So, back in September, I started this blog to record my full 10 weeks of zoning ( i.e. weighing and measuring...). Did I do it? Obviously I let some of you down by not continuing to blog about it. But here is what really happened:
August 31, started the Zone and went strict for almost two weeks. I was at my cousins wedding and gave into the wedding cake (thinking I could handle a cheat)! I was off the Zone for a week and a half and then started back on Wednesday the 23rd. At that point, I stayed strong for 4 weeks! Then off 5 days. Guilt kicked in sooner and I was back at it, but only for one day. So, 8 weeks of shocking my body and then I decided that I was developing an eating disorder (but not truly) and quit focusing on food. I wanted to be normal,...but not really. I mean, I want to eat without thinking about it so much, but I don't want to eat like everyone else. The norm these days is not good. I still desire to be "healthy", but I still love foods that are not good for me. So, I am striving for more of a mental balance. I would like to be at a place of total self control, but this may never happen (just being realistic). I don't mean that I want to be in control, but that I consider the food I eat with knowledge of how it will travel through and effect my body and my mind. I am grasping this frame of mind and love learning about the digestive tract, but sometimes i just throw it all to the wind! The heck with "eating right"! But I truly do desire to treat my body well and take care of it for the future years when it will matter more, and I do love to feel good. So, I will continue to give updates on my success and failures only as long as it may be helpful to anyone who reads this blog. I am imperfect, striving for perfection. Two steps forward, one step back. Little by little, I mold myself into better health and work with what I've been given!
About this blog
In other words, the Zone + Crossfit = Optimal Heath!
This blog focuses on nutrition, using the Zone Diet as the basis. However, I often eat Paleo foods in Zone proportions.
I love to investigate anything having to do with food- what we eat and why. And what happens within our bodies, our organs, our brain, when we do? My precious mother struggled with eating disorders. I want to avoid this delimma based on research, common sense, and the natural consequences on my body. The Zone shows me where the balance lies between eating too much and eating too little.
My husband runs a Crossfit gym. Exercise and choosing the right foods have become a mission for ourselves and our children. We don't want to be nerds about it, we just want to be healthy.
I have been asked by several friends what I feed our family, especially our kids. My husband and I follow the Crossfit prescription to nutrition (meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar). If you know me, you know that the sugar part of this equation will be a life long struggle given my love for chocolate! Evan adheres to the stricter version known as the Paleo-Zone diet (and I do on my good days!) which requires the same foods in a ratio of 40% protein, 30% carb, and 30% fat. Children require 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. If you're wondering how to figure this out, I do it on a per meal basis and I have a "block" chart from the Zone website.
It seems like a headache at first, but if you're interested, just know that it is not that bad once you practice it for a couple of weeks. All you need is a $10 scale and some determination. It really is quite simple and makes my life easier at the grocery store and when cooking dinner. Most of all, I feel great when I eat well- mentally and physically, and we all know that the physical can affect the mental and visa versa!
Evan and I are hunter/gatherer wanna-be's! This blog will track my journey of health as it should be, and the honest reality of living in a sugar fried culture. When it comes down to it, I get excited to talk about nutrition, but I am definitely not perfect at it! If you have the desire to eat well, but it is often a challenge to overcome the temptations along the way, then you are in the right company!
I hope you leave this blog feeling enlightened and encouraged as you go throughout your day!
Thanks for the update! You can do it. I'm with you.
ReplyDeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteI too started a strict zone diet after the September meeting. I am not
currently a member of crossfitmurfreesboro but that is coming!
I wanted to share my experiment with you. I went home and sold the new
way of eating...I knew this was all going to be dependent on my grocery
shopping and pre-packaging. Let me just say I HATE GROCERY SHOPPING! I
absolutely rather get a tooth pulled than grocery shop! We went over
the list and picked out stuff we liked, I went shopping and
pre-packaged everything from 1/2 cup of grapes to 3oz of chicken,
spinach, broccoli, almonds ALL OF IT!
The first week was not so hard because of the number of times you get
to eat, be it a snack or a meal, I felt like I was getting plenty of
food. I guess people who overeat have issues until the stomach
shrinks...?
We did cheat with some ice cream almost nightly!
After six weeks of pretty strict I had lost 3-4% bodyfat and 5-6
pounds. The bodyfat was what I wanted to target, The most notable
changes were down two sizes in jeans, and I really did feel good, not
that I felt bad before!
Now let me add the experiment part of all this....I did not exercise at
ALL...no walking, running, skipping, lifting....nothing! I did do a
garage remodel which was strenuous but thats it. I did this because if
I had started crossfit at the same time I wouldnt know which element
caused the change. I realize that my activity level and metabolism is
higher "doing nothing" than a lot of people but I was pleased with the
results.
The bad part of taking four months off is my fitness level dropped off
drastically.
The holidays have been brutal we stopped trying to eat zone from
thanksgiving through yesterday!!! In that amount of time we ate good
just not strict, I now have a noticeable roll over my shorts that was
gone a month ago! so.... the fat goes back on in a different place than
it was lost from. Not a good thing but good to know!
I am starting back running and planning to start CF with you guys to
see how much quicker the losses are.
I enjoy your blogs, and several times wanted to prompt you to write
more!
see you soon.
Missy Sapp
Awesome! What great encouragement, Missy! I am so glad that you are going to start working out with us! (Note: new location). I am so glad to hear about your experiment. You have reminded me of the importance of prepacking everything. The ONE time I did that, I recall it being a good week! That is also neat that you experimented with eating while not working out. So, these past two weeks that I have not worked out regularly, I should have not let me eating go at the same time! It is so easy for me to just throw it all to the wind- either eat and exercise or do non of it! That is my lazy attitude, anyway. Thanks for sharing! I hope I see you soon!
ReplyDeleteAngela, have you considered not weighing and measuring and just eating strict paleo? I think it's MUCH easier mentally, just a list of acceptable foods, eat til you are full. Team Cavin has started a 4 month Paleo quest. And according to Robb Wolf, most people do just as well or better just eating paleo, and if you can stick with it then it's bound to be more effective! Can't wait to see you guys. We'll be back on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! That you will be back soon and that Paleo without weighing and measuring is just as effective! I had decided that I would not bother with the weighing and measuring this time. I have the list of Zone foods, but I will have to take a look at how those differ from strict Paleo. Good thought- I will probably go this route with you guys!
ReplyDeleteEvan just clarified for me that there is no such thing as a "Zone" food, so I want to clarify that I was referring to the list of favorable foods as given in the Crossfit Journal Article #21 that I have posted in my kitchen. :)
ReplyDeleteI ,as you all know, have been a big Zone proponent and have always seen dramatic benefits to metal acuity, body comp, and to a lesser degree performance while zoning. I also think that the zone's liberal approach to food quality and strict approach to food quantity is easier for me to adhere to. I am learning however that some people find it easier to take the liberal approach to quantity and be very strict regarding quality i.e paleo. My personal experiment with paleo yielded some compelling strength gains but at the expense of good energy throughout the day and most importantly firefighting performance. I think the two diets are so close in their ability to improve function that the deciding factor is simply compliance. Which diet can YOU adhere to the best. For me its the good ole 4p, 2c, 7f Zone!
ReplyDeleteDisclaimer...The preceding was written by a man who is quite possibly the weakest male athlete at HIS box. So take it with a grain of salt! ;)
Angela, I could not keep this zoning up if I did not pre package....we bought a case of baggies and I built a little counter top drying rack for them! It seemed quite the pain at first but if there was a night where nothing pre packed was left in the freezer, we were a whole lot more inclined to call in a pizza or eat fast food. I remember hearing stories from my mom, she would grocery shop, make the weeks meals and then freeze/ refrigerate them, i guess I am doing something like that but my stuff lasts more than a week. In a nutshell the way I look at it is, I have been able to eat whatever the hell I wanted to for 43 years, I can't expect to change that overnight!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo Missy, what did you tend to freeze? Meat that you cooked, lunchmeat, raw meat in portions to cook? Tell me more- and what about this drying rack? Were you making beef jerky?!
ReplyDeleteAngela, I totally hear you on how you start to feel like you're developing and "eating disorder" (but as you said, not truly) by focusing on food and your body all the time. So good to hear someone else talk about trying to retrain your mind and just think more about what you are eating, not about the guilt factor ("I will feel 20% guilty if I eat bread. I will feel 50% guilty if I eat ice cream. I will feel 0% guilty if I eat broccolli.) Which is what I think it really comes down to - are we choosing what we eat based on the guilt scale? I want to choose it based on the "passion" scale - I want to be passionate about eating what will nourish my heart, muscles, skin, all of it, and make the decision based on that. Maybe this is sort of a "half-full vs. half-empty" kind of thing, too...this train of thought is probably getting very "stringy." :-)
ReplyDelete