Sorry!!!

I extend an apology to all of the readers out there. I took quite the hiatus since my last post. I've been a bit busy, but I do believe I warned you it would be awhile. I was off busy, getting married and honeymooning and all that fun stuff! To bring you up to speed on everything, the wedding was perfect and the honeymoon was relaxing and wonderful. That about sums it up.On more specific notes, related to this blog, here are some of my observations:
- most of the weight I lost came from my "upper body" area. Good thing that dress had some structure to it, because it wouldn't have stayed up otherwise!
- I'm pretty sensitive to sugar. After being pretty good about not eating many sweets, and then indulging in desserts and chocolate, my belly (and digestive system in general) wasn't too happy with me.
- something about the more strict food plan helped me in recovery and pain management. I haven't nailed down what it was - water intake, lemon water, super amounts of vegetables, or less sugar (or a combination of all) - but my back pain (from a nagging injury from earlier in the year) was significantly decreased. Now that I'm going a little overboard on things, the back pain and soreness after a WOD is back with a vengeance, it's time to sort things out.
- Whether it was because I had adrenaline pumping through me, or because I was all glammed up with hair and makeup done, I felt like I looked awesome in my wedding dress.
That was the whole goal of this project, really. So here we are, I'm hitched, but I will probably continue with most of the things Steph helped me with. I've already started back on track since being home from the honeymoon and feeling better about myself just for wanting to get back on track. I may post an update here or there as I continue on this never-ending nutrition journey.

P.S. Go see Steph if you want nutrition help. She's awesome.

What a week!

So if you haven't already heard, the Catalyst Games were held yesterday. A huge whirlwind of a day, two days actually. Friday started at 6am at the gym for a usual work day, and ended at 10pm in a rainstorm loading up trucks and trailers with tires, weights, and floor mats. Saturday started at 6am at the Pavilion unloading and setting up, ending with a giant beer (it was really giant) at 10pm after all had been returned to the Park after a day of crazy awesome competition. In the midst of the busy-ness, I kept my eating mostly on track (save for the giant beer, which was more for my mental health than physical). Probably not eating enough, but doing my best. I find that in order to drink enough water, I need to have a GIANT water bottle. It's in my face and says "yo, I'm here. Drink me." If I have a normal sized water bottle, I'm always looking for it, or too busy/lazy to refill it. So the past 2 crazy days, I have been able to drink a lot of water due to the "in-my-face-ness" of my water bottle.
Matt has also been on board with my eating plan. During the Games, I asked if he could swing by Subway and grab me a tuna sub. I didn't want him to go too out of his way just because I was busy. What did he do instead? Went home and made me homemade tuna salad and put it in a container with a bunch of veggies, and packed a bag with almonds and plantain chips to snack on. SO helpful to have his support. I also may be pretty crude when it comes to eating well ("Matt, don't feed me $h*t, I have a wedding dress to pack myself into!").
So this no coffee thing that Eusebi has got me into isn't all that bad. I was given a coffee at the Games (Thanks Lisa!), drank about half and was thankful for the caffeine boost. I think it just made me pee more, which I really didn't have time for! Back to green tea for this kid after a couple coffees this weekend. Ah well, sometimes, one coffee isn't the worst thing (let's not talk about the burger and fries I had with that giant beer. It was a long day.)
Six more sleeps until the big day. I'm spending Sunday afternoon and evening in the kitchen, making delicious food for the short work-week, and enjoying some peace and quiet. I might be able to sneak in a final blog post with some before and after numbers, before I post pictures of me in my wedding dress!!! Have a great week!

The weekend happened...

Ok, so admittedly, not the best weekend. Not the worst either though, so I won't beat myself up about it. It all started with the HotShots 19 WOD on Saturday morning. This was a tough one - while I was surprisingly not sore after it (a little bit of trapzilla but that's about it), it did cause me to eat EVERYTHING that was in sight. So needless to say, that bag of chips Matt was eating on the way to camp, I helped him out with that. Guilty. Dammit. But I did manage to avoid every single bit of county fair food that passed under my nose on Saturday night at the Chippewa County Fair Mud Runs (what a romantic evening out!). AND, Mom made a fantastic kale and brussel spout salad at camp. Did I actually eat BRUSSEL SPROUTS?! Yes, yes I did. I think the recipe came from Manuela from the morning CrossFit group. So yes Manuela, now I am talking about you on my blog! Great recipe, and it kept me mostly on track for the weekend. Because not only did I eat it as a salad -- I actually threw it into my omelette the next morning (Mom had made a HUGE salad bowl of it, so there were leftovers). She also brought oatmeal cookies to camp. Frig Mom! Why do you keep feeding me delicious not-frozen-fruit-dessert food?!?!
Back to the county fair. The smell of elephant ears and popcorn and cotton candy and BBQ and nachos made me want to barf. I didn't drink enough water on Saturday (when I should have after that WOD) but for a good reason - hear me out. I think it was much better for my health to not drink water and avoid using the porta-potties, than to drink a bottle of water and have to figure out how to pee without touching ANYTHING in those saunas they call bathrooms. Anyways, I digress.
I cooked up a storm while Matt slept for night shift. Veggie filled (but not vegetarian) chili, spaghetti sauce (for my home-grown spaghetti squash!), and my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe. YES, I made dessert - gimme a break. It's going to be a busy week and sometimes a girl just needs a couple cookies to get by.  I did send Matt to work with a few to share though, so it's not like I ate the WHOLE dozen......
Two weeks to go until the big day. But before that, we have the most exciting day of the year at Catalyst. No, it's not Boxing Day Murph - but it's a close second. The Catalyst Games are on Saturday and it's going to be an awesome turn out. This week will consist of getting the Games in order, and continuing allllll the little things that need to be done for the wedding. Oh ya, and training, and work. And cooking delicious food. Right. If you don't hear from me on here, you know why. See you at the Park!

Dress is done!

So the wedding is 2.5 weeks away, and my dress is finally finished! I went for my last fitting, and at first I was a little sad because it was REALLY tight. But then I realized we made it that way so it won't fall down (I figured the turtleneck and sleeves would keep it up, but what do I know?!*), so now I'm happy that it won't fall down. But the main thing is - it was made REALLY tight, and it FITS! Even after thoroughly enjoying 6 weddings this summer.
So I've discovered a HUGE, but luckily rare roadblock when it comes to nutrition. Those days I like to call "oh $h^t days". The days when you wake up in the morning, look at the clock, and say "OH $h^t!!!". And then you get in the car and realize you have toothpaste on your shirt. Ugh.  They are a big setback. I had one of those the other day. While I wasn't late for anything, I wasn't able to pack the lunch I was planning to. Yes, I should have packed it the night before, but that certainly doesn't happen on a regular basis - because I'm usually pretty good about giving myself enough time in the morning. So "oh $h^t days" present a bit of a problem. I should just wake up when my alarm goes off the first time and I wouldn't have to blog about those kinds of days.
Another thing I have discovered (rather, I've finally tried), is Steph's chia seed pudding. At first it's a little bland, but I do admit to adding a splash of maple syrup and a banana, and now I LOVE it. Delicious. You should try it! Don't have the recipe? She gave it to me in my nutrition assessment!



*My dress may or may not have sleeves and a turtleneck. Matt usually reads this blog so I have to keep him guessing.

Weekend Recap

This weekend we ventured to Sudbury to see a concert featuring Monster Truck and The Sheepdogs. Awesome music - not so awesome fans/organizers. We had purchased general admission tickets so we could be on the grass, dancing and hanging out. Apparently Summerfest is a "no dancing allowed" event. We were told -  by volunteers - to sit down so people behind us could see (they were sitting in lawn chairs). Seeing as I like to avoid conflict and confrontation, I would've probably said "oh sorry sorry sorry", and quickly found a place to sit. Thankfully, a friend of our was a little less typically Canadian and responded with "no, I won't sit down, this is a rock concert!". People didn't like that too much. To make a long story short, we ended up not caring about people behind us, we danced, and Matt (and I) waited for someone to say something to me so he (or I) could start a real fight. Everyone kept their cool, no one got in a fight, and we got to dance (much to the chagrin of people behind us).
How does this have anything to do with food? It doesn't. Well, kind of. It has more to do with lifestyle. In my humble opinion, a few of those lawn chair sitters could've used a few hours on their feet! And, as non-sitters, we were delegated to the back (until we found some empty seats later in the show), where we wouldn't "bother" anyone. I know this is rare - at most concerts in big cities everyone is standing, sitters would be trampled. But to have volunteers of the festival encourage sitting and laziness? Unbelievable.
Anyways, now I will tell you about food. It was hard to stay bang on track as we ate at a few restaurants along the way. I did pack kale chips and frozen grapes for the road, but those were taken over by the boys (who surprised themselves and me when they asked for more kale chips), and I wasn't going to say no. So the snacks didn't last as long as planned - but that's ok, Matt now eats kale. For dinner and for breakfast the next day, I did my best to stick to protein and veggies. I didn't do too badly, but there were some "empty fillers" in there (rye toast, pita). Even at the concert, when everyone was grabbing their drinks, I did pretty good! I would usually have a fantastic Saturday night and a not-so-good Sunday morning if going to a concert, but I opted to be DD, and had one drink during the concert. Waterloo Brewing Co. has an awesome vodka cooler made with stevia, and it's gluten free. Super sweet? Yes. Best thing I could find? Also yes.
Last night we stopped in Bruce Mines for some dinner. It was also raining like crazy, so a good time to stop. We had the Indian buffet at the Esso station. SO GOOD. Full of rice, unfortunately. Full of flavour, big time. Now to find a way to eat Indian food without the naan bread and rice and I'll be laughing.
It was a good weekend following a solid week of eating. A few hiccups in the menu, but overall not bad. Here's to another week!

One week in...

So it's been about a week since I have started my pre-wedding nutrition adventure. I think overall things have been going well. I've been making green eggs every morning, getting in more vegetables before most people's alarm clock has even gone off. I've also been taking the effort to make a solid dinner when I get home, when all I really want to do is eat nachos and salsa. I've also been drinking SO. MUCH. WATER. The real lemon water is refreshing and I really like it. I am, however, peeing like a racehorse. Apparently I will get used to it, but really, its ridiculous sometimes. BUUUUT, I'm going to keep drinking water.
Last night while visiting a long time friend, I was presented with a challenge. Her family is wonderful, and very Italian. There is always plenty of homemade baking to be had, and they pretty much don't let up if you say no. It's their way of being hospitable. So, I of course didn't want to be rude when I plate of 7 kinds of baking was set in front of me. I said "no thank you" about 3 times, but the offers keep coming, so I went about things a different way. I asked Mama D. what her favourite dessert was, and that I would have 1 taste of it. Sure enough, the peanut butter balls won, and I had one. She was satisfied, and so was I. All were happy. I then continued to munch on watermelon and cantaloupe while visiting.
I put on a pair of pants this morning, and the little belly that usually hangs a bit over the wide waistband wasn't there! Maybe it was because it was fairly early in the morning, but I'm going to mark it down as a small victory and use it as motivation to keep it clean this weekend. I have a feeling it will be a weekend of eating at a couple restaurants as we will be going to a concert, so I'll do my best and let you know on Monday how I fare! 

Post-Weekend Report

This weekend I had the pleasure and honour of being a part of Whitney and Justin's wedding. It was a gorgeous day - perfect weather, beautiful setting, and a LOT of desserts. The afternoon barbeque was fantastic. I was able to keep things on track with a lot of veggies and a homemade burger (sans bun).  The reception was a dessert reception, and I will admit to partaking in some sugar-y goodness. But thankfully there was some paleo-ish baking available, with minimal sugar, so I stuck to that, for the most part. 

Friday night was another story though. All of the girls went for sushi and bowling (I haven't bowled in YEARS. I think I got a thumb blister). We had a room at a hotel, so it was full of bachelorette treats - cupcakes, chocolate, and candy. I did my best. I tried not to be an anti-fun anti-food person, so I kind of fell apart with the peanut butter M&M's. Saturday morning I stepped it up though and kept things on track with a solid breakfast and green tea (I even stole some hard boiled eggs from the breakfast buffet to eat later on - good thing I had them!). I had packed some food with me for the weekend as well, so all hope wasn't lost. 

It's HARD, when everyone around you is eating all these yummy desserts, to say no. Every opportunity I had to eat veggies and protein, I loaded up in the hopes that I wouldn't be hungry when it came to sugar time. It worked - sort of. That willpower of mine still lacks. Back on track this morning though. Solid breakfast, setting me up for a solid day. 

Day One!

Here I am, evening of day one. I'm not dead, nor starving, nor dying of coffee deprivation. I went coffee-free today. It helps that Coop's out of town and not bringing coffee to the gym! I had green tea this morning instead, and I have a bit of a headache, but generally survived. Also, I tried Steph's "Green  Egg's" recipe - pretty tasty. I had actually prepared them last night in the Bullet, so this morning at 6am it was easy to whip up an omelette and I didn't have to think too hard - key for me when it's that early. I'm generally not a morning person. I can be when I have to be, but I loooove sleeping in. 

Anyways, back to my food adventure. I packed a fantastic lunch of slow cooker pulled-pork, and a salad (I actually USED the salad builder - YUM!), and a snack of an apple and almond butter. I probably should have packed another snack. I was too hungry this afternoon, but looking back at it I didn't actually have time to even pee let alone have a delicious snack! So I came home and ate some sweet potato chips (probably not the best thing) and hummus because I needed something NOW and was going to get hangry if I didn't get it. 

Then Matt had to go and be all awesome. Geez that guy. He's on night shift, so he goes out during the day and I'm never too sure what he gets up to, but today I came home to a Candy Bouquet with a card on the dining room table (I also came home to a newly painted wall, but that's another story). Delicious and awesome yes, bad timing, also yes. So I'll be honest, I'm eating ONE of the candies that came in the candy bouquet. He's sleeping right now, so maybe I will pack his lunch pail with the candy tonight and I'll keep the mug it came in :)

At this point, my motivation to make a good dinner is down the tubes. However, Amy brought me a delicious soup (it starts with a G and is loaded with veggies but I can't remember the name of it) today and so I must pair it was something awesome. To the kitchen I go to find some protein to go with g-something soup!

Here we go!

So today I had my first nutrition assessment with Steph. In all honesty, I was nervous. Self-conscious even. I felt a little silly being there, I mean, I help people through nutrition and weight loss a lot. I can rhyme off a daily meal plan in a heartbeat and it will have the carbohydrates, fats, and protein that one needs. But do I follow it? No. It's hard. Being a busy girl, I do my best with the time I have. Leading up to the nutrition assessment, I tracked what I ate for a couple days. Each day started out fantastic - eggs, black coffee, morning snack, salad and meat for lunch.... and that's where it ends. Dinner usually consists of whatever is quick and easy. After spending a lot of time at the gym (which, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job), but the idea of cooking a big meal at the end of a 12 hour day isn't overly appealing. Enter quick-food. Now I won't go into detail about what I actually eat (I'm already self-conscious enough) - to an "average" person it may not seem so bad, but to me, I shudder when I think of it.
Anyways, Steph went over easy things that I could add in or take out of my daily meals. She has some fantastic tools to help you along the way. A salad builder... what?! I didn't even know they existed. But it does. It basically tells you everything to add to your salad to make it well-rounded. Not only will it help with actually making a salad, but it will really help with grocery shopping. Another thing Steph suggested was protein shakes. I've never been a huge fan, and Steph usually isn't either, but when I need something quick and NOW, a protein shake is probably better than that leftover slice of pizza that Matt made earlier in the day.
The last part of my assessment was to go over some numbers. YIKES. I haven't weighed myself in a long time, let alone done body fat percentage. While I was fairly proud of my 35% muscle measurement, the body fat percentage was nothing to brag about. I'm glad she had this fancy scale. I won't be sitting around guessing if what I'm doing is actually working. I want to stay strong, but also look daaaaamn fine in my wedding dress, without extra "stuff" where there shouldn't be stuff. The wedding is exactly one month away. I'm a little late in the game to be thinking about stuff like this, but better late than never? Something like that. If I can get into some good habits and even improve my body composition over the next month, then I'll be happy and more inclined to continue it.

So there it is, and brief introduction to my adventures with Stephanie Eusebi. Stay tuned for more. I'll go back to eating my delicious complete salad and a steak off the BBQ. And lemon water. REAL lemon water.