Stronger, Better, Faster, Happier page 2

[Kakes]

My body loves lifting heavy things. It does not naturally love running, it kind of loves dance, it loves yoga, and it LOVES lifting heavy things. It was something I could do with my many brothers. In high school I took weight lifting classes- Calculus, AP English, Choir, Drama, Humanities, Biology, WEIGHTLIFTING. I was kind of a freak... in a good way I think. The dancing, singing writer who could leg press 500 lbs. Anyway, it's been a long time since I did true heavy lifting- of the sort of weight that doesn't have four flailing limbs and begs for food. A decade of child bearing and rearing tends to change ones body a smidge. I've been reading about heavy lifting and got inspired to pull out the bar and load it up with every bit of weight we had to try dead lifts. I did 10 reps at 120 lbs. Not bad for a mom. Then I toned it down a notch (or five) for squats- since I didn't have a spotter in the house that came higher than my hip, I went for 70 lbs. 10 reps of good solid squats. Squats rock. I threw in some more headstand/scorpion practice and some pull ups and chin ups. My upper back is burning tonight (in the hurts so good sort of way)! I hope I start feeling it in these cannons I call glutes and legs. They could really use some prettifying.

On the food front today:
B- 3 strips bacon, roughly 1 scrambled egg (toddler leftovers), greek yogurt/veg/fruit smoothie.
L- Leftover Chicken Bacon Brussels Sprout Soup (Homemade bone broth- yum), some sliced turkey and a little fresh mozzarella
S- Orange- (I was feeling crashy after lifting)
D- BAS with spinach, romaine, broccoli, cucumber, celery, carrot, red pepper, tomato, mushroom, avocado and salsa baked chicken thighs
Polished it off with some 85% dark chocolate. *happy sigh*
Probably more calories than will effectively trim the fluff off me, but not enough to do any damage. I'm allowed those days.

[Kakes]

It's the tiniest little's 2nd birthday today! It also happens to be my 2nd grader's patriotic program, which I happened to volunteer to take cookies for last fall- before I had a clue that wheat and sugar were the doomsday drug in our family. Today has been baking day.
Well, let's back up. I woke up an hour before my alarm clock. Bursting with energy? Nope. Nauseous, migraine, intestinal pain. No clue what that was- can't think of anything strange I ate. But I spend some quality time with the toilet, pulled out the essential oils, took an ibuprofen for good measure (that's when you know I'm desperate), and then curled up under the dark covers moaning, groaning and wishing to escape my own body. I was really glad that I had braved the dizziness of blowing up balloons and filled the family room with them last night. It kept the kids happy and busy while I pulled myself together. Hubs decided to work from home and help me. He's amazing. Once I got dressed, fed kids and got the boys out the door, I was at least feeling less like dying. I've been tired today, but my addiction to physical feats has me fighting myself to keep rested! Silly brain! I'm grateful to be feeling much better so quickly. Commence the baking day!
Primal Chocolate Chip Cookies for the program- Check!
Apple Cinnamon Cake for the Birthday Girl (will be served with Strawberries and Cream). Check! (I used maple syrup instead of agave- I ran out of honey).
Grass-Fed Pot Roast with Sweet Potatoes in the crock pot for dinner. Check!
Then I had to clean up the massive disaster area that was my kitchen- after the girls had a coconut "confetti party". And now, humorously enough, hubs is napping. I should probably join him. At least he distracted the girls for a while so I could get some things done.
I am surprisingly pleased with the Chocolate Chip Cookies. I think they'll go over well! As long as my kids get some, we'll be good. I want them to feel like they can have treats that are good and good for them.
The cake smells divine. I'm excited to try it. It was crazy easy to make too.

[Kakes]

I dropped myself on my head. Like my whole body.... on my head... twice. Once was 2 days ago, the other time was today. My neck hurts.
As I've mentioned previously, I have an obsession with handstands, forearms stands and yoga arm balance poses. Lesson to be learned: Do too many handstands in one day (before you get super crazy strong), and your arms will give out. Even better- the second time was on my face. Tears squeezed out while I laughed at myself. Man am I glad I can laugh at myself!

Had a good fast this morning with a 5 mile bike ride (stationary). Random pullups and arm balance practice. Side note: I really need to make myself warm up better.
B- fast
L- random bits of leftover beef roast and asparagus
2 eggs fried in bacon grease
3 strips of bacon
1 cup of coconut milk/fruit/veg smoothie.
S- a few bites of leftover grainless, sugarless apple cinnamon cake
with a smidge of whipped cream and strawberries
D- A gloriously huge taco salad topped with guacamole,
yogurt based ranch and seasoned ground beef
1 small square 82% chocolate

[Kakes]

I get a sick kick out of days like today. Last night I ate the perfect amount. Then I cleaned up my daughter's plates (with my mouth) and was so uncomfortably stuffed that I felt crappy. I've been dabbling in too much dairy and bits of primal birthday cake this week. I woke up this morning feeling the effects of my 'crunched scorpion' incident- nose feels bruised, neck is sore and stiff, left shoulder, hip and elbow are painful. And yet I decided out of morbid curiosity to step on the scale and take some measurements. 160 is my low point lately. I usually float back and forth between 164 and 161. I'm a scale addict. I totally realize that numbers don't matter on the scale, but I am still so curious. So I hopped on the scale this morning and BAM! 160. Hit my low point again. This at a time when I could start my cycle at any moment. I'm almost another 1/2 inch down in my torso and hip measurements too. The sheer defiance of CW logic makes me giggle maniacally.

I have a severe love of beef lately. I don't know if my body is rejoicing in having pasture-fed beef or what, but I just want it all the time, in everything. I used the leftover taco meat in my veg and egg scramble this morning. I will be doing that more often. Worries about using too much pig in breakfasts lately, solved.

I might work up the courage to post B and A pics soon. I'm kicking myself for taking them in a bikini. I never intended to make them public, I just wanted to be able to see my own muscle changes. Now I'm proud of myself and I want to post pics, but I'm wishing I'd done them in shorts and a sports bra at least.

[sarahmasteller]

Congrats on your successes thus far - this has been a great read!

[Kakes]

Thanks Sarah! Glad you enjoyed it. And thank you for dropping by!

[Kakes]

I've purposefully brought gluten into my house. *gasp*
My neighbor just had a baby and I'm taking them dinner tomorrow. I've become a bit well known in the neighborhood for my enchiladas- which are admittedly, incredible. And while I could have done a primal beef stew or roast for them, I am selfish and stingy with my newly acquired pasture-raised, grass-finished beef cuts. In my mind, I'm generous in sacrificing grass-fed ground beef. So I'm making them enchiladas with white flour tortillas. Someday I will figure out how to primalize the famous deliciousness. I have yet to find a satisfactory primal tortilla recipe to attempt- as texture is a huge part of what makes them so very bueno. The rest of them is pretty darn primal and I am accompanying the dish with a large and very colorful salad.
There is a little nagging sadness at the thought that I'm not taking this opportunity to take them a truly and completely healthy meal. Her oldest son has Hashi's for heaven's sake! "Here you go dear friends that I really like, have some deliciously disguised poison!" *does that villainy finger wiggle thing and laughs maniacally*. I know this is a totally silly exaggeration, but my mind works in silly exaggerations frequently. It gets the point across better.

[Kitmao]

I agree with Sarah - this is a great read!
I hear you on the GF beef kick. I went last week eating some at just about every meal. I just couldn't get enough. I think it's a good sign I've overdone it when my 1 1/2 year old, who spent a good half hour complaining while I made dinner, promptly threw the burger overboard as soon as I set it on her try. Oh, yeah and after she did that, she says "cheese." Ha!

I'm curious to try running barefoot too. I'm such a barefoot type of person that I'm surprised this never really dawned on me before.

Great posts!

[Kakes]

Thanks Kitmao!
My littlest is a dairy addict, so I hear you on the cheese preference! She will down shots of cream and beg for more. We've never been big milk drinkers- I don't normally keep it in the house, so when we brought home a gallon of raw milk for kicks, she went CRAZY on it! It's what she asks for every morning. "Mook! Mook! Mook!" Cutest little junkie.

Barefoot running is the best. I sound all hippy when I say it, but the sense of connection it gives makes a huge difference in my energy and pace. Barefoot night running is beyond amazing in that sense.

[Kakes]

I survived making dinner with white flour tortillas (for the neighbor friends). I squished a whole 10 enchiladas into the pan just to finish off the package and have it gone. Seeing their tiny little 6 lb. LillyBelle was SO worth it. She looks like a doll! All my feminine senses went all gushy. (Except my desire to not ever be prego again, because that one, that's solid. Just clearing that up.) There was much oohing and aahing.
B- IF til 2:30
L- late. Tuna lettuce wrap with cucumber and homemade lemon dill mayo
D- Crockpot shredded garlic pork on top of a killer BASalad with homemade guac, salsa and sour cream.
S- Sweet Dreams herbal tea with a touch of honey, half an apple, and roughly 2 squares of dark choc.

Had some moody PMS moments this morning- snapped at WLB over a pair of shoes my (slightly crazy) elderly neighbor "gifted" me. (Read: tried to cure my barefootedness.) Donned some essential oils and felt like myself again. Luckily the hubs forgives easily and we could laugh about it shortly thereafter. Church was uplifting. Nap time was short, but effective. I spent cheerful hours in the kitchen making the neighbors din, and goofed around with my kids and hubby.
Sundays are happy.