JulesPaxton

On veggies: my fav dish is French cut green beans mixed with 1/2 - 1/3 of diced, cooked onion and a strip of bacon (cut into little tiny bits). Throw in red (cayenne) pepper, white pepper, black pepper, and salt. Yum. Great Southern green beans. Boyfriend's fav is zucchini spears cooked in the oven, tossed with a little olive oil and salted/peppered! Both last awhile during the week and are quick (<15-20 mins).

And my fav thing about enchiladas: you can WALK AWAY while they cook. Yes. And they reheat beautifully. I have these with 1-2 corn tortillas and a sprinkling of cheese because i'm naughty. It beats a fast-food takeout meal though. Cheaper, too. One more I've been wanting to try: Paleo egg muffins. They're just beaten eggs, poured in a muffin tin, with ingredients like spinach, ham, mushroom sprinkled in. It seems this would be a good breakfast/snack food and very quick to make.

Sounds like you're going to be pretty active! How does it compare to your activity level right now? In addition to running or walking, you could try packing two very small, light things: resistance bands (like giant rubber bands - I got mine at Walmart) and a jump rope. Jump rope will be great for no-excuses cardio since there's no "it was too rainy" or "I didn't know where I should run" - it's stationary! Resistance bands can be used for a multitude of exercises. Mine even came with an instruction booklet! Other than that, my top bodyweight exercises are proper push-ups (knee, military, knuckle, diamond [advanced level], and clap diamond [super advanced]), tricep dips (off a chair), lunges/squats (can also add in jumps to make more difficult and add cardio), and just simple leg lifts. Lie on your side, slowly raise the upper leg towards the ceiling (straight), slowly lower, repeat. I did about a bazillion of these in tae kwon do over the years and they were incredible. Progress with abductors can be hard to see, but it's there. Also, lie on side, bring your knee towards your chest, then push heel straight (follow the line of your other leg), repeat. It's like a lying-down side kick. Great for abductor strength which you might need to run.

Hi! How did week 1 finish up? What kind of changes are you making with Goal #3 to your diet that you weren't already doing? Thanks for the post to my thread! (Can we be buddies??)

Kind of. Does 4 servings count as a "batch"? I usually cook for 2 people x 2 meals, which results in making a full-sized meal for 4..or 4 meals for 1. My favorites are a beef stir-fry with broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, onion (reheats beautifully and flavor gets better with age!) and a Thai green chicken curry (same as before, and last time included broccoli, snow peas, carrots). Both are easy to load with veggies (even ones I'd not normally eat on their own...like carrots) and meat alike! Also somewhat non-paleo, green chile chicken enchiladas. (Non-paleo due to the corn tortillas.) If you want to skip the tortillas, you could include the shredded chicken, green chiles, and verde enchilada sauce, top with onions, and eat as a dish on its own. I would suggest a side of veggies with this, although my fav is black beans (again, non-Paleo). When microwaving is the only option, I avoid re-heating fish, which is a shame...I love it, but I hate microwaved fish. Ick.

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the replies. It's really encouraging to see that you're not an island! @Aderyn, I have had zoodles! I actually have a mandoline. I did them in a wok many months ago but like you said, it just wasn't quite the "real thing". It'll be an acquired taste. I've had a lot of zucchini recently, so maybe I just need a break. Week 1 wrapup (what actually happened): - Only ate out once at lunch (someone owed me)! W: Fried catfish [yes I know.] with spinach R: 1.5 slices pizza, salad, chicken, and fruit. THIS TOOK WILLPOWER. Dinner: beef & carrot stir fry w/cabbage and 1/2c rice. SO GOOD! Will make this again. F: pulled pork [no bun!], green beans, cornbread, mashed potatoes, peach cobbler. Dinner: fish tacos [one naked, one on a corn tortilla], slaw mix (cabbages and carrot). Small homemade brownie for boyfriend's bday. Sat: scrambled eggs, 2 slices bacon, 1/2 biscuit, milk. Sashimi and spring roll snack. Dinner: green curry chicken. YUM. Overall grade: C. There's room for improvement, but I DID improve over where I was before and am moving in a good direction. I didn't get out as much as I wanted, partially due to being intimidated and partially because last week was abnormally busy and stressful at work. I plan the week's menu in a google doc and color-code it. Red is protein, green is veggies/fruit, blue is something on the "no list". I notice WAY more blue slipups than I wanted, and I even thought I was paying attention! However, I'm getting better, and the emotional satisfaction that used to come with gobbling a bunch of pasta or rice or biscuits is dwindling. I eat rice if it goes with my meal, and eat half the amount I used to. Other than that, I really don't crave/want sweets, and the two sweets I had (cobbler & brownie) were due to social reasons rather than actual desire. Week 2: Sun: Sweet potato hash, egg, bacon. Dinner: roasted beef tenderloin, green beans, wild rice w/fruit & nuts, strawberries. M: Omelette w/ham, cheese, spinach. Lunch: Salmon sashimi. Dinner: stir-fry beef flank steak w/broccoli, mushrooms, onion. Morning workout. T: Steak & eggs! Lunch/dinner TBD. W: Omelette w/ham, cheese, spinach. Lunch: Mexican restaurant. Plan to ONLY eat meat and one tortilla, no chips/cheese/margarita. Dinner: I started my day with a workout!!! And then I ate a healthy breakfast of a 1.5 egg omelette w/ham and spinach. I brought salmon sashimi for lunch, dried apricots and 1oz cashews for snack. Wednesday I am going for a walk in the park before work.

My biggest challenge in TM was the RUNNING! Gah. If you stick to the running plan, you'll be golden! I would suggest setting increases for your planks. 30 sec x 2 is a great start! Then build it up to 45x2, 45x3, 60x2, 60x3, 90x2. Challenge is to try to get to a 2-min plank. Also, I LOVE using a medicine ball with my squats and ab work. That might be a worthy investment. You can use it to do push-ups on, you can use it with your situps/crunches, you can hold it between your legs as you do leg-lowers, you can hold it straight out as you do squats...you can twist it side to side.... Another BW suggestion is to do squat-kicks. Start on your right knee. Use left leg to push yourself up and perform a kick with your right. This adds in more challenge to plain lunges. You can either raise/lower the same leg or alternate, "walking" back and forth.

Things that could help motivate me to exercise: - Join volleyball league. - Buy a class card for the month at ballet. - Wake up at 6 every day. Bike, or work out if driving to work

Positive things: - Did not eat 5-6 slices of pizza at lunch. Had mostly caesar salad, chicken, and fresh fruit and then had a slice. - Said no to alcohol multiple times - Haven't done fast food since Tues, and on Tues I was at IKEA. I got swedish meatballs. - Only had a 1/2c serving of rice with beef/carrot/cabbage stir fry. - Not a single fried thing or biscuit. AND i will have the whole weekend off this time, which means I can get a relaxed walk/run in.

Hi Kailer, thanks for the welcome! It's going...OK. The good thing is, it would be going WORSE if I had no goals, but I still am not meeting my 3-a-weeks. Two obstacles this week: boyfriend's bday, dad visiting. This means being faced with cake. I freakin' love cake, and I also love pao de quiejo. I'm questioning keeping "corn tortillas" and "rice" on there since I have demonstrated an ability to limit my intake, and I'm more concerned about flour/bread/pasta. I haven't been leaving the office until nearly 6:30 or 7, which really interferes with the workout, even though I mean to at least get in a walk. I've concluded i need to be UP at 6 instead because I will probably always be staying late at the office. BF has agreed to kick me out of bed at that hour. And I usually feel great when I work out in the morning. Today's plan is pulled pork, green beans, salad. Already had bacon & egg breakfast tacos on corn. Dinner is fish tacos but I will probably do mine "naked" (just cole slaw + fish + cilantro)

Wednesday finished with catfish & spinach. Thursday's plan: boiled egg, catfish & spinach, and naked green chile chicken enchiladas (basically shredded chicken and chiles, with some veggies). I will finally have time to work out after work today!

Hi! Excited that you're in Australia. What's your workout plan? What "counts"? I think 30min minimum is great if you make it all count!

Great idea preparing healthy snacks for when you're reaching for something (anything)! Some of my other favorites: apple chips (OK, still haven't tried these but they sound amazing), boiled eggs, a few oz of deli turkey, hummus, nuts, grapes (so satisfying for some reason)... My dad lost a ton of weight by walking briskly 30min a day. Good luck with your goals! Even the smallest change is good, so if you have days when you are getting b's, I still say that's an improvement.

Just noticed Ashtoreh's post. Thanks for the support! I learned about learned helplessness this week in psychology. It's basically is in a negative situation and gives up trying to solve it, thinking that they can't affect the outcome. Interesting how that relates to weight loss. I am 139.4 today. Haven't worked out since who knows when. I think it was a month ago when I last biked to work. Just moved, so I'm still trying to figure out how to route it. Frustrated with my SO's support and commitment too. He's gained quite a bit of fat in the last 3 months. He eats whatever he likes and either is "full Paleo" or totally off the wagon, which makes it hard to be consistent. One day it's zoodles and chicken, the next it's chicken fried steak, gravy, potatoes, and mac and cheese. Monday: no breakfast, beef & broccoli & mushrooms, Fogo de Chao (courtesy SO's dad for his birthday) Tuesday: kolache, tilapia, pizza (courtesy of friends in town). Ugh. Today: kolache, boiled egg....to be continued. I need to develop a better strategy for NOT eating those kolaches in the break room...

Thanks! The toughest thing for me is going to be the pasta and rice. I use these as sides to my meals - chicken and rice and green beans, sausage pasta, and so on. Tortillas are difficult for me too...I live in Texas...they are everywhere and they are delicious. I love Indian food, which frequently serves up rice and naan. This will be one of my treats while I wean myself off. The rest is mostly "mind over matter". When I went paleo in January I found I didn't miss these things! (Shockingly!). Then I went to France for a week and totally got off track. Week 1 attack plan: M: Boyfriend's dad in town. Going to Brazilian steakhouse for dinner. Eat meat. T: Complete PSYC 3325 assignments for the week. Boiled egg, cheese, tilapia, zucchini. W: Bike to work or go for walk. Run errands after work, mid-week grocery run, prep food for next day. Chicken caesar lunch, curry chicken (coconut milk) with carrots, onion, bell peppers for dinner. R: Bake boyfriend's birthday cake or brownies. Going out with friends that night. Ordering lime and club soda. Need to figure out dinner. F: Homemade dinner. Sat: Skydiving!!!!!! Also, enough time for a delicious breakfast and nutritious lunch.

Welcome to NerdFitness! And congratulations on being a new dad. It's great that you're being so conscientious about staying on track right here and now. I like goals 1 & 3 a lot. They seem achievable and they will make a difference. What's the 30-day plank challenge? Where did you get off track previously, and how will you stay on track on the days you just don't feel like running/stretching/planking?

Amen to the great tips here. Being cognizant of your diet on the whole (is it a fast food diet or a Paleo heavy one?), creating a sustainable diet, and only counting calories while you're training yourself to change your eating HABITS are super tips. I used to do what Vintage suggested - just from keeping a list, I could see where I was going wrong. (wait, I had 2 tubs of Chick Fil A sauce and a medium fry?? and then I had a Coke at the office?? and 5 cookies for dessert?) I did this in google drive where I could get to it from my phone or computer.

I'm back! I labeled this as my second first challenge because I didn't really complete the last one. I think I got about 50% of the way through it and then totally de-railed. Here are my goals this time. I revised them to move me in a positive direction while still offering a high chance of success, as I transition to a healthier lifestyle: Goal: Achieve a healthy, sustainable lifestyle and a healthy body of which I can be proud. Specifically, this means being able to run a 5K and having 20% body fat. Subgoals: Bike to work at least 2x week. If I can't bike, a 30-min cardio workout can sub...from brisk walk to swimming. Work out 2x a week (weeks 1-3) or 3x a week (weeks 4-6). Work to eliminate the bad foods (on the "limit" list) for the next 6 weeks. I can have ONE item on the list three times 6x a week (weeks 1-3), 4x a week (weeks 4-6). (Ex: one serving of pasta, one slice of cake, one serving of rice.) I estimate that right now I'm sitting at three times a DAY, so this will be a step in the right direction. Eat 3 meals a day. You wouldn't think this is that difficult...I love eating. *Satisfied with the progress I'm making with goal #2, I'm editing this to: Get 7+ hours of sleep a night. This can be done with a 11pm - 6am minimum!Side goals: Save at least 20% of my income this month to deposit into my retirement savings. Motivation: Wanting to be able to enjoy activities without being exhausted, fit into my clothes without squeezing, love myself, eat "badly" every once in awhile without guilt, knowing that I am overall healthy. Right now...I'm not. The hard part is imaging why I'll succeed THIS time versus last. I'm drawing inspiration from two things: - My dad went "paleo" about 6 years ago in order to control his blood sugar, and ended up losing ~50 pounds as a side effect. He cut out bread, pasta, and rice and did a brisk 30min walk 4x a week. It took him about 6 months to lose the weight and he's kept it off. He also no longer has blood sugar spikes. He did this while working very hard as an engineer and having a family. Not having time is no excuse. - I read some way of thinking where if you mess up, you MUST get it right on the next try. No "Oh, I had a Big Mac and fries for lunch, so I may as well get Chick Fil A for dinner...". Instead, it's "I need to have a healthy dinner because I didn't have a healthy lunch." I'll be limiting these foods for the next 6 weeks: Alcohol Beer and mixed drinks with added sugar (e.g. margaritas). Wine is OK for now, as would be a glass of Scotch. These are already taken in moderation.PizzaBreadWhite rice** FriesPastaTortillasBiscuitsKolachesChipsCookies/cake/candyEeesh, that's an intimidating list. Rebels, how do you resist when you're faced with a temptation like a warm buttery tortila? Baby steps.

My next 6-week challenge goal is going to have to be a little...well...easier. Walk before you can run. Bike to work at least 2x weekEliminate foods on my "limited" list. I can do that for six weeks. Once a week, I can have one item on the list.Weights workout at least 1x week Side quest: Get an A in Psychology. The limited list: - Cake - Biscuits - Pizza - French fries - Soda - Buns (hotdog, hamburger) - Candy Where did I go wrong in the last challenge? - Got distracted at work and failed to work out afterwards. I would go home around 7pm with no energy, head straight for the couch or a restaurant to give myself a mental break. - I stopped enjoying working out. - I ate out...A LOT. And once I did it a few days in a row, it was easier to continue than to go to the store. - Choices I made while on the road were poor. Pizza? Bagels? Popeye's biscuits? - I lost sight of my motivation.

Teros....Thanks for checking in! I need to figure out a better way of staying involved! I rocked the stats course, but I fell off the wagon HARD about a week into May. Seriously only made it halfway through the challenge. A few things went wrong for me. - I was able to ignore the challenge if I wanted. I lost sight of my goals, got discouraged if I didn't meet them, and then just sort of....gave up. - I took the attitude that eating while traveling (or business dinners or lunches) doesn't count, but does it ever. I can think of probably 10 meals where i was out of town or on business or both and eating totally whack. My one point of pride was salmon and veggies on a business trip...once. - Life happened and instead of realizing this is how life IS, I thought that was a good excuse for not abiding by my goals. Training the new employee, working late, traveling, celebrations, and so on.... I am giving myself an F for this challenge, modifying goal #2 to be broader, and going to try again soon.

I am a 23F, 5'2", 130lb and am no longer a regular runner. One of the biggest reasons is that I get severe IT band pain (I think). It's a sharp pain that seems to localize to the outside of my knee, and there's a painful spot on the outside thigh when I foam roll. The pain usually kicks in between 1.5 - 2 miles. The longest I've run in the last year is about 4 miles straight, but I would like to get up to an easy 7mi with no stopping. A 10:00 pace would even be okay for a start. I am doing a Tough Mudder in Wisconsin in September and this would make the 12-mile race much easier. I run midfoot, in Newtons. In the past, I was very physically active. I did tae kwon do for years and had good leg, upper body, and core strength, and cut my mile time to about 7:30. I also used to play center midfield on a soccer team, and during the game, I estimate that I ran maybe 5 miles stop and go. IT band pain was never a problem at this point. I have gone all over the internet for solutions and am wondering who else had this issue and what they did to overcome it. I don't have the money for PT and am not considering any surgical procedures at all. What advice do you guys have??? Help!

I am aiming to do my second one in September in Wisconsin! My biggest struggle is running since I face IT band problems. Heading over to a different forum to see what the advice is there...

Week 2: Recovering from illness and didn't meet my 4 workout quote for week 1 as a result (was out from work for 2.5 days) .Final statistics test is this Saturday and am focusing on that tonight. Lifted weights once and am going to try to get to the gym after work for another session. Hitting gym on Fri and Sat means that I should be able to hit my workout goal. I am getting stronger! 80lb squat, 55lb bench press, and still working on getting my dumbbell workouts for my arms to use 15lb weight instead of 10lb. Struggling to have a good diet this week in the midst of business dinners and people in town. I am also struggling with body-image/comparison issues. I just looked at my pic from the last Tough Mudder and am not happy with the way I look. I am considering if signing up this year will motivate me or simply stress me out.

I love the brisk walk goal. My father (the best example of weight loss that I know!!) walked off 50-60 pounds doing this and cleaning up his diet. It didn't occur to me at the time, but he was eating pretty much "modified Paleo" as well (including some dairy). This was about 6-7 years ago before I knew what Paleo was! He was 56ish at the time. I'm more proud of him now than ever as I now know how drastically he had to change his lifestyle....and all the while, I was eating all the bad stuff at the same meals. He would just opt out. He did 30 brisk minutes on a treadmill, I think 4-5 times a week, and would listen to his NPR podcasts as he did it. He looks incredible now, is no longer pre-diabetic, and has maintained a healthy weight ever since. He is now retired and very active in the construction and completion of his new house. Just wanted to share my success story with walking. It really works.

[see post in Level 1 rebels for goals.] Be proud of my body and be indisputably healthy. This is going to be my place to vent my frustrations, admit where I messed up, and record any accomplishments. CHER JOURNAL, Yesterday I was proud of myself for making chicken pesto zoodles, and NOT taking myself out afterwards. That is a real thing that I do sometimes when I convince myself I"m still hungry and want comfort food. Instead, I went to bed. Also, we went to a BBQ place for lunch. I had mac and cheese, but a normal person serving, and went with meat and veggies instead of fries, baked potato (in cheese, sour cream, and more), or BBQ sandwich. Overall, this has actually been the TOUGHEST paleo week I've had, including the weekend where I was in Chicago for four days! I even met my 4 workout per week quote and only dinner was slightly non-Paleo. I haven't been perfect, and I haven't even been close to my best, but what I HAVE noticed is an increased ability to recognize my impulses, curb my bad habits, and make better (if not perfect) choices. That in itself is a victory that I'm proud of. I keep making progress in the right direction. I learn recipes and use kitchen tools and make things that I haven't made that incorporate more veggies, less bread/rice/pasta. This challenge might not be straight A's, but it WILL train me to continue making better decisions. Accomplishments: - Curbed late-night eating. - Reduced alcohol consumption. - Controlled my portions of "bad" foods. One kolache instead of two and a half, one glass of wine, a few fries instead of a whole order. - Not seeing bread/rice/pasta as a given in every meal or feeling the need to complete a meal with them/use them as a base. - Haven't had a single soda or slice of pizza this week!