"Will Run For Bacon" - MissJecka's Journal page 7

[namelesswonder]

Would they get you salads? =\ Or can you eat enough at breakfast to skip lunch?

I'm assuming you will be checking luggage, which means you can bring food items, right? Could you bring some home-made snack bars? Whey protein powder?

[MissJecka]

Would they get you salads? =\ Or can you eat enough at breakfast to skip lunch?

Salads for lunch? Probably not. The few times they ordered in chinese food, it was disgusting but at least it involved some rice and [crappy] pork or chicken [probably marinated in some kind of soy-based brown stuff]. They do sometimes take us out for lunch, which means real Chinese food that allows for more variety (sometimes flat rice noodles with veggies and pork, which is pretty good; when we get rabbit leg, that's the best!). But salad? Probably not. I was thinking about ordering a couple of dozen Steve's Paleo Paks or something... we'll see.

I'm assuming you will be checking luggage, which means you can bring food items, right? Could you bring some home-made snack bars? Whey protein powder?

Yeah, I can bring food because I'll be checking bags. I've done this going to Japan before - when I was vegan, I packed a ton of Lara Bars and Clif Bars for breakfast. I'm thinking Paleo Paks or even just my own mixture of nuts, dried coconut chips, etc... maybe even cans of tuna... it could work out.

[namelesswonder]

Oh I didn't think of PaleoPaks or anything like that . Good call. I tend not to buy pre-packaged Paleo stuff because, while delicious and convenient, it's not worth the cost to me. Probably perfect for your needs, however!

[MissJecka]

Yeah, exactly. I don't like buying that kind of stuff, either, but for my situation it may be all I can do! (Japan would be so, so much easier to stay Primal!)

[MissJecka]

There's a chance I may be the Biggest Loser's loser! I weighed in this morning and gained a whopping pound and a half this past week! I'm on my period so I think I'm just retaining water or something; however, my clothes fit nicely (some even a bit loose!) and I was able to swim 1000m easily on Saturday - a new personal best! My boyfriend says that my form is getting better, too, which is a nice plus. But, it looks like I won't be winning any of the money in the pot at work. Oh, well...

This weekend I was getting incredibly creative in the kitchen; after our swim Saturday morning, we wanted to have a nice relaxing weekend of movie-watching, snuggling, and staying warm. I made pulled chicken in the crock pot and a friend came over to watch movies with us. I also made some almond butter cups (recipe on my blog). When we went to the supermarket to get some essentials (eggs, raw cheese, milk for the boyfriend, veggies, avocado, coconut milk) and as I walked by the Mediterranean Bar, I had an idea!

I hate olives. Hate hate hate. It's one of those things I can't even force myself to eat; as soon as it hits my tongue, I gag and spit it out. (Yet I love olive oil... and I like capers... I'm just weird, I guess.) But, I noticed they had lots of stuff I do like: roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, and... my absolute favorite... roasted cloves of garlic! I grabbed a small half-quart container and put in a good cup or so of garlic, two artichoke hearts, and about 5 pieces of roasted red pepper. When I got home, I blended it all up in my Ninja chopper, adding some of my own garlic-infused olive oil and some salt towards the end. Now I have a fantastic garlic-artichoke spread! I'll be dunking carrots in it with my lunch later today.

Fitness-wise, I did a stupid thing this weekend. I was really excited to register for a 7-week TRX class at my gym, figuring it would help with my upper body and core so that I can be strong and efficient at the Tough Mudder in June. Well... it would've worked out great... if only I didn't have to go to China for two and a half weeks for work right smack dab in the middle of the "spring 1" schedule! Of course I didn't realize this until AFTER I signed up and paid. I called and they're going to move my money to the "spring 2" class, which is nice; however, "spring 2" goes from late April to late June... and my Tough Mudder is June 1st. So, I don't know how much this class is truly going to help if I only get 4 or 5 sessions instead of the whole 8! Bleh. I guess something is better than nothing at all.

Anyway, enough about that. Food for today!

B - Primal pancakes with almond butter and strawberry jam, raw cheese on the side. Coffee.
L - Leftovers: pulled chicken topped with caramelized onions and peppers, wrapped in lettuce. Baby carrots and my home-made garlic-artichoke spread on the side. Maybe some seltzer.
Snack - Pistachios if I get hungry at work; otherwise, an almond butter cup after dinner at home.
D - I think I'll make myself an italian sausage with caramlized onions and peppers, wilted spinach with butter, and some tea.
Fitness - Swimming!

[MissJecka]

I think my body hates me.

On Sunday night I decided to finish off the remaining 1/3-ish cup of coconut chips in my pantry. In doing so, I choked when a big flake got stuck in the back of my throat, coughing and hacking for a while until it got dislodged... I think...

In the nearly 3 days since, I've had a progressively worsening cough - at first, just dry and irritating; but now I'm coughing up green mucous (I know... totally appetizing, right?) which is getting darker and darker in hue every time I cough some up. Last night I tried to ride my stationary bike for a half hour, but after 10 minutes I was coughing so hard that I had to stop 5 minutes later.

It's especially bad in the mornings when I first wake up. I spend a good 5-10 minutes hunched over my sink, coughing and gagging. It's awful.

I have no other symptoms besides the cough - no sneezing, congestion, fever, chills... nothing! I'm curious if some of the coconut got in my lungs, or if it's just a coincidence that I've come down with a chest cold the same evening I choked. I'm leaving work early to go to my doctor about it. I'm sick of coughing all the time!

Anyway, food...

B - My last two primal banana pancakes with butter, fruit on the side, chai tea.
L - I brought a leftover burger patty with cheese, half an avocado, and a 2-minute coconut flour microwave "bread". I may skip it and have it for dinner instead, as my doctor's appointment will be during my usual lunchtime.
Snack - Baby carrots with the last bit of my garlic-artichoke spread.
D - Not sure. I'm going to a trivia night at a bar with friends, so there may be food there. If not, I'll find something around the house to nom on.
Fitness - Maybe just some yoga before bed. No cardio.

[MissJecka]

So, I went to the doctor and in the two hours I was there, I did a lung test (exhaling into a tube quickly) and was pretty low on the scale, a good amount below where "normal" is. No fever, no other symptoms; just shitty lungs. So, they had me do a chest x-ray and while we waited for the results, I got to breathe some Albuterol through a nebulizer. Afterwards, the exhaling test showed a vast improvement, and was way above the "normal" level. The x-rays showed no foreign bodies, gunk, etc. in my lungs so I was sent on my way with an Albuterol inhaler and the diagnosis of "inflamed bronchial tubes".

Last night I had a hard time falling asleep - not only had I lost my voice after going to a trivia thing at a bar, but my hacking-up-a-lung cough came back as soon as I laid down in bed. I fell asleep on my back (something that's hard for a belly-sleeper like me to do!) and woke up two hours later in a coughing fit. I spent about 45 minute or so coughing, tossing, turning, coughing some more, and eventually fell asleep.

I woke up to my alarm and felt like I was much better - no desire to cough at all! During my 20-minute drive to work, however, I was definitely a hazard on the road because I was coughing so much that I was tearing up and could barely see! I pulled over once to get as much coughing done on the side of the road instead of while driving. I took a couple of puffs of the inhaler and off I went... still coughing a bit, though... ugh.

Now I'm at the office starting my work day and I have no appetite. Just sipping chai tea with a splash of almond milk in it. Bleh.

If I have an appetite, I may eat the stuff I brought to work with me...

B - Avocado-coconut-chocolate pudding (something soft and easy to swallow so my throat doesn't get scratched to hell even more... and it tastes like dessert...!)
L - Canned wild salmon with spinach and some raw cheese.
D - I don't know, but I may just get some Tom Ka Gai soup from this thai place on the way home from work. It's made of coconut milk, some kind of seafood broth, and has chicken in it. Nom.
Snack - I baked cookies last night so I may eat one (or a bajillion, if I have the appetite) of those.

But, again, my appetite seems nonexistent right now.

[MissJecka]

Haven't posted in a while (or even visited the forums!) because, well, I've been feeling like absolute shit!

The last day I posted was last Thursday. Well, I apparently sounded so awful that at around 11am my boss and two coworkers unanimously agreed that I needed to go home. I didn't argue that! I hadn't eaten anything that day except for the chai tea I mentioned, so when I got home I ordered some Thai food to be delivered... and as I waited for it, I had a huge coughing fit that lasted nearly 15 minutes and made me so dizzy I had to sit on the ground so I wouldn't fall over! Food arrived, I gladly ate my tom ka gai soup, and fell asleep for a few hours while watching TV in bed. That night I barely slept, but I went to work Friday and surprisingly worked the whole day.

Saturday I felt great! We even went out to dinner and went to the movies! That night, yet again, I couldn't sleep in bed so I actually went down to the living room and slept on the sofa. It is cooler down there and the air circulates more, so it was much nicer to sleep there. We spent Sunday inside... in fact, I didn't go outside at all! I thought all was well, but I slept on the sofa again at hopes it would help me sleep through the night. Unfortunately, it didn't. I fell asleep after midnight, woke up at 2, fell asleep at 4, then my alarm went off at 6:30. I felt like shit, and obviously looked like it, too, as my boyfriend told me that I should stay home. Again, I didn't argue!

So, yesterday I worked from home and today I'm back in the office. Unlike last week, my cough is not from my lungs anymore - now I have congestion and it's all post-nasal now. Not fun. What's even more disappointing and frustrating is that it's been over a week since I've done any physical activity. I tried doing yoga on Saturday, but that didn't last more than 30 seconds before I started hacking away. I did some push-ups last night, but again, being low to the ground made me get congested and I started coughing pretty quickly. With my Tough Mudder less than 3 months away, I need to get better so I can get my ass in gear!

Anyway, here's today...

B - Corned beef hash + 2 eggs, over easy + coffee and cream.
L - Canned salmon with home-made mayo in lettuce wrap. Clementines on the side.
Snack - Not sure. If I want a snack, it'll be pistachios.
D - Again, not sure. We're low on stuff in the apartment, but maybe I'll have a sausage with rice and a small salad.
Fitness - None.

[MissJecka]

Over the past couple of days, my health has gotten much, much better! Two nights ago, I tried sleeping in bed (not on the sofa) and still woke up at 1:30am for my nightly coughing fit. After 20 minutes of hacking up a lung, I propped myself up on pillows and slept the rest of the night.

Last night, however, I actually slept through the entire night! I am so completely enthralled about this. I fell asleep around 10:30pm or so and didn't wake up until my alarm at 6:45am. Booya! I'm still coughing a little this morning, but it's not bad at all, especially compared to what I've been going through for the 10 days prior.

Anywho, yesterday...

B - Smoothie made with coconut milk, whey protein powder, frozen blueberries, water, vanilla extract. Tea (strangely not in the mood for coffee lately).
L - Chicken salad with spinach, big orange on the side.
Snack - Handful of Enjoy Life chocolate chips, a spoonful (or two...) of almond butter.
D - Home-made random-recipe: coconut curry soup with chicken, fresh ginger and spinach.
Fitness - Squats, lunges, calf raises.

The plan for today...
B - Chai tea latte made with half-and-half, green veggie juice, almonds.
L - Leftover soup from last night.
S - Pistachios, if I feel like it.
D - Not sure yet. May order in some Indian food, as I really really need to go grocery shopping!!
Fitness - Not sure about this one, either. I did calf raises this morning, as usual. Later... maybe some yoga...?

[namelesswonder]

Glad the ick is working its way out of your system. Sounds pretty nasty! Maybe you will end up with killer abs at the end of it all?

mmm a smoothie sounds great right now.

The problem for me with Enjoy Life chocolate chips is I can't portion them out. I eat 1/2 a bag at once if they're not baked into something!