This year is all about my body and my health! page 18

[Paleo Charlie]

Whew!
You've been busy Anna-Girl!
I am also glad you are still around!
Cheers!

[anna-banana]

Thanks Sabine & Charlie, I'm glad to still be around! I don't think there's any possibility of me becoming a regular grain eater again, there may just be a few cheats here and there

Yesterday
B: one boiled egg; fresh strawberries
L: chicken apple sausage wrapped in one piece bacon; cucumber & goat cheese salad
D: rib eye steak; grilled crimini mushrooms topped with cheese; 1/2 bottle red wine

I worked out with my friend on Saturday afternoon and Monday night. I am constantly sore and LOVE it! I'm definitely noticing more muscle definition and my clothes fit better. I am trying not to weigh myself for one month so that I don't obsess about weight loss, especially while I am packing on some muscles! This morning I worked out by myself in a fasted state - I did 30 minutes cardio on the Arc Trainer and then did 30 minutes strength training. For my meal after my work out I made a 2-egg scramble with 1 slice bacon and 1 chicken apple sausage.

My boyfriend is working today so I am actually using the holiday to clean the house a bit, do laundry, and relax. This afternoon I may meet up with a friend for a beer or glass of wine and enjoy some sun outside.

Happy 4th to everyone!

[anna-banana]

Alright, I'm glad it's weekend! Going to the gym here in a few minutes, then laying out by the pool this afternoon to catch some Vitamin D!
For breakfast today I made a 3-egg omelet with two slices bacon (diced) and fresh green onion. That should be good fuel for my workout!
Tomorrow I am planning on going for a hike or long walk outside. I have been spending a lot of time in the gym, so it's time to move outside a little more!

[anna-banana]

I found the best video today!!!! If you know people that think you are a "diet freak" (yes, I'm sure you know plenty) and they don't understand what you're doing, just show them this video:
Paleo in a Nutshell Part 1: Food - YouTube

Enjoy :-)

[anna-banana]

Well this last week has been great. I didn't touch any grains or any processed foods and barely any sugar (which only came in the form of chocolate & natural sugar from fruit). I've been keeping an eye on my portion sizes as I have noticed that it does matter in my case. Restricting the calories until I've lost another 5 or so pounds is now key.
My eating routine has been pretty much the same for a week and looks like this:

B - big handful of fresh blueberries, approx. 8 medium fresh strawberries; green tea
L - homemade salad: mixed greens, mushrooms, radishes, red bell pepper, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, deli turkey meat, olive oil & balsamic vinegar
D - protein and veggies or side salad (last night we grilled up shrimp in garlic and olive oil and grilled some stuffed brown mushrooms)

I've signed up for a new gym which offers tons of classes. Next week I am starting a Mon/Wed 4-week course (8 sessions total) that is called "Women on Weights" - it targets multiple muscle groups at once as to build lean muscle and supposedly really fires up your metabolism. I am excited to learn some new weight routines in this class as I am getting a little bored with mine
The new gym has a steam room & sauna, so I reward myself after each workout with steam room followed by a cold shower - this surely has been good for my immune system!

I've been spending a lot of time at the pool on weekends, soaking in sunshine and also doing some laps and exercises in the pool. Overall I have been feeling great and the scale is showing results - and so are my clothes that fit so much better!

[Cave Woman]

Hi Anna!
It's coming on Autumn, and like me, you haven't been here much. I hope you are enjoying the primal life and getting closer to your goals.
Cheers!
Cave Woman

[Paleo Charlie]

Anna-Girl!
We're missing you!
-C
Cheers!

[anna-banana]

Hi all! Thanks for checking in.

The last two months have been crazy busy with work. However, I'm still doing paleo/primal and have dropped 2 more pounds in the last two months. This may not sound like much, but I've been putting on a ton of muscle at the gym with weight and strength workouts and the 2 pounds were just pure fat loss. I went down a size in jeans and feel amazing again in a bikini, so that's all that matters to me.

My skin has been very clear lately and I feel great. I've been playing around a lot with new recipes, which has been fun and delicious! On weekends I oftentimes throw some meat in the slow cooker for a great, easy dinner that night. My favorite recently was the Jamaican jerk chicken drumsticks that I made. The meat was to tender that it was falling of the bone, so I just made it into "pulled chicken" and served it in butter lettuce leaves topped with diced tomato and avocado - amazing!

I've gotten great feedback on the way I look lately, which is motivation to stay away from those office "treats" that colleagues bring to work all the time. I started invisalign for my teeth a few weeks ago, so instead of wasting my precious time explaining to them that I don't eat that stuff, I just tell them it's not worth taking the trays out and having to brush my teeth afterwards.

Last week at the gym this guy came up to me after my workout (I did TRX, deadlifts, squats, kettelball exercises, etc.) and said this: "Are you a personal trainer? Because your ass is inspiring" It was so nice to hear that from a stranger and it got me thinking. I am loving my workouts and maybe at some point I will want to ditch the Finance world and become sort of a life coach that offers personal training, nutrition guidance, as well as emotional support and advice when needed. I've started looking into the certification for personal training, so studying should keep me busy on weekends!

Hope you're all as well and loving life as much as I am!

[anna-banana]

So it's been a little over a year since I started on my primal journey. There were many ups and many downs. Lots of relapses into CW eating (pizza, bread before dinner, etc.) followed by poor sleep, "pizza face" pimples, and bloating. Each time I told myself that it would be the last time I'd do that to myself...until the next time I was weak. Rather than being hard on myself about these moments, I instead congratulated myself for the days and weeks that I fully shunned grains and processed foods.

Over the course of the last year, I have dropped 10 lbs. I feel stronger and have more energy all the time. It is now time to treat my body with even more respect in 2013 than I did in 2012. 2012 was a great start for me to realize what my body wants and what is doesn't want. 2013 is about consistently giving my body what it wants and keeping what it doesn't want far away.

This year I need to move more. I have been bound to my office chair for the last two months with year-end financials and only made it into the gym a couple of times. My workouts have been great, though. 10 minute warm-up (rowing, stationary bike, treadmill at an incline, jumping jacks, etc.) followed by 20-30 minutes of an intense bodyweight session (push-ups, lunges, dumbbell rows, planks, squats, etc.) or a 30-minute TRX session. I plan on having two of these workout sessions weekly this year and have at least one 2-hour hike or bike ride on the weekends.

I just ordered Mark's new book for my Kindle today and cannot wait to get home and start reading!!!! I think it will give me the extra boost to start this year off right!

[Paleo Charlie]

So it's been a little over a year since I started on my primal journey. There were many ups and many downs. Lots of relapses into CW eating (pizza, bread before dinner, etc.) followed by poor sleep, "pizza face" pimples, and bloating. Each time I told myself that it would be the last time I'd do that to myself...until the next time I was weak. Rather than being hard on myself about these moments, I instead congratulated myself for the days and weeks that I fully shunned grains and processed foods.

Over the course of the last year, I have dropped 10 lbs. I feel stronger and have more energy all the time. It is now time to treat my body with even more respect in 2013 than I did in 2012. 2012 was a great start for me to realize what my body wants and what is doesn't want. 2013 is about consistently giving my body what it wants and keeping what it doesn't want far away.

This year I need to move more. I have been bound to my office chair for the last two months with year-end financials and only made it into the gym a couple of times. My workouts have been great, though. 10 minute warm-up (rowing, stationary bike, treadmill at an incline, jumping jacks, etc.) followed by 20-30 minutes of an intense bodyweight session (push-ups, lunges, dumbbell rows, planks, squats, etc.) or a 30-minute TRX session. I plan on having two of these workout sessions weekly this year and have at least one 2-hour hike or bike ride on the weekends.

I just ordered Mark's new book for my Kindle today and cannot wait to get home and start reading!!!! I think it will give me the extra boost to start this year off right!

Good deal Anna!
We can ALL get there!
Cheers!