We are a week in to the Zone’s Cave month. ¼ of the way there! How is it going for you? I figured I would share my experience.
The reason I wanted to try living Paleo: I have been reading more about nutrition and wanted to try something different than our Western diet. I have been consistently gaining weight for a few years and have found nothing seems to work to minimize the gain. I have lacked will-power lately. I can’t say no to things, and when you work in cancer care, people tend to thank you with baked goods. Especially at Christmas! I wanted to change that, so doing this challenge and being faithful to it is something that I felt I needed to prove to myself.
I started a little early to see if I could do it. My biggest concerns were missing cheese and finding a veggie based carb to fill my stomach. I looked for recipes and found one for “cauliflower rice”, I have been experimenting and perfecting and this filled that place I thought I would need.
After a week of eating Paleo, I found I felt pretty crappy; I was tired, and my bowels were not doing what they should. After talking to my girlfriends (because one would not dare talk about their bowels in public or blog about them (ha-ha!)), they agreed that this is a common problem when starting to eat a higher protein percentage. Kath suggested a special powder blend and the possibility of using bile salts. I have used the powder and things are returning to their normal ways.
After a day or two of fatigue, I found that I had an energy spike. I have struggled with low energy all of my adult life, especially shortly after lunch. The past week I have considerably more energy, probably due to the lack of insulin spiking.
What I have noticed is when I eat fruit I get tired. So I am trying to decrease my fruit intake (it isn’t very high to begin with) and move to more vegetables.
Have I had cravings? Yes! But my cravings for sugary things are largely gone. I crave salty carbohydrates. If someone gave me a bag of kettle cooked potato chips and I decided to give in, I would eat the whole bag! But, I don’t think I would feel so well… Even after eating fruit, I get that feeling so I know it wouldn’t be worth it.
My plan is to go hardcore until the end of the month but I am thinking of continuing after that with a little cheating here and there. So far, I am feeling the best I can remember feeling.
b’s Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:
- Love
- ½ head of cauliflower
- coconut oil
- ¼ yellow onion
- broth
- salt/pepper
- seasonings as per taste
Directions:
- Microwave cauliflower for about 2mins until a little soft (may have to microwave longer if using more)
- Stick cauliflower & onion in your kick ass food processor (Christmas present) with chopping blade on low until “rice size”
- Saute the cauliflower in coconut oil in pan.
- Add some broth (~1/4L ) and cook it off.
- Season as you like! I have been adding Vietnamese curry. You can skip the broth & onion if you wish as well. After the first 3 steps, get creative. I added an egg and made fried rice once. If you make something awesome, please share.
This is super filling so you don’t need too much!
QOD: How has your experience been after week 1 of cave month? Do you feel any different? Any recipes that have helped you get through? please share
Zone Games Announcement: You must register by Wednesday, January 18th. We require 15 athletes to participate to run the event. Get into the gym tomorrow to register! Remember we have a Debit machine now 🙂
Today’s Workout:
Buy In – Back Squat – 3 x 5 reps increasing weight each set. (15 minute time cap)
* Keep your legs warm until the wod begins, it is cold outside!
WOD – “Dash Double Dip”
For time:
Run 200M
21 Back Squats (95lbs/135lbs)
21 Ring dips
Run 200M
15 Back Squats (95lbs/135lbs)
15 Ring dips
Run 200M
9 Back Squats (95lbs/135lbs)
9 Ring dips
Time Cap: 20 minutes, make sure to scale the dips appropriately
* If it is too slippery and nasty outside, sub 250M row or 50 Double unders
Zone 4 – Scale ring dips with rubber band assistance or on the parallel bars
Zone 3 – Scale BS weight to 75lbs/115lbs
Zone 2 – Scale ring dips to jumping ring dips and BS to 55lbs/85lbs
Zone 1 – Scale workout as needed
Cash Out – MWOD 54 (very little sound until 5:30 in the video. Skip to 5:00 to see what to do for the MWOD)
Test: Overhead squat or long sit with your feet straight out and pull your toes back toward your face
Mwod: Mess around with the band ankle mobs 1-2 min each direction/each side
Stretch your calves, 2min
Roll out your leg gristle 4-5 min each side, or until you are out of vomit.
Retest: Improved Ankle ROM? How’s that squat?
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVVUa8aETgY&feature=player_embedded’]
