Category Archives: Winter

Oh, Oh, Oh, It’s Paleo

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I am making the transition to Paleo.  I’ve decided to follow this, because of many reasons:

  • I’ve tried tracking calories, points, macros, meal times, etc. and I can’t stick with it long term.
  • I’m tired of being hungry ALL THE TIME
  • I’m tired of being tired, sluggish, and feeling forced through workouts
  • I’m tired of seeing gains on the scale week after week
  • I’m tired of my clothes not fitting
  • I’m tired of being in my late 20′s and still suffering from IMMENSE ACNE
  • I’m tired of being a slave to carbs – because I am
  • I’m tired of being bloated due to dairy
  • I’m tired of watching other people be successful and waiting for my turn

I read this page on NerdFitness – The Beginners Guide to the Paleo Diet - time and time again.  Jennifer has tireless tried to convince me this is the way to go.  My friend Mei Li has become stronger, and leaner and better from Paleo and CrossFit.  How many more “results” do I need to see before I’m like “Hey, let’s do this?”

I am only saying that I am transitioning, because I have to go to the grocery store, so my food supplies are limited until I get there on Monday.  But I’ve made big changes already:

  • Breakfast: Black coffee w/ Honey, Protein smoothie with fruit and zero carb protein powder, 2 eggs fried in EVOO w/ 2 chicken sausage links

GUESS WHAT?  I AM ACTUALLY SATISFIED.  If you know me personally outside of this blog, I am normally hungry about 10 minutes after a meal – now I realize this is not physical hunger, but as I stated in my Topic Tuesday about binge eating, I don’t have a switch in my body that tells me I am not hungry anymore.  I can eat for ages.  I should have been a professional eater, frankly, because I would rock that biznass. But right now, at this moment, as I type this, I feel good.  I feel full.  I fell satisfied.  SATISFIED.

  • Lunch:  Quinoa w/ kosher salt and pepper, 1 veggie griller patty ( all mixed up ), baby carrots, apple

(Quinoa in small quantities is Paleo!  I WAS SO EXCITED TO HEAR THIS!)

To some it seems restrictive.  To me it seems freeing.  All the protein and veggies I want?  HELL YES.  Some fruit?  EVEN BETTER.  I have been printing recipes for paleo dinners and lunches (AND DESSERTS!) since yesterday.  My older sister has GI issues and was thinking about going this route, so I told her we should do it together.

Now, because I have a hard time giving up wine, I am following the 90/10 rule.  (Some people follow the 80/20 rule, but I need a bit more restriction than that) One day a week – most likely Saturday – I will eat what I want – with in reason, and not go crazy – I’ll have wine, pizza, ice cream, whatever.  So to keep myself sane.  It will be my “Treat Yo’ Self” day and it coincidentally coincides with my day that I will have my longer run of the week – so caloric-ally it balances – or I will make sure it will. I’ll move this day around if for instance there is a special occasion.

Is this Paleo?

I find myself asking that question when I look around my kitchen.  Uh, I don’t know is my predominant answer.  Luckily, NerdFitness has thought of everything.  Paleo Central is an App for your iphone that takes the guess work out of Paleo food.  OH AMEN.

PaleoCentral Iphone

Source

I’m sticking with NROLFW – which I’m sure Paleo will only help with the results of – and running.  I have been finding more and more resources on Paleo for Athletes and more specifically runners, and frankly the whole Carb-Loading is coming on as kind of a myth to me now.  Some of the best races I’ve had, the day before I was eating PROTEIN DENSE meals with little to no carbs.  I only used to carbs in the GU packets during the race to get me through.

NO CARBS?

Well not no carbs.  I’ll be getting my carbs from Fruits and Veggies.  The way God Intended.

Source

I’m sorry that picture is hilarious, and possibly sacrilegious, but still, Hilarious.

Source

Paleo before and After via Pinterest

I’m not going to preach at you about this, but it will become a fixture on my blog at least for the next few months while I try it out.  I’m giving it till the end of May, so about 2 months, of honest to goodness Paleo and my current exercise routine.

The only thing I have to lose is the weight and inches right?

Paleo Food For Thought:

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Workout: NROLFW Stage 1 Week 3 Workout A & 2 Miles Running

Tuesday Topic – Binge Eating/Diet in General

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  • Has this year flown by so far for anyone else?  It seems like just yesterday I was freaking out about starting Graduate School and trying to figure out ways to fund it, not lose time for my training, and balance work and oh family and friends.  Now I am more than half way done with my first semester, and I am cataloging mistakes I’ve made along the way to make myself a better student, and hopefully, ultimately, a better teacher.  I have learned so much in the past 8 weeks that I am still kind of flustered that I was accepted to the program.  My mind is all a flutter today.
Fabulous Wine Induced Papers

Fabulous Wine Induced Papers

  • Right now I think the main focus I need to make for myself is my diet.  I know my issue is too much snacking (i.e. Bored eating) and the occasional (THANK GOD NOT FREQUENT) binge.  A lot of people think when they simply eat too much, it’s a binge, and may be for them it is.  I talk to my doctor the last time I was going through a binge period and she told me to write down everything – no matter how much or how bad – I ate during the binge.  So I did:
    • 2 sleeves of saltine crackers
    • 3 tortillas with hummus
    • 6 ounces of cheddar
    • 2 bowls (roughly 3 cups) of fat free vanilla ice cream
    • 2 diet cokes
    • 6 cookies (all we had in the house)
    • 1 bag of popcorn
    • 1 piece of wheat bread with Peanut Butter (about 2 TBSP)
  • The only reason why I stop there (I know some of you are sick just looking at that list) is because the Husband came home and it was time for dinner, which I then also ate without issue.
Pre Race Fuel - but it's consumed way too often - and not before many races.

Pre Race Fuel – but it’s consumed way too often – and not before many races.

  • So what can I do?  My doctor – as many other bloggers who deal with the same issue – said I need to find the root of WHY.  Why am I having these binges?  Is it boredom?  I frankly shouldn’t have time for boredom.  Any free time I have should be focused on school work, exercise, or sleep.  Is it emotions?  I need to learn not to “Eat My feelings” and focus on why I am feeling what I am feeling, and realize it’s okay to be sad.  Food won’t make it better.  Food isn’t going to hug it out with me, it’s just going to me more upset.  Which is the kicker.  I am upset, so I overeat, then I am upset because I overate, and then think, what the hell, I’ll start over tomorrow and be “better”.  I am the Queen of starting over tomorrow.  I am the Queen of excuses.  But when your only pants are so tight they leave indention marks on you stomach (that spills over your waist band) and you can’t find anything to wear that lets you breathe adequately, and in a hasty decision you donated all of your bigger sizes, leaving you with LITERALLY no clothes to wear once it gets warmer out – you start to realize, there is no more tomorrow.  You are in your tomorrow.  Tomorrow is staring at you with a bitch face laughing at your mistakes, and shaking it’s finger when you say “But I’ll do better!” Because even it knows, unless you make a valiant effort – which you haven’t done in almost two years – you won’t do better.  You will do the same and with that you will see the same results = nada.

  • I can’t go back so many steps to her, again.  I can’t go back to size 14, over 190 pounds, creeping towards 200 and look at myself in the mirror.  I can’t ‘wait for thin’ anymore.  I have to grab ‘healthy’.  It’s not so much a physical thing now, as it is mental.  I know what I have to do, but I have to want it, and need it.  
  • I spent the better part of last night wishing for some miracle.  The Husband said “you aren’t going to wake up magically one day and be thin, you have to wait.  It takes time.”  He’s right, but while I am waiting, I need to focus on getting my head straight.

  • I’m not the bride who almost couldn’t get her dressed zipped up and felt huge in her dress all day.  

  • I can’t hide from pictures anymore for fear that I won’t like what I see.  I am not going to make some big ass confusing plan to change my ways.  I am simply going to track what I eat.  I will continue to workout.  We went grocery shopping last night, and not only did we spend like NO MONEY but I didn’t put trigger foods in my cart.  I am going to be more mindful, keep myself busy.  Pre-track my food everyday.  Give myself a chance to see what happens when I actually put 100% into this.  I miss the way I was when I first started.  I was a rock star.  I dropped 25 pounds in my first 6 weeks.  I was elated.  I couldn’t believe that this was happening.  Every year I’ve said this will be the year I get into a two piece.  Well this will be the year. 

Tulle underwire top

  • Because JCREW sells swim year round, I am not ordering it yet.  I am waiting till I get closer to our Beach Vacay in now August (was June, but because of summer session we had to move it) – But this is the plan.  It’s not flashy, and it’s not all that revealing.  But I hope to feel comfortable enough to put it on and slather myself in SPF 30000 and sit underneath an umbrella in dense shade for a few hours at a time at the beach. 

One day at a time.  That’s all I can do.  So that is all I will do.  Today I have pretracked my meals on Myfitnesspal and Weight Watchers.  I am still with in my calories and points, and I am planning on running 4 miles after work (I swear once it warms up and I am not a baby anymore, I’ll be running outside).  I feel great about the NROLFW program, as I finished up week 2 yesterday.  I am starting Week 3 on Wednesday and upping my weight from 15 pound dumb bells to 20 pounders!  Then I need to buy more plates to up my weight for the next two weeks after that.  I am excited because it is still challenging and I want to see the results.  I need to see them.

Food For Thought on a Tuesday

Spring?

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So I woke up to this:

Yeah.  Spring my ass.  I was planning on running outside today, but everything will be gross, muddy and icy by the time I get out of work.  Plus, people tend to act like crazy idiots when stuff starts falling from the sky, like we are cavemen and the snow or rain is actually fire and lava and blood from children and we all must drive either too fast or too slow and weave in and out of traffic to avoid being pelted by this plague of weather.

Can you tell I had a great commute?

Plan of the Day:

  • Breakfast: Smoothie with Chike nutrition added, English Muffin w/ Strawberry jam, Coffee
  • Snack: Water
  • Lunch: Yogurt, fruit, carrots and hummus, Advo Meal Replacement Bar
  • Snack: Tea
  • Dinner: Whole Wheat Pasta w/ ground turkey and tomato sauce
  • Activity: NROLFW Stage 1, Week 2, Workout B & 2 miles on the treadmill

Yesterday after lunch (per my video) I came home and ran a sub-40 4 miles.  I was extremely excited by this, because I haven’t run that in a while.  My legs took a random turn of not wanting to listen to me around January of this year, and I started to think I was headed down the path of injury again, and now, yes now, it seems as though they have been beaten into submission Christian Grey Style.

Today I will be kinder to them with lunges and 2 miles of running just to keep them limber.

I know it’s supposed to take like 12 weeks or something for you to notice a difference in your body, and since the scale I know has stalled – which is fine, at least it’s not going up! – I need to see some sort of change.  A slight difference in my pants?  May be a shirt fits better than before?  Anything?  Well okay.  I realize it’s only been two weeks.  It’s really hard to watch other people (I should just wear a blindfold and not look in mirrors at all) have such instant success when they buckle down.

But may be that’s my problem.  Have I buckled down?  I’ve been following WW to a T.  Weight Watchers allows you to eat “Most” veggies and fruits without having to “count them” in their points system, which at first I was like “BAM!  I WILL ONLY EAT THOSE.”  Yeah that never works past one meal for me.  I love salads, but I also love cheese.  And Wine.  And Chocolate.  And Bread.  Wine, Chocolate, Bread and Cheese.  I have just formulated my dinner…

So I started double tracking again on My Fitness Pal.  I need to make sure with lifting I am getting enough protein, and protein on WW is always higher in points so I end up neglecting it.  Funny how that works.  Then just when I thought, “man this is gonna suck.  Jennifer is gonna make me give up my English Muffins :-) ”  I was thinking about all the stuff she  was telling me to add to my diet that I was neglecting which ultimately was Good Fats (YES THEY EXIST PEOPLE) and Protein.  Then as I was running through my blog reader (Google I hate you for giving me a doomsday on this) I saw Caitlin’s post on ‘Adding not Subtracting’

healthy living

 

So I’ll just be adding things that my body needs to my diet.  If I am fueling properly, I won’t have time (or room) to eat the junk.  But I am not giving up my English Muffins or Oatmeal! :-)

In other news, school is going well.  I’ll be crazed for 9 weeks over the summer (yeah I can’t count and thought it was 6, but no, it’s 9.) but that’s okay.  I am terrified I didn’t pass my VCLA test.  I got unofficial results which are percentages and mean nothing because the results you need are in points values, so I have no idea what this percentage equates to, or how much each question was worth, but needless to say I am scared.   I know I can take it again and that I have time to take it again, but from everyone being like “Oh it’s so easy, and you’ll be fine” for me to NOT pass, would make me rather, um, stark raving mad.   My Praxis II are slated for May 10 at noon – I get to leave work early to take them, so that’s a plus, but I am also pretty sure I needed to start prepping like a year ago.  Apparently anything pertaining to English (eras of literature, linguistics, grammar, spelling, editing, writing, reading comprehension, the development of language, etc) COULD BE on the test.  So the study guide is larger than any textbook I’ve ever pretended to study from.  So I will most likely get on that this week.  If not tonight.  Actually I wish it were here with me now.

Food For Thought On Monday:

Tuesday Things

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Have you entered my Giveaway yet?  IT’S MY FIRST GIVEAWAY.  ENTER! Giveaway Giveaway Giveaway Giveaway Giveaway!

Tuesday’s Plan:

  • Breakfast: Bagel Thin, PB, Coffee, Smoothie with protein
  • Snack: water
  • Lunch: Spinach Salad w/ Roasted Chickpeas, yogurt, Watermelon
  • Snack: Fruit
  • Dinner: Turkey Tacos!
  • Activity: Run 3.1 miles (or there about’s) and Arm Circuit

I found this workout plan on Pinterest, and while, right now, right before my half marathon, I won’t be trying it, I think I will start the Monday afterward and see how it goes for the week!

- Share It Fitness -

I’ve been invited by a new company to “Pioneer” test their new application.  The company is called “Happify” and the app pretty much in a nut shell makes you happy.  There are activities, games, journal entries, and a community of people you interact with that all build each other up.  It’s like free therapy.  I was so excited when I saw the invite email – based on the co-founder liking my blog – and when I went through the survey, it told me I have issues coping with stress.  Hi nail – meet head.  This is my total problem.

I’m on day two and loving it so much.  I can’t wait for it to go live, and there will be apps for your smart phones!

www.happify.com

My legs are still a bit sore from Sunday’s 10 miler.  I guess it’s to be expected.  I pushed through that race really hard.  I am hoping that this afternoon my run will not be horrible.  I am not going to kill myself to hit 3.1 miles.  I’m thinking run 1.5 miles (6.1 mph) and walk for 1 minutes (4.0 mph) and then repeat.  Who knows I might get gutsy and go for 4.5 miles – but I doubt it.

Humorous Finds:

ha

Agree!

Dee.....

Sorry I needed that comedic break.  It’s early, my coffee is broken, and I am still tired.

  • What are you doing today to be active?
  • Do you think the Happify App will be successful?
  • What would you do with a T-Rex that had extended grabbers?
  • DC/Metro Area – ARE YOU READY FOR SNOWQUESTOR???

Reston 10 Miler Race Recap/It’s Monday!/GIVEAWAY!

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Yesterday the Husband and I awoke early (5:30 am) to get me to the start line of the Reston 10 Miler on time.  This was my first 10 mile race.  I have of course run longer distances, but never had a stopping point at 10 miles, so I was excited to see how I would do.

We left our house around 6:50 and drove through zero traffic (something that rarely happens, even on Sunday mornings) to Reston, at South Lakes High School, to begin the race!  I was meeting Anna, a LTE boardie, for the first time as she was coming up from Charlottesville, VA to run the race as well.  I decided on the way over that because my Half Marathon (or rather my more important race) was coming up in two weeks, I would run with her at her pace (slightly slower than mine) and take breaks as needed.  She told me that she runs 1.5 miles and then walks for 90 seconds, and that usually corresponds to the water stops.  After mile 4.5 I realized this is what I should be doing for all of my runs.  My body responded SO WELL to this method that I think I found my sweet spot.

Reston 10 Miler Course via my Garmin 210

Reston 10 Miler Course via my Garmin 210

The miles went by quickly and I really enjoyed myself.  At the end of the race I was really just wanting it to be done, so I sprinted ahead around the track finishing in 1:53:47.

Reston 10 Miler - 3/3/2013 - 1:53:47

Reston 10 Miler – 3/3/2013 – 1:53:47

Great Race – Great Fun.  REALLY COLD and windy.  Can’t wait for my Half Marathon now!

IT’S MONDAY!

Menu for the Week:

  • Monday: Turkey Tacos
  • Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash with Turkey and Meat sauce
  • Wednesday: “Fried” chicken with Oven Fries
  • Thursday: School night / Fend for yourself
  • Friday: Homemade Pizza
  • Saturday: Dinner out with Kim and Edwin
  • Sunday: Gnocchi (Attempt 2 – potatoes did not cooperate last night)

Workouts for the Week:

  • Monday: REST
  • Tuesday: 3.1 miles & Arms
  • Wednesday: 3.1 miles & core
  • Thursday: REST
  • Friday: 40 minute tempo run
  • Saturday: 6-8 Miles (Haven’t decided)
  • Sunday: 2 Miles & Full body Strength

GIVEAWAY!!!

I will be giving on lucky – continental US Only – Reader a box of healthy snacks that I adore and the book Working Out Sucks!

  • Kind Bars
  • Dried Fruit
  • Nuts
  • etc!

Here is what you have to do:

  1. Like “Life’s Little Epiphanies” on Facebook
  2. Follow me on Twitter: @bebegetswordy & tweet the following:
    1. I wanna win BeBe’s Snack and Book Giveaway! @Bebegetswordy #Allofmywords
  3. Leave a comment on the blog telling me about your exercise escapades and what you love to do to be active!

You can do all three – but make sure you leave a comment for each action as that is how I will be randomly selecting the winner.

I’ll be selecting the winner this Friday – 3/8/2013 SO ENTER SOON!

 

Saturday Run & DietBet Weigh In

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Breakfast 9P+ yummy…

After breakfast I put away laundry then changed into workout clothes and got my running done. I did 5 rounds of 1/2 mile run, rows, bent over rows, bicep curls, shoulder presses, and bench dips. Wahoo strength training and body weight training! I feel good and ready for tomorrow’s race!

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So my DietBet weigh in was today. I hope I can lose the 4% in 28 days. I’m really going to push it and workout and eat cleanly.

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Me on my scale for my official weigh in.

Now it’s off to run errands and pick up my race packet!

Have a great Saturday!!!

The Swed Life

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I started off my weekend with a nice 3.1 mile run which is always great to do when you know you’ll be eating a lot of good food later on!

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Then it was time to clean up the house and me, and get ready for lots of company!

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The house and I clean up nicely :-)

The menu was meatballs, potatoes au gratin, roasted Brussel sprouts, and a spinach salad. My friend Lisette made the meatballs and potatoes so I had little work to do.

I also made Red Velvet Cupcakes…

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The evening was a success and no one left hungry. The dinner party was in honor of my friend Lisa who is moving to Sweden in July for a teaching job. So the meatballs and cheese dessert was fitting.

We also had a lot if wine. My morning run should be fun :-)

Now on to the rest of the weekend!

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Arbitrary Blarney Shot…

Tuesday Things

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  • Ugh it’s one of those days of just not feeling good.  Not sick, but a little tired, crampy, and pretty much would rather be lying down then in the upright position.  

Untitled

 

Untitled 1

 

  • At least I have my day planned.  121 Days till the beach.  I have tracked everything, don’t feel hungry at this point (feel crampy) and pretty much kind of hope this sticks around for the rest of the day so I don’t for whatever reason start chowing down on whatever is at home.
  • Weight Watchers is working, because it’s reminding me of how to eat.  I need to choose fruits and veggies over things like breads and cheese.  I can have the bread and cheese, just not all the time and in large quantities.
  • I’m also being reminded that if I eat badly, I cancel out all the good I am doing when I run and lift.  How fair is that ?  I am putting all this effort in each day to sweating out the bad, and I am just filling up my stomach with bad.  Makes no sense.
  • So my big meeting – Preliminary Design Review – is on Thursday.  I am excited about it, because so far it’s completely come together the way it should.  Then I get to run over to class, where we are presenting our Multi-Genre topics to the class.  I hope I get it over with close the beginning.  I don’t mind being up in front of a classroom, but getting up in a front of a classroom and reading my own poetry?  That is hard.
  • BACHELOR.  Did you see AshLee’s face?  She wanted to punch him.  Did you see how Catherine like dropped her gaze to the floor walking back from getting the final rose?  I am sure she was terrified.  I was actually shocked. (I mean I know who he picks thanks to spoiler blogs) I was sure he would send crazy face Lindsey home (Girl who showed up in a wedding dress) mainly because her father is kind of scary and SHE SHOWED UP IN A WEDDING DRESS.  I am team Catherine.  She lives in Seattle, and she nerdy, and I think she is awesome.  (Plus after last season when the crazy face Courtney won, I’ve decided men on TV don’t know what they want.  But Sean seems to be proving me wrong, because he sent home the big crazy Tierra.)  OH EM GEE.  Next week – Girls Tell All!  I can’t wait.
Sean Tells All Full Episode – e9 | s17 – The Bachelor : WomanlyWoman.com

I honestly don’t get it. I am not attracted to blondes though.. so that could be it.

  • I GET MY STITCHES OUT TOMORROW.
  • Tomorrow is also going to be my first morning run in a realllllllllly long time.  I don’t have time after work to get my workout in, and I don’t want to miss two days in a row (Thursday I have to be at work early and then have class, so that day is out) so I am getting up at 5am and running 2 miles and then doing leg work.  The only thing I need to accomplish on Thursday is not eating whatever food is brought in for the meeting.  So I will have snacks galore and my own lunch.  Exciting.
  • The Husband and I are trying to figure out when we should start the bathroom renovation (we are doing a lot of it ourselves) and if it were up to me, I would start demoing this evening.  But he is more pragmatic.  My feeling is, we have two bathrooms.  We can’t afford NOT TO START NOW!
Opening Up

This is kind of what we want

  • If you don’t read The Londoner‘s blog, you are missing out.  BUT BE WARNED.  You will kind of hate her a teeeeeensy amount but it’s only out of SHEER ENVY that you don’t have her life.  Plus she is FLAWLESS.  I want her closet, her hair, and to live in London.

Day 1 – Sunday

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122 days till the beach vacation with The Husband. It starts now. No more excuses. I will be in a bikini in June.

3.1 mile Run
1 min squats
1 min Bicep curls
1 min Tricep dips

507 calories burned (7P+)

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Me post workout – like my slight black eye?

A

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Breakfast! 2 fried eggs, 1 light English muffin, 2 chicken sausage links, OJ and coffee ( 13P+)

Next up we are off to a antique store, Starbucks, Trader Joes and then I’m back to hitting the books for my school work!

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Have a great Sunday!

Rainy Day

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So that’s what I look like right now. Fun times huh?

I don’t think anyone really wants to see what’s under the bandaid so I’ll spare you the imagery. There are 3 stitches and it’s swollen and red.

I’m being forced to take a rest day even though now with our weekend getaway to the beach planned I feel like I should be doing nothing but lifting weights and drinking protein drinks.

Yeah we booked our Chincoteague VA vacation this June – belated anniversary trip. I’m really looking forward to it.

Especially on days where I feel like the cold will never end.

Either snow or leave, winter.