mmm...

I haven't posted in a while. We have had some pretty amazing meals these last few weeks. I made Paleo French Toast. Yup, you heard right. I made coconut bread and then made it into french toast. Delish (the bacon just added to the amazing yumminess!). The bread itself was a little dry, so I need to experiment with a few different strategies to make it taste better; Zach has yet to complain about me tweaking a recipe that he already likes. I found the recipe on tasty paleo - a site ZachR stumbled on. It's great. They have all kinds of good stuff on there. I will make all kinds of new fun stuff.

One of these recent nights past, we had a grilling bonanza! I stopped at HyVee because we forgot to thaw any meat that day (rare occurance). I know HyVee doesn't have the highest quality meat/ingredients, but we REALLY enjoyed this dinner. We grilled up 2 pork chops and 2 turkey breasts wrapped in bacon along with farm fresh zucchini. It was amazing!! I wish I would have bought more meat so I didn't have to stop eating. mmm.

Then, there was the 4th of July weekend. Talk about a crap-shoot! We ate everything in front of us. Paleo was the furthest thing from our minds. Delicious scotcharoos, brownies, cookies, booze, ice cream - you name it, we inhaled it! It was a nice break from Zach's typical strict Paleo mindset. We both had a good indulgence, and now he's back on track. I, however, am too stressed and have too odd of hours to be doing strict Paleo; also, I don't like it. My body doesn't do well without some milk. I can continue to cook Paleo foods for Zach to keep him happy, though. I'll just sneak in a tortilla or chocolate milk every now and again!

I'm Back, Bitches!

My Coconut Chicken Fingers

It's been a long while since I've posted on here. Between work (2 jobs), school, and not working out at CFO, there hasn't been much to update. However, I'm back. I am going to try and post on this more. I am still getting back into the swing of things when it comes to working out. However, ZachR and I started yet another Paleo Challenge. This one (for me) will be from June 4-July 24. I started after he did, well, restarted because I had a rough 1st week 1. I will finish before he does. My conference work with Special Olympics is over on July 24, and I will have a shit-show of a day. However, we are going to try to be 90/10 (at worst, 80/20) with Paleo until the wedding. This gives us three hundred forty something days to lean out to look as good as possible May 27 and June 5. (Two days because of the 2 parties: one in Vegas, one in Omaha.)

That being said, I am going to try to explore more recipes this time around. Part of the reason I didn't like Paleo so much on rd 1 was because I was eating the same meals over and over. I don't do as well with this as ZachR. He can eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, not I. I like a variety. I can have chicken every day for lunch, but I want it cooked differently. This means, I will have to find different ways to cook it.

I found some good websites with different recipes for all kinds of things. I found bison burgers at Wholner's grocery. Today, I made chicken fingers "breaded" with coconut and almond flour, cooked in coconut oil. It was delicious! It is one of my favorite things to eat - it's just time consuming to make. I am going to post a lot of different meals we have on here, for those of you who would like to try it. Enjoy!

If I tri...

I'll need all the help I can get!

I have begun the downward spiral. I decided to start training for a triathalon. Well, a sprint tri. I am too terrified of running a marathon and, above all, riding a bike. I can do it for 13 miles, but any more than that and I just won't even start! I have had some bad experiences riding in the past which has made me completely scared sh!tless to do so now. However, I am starting on the bikes at UNO's gym to warm up to the fact that I will be on a bike. I will have to ride 13 miles. I will attempt a triathalon. I will, hopefully, be competing in the Nebraska State Games Tri.

I found a great website that has a 16 week training schedule. I was not exactly used to working out 6 days in a row, so it's been a hard adjustment. I am still trying to get some strength days in, but that might fall to the wayside once I start having to bike for 60 and run for 45 in a day. Hopefully, I won't fall short of the finish line.

When I first decided to start training for this, it was because I wanted to have a goal. I had just left Crossfit Omaha. I wanted to lite a fire under my own butt to keep on the right track, mainly for vanity reasons. The Hawaii trip is at the end of July and my wedding is in just over a year! Those two alone are motivation enough to have anyone lose an extra lb or five! However, now I want to do it to prove to myself that I can. I am known for making excuses for everything. I want to prove that I can set a goal and stick to it!

The diet started falling back into shape on 3.10. I started on the Zone, yet again. I was going to bet Zach on sticking to the Zone, but it's just not realistic that I will be able to measure out all my food every day...especially with Special Olympics people coming to town. They like to eat well! And he isn't on a "diet;" he's just eating better. I decided that I will eat healthy as long as I am working out, which is hopefully through June 20.

I am just a little nervous about the time between June 20, race day, and July 21st, Special Olympics National Education Conference closing day. I will have no life outside of SO. I hope that I will have time to get to the gym; I might have to become a morning person! 6am might be the only time I have to workout during July. As long as my diet stays on point, I think I will be alright.

On a side note, I received 325 signatures from UNO students, faculty, and alum pledging to stop the use of the r-word! I was hoping for way more, but I am happy with the first year's turn out. We already have started planning the attack for next year. It will involve more of the city than just 3 school campuses. Keep your eyes peeled for Spread the Word to End the Word 2011!

Spread the Word!

Everyone you know needs to be pushed and prodded until they pledge tomorrow! It is the 2nd Annual (first for UNO) Spread the Word to End the Word Day! It is a new movement created by a youth group with the Special Olympics to change conversation and end the use of the word retard in everyday language. The main website for it, r-word.org, is looking to get 100,000 pledges!

I am hosting an event at UNO for it. It will be outside Milo Bail Student Center from 10am-3pm. The first 50 people get a free shirt. All you have to do is sign a piece of paper saying you will implement a new r-word: Respect!

If you want to find more information on this movement, please visit r-word.org. They have great resources for you.

Also, here's a great video of Dr. Cox from Scrubs pledging to stop the use of the word retard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE_5_BbZlbI

Please be the voice for people with intellectual disabilities and speak out for them!

New Adventure

My crew at Special Olympics in DC!

As some of you may have noticed, my CFO appearances have been few and far between. Although I adore some of the people in that gym, I have started to grow away from it. I will never forget my first workout there - partially because a certain few people won't let me live it down! I have decided, however, that I am going to spend a solid month away from the gym. I am all about excuses, and work is getting crazy. When I signed on for the job, it was 20 hours a week. Now, I occasionally feel as though I'm putting in 10 hours in 2 days. School isn't helping with the busy schedule either. Apparently, getting your master's is no easy feat. I have to put in a few hours a day on school work just so I can keep up. This last week, I missed all 3 of my classes, so I'm already behind and I will miss another one next week. It's frustrating, but don't get me wrong, I am very happy with how things have been happening in my world lately. I love my job at UNO working with the Special Olympics! I love the people in my classes who are all trying to work towards a degree in RT! And, to top it off, I get to plan my freaking wedding!!!

Back to the gym situation. I am not quitting Crossfit. I am simply going to start doing workouts not at the closest affiliate. I will be working out at UNO since it is much more convenient. (If any of you have tried to park on campus lately, you'll understand why I don't want to leave once I found a spot!!) I will attempt to follow CFO's blog as closely as possible here. I just don't have enough money to be wasting some on going to the gym 2x a week, if that! The brand new gym at UNO is free for me and it comes with a sauna. Hopefully, I'll start working out more, now that it is more convenient! Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Also, I've been thinking about starting another blog on my adventures with Special Olympics. Thoughts? I feel like more people need to hear about the amazing-ness that is S.O!

Finally, the dreaded diet. Since I have no connections this year to Sectionals, it's been shit. I have been eating whatever I want...and seeing what that does to my body. Let me tell you, it's not pretty. I need to get back on track somehow. Nothing seems to motivate me anymore. I could care less about being a couple #s heavier in Las Vegas. I'm hoping I can kick it into high gear before the conference and Hawaii in July! If nothing else, by May 27, 2011, I will be in the best shape of my life and be able to back squat 2.5x my body weight!!!

HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR!

It's 2010! We have officially started a new decade. I was thinking about it earlier and although I'm only 23, this is the 4th decade my beautiful brown eyes has seen. Pretty sweet, huh? 09 had a few rough spots, but all in all was an amazing year. I am very happy it ended on such a high note. This year, though, promises to be SO much better! I have so many amazing things planned within the year of 2010. I am just hoping that everything plays out as it's planned in my head. I don't really believe in resolutions because people fail at sticking to their goal. Instead, I'm just setting a goal for myself - becoming more organized. It's easy to "measure" because there will be less crap laying on the floor of my house. Anywho, it's a goal that can be enjoyed by both Zach and I. I have a secondary goal, but it's the same one I have each year. I just want to be healthier. I know, I know; it's not specific, measurable, nor does it have a timeline. Blah blah blah.
So, the goal for the next 30 days (starting tomorrow) is to be Paleo quality, Zone quantity. It's a pain in the ass to measure everything out, but I feel better on the Zone than anything else. Paleo wasn't exactly my favorite because I either didn't eat enough or ate all day long. There was no continuity. My body never really adapted to it. Along with eating better, I am going to try to get myself stronger and leaner. I don't know if it's even possible to do both at the same time, but I'm going to try. When I am up at school for hours on end, I really like running for a few miles on the treadmill looking over Elmwood Park. It's a relaxing break. I know that if I go to Crossfit more than 1x/week, I'll get stronger. I just need to stop making excuses for not getting there. I'm hoping that those 3 efforts (diet, running, xfit) combined will get me where I want to be. I have a trip to Las Vegas where I want to make the b!tches jealous and a trip to Hawaii where I want to make men drool. ha. Really, though, I just want to be happy about how I look and feel. I want to have more energy and confidence.I'll try to post lots of recipes and pictures of the things I end up making for Zach and I. You know, the attempts and failures of primal cooking.
Happy 2010, people! I hope yours started as amazingly as mine.