What I Ate: 06/29/2011: Paleo Challenge Day 3

Yesterday was our 3rd wedding anniversary, so we braved the world of restaurant dining paleo style. I'm sure the waitress thought we were a little crazy/high-maintenance, and for the first time EVER I turned away the bread basket. Overall I'm going to say it was a success, though I know that there was some hidden sugar in at least one of the sauces, and a few mashed potatoes may have ended up on my fork when the waitress forgot to sub sweet potatos for the yukon gold potatoes.

Good thing it was such a long and intense workout yesterday, or I would have been WAY over on calories for the day.

Rest day today - thank goodness!

What I Ate: 06/28/2011

Glad the plantain chips are now gone! Too much applesauce yesterday too - I love tracking my food - really shows me what's going on and what I need to work on!

What I Ate: 06/27/2011

45 Day Paleo Challenge!

Tomorrow's the first day of our second Paleo Challenge with Northwest Crossfit. This time we're going to go for 45 days of strict compliance. Again we'll be following the guidelines of the Whole9 Whole 30 Challenge. 

So tonight we stocked up on meat, fish, veg, some fruit & macadamia nuts at Costco (and indulged in a last night cheat meal of pizza & ice cream).

Here's our meal plan for the week:

Monday: Tom Kha Soup
Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash with Meatballs
Wednesday: Chicken with Artichokes (no cheese) & Aaparagus
Thursday: Taco Salad
Friday: Lettuce wrapped hamburgers with broccolini
Saturday: Red Thai Curry (Recipe from Everyday Paleo)
Sunday: Grilled Chicken with baked sweet potato & brussels sprouts

Breakfasts will be eggs, black coffee, grapefruit, bacon on the weekend, Lara bars
Lunches will be leftovers from the night before and/or salads, hard boiled eggs, tuna

I'll be taking measurements tonight as well as weighing myself first thing tomorrow morning so I can keep an accurate record of my progress over the next 45 days. I won't be weighing myself every day - I havent quite decided yet, either once a week or just tomorrow and then taking measurements & weighing again after the 45 days. Do you think weighing more frequently keeps your motivation up?

Since our last strict challenge back in February & March, we kept pretty paleo up until a couple of weeks ago. With traveling & many weekends away with friends, I for one have struggled to say no to the bread & sweets & popcorn & pizza and all the rest of it. But I've been feeling the ill effects in my tighter fitting clothes, lethargy, aches & pains, and lack of progress in my workouts. So we're back on it full force starting tomorrow morning and excited to get healthy!

I'm planning to post more consistently over the next several weeks & share our favorite recipes - so stay tuned & if you're participating in the challenge, keep us posted on how you're doing as well!

This is what it's all about!

Learn more about the Paleo Diet.

After a weekend of unspeakable gluttony...

After a glorious long weekend at a cabin in Lake Chelan  with friends, eating untold paleo-faileo foods & several (many) beverages which were not just water - Mr. Buck and I are both feeling the after effects. Bloating, water retention, sluggishness, fatigue & feeling a bit pukey during today's WOD. 

So, for dinner: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 carrot, 1 apple and 1 grapefruit + black decaf tea. 

Detoxification time has come

Chicken with Artichokes

I made this for the dinner group we participate in several weeks ago (and again this past Memorial Day weekend) - and it's one of my favorite recipes because it is SO easy & great for a big group!

Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Hearts and Feta Cheese 

Adapted from:  Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

• 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs, excess fat removed
• 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup feta cheese (optional & can easily be omitted if you don't do dairy)
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• salt and fresh pepper

Combine artichoke hearts along with liquid and chicken and let it marinate about 20 minutes or longer. After it's marinated, drain all liquid, add garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

Grill chicken & artichokes until cooked. Artichokes just need a minute or two to get a little crispy & do best in a grill basket so they don't fall through the grate of your grill to be lost to the fiery abyss - so sad because they are delicious!.

Place chicken & artichokes in an oven-safe dish. Then top chicken with feta and broil in the oven for a minute to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and top with fresh parsley.