Paleo Challenge: Day 2

Breakfast

I was pleasantly surprised to wake up to the smell of BACON! Josh had gone to the gym early, and cleaned the kitchen and cooked breakfast while C and I were still snoozing. I had brewed a cup of coffee the night before, mixed in a packet of stevia, and stuck it in the fridge. I had iced coffee with some almond milk mixed in for my breakfast. Next time I'll only use half the packet of stevia - that stuff is super sweet!

 

The bacon was super crispy... some of it was close to pork rinds! Ha! We ate it all, though... so it must not have been too bad!

After breakfast I got in the kitchen and started food prep for the week. While I was cooking these two were playing and watching the final heats of the CrossFit Regional events that were going on this weekend.

Fruit Salad
This fruit salad is so easy and delicious. Our friend Savanna makes it for our family get-togethers and I figured it would keep well through the first part of the week - if it lasts that long! Pick berries and fruits you like, mix them in a large bowl with the juice of one lime and a couple tablespoons of honey! Easy!

 

Veggies
I cut up some veggies to have for snacks throughout the week. Celery, cucumbers, and baby carrots are ready to go in the fridge to top salads or snack on!

 

Fudge Babies

Fudge Babies are like Larabar balls. They're really easy in terms of low ingredients, but be ready to get your hands dirty!

Chicken Salad & Paleo Mayo

I got tired of the chicken salad I normally make with balsamic, honey, grapes, and walnuts, and opted for this Curry Chicken Salad instead. I modified mine - recipe below!

Curry Chicken Salad
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (boiled, drained, and torn into small pieces)
Paleo mayo (I used the majority of the recipe below, but had a little leftover, depends on how creamy you like it! Recipe I used below)
Raw cashews (chopped, I used about half a cup)
Raisins (small handful)
Celery (diced, about half a cup)
2 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 Tsp ground ginger
1/4 Tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Mix it all together and enjoy!

Paleo Mayo
1 large egg (bring to room temperature)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/4 cup light tasting olive oil
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt

Bring egg to room temperature. In blender or food processor blend egg, 1/4 cup of oil, lemon juice, mustard, and salt until combined. Then, very slowly drizzle the remaining cup of oil in. Should take 2-3 minutes. If you go too fast it won't combine properly. Mayo expires when your eggs expire - so make a note!

Egg Muffins

These go quickly in my house... that guy I live with likes them a lot. I made 20 muffins this time, and they are just plain - egg, sausage, salt, pepper, and a little cayenne. No frills!

After I finshed my food prep, we went to the gym. Josh was doing this workout and I decided to join him:

1 mile run

60 pull-ups

1 mile run

I ran my mile in 9:15. At about my 20th pull-up (on the red band) I felt a really weird pull in my lower abdomen. Really awkward area to strain when doing an upper body intensive movement... so I can't figure out if it's muscle or something else. Mandy said it could have been from holding my breath.... which I tend to do on pull-ups. I finished 30 pull-ups so I'd have completed at least half of the workout, and by then it was so bad that I couldn't stand up straight and it was making me dizzy. We shall see how I feel tomorrow.

Dinner
Mom cooked us dinner, like she normally does on Sundays. I had thrown a pack of chicken tenderloins in some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano before we headed over there so my dad could put them on the grill with the other chicken.We had grilled chicken breasts, and a ton of grilled veggies: cabbage, banana peppers, squash, and scallion. Everything but the cabbage was fresh from their garden and it was delicious! I snagged some jalapenos she'd picked for a recipe I'm making Tuesday. BONUS - she sent me home with some watermelon and leftovers from dinner!!!

Paleo Challenge: Day 1

Day 1... already feeling the withdrawals. Weighed (168) and took pictures this morning to get a baseline. I really have no specific goal in mind with this challenge, but will document the results for those curious. I have no "magic" number of pounds I'm trying to drop. I'd love to see some belly fat go, and increased performance would be awesome. So, with that said... here was my food for the day.

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs fried in coconut oil, unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon

Snack: after I worked out, I stopped by my mom's to get C, and scarfed some watermelon she had in the fridge.

"Lunch": I had not been grocery shopping yet, and paleo options were limited to say the least. Lunch was a banana, a spoonful of almond butter, and a spoonful of honey.

Snack: I had a few dates here and there because I was STARVING.

Dinner: we went to Cracker Barrel and I had the grilled chicken tenders with turnip greens and a plain sweet potato. Nom nom nom. Those biscuits sure are hard to resist :(

Snack: I had a really bad headache because I had not had any caffeine all day, so after we got home from grocery shopping I made an iced coffee with almond milk and half a pack of stevia.

 

"Lunch" was pathetic

 

 

 Before & After

 

Now my fridge, freezers, and pantry are filled with delicious paleo options. My heart is happy and I'll sleep well (especially with the storm rolling in!). Tomorrow after church and our workout I'll do some food prep for the week. Stay tuned!

Life as we know it....

Wow! Time flies when you're busy! And we. Are. Busy. Here are some happenings since mid-April:

Carter

 

- Newest obsession is the Avengers

 

 

- Talking up a storm

 

 

- Almost walking

 

- Got dedicated on Mother's Day

 

 

- Loves CrossFit

 

 

Josh

 

- Attended an Outlaw Training Camp in Atlanta

 

 

- Coaching the competition team at CFI

 

- Competed at "Ends of the Earth Showdown" in Gardendale, AL (and placed 3rd!) 

 

 

CFI Athletes representing!

 

 

Devan

 

- Went to the beach

 

- Became the Event Coordinator for CFI & helped put on Hero 4 Heroes - CFI's first competition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Officially received notice of furlough... or as I prefer to call it... "pool days." I'll have one day off a week starting sometime in July!

 

Upcoming in the Piatt world for the month of June:

- I plan to blog a lot more often. Starting tomorrow.

- Tomorrow is the start of CFI's June Paleo Challenge. I'm hoping to udpate the blog with recipes and progress throughout the 30 day contest.

- The 8th is the March of Dimes' River Region March for Babies! We have a team - "Carter's Love" - and are looking forward to our friends and family walking with us in honor of babies across America that are born too early or with birth defects like C.

- Josh is getting USA Weightlifting certified this month. He has a passion for lifting heavy things, and wants to learn how to do it most efficiently and effectively... as well as how to coach others to do the same!

- The Girls - a Garage Game Series competition. I can't wait to watch that guy I live with compete in this one. He talked about doing it last year, but we were unable to make it. This year it's bigger, better, and in a different month. We're excited to make the trip to GA, and represent CFI!

- Lots of pool time. We got C in the pool Monday during our Memorial Day bash and he LOVED it! It's still a little chilly, but should be warming up soon - the Alabama summer is in full swing!

- Books. I want to read more books! I used to read at least a book every week or so. I couldn't tell you the last book I finished. I think it was over Christmas "break"... whatever it was. Monday I started the final book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris (the basis for the HBO hit True Blood) and I'm hoping to finish it by Sunday night. Finishing a book in a week would give me some kind of hope that it can be done! lol Wish me luck.

Help me out with some prayer requests!:

- You may have seen my facebook posts - my friend (and prior cheerleading coach) Mrs Debbie, lost her daughter, Jada, this past week to cystic fibrosis. Jada fought long and hard, and was waiting on lungs. She's now breathing easy! Please say a prayer for the family and friends as they adjust to life without Jadabug.

- Another recent loss of life was my tiny cousin - Chase. My cousin, Michelle, and her husband live near St Louis and her twins were born very early. Please keep Michelle and her family in your prayers as they grieve, and also as they continue to be strong for their little Evan as he is still in the NICU.

- Please continue prayers for our OEIS friend, Carter Cline! He's making huge strides in the right direction, and I can't wait for Meagan to post that they're heading back to Mississippi with a smiling, healthy boy!

- And finally, Carter-man. He's doing pretty well lately... we recently switched antibiotics and so far so good - no UTI. After battling back-to-back UTIs for nearly 2 months, this is a good sign. Pray that his iron stores will stay high (we have our last infusion scheduled for July), his creatinine will stay within normal range, and his weight will continue to increase.

And I'll leave you with this verse:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

 

 

Slow & Steady

Oh, HEY! It's been a while....

I came across this picture today... it's a doozy.

It made me think about how much I've changed over the last 3+ years.

May 10, 2012 - Pre-pregnancy weight of 150 lbs

December 18, 2011 - 1 month before delivery

January 9, 2011 - 2 days before I delivered. This is what 235 lbs looks like on me.

February 6, 2011 - 1 month post-delivery. 210 lbs.

May 28, 2011 - almost 5 months post-delivery. 190 lbs.

December 2011 - almost 1 year post-delivery. 183 lbs.

September 29, 2012 - after I started CrossFit in July. 163 lbs.

March 31, 2013 - And NOW at around 160... and STRONG!

It didn't happen over night - it was slow & steady. I started with my diet by counting calories, and then I was introduced to clean eating. I started running, then I decided to try CrossFit. Through CrossFit, I was introduced to Paleo eating and Advocare supplements. These three things - CrossFit, Paleo, and Advocare - have been essential to maintaining and fueling my machine. I had to double check when I saw that my weight had not really changed from this time last year, however, my friends can tell you that there is a definite difference between my 163 last year as compared to my 163 this year. My body is the same weight, but it's muscle mass and capacity is completely different.

Moms - don't get discouraged. It took 9 months to get there, and the weight won't come off over night. Hard work and dedication go a long way. Recruit your family to hold you accountable. Figure out what motivates you and surround yourself with positive things. If you have a hard time resisting temptation, steer clear of those things that tempt you most! Set clear goals and reward yourself when you achieve them! And most importantly, if you need a friend to keep you motivated and accountable, get in touch with ME! :)

Consider it pure joy!

I've had one of those weekends where you go to bed on Sunday feeling super accomplished and full of joy. My house is the cleanest it's been in three months, my fridge is full of healthy food, my body is on the mend (I hope) from walking pneumonia, and I have the happiest, craziest little boy on the planet.

I've been busy in the kitchen all weekend doing food prep for the week to keep us from stopping for fast food and eating out. I even projected a loose, month long meal plan so when I went grocery shopping on base with mom I could stock up on meats and pantry items. Score!

Some of my accomplishments:

Cooked Crockpot Beef Ribs for dinner Saturday night. Delicious! We had banana, peanut butter, dark chocolate soft serve for dessert.

Made some Paleo mayo, and then made chicken salad with it. It has seeded grapes in it. Which I bought on accident. You know how long it takes to half and seed a cup of grapes? As long as it takes to run a load of clothes through the gentle cycle.

Finally perfected the grain free English muffin.

Rearranged my supplement cabinet, C's medicine cabinet, and the spices/oils/vinegars cabinet (not pictured).

Made egg muffins for that guy.

Cut up a butternut squash. Twice. Which I'm counting as a workout. There's a reason they sell those suckers pre-cut.

And! C gave me a tiny shiner when he threw Josh's phone at my face Saturday night. Yay for rough little boys!

Pretending to be sweet...



To end, I'll hit you with my next verse. I'm behind, but I'll just do this as I'm able... to keep myself memorizing Scripture more frequently!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance!

James 1:2-3

Trials are compliments from God... He's letting us know that we're strong and able - we just have to realize that, which is hard when you're in the weeds of the situation. Remember to take a step back and thank Him for the ability to overcome! That's where we find our strength.

2013 Scripture Challenge: Verse 2

My next verse is important. I may be dealing with a lot of change in the coming months at work, and I needed this today while searching for the perfect verse to memorize.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Who am I to disobey God's commandment? He orders me to be STRONG. He wants me to be courageous. He wants me to face this obstacle and overcome it. And the best part - He promises He'll be right there beside me.

2013 Scripture Challenge

Shannon found this awesome challenge from Beth Moore to memorize two verses a month for the duration of 2013. I'm going to attempt it. I'll post them on the blog to help keep me accountable. I'm using one of her recommendations for the first verse:

You crown the year with Your bounty, and Your carts overflow with abundance.

 

Psalm 65:11 (NIV)

What a great verse to kick off the new year! Comment if you'll join me in this challenge!