So I’m not even sure I can call this a blog anymore, considering I never write anything, but sometimes I get a wild hair and decide to post again! I just found a ton of pics on my phone too, so this will probably turn into a long, rambling post. I’m still doing most of the same things – CrossFit, Paleo, yadda yadda yadda. I will admit that I have been a lot more lenient with my diet lately, and I really need to get it in gear or I’m going to be kicking myself soon. Let’s just say I’ve allowed myself many more cheats in the past few weeks. Sometimes I forget that working out is not an excuse to eat whatever I want, but those workouts make me freakin’ hungry! 🙂
So, let’s see. Last time I wrote about the 60-day fitness challenge that my gym was doing. I haven’t done my end measurements/weigh-in yet, and I’m a little nervous to do so. I didn’t stick to it as well as I should have, and I learned that 60 days is a long time for a “challenge.” Considering I already ate that way, it wasn’t much of a change, and there was no real motivation to be super strict with it. I started out well, and I really focused on what I was eating and drinking, then I slowly started straying on the weekends. Summer, it gets me every year. Warm weather = yes, I’ll have an ice cold beverage, thank you very much! Ya win some, ya lose some. I’m still sticking to the theory that it’s all about moderation. If I restrict every little thing that I eat and feel guilty when I eat something that isn’t Paleo, well that’s not really good. Yes, my views have changed since I first went Paleo, and that’s okay with me. I did realize the other day that I’ve only had one bagel in the past 14 months. That is crazy, considering I used to have them at least twice a week. Mmmmm, bagels! The real thing to talk about here is how I feel about my body after these two months of the challenge. Really, three, if I’m comparing to when I first started CrossFit. I’m really having mixed feelings about it. I KNOW I’m gaining muscle, I KNOW I’m getting stronger, I KNOW I’m getting in better shape by doing CrossFit, BUT my legs are getting bigger, my butt is getting bigger, my arms are getting bigger and my clothes are getting smaller! This is a TOUGH pill to swallow when I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to be smaller. Here’s the thing though – my waist is getting smaller, I’m noticing some muscle definition (slowly, but surely) and I’m continuing to lift more weight during workouts! (I think) I’m fine with me legs and butt being bigger as long as I’m in shape and feel good about the way I look, but I think I’m in the middle ground right now where I’m gaining muscle but still holding onto fat (damn you, fat, be gone!). I know how vain this probably sounds, but let’s be honest. I’m not working my ass off in the gym to NOT feel good about the way I look. Someone tell me they had the same feelings when they first started CrossFit. Anybody? I’ve been talking to one of the coaches at our gym, and she said she was in a similar situation, but after 10 months it all clicked and she started seeing the most changes. If the same goes for me, that’s 7 more months…and I’m super impatient. Not to mention, I’m having to squeeze myself into shorts that are tight on my legs and loose in the waist. I have NEVER had that problem, and it’s kind of humorous to me. I have hated my legs for as long as I can remember, so you can imagine how tough it is to see them get bigger. Maybe they will grow on me (no pun intended)…only time will tell. I really try not to compare myself to how I looked last summer, because I know I’m bigger and weigh a little more, but this year my goals are completely different. I’m not trying to be super skinny, and I guess I need to remember why I started CrossFit in the first place. To get in shape, to be healthy and strong, and be the best me that I can be. So here’s to continuing what I’m doing and hoping that all my hard work will pay off!
In other news, let me fill you in on what I’ve been eating and doing by way of pictures!
I bought this from Whole Foods after seeing paleomg post it on Instagram. Sooooo good. I’m not exactly condoning this as a Paleo food, but every now and then, ok. It’s delicious. I love that Juli from paleomg posts everything that she eats, even if it isn’t strict Paleo. Sometimes gluten free, sometimes all out comfort food, but she looks awesome so I say keep up the good work!
I FINALLY tried these babies out! They are really good and have like 20g of protein!
I got this cast-iron skillet for next to nothing at Marshall’s and love it! I had been making my frittatas in a glass pan, but this is a whole new world. The texture is so much better!
Random, but is this not the most perfect avocado ever? This rarely happens. They are usually either not ripe enough or too ripe, but I caught this one just in time!
Divine staples in the McCain household. We usually have Paleo pancakes on Saturday or Sunday, and we make a new batch of iced coffee each week. So yummy! Sometimes I get creative with the pancakes. I added a nut mix from Costco and some honey on the left – delicious!
I can’t remember where I got the recipe for this, but it was some sort of Pad Thai with zoodles. I loved it!
I try to make a batch of these once a week. They are so great on the go or if I’m hungry before a workout in the morning. They have soy-, gluten-, dairy-free chocolate chips in them and they’re so easy to make!
Another random, but I was grocery shopping at Whole Foods the other day and saw this. Now, you may not know what I’m talking about, but this is a HUGE pet peeve of mine – when people leave cold food sitting out because they didn’t want it. Wasting perfectly good food because they were too lazy to put it in a cold section…any cold section would do! Ughhh, there’s my rant for the day, but it really drives me crazy!
Mmmm, dinner. Flank steak, Japanese yams (with kerrygold butter) and brussels. I could eat those yams every day, I really could.
I finally got around to placing another Steve’s Paleo Goods order. Their granola is the best. Even better with almond milk and bananas.
I love seeing this bottle at restaurants. This was at Bareburger, but I’ve been seeing them more and more. Yay for less chemicals!
The best way to eat a burger, topped with bacon, egg and guacamole!
We made it out to the beach during Memorial Day weekend. It was a gorgeous day. I love the beach, and it’s only a 45-min train ride away. So convenient!
I also managed to do Murph on Memorial Day. Man, it was a doozie! I didn’t fully recover from it for like a week and a half. Yikes!
I have always loved tacos – definitely one of my favorite meals. So glad I found this tortilla recipe from Stupid Easy Paleo. They are SO good. Add some ground beef, salsa and guacamole with a side of plantain chips dipped in guac, and you are good to go!
I can’t believe I found this bacon at Whole Foods! Do you know how hard it is to find bacon without added sugar? Really hard! I also love that it says Paleo friendly on the package…awesome find!
Speaking of the tortillas, I had some left over, so I added some Applegate Farms turkey, avocado, tomato and paleo mustard and mayo. I’m obsessed with sweet potato fries. It’s a bad obsession.
This meal was so darn good! BBQ chicken with bacon sweet potato salad. I found a BBQ sauce with Paleo-friendly ingredients, so that was exciting. The sweet potato salad is from one of the 21 DSD books. It was to die for. I need to make it again very soon! I’m a sucker for potato salad, and this was a close second.
I made Emily’s Paleo Blueberry Banana Bread for breakfast and topped it with strawberries and butter. Yum yum yum!!
Meatza for dinner is always a solid option. I was hungry waiting for it to cook, so I made some mini pizza bites. Josh puts SO much cheese on his pizza, it’s ridiculous, but look at all those delicious veggies on mine. One of my favorite Paleo meals!
Don’t you just love my beautiful paper plates? I hate doing dishes, but there are still plenty to be done. Speaking of not doing dishes, I finally got burnt out on cooking every night, so I enlisted the help of Kettlebell Kitchen last week. I had this for breakfast one morning – wild salmon with sweet potato hash and sauteed kale. Freaking awesome and so filling. Loved it! There were a couple of meals I didn’t care for, but overall it was great, and I loved not having to cook all week!
Don’t you just love how this happens? That’s practically an entire bag of spinach!
I’m getting so excited about my sister having a little girl! I had to buy her some cute clothes. Look at that little romper. How cute is that? Ahhhh, can’t wait to meet her!
I went shopping this past week to get some cute outfits for our beach trip! I got the bikinis a while back from Old Navy. Love their cute, cheap tops & bottoms. Great for mixing and matching! Did I mention I’m going to the beach for a week with my mom, sister, grandmother and Corbett? I’m SOOOOOO excited I can hardly stand it. The only thing missing is Josh. I feel like we haven’t had a vacation together in ages, but it should be a fun girls trip (+ Corbett)! Anywho, I used to hate rompers, but now I kinda like them! This one anyway. I actually sent this to Josh earlier to see if it was inappropriate for work. I ended up wearing it, but probably never again. Do you know how long a bathroom break takes in one of these? They really should have taken that into consideration when they made these. Please excuse the background of the picture – it is really impossible to keep our apartment clean, and it drives me absolutely crazy!
That’s all for now, I guess I’ll be back in two months 😉 Maybe I’ll do a post on our beach adventures. I’m so ready to be on the sand with the water on my toes!!