Jazzybell

I have a hard time going to sleep at a decent hour as well...it almost feels like a waste of time...until you wake up the next morning! Where abouts are you, getting all this rain? Wish we'd get some here in Texas! Everyone's getting ready for a scorching summer and drought. Ugh. I checked out blogilates...so cool!

I forgot to weigh myself this morning >.> Will update tomorrow. But yesterday I was at 139.8. Yay, the scale moved! It better keep moving if I'm to reach my goal! Gallon of water: 5/7 10K steps: 2/3 Keto: 6/7 A note on the keto -> PaleoPlan was the website that launched me into the Paleo lifestyle a couple years back. Last week I found that the author of the website also put together an ebook about the autoimmune elimination diet, complete with meal plan, recipes, and shopping list. I've been sticking to this and still staying in ketosis (except, well today I ate 3 servings of berries and half a watermelon but that wasn't on the meal plan, though still ok for autoimmune). My endo said he had no problem with me trying it and seeing if I felt better, but that it wasn't "proven" to cure, prevent, or delay the progression of autoimmune disorders. Anyway, since it's halfway through the challenge, it's time to dole out some starting attribute points! Strength: 1 Dexterity: 1 Stamina: 2 Constitution: 1 Wisdom: 3 Charisma: 2

Reading your encouragement really helped today. Had another visit with the endo this afternoon, I did not think it went well at all. He is a very, very traditional doctor and simply told me to take vitamin D supplements. Looking into different holistic doctors in another city. Thanks again for the good juju

Better be seeing you blow up Instagram with your badassery! #picsoritdidnthappen Hope your third week is starting off well!

You are OWNING your challenge! I love that you're updating daily!! Awesome accountability. Great job!! Also love your mindfulness challenge. May steal your idea for the next 6 weeks Keep it up!

Hey, Edigo! Thanks for checking in...Hanging in there!

Good news first. No thyroid cancer! Saw the endocrinologist on Friday and he said not to worry about the nodules - they are tiny and benign. Not so good news...Tested positive on the TPO Ab bloodwork...meaning I have antibodies attacking my thyroid i.e. some sort of autoimmune disease. I've been wrestling with doctors all week trying to figure out what the next step is. Apparently I've been having an autoimmune "flare up," and that's why I've felt like such poo. In between waiting for call backs, I've been trying to educate myself and rest up. Just bought the Primal Life Kit that Liz over at CaveGirlEats has been toting for the last week. As soon as I saw that it included a few books on understanding autoimmune + paleo eating + meal plans, I was like, "Sure, here's $39. I was about to spend that much at B&N on a mediocre 'autoimmune for dummies' type of book anyway." #smallwins As far as the challenge goes, my numbers haven't budged. I was sick and so exhausted Wednesday through Saturday (took sick leave off work Wedn-Friday) that I sure as heck didn't get anywhere close to 10,000 steps. But, I did drink my gallon of water everyday. (7/7) And I did track my meals and eat clean and keto most of the time. (5/7) This 6 week challenge is throwing all kinds of monkey wrenches at me. Chin up, though! It's been giving me plenty of ideas for the next challenge!

Hi, Edigo! Here's a great website: http://paleoleap.com/paleo-guide-to-ketosis/ And here's the keto-calculator I've used to figure out my macros: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

Week One Recap: Not the most awesome... I'm under doctor's orders to stop lifting for a while...Wednesday I visited the doc cos my neck was feeling tender/painful when swallowing, yawning, and lifting stuff (even pots and pans while doing the dishes). A couple ultrasounds later and turns out my thyroid is enlarged and has a ton of nodules on both sides. Joy. Have an appointment with an endocrinologist early next week to look into root causes and what exactly those nodules are doing there...Meanwhile the tenderness is spreading throughout my chest, back, and shoulders and my right arm has been "asleep" all day. Yeah, not lifting. So...adapt, right? Instead of barbell battalion I'm looking to hit my 10,000 steps/day, 3x a week. 1) Ketopaleo diet -> Score = 3/7 2) Gallon of water a day -> Score = 0/7 3) 10K steps/day x3 -> Score = 2/3 Honestly I've been so focused on dealing with doctors half the week I didn't think about anything else, water or food tracking >_< Here's to a better week. Cheers!

Aaaand I'm back. Well, I was always around, lurking/creepin' on the forums and dutifully reading my biweekly NF emails, so let's say I'm back and actively participating. So, let's get down to business, shall we? Main Quest: To lose 10 pounds and/or 5% bodyfat. Bikini season is soon upon us, ya'll. SUMMER IS COMING! Current stats: 142 lbs, 28% body fat, 5'5", single white female (j/k j/k). How to do it? 1) Ketosis. Can I get an "Amen"? I'm pretty much in love with the ketogenic diet. After going full paleo since the beginning of the year, I started playing with ketosis for a month now and love my results. I've been following a "paleo" version of it, so no dairy but lots of coconut and olive oil, fish, fatty grass-fed goodness (I'm salivating), etc. I'll follow a paleo-ketogenic diet 97%. By 97% I mean, one "off" meal a week that will probably throw me out of ketosis, but it better be so worth it. I've tried having "weekends off" or even one "off" day a week, but have found that my weight jumps up 5 pounds, then takes all week to get back to my pre-cheat-day weight. Yes, I do weigh myself everyday. Yes, I know doing that doesn't give me the most accurate information about true weight loss. But I like to start my day off knowing I'm making progress, cos usually it's a good number. So anyway, paleo-keto 97% of the time. I'll be tracking my macros and calories on myfitnesspal, aiming for 1400 calories a day (this is surprisingly hard for me to hit. I find myself eating coconut oil off a spoon sometimes to get that high). 2) Drink a gallon of water a day. A ketogenic diet is naturally diuretic, so keeping a close eye on hydration is key. I know I don't drink enough water daily. After I left my water bottle at a doctor's office a few weeks ago, I've haven't been putting effort into my water intake. 3) Follow Barbell Battalion Lvl 1 Started this last week and am OBSESSED with the barbell! So basically for this challenge I'll be at the gym 3x/week following the workout plan. Gotta get dem stallion legs. Motivation: Again, SUMMER IS COMING! More specifically, I'm taking a river trip down in Austin in June with a huge group of folks. I want to look hella good in that new bikini I'm going to get myself when this challenge is complete. #epicloot

HA! Yep I'm back, and it's awesome to see you're still kicking ass a year and a half later! <3

I made it through barbell work without having a coughing fit haha so I say success in strength training realm. Cardio was a different story. Boo >.>

I found it at the library! You had me at pudding. I browsed the web looking for a good recipe and found this gem: http://paleomg.com/overnight-chocolate-coffee-chia-breakfast-pudding/ Holy guacomole, it's incredible. REALLY hit the spot and so easy to make. 2 votes for banana pancakes! Check out the pic...my horrible attempt on top, and boyfriend's intervention below. >_< But they were delicious!

Hey, Pixie! Just popping by to say haiii! Kudos on your challenge so far! Keep it up

Anyone have any recipes for paleo-friendly comfort foods? Have been le sick for a couple weeks, and honestly as much as I love ribeye/salad/meat/bacon, it just doesn't sound good right now and I'm pretty chicken-souped-out lol. Thanks!

^THIS^ Haters gon' hate. Just be careful not to be a paleo prosthelytizer. It's easy to be when you're informed, excited and seeing results. Keep kindness and positivity at the root of your conversations with underminers. At work I usually tell people that "I just feel SO much better when I leave out grains and dairy!" One day someone retorted "Well, one donut won't ruin that.." Keep your responses about YOU, not THEM. Like, "Yes, actually. Yes it will for me. I get a sugar crash. And belly bloat. And a trigger for more sugar. So I'd rather not, but thank you!"

Hey, Dano! Welcome to team paleo! If you're focusing on performance and pushing your body hard, you DEFINITELY want to be feeding it what it needs! Remember that carbs are in just about everything (fruit, veggies, nuts, tubers), just be mindful of your intake! Tracking on My Fitness Pal for just a few days can be super educational. I'm sure you've heard of the all-powerful sweet potato. They'll be your best friend. I like mine easy...peel, slice, and microwave in water for 5 minutes. Done. Feeling fancy or adventurous? Try tapioca starch crepes or arrowroot powder tortillas! Good luck, and chow down!

Hi, there. Welcome to Team Paleo! When I started going strictly paleo, I originally didn't count calories. In a brief burst of curiosity one day, I logged everything on My Fitness Pal and was shocked by the 800-900 calories, so I know where you're coming from! Quick solution - add more "good for you" fats: Avocados, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, bacon fat (pls use organic, nitrate-free bacon to avoid the baddies that lurk in conventional bacon fat...). Add an avocado or guacamole to your salad at the salad bar, and pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil on top. There's an extra 500 cals right there I also like to add a spoonful of coconut oil to my morning coffee, and cook food in bacon grease that I save from breakfast. You can also add canned coconut milk (that thick, creamy delicious stuff, not the highly processed Silk brand crap in the refrigerated section) to your smoothies! Eating fats will keep you full for longer, as well! Last suggestion - pork rinds AKA chicharrones. Not kidding. Check your labels, though, and make sure it's just "pork rinds + sea salt". It's all fat and a great paleo substitute for chips. As far as carb-loading...Remember that paleo-friendly carbs are in just about everything - nuts, veggies, fruits, sweet potatoes, but also look at other alternatives like tapioca starch (great for crepes!) or arrowroot powder (great for paleo tortillas!). If you want to help keep yourself accountable to eat a certain amount of calories, I suggest the Pact app (also good for going to gym and eating veggies!). I use it and sometimes struggle to get to the minimum 1200 calories if I don't eat a lot of fats. Happy eating!!!

Ugh...I've been sick for over almost two weeks now...Bronchitis last week, and today after another doctor's visit I can add Hayfever to the list. I'm getting antsy "taking it easy" and have missed a week and a half of workouts, though I went for a brisk 30 minute walk Sunday and Tuesday. What do you do? Anyone have positive/negative experiences doing cardio ("sweat the sick out") while under the weather? What about lifting weights? I'm working on Barbell Battalion Lvl 1.

Week 2, Day 6 Runkeeper wasn't loading on my phone, so I took a route that I knew was exactly 3 miles and just listened to Pandora. Got rained on half way through :/ Been trying to run on the weekends before breakfast, but am having a really hard time with it. My tummy growls and my energy just isn't up. My body is used to running after work, before dinner, but it still has had a snack or something in the afternoon.

Week 1 Update: Week One was a major struggle for me, personally. A lot of shit hit the fan in every aspect of my day to day life, and I really just wanted to punch stuff and yell...#immaturity. Was practically flailing all week, then got my shit back together on the weekend and we're all hunky-dory. Even though week one was not a major success in relation to the challenge, looking back I'm still quite proud of my self for doing what I did, because it was more than I wanted to and I roused myself out of what I considered comfortable. Running: 3/4 days. --- B Strength Training: 0/3 days --- F Homemade Noms: 1/1 days --- A Reading: 1/1 hour --- A

Good job today still getting in a workout without hitting the gym! I'm a sucker for take-out as well...cutting back is one of my goals, too! Let's do this

Hey Joey, welcome to the Rebellion! Looks like you've got some great goals! As much as I love cooking, I'll admit, when I come home from work hungry, cooking is the last thing I want to do! Been trying to dedicate Sunday afternoons to the epic cooking-for-the-week extravaganza (ish), mainly making like a crock-pot stew or a big stirfry that I can eat on throughout the week. Fat-ass salads are your lunch sack friends (load em up with good for you numnums!). Wishing you the best of luck and perseverance!

Wow, Ladyhawk, I LOVE how you seriously broke down each step of each challenge you gave yourself. Kudos for taking the time to do it, I'm sure you'll be all the more successful because of it! Best of luck to you

LOVE THIS. Many people don't realize that grocery stores really do pay attention to what you're buying. I remember how excited I was when Kroger's started carrying their own brand of organic/cage free chicken, eggs, and dairy! Good luck with your goals!