Lessons and Observations Post Challenge

Hello friends! 


It has been two weeks since the end of the challenge, as I sit here I've just eaten a pretty primal meal (burger with tomato, pickle, lettuce & pimento cheese at brewhaus- cool place!), drank a beer, and am currently downing some girl scout cookies, thin mints- the only girl scout cookie that is- to me anyways! 
There is a paleo friendly thin mint recipe, I was set to make it when Hank brought home the cookies he purchased weeks earlier, I am trying to finish them off and be done with them. :) I am eating way too many and loving it, but I also know that I'm getting ready to start my own personal challenge this week, to go challenge style Monday through Friday. 


In my first blog back post challenge- I figured I'd share what I've learned entering "normal life" with no challenge to hold me accountable, only myself. So here it is, the good, the bad and the ugly- including awards for the challenge!


"You're just trying to learn me something!"- Hank when he was a little one


1. Coconut Ice Cream & Wine do not mix, but brown rice noodles are fantastic and gluten free pizza crust at Mellow Mushroom is not worth it, just go for the real pizza or nothing at all
So, the Friday after the challenge, we had a pretty legit meal. Steak with gluten free mac & cheese (not paleo...but not bad) Hank loved the baked mac & cheese, it was the real deal. I used brown rice noodles, coconut milk, organic butter, havarti cheese mixed in, with white cheddar sprinkled on top and baked for about 15 minutes...yummmm! 


Hank and I were enjoying several glasses of wine when I got a craving for chocolate coconut milk ice cream, weird yes, but it happened. I felt terrible all night long. :( I don't think I'll ever have coconut ice cream again...which probably is a good thing. 


Went to Mellow Mushroom the next day, while we had pizza during the challenge, we didn't have Mellow! Its just delicious, but I thought I'd give the gluten free crust a try to make me feel better about my pizza consumption. Bad move. In other news, I haven't had pizza since, I'm sure that will be coming next weekend...

3. Conferences are not paleo/primal friendly
I mean, wow. That was not easy! I went to Nashville for work Sunday night through Tuesday afternoon. Sunday night was okay, we went to the Wildhorse Saloon and did a little line dancin... I enjoyed a salad with fruit, nuts, eggs, bacon & chk, decent, I also enjoyed a blue moon beer. 

I even got up Monday morning to work out! This is huge on many levels, because I don't work out in the morning. I'd love to, but it doesn't happen for me, maybe one day. I did a very mini version of the box's workout- 3 rounds for time 1000m run, 50 thrusters, 30 pull ups...I did 1/2 mile runs, 25 dumbell thrusters (w/ 10lb dumbells), and 15 push ups. I did around 24 minutes...just goes to show you that you can do these workouts on your own at some level, but it is so much better to do it at the box! Yelling (in a good & motivating way) and others to compete against really drive me and help me do my best.
 
I was smart enough to pack some good snacks, but it wasn't enough to keep me full. Breakfast both days was bagels, muffins and fruit. Oh boy...how do traveling paleoians (I made this word up) do it? I had a half a bagel with cream cheese both days... I realize I could've gotten up early to go to a restaurant, but it was bad enough I had to get up earlier than usual to workout...plus free v. not free...tough call, I care about my nutrition and have been spending a good amount on it, but sometimes its nice not to spend more money and just have food provided for you, even when its bad. :(

Lunch, of course was sandwiches, I had way too much lunch meat that day. Dinner was good, chicken, ribs, salad and veggies. Of course there was also noodles, potatoes and all that good stuff. Next day lunch was BBQ and I caved into mac & cheese. I mean I had made it so far, but I couldn't hold back, my self control took a break at that point and said "you win, I give up, go for it."

Not to mention I was saying no to desserts left and right! Cookies, and not just any cookie- chocolate chocolate chip cookies! Brownies, chocolate cake, carrot cake, cobbler- peach & berry. UGHH! I had little dove dark chocolates to keep me from caving in. Not the best- some sugar and added ingredients, but of course, as mentioned above, I could've been a lot worse. And not long ago- I would've had at least a bite of ALL of the desserts mentioned.


The worst was when someone next to me in line said, I try to avoid meat, its bad for you, as she filled her plate with who knows what. Oh my. Even better was when the vegetarians were so happy with all the starchy options available and that the conference was being vegetarian friendly...vegans, paleoians and whole food eaters are the ones who have it rough. BUT I am not saying that people need to choose meal options for all these eating types or any eating types for that matter, far from it, eating this way is a choice and I think that is what annoyed me most. I believe if you have special eating habits, YOU need to take care of them, not anyone else. I just need to be prepared and I wasn't completely prepared, and that was my fault, I really shouldn't be complaining...but it would be nice to have some healthier options sometimes, wouldn't it?? :)

4. I'm not too bad when it comes to burpees, and other fitness updates
So, I have been keeping up with the "activity every day" criteria. A couple days may have been a stretch, the only activity trying to do some yoga hand stand progressions that Maggie has taught me that I haven't quite mastered yet (crawling up the wall backwards into a handstand is KILLING my back), but hey its something! Hank and I went for a nice hike today, to a beautiful and scary (if you are afraid of heights and wind gusts blowing you off cliffs) overlook of the gorge, it would have been quite romantic to sit there and enjoy the scenery if a forest fire wasn't ravaging below us, while the forestry division was down there working on it, we decided it was in our best interest to head back. Its been a while since Hank and I hiked, we used to do it quite a bit, and we need to do more of it! 

The crossfit open started last week, for more info on this click here. Basically, you sign up to do these workouts and they can help qualify your box for the games. I decided not to sign up this time-- hope to be able to do some more rx stuff and sign up next year. I am looking at a crossfit competition in May!! Although, I'd say I hung in there for the first open workout (anyone can do them- to have your scores count you have to register)- 7 minutes of burpees. Oh this one was nuts, I was yelling at the end to get through it. HUGE thanks to Clay for coaching me through it and using my running background to get me through the last "mile." I did 90 burpees in 7 minutes, I was so sore afterwards, but after the 90 burpees came the paleo potluck and awards dinner, where we found out how we did in the challenge! 

5. "Winning" is quite fun 

Drumroll....and the overall male winner is....HANK! 
Tied with Kevin H, but still huge and he won new shoes! Yay. Hank also won best body comp results which earned him a jump rope and crossfit brigade apparel! I was a close runner up in all of the categories, but got my award for best spirit of the challenge, in large part due to this blog!! :) I won some calf sleeves from 110%, which will go nicely with the 110% knickers I bought (pictured) after the burpee WOD. This is great for runners...Blair & Art!

6. Apparently I missed beer more than I realized, but not bread and I am able to say no to pizza, who knew?
So besides pizza, I have had NO bread since the end of the challenge, I have had beers (1-2, I'm not downing 6 packs or anything, don't worry) 4 nights in the past week (the conference was responsible for two), and I said no to pizza at a lunch on Friday. It was the kind of pizza I love too, thin crust, very greasy and parmaseany, ohh man. But I had a big breakfast and knew I had stuff at home for lunch, so I turned it down, for two hours, they had a lot left and I could've took it home! Impressive you are probably thinking, and you are right! Now if only I could do that with thin mints....

Thanks everyone for your support during the challenge, and especially of your support of this blog. I appreciate it! Anyone start a challenge of their own yet?? Happy week to you!