FL Countdown - Day 15: Juice Fast

Well as many of you can tell from my Facebook status updates, me and the hubby are partaking in a juice fast. What this basically means is for 10 days we will drink nothing but water and fresh juice that we make consisting of fresh organic veggies and fruits. This is very much like a cleanse and even a jump start so to speak. We remove all the toxins from our bodies in a natural way. No pills or supplements of any kind.  Just fresh, organic, micronutrients.

Why are we doing this? Where did idea come from?

Last weekend after a night of drinking and eating to our hearts content at a wedding, we stumbled upon a documentary on Netflix, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." This documentary features Joe Cross, an Australian entrepreneur who is sick with a debilitating disease called Urticaria Vasculitis.  In simple terms, he get hives, rashes, and open sores that are painful with which he takes steroids among many other pills to keep the symptoms at bay.  Anyway,  he does a juice fast for 60 days. Yes, 60 days of ingesting only juice. No solid foods at all. Well at the end of his 60 days he lost 82 lbs and is pill free. His body healed itself from the inside out. In addition to Joe's story there were also a couple of other very inspirational featured stories.  This documentary really made it very clear that what we put into our bodies (i.e. the crap, junk food, processed foods, etc) can be just like poison.  But we can heal  ourselves from our ailments based solely on our diets. Check out the trailer and be inspired.

I have given alot of thought to the fact that Rueben and I both do crossfit 4-5 times a week. I have thought about how I'll perform during workouts, whether I'll be totally zapped of energy, and if it will increase my hunger. I can probably say yes to all of those things. I can try to recoup with more juice and I know I'll be very tired for a few days. According to the documentary many people, after the first few days feel a sense of euphoria, their energy levels increase, all around everything starts to clear up and improve.  One thing I have had to remind myself of is that this is only temporary.  10 days.  Possibly more if I choose to do so.

Counter top in our kitchen

Current state of our refrigerator

I realize there is always criticism in the decisions that others make.  Like I said before this is temporary and honestly, it will be a fun experiment.  I'll keep you all posted!

~kat  

FL Countdown - Day 29: Gram's 88th!

What is the secret to a long healthy life?  Well, in recent months I think I have a pretty good idea of what that answer might consist of.  Crossfit and Paleo.  However, I also have a shining example.  My grandma.

Today is my grandma's 88th birthday.  88 years and still going strong.  She is independent.  She cooks, cleans, rides the bus to places she wants to go (though not so often anymore), still has the energy to put on her cutest outfit and makeup when she is going somewhere special.. I guess my point is at 88 she is healthy and strong enough to take care of herself.

Happy 88th Gram!  To many more healthy, vibrant years!

   

Pork Sinigang, Pancit, Diniguan (Chocolate Meat), and Pinakbet

I would attribute her graceful aging first and foremost to her diet.  There is a pretty clear distinction from being raised in the Philippines versus being raised in the states.  There you cook just about every meal for the day.  You eat fresh fruits and vegetables from the farm, fresh meats and fish from the market, little to no processed food, and drink LOTS of water.  The market places back then were not filled with candy, soda, and fast fried food.  You delighted in lychee fruit, mangos, and papayas straight off the tree.  The caribou, goat, and chicken were raised on the farm and fed from the land, a land free of pesticides and harmful chemicals.  My grandma grew up on the Paleo Diet just didnt know what to call it :)  Goes to show that eating organic can really add years to your life.

My grandma came to the U.S. about 27 years ago.  She came over after my brother Michael was born to help my mom take care of us kids.  She also raised 8 children, ran a few businesses her and my grandpa had, and then went on to take care of us grandkids.  She clearly had an active lifestyle.  Up until two years ago she volunteered at a preschool four days a week.  Now she enjoys her family, reading, and watching TFC (The Filipino Channel).

An obvious favorite.. LUMPIA

Happy Birthday Gram!  To many more healthy years!  We love you!

~kat

FL Countdown - Day 30: That Damn Scale!

So first let me start this long overdue post to the tune of something like “I suck. And I can’t seem to find time to write every night”.  Apologies. 

Second, I am 30 days away from being in sunny Florida with my best girlfriends!  Whoo hoo!!  I’m super anxious because I really have to turn up the heat for these four weeks.  Time to get real strict on my diet and shoot for 5ish days in the gym. 

Third… let’s talk about the scale.  This is a very controversial topic in the crossfit world. The scale really doesn’t tell you everything you need to know when it comes to weight loss.  Here is a popular article that my gym posted to help us all understand that the scale can be very deceiving (courtesy of Everyday Paleo)  Attention Scale Addicts. So now that you get the idea, I will tell you this.. I decided I would not weigh myself for about 30 days.  Unfortunately, I had to get weighed for a physical and happened to peak at the scale.  I have GAINED weight!  2 lbs. I was mortified!!  I have been busting my @ss in the gym and in the kitchen and I’m gaining?!?!  I was pretty bummed for a day or so about it…until today.  I tried on a pair of jeans I haven’t worn in a while.  Wow.. not nearly as tight and no bulging anywhere.  Something has got to give..  Why do I obsess about what the scale says??  The answer really is because I always have.  The number has always been such a big deal.  Until now.  From now on, I’ll be focusing my attention to my measurements and how my clothes fit, rather than those three digit numbers.

~kat

FL Countdown - Day 42: You Can Be Re-Born!

I was just having a little chit chat with my step daughter tonight.. you know, discussing things like what shows she watched today, what she did, and more importantly what she ate today.  Needless to say, the list of items on that list weren't exactly what "primals" would consider healthy and wholesome.  I went on to tell her about how important it is to feed your body with healthy foods and take care of it since it is the only you got.  She said something to me that stuck and I thought it was really cool, she said, "You can be reborn."  I love this mindset and more so that it came from a 9 year old.  Pretty bright kid!!

But she is right, anyone can be reborn.  You can change your path, you can better yourself, and you will be proud of your accomplishments in the end.  I started out this little cruise to healthy living only a few short months ago.  I feel better, I feel stronger, and I have more energy to tackle the day.  I give myself some leeway to be human but make conscious efforts to stay on track.  My "ahh-ha" moment happened when I was talking with my best girlfriend, Lisa of Fallout Crossfit.  When I was having that mental battle of whether or not to join KCF, what Lisa said rings in my head "you'll like CF if you give it an honest try."  I took her advice, gave it an honest try, and as cliche as it sounds it's changed my life.  I actually enjoy working out.  I enjoy the people at the gym.  I think the coaches are great.  And the workouts are incredible.  I will never go back to a normal gym ever again.  If you want results quick, you will get them at crossfit, but know that it comes with hard work, alot of sweat, and sometimes blood.  Give yourself an honest try, you will feel the same.

Yesterday's WOD.

Meals for the Day:
Breakfast:  2 eggs with chicken sausage and mixed berries
Lunch:  Vietnamese Style Beef Salad
Dinner:  Steak with a small green salad and fried eggplant

~kat

FL Countdown - Day 47 thru 43: Listen to Your Body

**Written last weekend**

It's been a long week, with WOD's that have left me feeling sore, bruised, and beaten. I really tried to push myself to get into the gym and made it 4 days this week. Now that I sit here on Saturday night, with my hands wrapped in bandaids (due to todays wod), I feel borderline exhausted. My hamstrings and biceps are tight. I think my complaining here is enough to say "I need a break."

Maybe it's because I've had a long month playing mommy and daddy, maybe I didn't get enough sleep, or maybe it is because I put in 100% at the gym this week, but whatever it is - I need to listen to my body and give it some rest. The next two days will be spent recuperating, relaxing, and reconnecting with my hubby.

Meals for the day:

Breakfast: protein shake after today's WOD, then 2 eggs & sausage
Lunch: fresh sockeye salmon burger at barbies cafe in sea beck, slice of mandarin cake
Dinner: Thai chicken curry soup and a small green salad

**Written today Thursday, July 14th**

I realize its been a minute since I've blogged but I have NOT fallen off the wagon.. just maybe the blogging wagon.  With my hubby home and me in school all week, my time in front of a computer has been limited.

Anyway, I wanted to make a sort of "update" to the subject of this blog.  Remember how I was talking about listening to your body??  Well, someone that I know very well happened to aggravate one of their injuries tonight.  Now the burning in their "joint" is really putting a damper on the evening.  When your body doesn't work the way its suppose to it can be incredibly frustrating.  More importantly, when your livelihood depends on it.

In addition, I would also like to stress how imperative it is to treat your injuries when they happen.  I know alot of people who just brush injuries off or "deal" with them.  Not what I would consider a good idea.  Get those injuries checked out by a physician so you can be diagnosed and start treatment.

Take care of your body, its the only one you have!!

~kat

FL Countdown -Day 48: TGIF

Finally, Friday. Ahh.. I love days like today. Laid back work day, a little shopping, and my first Power Hour. A chance to work on getting stronger. Todays Power Hour consisted of:

6 Rounds For Time:
100 m sled drag at 60#
2 tire flips (no clue what the weight was)

Between wait times I think I finished somewhere along 14 minutes..

Meals for the day:
Breakfast: 2 eggs w/ chicken sausage and LOTS OF COFFEE
Lunch: Leftover spaghetti squash & meat sauce
Dinner: Pho w/ beef brisket (I had a weak moment)

Enjoy the weekend!

~kat

FL Countdown - Day 49: What Yo Mama Gave You!



Ain't this the truth?!?  =)

OK ladies, this one is for us..

I recently read a blog post from one of my fellow blogger's having to do with this subject and because yesterday was such a crappy day for me in terms of self-esteem, I thought I would touch on it a little. 

How often are we comparing ourselves to other women, more so, women in the media?  It seems like every television show, music video, movie, tabloid magazine (I could go on for days), has pictures of beautiful, slim, celebrities.  Many of the titles reading "How I Lost the Weight" or "Hottest Bikini Bodies of the Summer" etc and many of the pictures showing gorgeous skin-exposing ball gowns and swimsuit shots.  As women, we place a tremendous amount of pressure on ourselves to fit the celebrity stereotype.  Yo-yo dieting.. been there.. exercising 4 hours a day like a fiend... done that. 

Yesterday was an off day for me.  I can make a million excuses to why I didn't get to the gym and why I didn't eat very well.  But I'm not going to.  Plain and simply:  I just didn't feel like it.  Which is probably why the gym guilt set in and I began to critique and criticize everything I don't like about my body.  And though it's hard to accept sometimes, this is what my mama gave me.  These are my hips, these are my thighs, my arms, my stomach.  This is what I was given.  ACCEPT IT.  (Easier said than done, right?) 

Though I am working towards a goal and I am eating right (most of the time) and "cross fitting", I still want to be the best I can be.  I will never be 5'7 and 110 lbs.  Instead, I will forever hem my pants and wear heels with every possible outfit (to fool everyone of my actual height, a mere 5'3).  I will dream all day long about having skinny "girly" arms and legs for days but the truth is.. no matter how much I work out and diet, I will never look like Brooke Burke.  I'm coming to terms with it :) but it's ok.  This is what God (and my mama) gave me!

So.. after that being said, I'll disclose my meals for the day... EEkkK! 

Breakfast:  2 Over easy Eggs (cage free) with Chicken & Apple Sausage, Coffee as usual

Lunch:  Leftover Spaghetti Squash w/ Marinara

Snack:  AmyLu's Chicken Burger with a small salad  (What?!?  I was still hungry!)

Dinner:  Korean Beef Bulgogi w/ Rice  (This is where I disappointed myself)

Now I remember why I have been trying to stay away from rice.. it's like instant bloat! 

In closing, be happy ladies - with what you are and who you are!  Accept the things you cannot change.  Take care of your bodies (this is the only one you've got).  Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who love you JUST AS YOU ARE!

~kat