Paleo Challenge - Halfway!

I'm 3 weeks into the 6 week Paleo Challenge with my CrossFit group, so I thought I'd drop in with some details.

The Workouts

I continue to go to CrossFit 4 days a week. The WODs have been pretty intense and I've decided that I prefer cardio based workouts over heavy weight lifting. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to see improvement in what I can do...but I like sweaty, fast paced WODs so workouts like this one from yesterday have been moving up on my list of favorites.

See my time under 16:00 (that's 4pm for you non-Military peeps ;)
The yellow was modified counts for newcomers.  

I've also been trying to run 3-4 days a week. Some quickie 2 milers on the treadmill if it is also a day I have CrossFit and 5K-4 milers on off days. I also have been taking at least one day completely off a week. This is mostly because I have SUCH a hard time getting motivated on the weekends- you know, the days I have more time to schedule it in. Oh well. I figure I get points for chasing my baby around Sam's Club, right?

The Meal Plan

Eating Paleo during the week is easy. It makes me feel energized, less bloated, and I love meal planning. Full disclosure? I haven't been great on the weekends. Not bad by any means, but like I was explaining to one of my friends who does XFit/Paleo yesterday (Hey, Kara!), I feel like I take 2 steps forward every week and one back on the weekend. Cheating combined with skipping workouts isn't a great combo. Let's focus on the positive- here's a basic day of paleo eating during the week!

Breakfast- Coffee
                  Oatless Oatmeal with a spoonful of almond butter or topped with fruit
                  -or-
                  2 eggs with 2-3 slices turkey bacon and avocado

Snack- Apple or baby carrots or almonds
 
Lunch- Ginormo salad topped with rotisserie chicken and all the veggies I can find

Snack- Smoothie: Handful of spinach, scoop of protein powder, frozen strawberries, half a banana, and almond milk.

Dinner- Protein (Chicken, Fish, or something with ground Turkey) side of veggies, and sweet potato or grain.

This is just an idea. Things change and adjust day by day. I need treats in my life, so I have dark chocolate or dairy-free coconut ice cream sometimes a lot. I'm not a stickler when it comes to the paleo thing, but I like how I feel when I eat using it's basic principles.

The Results

So far, so good! I've been getting on the scale less and won't take measurements until the end of the challenge, but I think I'm probably down a couple of pounds. We have a beach trip planned for Memorial Day weekend and as of now, the thought of getting in a two-piece is not horrifying, so I have that going for me. I'm pretty happy with how things look. For now, it's motivation to continue half-assing this challenge and to try and get better about my weekend workouts and food choices. ("Step away from the Cheez-It's, Heather. Those are for Grace...")

In conclusion: I am not a bad ass who can make it through a 6 week challenge by depriving myself of certain things. I'm a bad ass who really enjoys her food and enjoys working up a sweat too. :)

xo,
H