Things That Make Me Ralph

1. Soggy salad/lettuce.
2. Banana strings.
3. Chicken after 58 days of chicken (not there yet, but waiting for it).
4. Dairy that has even thought about or tiptoed near the expiry date.

Recipe: Maple Salmon & Roasted Asparagus

Easy recipes that are healthy are absolutely key to eating well. So I'll try to keep track of the ones I love here! This is so easy, very few ingredients and just pop in the oven.

Maple Salmon:

 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/maple-salmon/

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound salmon

1. Mix ingredients. Pour over salmon. Leave for 30 minutes in the fridge to marinate.

2. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Put salmon in oven for 20 minutes.

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (227 g) trimmed asparagus
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp lemon juice

1. Trim asparagus, toss with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

2. Put in the same oven as the salmon (400 degrees) for about the same time (20 mins).

3. Sprinkle with lemon juice when it comes out.

Annnnnd dinner.

Okay I Was Totally Hiding

Here's the thing. I finished up the last four weeks of our twelve week program with a definite whimper. I did go the entire program without missing a workout (6 days a week for 12 weeks), but the food, oh geez the food.

It wasn't good.

Then it was Christmas, and post-program T and I are almost always out of control. It is very not good. SO.

Final Stats:

Weight Lost - 9.4 pounds. Of which I am back up six to 149 (*string of curse words*).

It's disheartening to say the least. We're back into it now, not with a set program, but with the goal of redoing out sprint tri in May, and completing an Olympic distance a few months later. I'm hoping that by focusing on a fitness goal rather than a loss, I'll have better results. Food continues to frustrate me.

Day 28: 5 Tips For Choosing Protein Powders

Hurray and huzzah!

Let's talk a bit about protein powder. I wasn't a big fan of including protein powder meal replacements in my plan because I believe eating whole food is usually better for you. However, there are a few points to consider when selecting a product that can make it work for you. P.S. I am not a nutritionist, I just play one on the internet.

1. Use
What are you trying to achieve? Do you want a meal replacement or a meal additive? For a meal replacement, you'll need to have a protein and carb component, but an additive (as in, you're making protein bars, muffins, ice cream, whatever) can (and probably should) be straight up protein.

2. Goals
Are you trying to cut weight? Put weight on? Where do you lack in your daily macros? If you find you're often over on carbs, make sure your supplement doesn't have too high of a carb count. If you find you can never hit your protein levels, look for products that will help you achieve your numbers. Is your diet low in carb? High in protein? Balanced? I recommend breaking out a day's worth of food on a tracker program like MyFitnessPal.com so you can see which products will work best with your eating habits.

3. Preferences
I am very sensitive to consistency. A powder that doesn't dissolve well is not for me. Also, consider what you're mixing it with; if you plan to mix with milk, the taste may be masked somewhat, but in water, all you're going to taste is the powder flavour. I hate the taste of artificial sweeteners, so I look for products that don't use aspartame, sorbitol, or sugar alcohols (or that are at least low in them).

4. Sensitivities
I'm lactose-intolerant (or sensitive, or something), so I look for powders that are low in lactose. Based on trial and error, I know I have trouble with whey protein unless it's an isolate or isolate-blend.

5. Don't Switch Unless You Have To
I learned this one this week. I switched flavours (not even brands) and hated the new one. Once you find a brand and flavour that works for you, only switch if something changes, or you get so sick of it you can't stomach having it anymore. Ideally, your supplement provider will let you test out the flavours in store before you buy (like Reflex does) or have a good return policy (like GNC does).

If you're curious, I currently use the BSN Syntha-6 powder as a meal replacement in the Chocolate Milkshake flavour and GNC Whey Iso-Burst in French Vanilla for making protein bars/ice cream (apparently this product is no longer on their site?).

Day 18: Does Living Clean Mean No Social Life?

Yesterday we went to a dinner party at our friends' new house. This is one of the hardest parts about living clean: socializing. It was a BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat) barbecue, so I could control that. I offered to bring salad, so I could control that. But when you're actually there and the lovely hosts have out snack food and keep offering you wine, beer, whatever you like, it's hard. Really hard. And these are people who get being on a clean living streak - she was until very recently a national level athlete. But even the people who get it can't make it easy you on. It takes a lot of dedication and, to be honest, deciding on an acceptable level of cheating.

We went and I did not have a drink. I ate the food I had brought with me, in the portions I had planned, but I did have probably five tortilla chips with the guacamole the hostess made. Not exactly on script, but I did manage to avoid dessert.

Just have to keep on truckin'

No-Carb/Low-Carb Meals That I Actually Like

I'm going to keep a running list here. Add yours in the comments!

1. Tuna salad with cucumber slices as "scoops".
2. Taco-less Taco salad - lettuce with taco seasoned beef, chopped tomatoes, sour cream (or sub shredded cheese).
3. Bunless hamburger - Hamburger (or bison or turkey or chicken etc.) patty plus all the non-carb fixins' (tomato, cheese, mayo, avocado, pickles, onion, etc.)
4. Guacamole or hummus with cut up peppers, cucumber, or carrots to dip.
5. Raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Delicious and snackerish.
6. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/buttery-catfish-in-a-creamy-shallot-sauce/
7. http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/paleoprimal-recipe-coconut-almond-chicken/

*Yawn* *Stretch* How Was Your Week?

Ahhhh…that was a great week off.

I took the past week to "reboot" my training initiative after the tri. Instead, I focused on things like relaxing, and committing to a real plan-ahead-big-girl meal plan. Not in the sense of restricting foods – just a challenge to be a bit more organized and mindful of what we're eating and when. It's as much a money-saving plan as anything; when I don't plan meals, I don't buy all the ingredients I'll need, and then we just go out for food. Delicious, but pricey.

Alternatively, I buy a bunch of food that doesn't really translate to whole meals as well as it could. It's like buying all separate pieces for a wardrobe without ever considering what you could wear that shirt with. You'll still have clothes on, but it could be much more efficiently executed.

I find that having a meal plan helps me relax, because even if I don't make that EXACT MEAL on that EXACT DAY, I know I have two weeks' (in my case) worth of meals that I can swap around based on what I feel like eating that day. I also find it de-stressing to know that I won't be wasting as much food as I normally do (forgotten roasts that end up freezer burned, veggies that end up rotting in the fridge because I didn't realize they were there).

As for what I'm eating, I'm trying to cultivate a healthier approach to food in general. I've found that adding in "good" fats has really helped me to find that balance. I'm fuller longer, and I can be more sensible in my other choices because I'm not crashing. It's one great takeaway from the great no-carb fest.

Some of the foods I used to avoid like the plague because they were fatty and now I eat and love GUILT FREE:

Nuts – I don't eat these often, mostly because I was raised in a NUTSAREEVILKILLTHEM household. Also, sometimes they make my mouth itchy.

Seeds – Raw pumpkin seeds are AWESOME.

Cheese – I eat this in moderation mostly because sometimes dairy makes my stomach swell until I look eight months pregnant. Not pretty.

Cream – That's right; 18% cream in my coffee every morning. I can hear the shocked whispers. You'll get fat! Use skim milk! Scary fake creamers! ANYTHING BUT FATTY FATTY CREAM!

Here's the thing. Cream has less milk sugar than skim milk. When I use cream, I'm fuller, longer. And when I use cream, it's enough flavour that I don't need to add sugar to my coffee. And less sugar is good in my book.

Whole eggs instead of just always the whites – I still eat egg whites some mornings, but if I want a whole egg, I go for it.

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar as salad dressing – it's delicious. And filling. And it makes my coat glossy.

The other take-aways from the big bad diet have been that veggies are delicious and every meal doesn't need a carb to be complete. If you hate "diets," consider challenging yourself to have a veggie at every meal. You'll be surprised how it fills you up and helps you avoid making less healthy decisions.

Making an omelette in the morning? Toss in some chopped peppers and tomatoes. Throw together a green salad for lunch (they make them premade in plastic containers now, how hard is that?), and make sure you have a seasonal veg with dinner (seasonal means cheaper, generally better tasting, and it will ensure that you don't just eat carrots with every meal!).

Hopefully, we can think about food more in yum, this makes me feel good way, rather than a guilt-induced panic over the piece of bread you had earlier (oh…is that just me?).

Setting a new training plan from now until I go home for a visit. Details to follow!

P.S. I made this recipe yesterday and it was delicious. Slow cookers are AWESOME.

Apparently I'm An Indoor Cat

So running outside? Nothing like running inside.

Granted, this was only my second run outside this season, and my first attempt at the course for the triathlon. Also, I'm back on the no-carb because I'm a sadist it's the only way I seem to lose weight.

Reasons Why Running Outside Currently Sucks

1. I feel very, very slow.

2. My stride seems to go straight to hell. Shuffle run, anyone?

3. There are CARS.

4. There are PEOPLE in those cars. And they are looking at me shuffle run my big bum around.

5. I can't zone out the way I can when I'm running around an indoor track (sort of like a greyhound if a greyhound took a lot of sedatives).

6. The tri route starts 2.5km from my house. If I walk there and back, that's another hour added on to my workout.

7. I can't calculate my distances as accurately as I can inside. I like my numbers, even if they don't like me.

Reasons Why Running Outside Doesn't Suck

1. Fresh air! Sunshine!

2. I have to use different muscles since the terrain and elevation changes.

I think it's going to take some getting used to, this running outside business. I can only hope it kicks in before the race next month.

Day Five: I Feel Shitty, Oh So Shitty

Yesterday was a very bad day. I feel awful all the time; my stomach constantly hurts and the very thought of food makes me retch. My workouts have slowed considerably (15% slower than I've ever been in the pool for yesterday's swim) and are torturous to get through. Instead of feeling strong, it's like my body has given up. My muscles won't respond enough to even get me to the point of feeling out of breath.

I didn't end up eating dinner last night because I just couldn't look at food. So I had a glass of wine instead (on what planet is this a good plan?!) and went to bed at 9:30pm. I woke up at 7am and could have easily slept more. Tom passed out even earlier than I did.

According to the plan, after today everything is supposed to suddenly be sunshine and rainbows, so we'll see. The only reason I'm still doing it is because my weight has dropped, and even though I shouldn't care about that number, I'm curious to see how low it can go in two weeks.

FOOD FOR TODAY:

Breakfast - Egg white omelette with cinnamon

Snack – CURSE YOU CELERY AND CREAM CHEESE

Lunch – Tuna salad with cucumber slices

Snack – Turkey/chicken "pepperoni" sticks and cheddar cheese

Dinner – Ham and roasted acorn squash "mashed potatoes"

EXERCISE:

39km bike ride (recumbent) (hold me).

Day Three: No Carbs Make E3 Something Something

Yesterday after posting, the day was filled with exhaustion. I could barely see straight; everything seemed to swim a little. I went and did my run, but it was slow and every step felt so heavy. Today, I hit a new low for confusion. I got to work and my stomach was killing me, burning. I couldn't figure it out until I realized I had made breakfast and left it at home, uneaten. Hoo boy. The upside here is that I got Tim Horton's ham breakfast sandwiches (HAMUARY!) and tossed the delicious English muffin they came on (SAD).

From everything I've read, this gets better by about day five. Here's hoping! I weighed myself this morning and I am down five pounds from Monday morning, a lot of which is water weight since I haven't rehydrated adequately since yesterday's run.

FOOD FOR TODAY:

Breakfast - Egg white omelette with cinnamon Tim Horton's Ham Breakfast Sandwich (2) sans English muffin

Snack – Celery and cream cheese

Lunch – Leftover Zucchini Lasagna

Snack – Cashews

Dinner – Chicken wings and carrots

EXERCISE:

Rest Day (Massage!)

The Primal Diet

As requested, here is an explanation of the Paleo PRIMAL Diet. 

Seriously, don't call it Paleo.  It makes you sound like one of those people who uses "whom" at every opportunity to show they know grammar.  Well done, you passed 5th grade English. 

Or who corrects people when they say "expresso" instead of "espresso".  Maybe they need it to GO, jackass.

Okay, now that that's out of the way:

The Primal Diet

The premise of this diet is pretty simple: we should conform our eating habits as closely as possible to what "Grok", our caveman ancestor, would have eaten.  It's fairly intuitive why: we evolved for hundreds of thousands of years as a cave-dwelling, hunter-gatherer and only a few millenia as a mom's-basement-dwelling, Easy-Mac eater. 

Like Kraft Dinner wasn't easy enough?  Stop it you're helping stupid people escape natural selection.

In a nutshell, this is a low carb diet.  Carbohydrates, especially processed grains like wheat, were simply not available to Grok.  Try as he might, he would never have been able to forage more than a tiny fraction of the carbohydrates we typically eat today.

The science seems to back this up, as the primal diet aligns very closely with the low GI diet.  Basically, by avoiding carbs (especially refined carbs and other starches) we avoid a lot of the blood sugar highs and lows that plague so many people.

Under the primal diet, most of your energy comes from fats (about 50%) with about 25% from protein and 25% from carbs (mostly vegetables).  The good news is, you can eat all the fat you want. 

You read that correctly.  OM NOM NOM!

While it sounds counter-intuitive, fat does not actually make you fat.

Say it with me: FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT. 

Fat, like carbs and protein, is just another form of energy for your body.  What makes you fat is an excess of energy.  This is when there is too much glucose in your bloodstream, which sparks higher insulin production.  Insulin is used to store the excess glucose in your muscles and adipose tissue (also known as your love handles).

So, if you want to avoid becoming fat, you need to do two things: avoid excessive calorie intake, and keep your blood sugar levels (and thereby insulin production) stable.

The primal diet does both of these things marvelously.  For one, eating primal foods (like nuts and meat) promotes powerful satiety.  You feel full much faster, making it difficult to overeat.  Also, stop watching Keeping up with Kardashians while you eat.

Second, because protein and fats metabolize much slower than carbs, they do not cause a spike in blood sugar.  No spike in blood sugar means no spike in insulin, which means no fat storage.  And my favourite part: keeping your blood sugar levels from spiking means you don't feel dizzy after eating, and you don't experience a crash followed by excessive hunger even though you just ate two hours ago!

Take it from me: I used to eat every three hours to fight my ravenous hunger.  If I hadn't eat for 4 or 5 I would feel tired and cranky, and, to quote E3, veritably "stabby".  Now I will notice 6 or 7 hours have gone by and I haven't even thought about food.  I never get ravenously hungry and I have no crashes that aren't bike-related!

Some Primal Diet slogans for your amusement: 
* Grok On! 
* Just call me Optimus Primal
* I'm Grok-Orthodox       <----- my favourite

Day 2: Mood – Stabby

So yesterday morning's excitement about being on a new program wore off by about 2pm. I ate far too much cheese because a) it's delicious and b) it's an approved non-carb snack. Tom and I spent the evening alternating between snapping at each other and laughing hysterically at things that weren't THAT funny. Luckily more laughter than snapping; I watched Tom wander aimlessly around the apartment for 15 minutes looking for his shorts, eventually resorting to looking in the linen closet and shouting "I can't think without carbs!". Awesome.

My stomach is angry and the sudden shift into dairy (which I normally avoid for the most part), so hopefully today I can look up some more no-carb options sans cheese. Tom and I are already planning a pancake breakfast for once this horrible experiment is done.

FOOD FOR TODAY:

Breakfast - Egg white omelette with cinnamon

Snack – Celery and cream cheese

Lunch – Leftover Zucchini Lasagna

Snack – Cashews

Dinner – Sashimi

EXERCISE:

10km run (indoors) (hopefully)

It's Okay, I Don't Like Carbs Anyway *SOB*

It's Day One of our 14-Day No Carb Challenge.

Overall, I'm a firm believer in "everything in moderation" when it comes to food. However, Tom and I can't really deny that when we cut refined carbs (breads, sugars, pasta, etc.) we feel better and lose weight. To that end, we are trying a two-week carbohydrate intolerance test, as set out by Phil Maffetone.

To be clear, this is not a diet per se. The site tells you NOT to pursue this meal plan beyond the two week period. It is designed to see how you feel when you completely eliminate carbs (and that includes "good" food, like yogurt and fruit for example). If you feel better after the two weeks, you can slowly reintroduce servings of carbohydrates until you feel poorly again, resulting in a sustainable level of carbs that your body can handle.

FOOD WE CAN'T HAVE:

·         Breads, pastas, sugars, and other refined carbs

·         Fruit

·         Yogurt and skim dairy products

·         Potatoes

·         Corn

·         Rice

·         Beans

FOOD WE CAN HAVE:

·         Eggs

·         Cheese

·         Heavy cream

·         Unprocessed meat

·         Squash, lettuce, carrots, broccoli

·         Nuts, seeds

·         Oils, vinegar, mayo, salsa, mustard

·         Coffee (yay!) and tea

The idea is that by eating full-fat dairy, nuts, cheese, and oils, you'll be fuller longer, and won't crave carbs (we'll see about THAT).

FOOD FOR TODAY:

Breakfast – Two egg omelette with mushrooms

Snack – Celery and cream cheese

Lunch – Grilled chicken salad with oil and vinegar dressing

Snack – Cashews and almonds

Dinner – Low-Carb Lasagna

EDITED BECAUSE I FORGOT - EXERCISE:

26km bike (stationary)

Mission:DIET

I think I've lost the same six pounds at least four times now.

It's frustrating; I go all "MISSION:DIET" for a few weeks, lose those six pounds, and hit the big scary wall of 150lbs. Then, I get frustrated to see the scale not move, or worse, wildly swing up and down from 148 (yay!) to 153 (buh?!).

I recently read Portia de Rossi's book, "Unbearable Lightness". It was a chilling account of how a seemingly healthy diet led to her lowest weight of 82 pounds. But the part that has stuck with me the most is the epilogue, where the author describes her post-recovery life with her wife Ellen Degeneres, and her current relationship with food. She doesn't think about food anymore. Let me repeat that.

She doesn't think about food anymore.

If she wants some ice cream, she eats it. If she feels like celery, she eats it. And she maintains her weight at 130lbs (at 5'7", this is still slim, but more importantly, she feels healthy). Part of the reason I get frustrated about six weeks (or six pounds) into a diet is that I'm exhausted from focusing so much on what I'm eating and when. The focus is often on what I can't have, and it's mentally exhausting. I start to feel like I don't deserve to eat this or that. And I don't think that's a healthy way to think.

My body deserves food – it deserves good food that will help fuel it. That doesn't mean it deserves McDonald's, not because McDonald's is "bad" for me, but because when I eat McDonald's, I feel terrible. Start paying attention to how you feel after any given meal – it's easy to divorce that reaction from what you ate, but I've been trying lately to connect it in a meaningful way. Then, when I'm craving those tasty McNuggets, I think about how I felt after I ate them last time. Is it worth it?

In an effort to break through this plateau, I'm going to try a new approach for this week. Instead of fixating on the food (although I'm still trying to make healthier choices), I'm going to try and burn 3,500 calories this week (or the equivalent of one pound of fat). I don't know how it will affect my weight loss, but at least it might give me a week of mental rest.

Excuses And Stuff (Now With More Crashing!)

So I've been gone for a little while. Ok, a long while. However, I have a (sort of) good excuse.

At the end of January, I was driving my pretty, pretty red Ford Focus down the highway that connects Edmonton to Calgary, on my way to Red Deer for a soccer tournament. It was about 6:30am, it was dark, it was snowy, and, as I quickly learned, it was icy.



My pretty, pretty red Ford Focus, when I bought it.

I was passing a transport truck that was kicking up too much snow for me to see, and I hit black ice. I suddenly found myself trapped upside down in the centre ditch with my car filled with snow. It was fast, violent, and I don't recommend it (for those who were considering it). I was luckily able to crawl out of my window and call for help, and I did walk away from the accident – I was very lucky.

However, this means three things: I had to write off my car, I had to call my parents and tell them, and I ended up with some pretty gnarly back pain as a result. I am fortunate enough that the pain doesn't interfere with my day-to-day life (much) and I rarely have to take painkillers for it (although for the first week, hoo boy was I a friend of the pain pills).

As for the car, I was a little emotional about writing off my old one. It was my first car. It was my pal. It has nice creature comforts like an audio out jack for my iTouch and audio steering controls. It was Megan's (Tom's car) (Yes, as in, Megan Fox) little brother. It had kept me safe in my scary crash. After a couple of weeks of searching, I did find a new car. And yes, I am a creature of habit.

Weigh-In Monday...Err...Whenever I Feel Like It

You can find me over here today (err...recently)


Weight BF % Chest Waist Hips Right Thigh Right Bicep (flexed)
154.3 30.1 37" 33" 41.5" 24.5" 12.5"
148.9 28.5 35" 32.5" 41" 23" 12.5"
150.3 29.0 35" 31" 40.75" 24" 12"
150.8 29.5 35" 31" 40.25" 23" 12"
150.5 29.1 36" 31" 41" 23" 12"

Total Weight Lost: -0.3lbs
Total Inches Lost: +1.75"

The numbers are still pretty steady, but still frustrating. I am trying instead to focus on what HAS changed. Physically, my clothes are starting to fit better which is awesome. My calves and legs in general are starting to gain definition. And on Tuesday, I had a great game with Fusion. All of these are positives that I am choosing to think about, rather than get bummed over the numbers. Ommm...

Weigh-In Monday #4 - Stuck At 150

Weight BF % Chest Waist Hips Right Thigh Right Bicep (flexed)
154.3 30.1 37" 33" 41.5" 24.5" 12.5"
148.9 28.5 35" 32.5" 41" 23" 12.5"
150.3 29.0 35" 31" 40.75" 24" 12"
150.8 29.5 35" 31" 40.25" 23" 12"

Total Weight Lost: +0.5lbs
Total Inches Lost: -1.5"

Yikes, weight plateaus suck.

ZOMG That's Healthy!

Sometime over the past year, my most favouritest recipe site Recipezaar.com was bought out or possibly won over a foolish ultimate frisbee bet. All I know is that now it is called food.com and is a giant pain in the ass to navigate and is constantly giving me HTTP errors when I am trying to do something so offensive as save recipes to my profile (the nerve I have!). To that end, I'm starting a segment called "ZOMG That's Healthy! Recipes" (name inspired by my Lil' Sister).

Recipe The First: Tom's Tasty Breakfast Pancake

3/4 cup Quaker oats

1/2 cup egg whites

1/2 cup milk (or milk alternative)

Cinnamon (to taste)

Nutmeg (to taste)

A sprinkle of brown sugar (if you want to be a little bad)

*You'll probably want to play with the quantities to get it right for you and how much pancake you want to eat in the morning (does that sound dirty?)*


1. Combine ingredients in a bowl the night before (probably at 1:30am because you're busy playing video games).

2. Put bowl in fridge. Go to sleep. Snore and steal all blankets.

3. Stumble out of bed after alarm goes off for the third time. Dump contents of bowl in small frying pan and set on medium heat. Wander off until you smell burning, or until you can use a spatula under the edges of pancake and it doesn't call apart. Flip. Cooking time will depend on how big your pancake is (I can hear LiLu saying "TWSS").

4. Eat. Don't be hungry again for at least an hour if you're Tom, never be hungry again if you're me (hooray!).

I'm On To You, Girl Guides

Look down, now back up at me, where am I? I'm over here at In It To Gym It.

*****************************

Tomorrow is Cookie Day at Sears. If you've never heard of it, you're not alone. Apparently, the solution to people who want to buy Girl Guide cookies but don't know/live near any child hocking lovingly selling them. Clearly this is an offensive play by the Universe to sabotage my diet. CLEARLY.

As a general rule, I don't bring anything I can't eat into the house. I also don't bring in anything sharp if I can help it, but that's neither here nor there. My willpower starts and quickly ends at the purchasing part of the equation; once it's accessible, it's going to get eaten.

My one bizarre exception is if I buy something sweet, then put it in the freezer. There, it's almost helpful to the diet. It's a strange comfort to know I have a tasty treat stowed away (perhaps I am part squirrel?) and I have caught myself saying "I don't need to buy this, I already have cookies in the freezer!"

So I'll have to decide if Girl Guide cookies will be my cool minty comfort food. Especially because I want to have them around for Christmas this year.