day 5

5 days already! this is just great, and it gets easier every day! its a beautiful day today and the humidity is supppose to be low, i think i will catch some sun on the back deck while studying this afternoon! :) i might even put my bathing suit on even though i said i wouldnt until after the challenge if i stay on the back deck no one has to know! :)

this morning i put cinamon in my iced coffee and it was FABULOUS! i loved it! so much better than all that horrible creame and sugar!

as for weight, im not really sure if i have lost but thats not the whole point of my challenge i am just trying to cleanse my body and detox myself and i defiently feel alot cleaner. eatting clean is a remarkable feeling i highly reccomend it.

breakfast today was 3 eggs with some pepper and oregano scrambled, 2 pieces of candian bacon and an orange!

cross fit is at 10. im excited to chat with some of the others participating in the challenge its always good to get new ideas and see how everyones progress is going! its also exciting news to share that my sweet cravings have decreased alot since day 1!

day 4

i was so busy yesterday i don't think i even sat down at my computer for personal reasons once. being busy sure does make the days go by fast and i did not even really think about the diet once yesterday as a "diet" it has pretty much become a way of life, which im thrilled about! the sweet cravings have decreased ALOT and im not as hungry for chocolate. yesterday i did not eat as much as i should have only because i was nonstop all day at school & then studying but ill give you the run down on my food yesterday.

breakfast: 2 hard boil eggs, grapefruit

am snack: apple & almonds

lunch: left over chicken, peppers, onions, and mushrooms from dinner on monday night and a bowl of carrots

dinner: YUM...i had about a half lb of steamed shrimp and it was delicious the i had broccoli with garlic cloves

pm snack: bowl of strawberries & cantaloupe

during idol and glee i did not have that chocolate craving that I have been having so i was so happy! :)

4 down, 26 to go.

h :)

day 3

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out"-robert collier

Monday mornings are typically dreadful, normally I am very sluggish and not ready to face the week, however this morning I was the opposite. I was full of energy and ready to get the day started! I also noticed that I had no allergy symptoms or asthma problems this morning, this is huge for me! Its amazing what diet does for your health and immune system.

But these dreams have GOT to stop! Last night I had a dream that we went to Hershey Park and went to the chocolate factory and it smelled soooo good, and looked sooo good, and I can't remember if I ate it in my dream or not but I do know that I woke up craving it once again. Oh well 27 more days! This morning my breakfast craving was chocolate chip muffins. Very strange because I don't think I can even remember the last time I had a chocolate chip muffin! Oh well, instead I rolled out of bed and faced the day knowing that I was still on paleo and I had to come up with something else tasty for breakfast.

Breakfast:

3 egg omelet w/red peppers, chicken, mushrooms, & onions! it was very filling and satisfying but i also had a cup of iced black coffee an apple and lots of water with lemon!

The best part of today was the workout of the day (WOD). Overall I noticed that I had more energy then normal and that my performance in the gym was enhanced. I am also not as sore this afternoon as I have typically been after workouts. I was happy to get into the gym and chat with some of the others about the challenge. We all seem to having the same cravings so I don't feel so bad afterall. I was pleased to hear that Lorie (one of my coaches) was also craving chocolate just as bad as I was! Some of the other ladies gave me some really great tips for cooking and recipe ideas. It is really neat to have an entire support system. I was really excited to share with Kelley (my coach) how much better I felt this morning regarding my allergies and asthma, she was thrilled for me! After sticking around the gym for a little bit chatting with the coaches I headed home for some lunch!

Lunch:

left over pot roast from last night (mom put the leftovers in the crock pot all night so the veggie juice soaked into the meat and it was soooo good!!!)

then i had some raw veggies dipped in this awesome salad dressing i made which was 6 raspberries, almond oil, and a little splash of water in the blender, it was very tasty!

before class this evening i had a serving of green beans and almonds. then during my class i snacked on some home made trail mix that i made which had almonds, walnuts, and a little bit of raisins in it and then snacked on an apple.

after class around 8am i came home and my most amazing mother had made a tasty chicken dinner, she thought it was too spicy but i loved it. she also surprised me with homemade salsa and guacamole!!

guacamole:

avacado tomato onion cliantrol lime juice

salsa:

tomato jalapeno pepper pineapple lime juice red pepper and onion

she knew that i was having a hard time with the no condiments thing and so it was really tasty to put something with a ton of flavor on my chicken. i made my own version of a chicken "taco" salad, minus the taco shell or the sour cream or the cheese all the REALLY good stuff however it was still SO TASTY! i put the chicken breast mixture that my mom made which had chicken onions red peppers mushrooms fresh jalapeno pepper pineapple cooked in oilve oil. it was so great!

its almost 9:15 and this is always a hard time of the day i always crave sweets around now. but day 3 is finished and i will end it with an orange and a bubble bath most likely!

full day tomorrow at school so i will have to wake up early to get food together for my day! hope that i dont have any food dreams tonight!

3 down, 27 to go

h :)

day 2

good morning! after dreaming of pancakes and syrup last night i woke up a little depressed remembering i am not allowed to have any of the above! i rolled out of bed and instead started my morning off with a glass of black iced coffee and a banana. about an hour later my mom helped me make the perfect omelet. i was never good at making omelets, i always burn the bottom or i cant cook it all the way through. thankfully mom is really good at them and was a huge help! i used my left over chicken from yesterdays lunch and i cooked it up in a skillet with some red pepper, olive oil, and garlic powder. yesterday i was bummed about not being able to dip my eggs in ketchup but today my omelet was filled with flavor i did not even miss my ketchup!!

breakfast:

banana

1 cup of iced coffee, black

3 egg omelet with red pepper and chicken breast

1 cup of blueberries

after breakfast mom and i went to bjs. that was an adventure! and i love adventures! :) our cart was VERY colorful with lots of veggies and fruit! and lots of meat! i am mid way through day 2 and im not really even sure what to say i miss the most. i really miss milk. i could go for a cold glass of milk and some brownies! oh well 28 more days!

lunch:

1/4 lb of halibut (left overs from last night)

1 cup of almonds

handful of blueberries and raspberries

i was hungry about 2.5 hours later so i snacked on some almonds, an apple, and a bowl of carrotts. i am having a hard time getting use to not dipping my vegs in anything but mom and i are going to make homemade guacamole and salsa tomorrow so that will be tasty! i really am craving chocolate, and milk. its werid i really want chocolate milk, but i am getting over it. i need to research some other options for this sweet tooth cause its a killer!

dinner:

potroast with carrotts, onions, cherry tomato, garlic cloves, mushrooms, olive oil and some pepper

it was fabulous. mom made it! :) i really did miss pouring A1 all over my meat but i survived. the 2nd day is coming to an end and i must say i can not wait to get back to the gym tomorrow and back to school this week. i think it will be easier when i am not sitting at home all day thinking about food. i have not experienced any negative mood changes which is strange i thought i would be a little cranky after not being able to have sugar but i am doing okay! i still have a bit of a headache but that could be allergies cause the pollen is horrible!

for my night snack i am going to bake an apple and put cinamon on it! it will be tasty!

2 down, 28 to go.

h :)

day 1

day one off to a good start. got a great slumber last night, so i did not need coffee this morning. that was a plus because then i did not have the temptation for creamer or sugar! it was a little strange not having my typical glass of liquid candy (orange juice) but i hurried and filled a big glass of ice cold water with lemon slices. it worked! i made steak and eggs this morning for breakfast. i had a hard time facing the fact that i was not going to be able to put ketchup on my eggs however i switched it up and instead of making scrambled eggs like normal i made dip eggs so i would still be able to "dip" my steak in something! it was shockingly not bad! :) a little plain but i will start to use spices and herbs to kick it up a notch!

Breakfast:

3 eggs (over medium)

7oz steak (on the skillet with olive oil)

1 cup of strawberries

large glass of water with lemon slices

Morning Snack:

1/2 cup of blueberries

Lunch:

2 chicken breast

1/2 red pepper

1/2 cucumber peeled

1/2 cup carrot slices

handful of spinach salad

handful of sliced almonds

olive oil and lemon juice with oregano

banana

apple

lunch was kind of boring. im full though so whatever. i really am itching in my pants for a piece of chocolate. this is going to be harder than i thought! hmm maybe if i close my eyes and pretend like im eating chocolate it will curb my craving!

i went to the grocery store this afternoon and got some seeds, and some more fruit. i ventured over to the organic food market in west OC and found some nut flour so i can try to make kelleys berry sauce and pudding paleo style! then i went to the local fish market and the people were so kind! :) even though i have never bought fish on my own it was an adventure. i love adventures! i got the most beautiful piece of halibut any fish lover ever did see. i prepared it with olive oil, lemon pepper, garlic, and lemon slices on the top! i am excited to see how it turns out! :)

in the mean time i have been snacking on fruit most of the afternoon. and some almonds. tomorrow we are making a BJ trip and i think i might attempt to make my very own beef jerky! i noticed that around 3pm i had a little bit of a headache and i was definitely craving sweets! the fresh pineapple that my mom sliced up this afternoon was tasty and fixed the craving! thank goodness mom is here!! she is a big help however she thinks she will probably leave earlier than she was planning on leaving she said its going to be a longggg week. meaning she will get bored of all the healthy eating! :) :)

since it is Derby day and the horses are about to run i am missing having a cocktail so i made a cup of coffee and put ice in it. that was a tasty treat! also i have found that putting fresh fruit in your water spices your drink up a little bit! :)

about to put my fish in the oven! :)

dinner was fabulous.

dinner:

1/2lb of halibut (i baked it in the oven, i put olive oil, garlic, a little pepper, and lemon slices on 2 lbs of halibut-my mom shared some with me but there is still a serving left for tomorrow)

2 cups of broccoli

3 slices of tomato with sliced avocado topped w/ a little olive oil and pepper

mom acutally really loved the dinner. she thought that the fish was prepared perfectly and although she was not too fond of seeing the fish before i cooked it she ate alot more than i thought she would and she enjoyed it.

snack:

paleo berry pudding (1cup)

i did not think this would be good but it was actually pretty tasty.

1/2 cup of almond flour

1 egg

1 tablespoon of olive oil

mix all together until almost solid, heat on a skillet for 5 minutes

blend frozen berry mix in a blender and pour over the pudding mixture.

top with cinnamon

it craved my sweet tooth and was filling a good snack! would be perfect for breakfast as well!

the only negative i have to report on is the headache i have been fighting all day. i think that is from the lack of "crap" in my body and the withdraws i am going through from no sugar. research says that will go away within a week!

overall a great day. i am laying down on the couch to watch tv and i am full and content. i don't think i have ever in my entire life had so many fruits and veggies in one day! day 1 is pretty much over and i survived. i think it will get easier as the days pass by. i hope that the headaches go away and my body gets over the craving for a Hershey bar!!

1 down, 29 days to go!

h :)

Spring Challenge

"Your energy level will increase; you won't have to endure that late afternoon tiredness or "blah" feeling. In the morning; you'll wake up charged and ready to greet the new day. You'll feel better with each passing day, and as the weeks go by, you'll notice that your clothes feel a bit loose. Your weight will gradually drop-week by week-until your normal healthy body weight is restored" -Loren Cordain, Ph.D. *author of The Paleo Diet

Wow if we were to bottle all of that up and put it in a pill we would be millionaires. You mean that we can feel that great by just eating healthy?

For the next 30 days I will be following The Paleo Diet, eating only LEAN MEATS, VEGETABLES, FRUITS, and NUTS. This means NO alcohol, NO sugar or sweets, NO processed food, NO grains, NO peanut butter or peanut products, and NO dairy. Obviously this will be a true challenge for me considering I love chocolate, I love milk cheese bread and all dairy products, and I really love condiments like ketchup and A1. However, the plan is to cleanse my body and go through a complete detox. After studying nutrition this semester and joining Cross Fit Ocean City I have found a new passion, health & wellness!

The outcomes of eating healthy and exercising are far more than just looking good on the outside and feeling good on the inside. Long term benefits such as reduced chances of cardiovascular disease, decreased blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduced bone and joint problems, and so much more are present. I can read all the books and research I want but I will not truly know the effects of nutrition on my own life until I do it myself.

I have never followed any type of eating plan and although I am not extremely unhealthy I am the typical 23 year old graduate student. My diet could use some serious work which is why I was excited when Cross fit announced this 30 day Spring Challenge.

There are many studies out there that show a healthy nutrient filled diet reduces the symptoms of allergies and asthma. I am praying that I will see this during the next 30 days. I struggle with my allergies and asthma and I just hope that by cutting some of the crap and poison in my diet there will be relief. I sure I will have success stories to tell when it is all said and done but I also no that it will be extremely challenging for me. This is why I want to blog my next 30 days. By writing and expressing what is going on and by documenting the changes I see in myself I will be able to look back on it and see the outcomes.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

:) h