Category Archives: Food and Drinks

Whole 30 Week 4 and Workouts

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A few nights ago I dreamt of a cupcake. I was holding it, looking it up and down, assessing every inch of its deliciousness. It was not your conventional store bought cupcake, oh no. It was a perfectly baked, moist, treat. The flavor was simple, a vanilla cake with what I can only imagine to be cream cheese frosting. My eyes devoured it while my mind started to express the guilt I would feel for eating it, for breaking the Whole 30 rules. I took that first bite and the sugary goodness melted over me like being hit with a ray of sunshine on a summer day. Then I woke up.

A couple of nights later it happened again. This time not with a cupcake, but with alcohol. Whiskey to be precise. A beautiful cocktail in a stemmed glass. I swirled the liquid around, bringing my nose right to the top and smelling all it had to offer. The moral and mental battle raged on again before ultimately the first sip was taken. The warm liquid moved down through my body warming me up from the inside out. I felt calm, relaxed, and happy. Then I woke up.

Now I am not one to dream about food, especially foods I almost never partake in. Maybe once or twice a year I indulge in a cupcake or a whiskey cocktail, but neither are high on my can’t live without list. Which made it that much more interesting to see these treats pop up into my sub concise. My best guess for interpretation is after 28 days of nothing but pure obedience to the rules, my mind feels it is either tired of being so strict or maybe it feels it deserves a reward. Either way I am on the home stretch with 28 days complete and 3 more to go. Right now I am still debating if I want to continue on after the 31 days or start the re-introduction of foods instead. Most likely I will just keep going until something so amazing and tempting comes across my plate I can’t say no.

This week I had the pleasure of actually going to see Melissa Hartwig, the founder of the Whole 30 speak at a book signing. It couldn’t have been better timing since starting the program I have become slightly infatuated with her. It was on Thursday night up in Marin County, a pretty short 25 minute drive from my house over the Golden Gate Bridge. Ideally I would have had a partner in crime to go with me, but it wasn’t in the cards so a solo adventure it became.

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One of my favorite pastimes is seeing authors speak. I love to hear them describe their work, their passion. Hearing them describe how they came about the eloquent words they spent hours typing. I love the questions the audience asks and seeing how quickly they are able to gather their thoughts to respond back. (Which from personal experience is a pretty nerve racking endeavor.) I ended up being more then pleasantly surprised with Melissa, I was flat out impressed. She was fluid with her thoughts, personable with a happy demeanor, smart, candid, and relatable. After almost an hour of talking and Q&A I waited inline for longer then I should have to get my book signed by her and the other author at the event, Danielle Walker from Against the Grain. What ended up being my huge disappointment of the evening? Asking the stranger behind me to take a photo of us. Is it that hard to get someones whole head in a shot? It was a smart phone, not a complex point and shoot. Oh well, if that was my biggest annoyance of the week it was a good week.

Here is to the last 3 days, hopefully the food dreams will start to calm down. Its making it hard to stay on track!

Workouts:

Sunday: 60 Minute Barre Class at The Dailey Method

Monday: 50 minute spinning class at Body Rok

Tuesday: 60 minute Barre Class at The Dailey Method, 30 minute strength training at gym

Wednesday: 65 minute Spinning Class at Body Rok, 20 minutes of  strength training at gym. Technically class was only 45 minutes but I stayed on the bike a bit longer

Thursday: 60 minute Burn Class (mix of weights, cardio, and pilates board)

Friday: 50 minute spinning class at Body Rok. I was looking forward to this class all week! Not only was it taught by my favorite instructor in SF, but it was also an 80’s themed ride!

Saturday: 46 minute 7.10 mile run

Whole 30 Week 3 and Workouts

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Wow, I cant believe I am 21 days into my Whole 30. This week was pretty much on cruise control, thank god! Since I was home from traveling I was able to cook  and prep most of my meals, which makes a huge difference. Typically I like to do most of my meal prep for the week on Sundays. It is a life saver to make a big dish so I have something to eat for lunch throughout the week. This past weekend I ended up having lots of time with friends, so my Sunday routine was thrown off. This meant I had to do more cooking at home after work when all I wanted to do was sit and un wind. My other saving grace this week was Whole Foods Hot Bar. It has saved me when I didn’t get my usual veggies roasted and I needed to grab some quick to add to a salad. My only complaint with Whole Foods is they use a lot of Canola Oil in their food, which technically is complaint in the Whole 30, but not encouraged. Oh well, a girl has to make sacrifices and for me that was it.

So what should I be feeling 21 days in? In reading the Whole 30 guidelines by this time I should be in the stage they call Tiger Blood. What is Tiger Blood you ask? Well according to their website it was a phrase they took from the actor Charlie Sheen (which who knows what he was using it for) and then attached their own definition to it. Essentially Tiger Blood is the part of the program where you are passed the biggest hurdles, i.e. the cravings and “hangover” part. From the website, “Your energy is through the roof, you’ve kicked the cravings, you’re experimenting with new, delicious food, and you’ve finally got the time to notice that your clothes fit better, your workouts are stronger, and you are generally more awesome.”

For myself it is not this dramatic transformation I anticipated. However there are definitely some noticeable differences. I would say if you are not looking for them, it could be easy to miss. Let’s start with the more noticeable ones. First my carvings for non Whole 30 Foods is pretty low or non-existent. I dont have any urge right now for anything processed, sugary, bread/grain like, or even alcohol. Which if you know me a glass of wine, bread, and cheese plate are my 3 essentials if I would be trapped on a desert island.  I was also really nervous about not drinking for a month due to the social impact. Instead I have been trying to spend more time with friends outside of happy hour. This has lead to many a coffee, breakfast, or workout class dates. It is a friendly reminder are friends love us regardless of what we put in our mouths.

Next and probably the most impactful is I am sleeping sooooooooo much more soundly. If you can relate, there is nothing worse then waking up all throughout the night. You wake up feeling almost as bad as if you had gone to bed at 2:00am. So to be able to get a full nights sleep night after night is incredible. Just to be fair though, we also did just buy a new King Bed around the same time this started, so that may have something to do with it as well.

My pants are fitting better. This was something I noticed after the first round I did of Whole 30 back in December and was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to continue the program. After years of practically starving myself I just can’t ever go back to that place. So it is nice to feel like I am not depriving myself of any food and I am still able to see an impact. I have also had some other things I started around December 1st that could be attributing, but regardless of what it is I will take it.  I am not sure what this equates to weight wise as we are not allowed to weigh ourselves on the program, which is fine by me as I broke up with my scale over a year and a half ago and have never looked back!

Lastly and the least noticeable is my energy. I wear a fit bit everyday and track my steps. Since starting the Whole 30 I have noticed without even trying I have added an extra 2-4k steps a day. This is huge if you really think about it as it is an extra 1-2 miles a day. Without trying my body has just wanted to move more. I have also found I have energy to do more “life” stuff like go through my closet, pay bills, cook, get together with friends, etc.  If I had not been paying really close attention to this one I may have completely over looked it.

To summarize, I may not be Tiger Blood yet, but I am seeing the Eye of the Tiger for sure.  One week left to go, although I am not going to lie, I might just keep this party going as long as I can. It feels good to feel good, you know?

Workouts:

Sunday: 60 Minute Barre Class at the Bar Method

Monday: 50 minute spinning class at Body Rok

Tuesday: 50 minute Barre Class at Mint Studio, 26 minute 4.15 mile run

Wednesday: 50 minute Spinning Class at Core 40

Thursday: 60 minute training session with personal trainer. Lots of legs and arms! Could hardly walk the next day

Friday: 50 minute spinning class at Body Rok

Saturday: 33 minute 5.15 mile run, 60 minute Barre Class at Pop Physique

Whole 30 Week 2 and Workouts

Posted in Food and Drinks, Health, Working Out by

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Just last week I sat perched in one of my favorite neighborhood coffee shops writing my first Whole30 post feeling inspired. As I sipped on my decaf coffee with my Whole30 approved nutpod creamer, now a staple in my oversized purse, I felt confident, in control, and motivated. Sure I had been ravenous with hunger all week and yes I had been snacking way too much, but I was eating whole nourishing foods, most of which was prepared by my own two hands. I looked forward to the days ahead where if history repeated itself I would be feeling amazing and questioning why I ever ate any other way. As I write today, feeling annoyed and slightly discouraged,  I can’t help but think what a difference a week can make.

What happened in a week you might ask? Two words, Orlando Flordia. Yep, I had my first work trip of the year. Now managing eating healthy while traveling is nothing new to me. Years ago I embraced being “that girl” who had almost an entire carry on bag with homemade meals and snacks to last me through a good chunk of my trip. I am also quite skillful at researching what is around my hotels and typically have my workouts and grocery store lined up in order to prep for the week. Going into this trip I found one of my favorite barre studios along with a Whole Foods half a mile from the Hotel. As I boarded my plane on Monday, bag full of food in hand, I thought this week was going to be a breeze!

The first day was just that, a breeze. I had my  pre-made snacks and found an awesome all veggie salad at the airport from one of my favorite restaurants in the city Plant Organic Cafe.  I dressed the salad with my carry on sized coconut aminos, saving some calories from the high caloric dressing included with the salad. Upon arriving to the hotel I un-packed and headed over to Whole Foods. I walked up and down the islets at the hot food bar reading every items ingredients thoroughly as if I was going to be tested on it later. As I passed by each delicious looking veggie or meat dish I found there was either soy, dairy, or sugar hiding in it. I gradually became more and more annoyed with the fewer and fewer options I had to eat. Must we cook everything in soy or add sugar!  But at last I found some good options and went back to my hotel room to eat, watch Netflix, and prepare for the couple of long days ahead of me.

Day 2 started fine. I brought breakfast and lunch with me, a combo of groceries from Whole Foods and snacks I had brought with me. Later that evening my team wanted to go out to dinner. I of course wanted to be a good sport and spend time with them, regardless of my dietary needs. I was determined to make it work! At the restaurant I did my do diligence. I asked for the gluten free menu and after reading it thoroughly landed on the chicken lettuce cups with cashew cheese and a couple of sides of steamed veggies. As soon as the waiter laid down the beautiful plate in front of me I took one look at the chicken and knew there was some sort of sauce on it which would not be compliant. I had to be “that girl” and send it back t to be replaced with plain grilled chicken. I left the restaurant feeling proud of myself, I had navigated through my first dining experience out.

Later that evening as I laid in bed my stomach started to feel off. I decided to go online and look at the menu again just to make sure. Apparently the regular menu had more details then the gluten free and right there with the cashew cheese it said peanuts and soy sauce. Um not ok! What if someone who was gluten free also had a peanut allergy, it would have been nice for them to include that information in the regular menu.  Immediately my heart sank. The Whole 30 rules are very strict. You break a rule you start over, no matter what.

I sat there contemplating and debating back and forth on whether I follow the rules or carry on. Starting over meant the last 10 days would have been wasted. The sauce was on the side and I hardly used it, but rules are rules. However this was not a personal slip or from a lack of trying or lack of willpower. I was annoyed, but finally I decided I would just march on as if nothing had happened. I needed to feel motivated to keep going and giving up the last 10 days was not going to do it. Plus I figured at day 30 I could just add one more day. Then after that day, I will add on one more, and so on until hopefully I could make up the extra 10 days.

The rest of the trip and week ended up being smooth, as I just stuck to the meal prep I had. However I started to feel bored with what I was eating and frustrated in how every restaurant prepared food. As the week started to come to a close my emotions started to take a tole. I was now 13 days into the program and not feeling the amazingness I felt by this time on the last go around. Maybe it was the slip up I had, maybe it was the 3 hour time change with the trip, maybe it was the serious sleep deprivation, either way I was not feeling the ease of motivation to continue. Luckily I am pretty determined so once I set my mind to something I will see it through. Although it does make it a hell of a lot easier when you feel like you are getting something out of it. Oh well, now I am just hoping with this next week the tides will change and my body will become the amazing temple I know it can be.

Workouts:

Sunday: Rest Day

Monday: 55 minute spinning class at Uforia Studio.

Tuesday: 40 minute 6 mile Run. Plus LOTS of extra walking today

Wednesday: 60 minute Pure Barre Class. 1 mile run. 20 minute heavy weight set.

Thursday: 60 minute Pure Barre Class. Was going to run, but woke up with my legs extremely tired after walking 13+miles the day before on top of my workout. I am trying to do a better job of listening to my body.

Friday: 55 minute spinning class at Lavation. This studio is not my favorite, but is only a half mile from my house. Proximity just wins sometimes.

Saturday: 60 minute Burn Class. Burn is a mix of cardio ( burpees, mountain climbers, sprints, etc.) plus weights, and a pilates board with bands. Great full body workout

Whole 30 Week 1 and Workouts

Posted in Food and Drinks, Health, Working Out by

 

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I am officially 7 days complete into my January Whole 30 and so far so good! Luckily I came from a pretty good jumping off point. Having already completed 16 days  of the Whole 30 in December and holding onto most of the principles the rest of the month has made this transition a lot easier. In general the majority of the food I already consumed was in the fruit or veggie family, but I have never been a big meat eater. In December the hardest transition was stopping my morning greek yogurt or overnight oats, obsessed, and having to add in more protein. I get very easily confused for a vegetarian, but in reality I just never never been one to crave meat. It feels quite bizarre to now be eating chicken for breakfast.

Now let’s get real for a moment. Although I have been 100% compliment in terms of the food you are allowed to eat, I do need to improve upon some of the core principles. For instance I love to snack and have been a grazer the last five years. This has made it very challenging for me to adhere to the 3 meal a day rule with only having snacks if you are truly hungry. I also have a fruit problem and pop grapes like candy. This goes against the whole “Slaying your sugar dragon.” I have also just been plain ravenous this week. Maybe it is due to workouts, hormones, or what have you. Either way I would like to get a normal appetite again.

If this whole 30 goes like the last one did it was around day 9-10 my appetite started to get suppressed, I had more sustained energy, and was not reaching for food to help get me through the day.  It usually takes about 10-14 days once you get sugar out of your system for your body to start using fat to run off of instead, which then helps in aiding weight loss. On a positive note my sleep has dramatically improved over the last 4 nights. I always struggle with sound sleeping, so having had 4 nights of rest makes me feel like a whole new person!

I thought for the month of Jan as I am going to be talking a lot about my food why not add my exercise routine in as well. Since it is a huge component to the overall picture. Below is what I did this past week. On a side note I also walk a TON, which I didn’t include as I just count is as a part of my daily life. Most days I walk an extra 2-5 miles outside of just my usual moving around. This is why I love having a dog, they force you to move. I wear a fitbit and walk a minimum of 10k steps a day for reference. On average I am in the 14k-16k range a day.

Workouts:

Sunday: New Years Day Special 90 minute barre class at one of my favorite studios Mint!

Monday: 50 minute spinning class. First time trying Flywheel in the city. As you know from previous posts I am obsessed with this place and overtime I go to New York it is on my hit list. I was a little underwhelmed with the SF class.

Tuesday: 60 Minute Barre Fight Class at Salt. A mix of Barre and Kick Boxing. 30 minute weight training set at my work gym.

Wednesday: 50 minute spinning class at Body Rok

Thursday: 60 minute strength training session with my awesome personal trainer.My favorites moves of the day were the trap bar deadlift and the landmine

Friday: 50 minute spinning class at Body Rok

Saturday: 40 minute sculpt class on reformer machine. 50 minute spin class. Both at Body Rok

 

 

 

A Week of Food In Greece

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I have been sitting here for a while thinking about how I would best showcase all of the amazing food I ate while in Greece. I could post each picture, each memory, with a detailed description of the meal from the first step into the restaurant to when I was so satisfied I was in a state of euphoria. I could go into detail about the ambiance in the restaurant, the presentation of each dish, the taste of the first delicate bite which you can never replicate no matter how many more bites you take. I could talk about the tips and tricks I took when ordering to try and stay healthy, how I watched my portions, while still trying every last thing I wanted. Ultimately I decided pictures speak louder then words. This is by no means every meal I ate on the trip, however it is some of the more memorable ones.

BREAKFAST

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As we know I am obsessed with yogurt. Whenever a restaurant or cafe had yogurt as an option it was a mindless decision on what I would be ordering. This breakfast was by far one of my favorite’s on the trip. Creamy, smooth, and an amazing collection of fruit. It hit the spot.

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 I love little treats, so I knew I was going to fall in love with Greece when every time I ordered a beverage I received a goody. On this day it was a little cookie with my morning coffee. Nothing like a little sugar to start your day.

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Just another amazing fruit and yogurt breakfast. This one came with a little treat of baked goods. I sampled a small bite of each. So good!

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 This was my only morning having eggs for breakfast. Dustin and I walked almost 2 miles to get to this cozy cafe recommended by our Air BnB host. The ambiance of this place was amazing just like their food.

LUNCH

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Over the entire trip we did not end up eating a lot of lunches. Instead we would eat a larger breakfast and an even larger dinner. Then we would typically split something as a snack throughout the day or enjoy a treat with our beverage order. Here is just one example of a beautiful salad we shared. The fresh citrus with the greens hit the spot.

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This was by far one of our favorite meals on the entire trip! Nothing like a big plate of gyro meat, pita, and onions after a morning run and walking. The meat just melted in your mouth.

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Stopping by a street vendor one day to share a pork kabob in a bun with ketchup and mustard. This is the Greek take on a hot dog, but way better.

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Overlooking the ocean we enjoyed a fresh crab salad for lunch. This place was recommended by my yoga teacher as one of her favorite places to eat in Santorini. We loved trying to eat only where the locals ate throughout the trip. I cant even put into words how refreshing this meal was.

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One day we took the bus to a little town Peza in Crete to do some wine tasting. Although the wine tasting was dismal at best, our highlight of the day was finding this local spot for lunch. Workers were on their lunch break ordering meat on a stick accompanied by bread and ketchup. We also stopped by a little market vendor to pick up some fresh strawberries and grapes to eat with it.

SNACKS

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Again I love how in Greece your beverages always come with a snack. When ordering wine fruit was paired, nuts or chips was common with beer, and a small baked treat with coffee. There were many afternoons where this snack and drink would hold us over till dinner.

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With every meal we ordered we received bread. For me this was heaven and hell since I love bread, but I also have little to no self control with it. However once I learned I would be getting bread with every meal it made me stop, pause, and eat only the bread I truly loved. If it was not amazing I knew another loaf would not be to far away.

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Wine tasting with cheese, olives, bread bites, and a tomato dip. A perfect afternoon in my opinion.

DINNER

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We wanted to make sure we got at least one very traditional Greek meal in. This was a platter of all of the different mezzes we are accustomed to in the states. The difference from back home to Greece is obviously the taste. There is really no comparison.

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This was my favorite greek salad on the trip. The produce was so fresh, it was swimming in olive oil, perfectly baked croutons, and cheese that melted in your mouth. The portion was huge and came in a giant wooden bowl. I could eat this salad every day for the rest of my life and be happy. It was that good.

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At the same restaurant as the best greek salad of my life was this amazing lamb dish. It was served with smoking sage rising and twisting it’s way up engulfing every last ounce. The presentation would have been enough, but yes the food tasted just as good as it appeared.

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I have never been one to eat anchovies, however Dustin loves them. We ordered this dish at the pier and although I was not looking forward to it as much as others I ended up loving it. The fish were salty and perfect. The olive oil and onions just made all of the flavors come together.

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Another amazing traditional greek salad. This one had a balsamic glaze on top. We paired it with the dish below.

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Our last meal on the trip. This was a pork dish in a sweet glaze. Tasty, but not my favorite on the trip. What made this meal so memorable though was the view we had while enjoying it. We were in Santorini watching the sunset as we finished off our last bite. A perfect date to end an unforgettable trip.

A Weekend of Food in Pictures

Posted in Food and Drinks, San Francisco by

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What does someone do after they have spent all week on a rotation diet, well I can answer that. You go and enjoy food and drinks all weekend. Which is exactly what I did!

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The weekend started at a restaurant called Bar Crudo in my new neighborhood, which has an amazing happy hour.  Also can I say happy hour is genius in my opinion. You get a deal just for starting your night off early, why would someone not want to participate. I have also found now living in an area closer to a college campus that happy hour is very prominent at most of the neighborhood establishments.

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Bar Crudo is a great seafood spot, but can be a little pricey. This is why the happy hour specials are so killer. They have $1 Oysters, $1 mussels, $10 for 2 fish tacos, and $6 for a healthy pour of wine. The food and wine was all delicious and I recommend to anyone to check out this hidden gem.

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The following day after one of the hardest spinning classes I have ever been to and then a hike with some girlfriends, it was decided brunch was needed.  We made our way to a neighborhood spot called Sparrow Bar and Kitchen. I have been here only once before and found their food to be a little hit or miss. However the atmosphere is quite nice. They have a huge outdoor back patio where we enjoyed our breakfast in the rare San Francisco sun. I ordered the smoked salmon quiche with maple crème fraîche.  It was yummy, just the right amount of food, and was accompanied by a small green salad. Pair this with a cup of coffee and it totally hit the spot!

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After brunch Dustin and I went to see the musical Pippin, AMAZING! If you have the chance to see it you should. Afterwards we had to go to one of our favorite brewery restaurants in the city Mikkeller Bar. Of course when you go here you have to order a bratwurst. I ordered the muffuletta bratwurst and replaced the french fries with a salad. I paired it with a Dubbel beer, which made me a little buzzed afterwards. All in all it was a great weekend of food! Of course this week I have been back on track making all my meals for the week. However I am getting ready to enjoy the weekend again!

Rotation Diet-Day 4

Posted in Food and Drinks, Health by

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Last night I did not sleep as well as I have the last 2 nights. It was more like a usual night for me where I wake up multiple times and cant seem to stay asleep. Overall I think Day 3 has been my hardest so far. I felt hungry and un-satisfied for most of the day. It was either the food I ate or the combination of them that left my stomach grumbly and off. All of this combined leads me to say I am glad today is my last day on rotation! I know you are supposed to do these type of diets for at least 6 weeks to really get a good base line and to see how your body responds to a new program. For me this will be the end of it. I am so excited to get back to regular programming tomorrow!

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This morning I started my day with a 4 1/2 mile run followed by an hour of body pump. Usually when I do this combo on Thursday’s it is a breeze. Today was really hard. My body felt weak and tired. I am not sure if it is from what I ate yesterday, or from this week, or just an off day. Either way I am hoping tomorrow will be better.  Breakfast today consisted of a massive amount of watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon. I am finding the fruit with more water in them fill me up a lot more then some of the other types.

Breakfast

  • 2 cups of Watermelon
  • 1 cup of Cantaloupe
  • 1 cup of Honeydew melon
  • 1 cup of coffee with steamed almond milk

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By lunch time I was craving protein. I had made acorn squash, but grabbed some salmon lox at the breakfast bar to eat along with it. Actually lunch ended up hitting the spot and I have felt satisfied all day! I didn’t even need an afternoon pick me up, which lately is un-heard of.

Lunch

  • 4 oz of Lox Salmon
  • 1/2 baked acorn squash with brown sugar and salt
  • 2 small beets
  • 1/2 cup grilled summer squash
  • 3 glazed pecans for dessert

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For dinner it was all about Salmon and squash again. I have to say dinner totally hit the spot! Today my body felt really good with the food choices. I have been content and happy all day. After every meal I felt full, I did not crave snacks, and I was able to sustain energy.

Dinner

  • 4oz of Atlantic Salmon with sea salt and a drizzle of maple
  • 1 large summer squash made into spaghetti with a little olive oil and garlic salt
  • 8 Okra pods baked
  • 2 oz of sake

All in all here is what I liked and disliked about the rotation diet.

I liked that I was able to eat different things every day. It was nice to see what foods my body responded well to and which ones it struggled with. It was good to stop my snacking habit and focus on full satisfying meals. It was also nice to cut out processed foods and emphasize protein, veggies, and fruit. I also was happy with the added sleep from the week.

What I disliked was all of the food prep. There was a lot of thought and energy that went into every night with planning meals for the next day. It was also expensive. Since I could  not eat leftovers I had to buy a lot of different food to last throughout the week. Even with stocking up at the farmers market on Sunday it did not sustain all my meals.  Lastly it was hard to tell myself no to something healthy I was craving, aka like grapes and greek yogurt, because it was not the right day.

What I am taking away from this experience is it is good to force myself to vary my food more often. Even if it is just alternating breakfast every other day. I also like knowing what foods pair well together, which I can try and be mindful of when making meal choices going forward. Would I do this again, absolutely. Am I glad it is done tomorrow and I can go to happy hour to enjoy whatever healthy meal I want. Yep, I cant wait! I see wine, cheese, and bread in my near future.

Rotation Diet-Day 3

Posted in Food and Drinks, Health by

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This morning I woke up again to another amazing night of sleep! In the future I really need to remind myself how every time I go to have a late night snack it is going to affect me for the rest of the night. Because let me say, after sleeping well for two nights in a row it makes a huge difference to your day. I did wake up hungry, which is not typical for me. However I am not a fan of eating before working out, so I waited to eat breakfast till after my Barre class when I had made my way into the office.  I did start the morning cheating again with coffee from my favorite coffee shop Philz. Although I did make sure to use almond milk instead of dairy, so I am giving myself credit there. Today breakfast consisted of fruit and roasted sweet potatoes. I felt satisfied, but was definitely ready for lunch by noon.

 Breakfast

  • 1 cup of pineapple
  • 1 plum
  • 1 medium roasted sweet potato with salt and a little brown sugar

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After preparing not only dinner last night, but also the sweet potatoes for this morning I had no energy to make something else for lunch. I was able to find a 3 bean salad at the grocery store and went to the salad bar at work and through together some tofu and beans for another snack. All in all it tasted pretty good and I did manage to feel full by the end of it. But by early afternoon my stomach was upset and gurgling for the rest of the day. Not sure if it was from what I ate or just the combination of foods.

Lunch

  • 1/2 cup 3 bean salad from Molli Stones (consisted of red onion, green beans, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans)
  • 1 cup of firm tofu, garbanzo beans, black beans, kidney beans, and red onion with salt and pepper

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By afternoon I was in need of a snack. I grabbed a few almonds and ate a pluot along with some pineapple. However my mouth started to feel the acidity from the fruit and I was not able to eat it all. I ended up having to grab an afternoon coffee for a pick me up to make it through the rest of the day.

Snack

  • 1/2 cup of pineapple
  • 1 pluot
  • 8 almonds

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For dinner I ended up cheating again with a small glass of wine. However I figure I have been 100% on with the food, so a cheat drink is ok. After a long day of work happy hour was in order. I did make a delicious dinner of fish, asparagus, and had the rest of my leftover sweet potato. It was yummy, filling, and left me feeling completely content. Now I am getting ready to have half a glass of almond milk and a piece of dark chocolate for dessert. Only 1 more day to go!

Dinner

  • 4 oz of Sole baked with salt and pepper
  • 8 spears of Asparagus with salt and garlic powder
  • 1 medium baked sweet potato

Rotation Diet- Day 2

Posted in Food and Drinks, Health by

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Today was hard. I thought it was going to be the easiest day out of the four days because a lot of the foods I usually eat are options for day 2. However all day long I felt like I was hungry and battling cravings. The day started well. I woke up after the best night of sleep I have had in a long time, which I am contributing to my clean eating yesterday.  I went to spinning class and then made my way to work. I did grab a cup of coffee with almond milk, which is not approved on rotation day 2. However I decided coffee is my one non-negotiable. Breakfast consisted of the below and did fill me up. I used to eat oatmeal and apples everyday for breakfast for years. So I know this is a good go to for my body.

Breakfast

  • 1 cup Steel Cut Oatmeal with a tablespoon of brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg
  • 1 Large Gala Apple
  • 1 cup of coffee with steamed almond milk

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By lunchtime I was starving and ready to eat. I made an open faced sandwich and paired it with one of my favorites an asian pear. This meal totally hit the spot craving wise. The turkey was salty and mixed with the creamy avocado tasted very decadent. The pear was a perfect sweet add on and since it was from the farmers market this weekend it was delicious to say the least.

Lunch

  • 2 Toasted Slices of Flax Seed Bread. I used the Alvarado type which is 100 calories for 2 slices
  • 1/4 an avocado
  • 3 oz smokey turkey deli meat
  • 1 Asian Pear

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However only a short while later I was starving and craving something sweet. Of course it took all my restriction to not eat the danish in our work area, so I walked myself over to the market and bought some fresh berries. I proceeded to eat the entire container throughout the rest of the day.  By the time 5:00 hit I was again starving and could not wait to get home. Of course traffic was a nightmare so by the time I walked into my house I had to eat something immediately. Now usually I would go to one of my favorite snacks grapes with a handful of crackers and cheese, but since these foods were not on my approved list today I restricted myself, which of course then made me annoyed. Instead I grabbed some hazelnuts and started to prep dinner along with meals for tomorrow.

Snacks

  • 8 oz of Strawberries, Blueberries, and Raspberries
  • 8 Hazelnuts

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Dinner consisted of chicken, millet, and cauliflower. I ate a pretty good sized portion, actually way more than I usually eat and by the end of it I still felt not quite satisfied. All I wanted was to have a piece of the homemade pumpkin bread that was calling my name from the fridge. Again I reminded myself I could commit to this for 4 days and that it will not be forever.  Fingers crossed tomorrow is an easier day for hunger and cravings.

Dinner

  • 4 oz of baked chicken with tumeric, salt, and oregano
  • 1/2 cup cooked millet
  • 1/2 head of cauliflower
  • 1/4 of Avocado

 

A Tale Of Cheese In Pictures

Posted in Food and Drinks, San Francisco, Things I Love by

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I have an obsession with cheese. I love it all! Goat or cow’s, hard or soft, creamy or salty; the list can go on and on. I love how you can make an experience out of eating it. It can be consumed with fruit, meat, bread, crackers, or nuts. Want something more dessert like, add jam or honey to it. On the flip a touch of mustard can satisfy a salty craving.

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Now this should not come as a shock to anyone. If you have read my blog you will see my food pictures and quite frequently a cheese plate is somewhere to be seen with a glass of wine standing by for company. Every person has there vice and those few indulgences you can’t give up. For me that is wine, cheese, and bread. Life without those things is just not life at all.

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My parents have been in town visiting this week and on Monday they mentioned wanting to go for a drive down the coast. I started my research and found a little town called Pescadero not too far away that had a cheese farm. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to make this our day trip.

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Pescadero is about an hour outside of the city and the town is only about a city block long, well at least the main drag I could see. However there is so much charm in this little community it is worth a detour if you are making the drive down south.

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We stopped at a little farm called Harley Farms where they specialize in Goat Cheese. However they also make other various products from goats including amazing lotions and other body products. Pulling up to the farm the scenery was absolutely picturesque. We parked behind the old weathered barn and walked up the little path leading to the cheese shop.

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On our walk we passed along the barn area where we were able to see the goats enjoying the sun as it started to peak out from the morning fog. They butted heads with one another in a playful way and paid absolutely no attention to us.

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Upon walking into the cheese shop you felt that relaxed feeling you can only get at home or when entering a small town. We were greeted by a young girl with a bright smile and encouraged us to start trying samples, my kind of hello.

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We tried everything from ricotta to a lavender cheesecake, all were completely different in taste, but delicious regardless. Next we wandered up the stairs to the top of the barn to look out at the view. As you would assume, it was breathtakingly simple. Not much to note but old buildings and a meadow with bursts of color from the various fresh flowers growing.

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Of course before leaving we had to make a few purchases, I cant wait to try mine later this week. Next up my parents and I stopped for  lunch on the main drag of town before heading back up the freeway to San Francisco. It ended up being a perfect day trip. I love how in only an hour’s drive you can remove yourself completely from the bustle of the city and enter the quietness of a farm.