Day 8

Alrighty. So it was a fun filled weekend and pretty productive as well! Even though I didn't get to make it to church like I wanted. I hope everyone's Monday was awesome! I was glad to see decent attendance today at the gym as well... Keep it up guys and gals!

Day 8

5Am- 4 eggs, 1/4 of "Natural" ground sausage, 1/2 an avocado, and a Cutie orange. 2 cups of coffee with 2tbs of Vanilla almond milk.... I wasn't very hungry this morning. I only ate like 2/3 of the plate and then saved the rest for later. Or Im just getting tired of eggs ahahaha.. I need to start getting creative. Any suggestions welcomed!!

9:45AM- Handful of trail mix (almonds, macadamia, dark chocolate covered coffee beans, coconut slivers, dried apricots and cranberries, and pumpkin seeds).

12pm- Spinach Salad with 1 1/2 chicken breasts, 5 cut up baby carrots, 1 diced roma tomato, and 2 tbs of Lucini Roasted Hazelnut and Extra Virgin salad dressing. 100% Natural Ingredients: Expeller Pressed High Oleic Canola oil, water, balsamic vinegar, evaporated cane juice (2g sugar per serving= 2tbs), roasted hazelnut oil, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, roasted garlic, sea salt, cracked black pepper, xanthan gum (yes it is natural), natural flavor, caramel color.... It was a really good dressing. The best I could find on the shelf... And I also had another Cutie.

6pm- 1 pound ground grass-fed beef (2 burgers no bun)... Its the picture above. Yes, one of them was not on the plate because I was going to save it but I was still hungry and ate it. And Im not miserable at all!! So the 2, 1/2 pound burgers, 1/2 avocado, 5 slices of bacon, 1 roma tomato, and 1 tbs of mustard.... The apple is being saved for around 9pm or so, with almond butter. I also squeezed the juice of 1 lime over the apples to preserve them and its also really good! I definitely recommend you try it.....

Oh and I put 1/3 of a purple onion, 2 tbs of the Lucini dressing, black pepper, 1 tsp Himalayan salt, and 1 tbs of minced garlic mixed in the patties. And I am going to have my nighty night tea with 1 tbs of local honey :)

Day 6 and 7

Beautiful sunrise at the track this morning at Austin High School (7am). I had a client there this morning. Hope all who went to the trail run this morning at Bull Creek, had a great experience. Sorry I couldn't make it.

6:30am- 2 shots of espresso

9am- 4 eggs, 3 pieces of bacon, 1/2 avocado, 1/4 cup of serrano peppers, and 2 tbs of red salsa. This is all an estimate b/c I had El Sazon for breakfast.

3:00- Orange Plate Special with shrimp, double serving of broccoli and a small whole avocado. And couple pieces of beef jerky. On the rest of the night you are going to have to give me a break with the alcohol.. I had no cake, no potatoes, and no rolls. So I had a few drinks :)

5:00- 3 shots of 1800 Repasado

7:30- 1 shot. Then one Paleo Margarita with dinner: Pork loin, mixed green salad with tomatoes, red bell peppers, bacon, and I used the italian dressing instead of the ranch bc I know it was a better decision and I cant eat a salad without dressing, then also some green beans (pictured above). And I had a second plate just like that! I was starving! Then after dinner I had 3 more Paleo Margaritas :)

12Am- Large Honey Crisp Apple

Day 7

8:15am- Mix1 protein shake.

9:55-11:45am- Soccer game

12pm Mix1 protein shake

1pm- Chipotle bowl: Double barbacoa, bell peppers, onions, pico de gallo, and a big scoop of avocado with an ice tea and lemon.

4pm- 1/2 of large honey crisp apple with all natural almond butter

7:45pm- 1 1/2 beef tenderloin, mixed veggies (carrots, squash, broccoli), green beans with garlic and almonds, and a romaine lettuce salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. And Im not gonna lie, I NEED to get more creative with the dressings b/c the olive oil and vinegar is getting really old!!

9:15pm- Nighty Night tea with 1tbs of local honey. Hopefully it will help my allergies :)

Well people I hope you enjoy this read. Its a little more to the point than the ones during the week.

Week 1 done. 3 more to go!!!

Quick Update

Day 5

5am- 4eggs and half of large avocado. 2 cups of coffee

1:30- Fajitas for 2 (I ordered one and I was still hungry so I ordered another and then felt great), beef and chicken. No rice, no cheese, no beans, and no sour cream. 2 small bowls of guacamole!! A great lunch at Los Cucos (and no, Jevon, I did not get the Tres Leches haha).

7:15- Dinner at The Grove. I had sesame tuna over mixed greens with avocado, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. And I'm not gonna lie, I miss my caesar dressing or just regular vinaigrette dressing but you have no idea whats in them. And its usually sugar and soybean oil or vegetable oil.

10:30- 1/2 rack of baby back ribs no BBQ sauce... 2 "Paleo" Margaritas: (per drink) 2 shots of 1800 Repasado, lime juice, fresh squeezed from 1 whole lime, and soda water! And let me tell you. The science behind that drink is cool but I was pretty tipsy after those 2 drinks.

So I'm keeping you updated as well as I can this weekend.... Its gonna be tough at the wedding I'm attending this evening but I have all of your eyes on me, so I will not let you all down! Stay tuned to see how it went. If they don't have tequila, I'm drinking wine. Just FYI.

A GREAT DAY 4

ENCHANTED ROCK

Leonard and I up on Turkey Peak

having a snack!

Living life on the edge!!

Our awesome tour guide and future member

at WLCF, Carl!! He knows his geology!!

THANKS CARL!!

DAY 4:

Well I got up at 4:30 and felt a little groggy but felt ok after my 2 cups of coffee.. I had 4 eggs, cooked over-easy, with 1 tbs of coconut oil, 1/4 cup of sweet potatoes, and 1/4 of large avocado.

Then Carl, Leonard and I left for Enchanted Rock at 7:15 this morning and spent the whole day out there! It was amazing! The weather was perfect! Carl is literally, a guide for Enchanted Rock and he really knows his stuff. I learned a lot of geology about the area, he showed us animal life, and the rare species of plant life! Thanks again Carl! Anyways after we hiked all the way up, down, and around Enchanted Rock, we decided to have our snack at the top of Turkey Peak. It was about 10:30. I had a large Honey Crisp Apple, with mixed nuts (dark chocolate coffee beans, macadamia nuts, pecans, almonds, dried apricot, cranberries, and coconut), and a couple of beef jerky sticks. A great place to eat some paleo food with a view!

Then after some more great hiking and jumping from rock to rock (like our ancestors on a hunt), at 3:30 I barbequed some chicken and had 1/2 an avocado. I love grilling. Then after a chill mobility class at Westlake Crossfit I ate dinner at 8pm. I had 1 1/2 chicken breasts with salsa on top, 1/2 an avocado, and a bag of steam fresh broccoli and cauliflower with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. What a GREAT day.

So a couple pointers for you paleo followers.... Keep it simple. And if you are actually eating paleo and you eat till you are full, it should keep you satiated for quite a bit of time. As you can see with most of my meal times or snack times, I go at least 4 hours until I eat again. And NO, Im not keeling over with a grumbling stomach everyday. And no, you do not need vegetables at every meal as long as you have a good serving of them at least once when you sit down to eat throughout the day. Protein and "healthy" fat have a great ability to send hormonal signals to your brain telling it your full!! Hope you all had a great day!!

PEACE, LOVE, AND PALEO

Oh and Im on my way to have an apple with fresh ground almond butter :)

Day 3 of Paleo

Ok day 3:

At 5am I had 4 over-easy eggs cooked in 1tbs of bacon fat and 1 tbs of coconut oil. 1/4 of mashed sweet potatoes, and 1/4 of a large avocado. 1 cup of coffe!! Great breakfast!!...

At 11 I did the TOD 5x5 back squat (225, 265, 295, 325, 355) and then 5 rounds of 9 DL, 6 HPC, and 3 Push Presses all at 155#: 5:32... And no I did not leave the gym or bring a snack before my workout and I felt great!!

At 12 noon I had another Orange Plate Special (OPS): Meatloaf (I wiped the sauce off of it), broccoli, 1/4 of sweet potatoes, 1/2 of a large avocado.

At 4pm I had a handful of an energy mix: mixed nuts (no peanuts), dried various fruits and an apple. And I was still feeling good!

Then at 8:30pm I went to dinner at Hyde Park with a friend. I was STARVING!!! I had a 9oz New York Strip with a side salad with oil and vinegar and 3 cherry tomatoes. With collard greens and bacon. Then I added 2 tbs of guacamole. When I finished all that I was still hungry and ordered another entrée ahahaa... I said I was starving. It was 2 small chicken breasts with broccoli and more collard greens and bacon, with 2 more tbs of guacamole! It was all very tasty!! And guess what? I wasn't stuffed. I was perfect, feeling like I had a complete meal.

So through tonight's meal I CRAVED dessert!! I wanted a ceasar salad! AAAnd there was a gelato place next door. But through all that "torture" I feel really good and super glad I didn't give into the temptation. So if any of you are struggling, keep it up and know you're not alone. It will get easier once the habits are broken and new ones are made!

So I didn't get to bed as early as I wanted last night but what can you do? I got roughly 6 1/2 hours of sleep. Not enough for my body to run at its best! To put things in perspective for everyone who says,"I dont feel as good when I get more than 5 or 6 hours!" Blah blah blah..... B.S!! And if you just say its only Robb Wolf, I need more proof! Well click here, here, and here. All studies done with humans. Easy to read as well, so have at it! Here is another excerpt from The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf:

Cortisol

Without being the least bit cynical, I could boil life down to food, sleep, and sex. On the food side of the equation, we have all that goes into getting it (brains to plan, and brawn to procure and defend). Once we have that food, we eat it and either burn it or store it. This is all related to our short and long term energy management, body-fatness, fertility, etc. Insulin and glucagon are there to help regulate our storage and utilization of energy. However, Cortisol is also a player in this game, as it also has effects on energy storage and a host of other functions:

1. Regulating the immune response. Too much of an immune response can lead to autoimmunity or significant problems from "collateral damage" caused by an overactive immune system. Many diseases are not fatal in and of themselves (like H1N1 flu), but they sometimes become fatal because of an overreaction by the immune system. Cortisol "puts the breaks" on the immune system and is very important in both our susceptibility to disease and how we respond to illness.

2. How much sodium we have in our blood. More cortisol means more sodium and thus more blood volume. Typically, this will lead to higher blood pressure, with the associated stress on the heart, vasculature, and kidneys.

3. Regulates connective tissue strength. Too much cortisol can weaken connective tissue in our skin and elsewhere. Cortisol can and does make you wrinkle faster.

4. Perhaps most important to our discussion here, cortisol releases glucose and fatty acids from the liver and blunts insulin sensitivity.

Most people are familiar with the idea that cortisol is a "stress" hormone, but this is misleading and more a function of our modern lives than cortisol really being a "stress" hormone. Cortisol is in fact critical to life, and a lack of cortisol will mean significant health problems, including death! This is again a story of shooting for the right amount of a hormone, and if you have been paying attention thus far, we are talking about levels that we might find in our Paleolithic ancestors.

A normal day for our Paleolithic ancestors would start by awakening with relatively high cortisol levels. This in not the Monday morning commute blues: Paleo Edition. This is nature's way of making sure we are alert, energized, and ready to go! Cortisol causes the release of glucose and fatty acids from the liver. That's energy our Paleolithic ancestors needed to move camp, hunt, gather, and generally get the day going. Now, this scenario was normal and, in fact, non-stressful. Keep in mind there are normal operating parameters for all our hormones and it is quite normal for Cortisol to be elevated in the morning.

Cortisol works in synchrony with insulin and glucagon to regulate our energy levels. When we need more energy (early in the day or fleeing from a predator) Cortisol is relatively high. In the evening, when we are winding and going to bed, Cortisol should drop. Now, what if our Paleolithic ancestors were ambushed by a rival camp or they were stressful. But the stresses of Paleolithic consequence sorted themselves out quickly. For good or ill. They tended not to drag on and they did not happen every day.

Our modern life may not involve the risk of being eaten by a bear (generally), but it does come with a host of its own stressors. Some quite immediate and tangible, others more mental. But in general, our stressors in modern times are chronic, as opposed to the acute stresses for which we are so well equipped. Possibly losing a job in a bad economy, getting mugged while on the train, a near miss while driving, thinking about the kids' college education.....lack of sleep.

These are modern issues that register as a stress, and in a cumulative fashion, they can crush us...............................

...................................... When you are subjected to stress, particularly chronic stress, your body releases cortisol much more frequently than it should. This gets ugly when cortisol is not only high in the morning, but all day long, even at bedtime. The consequences can be dire, as the more stressed we get, the worse our ability to deal with stress becomes. It is a nasty snowball effect that is called a "feed forward" mechanism in biology. Abnormally elevated cortisol begins to disturb sleep, which makes us more prone to daily stress, which raises cortisol. The consequences of the downward spiral include suppressed immune function, chronically elevated blood sugar levels, decreased insulin sensitivity, impaired ability to form long-term memory, and decreased sex drive and libido. Yes folks, cortisol is a big deal.

Day 2 of Paleo

Today was actually a good day! Slept like a rock and woke up rested.... At 5am I had 1 1/2 cups of coffee, black, 1 tablespoon of butter (I know I forgot about the milk solids in it. Im getting ghee this evening), 1tablespoon of bacon fat, 2 whole eggs, 3 egg whites, 2 pieces of bacon, 1/2 cup of broccoli, and 1/4 of avocado. Then at 10am, for a snack I had a nectarine and a hand full of mixed nuts. My workout at 11am: 1 mile run, 200 double unders, 1mile run, 200 situps for time. 30:03. The workout felt pretty good. The situps were easier than usual but the second mile was pretty tough! Then at 12:15 I had a Mix1 protein drink. Its all natural, lactose free, gluten free, aaaand pretty tasty!

At 1pm I had lunch from HEB. The ever-fantastic Orange plate special: Choice of meat and two sides for $5.99! You can maybe match that at McDonalds! So I had shrimp, broccoli, and asparagus with 2 tbs of olive oil and 1/4 of an avocado. mmmmmmmmm-mmmmmmm! And there are many other combinations that you can choose from.

So at 5:15pm I had a handful of beef jerky, a tbs of olive oil (I need fat to help satiate), a small apple, and handful of nuts. I ate this quickly on the run headed to the gym....

So a side note to all this paleo talk..... Tonight's 6:30 class was an exciting bunch, they all came ready to go and with smiles on their faces!! It was awesome. And we even stayed half an hour later, all chatting and with Kat and Nicole working on their pullups!! How can you not love that?? So great stuff night class: Ben, Nicole, K-Mont, Juaquin, Chris, Kara, Brad, and one of the newest members, Whitney.

Now back to the paleo.....

Tonight at 9pm I had fresh Alaskan Salmon, more asparagus, and a spinach salad with avocado, red bell peppers, parsley, almond slices, olive oil, and balsalmic vinegar. So, all in all, I felt great today! Had tons of energy, I only had the one cup of coffee this morning and thats pretty good since I've been known to drink 6 expresso shots before 2pm. Thats nuts (and expensive)!!

Day 1 of My 30 days of Paleo

Ok so I started a strict paleo diet. I have never actually committed to a strict diet, well, to be honest, bc I never had to! But I heard a story about a "code" and decided to live it and be about it, instead of just talking! So here is to all who have struggled with a strict paleo diet! I am here to struggle with you! I am going to try and blog everyday about my battles with it, and my cravings.

DAY 1: So this morning at 5am I had 4 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, 1/2 avocado, with salsa, and NOOO coffee. I think that was the hardest part bc there is no gas station open on the way to the gym. Sooo, I went and bought one today! So excited!! I felt pretty good though except not having any caffiene but what can you do? And 11am lunch I had a piece of chicken with broccoli and 1/2 avocado. Snack around 3 I had 1/2 an apple with almond butter (no added sugar) and an iced coffee, no cream. Then I had a couple cocktail shrimp around 5pm. For dinner at 8, you see the photo above. Deer steak, mixed veggies ( I did not eat the little corns), 1/2 avocado. And here is where I ALWAYS get a craving!! Dessert!! What am I supposed to do? I was tempted to walk across the street and get my weakness ice-cream!! mmmm I love ice cream!!....... Anyways I settled for 1/2 an apple and almond butter! So happy that day 1 is done! Hopefully my sweet tooth will begin to fade! Time to drink some nighty night tea and try and get 8 unbroken hours of sleep!!

P.S.....

Im still feeling hungry!! And its probably from all the crap I ate this weekend, and my leptin sensitivity is altered! Need to get my body back to homeostasis!