Day 22: Never Give Up!!

There's that saying that goes 'never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about.' You will regret giving into a craving but you will never regret making a good choice that brings you closer to achieving your goals. Keep up the positive talk and enjoy beating every craving you get because it's only 'training' your will power to become stronger. Excuses don't get results but hard work does!

My Daily Intake Today

Breakfast: Green Tea, Fried tomato, leeks and zucchinni. Fresh Salmon.

Snack: Handful of raw mixed nuts

Lunch: 3/4 cup Kumara and Coconut soup with fresh prawns and one cup of green beans.

Snack: Mandarin/cottage cheese

Post WOD: Protein Shake with Almond Milk

Dinner: Orange roughy fish fillet, roasted yams, kumara and parsnip. Broccoli and cauliflower.

Talking about goals...at tonights CrossFit session we did 8 sets of 3 deadlifts. I was doing 80kg without realising! That is 3kg more than my 1RM!!!!!! Great feeling. 

80kg Deadlift! Then 45 at 70 after that for the WOD! DEATH!

Breakfast/WOD/Deadlifts/Lifting Buddy

Day 21: Celebrate the Good!!!

Everybody has their ups and downs but the good news is both are temporary!!! It would be awesome to have great days every day but that's just not reality, so remember be grateful for the good days and enjoy them!

I love the weekends and most are good for me :), so it's fair to say I have had two wonderful days! I did a good training today practicing my snatch technique, overhead squats and double unders. I finished with a 15 AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) WOD of 5 pull ups, 10 pushups and 15 squats. Hard work!!! I got to the 10th round.

Now for the bad.. I stupidly ate Tofu today because I just assumed it's Paleo however it isn't! But no stress :). I will just have to do an extra day on the challenge.

My Food Intake Today

Breakfast: One poached egg and one piece of bacon with fried mushrooms, leeks, tomatoes and spinach on 'toast'. (I used the pizza base recipe in the recipe section to make small pieces of 'bread'. I then froze the rest for when I need them).
Snack-Post WOD: Protein shake with water.
Lunch: Baked green beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts and onion with an olive oil vinegarettre. (Tablespoon of olive oil, 1 crushed clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon of cumin.) Topped with cooked Tofu (first time I have tried this, didn't know it wasn't paleo).
Snack: Apple, walnuts
Dinner: Fresh Baked Salmon, Spinach, 1/2 medium kumara and Cauliflower cashew coconut mash. (See in recipe section).

Breakfast This Morning

Day 20: Reward Yourself!

There is nothing like achieving goals!!! It feels so good that you want to reward yourself and often it is with things that would be going against your goals, like food, a night out or a lazy day away from training. Whatever you reward yourself with, learn to do it with things that align with your goals. For example if you have money stress and you reward yourself with shopping when you achieve your goals, it is just going to create more stress. Or if you are trying to lose weight yet you reward yourself with a binge on chocolate every time you drop a couple of kgs, eventually this is going to lead you right back where you started. I'm not saying don't reward yourself! I AM SAYING DO!!! but find something that is going to continue to help you achieve your goals. It might be a massage, a day away from the kids, a beautiful coffee at you favourite coffee shop or a new piece of gym gear. 

I personally find that the intrinsic reward is enough but whatever motivates you continue it!

My Daily Food Intake

Breakfast: Black Coffee, One egg omelette with mushrooms and 1/2 a chicken breast. Leeks, zucchini, and brussel sprouts.

Snack (post spin and WOD): Protein shake, Paleo Biscuit, 1/2 chicken breast.

Lunch: Baby spinach, Salmon, mushrooms, zucchini and onion.

Snack: 2 Tablespoons of cottage cheese, Celery sticks

Dinner: Chilli squid

Kipping Pull Ups-One of my goals

Day 19: I've Lost Count!!!

I am in such a routine and feeling well nourished it feels as though I have lost count for when the 30day challenge is up! There are so many recipes, research articles, daily tips and much more out there that support the Paleo Lifestyle, I feel like I could adopt it for well...life!!! I am absolutely loving the way it makes me feel training wise, I am sleeping better and I feel generally happier. I am a true advocate for anyone who would love to give it a try. Just like anything in life it takes practice, perseverance and time! Don't be scared give it a go if you haven't already!

The best part about the challenge is the positive feedback and support I have had regarding this blog. Daily I have people saying to me, 'try this recipe and put it on your blog' or 'thanks so much for doing your blog it has given me great tips' etc. The people around you are your best resource at times, it's just a matter of surrounding yourself with the ones who will encourage rather than discourage.

I want to thank all my great friends who have been supportive and encouraging and a MASSIVE special thanks to Lauren and the Nelson CrossFit crew for all their tips, recipe ideas and positive feedback. It all goes a long way!

The best recipe I heard today was from Jillian (thanks Jilly)

1/2 cup of chia seeds
1 cup of coconut milk
2 Tablespoons of Whey protein

Place chia seeds in a bowl
Mix Protein and Coconut milk in a shaker or blender
Add coconut mix to chia seeds
Leave to soak for up to 3 hours in the fridge.

This would make for a great pudding or breakfast as you get the goodness of the chia seeds with a beautiful taste.

Here is a link to an article outlining the benefits of Chia Seeds

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7928/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds.html

My Daily Intake Today

Breakfast: Brussel sprouts, Leeks, Zucchini and mushrooms with smoked salmon.
Post WOD: Protein shake with water, Paleo Biscuit
Snack: Apple
Lunch: 1 cup of pumpkin soup with 1 cup of green beans and fresh prawns mixed in.
Snack: Raw mixed nuts, Celery and cottage cheese.
Dinner: Smoked Tuna Salad (Ale House) Beautiful salad, however don't know what was in it so would use as a 'cheat meal' on a usual occasion.

Overhead Squats this morning! Still need to get lower.

WOD and Dinner!

Day 18: Take Small Steps towards 100% Commitment

Living the Paleo Lifestyle takes 100% commitment. It doesn't just start and end with nutrition. A diet change can get great results but after a while you will find your body adapts to the change and you will hit a plateau. Then you will need to add an exercise regime, but in time if you don't make changes to that you will also hit a plateau. You may have perfect nutrition matched with adequate exercise but live a stressful lifestyle and are not seeing results. If this is the case adopting stress release techniques may be what you need. If you want to see great results it is going to take 100% commitment. Some people cope well with diving into the deep end and making rash changes and others don't. If you are someone who doesn't, take small steps, start with one aspect of your life and then when you feel like you have that sorted move to the next. Be kind to yourself and celebrate the small changes you have made rather than wallowing over the ones you feel you need to make.

Considerations to adopting a healthy lifestyle may include

• Improving nutrition
• Cutting back on stress
• Increasing quality exercise
• improving social situations (i.e, surrounding yourself with people who lift you up, rather than the opposite)
• Improving sleep hygiene (i.e, developing a good sleeping routine)
• Cutting back on alcohol
• Developing a positive attitude

Whatever it is that needs to be changed for you to live optimally take small, easy steps to getting there. Remember good things take time :).

My Food Intake Today (NO SALMON HAHA)

Breakfast: Two egg omelette with one piece of bacon and mushrooms. Brussel sprouts and zucchini.

Post Power Yoga: One Tablespoon of protein powder with water.

Snack: Apple, nuts (raw mixed nuts)

Lunch: Coconut Thai soup (see recipe in recipe section)

Snack: Paleo Biscuit

Dinner: Pumpkin Coconut Cashew Curry over Coconut Rice (AMAZING! Recipe in recipe section)

Day 17: Variety is Important

Now I am over half way through the challenge I am beginning to get a bit sick of some of the things I am eating. For motivational purposes ensuring you eat a variety of different foods is really important. Due to lack of time I find it difficult to try new recipes and get that variety which I am sure many of you can relate to. This weekend I am going to dedicate a day to making food and freezing it so that I can stay motivated for the remainder of the challenge.

A good way to ensure you are getting a variety is to eat fruit and vegetables that are in season.

Adding a variety is also beneficial for preventing food intolerance's. If you eat too much of a food your body can begin to reject it. Some signs and symptoms of a food intolerance can include, nausea, stomach cramps, eczema, skin rashes, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, acid reflux and nasal congestion. Nuts and eggs are two of the most common foods that people become intolerant to along with chocolate, dairy, gluten and shellfish.

Here is a link to an article explaining food intolerance.

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/28/Food_Allergies_-_Part_I.aspx

My Food Intake Today (grocery day)

Breakfast: Leeks, zucchini, and baby spinach. Smoked salmon. 1 Teaspoon of cashew butter

Snack: Apple

Lunch: 1/2 cup kumara, and yams. 1 cup of baby spinach. Fresh salmon

Snack: Paleo Biscuit (pre-strength training)

Post strength training: Protein shake, Paleo Biscuit

Dinner: Fresh Salmon cutlet (OK maybe went overboard with salmon today but I LOVE it)! Leeks, zucchini, brussel sprouts with tomato sauce. Tomato sauce made with tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic and mushrooms. AMAZING!

Looking forward to bacon and eggs for breakfast tomorrow :). Love Paleo!!!

Strength Training Session

6 x 6 Dead lifts at 60kg, super set with 6 x 6 push press at 30kg

6 x 6 Pull ups 

6 x 6 Squats at 50kg, super set with 6 x 6 BW tricep dips

Lastly..... KIPPING PULL UPS!!! Finally got the rhythm. Proof that you need to practice, practice and PRACTICE. 

Those of you who have been looking for the magic pill here it is....

Day 16: Supplement or Not to Supplement?

I thought I would write a post about different supplements because this can be a questionable subject for many. Personally I think if you are eating the right foods, sleeping well, not living a stressful lifestyle and having adequate rest and recovery you should not need to supplement. However this is not the case for many people, a lot of people are stressed with life's daily demands, high amounts of exercise and not getting enough sleep.

Supplements that support the Paleo Lifestyle

Fish Oil: Decreases inflammation in the body and helps with depression and anxiety through reduction of the stress response hormone cortisol. Fish oil also assists with activating fat burning genes and muscle protein synthesis.

Magnesium: Magnesium supports healthy sleep patterns and the nervous system. It has been known to treat insomnia, depression and migraines. A lot of people are deficient in magnesium because it is hard to get adequate amounts through food. If you live a busy, stressful lifestyle magnesium might be the supplement for you.

Zinc: A lot of people are also deficient in zinc. You can get a zinc test done at your local pharmacy. Optimal amounts of zinc can improve athletic performance and strength, Support male and female reproductive health and fertility, prevent cancer and improve immune function, improve cardiovascular health, prevent diabetes, boost brain function and elevate mood. 

Here is a link to great article about zinc http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/812/Top_Ten_Benefits_of_Zinc.aspx

Whey Protein: I believe that all nutrients should be consumed through foods rather than meal replacements or supplements but as mentioned earlier with life's daily demands this can not always be manageable. If you are undergoing high amounts of exercise that puts stress on your body supplementing with whey protein shortly after a workout can help aid muscle recovery. Whey protein can help you to lose fat and preserve muscle, increase muscle mass and strength, reduce cravings, and improve the immune system.

My Food Intake Today (I could have eaten anything)

Breakfast: Smoked Salmon, fried greens, 1/4 avocado
Snack: 2 mandarins, 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese mixed together sprinkled with cinnamon.
Lunch: Tuna, 1 cup of green beans, 1 paleo biscuit.
Snack: handful of raw mixed nuts
Post WOD: 2 tablespoons of whey protein, 100ml of unsweetened almond milk.
Dinner: Chicken stir-fry with 1 and a half cups of kumara

I did not eat enough during the day so I needed heaps of kumara at night. Tomorrow I will take some carbohydrates for lunch to see if this makes a difference.

Today I got my half way body fats done! I have dropped 1 and a half % which is awesome for only 15 days! Bring on the rest of the challenge.