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This is a blog about two crossfitters who have decided to embarq on a crazy challenge!!! :) We have decided to do paleo zone for 30 days...

Friday, January 28, 2011

About a week left!

About a week left….wow. Its funny how when you look back at our blogs in the beginning how stressed out we were, and now we hardly blog at all. It has become a lifestyle change and I am sure Cass and I both agree the first two weeks SUCKED! Changing something you have been used to your entire life is hard. It’s NOT easy, but it’s the only way to get good results. You have to sacrifice a little in almost everything you do and. I’ve been thinking about when the challenge is over and I am kind of nervous about going back to old eating habits and just even adding dairy back into my diet. We’ll see what happens!
~Krista

Finally feel like I'm making progress....

We are heading into the last weekend of this challenge!!! :) YAY!

Last night I ran a mile in 8:50, my best time EVER!!! Finally broke into the 8's, pretty happy about that.

Also, I've finally got a rhythm down for my double unders!!! I'm so excited!!!!! Just gonna keep practicing them so I can do more in a row.

I'm finally feeling good, finally feeling like I'm making progress! It's been a good week.

- Cassie

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Everyday gets a little better...

Everyday into this challenge gets a little better and a little easier... :) I feel a lot better lately and my emotions seemed to have leveled out. (I was a little worried for a while)

I'm so excited to show Krista & Shain something tonight that I'm sure will knock their socks off!!! ;)

8 days left!!!!!! WAHOO!!!!!!

- Cassie

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Congratulations Cassie!

I just want to say that I am so proud of Cassie! Praise the lord she is showing significant changes in not just her body but her performance at the gym! When you change your normal routine your body has to adjust and it's a little give and take for a while. Tonight she moved from a red and blue band to a blue and purple band, did scaled wall climbs, and scaled rope climbs all for the first time! I don't think Cassie has ever been upside down at the gym! Improving in gymnastic movements is a big accomplishment! Way to go Cassette!
Muah Me

Nikki's Sweet Potato Recipe

I'm going to try out this recipe and see if I can zone it. It looks better than the yam muffin recipe!
Nikki's Sweet Potato Recipe
If you'd like to prepare part of this recipe in advance you can certainly bake the sweet potatoes a day or two in advance and save the mashed sweet potatoes in the refrigerator until you are ready to move forward with the remaining steps. Also, you can make these vegan by using olive oil and not butter.
2 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes          
1/3 cup coconut milk                                    
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon maple syrup                            
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup raw, unsweetened grated coconut  
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
1/3 cup toasted macadamia nuts, chopped
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees, a rack in the upper third. Butter or oil 6 ramekins or a single medium-sized casserole dish.
Wrap each sweet potato in foil, pierce numerous times with the tines of a fork and place in the oven for somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half, until each is baked through. Times vary greatly depending on the size of your sweet potatoes - in the end you should be able to cut through the center flesh as if it were soft butter. Remove the potatoes from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, and cut each sweet potato in half. Scrape the flesh into a medium mixing bowl. You should have about three cups of sweet potatoes. In a large bowl mash the sweet potatoes with the coconut milk. If my sweet potatoes are on the fibrous side, l take a hand blender to them for a minute or so (alternately you could use a food processor). Stir in the ginger, maple syrup and salt. Let it sit for a few minutes, stir again and taste - adjust the seasoning if you need to - this is your chance to get the right amount of salt and ginger in the sweet potatoes before they go in the oven.
Spoon the sweet potato mixture into individual baking dishes (or single larger baking dish), sprinkle with coconut, drizzle with olive oil and bake uncovered until warm and the coconut golden roughly 30 - 40 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with the toasted macadamia nut

Monday, January 24, 2011

We are almost there...

12 more days and only one more weekend!!!!! :) Phew.

- Cassie

Cheat Night WooWoo!

So my cheat night was fabulous! I went to the bridal expo with some of my girlfriends and tried cake, oreo and white chocolate covered popcorn, and other candies. Then Sheena and I had dinner at the M buffet, mmmmMMM! We had meat, yams with marshmallows, cheese stuffed tortellini, spaghetti, cheese pizza, chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake, some kind of pudding, and a glass of wine! I think I could have just done with the yams for dessert though ;-) Of course we didn’t eat all of it and I was super stuffed and didn’t feel so good after. Oh I also had some Reese’s Pieces! They were still as good as I remembered. But again, I ate waaaaaay to much, uh!
It’s crazy how your body adjusts to not eating all that crap and when you do, you have to be careful so you don’t make yourself sick.
~Krista

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Cheat Night...

So yesterday was our cheat night... I went totally crazy!!! :) ha ha. I had a Powerade Zero!!!

During the day all I thought I wanted was a strong drink because I had one hell of a week... but then Krista told me ok, you can have one glass of wine.

Well as soon as Krista told me it was ok I didn't want it so bad anymore!!! :) So I had a Powerade Zero instead... I just wanted something to drink besides water and I still couldn't do any caffeine.

It was a fun night at Bunko and everyone understood that I wasn't drinking so nobody really gave me any grief about it.

This isn't so bad after all!!!

- Cassie

Friday, January 21, 2011

Yummy 3 Block Zone / Paleo Salad

So for those of you that think it's tough to eat healthy it's totally not! :) Here is a super easy recipe for a very delicious salad!!! :) I do 3 block meals so this is a 3 block zone / paleo salad that I eat for lunch almost every day.

3 Block Salad:

4 c. spinach (1 carb)
2 c. strawberries (2 carb)
3 oz. diced / cubed ham (3 protein)
Mix 1 tsp. olive oil (3 fat) & balsamic vinegar for dressing

ENJOY!!! :)

- Cassie

Cassie's Thoughts Once Again...

So basically I will see this thing through... but then I will just continue with the Zone Diet. I will add limited dairy and protein shakes back into my diet. :)

I can't wait for my morning protein shakes, and having cheese with some of my meals.

Also, I will be strick for the most part, but go back to 2 cheat meals a week. (Probably Sunday morning breakfast with RosslieJanDam!)

I will also try to still stay away from soda for the most part, but I will have one every now and then along with my energy drinks! :)

- Cassie

14 Days Left...

We have 14 days left to prove to ourselves that we can do this... then we get to have a BIG party!!! :) YAY! lol.

Only 14 days left... two more weekends!!!

WE CAN DO THIS KRISTA!!!!

- Cassie

Tonight is supposed to be our cheat night...

So tonight is the night that we're allowed to cheat WITH limitations!!! Ha! Well I'm totally not even craving anything foodwise, what I really want is a TALL, STRONG drink! :) I've had a rough week, my body is sore all over, and my neck has been bothering me for two days... all I want is a drink!

But NO I can't have a drink tonight, because that's not part of our plan.

I am totally over the food cravings, and the food hasn't been bad on this diet at all, but what I want most is something to drink besides water!!! :) ha ha.

How sad!

- Cassie

Why do you care what we eat?

Yesterday my girlfriend text me that she had cut up an avocado and separated it into little disposable containers that hold about 1 block and took some to work for her lunch. She said that three different people asked why she did that and thought it was so weird. She said that she always gets questioned about what and why she eats a certain way. She then made a really good point…How come no one ever questions when an overweight person or just anyone with an unhealthy diet that eats a box of donuts for breakfast, or gets McDonalds for lunch, or eats popcorn for a snack…???
I have the same issue with people asking me why I eat a certain way and thinking I am crazy for doing it. No one ever said anything when I would have a Starbucks coffee and muffin for breakfast.
It is so said how society has become so numb to unhealthy eating habits. People DON’T think about what they put in their mouths, or feed their children. This is why we are the country with highest obesity rates in not only adults, but children too.
~Krista

Thursday, January 20, 2011

My Plan after February 4th

I never really had any “addictive” habits before I started the challenge; my main problem was not eating enough balanced meals throughout the day. I still plan on eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with two snacks during the day. I might not measure my exact proportions because I have done it long enough to be able to eyeball most things. I will be incorporating dairy back into my diet; however I will not just be eating cheese and only drinking milk for the protein in my snacks. I never really ate a lot of grains, but I don’t plan on completely eliminating them from my diet. I will have my occasional Starbucks and chocolate too! I will also go out to eat again, but I will just watch what I eat and proportion it so that it is balanced.
For me I wanted to do the challenge to have a more balanced diet and to see if I could have enough self discipline to do it (mentally).
I have also learned that things take time to change. You can’t have what you want over night. I think it takes more than a month for your body to adjust to new eating habits. It’s like rehabilitating a body injury.
It is also important to surround yourself with people who won’t give you shit for trying to do what is best for your body. Do you! It’s not their life or body so what do they care? I say F all those people! You don’t need to go with the flow of society which promotes bad eating habits and laziness. Ok, that was my rant for the day :-)

~Krista

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Paleo Recipes

Here are a couple of Paleo Recipes that I found that sound very good... haven't tried them yet though.

- Cassie

Primal Trail Mix

March 4, 2010  |  Posted by lkoller | 1 Comment
Store-bought Trail Mix is typically loaded with a ton of sugar – this version, however, weeds out the bad stuff and leaves you with all the satisfying, delicious stuff!
Ingredients:
1 cup raw or roasted almonds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup blueberries
½ cup raisins
Combine all ingredients in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place (it really can’t get any easier!)

Blueberry “Candies”

March 3, 2010  |  Posted by lkoller | Comments Off
When a sugar craving hits, this blueberry candy ought to fit the bill:
Ingredients:
5 cups blueberries
4 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ginger
2 egg whites
1/4 cup raw honey (yes, we know that honey is pretty much pure sugar, but when it’s spread out across 5 cups, it won’t have too much of a glycemic impact)
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Add in honey and vanilla and stir until combined. With a slotted spoon, add blueberries to the egg mixture. Remove and roll in a small bowl filled with a mixture of cinnamon and ginger. Repeat until all blueberries are covered. Using the same slotted spoon, transfer the coated blueberries onto a plastic dehydrator tray. Dehydrate for 24 hours or until dry. After 8-12 hours, or when you see that one side is dry enough, turn them over to dry other side. Serve or store in an airtight container.

My thoughts 1/2 way through...

So yesterday was 2 weeks into our challenge... we had a really yummy dinner with chili apricot shrimp, mango salsa & veggies. It was really good! :) (I forgot to take a picture of it, sorry!)

But, anyways, two weeks into this challenge and I'm doing it as religiously as possible and yet I feel so discouraged. I'm only down -5lbs in two weeks and NO inches lost.

I guess I thought I would have much more drastic changes, I guess I thought giving up caffeine, diet soda, grains & dairy would magically make my gut disappear!!! :( Well it hasn't happened yet.

I'm not giving up... I'm going to see this challenge through until the end, but I really hope something changes between now and then.

I haven't seen any good improvements in my performance at the gym, I don't feel stronger, in fact I feel weaker and tired all the time still.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS???

- Cassie

Check out Jen's Gone Paleo

Here is a recipe from "Jen's Gone Paleo" blog that seems amazing... I might just have to try this!!! :)

http://jensgonepaleo.blogspot.com/2010/03/concoction-that-just-may-satisfy-your.html

- Cassie

Monday, January 17, 2011

Mt Charleston WOD

So yesterday we did a workout at Mt Charleston... it's so hard to breath at 8,000 Feet!!! :) But it was still a lot of fun.

“Lung Vaccum”
3 rounds for time of:
200m run
30 squats
20 kb swings
10 burpees









Day 15!

Well here it is... Day 15!!! :) Basically we are just eating the same foods over and over again because we don't have enough time to keep trying new things everyday.

Eggs for breakfast, same snacks, and fish or pork or beef for dinner...

Everyday gets a little easier though!!!

15 days down, 18 to go! THEN WE GET TO PARTAY!!!!!!!

- Cassie

Week 3!

Three more weeks to go and cheat day Friday! Nothing really new to report. Keeping it simple this week with the food because my budget it tight.

~Krista

Friday, January 14, 2011

Day 12!

We're about to head into our 2nd weekend of the challenge... but I don't have as much anxiety about this weekend as I did last weekend. Everyday gets a little easier and besides the weird dreams we've had about food our cravings have really gone away.

- Cassie

Paleo Zone Peppers!

So last night Krista made stuffed paleo zone peppers... they were soooo good!!! :) I feel bad because they were a real pain for her to make and Shain & I just got to come home after working out to eat them. She had to do all the hard work. They were really good though, the only thing missing was some cheese on top! ha-ha.

You'll have to ask Krista for the recipe if you're intersted.



- Cassie

My plan for when the challenge is over.

When the challenge is over I will be incorporating dairy back into my diet, but I will still be sticking with more favorable meal plans. I will not however only be eating cheese for my snacks anymore like I used to. I will also be subbing in protein again. I love my protein shake/breakfast smoothies. I am not going to beat myself up for having candy or starbucks once in a while either. I think as long as it doesn’t consume your diet you can have “treats” in moderation. I don’t know if I will continue to religiously weigh my food. I have done the zone for a while so I can eyeball most things pretty good now.
Almost halfway there!
~Krista

McDonalds Dream

My mom and I had gone to McDonalds and she bought me a hamburger value meal with a large soda. We went home and were eating in my room. I felt super guilty for eating the food but it was so good. My mom had already finished her food and I got through about half on my hamburger and some fries when I heard Cassie walking up to the house. I started freaking out so I shoved all the food under my bed. You could still totally see and smell the evidence but I was just going to distract her! When Cassie came into my room I was managed to divert her attention from the smell and the visible bag! Yay me! We ended up going out into the garage for some reason and then Cassie disappeared. All of a sudden she comes storming out with the McDonalds bag in her hand yelling at me! I was trying not to laugh or smile and I told her it was my moms and to go ask her. My mom told her that she had had McDonalds so I got away with not having to tell Cassie I cheated. I felt so horrible, but I didn’t want to let her down. She was so livid…I was pretty sure she wasn’t going to talk to me again if I told her “I didn’t even eat it all! Sorry.”
This dream was so random. I don’t even like McDonalds. Maybe I had it because we were talking about having hamburgers for dinner tonight....

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Thoughts...

"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." ~ Vince Lombardi

This is so true... I'm looking at the changes Krista & I have made and thinking about going back is so hard!!! I wonder how we will transition after our challenge is over...

- Cassie

Everyday gets a little easier...

Basically Krista & I are just eating the same things over and over again... but that's what you have to do I guess. With limited time between work and crossfit that seems like the most sense.

I think we are over the hump because everyday gets a little easier and easier.... Day 11 and I'm really not missing dairy as much as I thought I would!!!

The weird dreams about food and cheating have gone away and so have the headaches from the caffeine withdrawals.

We can do this!!! :)

- Cassie

Day 11!

Since this has become a little easier I don’t have much to share. Once you get over the mental part of not being able to eat whatever you want it becomes a normal routine. I did have trouble sleeping last night though, and I think it was because of all the dried cranberries I ate for my snack and then dinner.
Tonight I am making stuffed peppers. I am going to put diced tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and ground beef into the food processer to stuff the peppers with.
I will post the recipe later.
~Krista

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Cheat Day!

Ok, so Cassie and I have decided to have a couple cheat hours Friday the 21st from 6-10pm. There are some stipulations though...nothing but water still, eat paleo zone all day and our challenge has been extended to Friday February 4th. 
~Krista

To Cheat or Not to Cheat....

Ok guys... we need your help!!!!! :) Krista & I are very torn on something.

Krista & Shain are getting married on May 14th, 2011, and there is a bridal spectacular next Friday night that Krista is scheduled to attend. At this event she is supposed to try wedding cake and other goodies, but our "strict" paleo diet doesn't end until the 2nd. Krista & I have promised each other not to cheat until this is over, but I think Krista should be allowed a free pass for this night.

What do you guys think??? Poor Krista feels so guilty about it... but I don't think she should. She can have one cheat night.

- Cassie

Paleo Zone Chili Recipe

Here is an option for paleo zone chili. http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CrossFit_ChanChiliRecipe.pdf

We should try this one Cass.

~Krista

Day 9!

When you can’t have something it makes you want it more. I never had any “addictions” before I did this challenge, but not being able to have my chocolate or Starbucks every once in a while has become rather annoying.
I really wanted to be a positive pink petunia this week, but I don’t think that is going to happen. I can’t wait until this week is over.

~Krista

Monday, January 10, 2011

Day 9 Menu... Tuesday

Breakfast (3 blocks):
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 oz. ham
1 c. applesauce

Snack (2 blocks):
2 - 1 oz meatballs
1 apple
6 almonds

Lunch (3 blocks):
4 c. spinach
3 oz.  ham
2 c. strawberries
olive oil / balsamic vinegar dressing

Snack (2 blocks):
1.5 oz. beef jerky
6 almonds
1 orange

Dinner (3 blocks):
Spaghetti Squash Supreme
1/2 spaghetti squash
3 oz. lean ground beef
spaghetti sauce
mushrooms
* cook beef in olive oil

Day 8 Menu

It's the start of Week 2...

Breakfast (3 blocks):
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 oz. ham
1 c. applesauce

Snack (2 blocks):
2 hard boiled eggs
1 orange

Lunch (3 blocks):
3 oz. pork chops
1.5 c green beans
2/3 c. applesauce
9 almonds

Snack (2 blocks):
3 muffins (see earlier blog with recipe!)
1/2 apple
.75 oz beef jerky
3 almonds

Dinner (3 blocks):
We are having dinner with Sheena tonight... not sure of the recipe yet. Will post it as soon as I have it.

Holding Strong...

Well Week 1 is done... thank god!!! :) ha-ha. Week 1 was tough, mentally!!! But I made it out alive... thank god for everyone's support last week. I wouldn't have made it without it.

I'm looking forward to Week 2 and I hope it will be a lot better!

I'll be posting the menus soon.

- Cassie

Day 8!

Got all my food prepared this morning and made it to work on time (6 am, bright and early!).
**Cassie, I forgot my phone at home.
~Krista

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Week 1 is done!

Only three weeks to go and I feel a lot better about this coming week. Cassie and I have pretty much bought all our food for the week ( breakfast, lunch, dinner and our snacks). We are very proud of how organized we are this time around!  It is a lot easier and we are starting to figure out which stores to go to for certain things to save money. We paid about $6 ($1.99 per lb) for each spaghetti squash we got from Albertson's last week and today we found them at Trader Joe's for $1.49 each! We are getting good!
I would also like to say (because I know she won't) Cassie has already lost about 5+ pounds! I am so very proud of her! This has been a mental struggle more so for her than me this past week. I know she can do this though and I am here to support her (we are here to support each other). I love you Cassette!
Week 2 here we come!
~Krista

Busy Day!!!

We're shopping and planning for Week Two! :)

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Mental Toughness...

So here it is... Day 6 or the first weekend of the challenge!!! :) We have been VERY focused and driven this week, but it has been very time consuming. I am VERY exhausted today, both mentally and physically. I hope to catch up on some much needed sleep this weekend. Since I'm not drinking this month I don't plan on being very social anyways, so I will just sleep a lot on the weekends.

The food is VERY good, but it just takes so much time out of everyday to prepare. There are NOT enough hours in the day!!! (Especially when I work 6 days a week!)

Yesterday at the gym I had a TOTAL melt-down for NO reason. I started crying 1/2 way through the WOD because the weight felt so heavy, and it is a weight that is normally VERY easy for me. Thank god I have the most amazing friends and trainers that are so patient with me!!! :) ha-ha.

It definitely helps to have such an AMAZING support system around me and I have really enjoyed having people over to share in our experience with us. Last night we had a little Paleo / Zone Fajita Fiesta with TJ, Jera, Jen C, Krista & Hsu. It was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow we plan to cook some new & exciting food for us to eat this week and I'm VERY much looking forward to that!!! :) I think both Krista & I would agree that this week we need to be more prepared.

But, basically, the whole moral of the story here is that this is really about mental toughness!!! :) Just like many of the Crossfit WODs. We can do this as long as we stay focused.

- Cassie

Day 6 Menu

It's Saturday... Yay!!!

Breakfast (3 blocks):
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 oz ham
1 orange
1/2 apple

Snack (2 blocks):
2 hard boiled eggs
orange

Lunch (3 blocks):
3 oz. ham
Spinach
2 c. strawberries
1 tsp. olive oil & balsamic vinegar dressing

Snack (2 blocks):
1.5 oz. beef jerky
6 almonds
1 apple

Dinner (3 blocks):
Pork Chops w/ apples & green beens
3 oz. pork chops
1/2 apple sliced over pork chop
3 cups green beans
olive oil

Day 6! First weekend of the challenge!

I think both Cassie and I are glad the week is over. It took a toll on both of us and it all came to a head Friday. Maybe more for one than the other though. This is so mental! I just keep telling myself next week is a new week and it's only going to get easier. I think keeping the mind and body busy is KEY! I don't think I have ever thought about food this much in my life. When I am driving I think about food, when I am doing nothing I think about food....ahhhhh!!!!
This morning I made a breakfast fruit frittata.
4 egg whites
1/2c blueberries
3/4c raspberries
1/2c blackberries
3 crushed almonds
1/3tsp olive oil
I would use strawberries instead of raspberries and blackberries if they were in season. *You can use any kinds of fruit if you want.
I sautéed the fruit in a pan with the oil and water for about 5 minutes then I set some of the fruit aside. I whipped the 4 egg whites making sure to incorporate a lot of air. I added some vanilla and cinnamon to the egg whites. Then I drained the liquid from the fruit leftover in the pan and added the eggs. I cooked for about 8 minutes. When the egg whites were cooked I flipped them onto a plate and added the rest of the fruit and crushed almonds on top.
If you try this recipe I would use a little bit less fruit because when you eat cooked veggies and fruit you don't eat as much. I am not sure how to proportion that out...I would just guesstimate. I would sauté the fruit and remove it all from the pan and set aside. Add the egg whites and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes and  add some of the fruit. Plate and add the rest of the fruit and almonds.
~Krista  

Friday, January 7, 2011

Day 5 Menu

This is the Day 5 Menu for Friday...

Breakfast (3 blocks):
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 oz ham
1 orange
1/2 apple

Snack (2 blocks):
2 hard boiled eggs
orange

Lunch (3 blocks):
3 oz. ham
Spinach
2 c. strawberries
1 tsp. olive oil & balsamic vinegar dressing

Snack (2 blocks):
1.5 oz. beef jerky
6 almonds
1 apple

Dinner (3 blocks):
Paleo Zone Fajitas
3 oz. lean beef
3 tbsp. avocado
Peppers, onions & mushrooms
Wrapped in romaine lettuce

Sorry Im slacking!

I will post the menus for Days 5 & 6 later today... But our snacks are pretty much the same. We will be coming up with some new snack ideas this weekend!!! :)

- Cassie

"Physical can only take you so far...."

"Physical can only take you so far. And when your body starts to break and falter. It's really the inner aspects of your being that are going to carry you through." Crossfit Facebook

Day 5!

Overslept 2 hours. I think my body is trying to tell me I need more sleep. I had 1 egg, ham, and 1 apple for breakfast, nothing too exciting. I think for dinner Cassie is making beef fajitas…something with some substance! I am starting to crave meat for once. I have never been a big meat person, but eating all this stupid ham and fish is making me want a burger or a steak!
I think I am going to start incorporating more fruit into my diet as well. I just can’t handle eating the large amount of veggies, even with taking it down to a 2 block meal. I could barely finish my food last because there was so much broccoli. 3 cups of broccoli is 1 block!

~Krista

Day 5...

So this is Day 5 and it's not going bad except that I'm in a conference today from 8-4 and everyone around me is drinking coffee that smells so good!!! :( Must stay strong! Must stay strong! I'll blog more later when this conference is over...

- Cassie

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Just the Two of Us...

It's a Cassie 'N' Krista Montage... Ha-ha.

      

Cassie AKA Crazy Crossfitter #2

For those of you that don't know me, here is a picture of me from Dec. 14th, 2010 at our box. (http://www.sincitycrossfit.com/)

Krista AKA Crazy Crossfitter #1

I just thought I would post this picture of Krista, to give her a little extra motivation today!!! :) And for those of you that don't know us, here is Krista on Day #3 of our crazy challenge.



- Cassie

I WANT CHOCOLATE!

I want chocolate, I want Starbucks, I want, I want I want!!!! One of the girls in the office brought in some little chocolate brownie ball things with cream cheese inside and put them in the kitchen for everyone to eat...EXCEPT me!

I am so excited about these muffins Cassie and I are going to make this weekend! Hopefully they aren't as small as a quarter and hard as a rock.

Remember Krista it's not about satisfying a craving, it's about eating what your body needs. Breath...relax...

Today is a disaster...

So it's Day 4 and Krista & I are still going strong. My headache is finally going away from my caffeine withdrawals. But I'm still just tired all the time. :(

I had such a hard time getting out of bed this morning... I was so tired!!! So I get ready for work, and in an effort to save time I thought it would be smarter to just whip a fruit smoothie up and eat some deli meat on the side instead of making eggs.... BAD CHOICE!!! First I went to put water in the blender cup with no bottom on it, so water went all over the kitchen. Then I could not get the blender to work for me... Poor Kellie tried not to laugh as I struggled through this sad attempt to make a fruit smoothie. Finally I looked at Kellie like "Please help me! I'm dying here!" Ha-ha. She walked over and plugged the blender in!!!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I'm seriously losing it. This is going to be a LONGGGGGG 30 days! hahahahaha.

Then I'm driving to work, still trying to wake up and I see a NASTY car accident a little ways in front of me and got stuck on Paradise Road for 40 minutes. So my normally 20 minute commute to work turned into over an hour total. It's just been a TOTALLY crazy morning already.

I hope this days gets better! I'm scared!!!



Life is short, be good.

- Cassie

Looking forward to this weekend...

Last night Krista & I were so excited about our sweet potatoes on our frittata! :) Ha-ha. It tasted like heaven.

This weekend we are going to make some muffins that look so good and sweet! LOL. And we're also going to make some meatballs and other fun stuff to eat next week. We're so excited!

There is a blog called "Jen's Gone Paleo" with great recipes on it!!! Recently she blogged about this muffins that Krista & I have been dreaming about! ha-ha. And each muffin is 1 zone block.



Ingredients:
Yams, roasted, peeled, and pureed
Egg Whites, whipped to soft peaks
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Nutmeg
Ground Ginger
Ground Allspice

Here's the deal...the mixture that is best for me, is not going to be the mix that is best for you. With that being said, I am providing a recipe to make a 1-Block (see Zone) serving:

Roasted Yams:
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Prick cleaned yams with a fork or a knife, to allow steam to be released.
  3. Transfer yams to a baking sheet and roast until they are totally soft, about 1 hour. 
  4. Remove from oven to cool.
  5. Once cooled, peel and puree (I used a food processor, but you could use a potato ricer, heavy-duty blender, or go old-school and use a fork!). My mixture was really creamy, so do what you need to. 
Egg Whites:
  1. Separate egg whites and save the yolks for future use*.
  2. Whisk until they form soft peaks (don't over-whisk or your eggs will separate into water and hard, weird fluff).
The Recipe:
(Makes 1 large "Muffin" or a 1-Block Serving)

3 T. Yam Puree (I used a scale to weigh mine out to 37g, so this is an approximation)
2 Egg Whites
1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Ground Ginger
Pinch of Ground Cloves
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
  2. Stir spices into the yam puree. 
  3. Stir a small scoop of egg whites into the yam mixture, to lighten.
  4. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, so that the mixture is light and airy.
  5. Evenly distribute the mixture amongst your nonstick muffin tins (1 if using oversized tins, 2-3 if using standard tins) and transfer to the preheated oven. The mixture can be piled up into peaks, as it will deflate once you remove from the oven. 
  6. Bake until puffed and cooked through, 15-20 minutes (the baking time will increase if you are making more than 1-2 muffins) depending on the size of your muffin tins.
  7. You can enjoy them now, or remove them from the baking tins and cook them an additional 10-15 minutes on a cookie drying rack (see picture above...those just came out of the oven), to remove excess moisture
* jensgonepaleo.blogspot.com

Day 4 Menu - Thursday

Breakfast (3 blocks):
This was kind of a disaster by the way! (Never doing this again)

Fruit Smoothie:
1 c. blueberries
1 c. strawberries
1/2 tsp. almond butter

+ 3 oz. deli turkey

Snack (2 blocks):
2 boiled eggs
1 orange

Lunch (3 blocks):
3 oz. ham
Spinach
2 c. strawberries
1 tsp. olive oil & balsamic vinegar dressing

Snack (2 blocks):
1.5 oz. beef jerky
1 apple
6 almonds

Dinner (3 blocks):
Not sure yet? Probably 4.5 oz salmon and a bunch of veggies.

Day 4!

Almost a week down! I am still trying to adjust my blocks so that I am not hungry and not over stuffed. I think 11 blocks is a good amount, which is right around where the Zone blocks calculator puts me. That would be a 2 block breakfast, 2 block snack, 3 block lunch, 2 block snack, and a 2 block dinner.
Last night’s dinner was pretty good. The best part was the ¼ cup sweet potatoes we got to eat! They were so good. I think Cassie and I thought we had died and gone to heaven! We haven’t really had anything sweet for 3 days so it was awesome.
I am learning how important sleep is too. I haven’t been getting enough sleep this week because dinner has been pretty late. I think after this week I am going to try and go to bed at 9.
Oh and I am starting to dream about things I shouldn’t be eating! Is that bad…? LOL
Todays 2blk Breakfast:
2oz Ham
3/4c raspberries
1 tangelo

~Krista

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Day 3 Menu - Wednesday

Day 3... here we go! :)

Breakfast (3 blocks):
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 oz ham
1 orange
1/2 apple

Snack (2 blocks):
2 hard boiled eggs
orange

Lunch (3 blocks):
Ceviche!!! (so excited - Krista made it)
3 tbsp avocado
4.5 oz shrimp
1/4 cup corn
Couple pieces of lettuce
1 orange

Snack (2 blocks):
1.5 oz. beef jerky
6 almonds
1 apple

Dinner (3 blocks):

Zucchini and Sweet potato frittata
©iStockphoto.com / Robyn Mackenzie

Zucchini and sweet potato frittata recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter (Ghee) or coconut oil;
  • 8 eggs;
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in slices;
  • 2 sliced zucchinis;
  • 1 sliced red bell pepper;
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley;
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Technique

  1. Heat a pan over a medium-low heat;
  2. Add the oil and sweet potato slices and cook until soft, about 8 minutes;
  3. Add the zucchini and red bell pepper slices and cook for an other 4 minutes;
  4. While it cooks, whisk the eggs in a bowl, making sure to incorporate a lot of air in the mixture;
  5. Season the egg mixture with salt and pepper and add to the cooking veggies;
  6. Cook on low heat until just set, about 10 minutes;
  7. Finish the frittata until golden under a heated broiler.
  8. Cut the finished frittata into wedges and serve with fresh parsley.

I can't find Cassie :-)

I think she may have started a caveman fire on her desk and is doing burpees to try not to fall asleep.

~ Krista

Buddy System is the ONLY system!!!

So here we go with Day 3... the food is AWESOME, still not loving my caffeine withdrawal effects, but I guess it could be worse. I really don't think I could do this without everyone's support!!! Yesterday I was feeling so bad I wanted to just drink a Diet Coke, but I texted Krista and she said NO YOU CAN'T! So I didn't. Having Krista is really helping me stay strong. Also, having dinner together every night is so nice. We can talk about how our day went and continue to strategize. Even having Jen C is a huge help too. She has also agreed to no diet soda for 30 days to help support me. (Crazy I know!) It helps though, because yesterday she texted me that she was missing diet coke with her cottage cheese snack, so it made me feel better that I'm not the only one suffering. Ha-ha. How bad is that? :)

Everyone has been so supportive and it really helps! :) Rachel checks in with me every morning and tells me good luck. She is counting down with me!!! Kellie & Ross are always there when I need them too. Having this buddy system is the ONLY thing that is going to get me through this. Whenever I'm feeling week I just text someone and I know they will talk me out of it.

I strongly recommend to anyone out there to try and achieve your New Year's Resolutions with others. It makes it so much more tolerable. Surround yourself with people who have similar lifestyles as you. Being around the SCCF Family has really helped me stay healthy.

Happy Day 3 everyone!!! :)

- Cassie

Day 3: We can do this!

This isn’t so bad. Jen C and Shain joined us for dinner last night. We had fish, with steamed tomatoes, zucchini, (I think we are over zucchini for the week) and onions, and for $30 bucks each person ate a 3 block meal. Eating healthy can get really expensive, but there is always a way to make it affordable.  Just remember we eat NOT because it makes us feel good or to satisfy a craving, we eat because our bodies need the nutrition to function properly. How does food play a role in your life? For me it has always been not wanting to eat, not eating enough, or eating something just because I crave it “mentally” (like a whole bag of Reese’s M&M’s).

~Krista

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

In case you're wondering why we're doing this...

Well here's Cassie's side of the story anyway... I still don't really know why on earth Krista agreed to do this with me but I'm SOOOOOOOOOO grateful that she did!!!!!! :)

Let me start way back, about 3 years ago (this month) my boyfriend passed away from cancer. I was totally freaked out by having to experience something this traumatic at such a young age. I was overweight and distraught. So, since I was not sure how I was going to handle his death I decided that I had to better myself, so at that point in time I started trying to lose weight and become healthier. Never having been an athlete ever in my life, or been into the gym or working out I knew it was going to be a struggle to say the least.

Also recently have started a new job I was making new friends and getting by to say the least, I started with changing my eating habits slowly and doing cardio, which consisted of walking with my friend Lea at night, or doing Zumba classes with my sisters.

Then, my friends at work, Adam & Danielle told me about this crazy gym they had joined called "Sin City Crossfit," I used to look at the website with them and think how amazing it was but always telling myself that I couldn't do it. Finally Adam and Danielle talked me into trying a class at the gym in the summer of 2009, because the first class was free. Well I did it and basically went home in tears!!! The workout kicked my butt sooooooo bad!!! I was so out of shape it was crazy. I couldn't bend my legs for 4 or 5 days, and I couldn't even jog the 400m warm-up lap around the gym. I was angry because I felt so defeated. You walk into this gym full of beautiful and ripped men and women... it is so intimidating!!! Girls doing pull ups like nothing and lifting heavy weight like it's nothing. I was scared. I didn't think I would ever go back, in fact, I made up my mind that I wasn't going back. (Well not at least until I was in shape!!!!) Well Adam and Billy (trainer) kept telling me I could do it and that I should come back, I was NOT going back, not now NOT ever. But then Adam said to me, knowing full well how messed up my mind is, "Well I guess that's fine Cassie, Crossfit isn't for everybody!" And boy was he right... crossfit ISN'T for everybody!!! It's only for those who want to push themselves beyond anything they've ever thought possible, only for those who are strong (mentally), only for those that want to live healthier lives! And that was it, I've been hooked ever since!!! I won't get into the sappy details about how much I've accomplished at the gym, but I've made pretty impressive strides.

Fast forward a little bit, the gym is an AWESOME place for me mentally and physically!!! The gym has such an amazing supportive team of members. The trainers lie to me all the time and tell me I'm doing good (even when I'm DEAD last in the class!), The other members also push me everyday too. Everyone is nothing short of amazing and supportive (with the exception of one member sometimes, not going to mention any names). I've become such good friends with the people at the gym and even Killer Kell pushed me until I puked all over her & Jera one day.

Anyways, to make a long story short, Jen C took me under her wing in June of last year (2010) and really helped me learn the zone to the best of my ability. She also started helping me with my running and lots of other things as well. Since starting the zone last year I lost 20 lbs and improved on many things at the gym, but especially my running. I even ran my 1st 10k last year!!! :) Jen C has helped me in so many ways, sitting down with me preparing goals, having patience with me, etc. She runs with me at a pace that I know is MUCH slower than she's probably comfortable with, but she does it for me, and I appreciate that. (Thank you Jen- love ya lots!)

So I've had slow but steady progress with the zone and have done well with it, but have always had diet soda as my crutch to giving up everything else. Well a couple of weeks ago I was struggling with front squats and having ate it on box jumps the week before my leg was still all bruised. I was feeling defeated and worn out, Billy said why don't you try paleo then?

So, here we are!!! :) It's January and Krista & I have lost our minds!!! LOL. I know the benefits (well I hope) of sticking to this for at least 30 days will pay off, but it's NOT easy. I am back on strick zone / paleo with no caffeine!

I owe my huge improvements to all the amazing trainers and members at SinCity Crossfit. I'm so grateful for everyone's support and patience with me. The countless hours that Shain, TJ, Billy, Krista, Bobbie, Jen C, Patrick, etc. etc. etc. have spent with me. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!! :) Love you all.

- Cassie

Just in case anyone is thoroughly confused about all this talk of blocks, paleo, zone…let me explain.

In a nutshell:
The “strict” Paleo is basically eating however much you want whenever you want. The only catch is you can only eat “caveman” style food. (meats, vegetables, and nuts) You can eat fruit, but “strict” Paleo doesn’t recommend it because of the sugars.
The Zone on the other hand is all about balancing your protein, carb, and fat intake so that the hormone, insulin, and other complicated things that make your body work can be balanced. The amount a person eats (the blocks*) on the Zone is determined by their body fat, weight, height, activity level and so on. A person can find out how much (how many blocks*) they need to eat a day on the Zone website or they can go to http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/cfjissue21_May04.pdf.
The way the Zone figures out proportions are by what they call Blocks*.
Protein: 7grams = 1block
Carbohydrates: 9grams = 1block
Fats: 1.5grams = 1block
For example, for a 12 block daily meal plan a person would eat a 3 block breakfast, lunch and dinner and have three 1 block snacks a day (usually between each meal). A 3 block meal means you eat 3x the protein, carbs, and fat. According to our block proportions above this means 21grams of protein, 27grams of carbs, and 4.5grams of fat for one 3 block meal.
These blocks can be distributed throughout the day however the person likes, but if the person is new to the Zone they should stick with a basic routine.
On the zone you can “technically” eat whatever you want, but the more unfavorable the food the less you will be able to eat. For example, you can less than a half a cup of spaghetti noodles or a half a spahettie squash.
***This can get overcomplicated really easy and like anything else, when a person starts a new routine they have to adjust, modify, and get used to it. A person could also get really hardcore with these eating plans by monitoring their sugar and salt intake.
Cassie and I are combining the two and are basically doing a Zone plan eating Paleo foods. We are NOT experts or hardcore dieters. All we are trying to do is see how we can change are bodies and health for the better. We have both done the Zone so we wanted to see what would happen if we eliminated all the processed foods, dairy, grains, and bad startches from our diets.
I hope this sheds a little light on the topic and doesn’t further confuse anyone.

~Krista

Day 2 Menu - Tuesday

This is our menu for Day 2 of the Paleo / Zone Challenge. 13 blocks total.
 
Breakfast (3 blocks):1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 oz deli turkey meat
1/2 apple
1 orange
Snack (2 blocks):2 hard boiled eggs
1 orange
Lunch (3 blocks):2 cups of spinach
3 oz chicken breast
1 cup raspberries
1 Orange
Olive oil / balsamic vinegar spritzer
Snack (2 blocks): 2 oz beef jerky
6 almonds
1 apple
Dinner (3 blocks):10 Min Fish Dish - recipe from the Zone website
INGREDIENTS:
4.5 oz fish fillet, I use kingfish but anything not to flaky would do (3P)
3 cups zucchini (1.5C)
3/4 cup rough chopped onion (0.5C)
2 tomatoes cut into wedges (1C)
1 teaspoon olive oil (3F)
salt
black pepper
lemon juice
Season fish with salt, black pepper and fresh lemon juice, grill 5 minutes each side …. or how ever long it takes
Put the tomato , onion and zucchini in a bowl, add the olive oil, salt and pepper and microwave this for 3 minutes. I have found that microwave is the best way to cook the veggies to keep ‘em crunchy and retain all that lovely juice to flavor the fish. Place fish onto a plate with vegetables and juice on top.

Day 2!

So day 1 of this little challenge was not fun. I was sick all day yesterday! I think my body thought I was trying to kill it! One because I was eating healthy foods and not Reese’s M&M’s for breakfast, and two because I ate a large quantity of food. *Remember it took me an hour to eat my breakfast!
We had a really good dinner though! Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti! However, I was unable to eat all my food. It took me an hour to eat less than half…. I was having issues, but at least I could provide some entertainment for Cassie!
Today I am adjusting my blocks to 11 rather than 13 to see how I feel. (2 block breakfast, 2 block snack, 3 block lunch, 2 block snack, 2 block dinner) After breakfast today I felt much better than yesterday. Yay!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Totally Out of It!!!!

So I have been sitting here at my desk all day just trying to keep to my MISERABLE self because the headache I have is killing me and not to mention that I have had ZERO caffeine today... well the last two people I talked to on the phone said I sound totally out of it! Great thanks!!!! Good to know that it's not just in my head. I have officially lost my mind.

Note to self: You are not even through the 1st day and IF you make it through today without dying you have 29 more days left!!!!



- Cassie

Recipes

Oh man oh man... this is sooo hard!!! I have been trying to find some paleo / zone recipes and there is NOTHING out there. Which leaves us with having to zone paleo recipes or paleo zone recipes... does that make sense??? :) ha ha.

What I'm finding is that some (or most) of the Paleo recipes are not very well balanced and a lot of the Zone recipes call for cheese (which I love, did I mention that?), or grains, etc.

The other problem that Krista and I are running into is that we get confused VERY easily when trying to calculate zone blocks!!! So trying to convert Paleo recipes into 2 - 3 block meals for us is NOT easy. LOL.

Does anyone out there have any Zone / Paleo recipes they would like to share with us??? :) Please and thank you!!!

- Cassie

Sick...

Ok, so I am really not feeling well after eating breakfast. Definitely need to reevaluate my blocks. 

...and this weather is not helping my craving for Starbucks either!

~Krista

First Day of the Paleo Zone…..

So what I learned this morning was to PREPARE MY FOOD THE NIGHT BEFORE!!!!!!! I thought since I had everything written down I would be fine, but I tweaked my lunch at the last minute and it was 5:30am and I had to be at work at 6. I also learned that I need to adjust my breakfast because it took me roughly 45 minutes to eat and I feel sick because I am so full.  I had one whole egg, four egg whites, (I didn't buy any ham so I had to eat all these dumb eggs!) two cups of zucchini and one orange…barf! I think it was too much zucchini. I wonder if there is a time frame in which you should be completing your meals????
~Krista

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Day 1 Menu

This is our menu for Day 1 of the Paleo / Zone Challenge which is Monday, January 3rd, 2011.

Breakfast (3 blocks):
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 oz chicken breast
2 cups zucchini
1 orange

Snack (2 blocks):
2 hard boiled eggs
1 orange

Lunch (3 blocks):
2 cups of spinach
3 oz chicken breast
1 cup raspberries
1 Orange
Olive oil / balsamic vinegar spritzer

Snack (2 blocks):
2 oz beef jerky
6 almonds
1 apple

Dinner (3 blocks):
Spaghetti Squash Supreme - recipe from the zone website

BEDTIME!!! Since I can't have any caffeine now I have to make sure I get enough sleep. And poor Krista can't eat chicken or turkey because she's allergic... So she will be subbing ham for her meat.

Let us know if you have any questions or comments... Thanks for your support!!! :)

Boil Eggs??? How???

Ok, this is Cassie here... I know this may sound C-R-A-Z-Y, but I have never boiled eggs before. I just went to boil eggs for the week, and I realized that I don't know how to boil eggs. :) I guess I will watch some videos on youtube, or google it.

At 26 years old I have never boiled eggs before... ha ha ha ha. This is going to be REAL tough!!!!

- Cassie

As if one isn't enough...

So basically Krista and I have been laughing all day, because this is really BRAIN DAMAGE!!!!! ha ha. More so than I thought it would be. As if picking Paleo OR Zone isn't hard enough, we're doing both. As Jen C says, "We are doing the Zone, but eating only Paleo foods." We both kept looking at each other all day with these looks of confusion and I can't tell you how many times we said, "Wait? What? Huh?" today! I'm so glad that Krista is doing it with me. We have to support each other because this is going to be tough. I mean, just to get our food we had to go to 3 different grocery stores today. Oh, and just so everyone knows, strawberries are really hard to find right now.

Later I will post our Day 1 Menu, we are doing 14 blocks a day. 3 block breakfast, lunch and dinner, and 2 - 2 block meals.

- Cassie

Dearly Beloved....

So, Krista and I decided to do the Paleo Zone for 30 days, but I thought I could make a "diet soda" exception. :) I mean after all, aren't there always exceptions to every rule??? Well Saturday night Krista comes over for us to start brainstorming our menu for the week and drops a bomb on me!!! She decides to tell me that Shain thinks I really need to give up the diet soda... She was sitting next to me at the kitchen table and I had visions of smacking her!!! Ha ha. The thing is that I KNOW how bad diet soda is for you and I KNOW that Shain just wants what's best for me, but that's not something that I wanted to hear. For those of you that know me, you know that I have been a 'diet soda addict' for most of my entire life. I would have never agreed to this on my own terms, so I guess this is what it comes down too. On top of everything else I'm giving up for the next 30 days add another one to the list. 

So naturally, today in preparing for this craziness, I brought all of my diet soda in my pantry over to my parent's house for them. I have to get rid of it, out of sight, out of mind. (Or at least that's what I'm hoping!!!) So just because I think I'm funny, I took a picture of everything I was dropping off at my parent's house and sent it to Krista with this caption, "Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to say goodbye!" :)

- Cassie


Just Getting Ready

Hi guys... today is Sunday January 2nd, 2011 and we have been preparing for our 30 day zone paleo challenge all day. This is way more brain damage than we ever thought it would be.