Okay, I did it. After much deliberation, I finally did it. I ate some cow. I had a steak. A new york strip. And I have to say that it was delicious. And I ate all 8-10 oz. of it!
Now, it’s definitely something I’m only going to be able to do once in a blue moon. I think I’ve had my fill for about 6 months. But I have to say, I cannot believe how good it was! I thought I would be grossed out, maybe even a little nauseous but nope, after one bite that steak was as good as gone. I have no idea where I put all that meat! I also don’t feel all bloated and sleepy and dopey – I think the carbs are what really make you feel like that (ok tryptophan in turkey). I couldn’t go out for a run right now but I don’t feel like a stuffed pig either.
I’ve been finding that all food is starting to taste better. I love salad and always have but it’s starting to taste sweeter to me. I often eat a mesculin mix which is more bitter than a straight romaine but not so much anymore. Can salad greens really be tasting sweeter?
On another note, I did the primal blueprint resistance training again yesterday and I’m a little sore today. It is definitely getting a lot harder as you move up the levels (and I’m only on level 2 for 2 exercises). I don’t think you really understand how out of shape you are until you are asked to lift, push and pull your own body around. I can go to the gym and do a pretty good weight circuit but I can’t do a pull up to save my life! I really want to be stronger and more limber. I love this workout routine and can’t wait to get there!
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
25.3.11
Exercise smexercise
So, I’m finally over my 3 week chest cold/plague and one week into the paleo diet. AND, I really, really feel fantastic today! I have tons of energy and I just feel more alert and ‘here’. By ‘here’ I mean more clear and focused. I have a real problem with mind fog or mind fuzziness and I haven’t had that in the past few days. I do have to admit that every once in a while my stomach will hurt a bit. Kind of like mild cramping but then it just goes away after a minute or 2.
Now that I’ve got a week under my belt, I started exercising again. I’m following the regime put together by Mark Sisson. It’s his Primal Blueprint Fitness routine. You can get it at his blog: http://www.marksdailyapple.com. It consists of a day of sprint intervals, 2 days of resistance training and 4 days where you can rest, play or do some other slow, steady exercise like walking. I like it because I don’t have to go to a gym and the resistance training is broken up into levels so you build up your strength gradually. He has how-to videos on youtube that show you exactly how to do an exercise and the appropriate form necessary to do the moves properly. I’ve done the sprinting and loved it. It’s been a while since I’ve worked up that amount of sweat! If you haven't read his book, it is an absolute must have in order to fully understand the science behind this WOE.
This evening my right hand is a bit stiff but that’s the only complaint I have, and I’m really not complaining, it’s actually fantastic that that’s the only thing that hurts – yay!!
Sweet dreams!
Now that I’ve got a week under my belt, I started exercising again. I’m following the regime put together by Mark Sisson. It’s his Primal Blueprint Fitness routine. You can get it at his blog: http://www.marksdailyapple.com. It consists of a day of sprint intervals, 2 days of resistance training and 4 days where you can rest, play or do some other slow, steady exercise like walking. I like it because I don’t have to go to a gym and the resistance training is broken up into levels so you build up your strength gradually. He has how-to videos on youtube that show you exactly how to do an exercise and the appropriate form necessary to do the moves properly. I’ve done the sprinting and loved it. It’s been a while since I’ve worked up that amount of sweat! If you haven't read his book, it is an absolute must have in order to fully understand the science behind this WOE.
This evening my right hand is a bit stiff but that’s the only complaint I have, and I’m really not complaining, it’s actually fantastic that that’s the only thing that hurts – yay!!Sweet dreams!
One week in
So it’s been a week since I started eating paleo cold turkey. I’m definitely feeling better than I was 2 days ago. This “carb flu” is pretty awful and a little scary. I can see why people fall off the wagon about a week in. As I said, I’m feeling pretty good, I haven’t been very stiff or sore at all, which is a great improvement – especially in the mornings!
I stepped on the scale this morning and I’ve lost 4lbs this week. Strange – I lost the 4lbs within the first 2 days and leveled out. I guess the fluid dropped off and now maybe I’ll average about a pound per week.
I made a roast chicken dinner last night and managed to have the will power to avoid the mashed potatoes. I’ve always made this dinner with stuffing and mashed potatoes. I avoided the stuffing altogther (it’s my absolute favourite!) but made the mash for my family and everyone was happy.
Now that I’m over most of this “flu” I’m going to start working out again beginning with some interval running and then resistance training once I adjust to that. I just feel so tired all the time.
Can’t wait for this to pass!
Later,
I stepped on the scale this morning and I’ve lost 4lbs this week. Strange – I lost the 4lbs within the first 2 days and leveled out. I guess the fluid dropped off and now maybe I’ll average about a pound per week.
I made a roast chicken dinner last night and managed to have the will power to avoid the mashed potatoes. I’ve always made this dinner with stuffing and mashed potatoes. I avoided the stuffing altogther (it’s my absolute favourite!) but made the mash for my family and everyone was happy.
Now that I’m over most of this “flu” I’m going to start working out again beginning with some interval running and then resistance training once I adjust to that. I just feel so tired all the time.
Can’t wait for this to pass!
Later,
Research
Both kiddos have been napping at the same time today (hallelujah!!). This only happens once in a blue moon. So, I’ve been able to do a lot more research on the paleo diet and take a look at the crossfit workouts, etc. My motive for starting this way of eating is first and foremost, to alleviate my lupus symptoms and second, to take off the baby weight. I didn’t realize the following that this regime has. I mean there are gyms dedicated to the paleo lifestyle. There are 3 in my city but with 2 young children, new house, I’m not prepared to dish out over $100/month to join a crossfit gym. Besides, I can act like a monkey at the playground down the street (at 5am when no one is watching of course!).
For now, I’m going to stick with free weights at home, interval running, and the playground when it gets a bit warmer.
My cold (read: plague) is just about gone. I still have a bit of chest congestion and sinus-y yuckiness but I’m going to try to get back outside running tomorrow morning. Besides, it has been a week and a half since I last ran and I’m supposed to be training for a 5k that happens on May 1st! Yikes that is not that far off.
Later,
For now, I’m going to stick with free weights at home, interval running, and the playground when it gets a bit warmer.
My cold (read: plague) is just about gone. I still have a bit of chest congestion and sinus-y yuckiness but I’m going to try to get back outside running tomorrow morning. Besides, it has been a week and a half since I last ran and I’m supposed to be training for a 5k that happens on May 1st! Yikes that is not that far off.
Later,
Let the experiment begin…
This past year I’ve been experimenting with many different diets in an attempt to control my lupus (SLE) through diet. So a little background first since this is my first post and the stepping off point on my paleo journey.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is one where the body’s own immune system mistakes its own organs and tissues as foreign and attacks them. This creates inflammation that can cause joint stiffness and pain, skin lesions and fatigue . Sometimes the inflammation becomes so severe that entire organs or systems are compromised. In my case, I have been on the brink of kidney failure. Other autoimmune diseases include: MS, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, type 1 diabetes, addison’s disease, etc., etc.
Lupus has periods of inactivity (remission) and activity, called a “flare up”. I have been in a flare since November 2008. I started a new job that was extremely stressful and within 2 weeks my 11 year remission was over! My treatment – without hesitation my docs put me on corticosteroids (prednisone), anti-malarials (plaqinil) and immunosuppressants meant for organ transplant recipients (Imuran). Some pretty strong, intense, side effect laden meds. These side effects included weight gain, nausea, hair loss (on my head), hair growth (on my face and arms), extreme fatigue, moon face, bloating – all of which made me feel pretty defeated and a little depressed.
So, I began my diet odyssey in order to find some sustainable way of life that would essentially quiet my lupus flare (enough to get off the meds) and eventually put me into remission.
I began with vegetarianism because vegetarians are all really healthy right? Didn’t work, I didn’t have any reduction in symptoms.
So then I went fully vegan, for 7 months in fact. I did have less joint swelling and pain but was unable to come off the meds completely. I’m still taking a full dose of plaquinil.
So my last ditch effort is the paleo diet. If this doesn’t work I’ll go back to vegan, swallow my meds and call it a day. I’ve read many instances where this approach has helped with autoimmune diseases. Let’s hope it helps me!
This diet is indicative of eating like our ancestors did 10,000 years ago (as much as possible in this modern world of GMOs, etc.). So I’ll eat lean meats, fish, shellfish, eggs, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds. That’s it! No dairy, no grains – which means no rice, corn, wheat, bread, ice cream and chocolate :(
But I’ll get over it!
So, I started the diet on Monday (March 6, 2011). It’s been about 3 1/2 days and I have to say that I had a little stiffness in my left hand which kind of comes and goes but my hands and joints are not swollen and are, in fact, the most un-swollen i’ve seen them in a very long time. As, for fatigue, I’m going to give myself a couple of weeks before I comment on that because I am just getting over a nasty chest cold that has lasted 2 weeks. As for my weight – it’s been 3 1/2 days and I’ve lost 4lbs!! I haven’t even started back to running since my cold and I cannot believe the loss! So I’m saying with NO exercise I’ve lost 4lbs! I also have no delusions here, I know it is all fluid but it still makes me feel good!
Week one is going pretty well, no cravings and easily staying on track.
Until then,
Lupus is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is one where the body’s own immune system mistakes its own organs and tissues as foreign and attacks them. This creates inflammation that can cause joint stiffness and pain, skin lesions and fatigue . Sometimes the inflammation becomes so severe that entire organs or systems are compromised. In my case, I have been on the brink of kidney failure. Other autoimmune diseases include: MS, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, type 1 diabetes, addison’s disease, etc., etc.
Lupus has periods of inactivity (remission) and activity, called a “flare up”. I have been in a flare since November 2008. I started a new job that was extremely stressful and within 2 weeks my 11 year remission was over! My treatment – without hesitation my docs put me on corticosteroids (prednisone), anti-malarials (plaqinil) and immunosuppressants meant for organ transplant recipients (Imuran). Some pretty strong, intense, side effect laden meds. These side effects included weight gain, nausea, hair loss (on my head), hair growth (on my face and arms), extreme fatigue, moon face, bloating – all of which made me feel pretty defeated and a little depressed.
So, I began my diet odyssey in order to find some sustainable way of life that would essentially quiet my lupus flare (enough to get off the meds) and eventually put me into remission.
I began with vegetarianism because vegetarians are all really healthy right? Didn’t work, I didn’t have any reduction in symptoms.
So then I went fully vegan, for 7 months in fact. I did have less joint swelling and pain but was unable to come off the meds completely. I’m still taking a full dose of plaquinil.
So my last ditch effort is the paleo diet. If this doesn’t work I’ll go back to vegan, swallow my meds and call it a day. I’ve read many instances where this approach has helped with autoimmune diseases. Let’s hope it helps me!
This diet is indicative of eating like our ancestors did 10,000 years ago (as much as possible in this modern world of GMOs, etc.). So I’ll eat lean meats, fish, shellfish, eggs, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds. That’s it! No dairy, no grains – which means no rice, corn, wheat, bread, ice cream and chocolate :(
But I’ll get over it!
So, I started the diet on Monday (March 6, 2011). It’s been about 3 1/2 days and I have to say that I had a little stiffness in my left hand which kind of comes and goes but my hands and joints are not swollen and are, in fact, the most un-swollen i’ve seen them in a very long time. As, for fatigue, I’m going to give myself a couple of weeks before I comment on that because I am just getting over a nasty chest cold that has lasted 2 weeks. As for my weight – it’s been 3 1/2 days and I’ve lost 4lbs!! I haven’t even started back to running since my cold and I cannot believe the loss! So I’m saying with NO exercise I’ve lost 4lbs! I also have no delusions here, I know it is all fluid but it still makes me feel good!
Week one is going pretty well, no cravings and easily staying on track.
Until then,
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