Positively Pumped!!

I've been cooped up for the past 5 days.  Correction...  I boarded a plane Friday morning at 7 a.m. by the time I arrived at my layover in Atlanta I was close to passing out.  Two hours later I finally arrived in Sarasota feeling like death warmed over.  Luckily my two closest friends were there to pick me up at the airport.  By Saturday morning I was in tears because my body ached so bad.  After going to Urgent Care we decided to pack up the car and drive back home.  I knew there was no way I could fly again.  I then spent the next four days doing absolutely nothing.  Not really the way I had planned my Florida vacation... or the ringing in of the New Year.  So no matter how awful my weekend/vacation was..... None of this has gotten me down!!

I can't wait for this upcoming year!!  I mean I am SUPER STOKED about it!!!  Generally speaking I have always been someone who loathes the winter months.  To the point depression starts to sink in, but I don't feel this way at all.  And I really haven't felt this way in two years.  Why?  Because I made some major changes in my life.  Choices.  I choose to be healthy.  I choose to be physically fit.  I choose to hang out with some awesome people.  I choose...  no one else.

So what's on the books already for 2013?
January:  Month of Crossfit!!... In addition to my usual workouts I have signed up for the Garage Games.  Also during this month our gym has several teams competing in the Barbell Blitz.  I will be heading down to Covington to cheer them on with some friends.  We will also be measuring ourselves and taking pics the first week of January to measure our successes this year.  I know, it's like I'm sick, but I seriously can't wait for this month to get started and going!  
February:  CRUISE baby!!!!  I will be cruising with a few of my close friends to the Bahamas.  We did this two years ago and let's just say everyone on that ship knew who we were by the time we departed.  Not so sure if that's something to be proud of, but MAN we had a great time!  Followed later in the month by Ladies Night at the house with the CCF Ladies (and now you all know this is coming).  
March:  Did someone say Crossfit Open?!?!  The Open is five weeks of competing with fellow crossfitters in your gym.  It is AH-MAZING!  It doesn't matter what level you are, you can do this! Everyone cheers one another on and the excitement in the gym is like nothing you can imagine.  And let's not forget my annual run in the Harrigan's 5K.  Hoping to beat last year's time.  
April:  Hello Spring... nuff said.... and this leads into summer... boating... sunshine... etc....

As you can see, the months are jammed packed!  But they will be so much fun and they will fly by.  I can't wait to spend them with awesome people who are nothing but encouraging!!  What does this mean to you?  If you're finding yourself negative or down in the dumps - change your setting!  You have the choice to choose who you hang around, where you put your energy, and how you feel.  Only you.  You don't have to do crossfit, but find that "thing" that gets you motivated every single day.  Find people who encourage you every single day.  Don't accept less for yourself.  Now go out and be positive!!

Game On!

It all starts this Wednesday.  A nutrition challenge at Centerville Crossfit.  There are two things that force me to commit to something:  1)  Money and 2) the word "challenge".  Any time I part with my hard earned cash I expect a return on investment.  So if I pay big money for jeans, I had better look darn good in them!  And I am always up for a challenge.  I have never been able to mentally understand those people who don't like challenges.  Is it laziness?  So confusing to me....

Anyways, I have pretty much lived my life this past year eating the standard Paleo way.  Over the past 3-4 months I have slipped to about 80/20 on this.  Okay, okay, let's be honest, it's probably more like 70/30.  There is something about going to a lake every weekend and eating pizza, chips, drinking beer, etc... that I just can't say no too.  But the lake house is officially closed and it's time for hibernation to begin.  And by hibernation I mean cooking and food prepping on Sundays, working out 3-4 days a week, and vacationing to some place warm at least 2-3 times during the winter.  

I went ahead and started prepping yesterday for this week.  I know the challenge doesn't start until Wednesday, but why wait?  Pictured above are the precooked bacon egg biscuits.  These have diced onions and tomatoes on the bottom with salt and pepper on top.  I went ahead and cooked these and just warmed them up this morning for breakfast.  While the oven was warm I cooked the whole remaining pound of bacon on a sheet pan.  I can pretty much eat bacon cold, warm, or scorching hot.    

Other items I made on Sunday:  

• Browned some ground turkey and added taco seasonings with a can of diced tomatoes (think Rotel, only I'm cheap and buy mine at Aldi's)  I will use this in lettuce wraps with some guac.  It's also good tossed in with eggs.
• Marinated pork loin.  This sucker is going to last me all week.  Random strangers are going to receive some pork loin by Wednesday.  
• Cut up vegetables for quick cooking and/or snacking.
• I will be making Fruit N Nut Bars tonight to hopefully help with my sweet tooth.

It's really day 1 for me and just knowing that I'm not suppose to eat sugary yummy food is making me want it more.  And the fact is I'm pretty good at making Paleo dessert type foods to get me by.  A whole month of no honey might just kill me.  Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating, but you just never know.

Breakdown of today so far:

• Woke up at 6:30am.
• Ate two bacon and egg biscuits at 7:30am.
• Got to work at 8am
• Met with Chiropractor at 10am (this is a whole other post... grrrr)
• 12:30 lunch:  Two burgers with lettuce and onion.  Not the greatest choice, but we eat lunch out daily and todays choice was the Fried Food Capitol of Moraine, Ohio called Treasure Island.
• Tonight I will be walking on the treadmill (again.... grrrr!!!) due to my back being all out of whack.  Dinner will be either the pork loin or the browned beef.  I'm leaning towards the pork loin with some grilled veggies.

Day 18 of 50 - Serious cravings today

I'm having a strange day.  I'm craving everything.  I haven't had cravings like this in over a month.  For some reason the thought of laying on my couch in comfy sweats with a Reese's peanut butter cup sundae just sounds divine.  But I'm also remembering the after effects of that:  stomach pains, immediate tiredness, racing to the bathroom before my gut explodes (don't you just love visuals?), should I go on?

Another thing getting me through, I received an email today telling us that our halfway measurements will be taken on the 29th.  Halfway?!  It's hard to believe that we're almost halfway through this.  This is reason number, okay I don't have a number, but this is just one of the reasons I love Centerville CrossFit.  During this Paleo 50 Day Challenge we will be having a workout together followed by a catered meal, during our halfway check-in we will be hearing about the ease of shopping for paleo foods with snacks, and at the end there will be a group dinner to award the winners.  (Winners are chosen based on least cheats, measurements, total weight loss, and I think most dramatic change from before and after pictures.)  The group atmosphere and camaraderie at CF is like no other.  Through all my bitching and moaning before, during, and after a workout... I truly do love going.

So how will I combat my cravings?  Thinking almond butter and a banana.  Or maybe some super dark chocolate with almond butter.  Then again, this may pass by the time I get home.  Hopefully.

Oh, and here's an updated pic of me from NYC this past weekend.  I have about 20 more pounds to go, but I really do feel so much better now that I eat paleo.  And of course the workouts help too.  :)