Hey guys. This weekend flew by. I don’t know where all the time went. Sitting here at my desk I feel like it’s last Friday afternoon again. Gah.
Today’s breakfast.
Weekend Fitness!
Saturday
- 45 minutes on the elliptical at Snap Fitness
- M-Wod: 20 lunges & 15 tuck jumps (as many times through as you can in 10 minutes, I did 6 times)
this left me pretty sore. my right bootay muscle was tight!
Sunday
I ran 9 whole miles for 1/2 marathon training.
I was so sore yesterday I didn’t leave the sofa all day. today I’m still sufferin’ and tryin’ to make it through
Today is going to be a rest day for sure! Maybe I’ll do some pilates or yoga. Stretching sounds awesome.
Tummy Troubles :(
After I ran my 9 miles yesterday I had some really intense stomach/intestine issues. These are the same symptoms I felt that caused me to finally deal with my c-diff in the first place. In the last month or so I’ve really been lax on my clean eating. I’m still making pretty decent choices and staying away from sugars and excess carbs. But I definitely haven’t been as strict. I haven’t been checking off my healthy guidelines every day so I know my diet hasn’t been as balanced.
I really think this is why my digestive system is being so picky about fitness. Since my 1/2 marathon is now less than 2 weeks away I HAVE to clean up my diet.
So it’s back to a good ‘ole staple. 2 eggs fried in evoo and topped with salt, pepper and dill.
to paleo or not to paleo
In order to get a little clean eating fire going under my butt I re-read the 17 Day Diet book which is what initially pushed me to eat clean last May. I also read the Paleo Diet Solution book because I’d heard from quite a few readers that the paleo diet is very similar to how I was ‘clean eating’ and I wanted to know this school of thought on carbohydrates and sugar. I know carbs and sugars are key triggers for my c-diff symptoms.
All in all I really like the ideas behind the Paleo Diet, especially the idea that our bodies aren’t made to digest grains, sugar, and legumes. I don’t know about everyone’s body’s but I know these are huge moot food groups in my life.
There are a few things Paleo that I don’t really want to do.
- coffee. I really want to drink coffee. I like coffee. I love how it tastes & smells. I do totally agree that it’s pretty hard on the digestive system so I’ve cut back a lot and I’m willing to cut back a little more but I’m not completely cutting it out of my diet again.
- alcohol. I really like having a glass of wine with dinner and having a social drink or two when I’m out with family and friends. I do know that some things like beer and strong red wine can really trigger my tummy troubles. But a little never hurt anyone.
- sprouted grains. According to the Paleo Diet Solution book all grains are off limits, and I get why they are. I even agree. But I don’t see a problem with eating sprouted grain bread, especially if it’s in moderation and I’m not eating an entire loaf in a day. (I also don’t have a problem with eating a slice or two of whole grain bread in a pinch)
- dark chocolate. I will always eat dark chocolate…. cutting it out just won’t do so don’t ask me.
All in all I think I’ll probably combine some of the paleo concepts with my existing clean eating diet. I think focusing on organic foods and grass fed, low fat meats are a great idea. I’m going to try and limit my coffee intake and stick to teas. I also really like how the paleo diet book had a whole section on working out and endurance training without consuming lots of simple carbs. The book gave me a bunch of new ideas on fueling up before, during and after workouts.
See… I already made a paleo swap. English breakfast tea (Twinnings) with a splash of soymilk. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t that bad.
Basically when it comes to me and diets I really don’t look at them like they’re black and white. If you make good healthy choices anyone can splurge a little bit here and there. Everything will even out and be fine. Nothing is ever completely off limits (except cheese…). I just don’t think it’s realistic in today’s society. We aren’t cavemen and we have access to grains. We can get fruits and veggies that aren’t in season.
For me, it’s silly to say I’ll never eat a sandwich on bread again… it’s setting me up for failure.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I have been intrigued by Paleo since one of my friends does the Crossfit and follows Paleo (they seem to go hand in hand?) and she said it has helped find balance in her eating and helped her with weight and overall “blah” feeling. I do know that it’d be difficult for me to ‘give up’ the limited foods. (i fell off the non cheese wagon over the weekend, back on it now).
I agree with the idea of eating healthy like 80% to 90% of the time and splurge the other percent in a moderate way. I’d go bonkers without my chocolate ;)
Great job on the workouts, but sucks that the tummy issues get triggered by it :\ Stretching will definetly help with soreness, but also a hot compress would work on specific areas. My calves feel a whole lot better after I rest them on a sock of heated up rice :)
they do seem to go hand in hand. but I think that’s mainly because people doing cross fit are trying to get ripped so they need lots of protein. Honestly, I feel awesome when I stick to a restricted carb/sugar diet. You should try it.
good job getting back on the cheese bandwagon. It took me 3 or 4 times before I was actually off cheese forever.
I like your approach to Paleo! I think it can be done without an all or nothing approach and you have a good grasp on that! Coffee actually is Paleo so long as you drink it black…and if we want to get technical tequila is Paleo…you didn’t hear it from me ;)
Chocolate is totally doable in small doses too! If it keeps you sane why not enjoy some?!
The only suggestion I would make is instead of sticking with sprouted grains I would aim to switch to gluten free grains. Just in case you have a slight intolerance to gluten!
YAY! I was so waiting for your comment on this post. You are my paleo/cross fit guru!
the book I read said no to coffee so I’m so glad that it’s actually okay. And I’m secretly having a fiesta in my heart in honor of tequila… I wont tell anyone. I like your grain idea. As far as I can tell I don’t think I have a gluten sensitivity but you never know. I do know that refined carbs totally mess with me. So… who knows.
My diet tends to fall in the Paleo category about 80% of the time. I cannot give up wine, good quality cheese or my occasional fro yo splurge. I hate to categorize how I eat though. If I feel good with what I eat and I am healthier than I was 6 months ago, it’s good enough for me!
Splurges are what makes diets work! I’m sure of it.
im totally in your line of thinking..i cant restrict myself to things I love for the sake of a diet, it would drive me nutty, and how do you get enjoyment out of that? ;)
Hey! You will be much better off drinking coffee than soy milk. Paleo says no no to soy. Keep doing your research and definitely give it a try. Or, read about my paleo journey at http://www.threedietsonedinner.com
I live by this thing. And I drink coffee. And wine.
B
thanks! I’ll definitely check it out. I didn’t realize soy was out… it is a bean so I guess it makes sense. duh.
Oh Maren I love the balance you strike, I just respect that a lot. Lately, I have been getting frustrated hearing about this or that way to eat rather than what works for their body. glad you found what works for you
I couldn’t give up my dark chocolate. ever. ever. ever!!! hope the tummy troubles get better!
So I’m totally like you. I love Paleo concepts, but not willing to go all the way. I thought you could have coffee? That’s a definite no then!! Lol. I like the idea of adding “their” foods & recipes to existing clean eating habits! That works!
Hey Maren! I know this is an older post, but I wanted to throw out this link to you. Marksdailyapple.com is the blog of Mark Sisson, who lives on “primal” values– which are a little different than the whole paleo approach. He says wine, dark chocolate, and coffee are allowed in moderation, so I thought maybe it’d be something you’d be interested in looking into.
Great. I’m so excited to read it. Thanks for thinking of me.