Nutrition Challenge
It’s been a week since we have started the Nutrition Challenge.
If you are on the challenge could you answer a few questions?
1. How are you feeling? (The good, the bad, and the ugly)
2. Have you cheated? (With what and why?)
3. Is it easy or hard?
4. How are you preparing meals?
5. Do you have any good recipes? Do you need some recipes?
Thank you.
Monday, October 8th 2012 at 2:29 pm |
1. Feeling my steady energy coming back! Muscles chronically sore from starting CrossFit, but that feels pretty good in a strange way..
2. I’ve had one, planned cheat meal; Enchiladas and Beer. Why? Because Enchiladas and beer are AWESOME.. Have managed to cut out all processed/unatural sugars, and it’s been easier than I expected.
3. Not too hard, but the temptations are there. I’m eating Paleo, and the biggest temptation I’ve had is a big bowl of Cinnamon Life cereal with milk.
4. I’ve been prepping meals (breakfast and lunches) ahead of time to take to work, and since I do all the cooking in my house anyway, have been making healthy, paleo meals for dinner.
5. I have a lot of good paleo recipes, but am always looking for more! Here’s one for breakfast that I’m really liking lately.
~ 1 Cup Cooked, Plain Quinoa
~ 1 Banana, sliced
~ 1/2 Apple, diced
~ 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
~ 2 Tbs Chopped, Raw Almonds
~ 1 tsp Chia Seeds
~ 3/4 Cup Unsweetened, Plain Almond Milk
Mix all ingredients in a sealed container and shake to combine. I usually make this the night before to let the Chia seeds absorb some of the liquid, and to let the almonds soften just a bit. Heat up and enjoy!
Monday, October 8th 2012 at 2:58 pm |
YEY Paleo!! Has it only been a week??
1. Good, bad and ugly ;)
2. No cheats here
(Unless you count the accidental potato incident)
3. Challenging!!! Hard for a quasi veggie/fish eater I realize I do not like fish or shrimp enough to eat them for 10 meals a week. Yesterday my daughter’s hot dog was looking pretty tasty, a hot dog… I’m just sayin’ ;)
4. Meal preparation is key. I did well then faltered and have missed at 4-5 meals along the way. Always on the go I intend to eat before I leave but my rowdy little angel monkey distracts me. It is hard to find a solution once out, or one that I am willing to pay for ($5 a salad with free greens at home). There is one solution- sashimi YUM! My budget does NOT allow for this. :( I’ve had it twice already ;)
5. One I recipe absolutely recommend for those who like tuna:
Tuna
Chopped Red Pepper
Chopped Onion
Cracked Black Pepper
Garlic
Tiny cubes of avocado
**YUMMINESS**
this is my saving grace.
Monday, October 8th 2012 at 5:52 pm |
1. I’m feeling more energetic and less “puffy”, if that makes sense.
2. I cheated once over the weekend. I was guilted into trying some homemade jelly, just a small smear on a piece of a biscuit. I was camping and wish I’d gone for the s’more instead.
3. I thought resisting the sweets would be harder, but I’m compensating with fruit. Today, however, I’m craving pizza and oatmeal.
4. I prepare my meals every night for the next day. My lunch bag overflows with veggies, fruit, and hard boiled eggs. I’m also staying on top of my grocery shopping so I always have food to pack.
5. Christy and Tray: those are great recipes! I’m pretty much putting salsa on everything. :)
Monday, October 8th 2012 at 7:21 pm |
1. I’m on week 4 (?) of the LuRong Challenge and I feel great! I’ve lost some weight, probably water weight, and my performance in the gym has increased.
2. I haven’t cheated except for the two occasions during the first week, but when I set out to do the challenge I forgot that I will be in Costa Rica for our honeymoon in November (LuRong challenge ends Nov. 17). Even though I feel great, I am seriously contemplating adding gluten and dairy back into my diet – small amounts each week. When I go strict, I get really sensitive to the “bad” foods and don’t want to feel sick on my honeymoon. I get headaches, stomach cramps, bloat, acne, tired, etc. I figure I should start to increase my tolerance to those foods. I know that when I get back I will resume an 80/20 diet and I know that next years challenge will be a piece of cake. But I am bummed because I really wanted to see how a strict paleo diet would affect my performance in the gym.
3. easy
4 & 5. Rick and I are experimenting with tons of new recipes. We are loving anything made in a crockpot. Today we made our own turkey breakfast sausage and pulled pork in the crock pot for dinner.
My new favorite website is http://www.paleomg.com. Julie has amazing recipes AND her posts are fun to read. If there is something you are really craving, search for it on the web. 90% chance someone has made a paleo version.
Vicki – Everyday Paleo has an easy paleo pizza recipe. I love her crust and we top it with tons of meat and veggies.
Tray – Just an FYI, I don’t believe quinoa is paleo. It is technically a seed but has a lot of grain like properties so its on the no-no list.
Monday, October 8th 2012 at 8:23 pm |
1. I feel like I have more energy. I haven’t been tired or sluggish in the afternoon at work.
2. I haven’t cheated besides the one meal and two drinks I “gave” myself each week from the beginning. Not having the third drink out with friends was hard…especially because it came with a lot of fun loving comments about me becoming a vegan or something.
3. Giving up soda and sugar was easier that I thought. I miss cheese.
4. I’m making all my meals at home. I bring lunch to work as well as apples and almonds for snacks. I try to make a dinner that leaves enough servings to last 2-3 days. It’s so much easier if dinner is already made when I get home from the gym at 7:00.
5. My favorite thing so far is lettuce wraps with ground turkey, diced tomatoes, and avocado slices. Thanks for the recipes. I know variety will be key and I’m not exactly Bobby Flay.
Tuesday, October 9th 2012 at 8:30 am |
1. I am waking up in the morning a lot easier than before and I feel I have a good amount of energy ready to start the day. However, I’m also feeling energetic before going to bed so I’m only sleeping about 5 – 6 hrs and I’m sure it will affect me sooner or later.
2. I haven’t exactly cheated but I know I am eating wayyyy too many nuts, cashews, almonds, etc… Thus I’m probably not getting any dramatic results but my belt definitely decrease one size :)
3. I’m missing oatmeal, cottage cheese and of course sweets but I’ll be fine haha
4. I’ve been cooking on sundays pretty much the entire food for my week and I’m taking a ridiculous huge fred flingstone cooler that holds all my meals for the day.
5. Recipes: I basically made a huge badge of “chimichurri” which is olive oil with lots and lots of parsley, garlic and lemon juice and flakes of crush red peppers and I use that on chicken, eggs or steak. It is just a great sauce to add flavor to your food. If you guys want a more defined recipes just look it up on any paleo webiste and look for Chimichurri.
Tuesday, October 9th 2012 at 9:52 am |
1. Feeling great so far. Unless you find me when I’m hungry which seems like all the friggin time. Then…like Michel… I drown myself in a cesspool of pity and nuts.
2. No cheats. I do, however, wish I had made a few concessions like “It’s ok to eat a cupcake if it’s for a 1 year olds bday party” or “weddings are gray areas where alcohol and bread are free for alls”
3. Despite the internal struggle of self control at certain events, it is actually pretty easy. Linds and I have been getting much better at preparing meals.
4. Day by day. Normally Linds and I are meal by meal… But with paleo there is a lot if defrosting going on. So you really have to know… Early what you are planning to eat. Breakfast is consistent – Egggs, meat, peppers. Lunch is usually leftovers.
5. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty – Ground turkey mixed with mashed sweet potatoes. Season as desired. Cook on skillet or in oven until turkey is cooked through. Add some nuts to the mix if your want a complete meal for the go. Simple and ridiculously filling. Throw it it tupperware, or saran wrap.
Another favorite. – if you want to make ground beef taste…well, not like ground beef add some dijon mustard (paleo of course) or stone ground mustard to the beef before cooking. For us, it’s just what we needed as a replacement for worchestershire sauce.
Spaghetti Squash. Makes a ton of noodles. Put some paleo sauce and mix with meat your your choice (linds and I prefer Sausage) and bam! Spaghetti for days.
Cauliflower. It’s gross raw. Boil it, then put it in a food processor or blend it, and you just made yourself a flavorless mashed potato remix. Mix in seasonings.
Tuesday, October 9th 2012 at 10:18 am |
Whole Food in Encinitas is having a 1 day sale tomorrow 10/10-
100% grass fed/ free range beef $3.99/lb it’s also locally grown (Palomar Mountain)
15% fat 85% lean
Tuesday, October 9th 2012 at 2:58 pm |
Congrats to everyone on the nutrition challenge for all your early success!! As a coach with a background in epidemiology I can’t tell you enough how important what you are doing is for your own health and beyond. Just a few quick facts….
Leading causes of death in 2009: 1) Heart Disease 2) Cancer 3) Chronic Lower Respiratory diseases 4) Stroke 5) Accidents 6) Alzheimer’s 7) Diabetes
In 2010, 8.3% of the U.S. population had diabetes (the major leading risk factor for the #1 killer heart disease). The percent of type 2 diabetes has more than doubled approximately every 15 years.
In 2010, the health care costs associated with heart disease and stroke was more than $500 billion dollars.
Just in case you thought what you were doing was small, it isn’t. Good job guys.