I have to make a decision

Do people still use pros and cons lists anymore? 

I need to make a decision and am wondering if a pro/con list might make it easier.

Do I try to stick with Paleo or do I go back to calorie counting? 

Pros to Paleo
1. No calorie counting
2. Fat is not the enemy
3. A gluten free and low-dairy lifestyle seem to help my workouts
4. For some reason I run faster on Paleo
5. I lose weight on Paleo at a pretty consistent rate

Cons to Paleo
1. Carbs are the enemy and carbs are delicious and diverse
2. Paleo is complicated when you're eating with a group of people
3. Paleo is expensive- meats and fresh produce cost green.
4. Paleo makes it hard to think about non-Paleo foods all the dang time

Pros to Calorie Counting
1. Everything is fair game
2. More adjustable to my outings
3. More adjustable to my budget
4. I lose weight when I'm consistent

Cons to Calorie Counting
1. Counting is tedious
2. I do lose weight but it is slower
3. Seems to be hard to predict how my body will feel on any given day


I cannot keep going back and forth between Paleo diligence and eating whatever I want so I have to make a choice.  Paleo gives me better athletic performance but I need to find a way to balance out this rather restrictive lifestyle with other food choices without going overboard.

I'm still thinking on the issue.

I fell and it wasn't graceful

Well, Monday through Friday Paleo went great.  Talking with my counselor really helped me let off steam and I found it easier to control myself.  Win for me.  Saturday I went over the edge at the birthday party.  The food was just Too Good. 

Really, just too good.  Grilled hamburgers, Tasty Pastry cake (same people who made my birthday cake), beer.  Just too good.

Now I'm back to Paleo-ing and going at the workouts like the zombie apocalypse is tomorrow.  The Warrior Dash is in less than two weeks and I am super excited/nervous. 

I did have a race this Saturday and it sucked.  I was trying to beat my time from the Turkey Trot 10K.  I'd had good strong runs at much faster paces and I was hoping to bring in something similar on a timed race.

No dice.

In short: I fell.  No injuries but it really slowed me down.  First I lost some time when I fell and then I was a bit more ginger.  I tripped a couple more times.  When you're trying to beat a previous time by two or three minutes and you lose those minutes in a fall and then never recover your pace, well, you won't meet your goals.  It's fine, just disappointing.

Hopefully the race next Saturday will make up for it.

A conversation

So for days I've started Paleo then in the crucial decision making time of the hours between 4 and 8 I would always slide downhill.  I would eat whatever was the least Paleo I could find.  Anything with carbs, dairy, sugar, and without meat or eggs was the only thing even remotely appetizing. 

So this afternoon I went and saw my counselor.  It's not a secret that I see one.  I told her what had been happening and how I could not stop thinking about foods.  I told her about the Paleo challenge. 

She said this: "cut yourself some slack."

I give food this power over me. 

It was her professional opinion that this challenge may be doing more harm than good as far as my emotional tie with food.  She said that on weekends I should be more flexible because it gives me something to look forward to and then lets release some of the focus I give to food. 

And then I felt better.

I felt relaxed and my Paleo dinner didn't feel like a punishment but like another healthy decision I could make for myself.

Talking to her really helped, if for no other reason than that it give me a place to put those feelings.

Day 9

I feel so sick.

Made it all the way until dinner.  I bought a pizza.  I thought about Paleo dinners and none of them sounded even remotely good.  A few even made me nauseous.  I couldn't stand the idea of more meat.

Too much dinner.

Boo Day 9.

Update on the challenge

Today's day 8 of the challenge.

Still doing well.  While I don't always have a 100% Paleo day I'm still able to get through most days with what I would think of as a 90% success.  At Disney I managed to do all Paleo at the meals but indulged in my absolute favorite Disney food: the Aloha Dessert.  It's pineapple juice with vanilla soft serve in it.  Like a pineapple float.

It's amazing.

Really.  Think about it: cool, refreshing ice cream with tart juice.  I don't know who thought of it but they deserve a raise.

So maybe that's how Paleo will work for me without making me crazy... trying to find a balance for 90% Paleo, 10% something else somedays with most days being a more strictly observed high protein, low carbohydrate, Paleo lifestyle. 

6 miles on Tuesday at a new personal best with average splits of 11:48.  Paleo makes me faster and I really like that.  I'm going to try and get in 8 miles this weekend.

Day 3

Four miles with Tyeler.  I convinced (coerced) her into doing the Warrior Dash with me and my friends.  She's not an athlete, yet, and for her this was very difficult.  I had kind of forgotten what that was like.  She walked when she wanted.

Mile 1: 11:48
Mile 2: 12:20
Mile 3: 15:47 (I walked 1/2 a mile with her)
Mile 4: 12:00

So despite the walking I still kept things under a 13 minute mile average and miles 1, 2, and 4 are all around 12 minute miles which is great.

Almost didn't make my Paleo goals for the day.  Some leftover EPCOT candy got the better of me and I say mesmerized by the Milano Pizzeria take-out menu for at least thirty minutes before I just decided that the candy was regrettable but not a pass to go crazy for the rest of the evening.

So I consider today a success.

Still not sure how to handle Disney though....

Any suggestions?

Day 2

I made it through day 2.

Headaches (almost) all day.

Went to CrossFit where I did my very first Double-Under.  Not sure what a Double-Under is?  Check out this video:



Then I went to Zumba.

Tomorrow I am going to be really, really sore.  Super.

30 Day Challenge

Overeating does not make me happy.

Overeating does not make me happy.

Overeating does not make me happy.

I have a thirty year career as a binge eater.  I remember the first lie I ever told to my parents (that I remember) had something to do with eating my sister or someone else’s candy bar. 

I always find it difficult to articulate the feelings of shame, humiliation, anger, frustration, and disappointment that I associate with these episodes in my life. 

Shame and humiliation: “How did I do this again?  Didn’t I learn anything from last time?”

Anger and frustration: “I’ll never reach my goals if I keep doing this.  This is self-sabotage.”

Disappointment: “All that work and I undo it so quickly.  What’s wrong with me?  Why can’t I control myself?”

Well, I’m trying really hard to give up this destructive habit for 30 days.  March 1-30.  Not for Lent, not for anyone else, but for my own sanity.  Tomorrow is my last PhD exam.  I’ve definitely been eating to compensate for the stress and also, it’s my pattern to eat a lot while I’m working on big projects.  Also there was a lot of eating at EPCOT but the race celebrating is over now. 

But I hate it and I like myself less when I do it. 

So I am challenging myself to a 30 Days of Paleo. 

What’s this?  I’ve been doing Paleo since January, so why this challenge?  Well, I’ve gone off Paleo every now and again, for parties or events, for emotional eating, or sometimes for convenience. 

How would I feel if I really did Paleo for 30 days uninterrupted?  When I’m following Paleo I feel amazing.  I feel fast and strong. 

Can I do this?  Honestly, I’m not sure.  I think I’m going to have to define some rules that may make it easier as well as mini-goal rewards.

First, on the 24^th I’m hosting a bridal shower brunch.  I plan on going off Paleo for that brunch.  Not for the day, just for the morning.

Next week I’m going back to Disney.  How will I handle that?  I don’t know yet.

So, to encourage me to try harder I have some mini goals:

If I make it to Sunday I get a new bag of socks.

If I make it to the 8^th (over a week) I get a new pair of exercise capris from Walmart.

If I make it to the 15^th I get two new exercise shirts

If I successfully make it through a party on the 17^th then I get a manicure/pedicure that I already have a Groupon for.

If I make it through to the 25^th I get new compression socks.

If I make it to the 30^th I get to enjoy the entire 31^st (the day of the Warrior Dash) with a strong race and all of the festivities afterwards including beer and anything else.

*I made it through day 1.