Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Down but not out

So, I caught a cold on Sunday and I've been pretty sick since then. I worked from home today and yesterday. I started Jillian's Week 2 in RIT on Saturday, but due to my cold I wasnt able to workout Sunday or Monday. I think I'm going to do it today though.

I hate feeling sick and losing time on my goals. But I'm going to pick myself back up and keep on going.

Travis made dinner last night - his version of a Frittata.
Here's the recipe:

Travis's Paleo Frittata
2 tbls cooking oil - we like olive oil/coconut oil
3 scallions - grown from our organic garden
1 tsp fresh ginger
1 clove garlic
2 small baby bok choy - grown from our garden
3/4 tsp salt - kosher
9 eggs - from our own chickens
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
** my husband grated some extra sharp cheddar over his frittata since he's not on the paleo plan the way I am. 


  1. Heat the oven to 325°. In a medium cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick frying pan, heat the cooking oil over moderate heat. Add the scallions, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bok choy and cook, stirring, until the leaves wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are almost tender, about 3 minutes more.
  2. Evenly distribute the vegetables in the pan and then add the eggs, pepper, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook the frittata, without stirring, until the edges start to set, about 2 minutes. Put the frittata in the oven and bake until firm, about 25 minutes. Drizzle the sesame oil over the top. 
It was very tasty and packed full of protein. I also had it for breakfast. Yum! 

    Wednesday, April 20, 2011

    Rest Day and Fantastic news!

    Today is my rest day before moving into the week 2 workout. We're going to a concert tonight, so I planned this day to be my rest day knowing I wouldn't have time after work to do ripped in 30.
    I felt really good rounding out the week 1 workout and I could do every single exercise w/good form and at the same pace as Jillian's team.
    Biggest Loser was on last night, I love that show. It's so inspiring. I missed the first 30 minutes because I was working out but i watched most of it.

    I am still tracking my food w/WW and it's going well. I'm staying w/in my allotted points and sometimes even below.


    I also got GREAT news yesterday...my friend Courtney, the one that got me into Paleo and the one that makes the fabulous seafood stew, bought her ticket to come visit me in June!! She'll be here from May 31 - June 4th! I am SO excited! It's her first trip to the West Coast and I intend to show her a fantastic time!

    She is one of the most inspiring, funny, honest and brilliant people that I know. I am so lucky to have her in my life. Her constant encouragement helps keep me on track. And her blog about her own difficulties w/weight and finding the right balance are so inspiring and make me feel like I'm not alone in this fight to be a better, healthier, more self aware human.

    It's definitely more motivation to keep working out, living primal and being more self aware, because I have this great reward to look forward to....Courtney's visit!

    That's all for now...

    Have a great primal day!

    Tuesday, April 19, 2011

    Nearing Week 2 workout

    Last night was my 4th day of JM RIT and I'm nearing her week 2 workout.
    I felt stronger last night in my workout than at the beginning which is great progress and I can hold my palmed plank for the full 30 seconds without falling.
    Even though it was near 8pm and I'd finished dinner, dishes and cleaning the kitchen, I headed down to the basement to give my time to Jillian. I was looking forward to it.
    We had a really healthy paleo dinner of pork tenderloin from the grill, mashed cauliflower w/goat cheese and a green salad w/ heirloom tomatoes and peppers. Then we had the strawberry rhubarb galette we made sunday night. delicious.
    I am committed to seeing this through the full 30 days and hopefully I'll have the toned, thinner body to prove it!

    Have a great paleo day!

    Monday, April 18, 2011

    Great weekend but not so great weight

    I've been keeping up with my paleo plan and making things ahead.
    I did Ripped in 30 this weekend and feel good about my progress. I could hold the plank for the entire 30 seconds without going down on a knee. That might not sound like a big deal, but I havent been able to hold a plank that long (or longer) since about 5 yrs ago. I am gaining strength!
    Speaking of gaining, my weight has been all over the board this week, up 5lbs on Monday then down 3 lbs on Wed. then up again today. I have no idea why it's bouncing the way it is. But maybe it's just trying to adjust to my workouts and eating schedule. I don't know, but I really need it to move south and to start losing weight because i'm getting frustrated and so discouraged.
    I rejoined WW so i can track my food and exercise better. It's only $18/month so it's not too spendy.
    I made Courtney's Seafood Stew again last night so I'd be prepared for the work week for healthy paleo lunches.
    By Thursday of this week I'll be moving up to Week 2 of the Ripped in 30. Very exciting. I think I'm also going to throw in some crossfit w/my husband too.

    I've made a bunch of changes over the last few weeks to go back to a paleo lifestyle - i bought raw organic blue agave nectar to sweeten my coffee and I've really backed off the dairy. I am still putting creamer in my coffee, but I'm no longer eating cheese. This is very significant since I LOVE cheese. I am setting myself up for success by making small changes in my environment and daily diet.

    Well, that's about it for now.

    Have a great paleo day!

    Thursday, April 14, 2011

    Work outs

    I did JM's Ripped in 30 yesterday and today. i was exhausted and it was almost 9pm but I did it and I'm so glad I didnt give up. i want to stick with it. My follow through is for crap..and I need to be stronger. So I did it.
    my friend Valerie at work is also working out and dieting with me. We are keeping ourselves in check.
    I'm happy to have that kind of support. She's tall, thin and beautiful and quite an inspiration. So it really helps.

    Any way,I'm off to bed. Thanks for reading.

    Thursday, April 7, 2011

    Party prep and paleo pupus!

    I prepped some of the food for the party on Saturday. Last night I made a key lime pie, country chicken pate and paleo banana bread - i used red mill's gluten/dairy free all purpose flour and agave to sweeten. It came out AMAZING. I've heard mixed reviews about their flour but I had no problem at all,the bread is moist and delicious. I was so shocked. The pate is really damn good, but not paleo.
    Tonight I'll make the salmon mousse so the flavor can develop over the next day.

    I am hoping it goes well. I'm working so hard to make things nice. I hope these people appreciate it. At least I'll have some of my girls with there, Kyla, Gayle and Valerie are coming. That will definitely give me something positive to look forward to.

    That's all for now.


    Have a fantastic primal day! :)

    Wednesday, April 6, 2011

    Paleo Chicken Scallopini

    Yesterday I made some great chicken scallopini - all organic and very yummy.
    2 tbsp olive oil
    2 chicken breasts
    1 cup white wine
    minced garlic
    capers
    1 med onioni (i dont usually add onions to this recipe but my husband loves it)
    sauteed to perfection

    it was very good..and at 300 calories very kind to the waistline!

    Watched BL last night. Love that show. I will definitely miss Jillian when she leaves the show.
    I am always inspired by the transformations and it just makes me work harder toward reaching my own goals.

    Tonight is JM Ripped in Thirty (RIT) and hitting the heavy bag.



    Have a great paleo day!

    Monday, April 4, 2011

    Productive Sunday

    I was completely sore from my JM  workout on Saturday, so Sunday was spent stretching and cleaning my house like a freak. My inlaws are coming on Thursday and we're hosting a bbq birthday party on Saturday. My husband, his father and his step sister's mother in law, all have birthdays on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so we're having a joint bday party. It will be fun, but I'll have a bunch of people in my house that I rarely see and who often make me anxious and uncomfortable. So I want the house to look amazing and to not stress over it.

    I am making some fun paleo inspired bbq items and some non-paleo items. My sister-in-law is lactose intolerant so I'm going to try to make a few items that she can eat.She likes hummus, so I'll have that on hand, but I'd like to see if there's some other fun stuff I can make that will be more exciting and really delicious.


    I cleaned the yard, the garage, a huge closet, swept and mopped all the floors, did mountains of laundry, cleaned the dog beds, organized my jewelry by installing a french board, cleaned both bathrooms, treated the spa and then cleaned the exterior, and ret up the office. I didnt get my clothes closets & drawers, or the attic storage but i can get to that the weekend of April 15th. I got an incredible workout from my cleaning frenzy, but today I'm back on JM Ripped in 30. I really liked the workout and I think I'm going to add 30 minutes on the elliptical, my pilates DVD or JM's Yoga blast to really amp up the intensity.

    In other good news, my fabulous friend Courtney - the motivator and inspiration for me going Paleo - is coming to visit me in June!!! i haven't seen her in 3 yrs and I'm so excited. I hope I look more fit by the time she visits. It would be great to show off my new thinner, toned figure when we get in the hot tub!




    that's all for now.

    Have a great paleo day!

    Saturday, April 2, 2011

    Day 1 of JM's Ripped in 30

    Today is Day 1 of Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 workout. It was pretty challenging, very similar to her 30 day Shred, but I think weeks 2-4 will be much harder. Sadly, this made me realize how much I've slacked off in my workouts and how out of shape I am. But it only makes me want to work harder so I don't feel like this anymore. I am looking forward to getting myself back in shape.

    Missing: Paleo Ginger

    Well, during the month of March I totally fell off the Paleo wagon and i have the pounds to show for it. I gained back nearly all that I lost, but i lost 3 lbs this week so I feel like I'm getting back on track. This has shown me that paleo works, but only if you stick with it religiously. I am not making excuses, i didnt plan out my meals and i totally just slipped off the wagon. Well, not anymore. I am back on track. There's so much stuff coming up and I want to look and feel great. I want to find a way to live paleo and still go to bbq's, parties, and happy hours with my coworkers. I work in an office that always has food, parties, etc and I usually just avoid these so I don't have to answer why I'm not eating bread or grains or whatnot. But I am reading my paleo books and finding ways to still enjoy my life and stay on the paleo plan. There's always going to be a party, a dinner, a get together with friends, stress, etc. I can't let these things derail me. It's my health, my life, I need to make it a priority.

    So, after my brief hiatus, i'm back w/a vengence and a new commitment to my health and the paleo lifestyle.

    Have a great primal day!