Inspiration

I love aprons! They are practical and fun! I am always cooking something on the stove that splatters oil, so when I saw this apron, I just had to have it! It is my newest inspiration to have fun in the kitchen! Add some great music, and Wa-La! You're cookin'!

Check out this fun apron website!

8-29-09 Chicken Piccata with Prosciutto

I got creative tonight and cooked a first for me- chicken piccata- so that I could use capers that I bought on a whim. I used to work at Marina's on the Square while in college at MTSU. That is where I became introduced to capers. Interesting little things! They add a bit of bite, kind of like an olive, but not as strong. I happened to have prosciutto from a time when I was wrapping it around mozzarella cheese sticks for 1 block snacks. So, here it is:

Thinly coat chicken tenders or breasts in whole wheat flour/salt and pepper. Cook in skillet in a couple of tablespoons of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Put in preheated oven of 200 degrees to keep warm while making sauce.





Sauce: Use remains of skillet and add:
It called for 1 cup chicken broth, but I used leftover Pinot Grigio.
It called for minced garlic and shallots, but I used garlic powder and freezed dried chives,
Dried parsley, and lemon juice.
Add capers and prosciutto and simmer for a few minutes.
My measurements were not exact.
Pour over chicken! So good! So easy! So Yummy! Really! I think that the wine was a great substitute.



Sides: I served this with sauteed spinach with added bacon bits (real ones) and applesauce (no added sugars).

I made the kids eat one bite of the spinach and then they had carrots and dip. They also dipped their chicken in ranch instead of having my sauce.

Today's breakfast:
Leftover ground turkey with melted cheese in a pita. Coffee with H&H.

Today's lunch: fish taco!!!!!! YUM! My pleasure to eat lunch at the Beam household with Amanda and Stacey! They hooked my little can of tuna UP! Instead of eating it out of the can, they gave me a wheat tortilla, slaw, cilantra, red pepper, salt and pepper, and lime juice! Soooooo good! Probably very close to a 3 block meal.

Today's snack: yogurt and coffee with H&H

9-22-09 Pork Loin Roast Dinner

This is one of my new favorites, and so easy!
If you're tired of chicken or a regular roast, then try pork!

Brown the pork loin roast in your iron skillet :) (or whatever kind of skillet you have and then transfer to a baking dish)
Add salt and pepper, and tonight I smoothed on some Hoisin sauce, which is good for pork and poultry. Two tablespoons has 13 carbs, so it will be minimal when sliced. Put it in the oven for 1 hour and WA-LA! or however you spell that!

I found a pork rub at World Market that looked worth trying out, but I knew I had Hoisin sauce to use up. I am not familiar with rubs, but intend to experiment at some point.

I will serve it with green beans from the freezer, steamed cauliflower, and cantaloupe. This is what I have, but I'm sure the side options are endless.

What's In YOUR Pantry?

We have two shelves to our pantry that hold food. Here you can see our staples: beef jerkey is a steal at Sam's, cheerios for the kids, almonds in a jar because we buy a 3 lb. bag at Sam's Club, a red "snack" container that usually has things like applesauce or kids' clif bars or idividual nut packs for lunch boxes, raisins. On the turn tables above: whole oats, all natural peanut butter, tuna fish,black beans, vinegar, chicken broth, protein powder, and probably a few other things to cook with. There are two canisters behind there that you can't see, but one is for whole wheat flour and the other is for sugar. I have decided to keep the sugar one empty for now! I'm not afraid to bake or concoct when cravings call!

One thing that you will not see on a regular basis anymore is chocolate chips for "baking". About three years ago, I realized that I would easily eat 400 calories of chocolate chips during the day from just getting small handfuls when I passed by the cabinet. I made a change knowing that that couldn't be good for me calorie wise. However, I now know that the even larger problem than the extra calories was the consistent insulin spike I was giving myself all day long. So, just a little FYI in case you have something like that on a regular basis that seems innocent, but may not be. And obviouisly, chocolate chips is a no no when adhering strictly to the zone! I could have 1 and 1/2 oz for a meal's worth of carbs, but that is not worth it because I would want more!

I also have another cabinet with herbs and spices, vanilla, baking powder, cooking spray, and agave nectar- stuff like that.



Post your favorite herbs to cook with or items you consider to be staples in your pantry...

9-18-09

I won't bore you with my failures again today. I ate several complete meals, but I also gave into an afternoon sugar craving. I will tell you this, I threw a box of donuts and a loaf of not-so-healthy bread in the trash. Many of you may run into this. Some of you have asked how to avoid hurting peoples feelings when it comes to avoiding their unhealthy food. I have a relative that has good intentions and brings junk to my house all the time for the kids. She has not picked up on the fact that we NEVER have this kind of food in our house when she is here and FOR A REASON. Either she is not perceptive or she thinks we are depriving our kids. Either way, we have to throw it out when she leaves. Sometimes, I hang on to it to divvy out to the kids at appropriate times, but all too often this wrecks all my hard work because I end up giving into temptations when I know it is there, even if it is in the freezer. Believe it or not, Evan can also be tempted this way. If icecream is in the freezer, it is too hard to avoid it. Well, blah blah blah... here is what I ate today that was worth telling: (remember, I eat 3 block meals)

Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs (using EVOO/olive oil cooking spray), 1 piece of Ezekial bread raisin toast with 2/3 tsp. butter, 1/2 of an orange. Water. Coffee w/ 1 tbsp. H&H. I did not feel good, so I ate the other 1/2 orange hoping it would help my headache and lack of energy. I'm not sure if I am fighting off getting sick or if it was a result of the past few days of badness.

Lunch: Pita sandwich with mayo and roast beef, coffee w/ H&H, water.

snack: badness

dinner: chicken tenderloin cooked in EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on the stove in my iron skillet, dipped first in egg and then in a mixture of oat bran and chicken seasoning. Green beans with salt. I could have cooked the g.b. in chicken broth for more flavor, but didn't think about it in time. The kids dipped their chicken in ranch dressing. Evan had his chicken cooked in EVOO and vinegar. I found the oat bran to be a healthy alternative to bread crumbs. The kids weren't so sure about it, but ate it. I'm bet after another 4 or 5 times, they won't think twice about it not being really greasy crust!

So, this was my hybrid day of counting blocks for some meals, but not all day long. Tonight I have also had some almonds.

What did you have for dinner tonight?

Do tell!

Back in the Saddle Again

I have had my fun. I have exhausted all sugar in the house. Tomorrow I will get "back in the saddle again!" I am sorry to those of you I disappointed. My reason for blogging this is to give a realistic account of what it takes to eat well. For those of you that find it hard like me, hopefully my confessions will be encouraging when you find it hard. For the rare few that are not tempted by bad-for-you-foods, I would love to know your other weaknesses! Ha! Well, actually, I would love for you to share your outlets for stress or boredom, especially healthy outlets that I could learn from and adopt. I find that when I am busy, food is not so much on my mind. However, being a stay-at-home mom makes food all too much a priority. I am constantly thinking about the next meal for my family; and if I feel stressed or overwhelmed by active children, I all too easily look for something in the kitchen to make myself feel better. Well, you have gotten enough deep thought posts for this week, so tomorrow, I will begin listing my food choices again in order to give ideas and help myself stay on track. You probably noticed that I haven't listed what I have eaten the past week because it would be too embarrassing if I told all! I love to read your thoughts, so don't be hesitant to comment!

-Angela

The Slippery Slope

No excueses,
No "woe is me"'s,
Just honesty
and a piece of cake, if you please?

Poetry brings out the beauty in cheating... kind of?

Well, the short of it is...I had that wedding cake and I keep wanting more. I am at war within myself. I eat what I do not want to eat, well, actually, what I want to eat, but know that I should not eat, for I just want to eat! I cannot get satisfied, and that is why I know that I will have to come to a place mentally where I am ready to be strong. I do feel emotionally weak, for whatever reason. It stinks and I am in it and it is a rainy day. BUT! I pushed myself to Crossfit this morning instead of coming home like I felt like doing. Those endorphins have been released and I "feel" better even though I am in no mood to count my blocks. I just want to eat and not think about it. The problem is that I don't want to think with my stomach (whether I am satisfied) and my brain (what I know to be enough). I want to think with my taste buds, and they are not being satisfied. While eating without counting blocks is natural way to live, it is dangerous because I am being rebellious against my own goals. I know this in my head, but I sure do have a stubborn will. Like I said, I am at war within myself. My Counselor acknowledges this to be a problem for many people, so at least I am not alone! I know I will move past this, I just hope I don't undo all of my past two weeks and 4 pounds of self discipline! I do wonder if I had really been tough and said no to that beautiful wedding cake, would I have been able to skip all of this other mess? Would I still be counting blocks and encouraging you to be strong? I guess I will have plenty more opportunities to figure that one out...

Wedding Weekend

Ok, confession time...I went to my cousin's wedding this weekend- stranded at a lama farm on Signal Mountain in Chattanooga. For real! We got carried there on a bus after parking our car at a community center. It was a beautiful farm. A beautiful wedding, but also a wonderful SITDOWN dinner! I saved 6 blocks for that meal during the day. I planned on eating well, but not worring too much about going over on blocks, especially since I had saved so many. So I went through line and fixed my plate with green beans (drenched in margarine), asparagus, a few baked apples (should have passed over on account of the sugar), breaded chicken and then I saw the prime rib at the end! I drank water. I figured I had room for the apples to be desert. I sat and enjoyed my meal and got full. There, no room for desert. We talked, the kids played, and then...they called everyone around for the cake cutting. Spice cake with cream cheese frosting sounded especially enticing on a farm outside looking over the hilltops, surrounded by apple trees. Have I justified myself yet? I even asked my brother if it was good enough/worth a cheat. He tried to deny it on account of me, but I could tell...it was really good. Ok, it is a wedding and I won't be making this at home and this is the kind of time I should allow myself to celebrate with food!!! So, I did...I even had some of the groom's earth pie (creamy stuff with crushed oreos). Now the groom's cake was even better, so I ate it and then ate part of the wedding cake. So, I did it and I enjoyed it. But I also hate that I broke my pledge for 10 weeks straight. I was 2 days shy of 2 weeks. Pathetic or good run? You can be the judge, but please love me anyway! Actually, that is not the end of the story. I ate lunch at my grandmother's house today and she had chess pie, so I decided to just train wreck it! With some icecream! Ok, there, do you feel good about yourself? Tomorrow is Monday, a new day, a new week, a new frame of mind. I'll be packing my lunch and hitting the road for the day! Lunch meat and cheese, grapes, a peach, and almonds. Snack of cheese, more grapes and almonds. As far as the way I have felt physically, I felt tired today and I will probably feel tired tomorrow, but not as bad as that waffle made feel 2 weeks ago! That might be because the desserts I had were much heavier on the fats than the starchy carbs. But hey, desert is pretty much desert, right? And sometimes it is called for! :)

9-8-09 Food tastes so good! Taco Tuesdays!

That is, when you're not eating sugar! When I am not eating sugar on a regular basis, good food just tastes so good- so profound, I know! Just had to share the excitement. Here's the dinner that inspired this post:

Taco Tuesdays in our house... everyone can fix it the way they want. Here's my 3 block taco:

One whole wheat soft taco with 1 cut up tomato= 3 blocks carbs = minimal onions and green peppers in the meat
Oops, I just realized I ate too much protein. Guess I will not have it in my snack tonight.
Should have had 3 oz. ground beef with my 1 oz of shredded cheese, but I got excited that 1 block of ground beef is 1 and 1/2 oz and added 4 and 1/2 oz to my taco! Oops! I am REALLY full now!
And for fats, 2 tablespoons of avocado/guacamoli (just lemon juice and garlic and salt mix)= 2 blocks. I could have had another because 1 tablespoon= 1 block, but I had afternoon coffee with 1 block H&H.

SOOOOOOO YUMMY!

Lunch was 1/2 apple, 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli, and 3 blocks basil chicken from last night's dinner.
Kids had ham and cheese pita sandwiches, nuts and raisin and cheerios mix, and cherry bars that Sophie and I made (I did not eat any or lick any spoons! yay me!)

Breakfast: eggs, 1 piece toast w/ butter, 1/2 orange, coffee w/ H&H
Kids: peanut butter, agave, greek yogurt smoothie w/ 1 piece of Ezekial bread toasted with butter and cherry fruit spread

Agave Nectar: A Great Alternative to Honey

My friend Amanda Beam (Stacey Beam's wife), introduced me to agave nectar about a year ago. It is not as sweet as honey and less thick. I began using it as an alternative to honey or jelly because it seemed less sweet, therefore I assumed it released insulin more slowly than honey would. Both are carbs/sugars, but the agave nectar has a glycemic index of 27, whereas honey has and index of 83! What does this really mean? Honey is natural, yes, and so is agave nectar. Go to this link to get a better explanation: http://www.blueagavenectar.com/glycemicindexofsugars.html

The Mystery of the scale

So, after one week, I hadn't lost much more than 1 and 1/2 pounds. Then, overnight, after doing the FIght Gone Bad WOD, I went down 3 pounds! Some of you may be thinking, "cool!", others are thinking, "Why does she want to loose weight?", still others are thinking, "Don't worry about the weight so much!". Well, I shouldn't worry, but truth is, I do want to drop 10 lbs. as a personal goal, yet I know I have to be open minded when it comes to body composition (muscle, bone density, water retention) verses what the scale says. It is the girl in me, I guess. But what happens is that I make a goal, and whether it is 2 weeks or 1 year later, once I reach that goal, I make a new one. Everytime I get to where I thought I wanted to be, I realize there is room for another goal. I am not dissatisfied with myself, but I see room for improvement and right now I am in a great frame of mind to do something about it! The frame of mind is so important when it comes to feeling good about yourself no matter where you are and when it comes to going for your goals. I want to be as fit as I can be, and I figure I 've got my 30's to perfect it! I'm positive at some point I will backslide, but it's like I was telling Evan this morning: I hope that after this strict 10 weeks, I will have developed some new and healthier eating habits overall, even when I am not weighing and measuring. Hopefully I will reach for the broccoli and chicken at lunch and not always the sandwich. :)

9-7-09 Labor Day Kids' Breakfast

A healthy twist on a not-so-healthy favorite...

Here's your protein, carbs, and fats all in one. Plus some sweetness!

French Toast: Take a piece of Ezekial bread, coat it well in egg mixture (4 eggs, 2 tablespoons H&Half, cinnamon). Fry in up on the stove, well, just cook it in a skillet on medium heat with a little butter or pan spray. Cook on both sides a couple of minutes and top with favorite option: maple syrup (the real thing), honey, jelly, eat it plain like SamSam- the cinnamon makes it tasty, or try my new favorite find, maple syrup/agave nectar blend from Trader Joe's. The kids were satisfied with 2 pieces each. Add oranges on the side and a glass of milk and they've got a pretty healthy spread! If you're going to give sugar at all...

*Note: I could have had 1 piece with no syrup, with extra eggs, and 1/2 an orange for a 3 block meal. Instead I had my yummy scrambled eggs.

Anyone a Vegan? Check this out.

I highly recommend reading Robb Wolf's blog. Click on the link under Favorite Food Websites in the right column of my blog and read his latest testimony from a fellow Crossfitter concerning her past Vegan diet: scroll down to "Laura DeMarco: The Whole Enchilada" on August 22nd.

Great Scrambled Eggs

My mom always made great scrambled eggs growing up- so fluffy and buttery. I am just now able to replicate them somewhats after all these years of trying to figure it out! They are super yummy if you add lots of butter! But here are some tips to making them so yummy the Zone way!

1. Add cream or H&H as part of your fats to make them more fluffy.
2. Cook on Medium heat
3. Turn off right before they are done so as to avoid overcooking (this is Evan's firehall tip).

Post your favorite way to cook eggs!

9-6-09 Day 7: Sunday afternoon

Four things to note about this day 7 on a Sunday:
1. Afternoon baking was a craving once Sophie mentioned it, so I cleaned house as long as I could stand and then left the house and went shopping at the Avenue. I also let the kids play in their Kids' Camp area for a long time.
2. I tried to invent a comfort food the Zone way and it didn't go too well, but I ate it anyway. So FYI, don't get excited about oatmeal and chocolate protein powder- it's not very good. I mixed oatmeal, protein powder, greek yogurt, and butter and salt- all portioned for a 3 block dinner. It was not as tasty as I had hoped.... :)
3. I was wanting to comfort eat this afternoon, so at lunch, I ate 5 blocks and at dinner had 3 blocks and basically eliminated my two snacks today. I am hungry (not starving) now, but I will go get in bed and read.
4. Also to note, I think I ate grains one time this week and today I ate some at every meal. That is probably why I feel hungry tonight. I am not quit satisfied.

Breakfast: Yummy and in bed while watching the Sunday Morning show (my favorite): 2 boiled eggs with 1 block melted cheese, salt and pepper, half of an orange, sliced, and 1 piece of Ezekial raisin toast with 2 blocks butter. Coffee w/ 1 block H&H. Cozy!

Kids' Breakfast: Banana and Peanut Butter Smootie (using Greek yogurt, milk and adding agave nectar)- they love it!
Lunch: Ham and Cheese rollup with mayo- a complete 3 blocker. The same for the kids.
Then, a piece of string cheese with prosciutto wrapped around it and 3 almonds= 2 blocks if I add the coffee with H&H I had at church.

Dinner: Yucky oatmeal (see #2 above), and I admit, a small handful of popcorn w/ butter on it. The kids had butter popcorn (that I finally got right on the stove!- I have burned it too many times), chedder cheese and a cup of milk. I don't feed Evan. :) j/k, he's at the fire hall.

Week 2 starts...NOW!

Week 1 Overview

If you have been following my blogs, you've probably been wodering, what about the weight? Have you lost any weight? I have intentionally left that off so that it would not become the focus. I have been keeping track here at home. Honestly, I am discouraged that I have practically not lost any weight. The number is miniscule. In the past, I have lost a pound a day, the first four or five days. This time, I lost a pound the first day and then .4 pounds per day after that, and then I actually went back up .4-.8 pounds! So, while I don't know what to make of it, I will keep on going because I said I would. This is where committement and determination kick in. It would be easy to give up after a week of no results. BUT, let's review the results that I have had: great energy and mental clarity, which transfered into good energy for WODs, and I even wore my belt one notch lower because of less inflammation in my body. I also should note that I have been taking fish oil all week, at every meal, even though I have not posted it with every meal.

Any cheating? Silly to confess this, I'm sure you will think, but I have really been strict, so to lick the peanut butter and jelly off of the spoon after fixing sandwiches for my kids, and drinking a fourth of a Diet Rite that was left on the counter and sounded so good on a hot day, seemed worthy of telling. It is true! If it is there, you will eat it! So get it out of your house if you have any stash of goodies! It will be hard to resist. But if you are alone on this Zone thing amongst other people in your house, then you have no choice but to put on blinders and stick to it! Or else win over your family to try it with you....

Why Weigh and Measure?

Precision does two things:
1. It keeps me from eating more out of boredom.
2. It teaches me what amount I actually need verses what amount I think I want.

If it seems over-the-top, it is. Cavemen didn't do this, our ancestors didn't do this. But, if we are to truly teach or reteach ourselves what we need, in an environment that tells us to take and reward ourselves constantly and provides the many options, then we need to weigh and measure, according to the scientific research of Dr. Sears (because it works).

I won't always be this detailed. So, remember, if you are experimenting with this Zone stuff, that you are teaching yourself and it will pay off in the longterm. You are changing your eating habits and this requires practicing until it becomes habit. I have done this enough off and on over the past year and 1/2 to have an idea of what is a good portion, but I am interested in becoming better at it to get better results.

Again, I suggest picking a start date. If you have your favorite foods that will really be hard to give up, then really enjoy them right before you begin! Make a decision as to how long you will be extremely strict and then DO IT! Stick to it! By making a decision beforehand, you eliminate any decision making once you are tempted- it is simply not an option to cheat. You have your list of foods and you only eat those! If you don't have that list, then see Evan or David. Anything good in life takes hard work and effort, right? You will be glad when you start doing this, even if it is way down inside! And, I have seen that if I complain that I cannot have want I really want, then I end up becoming less satisfied early on, rather than appreciating the positive factors of eating well, such as feeling good. That is worth more than we often realize.

When momma's happy, everyone's happy!

You know how that saying goes, right? Well, I thought to myself today that when I eat well, the whole family eats well. We had salmon and spinach salad tonight. Our family has eaten better this week than, well, ever? If you missed it in a past post, I mentioned that my latest goal to achieve as I attempt this whole Zone thing again is to eat more veggies than fruit. I have had a good balance this week, which means that my kids have, too. In my past attempts at counting blocks, I have utilized bread products and fruits more. While that worked ok, I am really wanting to not have that "inflamed" feeling ("bloated" as we girls tend to call it). As I pack lunches and cook dinner and make breakfast, well, there is not a meal that I don't think about intentionally and how it is going to make them feel- all because I am doing it for myself. So, lesson for the week for me: when I take good care of myself, the whole family benefits! We are one big happy family! Ha! Now comes the weekend...Labor Day weekend...I'll let you know how it goes!

9-4-09 Just the Beginning

3B (Block) Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs, large apple, coffee w/ H&H, 6 almonds

3B Lunch @ the Zoo!: packed 1 small can of tuna that is 3 blocks even (and I eat it straight from the can- I'm too lazy to add salt or pepper or mayo), 9 almonds, 1 large apple, 1 block of dried salted green beans (a new find at Trader Joe's- different, but pretty good!)

1 block snack: chedder cheese, 3 almonds, 1 cup of strawberries
I was still wanting something else- Friday afternoon munchies- so I fixed "blueberry cobbler" flavored coffee w/ H&H. If anyone can tell me that it is not ok, then speak up because there is no label on it. But for now, it seems to be a good way to satisfy my snacky, sweet tendency.

Other than this afternoon, at home on a Friday, I have not wished I could have food other than what I should have. I think that making my goal 10 weeks as opposed to 2 weeks has given me a different frame of mind. Like when you are running and you know you are almost finished, so you slow down to stop. But I know that it has just begun so I feel like I am at the beginning of the race, feeling good! It helped me to pick a start date and mentally gear up for it. I was mentally preparing for August 31st for about 2 weeks. I enjoyed myself enough that by the time the big day arrived, I was looking forward to feeling better!

Why Zone?

In no particular order, because they are all important and valuable:

1. Increased Energy
2. Weight Loss
3. Faster WOD times, increased athletic performance
4. Emotional stability
5. Longterm health

Can you think of any more?

Baby Step It

It has taken me a good year and a half to get to the point where I am ready to do this the right way. I would recommend to people that don't want to do it, but want to do it (if you know what I mean!) to practice making one healthy change at a time until it becomes old hat.

For example, we cut out diet cokes a long time ago just because we realized they weren't good for us. I pretty much limit myself to water, milk, tea and coffee. I do not even care for that daily diet coke anymore. Evan used to expect me to buy them every time I went to the store, so trust us when we say that you can give it up and adjust!

Another example would be to make a transition to only eating stone ground whole wheat products- no enriched flour! I only buy bread from Great Harvest, or most often I buy Ezekial bread that is packed with whole everything (frozen section of Publix)! My kids have never compained. If you are dedicated, like my friend, Amanda Beam, then you can make it yourself! Oh, the smell of bread in the house! You can also use pita bread instead of regular bread and this makes for good sandwiches or even to use for pita chips!

The transition that I am making this time is to eat more veggies than fruits. So, you see, there is always something new to train yourself at, and I suggest doing it one change at a time if you are not excited about all the hurdles in your way!

9-3-09 Day 4 of the Zone- Doin' Alright

Breakfast: Greek Yogurt, coffee with h&h= 1 block breakfast
Post WOD: 2 block snack: 1 block of deli ham, 1 string cheese, apple, 6 almonds
Lunch: 3 blocker: 2 boiled eggs, mashed up with 1 block of cheese melted on top, salt/pepper
sauted spinich with sundried tomatoes and olive oil, two slices of cantaloupe
Snack: 1 cheese block, small apple, coffee with H&H
Dinner: leftover pulled chicken from last night's meal on lettuce with a little cheese and balsamic vinegar, pear, apple (I probably didn't have enough carbs)

I am finding that I never get that achy hungry feeling like I just have to eat now! I even dropped 4 blocks of carbs yesterday just because I could and not suffer- as far as I can tell today. I might have done better on my WOD this morning, though. Since I had the carbs to spare, I drank a glass of white wine at night, which was 2 carbs. So, I only had 9 blocks of carbs for the day instead of 11.

8-2-09 Keepin' It Real- Day 3 on the Zone

What am I going to be real about, you wonder? Hormones and flavor. Don't run guys, this is for you just as much as me. Evan has spoken to many of you about how the Zone is creating a balance of hormones in the body. I don't know the details, but I know we all have hormones and they can be in balance and we feel great or they can be out of balance and we feel irritable and cranky and tired. In the car this morning, I apologized to my son, Jack, for be a bit cranky yesterday and this morning. He said, "Yeah, you have been, haven't you?" That made me smile. He picked up on it, too. It is not my womanly time of the month, I simply am coming off of my sugar highs. Sunday I had 2 of those chocolate chip cookies they give away free behind the deli door at Sam's Club (terrible to take more than one, I know). Recognize that my normal train of thought is: "Two cookies for the entire day- that's all the sugar I am having- good for me!" "THE ENTIRE DAY" Herein lies a major problem! I eat sugar every day, probably! So, day 1 I had headaches, day 2 I got moody, and today I've had a good cry. By moody, on day 2, I mean that I felt good energy wise and I could think clearly, however, at the end of the day nothing was funny- none of my kids' goofing off. And I had less patience with them as well. This morning I did not have much patience. And I had a good cry just by thinking about something that I don't always cry about (but I am talking about serious kinds of family stuff here). I am not saying that everyone will experience this at Day 3 of Zoning, but I am saying that if you do, that is pretty normal, too. I am keepin' it real for you! I tried to explain to my kids in the car this morning that my body is used to having sugar and I am not giving it any- none! I passed up a dark chocolate covered breath mint today! Who does that?! She thought I was crazy. I said, "I'm just being real strict right now." And I am, I don't want to mess up the precision of reading my body's reactions to the foods and portion sizes I am eating.

Today is also a day that didn't start out just right. I had to compensate for waking up too late. I didn't have time to cook my usual breakfast. Minutes were of most importance. So here's how it went:

Kids' breakfast: Smoothies: Greek vanilla yogurt with strawberries and a banana and milk. They loved it, wanted more, but didn't get it because we needed to get dressed and get out the door. Sam ate honey greek yogurt and half of a banana.

My breakfast: 1 cup of milk= 1 block. Coffee with 1 block of fat (1/2 and 1/2). I am a bit confused whether or not I doubled up on fats since I drank 2% and not skim. I need to figure this one out since milk is a good on the goer.

Post WOD: Felt fine, had energy for the workout, no sick tummy. :) I ate a 2 block meal on the go of lunch meat and 1/2 cup blueberries and a small apple that I packed for the road. This finishes off 3 blocks for the morning. (I eat 11 blocks: 3,3,1,3,1)

Lunch @ 1:30 at home: I cooked boiled eggs (10 minutes) and mixed 2 with 1 block (1 oz.) of leftover tuna. I added 1 tsp. of real mayo (=3 blocks of fat), salt, pepper, and cumin- yum! I microwaved 1 block of broccoli (2 cups raw=1 and 1/4 cup cooked) in a steamer bag and only ate it with salt and pepper! Real food actually has good flavor! I was glad to find out I could enjoy it without covering it up in butter! And this is only because I really wanted to add the mayo to my tuna/egg salad. Also, I cut up a cantaloupe, which I will also need for dinner or tomorrow's breakfast. One fourth of a cantaloupe= one block! If you haven't tried the microwaveable steamer bags, you must! They make eating healthy quick and easy! (I should do a commercial, right?) I love them so much that I am afraid they must be bad for me somehow. Combine a plastic bag and the microwave and I am surely getting cancer, right?!

There are advantages to being able to eat at home. I realize this. So if you can't, notice that boiled eggs are something you can take on the go, as well as lunch meat and fruits. Veggies with individual packs of dip. You definitely need an ice pack to put in your lunch bag. Although, the men of our family like beef jerky. And we are never without our jar of whole almonds!

Kids' Lunch: roast beef rollup (lunch meat version), a banana, a mix of raisins, almonds, and dried apricots, milk. Sophie (age 5) prefers cashews, but I don't have any right now. I kept staring at it wondering if it was enough. Evan thought it was, so I wll find out today when they get home. They always have a snack at school. I often send Sophie with a Clif Kid Organic Z Bar. I buy a box of 24 at Sam's Club for $10.

Dinner tonight will be Meat and 3. I get why that is the magic number. If you have a meat and 3 veggies, then you are pretty much having a balanced meal. The older generations had it right all along and here we are having to reteach ourselves! If you are lucky, you grew up being taught this. But it seems to me that many people have lost sight of a good simple meal these days. It is too easy to not have a garden and eat from it. I am thinking about my great grandmother who lived in West TN and fixed her family of 8 meals straight from the garden and hen house. That was her job- to grow and prepare food for her family. That's hard work and that's what we simulate at Crossfit! Are you with me!!!!!!

ok, I must go do chores now...

9-1-09 Day 2 of Zone

Breakfast for me: 3 blocks: 3 scrambled eggs, coffee with 1 tablespoon half and half, 6 almonds
I skipped my carbs out of experimentation. I really wasn't hungry for them. After the WOD, I ate an apple and 1/2 an orange. Wasn't too hungry, just didn't want to feel tired or weak. Took a nap. Didn't eat lunch until 2pm. Again, hungry, but not starving.

Breakfast for kids: Ezekial cinnamon raison bread with butter and one scrambled egg. They did not want to eat the eggs, so they drank about 1/2 cup of milk.

Lunch: 3 scrambled eggs (leftover from breakfast that I saved), sauteed spinach and tomatoes with dried scallions and salt and 2/3 tsp. oil, and a cup of coffee with 1 tablespoon 1/2 and 1/2.I filled the skillet up with spinach, but when it cooked it was less than one block. I cut up one tomato to help, but even that was only half a block. So, again, I was short on my carbs- only one block instead of 3, but i have felt fine going on 2 1/2 hours later.

Kids' lunch today: 1/2 of a turkey/chedder sandwich on Ezekial bread with mayo, apple, banana, and trail nut mix with raisins, nuts, and m &m's that I buy at Sam's in individual packets. Juice for drink.

After school snack: mozzerella cheese stick, dried apricots. They can eat these in the car on the way to Crossfit or wherever we are going if not straight home. Some nuts would have made it perfectly zone!


Dinner tonight will be taco salad: sauted ground beef (90/10), tomatoes, cheese, on a mix of spinach and lettuce. A little ranch mixed in for fats We can all create our own version of this using more or less of the same stuff.

Overall so far, energy level is great and headaches have been none today (day 2). I still feel a little inflamed from Friday at Pancake Pantry, but it is much better.