Immediately after finding out I was pregnant, I began eating like a rock star. Breakfasts were jam packed with veggies, chia seeds, and berries. Lunches were eggs and meat and veggies and yam. I started making bone broths every Sunday for baby's growing bones. Dinners were usually chicken and veggies. I was drinking a ton of water, I was SO THIRSTY, and I literally had no problem ditching coffee, sugar and alcohol (alcohol is easiest for me, don't drink that much anyway). I was maintaining my gym routine, although definitely moving slower and getting winded so easily. So far, gym buddies seem to not have noticed.
Enter week six. Holy nauseous. Suddenly I could smell everything. I could smell smoke on my husbands hair, he doesn't smoke so that means he probably walked by someone smoking hours before, and it made me want to puke. I opened the fridge and smelled the perfectly cooked chicken I made the night before and I wanted to puke. I could smell the dog's paws near my face (although they weren't) and it didn't make me want to puke, but it was weird. The thought of any food turned my stomach. The longer I went without eating, the more my stomach hurt. I wasn't sure if I was feeling hungry or nauseous, it didn't matter.
All of a sudden something would flash through my head. It was the only thing I wanted. The only thing that would make me feel better. I needed something in my belly. Starbucks breakfast sandwich. Once my mind was set on that, I could think of nothing else. I grabbed my purse and walked down the street to Starbucks. Seriously, it was the best thing I've ever eaten. I ate it slow, savored each bite, and pacified my growling stomach.
However, it was not long before the nausea returned. A few hours later, we had a catered lunch at work. We have catered lunches a lot. Normally, if there are choices I can eat, I make my plate before the gym, go workout, and then eat the goods when I return. I was feeling so sluggish, and so icky all I wanted to do was eat. I skipped the gym for the fajita bar! I loaded up with beef slices, onions, peppers, lettuce, guac, and some rice and made myself an awesome salad. I was feeling better once again. No aversion to the beef, it tasted delicious! Then I got cocky. I decided it would be ok for me to have a slice of the amazing looking cheesecake set out for desert. I did all the quick fat girl now pregnant girl rationalizations- I feel like crap, it will make me feel better. I'm pregnant. I deserve it. I went to the gym yesterday. I have a 2 mile walk home from the bus. Next thing I knew, I was fork deep into a perfect creamy cheesecake. Oh, it was high quality. I ate it and smiled.
I can only describe the next few hours as ick. My head was pounding. I was so thirsty, my stomach was turning over like crazy. I knew immediately that the way I felt was a direct result of my poor choice to eat the cheesecake. I got let out of a meeting early, so I when I got home 2 hours earlier than usual, I took a 2 hour nap. I woke up without my headache, but still nauseous and no food sounded good. I forced myself to eat a few bites of kale-spinach green soup, just so I could take my pre-natals. I downed a bunch of water and realized exactly what was going on.
I was searching for comfort in food. Which in reality, is something that I've been conditioned to do and have conditioned myself to do for as long as...well forever. Right now, I don't feel like myself, in fact I feel downright awful at times, and I want to fix it. I just want something to make me feel like me again, or some sort of escape. Either consciously or unconsciously I know eating certain foods will produce good feelings in my brain...typically all the foods I need to avoid. I want the good feelings to take my mind off the discomfort. It works. But then I feel like crap afterwards. Either the foods don't agree with me, or I get my head so worked up that I made a bad decision, I feel like crap. I'm trying not to be to hard on myself because if there was ever a time for excuses, well, this is it. I made a point to go to the gym the following day, and it felt so great to get some air pumping through my body.
I wish I could say that in the weeks that followed I began making better food choices and continued with my gym routine. Sadly, that was not the case. Weeks 6-9 were really rough for me and I continued to self-soothe with food, although I severely limited the sugar, I continued to eat bread/grains, drink juice, and eat fruit with reckless abandon- all things that I know I just can't do under normal circumstances. Often at lunchtime I couldn't find the motivation to go to the gym, so I would either do an abrieviated workout in our gym at the office, or I would just depend on the 2-3 miles/day I was walking due to taking the bus. It was beginning to take a toll on me.
At the start of week 10, I was craving a salad. I ate salads for lunches the next 6 days in a row. I was feeling so much better. I believe this was the turning point where I began to get my energy back. In conjunction with feeling better and having more energy, my bus riding days came to and end, meaning I no longer had to jog 0.5 miles each way to the gym (I think that was a big factor in me skipping when I was just the slightest bit nauseous). Also, my work traveling schedule calmed down, and I was back in my normal routine. Since week 10, I've been eating so much better (Starbucks breakfast sandwiches gross me out again) and have resumed my gym schedule (all the gym buddies are in the know now). It was just a temporary phase, and I realize that now. I had my weeks to let myself give into my cravings, and now moving forward I will resume a diet that is focused on nutrient density. I've got 6 months to ensure my own diet is dialed in so I can be the best example I can to our little one.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The Aisle*
Pee on a stick (POAS) tests. As in pregnancy tests. The kind you find in grocery store as you make your way around the aisles, adding items to your cart that you don't really need, but are just buying because you can't go through a checkstand with just a pregnancy test. It's practically a rule. So while you stuff greek yogurt, and oranges and almond butter into your cart, somehow you just find yourself on "The Aisle." The only aisle you really needed to visit, yet you walk down it last as if its a brief thought "oh, I better pick up one of these, just to make sure." By that time, you already know the answer, its been on your mind for days. Symptoms have been Googled, but that never stops us from the inevitable POAS test. So you stare at your options. Hmmm, generic for $5.99, two same brand generic tests in one box for $9.99, or a fancy glowing name brand with flashing lights test for $14.99. Really? I only had two brands to choose from? I was expecting at least 5 or 6 different choices.
I went with the $5.99. They all had to be the same right? Wrong. It was after work, and I wasn't really ready for whatever the test was going to tell me, so I decided to wait until the morning. I heard somewhere that it was supposed to be your first morning pee anyway. Although, I don't think that is the case anymore. So, I stashed the test in the cabinet where the hubs wouldn't find it, I definitely wasn't ready to face him yet...and waited till morning. I woke up the next day and had to pee BAD. So I of course think its a great idea to try and read the instructions to this life altering test while dancing around in my bathroom trying to hold my pee long enough to figure out how to use this damn thing. Remove cap, pee on tip for 10 seconds, don't pee on result area, replace cap, place somewhere flat for 3 minutes and check your results between 3 and 10 minutes. Ok, ok, I can do this...goddammit why won't this package OPEN! After some serious relief, I stuck the stick on the flat sink and walked away. I didn't time anything, I just started getting ready for work. When I had felt about 6-7 minutes pass, I went over to the stick. I was not sure what I was looking at. I read the instructions again, - means not pregant, + means pregnant. Ok, I understood that part, but what if your window was showing a REALLY dark line and a barely, barely, visible so faint if you weren't looking for it you might miss it horizontal line?
Not pregnant I concluded. Not pregnant. I continued to get ready for work, yet I kept being sucked back to that damn stick. "Is that a plus? Am I reading into it? I think it might be a plus? Did I pee on the result area? OMG, who invents these things?!!" I looked at the instructions one more time. Then I saw something I hadn't seen before. Holding my stick the same way in the illustration as the instructions, my dark - sign was going the wrong way. My dark line was the vertical line that made the +, and the - that completed the + was sooo sooo sooo faint. Well damn. That changed things. Why was the VERTICAL line so dark? The vertical line wouldn't even show up if it was a negative, right? Oh, man. I hid the thing in the bottom of the trash and decided on "test inconclusive." This led to more Googling throughout the day, staring at Google images of + POAS tests, trying to find one that looked just like mine.
We were having company over for dinner (a 7month pregnant couple, btw), and the hubs had the day off to cook and clean in preparation. We were going through our usual morning texts, when I told him. Or told him how dumb the test was, and how I never should have gone for the generic brand. "Yup, there are just some things you don't skimp on" he says followed by a "I'm happy either way." He gives me a few things to pick up at the grocery store for dinner that night, and I add "and one expensive brand name pee test." I drove to the other supermarket I frequent after work to see if their selection was any better. I picked up the dinner necessities, and then made my way to "The Aisle." I scanned and searched, nothing. What? Then I noticed a blank spot in the shelving, with a note saying "these items available at Customer Service." You've got to be kidding me. This store actually thinks its a good idea to put something as personal as a pregnancy test behind lock and key, where a woman who is hormonal and out of her mind cannot stick one in her basket and discreetly use the self-check? You place them in the hands of the awkward pimply teenager behind the counter to stare at you, with his EYES as you compare and contrast the brands laid out before you on the Customer Service desk? I don't think so. So I left empty handed sans the dinner items.
When I get home and unpack the groceries in front of the hubs, I could see him get a little anxious as I pulled items out of the re-useable tote one by one. I was kind of enjoying the anticipation. When I finished unloading the bag, I said "that store is stupid. They have the tests in Customer Service. So I didn't get one because I didn't want to wait in another line after buying this stuff." "That is dumb" he said, "we'll go to Walgreens tomorrow morning." We finished up making dinner and appetizers, and enjoyed the company of our friends. Me having to pee every 30 minutes, and then practically falling asleep on the couch at 9:00p during a comedy movie on Netflix.
I went to bed as soon as our company left at 10p or so. I woke up at 3:48a to pee. I woke up again at 7:08a and decided I better head to the store and get a test so I could pee on it first thing. I made the decision to go back to the first grocery store because of the self-check option. Wallgreens did not have a self-check. This time I went to "The Aisle" first. I dumped the expensive flashing bright colored box in my basket and then picked up a few more items. I sauntered over to the self check, and of course at 7:21a, they are closed. There was only one checkstand open, and it was some tiny odd looking guy with Jon Bon-Jovi hair I'd never seen before. I got my stuff and drove home. At this point, I had to pee pretty bad. Why do I keep putting myself in this position?! I had the idea on the way home to pee in a container as to keep it more controlled and lab like. I ran in the house, grabbed a container, did my job, and then took my time unwrapping the package and reading the instructions. Pee on stick for 5 seconds, or dip tip into pee for five seconds, replace cap, set on flat surface and wait 3 minutes. I dipped, replaced, set, and this time looked at my phone to see what time it was. I walked away and did stuff for 3 minutes.
This test had a different read out. Instead of a +/- it gave you horizontal lines- I (not pregnant) or a I I (pregnant). This test was receiving good reviews on the interwebs, and it was over double the price, so I was expecting a result I could read. When my 3 minutes was up, I went into the bathroom and picked up the stick. I was not surprised at all by the easy-to-read-no-mistaking-it results. Well, that settles it. I snapped a quick picture, moved back to the kitchen to make some herbal tea and texted the hubs the photo for his interpretation when he woke up.
*I wrote this back in January, the first of my pregnancy posts. I have a few more posts from pregnancy weeks 4-11 that I will be sharing over the next few days. Then, it will be business as usual posting in real time.
I went with the $5.99. They all had to be the same right? Wrong. It was after work, and I wasn't really ready for whatever the test was going to tell me, so I decided to wait until the morning. I heard somewhere that it was supposed to be your first morning pee anyway. Although, I don't think that is the case anymore. So, I stashed the test in the cabinet where the hubs wouldn't find it, I definitely wasn't ready to face him yet...and waited till morning. I woke up the next day and had to pee BAD. So I of course think its a great idea to try and read the instructions to this life altering test while dancing around in my bathroom trying to hold my pee long enough to figure out how to use this damn thing. Remove cap, pee on tip for 10 seconds, don't pee on result area, replace cap, place somewhere flat for 3 minutes and check your results between 3 and 10 minutes. Ok, ok, I can do this...goddammit why won't this package OPEN! After some serious relief, I stuck the stick on the flat sink and walked away. I didn't time anything, I just started getting ready for work. When I had felt about 6-7 minutes pass, I went over to the stick. I was not sure what I was looking at. I read the instructions again, - means not pregant, + means pregnant. Ok, I understood that part, but what if your window was showing a REALLY dark line and a barely, barely, visible so faint if you weren't looking for it you might miss it horizontal line?
Not pregnant I concluded. Not pregnant. I continued to get ready for work, yet I kept being sucked back to that damn stick. "Is that a plus? Am I reading into it? I think it might be a plus? Did I pee on the result area? OMG, who invents these things?!!" I looked at the instructions one more time. Then I saw something I hadn't seen before. Holding my stick the same way in the illustration as the instructions, my dark - sign was going the wrong way. My dark line was the vertical line that made the +, and the - that completed the + was sooo sooo sooo faint. Well damn. That changed things. Why was the VERTICAL line so dark? The vertical line wouldn't even show up if it was a negative, right? Oh, man. I hid the thing in the bottom of the trash and decided on "test inconclusive." This led to more Googling throughout the day, staring at Google images of + POAS tests, trying to find one that looked just like mine.
We were having company over for dinner (a 7month pregnant couple, btw), and the hubs had the day off to cook and clean in preparation. We were going through our usual morning texts, when I told him. Or told him how dumb the test was, and how I never should have gone for the generic brand. "Yup, there are just some things you don't skimp on" he says followed by a "I'm happy either way." He gives me a few things to pick up at the grocery store for dinner that night, and I add "and one expensive brand name pee test." I drove to the other supermarket I frequent after work to see if their selection was any better. I picked up the dinner necessities, and then made my way to "The Aisle." I scanned and searched, nothing. What? Then I noticed a blank spot in the shelving, with a note saying "these items available at Customer Service." You've got to be kidding me. This store actually thinks its a good idea to put something as personal as a pregnancy test behind lock and key, where a woman who is hormonal and out of her mind cannot stick one in her basket and discreetly use the self-check? You place them in the hands of the awkward pimply teenager behind the counter to stare at you, with his EYES as you compare and contrast the brands laid out before you on the Customer Service desk? I don't think so. So I left empty handed sans the dinner items.
When I get home and unpack the groceries in front of the hubs, I could see him get a little anxious as I pulled items out of the re-useable tote one by one. I was kind of enjoying the anticipation. When I finished unloading the bag, I said "that store is stupid. They have the tests in Customer Service. So I didn't get one because I didn't want to wait in another line after buying this stuff." "That is dumb" he said, "we'll go to Walgreens tomorrow morning." We finished up making dinner and appetizers, and enjoyed the company of our friends. Me having to pee every 30 minutes, and then practically falling asleep on the couch at 9:00p during a comedy movie on Netflix.
I went to bed as soon as our company left at 10p or so. I woke up at 3:48a to pee. I woke up again at 7:08a and decided I better head to the store and get a test so I could pee on it first thing. I made the decision to go back to the first grocery store because of the self-check option. Wallgreens did not have a self-check. This time I went to "The Aisle" first. I dumped the expensive flashing bright colored box in my basket and then picked up a few more items. I sauntered over to the self check, and of course at 7:21a, they are closed. There was only one checkstand open, and it was some tiny odd looking guy with Jon Bon-Jovi hair I'd never seen before. I got my stuff and drove home. At this point, I had to pee pretty bad. Why do I keep putting myself in this position?! I had the idea on the way home to pee in a container as to keep it more controlled and lab like. I ran in the house, grabbed a container, did my job, and then took my time unwrapping the package and reading the instructions. Pee on stick for 5 seconds, or dip tip into pee for five seconds, replace cap, set on flat surface and wait 3 minutes. I dipped, replaced, set, and this time looked at my phone to see what time it was. I walked away and did stuff for 3 minutes.
This test had a different read out. Instead of a +/- it gave you horizontal lines- I (not pregnant) or a I I (pregnant). This test was receiving good reviews on the interwebs, and it was over double the price, so I was expecting a result I could read. When my 3 minutes was up, I went into the bathroom and picked up the stick. I was not surprised at all by the easy-to-read-no-mistaking-it results. Well, that settles it. I snapped a quick picture, moved back to the kitchen to make some herbal tea and texted the hubs the photo for his interpretation when he woke up.
*I wrote this back in January, the first of my pregnancy posts. I have a few more posts from pregnancy weeks 4-11 that I will be sharing over the next few days. Then, it will be business as usual posting in real time.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Secrets, secrets
The truth on my sporadic, near silence the past few months is I've been keeping a secret. I have been writing posts, just haven't been publishing them. Just as I felt I was running out of things to talk about, life smacked me with a great big bag of material (heh). There are only so many times/so many ways I can say the same things over and over- eat real foods, find a way to move your body that works for you and still find things to post about. What works for me is boring, and who wants to read about boring? I practically fall asleep typing my daily eats and workouts!
Lately, specifically the past oh, 3 months or so, posts have been flying off my fingertips. I'm sure this new direction will bore some to death (sorry Norma!) and possibly attract others. But anyone that's been reading me for awhile knows I only write for me.
If you haven't figured it out by now...you're dumb. Ha, just kidding. I'm making a human. At least, that's what pee/blood/ultrasound tests say. Since I haven't felt it move yet (13ish weeks along) my head hasn't fully grasped it yet. My body for sure knows something is off, but the head...the head hasn't caught on yet. The more times I say it out loud, it gets a little more real, but it still sounds like a voice that isn't mine when I talk about it.
So, I haven't decided how I'm going to change things on this space yet, but I do feel like I need a separate page or link to my pregnancy related posts. It was my intention to eat as nutritionally sound as possible and keep up my crossfit schedule from day one to day 280-whatever...so I have posts typed up about how that went. I also would like to share how I went from never wanting kids to...having a kid. Etc., etc. Like I said, so much material. I'm excited for this next phase of my life!
Lately, specifically the past oh, 3 months or so, posts have been flying off my fingertips. I'm sure this new direction will bore some to death (sorry Norma!) and possibly attract others. But anyone that's been reading me for awhile knows I only write for me.
If you haven't figured it out by now...you're dumb. Ha, just kidding. I'm making a human. At least, that's what pee/blood/ultrasound tests say. Since I haven't felt it move yet (13ish weeks along) my head hasn't fully grasped it yet. My body for sure knows something is off, but the head...the head hasn't caught on yet. The more times I say it out loud, it gets a little more real, but it still sounds like a voice that isn't mine when I talk about it.
So, I haven't decided how I'm going to change things on this space yet, but I do feel like I need a separate page or link to my pregnancy related posts. It was my intention to eat as nutritionally sound as possible and keep up my crossfit schedule from day one to day 280-whatever...so I have posts typed up about how that went. I also would like to share how I went from never wanting kids to...having a kid. Etc., etc. Like I said, so much material. I'm excited for this next phase of my life!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Coming Up for Air
Periodically, I take a step back from this space an evaluate what I want to share here, and what I want to convey. There isn't much I can say that hasn't been said before, and my life has just been sort of a blur of incredibly busyness at work, and status quo with my eating/workouts. I tend to take a page out of NORMA's book (link on the right, Welcome to my World) and I pretty much only eat a few things over and over. For me, its easiest to come up with meals that I can eat over and over, and then when I get sick of that, find another acceptable combination of foods to eat over and over, and then repeat. Last time I checked in here, I was obsessed with spinach/kale/banana/chia/berry smoothies. One day I woke up and just wasn't feeling that anymore, so I switched to greek yogurt with fresh berries, chia seeds, a few nuts for crunch, and a dab of honey. Before the smoothies I was into egg/veggie muffins. Pretty soon, I might be back to the egg muffins/scrambles. My lunches and dinners always involve a protein and some veggies. Are you asleep yet?
Workouts have been ok, the busyness at work has taken a slight toll on my frequency at the gym, because sometimes I'll just perform the workout of the day at our office gym in back to save time, also my walking has increased significantly since I'm still taking the bus 3x a week. The days I take the bus, I walk about 3 miles, so I don't feel SUPER bad if I miss a gym workout on those days, but I really miss my regular schedule! I didn't realize just how much time I was missing at my gym until the other day when I went to my normal noon class, and I was like a celebrity. Everyone thought I had left the country or something. What a great feeling that is! I assured them I'd be back to my normal schedule soon enough, as my bus riding days are coming to a close in about a week! I'm so excited for that.
I've still been checking in on blogs, although I rarely comment. I read, I swear I do! Things seem to be a mixed bag out there, some are rockin' it, others are struggling to get back on track, and of course, there are the status quo folks (myself included). Historically this is the time of year when my body gets excited for longer days, drier days, and I find myself engaging in many more activities. I absolutely love the moment the seasons just slightly begin to change, and you KNOW spring is around the corner. After taking a breather to focus on work, I'm ready to start gearing up and focusing on me again. Watch out for more regular posts coming soon! Just need to get over this little hump!
Oh, I'll leave you with a story from yesterday on life with the hubs. I called husband around 11am, knowing he leaves for work around 1pm. We had a huge chunk of pork shoulder in the fridge, and I didn't have anything planned for dinner. I asked him if he could throw a chunk of pork into the crockpot for me so it would be ready when I got home at 5:30p. He of course agreed after some feigned annoyance. I walked in the door close to 6pm, and the house smelled amazing. After some dog attention and locking up the chickens, I pulled the lid off the crock pot, poked the pork shoulder with some tongs, and the meat practically fell apart. I was SO excited. From walking in the door to having a delicious meal of slow cooked pork and veggies, it was maybe 10 minutes. A few minutes after dinner, the hubs called me and I told him how amazing the pork was. His reply? "I've never used that thing before (the crockpot) seriously, it took me longer to make coffee than it did to throw that all together." Me- "and I got a delicious warm meal immediately upon arriving home. We must do this more." Teamwork. That's how we keep on track in our home. Planning ahead, working together, and some awesome crockpot technology.
Workouts have been ok, the busyness at work has taken a slight toll on my frequency at the gym, because sometimes I'll just perform the workout of the day at our office gym in back to save time, also my walking has increased significantly since I'm still taking the bus 3x a week. The days I take the bus, I walk about 3 miles, so I don't feel SUPER bad if I miss a gym workout on those days, but I really miss my regular schedule! I didn't realize just how much time I was missing at my gym until the other day when I went to my normal noon class, and I was like a celebrity. Everyone thought I had left the country or something. What a great feeling that is! I assured them I'd be back to my normal schedule soon enough, as my bus riding days are coming to a close in about a week! I'm so excited for that.
I've still been checking in on blogs, although I rarely comment. I read, I swear I do! Things seem to be a mixed bag out there, some are rockin' it, others are struggling to get back on track, and of course, there are the status quo folks (myself included). Historically this is the time of year when my body gets excited for longer days, drier days, and I find myself engaging in many more activities. I absolutely love the moment the seasons just slightly begin to change, and you KNOW spring is around the corner. After taking a breather to focus on work, I'm ready to start gearing up and focusing on me again. Watch out for more regular posts coming soon! Just need to get over this little hump!
Oh, I'll leave you with a story from yesterday on life with the hubs. I called husband around 11am, knowing he leaves for work around 1pm. We had a huge chunk of pork shoulder in the fridge, and I didn't have anything planned for dinner. I asked him if he could throw a chunk of pork into the crockpot for me so it would be ready when I got home at 5:30p. He of course agreed after some feigned annoyance. I walked in the door close to 6pm, and the house smelled amazing. After some dog attention and locking up the chickens, I pulled the lid off the crock pot, poked the pork shoulder with some tongs, and the meat practically fell apart. I was SO excited. From walking in the door to having a delicious meal of slow cooked pork and veggies, it was maybe 10 minutes. A few minutes after dinner, the hubs called me and I told him how amazing the pork was. His reply? "I've never used that thing before (the crockpot) seriously, it took me longer to make coffee than it did to throw that all together." Me- "and I got a delicious warm meal immediately upon arriving home. We must do this more." Teamwork. That's how we keep on track in our home. Planning ahead, working together, and some awesome crockpot technology.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Bone Broth
What a nice month-long break I've had from feeling like I need to update the virtual world on my boring coming and going's. Plus, my holiday season was nuts this year, 3 days in Montana, back home for 1.5 days, then off to Connecticut for 5 days. A new guy started at work right after the new year, and surprisingly that has taken up a large amount of my time! I do appreciate the people that read this and support me, both the ones that know me, and the ones that "know" me, like in a virtual sense.
I've slowly been trying to distance myself from the "Paleo" label (you were right, L, you were right!) and just focus on eating real, nutrient dense food. I firmly believe the initial intention and grass-roots movement of Paleo was to do just that (eat nutrient dense, simple foods found in nature), but when it hit the mainstream, somehow, something got confused and Paleo turned into a money-making catch-phrase? I guess it did the diet equivalent of "selling-out." I found plenty of ways to cheat the Paleo way, and that isn't really helping my goals. So I don't really have an easy way to describe how I eat. I just make sure that each food I eat has a purpose as far as nourishment. I've been tracking my daily intake on MyFitnessPal to make sure my calorie/protien and vitamin intakes are sufficient.
I want to share my latest nutrient dense wonder food that I'm currently obsessed with...Bone Broth. I keep seeing the benefits of bone broth cropping up here and there on various sites I follow. Last Sunday (my big cooking day) I decided to give it a try. It helps immensely that I have a husband that can teach me traditional culinary basics. A bone broth/stock is pretty much a must have skill for any good chef. My husband makes a lot of good things, but his stocks/soups are hands down the best. Ok, enough about him. I like him, obviously.
Bone broth- you're going to need a lot of bones. Ha, duh. But the best part? Once you get in the habit/routine of making stocks, its easy to collect the other ingredients you need. Carrot/celery tops/chunks of onion/thyme sprigs, have a tomato that is a little too ripe? Throw it in! Essentially you are using bones and kitchen scraps. Your trash/compost will reduce to practically nothing, and you will be getting every single dollar out of the groceries you buy. Win/win!
I guess there are a million different ways to make bone broth/stock you can change up the type of bones, the spices, etc. The possibilites are endless. For me, last Sunday, it was standard chicken broth. I had one whole chicken I had bought on sale, and the hubs suggested I de-bone it and then roast the bones. I wanted to make a big batch, so I went out and got another whole chicken.
With the bones of my two chickens, I stuck them on a roasting pan and roasted at 350 degrees until they were fragrant and golden. Then I turned all the bones over and made sure the other side was golden. It smelled amazing! Meanwhile, I collected a 1/2 bag of baby carrots that were drying up in my veggie drawer, a few rubbery celery stocks, some leftover tomato slices, and chopped an onion into 1/4s. The hubs lined up my spices for me, bay leaf, peppercorns, fennel seed, thyme sprigs from the garden, and chili flakes. I pulled the roasting pan out of the oven and plopped the golden bones into a large stock pot. I filled the pot nearly to the top with COLD water (cold is key) and left enough room to add the veggies. Ok, well, maybe I didn't, but now I know for next time. With just the cold water and the bones, (no veggies yet!) heat over medium heat until the water starts a low rumble-boil. Skim all the icky crap off the top. Add your veggies (or wait for it to reduce a little more to add your veggies if you filled your pot too much, ahem). You want to keep the pot on a real low simmer...you want there to be a few boils, but nothing crazy steaming out of control rumbling. I waited a little longer to add my spices. NO SALT! I let the mixture simmer for 9+ hours. I've seen some people throw everything in a crock-pot and let it go for 24-48 hours. Like I said, million different ways. When I had enough of the simmering and the liquid had reduced significantly (pulling all the goodness and minerals out of the bones and veggies), I put the liquid through a strainer, fishing out all the bits, and leaving me with a nice, golden stock.
While the stock was rumbling on the stove, I took the two deboned chickens, and marinated them in some awesome curry. Meanwhile, I made some egg muffins for my weekly lunches, and roasted off a bunch of yams pieces to eat post workout. When I was done with the yams and the egg muffins, I threw the chicken in the oven and that will be my dinner for a few days. All that efficiency! Healthy lunches and dinners made for nearly a week in about 1.5 hours (not including stock simmer time).
This week my meals look like this:
Starting every morning with a kale/spinach/berry/chia seed/almond butter smoothie. I love that I get 2+ cups of greens packed in before 7am. My lunch (post workout) is 2 egg muffins, a few yam slices (about 1/3 to 1/2 yam) and 2 cups of bone broth. Dinner has been curry chicken pieces and whatever veggie I have lying around in my fridge. I think cauliflower is up tonight.
The homemade broth I bring with me to work everyday is amazing. I heat it up, salt it lightly (you can use salt in it when its done, in fact you have to, or else its "blank flavors") and drink it out of a mug. It is so soothing and delicious...I feel like its exactly what my body needs. My new favorite thing!
Lastly, this is for the dim-witted, utterly uncreative (and obviously blind) heathen that called me a fat bitch yesterday when I was walking downtown. I'm a fat bitch that can overhead squat 95# for days.
I've slowly been trying to distance myself from the "Paleo" label (you were right, L, you were right!) and just focus on eating real, nutrient dense food. I firmly believe the initial intention and grass-roots movement of Paleo was to do just that (eat nutrient dense, simple foods found in nature), but when it hit the mainstream, somehow, something got confused and Paleo turned into a money-making catch-phrase? I guess it did the diet equivalent of "selling-out." I found plenty of ways to cheat the Paleo way, and that isn't really helping my goals. So I don't really have an easy way to describe how I eat. I just make sure that each food I eat has a purpose as far as nourishment. I've been tracking my daily intake on MyFitnessPal to make sure my calorie/protien and vitamin intakes are sufficient.
I want to share my latest nutrient dense wonder food that I'm currently obsessed with...Bone Broth. I keep seeing the benefits of bone broth cropping up here and there on various sites I follow. Last Sunday (my big cooking day) I decided to give it a try. It helps immensely that I have a husband that can teach me traditional culinary basics. A bone broth/stock is pretty much a must have skill for any good chef. My husband makes a lot of good things, but his stocks/soups are hands down the best. Ok, enough about him. I like him, obviously.
Bone broth- you're going to need a lot of bones. Ha, duh. But the best part? Once you get in the habit/routine of making stocks, its easy to collect the other ingredients you need. Carrot/celery tops/chunks of onion/thyme sprigs, have a tomato that is a little too ripe? Throw it in! Essentially you are using bones and kitchen scraps. Your trash/compost will reduce to practically nothing, and you will be getting every single dollar out of the groceries you buy. Win/win!
I guess there are a million different ways to make bone broth/stock you can change up the type of bones, the spices, etc. The possibilites are endless. For me, last Sunday, it was standard chicken broth. I had one whole chicken I had bought on sale, and the hubs suggested I de-bone it and then roast the bones. I wanted to make a big batch, so I went out and got another whole chicken.
With the bones of my two chickens, I stuck them on a roasting pan and roasted at 350 degrees until they were fragrant and golden. Then I turned all the bones over and made sure the other side was golden. It smelled amazing! Meanwhile, I collected a 1/2 bag of baby carrots that were drying up in my veggie drawer, a few rubbery celery stocks, some leftover tomato slices, and chopped an onion into 1/4s. The hubs lined up my spices for me, bay leaf, peppercorns, fennel seed, thyme sprigs from the garden, and chili flakes. I pulled the roasting pan out of the oven and plopped the golden bones into a large stock pot. I filled the pot nearly to the top with COLD water (cold is key) and left enough room to add the veggies. Ok, well, maybe I didn't, but now I know for next time. With just the cold water and the bones, (no veggies yet!) heat over medium heat until the water starts a low rumble-boil. Skim all the icky crap off the top. Add your veggies (or wait for it to reduce a little more to add your veggies if you filled your pot too much, ahem). You want to keep the pot on a real low simmer...you want there to be a few boils, but nothing crazy steaming out of control rumbling. I waited a little longer to add my spices. NO SALT! I let the mixture simmer for 9+ hours. I've seen some people throw everything in a crock-pot and let it go for 24-48 hours. Like I said, million different ways. When I had enough of the simmering and the liquid had reduced significantly (pulling all the goodness and minerals out of the bones and veggies), I put the liquid through a strainer, fishing out all the bits, and leaving me with a nice, golden stock.
While the stock was rumbling on the stove, I took the two deboned chickens, and marinated them in some awesome curry. Meanwhile, I made some egg muffins for my weekly lunches, and roasted off a bunch of yams pieces to eat post workout. When I was done with the yams and the egg muffins, I threw the chicken in the oven and that will be my dinner for a few days. All that efficiency! Healthy lunches and dinners made for nearly a week in about 1.5 hours (not including stock simmer time).
This week my meals look like this:
Starting every morning with a kale/spinach/berry/chia seed/almond butter smoothie. I love that I get 2+ cups of greens packed in before 7am. My lunch (post workout) is 2 egg muffins, a few yam slices (about 1/3 to 1/2 yam) and 2 cups of bone broth. Dinner has been curry chicken pieces and whatever veggie I have lying around in my fridge. I think cauliflower is up tonight.
The homemade broth I bring with me to work everyday is amazing. I heat it up, salt it lightly (you can use salt in it when its done, in fact you have to, or else its "blank flavors") and drink it out of a mug. It is so soothing and delicious...I feel like its exactly what my body needs. My new favorite thing!
Lastly, this is for the dim-witted, utterly uncreative (and obviously blind) heathen that called me a fat bitch yesterday when I was walking downtown. I'm a fat bitch that can overhead squat 95# for days.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Holiday Shuffle
I know time goes by faster as you get older, but this month has been setting records. I can't even process how fast the days are slipping past, let alone accept that Christmas Eve is a mere 5 days away. The normal "milestones" of this season somehow came and went without the reality of them setting in...Christmas tree was bought and decorated 2 weeks ago, lights were strung outside, our annual holiday party has came and went, my sister's birthday...usually the big clue to me that December is almost over seems like ages ago, yet it was 2 days ago. Somehow I've managed to get the majority of my shopping done, which is weird because in my head I still feel like I can put it off another week! Since I'll be traveling from December 24- Jan 3rd, I'm just trying to make sure I think of everything. I decided that I would not be making the normal mix of holiday cookies this year to ship to my relatives on the East Coast. I'm going to be visiting them in a week or so, and I figure I'm a much better gift. Saves me time, saves their waistline. Win/win?
I had every intention of updating last week after my work treadmill tempo run, which was awesome, but got distracted with work? Who knows. I just know that my last post here was two weeks ago, and that doesn't seem possible. Last week was pretty ideal as far as my training schedule goes. I got my sprint workouts in on Monday and Tuesday running to and from the gym. I got my tempo run in on Wednesday at the work gym- I was able to hold a faster than race pace for 20 minutes straight, then did a slow cool down. On Saturday, I made plans to run with a friend which proved to be a great decision because after we spent some time running errands in the cold, raining, dark PNW day, both of us agreed that we wouldn't have run if we were on our own. We ran a huge set of steps 3 times, and then jogged around the neighborhood for 1.5 miles or so? I didn't even get warm until half-way through the run. That's how cold it was.
Since the stair run on Saturday, I've been extremely sore in my calves. I think my leg muscles are still adjusting to running on the balls of my feet rather than heel striking. Like, so sore I have to hobble awkwardly down stairs, and walking around it looks as if I'm using wooden legs that don't bend. I ran to and from the gym Monday and Tuesday and performed the tough workouts there, hoping to get some relief- not so much. Today is the first day I feel slightly better in my calves, but my shoulders are crazy sore from many 115# power cleans, 115# hang cleans (new PR for me) and 115# full squat cleans (so hard!), so I'm choosing to hold off on my tempo run today, and do it tomorrow. I will up the pace 0.2 MPH from last week and run that for 20 min with proper warm up and cool down. Then on Friday I'll hit the gym like normal. The daily and weekly checklists are still in full effect, and really keeping me on task as far as my veggie intake, fish oil intake, water intake, and other general things that are great for my overall health and well-being.
Yesterday was a really tough day for me at the gym. We were working on cleans, and my head was just not in the game. I can picture in my head what a good clean should look like, yet somehow I can't get my body to do it. Once again, my head is getting in the way of me being able to just do something. For whatever reason, I just could not drop under the bar. Then, when we were to do a full clean (dropping under bar, catching in a squat) I just wouldn't do it. I basically had the coach yelling at me (which I don't mind) and finally I got a few in. The annoying this is that when performed correctly, the bar feels weightless. So, I don't know what my problem is. Its discouraging because I've been attending a crossfit gym for 2+ years, and I don't really feel like I've progressed much in the last 1.5 years. I mean, sure, some things have improved. I can deadlift/squat/press more weight, and I can actually eek out a few toes to bar, but the list of things I can't do still remains long. I watch all these other people around me making huge leaps and gains in strength and skill, and then I feel like I'm just stuck in the mud. Its kind of frustrating. I don't know what the remedy is right now, but I've got a few ideas churning.
No, I'm not going to be changing anything drastic in my diet or training right away, but my initial thoughts are that I need to choose something specific to work towards...and stick to it. Like, just focusing on the 1/2 marathon in the spring, training for that, and letting some of my crossfit ego lifts slip a little as long as my runs are getting longer and faster. I read somewhere that you can work on getting stronger or you can work on losing fat. You can't do both. I'm beginning to understand that statement a lot better.
I wish I could spend the rest of 2012 curled up next to this guy:
I had every intention of updating last week after my work treadmill tempo run, which was awesome, but got distracted with work? Who knows. I just know that my last post here was two weeks ago, and that doesn't seem possible. Last week was pretty ideal as far as my training schedule goes. I got my sprint workouts in on Monday and Tuesday running to and from the gym. I got my tempo run in on Wednesday at the work gym- I was able to hold a faster than race pace for 20 minutes straight, then did a slow cool down. On Saturday, I made plans to run with a friend which proved to be a great decision because after we spent some time running errands in the cold, raining, dark PNW day, both of us agreed that we wouldn't have run if we were on our own. We ran a huge set of steps 3 times, and then jogged around the neighborhood for 1.5 miles or so? I didn't even get warm until half-way through the run. That's how cold it was.
Since the stair run on Saturday, I've been extremely sore in my calves. I think my leg muscles are still adjusting to running on the balls of my feet rather than heel striking. Like, so sore I have to hobble awkwardly down stairs, and walking around it looks as if I'm using wooden legs that don't bend. I ran to and from the gym Monday and Tuesday and performed the tough workouts there, hoping to get some relief- not so much. Today is the first day I feel slightly better in my calves, but my shoulders are crazy sore from many 115# power cleans, 115# hang cleans (new PR for me) and 115# full squat cleans (so hard!), so I'm choosing to hold off on my tempo run today, and do it tomorrow. I will up the pace 0.2 MPH from last week and run that for 20 min with proper warm up and cool down. Then on Friday I'll hit the gym like normal. The daily and weekly checklists are still in full effect, and really keeping me on task as far as my veggie intake, fish oil intake, water intake, and other general things that are great for my overall health and well-being.
Yesterday was a really tough day for me at the gym. We were working on cleans, and my head was just not in the game. I can picture in my head what a good clean should look like, yet somehow I can't get my body to do it. Once again, my head is getting in the way of me being able to just do something. For whatever reason, I just could not drop under the bar. Then, when we were to do a full clean (dropping under bar, catching in a squat) I just wouldn't do it. I basically had the coach yelling at me (which I don't mind) and finally I got a few in. The annoying this is that when performed correctly, the bar feels weightless. So, I don't know what my problem is. Its discouraging because I've been attending a crossfit gym for 2+ years, and I don't really feel like I've progressed much in the last 1.5 years. I mean, sure, some things have improved. I can deadlift/squat/press more weight, and I can actually eek out a few toes to bar, but the list of things I can't do still remains long. I watch all these other people around me making huge leaps and gains in strength and skill, and then I feel like I'm just stuck in the mud. Its kind of frustrating. I don't know what the remedy is right now, but I've got a few ideas churning.
No, I'm not going to be changing anything drastic in my diet or training right away, but my initial thoughts are that I need to choose something specific to work towards...and stick to it. Like, just focusing on the 1/2 marathon in the spring, training for that, and letting some of my crossfit ego lifts slip a little as long as my runs are getting longer and faster. I read somewhere that you can work on getting stronger or you can work on losing fat. You can't do both. I'm beginning to understand that statement a lot better.
I wish I could spend the rest of 2012 curled up next to this guy:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Check
I'm feeling pretty stellar right now, basking in my post-run endorphins and satisfied refuled belly. In order to meet my 1/2 marathon training schedule, I need to complete a tempo run and a longish run (3-4 miles now, gradually increasing to 8-11 over the next 3 months) each week both of these are in addition to my all out runs to and from the gym 3 days a week (I run as fast as I possibly can for as long as I can 0.5 mi each way, but stoplights and such break it up). December is my "base building" month, so I'm just trying to get some miles on the pavement before I really begin a more structured training program. Anyway, now that I've bored you to death with the minutiae of my week, I'll get to what I really want to say.
Today, in the spirit of checking things off my weekly list, I decided to forgo a trip to my gym (this is really painful to do, I love it there) and hit up the nice exercise room we have here in the back of our office building that I've held a key to for nearly 2 years, but never used. I wanted to be efficient and get my tempo run out of the way on the dreadmill, and then I could use either Saturday or Sunday to complete my longish run. Afterall, Wednesday is typically my rest day from the gym anyway, and I know I'll be there Thursday and Friday.
Oddly, today is a beautiful clear day here, I haven't seen this much blue sky in weeks. I contemplated performing my run outside. I work in a pretty industrial area south of the city, my options for safe running felt limited. While going back and forth in my head to run outside or run inside, I remembered the book I'm currently reading, and how much I can not wait for the bus ride home to read more. I could read on the treadmill! The decision was made. I changed into my clothes, grabbed my Nook and my water bottle and headed to the back of our building. I didn't need the key, it was already open, and for a split second I hoped that no one else was in there. It's very similar in look and feel to a standard hotel gym- TV's mounted on the walls, 2 treadmills, rack of dumbells, few benches, an all inclusive weight machine thingy, and not much room. I remembered that the workout at my gym today involved 35# dumbell snatches, and I was sad to be missing those, so I started on those as my warm up, switching arms each time. I did 5 on each arm 2 times. That got the heart rate going. Then I noticed an Olympic bar, and got excited for the possibilites for me using this gym more frequently! With just the naked bar, I busted out some military presses, then moved to a few push presses to get my shoulders nice and warm. Again with the naked bar, I did a bunch of rapid deadlifts to warm up my posterior chain. Finally, I noticed behind the all inclusive weight machine, was ANOTHER rack of dumbells, the other half of the set, going up to 100#. I grabbed the 65#'s, placed them on my sides, and did Farmer deadlifts- these are a new thing to me, and wow, I LIKE them.
All warmed up, I jumped on a treadmill, set my Nook font to ridiculously large so when I'm bouncing up and down I don't lose my place, and got to running at a slow clip. The idea behind a tempo run is that you start with a slow run to warm up, 5-10 minutes, then move into a pace that is pushing the limits, but not an all out effort for 20 minutes or so, then cool back down to a slower pace. I was unsure if I would be able to gauge what that up tempo pace was, but just decided to see how things felt. My 5 minute slow run was effortless and passed quickly as I read. When I bumped up the speed to find a pace that was pushing it, I was surprised to find myself not hating it. Don't get me wrong, it was no walk in the park, I guess I was just more surprised how easy it was for me to find a pace that I knew was faster then I would run at my own leisure, but not so fast that it was killing me. I was running on the treadmill for the first time in months, and I wasn't hating it. At all. I don't think that has ever happened to me before, ever. I remained on the treadmill for 25 minutes, felt sufficiently sweaty, and decided that for my first tempo run of my base building month, that was good.
I think I'm going to do all my tempo runs on the treadmill so I can see that pace I'm going. That way, I can ensure I stay at an even pace, and bump up the tempo part every week. If I'm running outside, I only have my brain as a gauge, and sometimes its not the best! Running bug is back?
In other news, my daily and weekly checklists are going great. I really like the satisfaction of seeing all the things I need to do, and then checking them off one by one.
Today, in the spirit of checking things off my weekly list, I decided to forgo a trip to my gym (this is really painful to do, I love it there) and hit up the nice exercise room we have here in the back of our office building that I've held a key to for nearly 2 years, but never used. I wanted to be efficient and get my tempo run out of the way on the dreadmill, and then I could use either Saturday or Sunday to complete my longish run. Afterall, Wednesday is typically my rest day from the gym anyway, and I know I'll be there Thursday and Friday.
Oddly, today is a beautiful clear day here, I haven't seen this much blue sky in weeks. I contemplated performing my run outside. I work in a pretty industrial area south of the city, my options for safe running felt limited. While going back and forth in my head to run outside or run inside, I remembered the book I'm currently reading, and how much I can not wait for the bus ride home to read more. I could read on the treadmill! The decision was made. I changed into my clothes, grabbed my Nook and my water bottle and headed to the back of our building. I didn't need the key, it was already open, and for a split second I hoped that no one else was in there. It's very similar in look and feel to a standard hotel gym- TV's mounted on the walls, 2 treadmills, rack of dumbells, few benches, an all inclusive weight machine thingy, and not much room. I remembered that the workout at my gym today involved 35# dumbell snatches, and I was sad to be missing those, so I started on those as my warm up, switching arms each time. I did 5 on each arm 2 times. That got the heart rate going. Then I noticed an Olympic bar, and got excited for the possibilites for me using this gym more frequently! With just the naked bar, I busted out some military presses, then moved to a few push presses to get my shoulders nice and warm. Again with the naked bar, I did a bunch of rapid deadlifts to warm up my posterior chain. Finally, I noticed behind the all inclusive weight machine, was ANOTHER rack of dumbells, the other half of the set, going up to 100#. I grabbed the 65#'s, placed them on my sides, and did Farmer deadlifts- these are a new thing to me, and wow, I LIKE them.
All warmed up, I jumped on a treadmill, set my Nook font to ridiculously large so when I'm bouncing up and down I don't lose my place, and got to running at a slow clip. The idea behind a tempo run is that you start with a slow run to warm up, 5-10 minutes, then move into a pace that is pushing the limits, but not an all out effort for 20 minutes or so, then cool back down to a slower pace. I was unsure if I would be able to gauge what that up tempo pace was, but just decided to see how things felt. My 5 minute slow run was effortless and passed quickly as I read. When I bumped up the speed to find a pace that was pushing it, I was surprised to find myself not hating it. Don't get me wrong, it was no walk in the park, I guess I was just more surprised how easy it was for me to find a pace that I knew was faster then I would run at my own leisure, but not so fast that it was killing me. I was running on the treadmill for the first time in months, and I wasn't hating it. At all. I don't think that has ever happened to me before, ever. I remained on the treadmill for 25 minutes, felt sufficiently sweaty, and decided that for my first tempo run of my base building month, that was good.
I think I'm going to do all my tempo runs on the treadmill so I can see that pace I'm going. That way, I can ensure I stay at an even pace, and bump up the tempo part every week. If I'm running outside, I only have my brain as a gauge, and sometimes its not the best! Running bug is back?
In other news, my daily and weekly checklists are going great. I really like the satisfaction of seeing all the things I need to do, and then checking them off one by one.
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