Today was by far the nicest day we have had all year. It finally got above 80 degrees in Seattle for more then 78 minutes. I took full advantage of the day and dragged my out of town visitors to some amazing sites. I took pictures with my real camera, so I'll have to share the pictures sometime after I upload them. It really was the quintessential northwest day. We spent time watching people fish on a beach below the Deception Pass Bridge, we rode a ferry through the San Juan Islands, and I think I might have even seen a whale. I most definitely saw a splash.
Rushing around trying to make ferries and show off all the state's gems definitely makes eating clean a challenge. Its not just the challenge of making good choices on the road, its the exhaustion of constantly going going going. I notice my guard is easier let down when I'm drained-mentally and physically.
Maybe that is why I do so well with routines. As long as I have a routine I make good choices. If I know what is coming, then it takes very little mental energy to get through my day. If everything is up in the air, or I feel I'm responsible for people's entertainment, I get so worn out. Today at dinner I did consider ordering my bunless burger with sweet potato fries rather then a salad. Then I thought better of it. I realized I was just tired and wanted to take the easy way out. So I didn't let myself. And you know what happened? I felt GREAT after dinner. Not bogged down with exhaustion, I had energy and food in my belly, and most of all I didn't feel guilty about any of my food choices.
After a day of sunshine, salt-water, and driving, I'm so ready for a good nights sleep. Tomorrow we head to Mt. Rainier. Yay!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
361- Relief
I had an awesome chat today with the trainer at my gym. I let him know that I've been checking out a new gym, but I still wanted to keep a relationship with his gym. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense that I can use the two gyms to my advantage, as they are different, yet complement each other. For three days a week I can work out on my lunch hour. Maybe another day or two I can make the trip to my original gym.
I was so happy that the talk went as well as it did. I felt a huge sense of relief. The rest of my day was set up to go my way. The thick fog burned off to reveal a perfect 75 degree day. My meal choices were spot on despite 2/3 of them being at restaurants. I spent hours on my feet/walking around. Today was a good day.
I was so happy that the talk went as well as it did. I felt a huge sense of relief. The rest of my day was set up to go my way. The thick fog burned off to reveal a perfect 75 degree day. My meal choices were spot on despite 2/3 of them being at restaurants. I spent hours on my feet/walking around. Today was a good day.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
362- Vacation!
I'm on vacation for the next four days, and I'm so excited. My dad and sister are in town visiting, so we get to do all the cheesy tourist stuff.
Today I can honestly say I felt amazing. My ankle is feeling better, and I'm not sure if that is because of the no sugar, or if its because I've been going to the gym? Either way, I'll take it.
I know its only been four days, but I feel invincible. I have yet to figure out why every thing suddenly starts going my way when I start eating and exercising the proper way for me. Is it just me, or does 362 sound WAY better then 365?
Today I can honestly say I felt amazing. My ankle is feeling better, and I'm not sure if that is because of the no sugar, or if its because I've been going to the gym? Either way, I'll take it.
I know its only been four days, but I feel invincible. I have yet to figure out why every thing suddenly starts going my way when I start eating and exercising the proper way for me. Is it just me, or does 362 sound WAY better then 365?
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
363- This Again
"Worship your body. There is nothing on this earth you will ever do that does not require its cooperation. Be nice to it. Get it into great shape. Don’t poison it, don’t abuse it, don’t neglect it. An unwillingness to worship your body will undermine any attempt to love yourself. Love it with your actions, or it won’t love you back. If you are rude to it, it will hinder you, embarrass you, and even kill you."
This was posted on a Facebook friends wall. I don't know who said it to give credit to, but I like it.
I've made a few updates to this page. Along the top are a bunch of stand alone pages that serve different functions.
Why I Eat Paleo contains the best description of why I eat Paleo I could find.
Daily Food Logs show what I eat. I try to update it every few days. I started over on Monday (365) so I will have a year of data.
F#@% Scales, My non-scale Progress shows monthly totals of my measurements- calf, thigh, hip, waist, arms.
I've also updated my inspiration blogs as many of my previous favorites have dropped off the face of the blogging earth.
This was posted on a Facebook friends wall. I don't know who said it to give credit to, but I like it.
I've made a few updates to this page. Along the top are a bunch of stand alone pages that serve different functions.
Why I Eat Paleo contains the best description of why I eat Paleo I could find.
Daily Food Logs show what I eat. I try to update it every few days. I started over on Monday (365) so I will have a year of data.
F#@% Scales, My non-scale Progress shows monthly totals of my measurements- calf, thigh, hip, waist, arms.
I've also updated my inspiration blogs as many of my previous favorites have dropped off the face of the blogging earth.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
364- Adjusting
I've written before about how I know the exact moment my body flips the switch into ketosis. I've also written how getting there is a bitch. As if the universe had perfect timing, I stumbled across this excellent advice on how to cope with the re-adjustment period between the standard American diet (SAD) and ketosis (aka, my sweet spot):
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/ketones-and-ketosis/tips-tricks-for-starting-or-restarting-low-carb-pt-i/
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/ketones-and-ketosis/tips-tricks-for-starting-or-restarting-low-carb-pt-i/
Monday, August 15, 2011
365- Coming Out Swinging!
I always forget that the words I type can be read differently from how I intended. Ok, maybe I don't forget as much as I don't care. Well, that is I don't care until my intentions get misread by someone I do care about. I realized before I started this blog that I was opening myself up to criticism, negative comments, and people disagreeing with me. I realized I may offend people with my language or opinions, but, hey, this is my blog. The only thing I'm trying to do here is figure my shit out. It has nothing to do with you. I have been misread, misunderstood, and misinterpreted. Normally I wouldn't care, but this is one reader in particular I like. If one person misinterpreted my words, that means there is a good chance others did as well. The best way for me to explain how I've got here today is to tell a story. I'm hoping that in someway, I wish it wasn't, but this should be familiar story for everyone, and can maybe shed a little light into what I'm going through.
My uncle Bob is an alcoholic. He's been an alcoholic for as long as I can remember. I'm sure it started out innocently enough, when he was in college. All his friends couldn't help but notice he would always drink a little too much, but it was funny. He did funny things, like the time he peed on a fire hydrant and got chased by a dog. Hilarious. He would pass out cold and everyone would draw on him. Oh, how funny he was. At family functions Bob would get loaded and make huge scenes- that's how I know stories from his college days, they come up every year. At some point, his drinking was no longer funny, and the realization he had a problem was apparent. Family members tried restricting the amount of alcohol they kept on hand, and at family functions. This only forced Bob to be more sneaky in his ways. No one could trick him! No one could come between him and his favorite drink. He would spend all day thinking about it, his escape. He probably didn't realize that he drank to forget any feelings of how much he hated drinking.
No one knew that he was aware, he always seemed so out of it. I mean, if he was aware, he's stop, right? He hated alcohol and the control it had on him. He tried many times on his own to stop drinking. He would be successful for weeks or even months at a time, and then, after the confidence boost of being drink free for months, he would take a drink. That one drink would send him barreling down a familiar path. One drink one day would turn into 12 drinks the next. After years and numerous attempts, everyone in the family had heard it before. "No, this time its for real." What was going to make this time different from the last time? Why couldn't he just stop drinking? I can stop after one beer, why can't he?!
Now, replace my uncle Bob with me, and replace alcohol with food (sugar). I know its not quite the same, as alcohol is the only withdrawal one can die from, but the thoughts, feelings, and actions of someone that is addicted to a substance are very similar. I know why Bob can't stop after one beer.
That being said, I'm going to lay even more out there so you can see how I work. I'm sneaky. I'm smart. I've spent years and years tricking myself into giving myself everything that I've wanted food wise- the past year not being too much of an exception. If you've been reading awhile, you might be able to tell the exact point I stalled out- when I started allowing "cheat days." The ways that I go about eating are not healthy (part mental, part biological)- unless I've totally detoxed from sugar and processed foods. My thoughts and actions regarding food are not shared by a person that has never struggled with weight, but I bet many overweight people know exactly what I'm talking about when I say my thoughts regarding food are not normal.
If I had the ability to eat what I was supposed to eat and in the portions I am supposed to eat them the majority of the time, I would not be typing this blog. I would have never bothered to learn so much about food, calories, exercise, etc. If I had to the ability to consume sugar in a way that wasn't harmful, I would never have discovered a paleo diet or crossfit. If I had the ability to stop abusing myself because the high of eating something was not as great as the logic of it being bad for me, I would not need to stop eating sugar/processed foods. If I could do everything I needed to do without accountabilty or not being under the false pretense of a challenge, then I would not need to give myself a 365 day challenge.
I would like to extend an apology to the folks that are in the diet/nutrition industry. I do not discount your years of education, or your honest intentions. However, what I do ask is that if/when you educate people on diet/health you site things that have been actually backed up by real scientific data (like this), and not just hypothesis (ahem- the great lipid hypothesis).
My uncle Bob is an alcoholic. He's been an alcoholic for as long as I can remember. I'm sure it started out innocently enough, when he was in college. All his friends couldn't help but notice he would always drink a little too much, but it was funny. He did funny things, like the time he peed on a fire hydrant and got chased by a dog. Hilarious. He would pass out cold and everyone would draw on him. Oh, how funny he was. At family functions Bob would get loaded and make huge scenes- that's how I know stories from his college days, they come up every year. At some point, his drinking was no longer funny, and the realization he had a problem was apparent. Family members tried restricting the amount of alcohol they kept on hand, and at family functions. This only forced Bob to be more sneaky in his ways. No one could trick him! No one could come between him and his favorite drink. He would spend all day thinking about it, his escape. He probably didn't realize that he drank to forget any feelings of how much he hated drinking.
No one knew that he was aware, he always seemed so out of it. I mean, if he was aware, he's stop, right? He hated alcohol and the control it had on him. He tried many times on his own to stop drinking. He would be successful for weeks or even months at a time, and then, after the confidence boost of being drink free for months, he would take a drink. That one drink would send him barreling down a familiar path. One drink one day would turn into 12 drinks the next. After years and numerous attempts, everyone in the family had heard it before. "No, this time its for real." What was going to make this time different from the last time? Why couldn't he just stop drinking? I can stop after one beer, why can't he?!
Now, replace my uncle Bob with me, and replace alcohol with food (sugar). I know its not quite the same, as alcohol is the only withdrawal one can die from, but the thoughts, feelings, and actions of someone that is addicted to a substance are very similar. I know why Bob can't stop after one beer.
That being said, I'm going to lay even more out there so you can see how I work. I'm sneaky. I'm smart. I've spent years and years tricking myself into giving myself everything that I've wanted food wise- the past year not being too much of an exception. If you've been reading awhile, you might be able to tell the exact point I stalled out- when I started allowing "cheat days." The ways that I go about eating are not healthy (part mental, part biological)- unless I've totally detoxed from sugar and processed foods. My thoughts and actions regarding food are not shared by a person that has never struggled with weight, but I bet many overweight people know exactly what I'm talking about when I say my thoughts regarding food are not normal.
If I had the ability to eat what I was supposed to eat and in the portions I am supposed to eat them the majority of the time, I would not be typing this blog. I would have never bothered to learn so much about food, calories, exercise, etc. If I had to the ability to consume sugar in a way that wasn't harmful, I would never have discovered a paleo diet or crossfit. If I had the ability to stop abusing myself because the high of eating something was not as great as the logic of it being bad for me, I would not need to stop eating sugar/processed foods. If I could do everything I needed to do without accountabilty or not being under the false pretense of a challenge, then I would not need to give myself a 365 day challenge.
I would like to extend an apology to the folks that are in the diet/nutrition industry. I do not discount your years of education, or your honest intentions. However, what I do ask is that if/when you educate people on diet/health you site things that have been actually backed up by real scientific data (like this), and not just hypothesis (ahem- the great lipid hypothesis).
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Burying the Hat(cupcake)chet
Things I've learned about me:
- I need rules and structure
- My body has a severe sensitivity to carbohydrates/sugar
- I am addicted to sugar
- I like science/data/experiments
- I am capable of breaking my addiction
- I feel amazing when I avoid sugar and grains
- I am strong and can do anything I put my mind to
- I need to realize that people make huge sacrifices everyday, and me not being able to sugar and grains no huge sacrifice (comparatively)
- One year is not a long period of time
Do you see where this is going yet?
Oh, yes. I am embarking on a 365 day challenge with myself. 365 days of eating real food. 365 days of checking in here. 365 days of taking fish oil and vitamin D. 365 days of fighting the current "recommendations" of "health professionals." 365 days of putting coconut milk in my coffee. 365 days of glorious freedom from allergies. 365 days of smugness. Why? Because 30 day challenges are for pussies. I've already done a few 30 day challenges. I've done a 7 week challenge. One year is not that long.
Starting tomorrow, 8/15/11, and ending 8/15/12, I promise a daily update. It may not be long or even coherent, but I will post SOMETHING. There will be no posts justifying me eating crap, or about me "getting back at it." Its only one year. When/if things get hard, I will remind myself that I'm not doing anything heroic or even hard. Its just food, and its just one year.
- I need rules and structure
- My body has a severe sensitivity to carbohydrates/sugar
- I am addicted to sugar
- I like science/data/experiments
- I am capable of breaking my addiction
- I feel amazing when I avoid sugar and grains
- I am strong and can do anything I put my mind to
- I need to realize that people make huge sacrifices everyday, and me not being able to sugar and grains no huge sacrifice (comparatively)
- One year is not a long period of time
Do you see where this is going yet?
Oh, yes. I am embarking on a 365 day challenge with myself. 365 days of eating real food. 365 days of checking in here. 365 days of taking fish oil and vitamin D. 365 days of fighting the current "recommendations" of "health professionals." 365 days of putting coconut milk in my coffee. 365 days of glorious freedom from allergies. 365 days of smugness. Why? Because 30 day challenges are for pussies. I've already done a few 30 day challenges. I've done a 7 week challenge. One year is not that long.
Starting tomorrow, 8/15/11, and ending 8/15/12, I promise a daily update. It may not be long or even coherent, but I will post SOMETHING. There will be no posts justifying me eating crap, or about me "getting back at it." Its only one year. When/if things get hard, I will remind myself that I'm not doing anything heroic or even hard. Its just food, and its just one year.
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