Busy!

Used these for my pull-ups

So I have been incredibly busy for a while and then last week I kind of shut down a bit.  Work has not given me much breathing room, so I've been going non-stop during the day.  It's been a lot of fun having Anna around, because I've been super active on the days that I'm not working and even sometimes on the days that I am.  Crossfit has been awesome.  I really like the coaches so far, each one has their own style and has different kinds of workouts.  They aren't kidding when they say "Our Warmup is Your Workout."  The warm-up for yesterday's workout was finding the max weight you could lift with a back squat.  I started off way too low, not knowing what I was capable of and ended up doing a ton of reps before I found what was really difficult.  Then we did pushups, pullups and squats to make sure we had the proper form before we even started our workout.  Which was a 25-20-15-10-5 for form instead of time.  So you do 25 pullups with whatever modification you need, in proper form.  If it's not good form it doesn't count.  Then 25 pushups, then 25 squats.  Then 20 pullups, pushups and squats.  Then 15 pullups, pushups and squats and so on and so forth.  I liked this workout, since it was a change from the usual beat the clock.  I wasn't racing anyone or competing with anyone.  I took as much time as I needed in between reps to make sure my next pullup was going to be a good one.  And if I performed badly I took a couple of seconds to recoup and redo.  It took around 20 minutes.  I like that you learn alot about what you are capable of and what you need to work on.  I find myself getting stronger very quickly.  As Keysa, Anna and I agreed yesterday, it also doesn't hurt to have such eye candy available during your workouts.  Co-ed workouts are great, just sayin'.
As for the paleo challenge, yesterday was technically my last day.  Over the weekend though, I had kind of a depression breakdown, I didn't want to do anything and I just had this strong craving for something and I couldn't figure out what it was.  On Sunday Nathan wanted Zippy's and I got dinner there.  Of course, it was not paleo in the least.  There is no paleo at Zippy's.  It was an interesting experiment.  I had some french fries, and that did not satisfy the craving.  I had some of a bear claw and that did not satisfy the craving.  I am glad that I did the experiment as a "cheat" during my challenge.  It turns out that all of those snacks that I would seek out to satisfy that craving, didn't satisfy at all.  So I stopped eating them.  Back to better eating on Monday.  I did this challenge in my own way without guilt, so like I said in earlier posts, it was not a perfect "whole30."  I didn't follow all of the rules, I just closely based my eating habits on it.
So in review for this challenge:
I was not a stickler about cheese.  I didn't actively put cheese on my food, but several times we went out to dinner and invariably there would be cheese on the salad.  I would flick some off, but eat the rest.  Dairy has not been a huge issue for me, so I didn't go totally crazy about keeping it off my food.  I did not, however, drink milk or have yogurt or kefir.  I think I'm going to add back kefir at times now that I'm done with the challenge.
I kept bread out totally.  This is the main one that I want to keep doing.  With every other food in the world I seem to be able to regulate.  Bread is my kryptonite.  As for the rest of grains, I'll leave out rice for the most part, noodles totally.  Other grains like quinoa, granola, oatmeal- in moderation as a special treat.  Definitely not a daily addition.
Soy I'm done with.  I was never a fan of it in the first place, so there's no reason for me to reintroduce.  I will not be an asshole if someone offers me something to eat if it is soy based, but I'm definitely going to steer clear if I'm not making anyone uncomfortable.
Sugar- I'm going to do my best to stick to high percentage cacao as a replacement for sugary desserts.  Bananas, other fruit and coconut milk are great replacements as well.  There are going to be times that I will be offered sugary treats.  I am going to turn them down as a general rule.  There may be times like this weekend where I may need some chocolate.  Again, I'm going to do my best to use the better options and steer clear of things like snickers or peanut butter cups.
Alcohol.  This was hard for me during the challenge, which tells me something about my relationship with alcohol.  It's something for me to think about for sure.  A glass of wine with dinner or after is no big deal, but I need to get clear about what the strong cravings were about.  I need to get better at coping with boredom or loneliness/sadness with something other than food/drink.  I was surprised that there were times that I almost panicked.  I wrote about the day I gave in and had tequila with coconut water.  It was obvious once I had some that it was not the cure-all I had been looking for.  I never did figure out why I wanted some so badly.  Then last night I had wine- a few glasses with Anna and Keysa.  On the drive to take Keysa home I actually felt naseous.  Obviously had too much.  So I'm gonna keep an eye on this one.  I will continue to report because this is my freaking blog and I can do what I want.

So back on track

My Muscles are Gonna Be Huge

Thank God for the paleo challenge I'm doing again.  And thank God Keysa is doing it with me.  I was just reading through my blog posts from 2011.  I was doing fantastic at the beginning of the year, and stayed on track until about July.  Then I started to really veer off of the healthy eating.  I wonder if it is because Tae Kwon Do was not challenging enough.  Either way I gained weight, and then started eating horribly, starting with the HalloWine at the YMCA.  Then straight through December and the end of 2011.  It's pretty awesome how quickly it happens.  2012 has again been a great start.  Crossfit has been fun, although some of the Group Elements classes have been extraordinarily boring.  I think I've mentioned that before.  It's cool though, because now we know what the hell they're talking about when they set forth the workout and I don't feel like a complete idiot.  The other day we did Cindy, I did 13 rounds.  I had a lot of modifications, but I'm okay with it.  I know that TKD allowed me to get really weak.  It's no excuse, I'm just not the type to keep up with workouts on my own.  If we didn't do pushups or cardio during a class, I certainly wasn't going to do it on my own.  So my Cindy was pretty weak, but I have something to work towards now.  At some point I'd like to be able to do a straight dead hang pullup.  Maybe even a few in a row!  I want to be strong like I used to be.  It would be a lot of fun to be able to pull myself up the pullup cage or up the rings ropes or up the regular old ropes and just fucking climb all around.  That's right, like a freaking monkey.  That's my goal for the next few months.  Sweet abs would be great while I'm at it, but being able to climb like a monkey is a-number-one priority.

Not Like This One

Like This Monkey

Holy Crap

Crossfit Day 2 Group Elements kicked my ass a little.  The class went super long, but again, I'm sure it was good for me, we did a lot of practice on technique, mostly deadlift.  Afterwards we did a quick medicine ball clean/burpee workout, and my legs were so freaking sore I modified the shit out of them.  I was walking my ass out for the pushup and mostly just thinking about jumping for the clap at the top.  Kind of looking up at the ceiling, swinging my arms out, shouting mentally at them to come together where they were supposed to.  Good workout.
When we got home I used the lacrosse ball on Anna's back to stretch her out and she did the same to me.  I can't tell if it was a good idea or not, it was one of those things that is supposed to be good for you, but makes you want to scream in pain.  All in all it was a good day.

Kaena Point

Nathan hiked with me today. It was a long hike but worth it for the monk seals. No doggies allowed on this one. Now he's passed out in the car. Bobby drove us along with his brother Brian.  Nathan flashed his knife around and had a great time.

Nathan was in charge of this hike, with his knife.

Albatross!

Adorable Monk Seals!

The monk seals are super lazy.  The one on the left was sleeping with it's head in the water.  I took a picture of it picking its nose out of the water to breath for a second. 

30 Day Challenge for Realz

Popping Poppers

Photo Shoot

I had an awesome Christmas this year, Anna and I skyped with multiple family members and got some crazy awesome gifts.  Then did a lot of relaxing over the winter break.  Saturday was New Years Eve, in case you didn't know, and that was so much fun!  We hiked 2 of the 3 peaks of Olomana, did some photography shoots and tarot card readings on the peak.  Had Teddy's Bigger Burgers for our meal after and then headed home to get all dressed up to hang out.  We headed to Joanna's where Keysa is house sitting and did lots of drinking and more photography.  Nathan set off some poppers and entertained the 5 ladies hanging out.  The doggies stayed outside and barked at fireworks going off in the distance.  They were just the right amount of drugged so they didn't go totally crazy.  I felt kind of bad, but it's better than how scared they get otherwise.  Nathan and I dropped off Anna and Ananda downtown, then picked them back up 3 hours later.  All in all it was a great end to the year.
Yesterday I woke up pretty tired and cranky and Nathan and I were snippy at each other.  Then I took a nap and felt better. But we also started our paleo whole30 challenge yesterday for real.  It's not too different for me.  Luckily I have practice not having toast when Nathan has toast and can avoid the chocolate in the fridge.  Anna does not have such practice under her belt.  I feel pretty good, although I am still pretty bloated from my December shenanigans.

Lovely Ladies

So far so good in 2012!  The plan for today is to hike Kaena Point!  Will put up some pics if we go!

I Discovered My Limit

Because Anna and I put off our Whole 30 paleo challenge until New Years, I have been eating horribly.  I have been choosing to stuff my face with anything that might possible be considered delicious.  Cookies, beer, chocolate, donuts, french fries, hamburgers, won tons, you name it.  Yesterday I woke up feeling like crap (surprise!).  I went to work and ate my breakfast a little late, my eggs with bacon.  Then probably an hour later I was bored so I ate the leftover half Kim Chee Burger from Big City Diner.  Then I ate the banana I brought.  Then I had the piece of candy that was in my lunch box.  At about 11:30 I got the reminder text that we were having a work meeting at the Golden Lion Chinese Restaurant at 12:30, which I had totally forgotten about.  So I left the school to meet my coworkers and have my second lunch.  I ate a whole bunch of Won Ton Mein.  I saved some of it for later, but ate that immediately upon my return home.  Then I had some chocolate.  And some more chocolate.

Second Lunch Eaten Here

This is how I felt

Luckily I had planned on going to Crossfit at 7pm, so that gave me a reason to stop stuffing my face.  I made some meat and rice stirfry for Nathan and then Keysa and I walked to the box.  My stomach hurt sooo bad.  I told her that I think I had reached my actual physical limit for food consumption and that any more and I might have exploded.  It effected how I worked out.  It made me slow and uncoordinated due to the discomfort.  So I decided last night that I will not be eating like that anymore.  It was truly awful.  I'm not sure exactly why I felt the need to eat so much.  It's strange. 

Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Parmesan Cheese

The finished product with a side of steak, Yummy!

My brussel sprouts recipe.  I love these and I've always wanted to give the run through on how to make them.

For this recipe you need:

Brussel sprouts- about 30

Anaheim pepper (can substitute any kind of pepper depending on what kind of spice you enjoy)

Bacon

Balsamic Vinegar

Parmesian Cheese

Large pan with lid.

Optional:

Garlic

Onion

Mushrooms

Dog

Pepper in Little Itty Bitty Pieces

Pepper

 First things first, cut up your veggies.  I only had a pepper, garlic and some brussel sprouts this time around.  When I make them I tend to get too excited and I get the pan hot before I'm ready with all the veggies.  That's what I did today.  Best idea is to cut all your veggies and have them ready. So, I cut up the the pepper first.  I cut the top off, cut it in half, then scooped out all of the seeds and the flesh.  That's where all the heat lies.  I was afraid that it was going to be too hot.  After tasting at the end I realized that I should have left some of the insides in for a little more heat.  But, we like it hot, if you don't, scoop it all out.  I proceeded to cut it up into little pieces.  Put it off to the side for later. 

Sprouts Ready for Cutting

Cut the end off

 Now for the brussel sprouts.  Get 'em ready.  Here's one on the left, in all of its ready to be cut and prepped glory.  Then cut off the end, where all of the leaves meet.  See what I mean in the picture to the right.  Try not to cut too high, you want the inside leaves to stay together.  If this is your first go, you'll probably want to cut a little bit off, then cut more off if you still need to.  The worst is when you cut off too much and the whole damn thing falls apart.

Pull off Outer Leaves

Cut into Quarters

Next, pull off the outside leaves.  I keep going until I am satisfied that all the leaves that have been exposed to the air are gone.  Sometimes you see brown spots.  I keep going until all of that stuff is gone.  You end up with much less brussel sprout than you started off with.  Discard the outside leaves.  As far as I know, they're no good.  Leave a comment below if you know differently.
After you are satisfied with your brussel size and color.  Now cut them into quarters.  I find that this is the best size for this particular recipe.

Garlic with Skin On

Squish it Hard

 Next, the garlic.  Here they are.  I used two, but if you want to have a stronger garlic flavor, go for more. The garlic flavor was not very noticeable with just the two, you get just a hint.

I first squish the garlic with my favorite big knife to loosen the skin on the outside.  It makes it easier to mess around with them.
Then I cut off the top where the clove was connected to the rest of the plant.

Garlic

Garlic.  In Pieces.

 I don't have a picture of it, but I assume you can figure this part out on  your own.  There is a skin on your garlic clove that is loose after squishing it.  Pull that off now.  Then cut it into small pieces.

Raw Bacon in Pan

Okay, so now you're ready for the cooking part.  If you're a really quick veggie chopper you can do this step earlier, but if you're new to this, (or if you have been drinking) do all your veggies first before putting your bacon in the pan.  I usually put the bacon in a cool pan, then turn it to medium.
There's only two slices of bacon in the pan in the picture, but I would go for three or even up to five.  Honestly, the more bacon the better.  If you don't need any bacon for breakfast in the morning, go ahead and put in the whole package.  When the bacon is mostly cooked to your liking, pull it out and leave just enough bacon grease in the pan to saute your veggies in.  That's only a few tablespoons.  If you've taken my advice and put in the whole package of bacon, pour your bacon grease into a small cup and put it in the fridge and cook your eggs in there in the morning.  Yum!

Keep a dog in the Kitchen.

Go ahead and throw in your brussel sprouts and your hot peppers.  **Careful!! It will sizzle at you!!  Make sure when you put them in, your face is nowhere near your pan.  My advice is to wield the lid of your pan like a medieval shield and throw your veggies in gently while covering your face.  I do not have a picture of this.**

Grate the cheese!

If you have decided to put anything else in there that might want to cook longer, like carrots, you'll want to add those now, too.  This is when my dog, Gizmo, usually rushes into the kitchen, because he smells the bacon cooking.  He stands next to the stove and licks the floor where any of the grease has escaped.  Cover your pan and set your timer for 3 minutes.  While you wait you can cut up your bacon into smaller chunks.  Don't worry, the bacon will go back in later.  This is also a good time to start slicing and dicing your Parmesan cheese.  Have your balsamic vinegar nearby.

Balsamic Vinegar

Bacon in Yummy Pieces

When your timer goes off, either do that fancy thing that chefs do: with the lid on whip your pan through the air and flip over your brussel sprouts.  If you don't know how to do this and are not ready to try, just get a spatula, open the lid and flip everything over.  Toss in anything that you just want to cook a little bit.  In this case, the garlic and the bacon.  Close the lid and set the timer for another 2-3 minutes.

Cheese on veggies.

Add Bacon

When the timer goes off again, open the lid, move stuff around, put the heat on low and then pour the balsamic vinegar into the pan.  This is called deglazing your pan.  You have now just learned an awesome word.  Go show off to your friends.  I don't know how much vinegar.  Maybe two tablespoons?  I just pour enough that it goes all over my goodies, and also covers the entire pan bottom.  Again, keep your face away from the pan, this time because the vinegar will release it's vinegar vapors into the air and although I love the taste of vinegar, it is horrible when a whole boatload of the steam it releases goes directly into your nostrils.  Leave this for a minute, and give your doggie pieces of cheese as you wait.  Then add the Parmesan cheese.  I pushed all the veggies to the side of my pan so I could concentrate the cheese on the veggies.  Cover your pan and leave it be.  Peak at it until your cheese is perfectly melted.  You are done and can now eat your delicious dish!

Cheese is Melted, Yum!

I added some Cheddar on one Side at the End

Scrape it out with Spatula and Serve

Put all Pots and Pans in the Sink and Wait for Someone Else to do Them

Add Meat to Your Plate.  Meat is Delicious.