Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Bear is Back!

I cannot believe it's been almost a month since I posted last! So much has happened in the last month and I sincerely apologize for being such a slacker! After the 30-Day Paleo Challenge, I was so proud of myself for going an entire month without one bite of non-paleo food, but I thoroughly enjoyed the pie on Thanksgiving :) I overdid it, as expected. 


I'm in the middle of another Paleo Challenge at the moment; even though I'll be eating this way for the foreseeable future and it's no longer a short term adventure, it is still a challenging lifestyle and I've earned the right to call it whatever I want. My BFF, Crystal, is doing it with me this time and she is kicking ass! Our birthdays are quickly approaching at the end of the month and we are eating German chocolate cake for breakfast. Seriously.

Other things that have happened recently:
  • I got 30 consecutive double unders!
  • Crystal and I did 100 burpees for time (10:29).
  • I did the dreaded Filthy Fifty for the first time.
  • I got my first hand tear doing toes to bar :\
  • I started taking creatine.
  • I cooked my very first turkey.
  • My baby sister came home from Basic!
  • I'm getting NASM certified in February!! 
Obviously, everything has been going very well :) I'm extremely excited about the last event; if everything goes as planned, I'll start taking clients within the next 2 months. Lots of studying and shadowing work ahead of me, but I can't wait to start changing some lives through fitness! 

My workouts are still kicking my ass; I was so pleased with the results I saw from strictly following my gym's programming that I decided to continue doing so. A lot of our athletes are preparing for the Reebok CrossFit Open, so most of our workouts have been pretty simple movements at painfully high volumes (100 overhead squats for time was delicious). 

Nutrition wise, things are about the same as they were during the Challenge. I basically eat the same thing on a daily basis because it's easy, it tastes good, and I'm not bored with anything yet. I eat a lot of turkey, cucumbers, and avocado lately...such a delicious combo :) The "challenge" for me this month was incorporating portion control; I have been taking the Zone-Paleo approach. So I'm still eating Paleo foods, but I measure everything according to The Zone Diet's macronutrient breakdown. I haven't seen a huge difference since adding in this new element, but I've definitely cut down my peanut butter consumption from about 4 Tbsp. to maybe 2 tsp. Sad, but necessary. I'll give you guys some more information about my decision in going Zone-Paleo in my next post.

I really hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the holiday season! It is definitely the hardest time to stay on top of your nutrition and consistent exercise, but it's also the most important time. If you are occasionally eating Christmas cookies or yummy comfort foods, it's crucial that you don't skip your workouts! Here's what helps me stay on track when I want to go Santa status on some of my momma's cookies:
  • Smell cookies, but don't eat them. I know how creepy and socially awkward this is, but it really helps me to not eat bad foods. I can enjoy how they smell for an hour if I want, but eating it only gives you seconds of enjoyment. 
  • Pick one cheat day for the holidays. One day of eating what you like isn't going to undo all of the hard work that you put in. Eating garbage on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, the day of your work's holiday party, and the day your mom bakes Christmas cookies is going to negate your effort for the month. Especially if you go hardcore cookie monster like I would. Pick the day that means the most to you. I've chosen my birthday (the 29th) to eat what I'd like because I'm 21 and this bitch wants to get drunk. Yes, this means that I will be bringing a lunch box to Christmas dinner in order to avoid the ham, mashed potatoes, and PIE. 
  • Getting a lot of goodies from people at work? A trainer I work with brought me pumpkin cookies with homemade cream cheese frosting. Pumpkin anything is my weakness. Solution: freeze them until your designated cheat day. You'll be able to enjoy them just as much then and since they're in the freezer, there is no chance of impulse eating. Unless you're really dedicated to cheating.
  • If you're considering cheating, eat something healthful that you enjoy (apple & almond butter for me), drink a few glasses a water, and reassess your desire to cheat. You'll find that after you've eaten, you may still want a hunk of cake, but you probably wouldn't sell your first born for a bite now that you've addressed your hunger.
  • Let's face reality here; it's the holidays and perfection is probably out of reach...if you slip up, accept it. Don't eat one cookie and tell yourself "well asshole, you already ate one...you might as well eat the whole tin." Wrong mindset. Surround your cheat food with nutritious food to get back into your routine and avoid the cookie monster syndrome. And go work out! Not only will it help with the guilty, chocolate chipy felling in your stomach, but it'll obviously burn some calories. 
With that said, I'm very glad to be back to my blog. I hope everyone has a great holiday season!! 

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