Month: June 2012

Leftovers for the win.

The zucchini lasagna is much better as leftovers, in my opinion. It definitely holds together better after being refrigerated and reheated. I had it with roasted eggplant for lunch and it was so good that I’ll be having this exact meal again for dinner! 

How I roast eggplant:

– Preheat oven to 500 degrees
– Slice eggplant into ¼ inch rounds
– Drizzle both sides of each eggplant round with a bit of olive oil
– Roast for 10 minutes, flip each round, then roast for 7-10 more (watch to make sure they don’t burn)
– You can also add a bit of sea salt and pepper if you’re into that sort of thing 

Snacks today were an apple with almond butter and a few dates.

I also went for a 45-minute walk around my ‘hood today.

I covered about 2.6 miles at a brisk pace and my ankle wasn’t bothered at all. Can’t. Wait. To. RUN!

Next week. So excited.

How did I feel getting back on my bike today?

Nervous. Excited. Terrified.

I took my bike for a little spin around a nearby cul-de-sac in my neighborhood and my heart was racing the entire time. All the confidence I built up on my bike after I bought it last July is completely gone. I want that confidence back, but it’s not going to come easily.

Today was just a test ride to make sure my left ankle can handle unclipping from the pedal (it can), and I hope to ride this weekend on the Burke-Gilman trail, where I won’t have to worry about cars and can focus on getting comfortable on the bike.

I have no clue how I did a triathlon on this thing. I now think triathletes are crazy… and can’t wait to get my crazy back!

Breakfast:

Bacon, eggs, sauteed zucchini. I’m going to stop eating so much bacon and just have it as a breakfast treat on weekends. Eggs provide plenty of protein in the morning, methinks.

I exercised before breakfast this morning by doing Level 1 of the 30-Day Shred. I’m not typically hungry right when I wake up, so I figured I’d try exercising first and see how I felt. I didn’t get hungry until well after I was done with the workout and finished stretching.

When I was running frequently, I had to eat something before going out on a run any farther than four miles (usually a Larabar, apple with almond butter, scrambled eggs or a banana). Then I would eat a little more after the run to help with recovery and, well, because I was freakin’ hungry by that time.

Morning exercisers: Do you eat before working out? Or do you prefer to wait until after you’ve broken a sweat? I think I’ll stick with pre-breakfast workouts for a while because I like the energy it gives me to start the day!

My lunch looks all fancy and shiz, but I promise it was very simple to make!

I had leftover tilapia from last night (just pan-fried in a bit of coconut oil with paprika and pepper), steamed broccoli and a whole tomato sliced, drizzled with olive oil and covered in fresh basil.

That last bit is the Paleo version of a Caprese salad, I suppose. Yes, it is so much better with delicious mozzarella, but this was pretty good, too.

Breakfast was not quite so photogenic…

Bacon, eggs, kale and chives. As much as I love this breakfast, I’m getting a bit burned out on kale. Time for us to part ways for a bit.

I broke quite a sweat at PT today. I walked forward and backward on the treadmill, did squats and balanced on one foot on a BOSU ball, did agility exercises (which made me feel both like a football player and a show dog) and some crab-style sideways walking with an elastic band around my ankles. A mom and teen daughter in the waiting room stared through the open door at me the whole time. So cruel. (Just kidding — I actually really enjoy PT.)

ALSO. I get to start a running program NEXT WEEK!!!

Tonight, I’m making a Paleo version of one of my favorite dinners. I hope it turns out well!

Starting weight, 5/30: 150.8 pounds

Paleo week 1, 6/6: 146.6 pounds

Paleo week 2, 6/13: 143.7 pounds

Current: 144.4 pounds

Gain this week: 0.7 pounds

Total loss over three weeks: 6.4 pounds

My first gain! I’m not freaking out about it — 144 is about what I weighed before I left for my trip, and I think it’s about as far as I’ll get unless I step up my exercise. Here’s what went down this week…

—-

RECAP OF WEEK 3

How I ate: I think this past week had a few more “cheats” than any other week, including a margarita on Saturday, mimosa on Sunday and glass of wine on Monday. I continued to eat a square or two (OK, three on one day) of dark chocolate each day, and had a bit of non-Paleo BBQ sauce while eating out.

I’m happy that I was apple to eat well at restaurants. It’s now kind of stressful to go out to eat! I have to look at the menu ahead of time and put more thought into ordering. My strategy is to order whatever is already closest to being Paleo so I only have to ask for minimal modifications. I used to work at a restaurant (I was legitimately a cook in the kitchen), so I know how annoying it can get when people ask for a million substitutions. Everyone is entitled to order however they like, of course, but I try to make things as easy as possible because I’ve been there.

How I exercised: I did yoga on Friday, 25 min of rolling incline walking on Monday and 30 min of rolling incline walking + 30-Day Shred Level 1 on Tuesday (I’m super sore today). I also did a ton of walking at the Fremont Fair on Saturday.

I’m ready to step up the exercise even more by walking faster and doing my Jillian Michaels DVDs more frequently. I also got my road bike back from my dad (he kept it in his garage for me) and hope to get out on it this weekend. Plus, I’ve still got my fingers crossed for RUNNING next week!

How I felt: Still great! I’m still sleeping well and waking up feeling energetic. No change here, really.

How my body has changed: I feel like I look about the same as last week. Looking back at old pictures, I can’t believe I took for granted how fit I was a year ago during the height of half/full/tri training! I so look forward to getting that body back through cardio and lifting.

There’s only one more week left of my month-long Paleo adventure! Let’s see what I can do.

It is a brave and perhaps stupid move to precariously balance your dinner on a post just for a photo. Good thing it didn’t backfire!

This salad contains:

– Five big Romaine leaves
– One tomato
– One grated carrot
– Half of a cucumber
– Half of a red bell pepper
– A small handful of dried cranberries
– About one tablespoon of olive oil

Today was a great day for exercise. I walked a hilly mile on the treadmill and broke a nice sweat, and then did Level 1 of the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred DVD.

I’ve probably done that DVD 50-100 times, and even did Levels 1 and 2 back to back one time when I was feeling really hardcore, but man, Level 1 was tough today. I’m truly starting from square one again. The good news is that I stuck with it and my ankle didn’t hurt at all! This was the first time I’ve attempted jumping since my accident (jumping jacks, jump rope) and it really made me believe that running is not far off.

Stuff I munched on throughout the afternoon: An apple with almond butter, handful of walnuts and the rest of my rotisserie chicken. I’m not super hungry for dinner, but I’ll make some tilapia later if this salad doesn’t cut it [edit: I totally made and ate tilapia].

Tomorrow is weigh-in Wednesday and marks three weeks of Paleo eating! I’ll keep posting food photos through Week 4, and then cut back and only post new and interesting meals. Bacon and eggs look about the same every day, y’know?

Lastly… I haven’t done this in a while, but here are my favorite Tumblr bloggers lately!

rfgr26

westcoastrunner

becomingiron

thereluctantrunner

for-time

therevickigoesagain

runningwithguts

one-twenty-five

aaronpass

Eight lovely, badass ladies… and my boyfriend. Fantastic.