So I could type in a bunch of excuses as to why I didn't get to update the blog regularly. But I'll just stick with what's most important and that's the results.
Last week- out of seven days, I failed at one. I didn't go to the gym as planned and I had that sweet tea. Even though I didn't put down my food diaries, I did eat Paleo the whole time. It helps having quick Paleo stuff in the house- snacks, breakfast, leftovers for lunch, etc. You don't give up if there's always a healthy alternative on hand.
I did get to exercise the rest of the week so it was great to finish strong. Even though I was wanting to be lazy, I still made it to the gym on the last day and ran my best 40 mins on the elliptical- 5 miles! All of this hard work is paying off- I felt so strong when running and recovery was a breeze.
The weekend usually means eating out a few meals so it's important to know Paleo well- enough that you can still enjoy a meal out but not sacrifice your efforts. Be cognizant of how things are prepared, what might be in sauces and marinades. Never be shy about asking your waitstaff for more information. If they don't know, the chef definitely should. If the chef doesn't know what's in his/her food- that might be a red flag to GTFO. I think restaurants are a lot more used to people ordering things in a tailored way or asking the questions because of the heightened awareness of celiac disease and lactose intolerance. I loved a quote from a very well-respected chef that was on a show I watch (I'm not naming my secret vices!). When asked how he feels if someone requests his preparation be changed up for their order he said it doesn't offend him. He's not in the "No" industry.
Not that I have to worry about ticking off the IHOP or hibachi grill people! Some tips for eating out Paleo:
- If you know they serve bread there- ask for them to not bring it to the table. No sense in wasting food and having it stare you down. You DO NOT need to do a "no thank you" helping. No one will care.
- If you see your meal comes with a non-Paleo side- ask about swapping it for something Paleo. Or just tell them to leave it off. So it won't stare at you. An example is a super-yummy Filet Mignon sandwich at California Dreaming. I tell them to leave off the bread of the sandwich, swap the starchy side for the steamed veg and order a side salad (scan for non-Paleo things like croutons and ask to leave them off) w vinegar on the side (so I can control the drenching).
- Soups are hard because usually they have non-Paleo items in it. Best to avoid.
- Sauteed, grilled, blackened, steamed are all acceptable methods of prep. Too hard to know what fried, breaded (dur- mostly likely flour), etc would entail.
- Sauces usually have sugars or flours in it. Stick with something that has herbs, mustard, or veg cooked with it.
I'm sure there's more, but that's all that comes to mind right now.
So- back to having a great gym day on the last workout day of the week. I felt sooo good. Really firm and light. I had to peek at the scale a day early (Sun) because I couldn't wait anymore. I HAD LOST TWO MORE POUNDS!! I was so excited but didn't fudge Sunday because I knew Monday was the real results day.
Monday results- I LOST NOTHING
How in the world did this happen?!?! It took me 6 days of really hard work to get 2 off and over night they're back!? I even felt "fluffier" Monday. The little mounds of fat just chillin on my hips. If you've ever felt fluffy, you know what I mean. I racked my brain- I didn't cheat, fudge, etc. I was good!! I was even fairly active most the day because I was in full cleaning mode. I was also in full coffee mode. Because I was in full sleep deprevation mode. Face Palm. Cortisol and caffeine are crazy things. Lemme explain.
Robb Wolf (Mr. Paleo) drills into you the importance of sleep sleep sleep. Full, uninterrupted 8-9 hours in pure darkness, void of distracting sounds (I find I sleep deeper if I have some white noise on). What mother of an infant who is cutting a molar and has a stomach bug gets the prescribed sleep Robb insists on? So is the worst thing with lack of sleep is that you're tired and don't feel like working out? Not hardly.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that's released when you're under stress. Lack of sleep is stressful to your body because it doesn't have enough energy to perform it's daily functions so the cortisol releases insulin and fats (via turning off the fat-burning switches in the liver) into the blood stream for quick energy. (Ooo just read where increased cortisol also increases inflammation in your body- no wonder my joints hurt more when I'm not well-rested). This article also talk about how leptin levels decrease, putting you into a snacking mood- so make smart choices.
I'm mixed on what to think about caffeine and weight gain/water retention. I think I've sorted out that too much caffeine also makes the cortisol play up (messing up your metabolism) and it's a diuretic so it flushed out your system. Some believe that this flushing sounds like it would be good, but if your body feels in danger of losing too much fluid, it'll retain more than normal to stockpile it for future use. Again, I'm just piecing together this info from various websites. Overall, when used properly, coffee can be good for you- enhanced workout performance, fills up stomach when food cravings hit, etc. I think the 5 or so cups of it I had on Sunday might have been a bit much though. It also depends on what you put IN your coffee. So far I have it down to a teaspoon or so of agave nectar and some Lactaid (because that's what the boys drink) in the whip machine of my sister-in-law's espresso maker. Side note- my SIL is leaving her espresso maker w me so she always has great coffee when she comes to visit from Perth. YAY! The whip machine is my favorite part. So- usually I have 2 cups max but since I went overboard and had 5 hours of interrupted sleep, I probably did myself in. So. Mad.
Good news is that I lost a full inch from my hips. I'll put the official results in the next post so it's easier to track. The next post will also identify the plan for the week. This is long enough!
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