To make Pai Mei proud

[BeatrixKiddo]

This is it: my first NerdFitness Battle Log.

 

I'm not participating in a challenge yet-- it's challenge enough to start recording all this, and learn about the community here. In the meantime, I will track my physical and dietary activities.

 

And if my journey to become a stronger, healthier, more independent woman becomes intense, overwhelming or unbearable, I'll remember the way that Beatrix Kiddo busted her way out of her own grave.

With determination, ingenuity, and calm. Just one punch at a time.

[BeatrixKiddo]

Yesterday, 9/19/13

 

Physical Activity

 

Warmup

Jumping jacks and high-knees

 

Routine

5 one-legged squats, each side (still working on form)

20 squats

20 forward lunges in place

10 dumbbell rows each side (10 lb weight)

10 knee, wide-arm pushups

30 second full plank

30 second side plank (on elbow, each side)

 

Repeat 3 times

 

Finisher (a good song was playing, and I had more energy to expend)

40 bicycle crunches

 

Other physical activity

30 minute walk around the city

 

Meals

 

Breakfast

Two eggs, scrambled with sauteed mushrooms, onions and basil

Protein shake with coconut milk, cacao powder, three slices frozen banana, psyllium powder and 1/4 avocado.

 

Lunch

1/3lb basil burger ( containing onions, basil, flax seed and red wine)

About a cup of baked acorn squash, skin included

1/2 pear (unfortunately part of it was overripe)

 

Snack

Handful of roasted acorn squash seeds

 

Dinner

Chicken curry with mushrooms, onions, peppers and "riced" cauliflower.

Three pieces of oopsie bread

a glass of wine

A little dark chocolate

[BeatrixKiddo]

Friday 9/20/13

 

Physical Activity

 

Warmup

 

Jogging down to the lakefront

 

Routine

30/90 HIIT Sprints x 4

I set out to do 6 sets, but must have pushed it too hard on the first couple. Also, I need to buy something to cover my ears. Cold/windblown ears causes me some real pain.

 

Food

 

Breakfast

2.5 eggs, scrambled with sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers

Protein shake with coconut milk, cacao powder, three slices frozen banana, psyllium powder and 1/4 avocado.

Coffee with homemade pumpkin spice/coconut milk creamer

 

Lunch

Leftover Chicken curry from last night

Handful of roasted acorn squash seeds

 

Dinner

1/4 lb burger with 1.5 slices of bacon, one slice of cheddar cheese on an oopsie bread bun.

Half cup of vinegared cabbage, carrot and green pepper slaw

Pumpkin cacao protein shake with avocado and psyllium husk

(This dinner was seriously filling. My boyfriend, who has been snarfing down twice as much protein as I typically eat, made this for me and it amounted to about 60 grams of protein. Ugh, I was so food-pregnant after that, it was uncomfortable.)

[BeatrixKiddo]

Saturday 9/21/13

 

Physical Activity

 

Slow-moving walking tours around Milwaukee, 3 hours

 

Food

 

Breakfast

2-egg omelet with sauteed veggies

Half cup full fat greek yogurt with walnuts & strawberries

Coffee with coconut milk

 

Lunch

Gyro salad with feta, kalmata olives, tomatoes, onions.

A bite of sub-par baklava. Wasn't worth it.

 

Dinner

Thai takeout: Chicken in garlic & pepper sauce with mixed vegetables

[Mark Zink]

Beatrix!

 

Wow you are doing great!  I really like the exercise you are doing that is very inspiring to me.  And you seem to be a creative cook as well.  I like how you are mixing up your meals.  Keep it going!

[BeatrixKiddo]

Beatrix!

 

Wow you are doing great!  I really like the exercise you are doing that is very inspiring to me.  And you seem to be a creative cook as well.  I like how you are mixing up your meals.  Keep it going!

 

Thanks, Mark! It makes me so happy to hear that I've inspired you. If you (or any other user, for that matter) would like me to share a recipe, just ask!

[BeatrixKiddo]

Sunday 9/22/13

 

Physical Activity

Warmup

Jumping jacks

 

Routine

5 one-legged squats each side

20 squats

20 lunges

10 dumbbell rows each side

10 knee pushups

1 min plank

 

x3

 

Other

2 hours walking tour outside, at a leisurely pace

 

 

Food

 

Breakfast

Protein pumpkin pancakes with sautéed cinnamon apples and whipped vanilla/maple coconut cream.

1/2 cup greek yogurt with flax seed and blackberries (I could hardly finish this, those pancakes were surprisingly filling!)

 

Lunch

(Went out for brunch)
Spinach & goat cheese omelet, seasoned chopped potatoes, bacon & fruit slices.

 

Dinner

Two fried eggs

Blender tomato soup

glass of wine

dark chocolate and some leftover coconut whipped cream

Today was an egg day!

[Mark Zink]

Oh I would Love to have the Chicken in garlic and pepper sauce, that sounds amazing.  The Gyro salad sounds yummy too!  I like to cook but you style is very different then mine so learning what you do would help me to expand. Im strick paleo but send the recipe just as it is and I will make the conversions!  Thank you!

[BeatrixKiddo]

Oh I would Love to have the Chicken in garlic and pepper sauce, that sounds amazing.  The Gyro salad sounds yummy too!  I like to cook but you style is very different then mine so learning what you do would help me to expand. Im strick paleo but send the recipe just as it is and I will make the conversions!  Thank you!

 

Those were actually both take-out meals that I didn't make myself. However, I'm sure you could make something like the gyro salad-- it's just spiced lamb/pork, lettuce, tomatoes, white onions, feta and kalmata olives. I'll start marking which meals were take-out, though, if you ever see something else you want to know about.

[BeatrixKiddo]

Monday 9/23/13

 

Physical Activity

 

30/90x6 HIIT Sprints

 

I completed 6 this time! And I believe that happened for two reasons:

1. I didn't push myself as hard on the first two-- I still can't quite all-out sprint through EVERY intense interval.

2. I didn't listen to music. I tried listening to music last time, and I only got through 4. But when I can listen to the rhythm of my breath, I get an almost zen-like focus.

 

Food

 

Breakfast

Three-egg omelet with green peppers, mushrooms & onions

Banana

 

Snack

Almond snickers bar & a pumpkin cookie.

 

Lunch

Leftover thai takeout

Salad with tomato, carrot, celery, mixed greens, half a lemon cucumber, balsamic vinaigrette. 

 

Dinner

Pan-roasted chicken thighs

Coconut cacao smoothie with frozen banana, avocado and psyllium husk.

[Mark Zink]

I like what you did with you omelete!  I like a some veggies and its nice to mix them up.

 

That Gyro salad sounds like something I will make!  Just need to get some lamb and roast it I think.  I used to work at a place that did Gyros and they were sooo good.  To have them in a salad just sounds like it would be heaven!

[BeatrixKiddo]

Tuesday 9/24/13

 

Physical Activity

 

Warmup

Jumping Jacks

 

Routine

5x3 One-legged squats

20x3 rotating prisoner jump squats

20x3 walking lunges

10x3 chest presses w/ 10lb dumbbells

20x3 single-leg glute bridges

10x3 knee pushups

10x3 butterfly presses w/ 10lb dumbbells

30secx3 plank

 

Food

 

Breakfast

Two-egg omelet with green peppers, mushrooms & onions

Apple + almond butter

 

Lunch

Chicken thighs

Big, tomato-y salad

 

Snack

I seriously descended upon some cookies at work. I'm not proud of it, but I'm not going to waste time regretting it. I decided to up the intensity of my workout a bit to level things out in my mind-- who knows if I really burned many more calories. At any rate, avoiding sweets at work is really hard. So I bought some dark chocolate covered almonds today, so that hopefully I can indulge my post-lunch chocolate cravings in a healthier way. Or maybe I'll demolish those and eat cookies on top of that. I guess we'll have to see!

 

Dinner

1/4lb burger with swiss cheese sprinkled on top

a cup of broccoli

Coconut vanilla protein shake

An apple

[Mark Zink]

Avoiding snacks is tough and Im glad you decided not to waste time on regret.  Work from your positive emotions  Im a history buff and one thing that I learned was that Inca  tribal leaders would drink 10 thimble size drinks of spicy cocoa and throw away the pure gold thimbles that they drank from because they knew that the cocoa was so good for them.  As a side note cocoa is one of the best antioxidants that is not an algae. It beats blueberries and any other fruit or on the ground. So having a craving for dark chocolate is not a bad thing its a matter of whats around it.  I think your choice of dark chocolate almonds is great!! Keep us posted on the cookie wars =) 

[BeatrixKiddo]

Wednesday 9/24/13

 

Physical Activity

 

Warmup

Jogging down to the lakefront

 

Routine

30/90x4 HIIT Sprints

Followed by body weight exercises at home-- burpees, leg lifts, bicep curls, I didn't really keep track

(I forgot to wear something that covered my ears again today. It can be so difficult to motivate myself to run when my ears are stinging from the cold wind!)

 

Food

 

Breakfast

Two-egg omelet with green peppers, mushrooms & onions

A piece of thick-cut bacon

Banana

 

Lunch

Chicken thighs

Steamed broccoli

Pistachios

 

Snack

Some dark chocolate covered almonds!

 

Dinner

Half of a .75lb steak

Some sweet potato fries

A coconut-cacao protein shake

 

I find myself more hungry lately, and getting more cravings. I don't know if it's because I'm adjusting to having a mostly paleo diet or if it's because the intensity of my exercise is demanding that I eat more calories. It inspired me to buy a steak, and I'll have the other half with salad tomorrow. I had it with one of my favorite sides ever, home made sweet potato fries. I have a seasoning mix that tastes absolutely INCREDIBLE. All I do is roast them in coconut oil and top them with this seasoning, and they taste better than any restaurant fries I've had. (Though I'm still figuring out how to get them perfectly crispy like in restaurants.)

 

And thanks for the encouragement, Mark! Today was a better day than yesterday, and pretty much all paleo!

[Mark Zink]

After reading Marks site he went through a change in his diet but it was because it was what his body needed.  I think you body is telling you something that it needs.  Im a firm believer that your body has cravings for certain foods because it needs some of the nutrients in that item. Oddly enough my craving for Ice Cream is not a valid one! But there is something to be said about craving a steak or veggie, not sure I would discount the urge.

 

Your menu looked great!!!  And I am ready for a steak too!  But in due time.  As for those cocoa covered almonds I hope they helped and tasted yummy as well! Sometimes that is exactly what you for a snack.  

[BeatrixKiddo]

Thursday 9/26/13

 

Physical Activity

 

I didn't end up with time to fit in a workout! But I did about an hour of walking.

 

Food

 

Breakfast

Two-egg omelet with green peppers, mushrooms & onions

A piece of thick-cut bacon

Apple and almond butter

 

Lunch

Leftover steak

Mixed greens and raw veggies

Sweet potato fries

 

Snack

Some dark chocolate covered almonds

 

Dinner

Went out to a restaurant called Bavette, in the third ward. They double as a butcher shop with all locally-sourced, grass-fed meats. My mother and I shared a Cheese and Charcuterie board, and I had a salad to go along with it. A bit of a cheat from Paleo with all that cheese and some green beans in my salad, but I resisted the crackers and toast.

[Mark Zink]

Beatrix,

 

That dinner sounded great!  Im not sure we have a place like that hear but I wish we did!!!!! Im looking into getting a 1/4 cow though.  Ive read good things from the forums in here that have posted on it.  So I may get one and see how it goes!

 

Haven't seen one of your posts in a bit so wanted to send you some encouragement and tell you I missed seeing your post.  They help motivate me and give me food ideas!!

 

Hope your doing excellent!!