casserole that will hopefully last me through the week for breakfasts! 

Lunches have remained leftovers and/or salads.  I always feel like my fridge is packed with options when I actually take the time to cook meals ahead and make bigger portions of everything so that it lasts 2-3 meals rather than just one.

My favorite dinner this week was definitely turkey burgers (wrapped in romaine lettuce) topped with a fried egg, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and mustard.  Yummmm!  With it being just me this week, the burgers lasted me a few days and I was always excited to eat it.  Burgers are always a good choice in my book.  And super easy to make.

A couple of questions that I have gotten this week has been:

1.  What are you using for an alternative to coffee creamer?

I've been using a combination of unsweetened vanilla coconut milk, almond milk, and liquid Stevia drops.  I'm not going to lie, it's not as good as my chemical filled creamers, but it works.  Nothing will stop me from my cup of coffee in the morning!

2.  What are you using for salad dressings or condiments?

I'm obsessed with mustard.  Literally, obsessed.  I put it on everything.  Even on my sweet potatoes... I know, I have a problem.  For salads, I'll either use oil and vinegar or I will use Walden Farms dressings.

My Paleo friend, Angel, pointed these out to me.  They are sugar free, gluten free, dairy free, and even calorie free!  It's made with real ingredients like water, apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey, etc.  I still want to learn to make my own dressings/condiments sometime, but for now, these will do the trick.

I did end up cutting down a lot on my fruit servings and luckily have not had any negative side effects like headaches or withdrawals/cravings.  I plan to continue lowering my fruit consumption and increasing my vegetable servings.  

My Reads/Research:

I finished the book Practical Paleo and plan to write my thoughts on it soon!

My next read is Grain Brain!

I've heard AWESOME things about this book and have already dived in.  The author of a book is both a neurologist and a member of the American College of Nutrition - the only doctor in the world who has both credentials.  He had me at the dedication of his book where he dedicates it to his 96 year old father who "begins each day by getting dressed to see his patients - despite having retired more than a quarter century ago."  I've sadly dealt with a lot of Alzheimer's in my life, so I'm extremely excited to read how the food we eat is affecting our brain.

Sooooo... The verdict at the end of this week?  

I'm down eight pounds, I'm getting great sleep, and I'm starting to feel a difference in my body.  I feel smaller, stronger, and more alert!  I'm always satisfied after a meal and I can actually go more than two minutes without thinking about food.  Next week will already be my halfway point through the Paleo challenge and I'm so excited to keep the good results coming!

Are there any questions that you have about the Paleo diet?

Would you ever do a Paleo challenge?