1 Month!

Well...it's been 1 month since I've gone Paleo and what do I have to show for it???  Well, muscle tone is improving, I'm eating way better than I have in over 5 years, I'm no longer a prisoner of calories and portions, my digestive system is learning to LOVE me again (that's huge!) and I'm not gaining weight...yes most lose weight with in the first month, but so what my body is stubborn and hates me thru all the tortuous diet schemes I used to put it thru, but I'd much rather maintain than gain considering how I'm eating now.  What I will really need to do is take my measurements and see how i'm doing...just need to find that pesky tape measure...I always seem to misplace it after I use it...

To celebrate my 1 month on Paleo, I made myself one hell of an awesome ribeye (best one I've cooked by myself yet, which doesn't say much as Matt is our steak guy) that was cooked almost perfect for me, it could have been a little more on the rare side, but I was not complaining!  I pan fried this sucker in some butter and mmm mmm good it was!  On the side I had some cauliflower mash, yum!  Matt once again requested it for his dinner so I made a big batch so I could have some and we could some more the next couple of days if we'd like.  I don't care if you think you hate cauliflower...you'd more than likely love the mash, in fact, if it was made for you and know one told you that it was cauliflower, I'd bet you'd never even know!  Yes, that is just how amazing it is!

yes...I have avocado with just about every meal...the only difference is how much...

My eyes happened to be very large when I scooped out that large helping of the mash, but it was soooo good!

Some other notable meals that I have recently made were some chicken thighs baked with some bacon, onion and brussel sprouts (holy yum).  I baked the chicken thighs on 350 for about 30minutes.  I only salt and peppered them before.  I then chopped up the bacon and fried it up.  When it was done, I removed it from pan and added the brussel sprouts and onion.  I fried/sauteed them until done and mixed bacon back in, those flavors were amazing.  It was a pretty simple and quick meal to put together.

Another night, I believe it was Matt's first night on nights was meatloaf!  He doesn't care for meatloaf so him being on night's is the perfect time to make dishes that I know he'd be less than thrilled by.  I haven't had meatloaf in a long time due to the fact standard meatloaf these days is just not something someone eats when trying to watch their weight...This however hit the spot!  I adapted the recipe from Kait's Primal Kitchen as she used ground bison and I didn't have that so I replaced it with half ground beef and half ground pork.  I also used seasoning leaning more towards the Italian flavors to try and match my mom's which I loved growing up. Other than those changes, I followed the recipe to a T.  With my meatloaf (which smelled sooooo good while baking...) I had some left over spaghetti squash...excuse my picture of my mound of meatloaf as I wasn't very smooth about getting my slices out of the loaf pan...oh well!

It was good the next day and the next, both cold and re-heated...mmm

My workouts for this week have gone pretty well...It's been BEAUTIFUL here so I have done them ALL outside, except Monday's as I just did some yoga while waiting for my meatloaf.  Tuesday Bear and I went for a walk/run...the run segments being short, sweet and fast.  We did this all the way into town and went down by the marina where he rested and I did squats and push-ups before turning around and coming back.  I felt so good after that workout...thinking about a repeat today!

Wednesday was a 21-15-9 workout with kettlebell high-pulls, hand release push-ups and flipping burpees...those are really going to be the death me...lol.  Thursday I did 4 rounds of 10 push-ups, 20 kettlebell swings, 30 sit-ups and 40 body weight squats.  It was very nice being able to do this outside on our patio...I hope we leave this area before the real fall/winterish weather starts because I don't want it!  

Have a great weekend! TGIF! :0)

TUNA! I love TUNA!

Happy Monday!  A new day to another week!  It is STILL on and off rainy here (wth?!?) and still very chilly.  I suppose it is better than ice and snow, but still!  I would like to enjoy my fall while I can.  Before we know it, I'll be back in a southern state where fall is not a "normal" fall.  I like this little town but I am looking forward to getting out of here, mainly because I don't have much option to the stores and quality food items.  It gets a little frustrating when I have items in mind and then none of the stores have what I am looking for.  Just a tad bit of annoyance...next time I know I am going to small town, I will make sure to take some extra products w/ me in the case this happens again.

So as for my butt kickings in the last week, I already shared the first one so here are the last 2...

I had to hold plank for as long as I could and my time would determine how many rounds I would complete for my WOD.
Round was:

• 5 burpees
• 10 sit-ups
• 15 kettlebell swings

I held my plank for what seemed like a very long 3 minutes.  This meant I had to do 12 rounds.  I completed all this in just under 20minutes.  The last 2 rounds I was definitely cheering myself on to finish strong!  It works I tell ya!


My last workout on Saturday was this...
2 rounds of:

• 75 body weight squats
• 50 kb swings
• 25 burpees

I finished round 1 in 5:53 and round 2 in 6:28...I was tired thru out the workout but not due to the workout.  It is nice knowing tho that I don't have to spend 45 minutes or more doing a workout, I like having quickies over and done with.

Some notable meals from week:
I made some yellowtail tuna steaks...they were pretty delish!  For sides we had a cucumber salad using rice vinegar and by request some cauli mash (matt hates cauliflower but LOVES this stuff!)

I love me some avocado and will eat it whenever I can!

The tuna steaks were pretty easy, just salt and peppered them and pan fried them for about 2 minutes each side...came out perfect!  The cucumbers are just sliced and I add rice vinegar, no specific amount, I just eyeball it depending on the amount of cucs I have.  As for the cauli mash, I use KPK's recipe.  I may add a little bit more garlic but we love our garlic over here!  I didn't have a food processor at this point in time (either a hand held mixer or the bullet) so I used the hand held...worked great (made a mess tho) and made it more like chunky mash vs creamy mash.  I have since gotten a food processor so creamy from here on out folks!

One of my other go to lunches when I'm being less than creative or just want something quick is tuna salad...I throw some romaine lettuce down on the plate, mix up my tuna/olive oil/green onions/seasonings mix/hardboiled egg, tomatoes and some avocado...add a little balsamic vinegar and bam! a very quick, easy, tasty, filling lunch.

something about tuna in olive oil and balsamic vinegar...it just works!

So today started the split shifts for Matt's work...he is on nights...our schedule is about to be rocked!  Actually, I stay pretty much on my normal schedule and I tell him that I cannot switch to his as it's too rough on my body...I've tried it before.  So maybe I'll start being better about posting more regularly with having so much time on my hands...maybe ;0)

Congrats KPK!

First and foremost I would like to CONGRATULATE Ms. Kaitlin over at Kait's Primal Kitchen for reaching a 1000 'Likes' for her facebook page!  Way to go girl!  I think you are an amazing person who obviously LOVES what they are doing and LOVES informing others.  You are awesome at it and I'm really glad I have the opportunity to work with you. You inspire me daily!  I'm very excited for your e-cookbook!  :0)  If you have not checked her blog out, what are you waiting for?!?  It's a must see/read!

Moving on, it's been rainy and chilllllly here!  Fall has definitely arrived no doubt.  Luckily I have plenty of indoor workouts to keep me going for day's I cannot get out for a run or walk (1-2xs a week obv weather pending).  I am missing working out in a gym having someone to be in my face and able to correct me and encourage me.  It's definitely not easy doing it on your own.  I have to play multiple people while I workout!  I'm my own cheerleader (thankfully only 1 neighbor and she's old and yells bloody murder all the time anyways, so I'm pretty sure I don't care if she hears me for 20mins yelling positives at me), I'm my own assistant trainer as well, having to look in the TV or Fireplace to make sure my form is correct and I'm the actual worker outer...lots to do in those quick workouts!  I am not complaining tho as I'm lucky to have space and the means to do workouts with out a gym.  I will be happy though to be back in a city that has my gym or be back in AZ to work with Kaitlin.

The past week as far as food goes has been a little harder for me.  I had taken out fruit and nuts...not easy as they are a love in my world.  Fruits I have been pretty great about, especially considering I have some Honeycrisp Apples staring at me from the counter and I have to pass them up :0(  Nuts has really been tough...there has definitely been a couple of days where I grabbed a small handful of almonds, ate them and then got mad for caving...but you live and learn.  Now I don't feel as bad since I admitted to my slight mishap.  Good thing this is a lifestyle change vs a crash diet.  Lifestyle just means I have to keep chugging away and figure out what works for me and what doesn't.  (whew, my little confession has me feeling much better, now I can get on with it!)

This post seems to be more a spill of what's been on my mind vs. a food etc post.  I do think that allows people to see my progress though and that it is not all perfect going in such an opposite direction in relation to diet.  My cravings are not bad really.  I do not miss many carb items such as bread, pasta, rice etc.  I do however have one crazy on and off craving for ice cream and not just any ice cream but Dairy Queen soft serve...mmm.  I do have to say seeing my favorite Halloween candy in the stores is hard, but I'm not struggling with not being able to have it.  I'm waaaayyyyyyy better off with out LOL.

Overall, I am still pretty much status quo as far as weight goes, but I'm trying really hard to put that out of my mind as this is not what this is about.  I cannot go by what the scale tells me as it changes day to day, minute to minute so I am learning to get over it!  I do however notice more muscle build tho.  It'll all come together, just have to be patient and know that it is my overall health that is being benefited here and the less I stress the easier this will all be.  I think I've done a pretty good job discarding all I know about calorie counting, cardio, portion obsessions and everything else that comes w/ the typical "diet".  I'm learning to get over my "fear" of fats and realizing it is not all about long cardio bouts.

So basically I'm still tweaking and I'll figure out how this will all work the best for me, it will just take time and experiments.  I can't say enough tho how great it is that I can eat a good size yummy meal and not feel ridiculously uncomfortable afterwards.  It's a very freeing feeling.

Hope yall have a great rest of your Sunday evening and a great week! :0)

Falling Behind Here...

Evening!  Matt is watching one of his DVRed shows...some UFC deal so I figured I would take the time to write and entry here.  Playing a little catch-up here I have some food to post and some workouts to write about.  I need to get better at this posting more than once in a blue moon here!  I never was much of a journal writer so it makes sense that I do not keep up with this daily, I'm trying tho!

Let's see, backing up a little, I did have a killer workout this past Saturday compliments of Kaitlin :0)  It was about 33 minutes and was one of my longer workouts to date.  It was as follows...

3 rounds-to be done with speed and intensity:

• 30 push-ups
• 30 squats
• 30 lying leg lifts
• 1 minute rest
• 30 staggered arm push-ups
• 30 alternating lunges
• 30 burpees (my true love...not)

round one was done in 10:30 round two 11:30 and round three 11:30...not too bad, pretty consistent.  These are the type of workouts that make me feel like I am totally out of shape! LOL

This workout was done this past Wednesday...I had to go and get a kettlebell and heavier dumbells.  I got an adjustable kettlebell which is pretty neat so I can adjust accordingly as I get more efficient.  This was actually an enjoyable one.  I completed this just shy of 11 minutes.

21-15-9 (3 rounds with each number representing the reps in each) to be done as fast as possible with compromising form-

• dumbell burpee push-up to deadlift
• sit-ups with overhead/between leg dumbell touch
• russian swings

I try to do these workouts with a day between them.  On the other days I will either do a Jillian Michaels workout, run/power walk with Bear or take a rest day.  Sundays are usually my rest day since that is Matt's day off and many times I will take one other rest day a week.

Now for some food talk...We had one heck of a dinner last Saturday.  I got brave and tried one of KPK's recipes.  I made carnitas and cauliflower mash.  OMG...that's all I have to say.  I am not a huge pork fan and don't usually eat it often, but will since Matt loves it and these carnitas pretty much made me fall in love.  Hands down AMAZING!  Not only were the carnitas great but the cauliflower mash was unbelievable.  Even Matt who HATES cauliflower thought it was delicious (tasted just like garlic mashed taters).  He even asked that I make it again a few days later!  I obviously had no objection.  Matt's buddy ate with us and he was sold too, keeps asking Matt to get the recipes from me!  Both recipes are on the KPK blog so you can check it out there...PS if you make the carnitas really be prepared for your house to smell heavenly...no lie.

mmm, this one portion left me feeling full and the leftovers where even better!

Another meal we had one night this past week was wild caught salmon with a fried egg atop some spinach with mixed veggies which had ghee on them.  There is not really a recipe here for this its basically pan fried salmon with a pan fried egg and some steamed veggies with melted ghee...pretty simple!

it's been a long time since I had salmon and it was gooooooood

I have decided most everything tastes better with an egg on top :0)  I love being able to eat as well as I have been with not a care in the world regarding calories or portions...it's great!  

I made some coleslaw, well I took a coleslaw recipe off of FastPaleo and since I had broccoli slaw on hand and not typical coleslaw I used that instead.  Its a simple recipe using the slaw, 1 apple (made this pre no fruit in my diet), unsweetened coconut milk, apple cider vinegar and olive oil.  I'll be honest, it's not amazing but is pretty tasty...it was an experiment and next time I will use regular coleslaw but none the less, that's how we learn right?

Last but not nearly the least for tonight...Many days I either a. don't want breakfast as I am still full from the night before or b. I don't really want lunch as I'm full from breakfast.  Many days I just want something small in place of a large lunch which is what I would have if I don't eat breakfast.  This has been a pretty easy and yummy go to when I don't want lunch....It's my tuna bowl:

Dani's Tuna Bowl:

• 1 can of tuna packed in water
• Olive oil (1 or 2 tbsp)
• avocado (1/4-1/2)
• chopped green onions (I used 1 stalk)
• 1 hard boiled egg chopped
• celery salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic power and dill weed
• mix it allllllll together and enjoy...you can really do what you want with what you like, make it your own...I just mix a bunch of my favorite tastes together and bam! I have my mid-day snack full of yum!

Well folks, X-Factor is on (yes I somehow got hooked on this show...oh boy!) So...I'm off and until next time, ADIOS!

Shoulda...Woulda...I am!

Good morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (have a nice cup of joe in my body...it was, well is a bit chilly here this am!)

So, after thinking about it...I realized I should have done this post first and foremost, however I was just so excited to get my ball rolling, I don't think I really went into detail as to WHY I have chosen to take the path of Paleo...I'm sure there is at least ONE person out there that is asking this...maybe? not?  Well, I'm telling you anyways...

To make my long boring story on the shorter side of things, I'll try to keep it simple and just dip a little bit into the timeline.  I would say about 5 or so years ago I started experiencing digestive problems (that i became fully aware of but never really thought much about...).  I pretty much kept this "problem" to myself as I thought  A. it was just a phase my body was going thru (yea right! who knew??) B. my answer to everything...MY BODY HATES ME! or C. figured a slight chance that it could be normal among many??? Well, after time and trying to self cure myself (ended up making it worse) I started becoming more vocal about my issue hoping that someone out there had the same issues I did and knew the answer.  At this point tho, I didn't think that it was a doctor worthy problem.  However, after becoming dependent on over the counter meds (laxatives, I've tried them all), i decided this was ridic and needed to go to the doctor.  After talking with 3...not just 1 but 3 (all diff docs too) No one knew what my deal was, pretty much shrugged me off and said eat more apples, take this (well i became immune to that) or well, wait it out...your body will eventually respond.  To me, those aren't answers at all so back to my self medicating which I was becoming more and more dependent on.  At this point my problems are becoming bigger and are taking control of my life.  I would cancel social plans, not workout etc all because of some problem I had no idea what to do about.  I could not eat a regular meal with out some sorta of consequence after...to put it simply...I was MISERABLE!!!!

Well, after having a couple of years of this and getting sick of spending all the money I was on laxatives (my drug of choice, yes I had an addiction) I decided this was enough!  I need to figure this out some how some way!  So....earlier this summer I remembered a friend telling me about a procedure, very simple, easy and comfortable that lasts about 45 minutes or so that help detox or clean out your digestive system.  I decided to look further in to what is known as  Colonic or Colon Hydrotherapy.  Turns out, this was exactly what I needed (look it up...it helps with everything including cancers, acne, energy etc etc etc the list goes on).  After spending a few days getting my nerves up, I called and made and appointment at a place in Atlanta.  Talking with the owner for about 30minutes when booking my appointment really helped soothe my nerves and felt a lot better about going.  Two and a half months later, I feel so much better and my digestive issues are 100Xs better!!  But, I'm not cured as I obv still have to work with my diet...no point in canceling out all the amazing benefits I was getting thru the colonics with putting in food that my body was repulsed by...

That now leads me up to just shy of going Paleo...I started slowly on my own changing my diet with including more super foods, making smoothies, limiting my carbs, taking in more whole foods with lots of veggies and fruit.  This is all great and all but then there creeps up my obsessiveness with my weight control...yes it's there and what girl doesn't have it???  So, on a side note, due to my weight issue, I contacted Kaitlin Schuck for some advice since I knew she was a  CPT and nutritional coach (she's awesome by the way!
) After messaging with her back and forth I found her blog and that is where I first heard about Paleo...well she has a kick ass body so I'm thinking hmmm her food looks amazing, she eats well, she doesnt calorie count or measure portions (just to get away from that would be AMAZING) I think I need to look further into this...now this is where my digestive issues coincide with my weight issues (i know you were all wondering what the connection was).  I set up a time to meet with her when I was in AZ visiting, but until then I spent a ton of time doing my research and reading blog after blog.  I came to the realization that weight aside...this is most likely EXACTLY what I needed to help my body along with getting my digestive system back on track (notice how no meds are involved in all this...it's completely real, natural and whole).

So there you have it...I have not been officially diagnosed with a gluten intolerance/allergy nor a milk allergy however...doing my own trial and error leading up to my Paleo switch...I noticed most gluten (not all, mainly the items with large amounts) gave me the pains and bloating after eating, also, not all but some milk products did too.  I do not drink a lot of milk so I dont notice it there, or haven't but I do notice it when I eat large amounts of cheese.  So maybe just some minor allergies that do bother me enough to say bubye!  And hey! if I do end up losing some poundage or even just toning up more, I'd love it, not going to complain there!

Ever since I have made the switch, about 2.5weeks ago, I kid you not...NO STOMACH ISSUES.  I can eat a normal good size meal and feel just as great after it as I did before it.  It has been so long since I have had that and it is the most amazing feeling, I've been a victim too long of my body hating on me and if it means giving up foods I love (and think I can't live with out) well, I weigh the pros and cons and my pros definitely outweigh the cons...yes I'd love a big slice of yummy pizza but then I think about how all that makes me feel afterwards and I think, nah...I don't want it.

To each their own, but going whole real and natural is probably the best thing I have done for myself in a loooooooooong time.  Many of the effects from going Paleo are immediate, and some it will probably come over the time.  I'll tell you now, I haven't really lost any weight poundage wise, but the fact that I sleep so much better and harder and that I am not controlled by my digestive issues is enough for me to keep chugging along.  Look it up! Research it! Ask questions! I can do my best to answer and definitely know where I can send you if I don't know the answer.

So, I think this is a bit longer than I anticipated, but I figured what I shared is important to get out there as to why I made the big switch...Hopefully later today or tomorrow I'll have a post up about some food etc. Thanks for hanging in there and lets hope come my 30days I have some amazing progress to report!

Have a Great Day! no...Make it a Great Day! Get out and be active! :0)

Buying It, Eating It and Using it...

Afternoon to all or the few that may actually read this...We finally have power for our humble abode, it came back on mid-day yesterday.  I was thrilled! LOL.  I can only go so long sans electric...oh well!

So anyways, yesterday I did probably my most biggest shopping trip since starting my Paleo Lifestyle (granted there has only been 2, but still...).  Where we are in the small town of Port Clinton my options for my groceries are a Kroger and a Walmart.  I know there are some small markets but I didnt remember where they were and Kroger came to me first, therefore is the closest so I went there.  Other reasons is the gas rewards (they are stellar!! esp since diesel is so high!).  There is also a cheese and meat market that I will check out and a fish market as well.  I also remember driving by a farm market but again didn't remember where it was and just wanted to get my shopping done and over with so the other reason I hit Kroger.

Kroger's ended up not being such a bad choice.  They had plenty of options for wild caught seafood, beef, local veggies, bacon, eggs etc etc.  I ended up spending what I would have spent on what used to be a usual grocery trip but much less items (all the junk we eat adds up!).  I was pretty impressed as I was expecting my grocery bill to be quite more than usual.  Some of the items I came home with were a ginormous lobster tail, jumbo scallops, salmon, yellowtail, steak, chicken, lots of bacon, more produce than I know what to do with or our frig has seen in awhile, pantry staples/spices, eggs etc etc etc. I think I have at least a week's worth of dinners alone in that trip...at least on the protein side of things.  I'm easy for my breakfasts/lunches and Matt enjoys taking leftovers for his lunch.

 just some of the veggies i got...

yellowtail tuna...mmm

 salmon, yummy

Last night's dinner however did not have any leftovers except for some veggies.  It was so good, so rich and so filling...definitely something you cannot do all the time.  We had lobster tail (we split it) and bacon wrapped jumbo scallops with my obsession of a veggie medley.  I was a bit nervous about preparing the lobster tail because if I cooked it just a tad too long well then it would be GROSS, not edible and not enjoyable.  I had gotten directions from my mom as she prepares it occasionally and it worked out perfectly!

Lobster:

• pre-heat your oven to 400degrees
• cut the tail down the center and place the meat on top
• sprinkle with paprika (I use a good amount)
• bake the lobster for about 20minutes (depending on size too so it could be less could be more if it's any bigger than ours was)
• broil it 1 more minute for added color
• melt you some butter and enjoy!

Scallops:

• wrap each scallop in a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick
• place in over for about 10 or so minutes (I sorta took and educated guess as I've never done them before)
• enjoy! Lucky for me, they worked out perrrrrrrfect!!

Veggie Medley:

• sauteed in ghee with garlic and thats about it folks...simple, easy, delish

mmm, so yum...

Now, as for some workouts since I have been gymless...they have been as follows (totally different than anything I have ever done for the most part)  Monday I power walked with Bear...gained 2 nice blisters from that, love!  Tuesday I did one of the workouts Kaitlin gave me...

lying leg raises (10)

body weight squats (25)

burpees (10) (HATE these lol)

this was done as many rounds as possible in 15min...looks/sounds easy but it wasn't...love it

Wednesday was a day off...I was still feeling sluggish from all the traveling and non-stop I have had over the past 2 weeks...needed some downtime that wasn't spent in the truck all day long.

Today well, today I had to use some creativity...I did:

push-ups

sit-ups

squats

body weight rows (thats where the creativity came in)

these were done in 3 rounds as fast as I could with out compromising form...21-15-9

I was happy with my push-ups as I can tell I am getting stronger (not the girlie push-ups) so that was exciting...

as far as the body weight rows go, well I was lacking anything really here at the camper to do them so resorted to using the tailgate on Matt's truck...too hard to describe in writing, wish someone was home so they could have taken a pic...needless to say it was hard and will resort to going to a park next time to do these when in a workout.

I followed this workout up with some yoga...not too bad.

Well, there you have it...sure by now you are bored to tears but no one promised an entertaining blog...just one documenting some of my progress...2 weeks in! :0)

Quickie...

Morning!  This will be a quickie post as we do not have any electric and my laptop will only hold a charge so long, i'm basically testing it right now, waiting for it to say "goodbye" you are out of power.  My other option is I can go sit in the truck with it running and be on the computer, but I do not need to be on it that bad.  So for now, this will have to do until I have the electric to be on it while it's plugged in.

We left Atlanta and are now in Port Clinton, OH.  It is a small seemingly pretty neat town RIGHT on Lake Erie. Matt is stoked as he will, well hopefully will, get out and do some fishing.  If he really wants he can walk right down our little street and put some lines in and probably catch some catfish...Guess I'll have to learn real quick how I can prepare them.  Nothing beats fresh caught fish tho!  I am excited about Fall.  It is a very nice season so I will enjoy it since i have been in HOT HOT HOT the last few months!  I will be glad to get out of here just in time for winter to start pressing it's luck.  Where we will go after that?  Not so sure yet...2 possibilities in the making (San Diego is out...boo!!)

As far as traveling allllll day and I mean all stinkin day Sunday, I did not do too horrible on the Paleo side of things.  I may have indulged a little much in the nuts, but they are just so good and I was bored.  One day wont kill me, it could be worse and I could have caved for some truck stop food (eww).  Other than that, i packed myself a salad with tuna and brought a few hardboiled eggs for us.  It was not too bad.

Downside to being here in Port Clinton is no gym...CRUD!  Don't worry, I will still get my workouts in between Jillian Michaels, walks/runs outside and skyping with Kaitlin (thanks!) for some awesome workouts. I'll make it all work, just have to be creative.  I will include them in my blogs and let ya know how the awesomeness works out!

Well, with that I am off to get in a workout and maybe go see what this town has to offer as I'm pretty bored here with no electric...only so much you can do on your iPhone and only so much you can read before you fall asleep...adios!