Clean Eating - Day 7

Welcome back!

We are just about in week 2 of this little challenge. I'm 1/3 of the way through! That seems insane to me. I had some very real doubts in my head when I first started this thing. I thought I might make it 2 days. But shockingly, it has not been that hard.

About a year and a half ago, I tried the paleo diet to begin to prepare for my sister's wedding. For those of you that don't know, the paleo diet is based on our paleolithic ancestors. They ate foods that naturally exist without chemical additives. Basically, meat, vegetables, fruit, and nuts. So, it is basically what I am doing right now. However, the paleo diet is designed for long term sustainability. It allows things like honey, soy sauce, and wine in moderation. When I tried this diet, I would go about 4-5 days sticking to it, and then the weekend would hit and I would fall off the wagon. Mostly because of alcohol. Let me explain - it's not as though I would drink a ridiculous amount. BUT I would drink enough to make me think, "These potato chips are ok, right?!" And then it just went downhill from there. I really enjoyed the paleo diet. But the "in moderation" allowances just lead me down the wrong path. Which is why I decided to set strict guidelines for myself this time. Those of you that know me know how much I LOVE my wine. Don't think for a minute I am going to give it up forever!! But I definitely need to limit my intake, especially while I'm trying to lose weight. Once I get to a goal weight, maintaining it will be easier than losing (not easy, mind you, but easiER). Strict guidelines are what I need right now.

So anyway, when I was doing this paleo thing, I came across a bunch of delicious recipes. We've been using a lot of them already (turkey sausage & spinach scramble, sweet potato hash, chick fajita salad, chicken curry, crock pot pork loin). That has made it SO much easier to stay on plan. We're not eating baked chicken and broccoli every day. Who could do that every day? We are eating delicious things and we don't feel like we're depriving ourselves. That is always the secret to a diet that works. That's why so many people enjoy Weight Watchers! It allows you to make smart decisions and treat yourself in different ways. (Weight Watchers is something I have been successful on in the past. If you don't think this paleo diet will work for you, I highly suggest Weight Watchers.)

Now, on to the food log for the day:

7:00am - Wake Up

7:45am - Apple Cinnamon Protein Shake. Water.

11:30am - Larabar. Iced tea sweetened with stevia.

12-1pm - "Hiking" outside (I use the term hiking loosely. It was definitely hilly with rocky terrain. But there wasn't a mountain involved. As an east Tennessean, I feel like I must mention this.) Because of the hills, I got some interval training in this workout. Make sure you do something to get your heart rate spiking every few minutes when you're working out. A stagnant heartrate is not the most time efficient way to get your heart healthy or to burn calories. I'm ALL about time efficiency in the gym - who has 2 hours a day to spend??

1:30pm - Leftover meatballs and marinara sauce over spaghetti squash (see Day 5-6 post for recipe). Water.

6:30pm - Shrimp cakes & roasted vegetables. (See below for recipe). Water with lime wedges.

11:00pm - Bedtime

Shrimp cakes - This recipe is DELICIOUS. I highly recommend it. The more seafood you can eat on this diet, the better, because it's lower in fat and still amazing. It's kind of long to type out, so please check it out here:   http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/12-31/shrimp-cakes/ (This is a great online paleo cookbook resource, by the way!)

Roasted Vegetables - Chop mushrooms. Mince 1 clove of garlic. Saute in pan with olive oil over medium heat until mushrooms start to soften. Add 1 diced red or yellow bell pepper and 1 sliced zucchini. Saute until soft. Remove from heat, toss in chopped basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve hot. (Feel free to use whatever vegetables you want! These are just suggestions.)

Starting today, I will be adding gym visits or walks/runs to my daily routine as much as possible. I'm shooting for at least 4 days per week. I'll be posting Keep checking back and stay tuned to what I'm doing!

That's all for today! Love health & harmony to you!