Day 12, more recipes!

What a busy week this has been!  I don't quite have my new weekly menu up yet, but we have tried many new dishes this week that were a success. I will share some more recipes below.  Tonight we had dinner at my in-laws house and we brought our own food to eat, dessert included.  I was very proud of us both for making good choices because, trust me, it would have been SO much easier to let someone else cook for me and eat the blackberry pie that they had for dessert.  Walking away from dinner tonight knowing that I just filled up on healthy food and didn't touch anything bad was a great feeling.  Not to mention I was stuffed!  I have made quite a few things the last 24 hours: a dozen ham & egg cups, a turkey loaf, a sweet potato casserole, kale chips, sweet potato spears, hamburger patties, and sauteed apples.  Here's a few recipes...as requested!

All the recipes I have been using are from Paleo Comfort Foods, which you need to go out and buy, NOW!  It's fantastic, so easy to use, and my favorite part is that there is a picture of every recipe, so you know what it is supposed to look like!

Sweet Potato Casserole:

- 2 lbs sweet potatoes

- 1/4 C coconut milk

- 2 large eggs, beaten

- 1tsp vanilla

- 1tbsp coconut oil or grass-fed butter

- 2tsp cinnamon

- 1tsp nutmeg

- 1tsp lemon zest [left this out, didn't have any lemons]

- salt and pepper to taste [left this out too]

- 1/2C chopped pecans

*Extra ingredient I added - 1/3C shredded unsweetened coconut

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into equal cubes. Place in pot, cover with water, boil until soft (about 10min)

2. Preheat oven to 350

3. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Using hand mixer, mix in coconut milk

4. Add eggs, vanilla, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest

5. Place mixture into a 9x9" dish [I use an 8x8 and it's perfect]

6. Sprinkle chopped pecans [and coconut] on to

7. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown on top

__________________________________________

Sauteed Apples

- 3 apples, cored and sliced (used Pink Lady apples)

- 1tbsp grass-fed butter

- 2tsp cinnamon

- 1/2C chopped pecans

1. Bring frying pan to medium-high heat

2. Toast pecans for 3-4 minutes and then add butter

3. Add the apples and cinnamon

4. Saute for 5-7 minutes

I swear this tasted like apple pie without the filling, it was wonderful!  I have also created a version of this from Easy Paleo's website that involves using coconut milk in the mixture.  It tastes about the same, but I think I like this recipe a bit more because of the nuts.  You could substitute nuts for raisins if you would like.

__________________________________

Sweet Potato Spears (substitute for french fries, feed THESE to your kids instead!)
- 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, cut into spears
- 1/4C extra virgin olive oil
- 2tsp cumin
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1/2tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400, cover 2 cookie sheets with foil
2. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper
3. Place on baking sheets, do not crowd the pieces
4. Cook for 30-40 minutes, turning twice
______________________________________________

We had all 3 of these today and they were fantastic.  For lunch we had hamburger patties, sweet potato spears and turkey bacon.  I finally was able to make the turkey bacon crispy, so I was excited!!  The sweet potato casserole will feed us for about 3 days.  It is so sweet it almost tastes like dessert, so it's really enjoyable on lunch breaks at work when I usually would cave and eat some candy or drink a Diet Coke.  Sweet potatoes have helped me kick a lot of cravings actually.  I think Jon gets tired of them though, so I try to find other things to use as a substitute.  If you're interested, here's some workouts this week...it was a great week at CFX!

** WORKOUTS **

Monday
- Strength work:  find a new 3 rep max on back squat...120lbs!
- WOD: 4 minute row for calories (51), rest 4 minutes
              4 minute AMRAP: 10 box jumps, 10 pull-ups (3 rounds + 10 box jumps)
              4 minute rest
              4 minute AMRAP: 90 jump ropes, 10 knees to chest on pull-up bar (2 rounds + 5 K2C)

Tuesday
- Strength work: find new 3 rep max on press....only got to 75lbs
- WOD:  5 sets of 2 minute rounds. Within 2 minutes: row 250m and push press (75lbs) the remainder of the time. I ended up doing 53 push presses total
- Tuesday night: ran 2 miles

Wednesday
- This is my off day

Thursday
- Strength work: find new 3RM on deadlift....135lbs!
- WOD: 3 rounds for time: 500m row
                                           15 push-ups
                                           25 kettlebell swings (35lbs)
                                           [12:29]

Friday
- Strength work: find new 3RM on front squat...105lbs!

- WOD: 10min. AMRAP: 5 burpee pull-ups

                                          10 KB swings (35lbs)

                                          20 dumbell walking lunges

                                          [4 rounds + 5 KB swings]

Saturday

- WOD: 4x10m burpee broad jumps

              7 rounds: 5 KB Press (26lbs)

                              10 KB front squat (35lbs)

                              15 KB swings (35lbs)

               4x10m burpee broad jumps

               [21:09]

Week 2: Menu Plan

Week 2 is upon us and here's what we have going for the menu.  I won't list the lunch items because it will always be leftovers from dinner the night before.  That has been working out well, and I'm getting used to cooking in larger quantities to make that happen:

Sunday
B: Egg & Ham cups
D: Steak & Kale chips

Monday
B: Egg muffins
D: Grilled Chicken; Sauteed green beans

Tuesday
B: Hard boiled eggs & fruit
D: Taco Salads

Wednesday
B: Egg muffins
D: Tilapia and Broccoli
- Will cook Polska Kilbasa sausage and Kale chips for lunch tomorrow also

Thursday
B: Sausage & eggs
D: Chili

Friday
B: Morning Glory muffins & hard boiled eggs
D: Shrimp Skillet

We were very pleasantly surprised when we went grocery shopping this weekend and did not spend any more than we usually would have when buying "junk".  I am searching the ads each week to make sure we get the good deals on items we eat a lot of (apples, ground turkey, chicken, kale) and that seems to be helping. Used to I would think it was a waste of time to shop at several different stores for what I need, but I have found a great deal of savings in doing that. If I plan well then it works out fine. We usually have to make a mid-week grocery run for tomatoes since those don't seem to keep very long in our apartment. 

We are a week into the challenge and so far, Jon is down 6lbs and I am down 4lbs....I'll take it!  But more important than the weight loss is that our energy levels are more stable, my lovely female hormone levels are stable (woohoo!) and we are enjoying doing this together as a couple.  The only problem I have been having is a headache that will not go away, but I have realized it is probably my eyes adjusting.  I had LASIK 4 months ago and they still change from time to time from clear to a bit blurry.  This week has been very blurry, so I am 99% sure that is the cause of the headache.

Well, we are excited for a new week and are ready to try some new recipes out!  If you see a specific item that you would like the recipe for, let me know.  Otherwise we will probably post our favorites again at the end of the week.

Day 1-5 Recipes!

Ask and you shall receive!  Here are a few of the recipes I used this week.  All of them are from "Paleo Comfort Foods" by Julie & Charles Mayfield.  I have never seen a cookbook so pretty :) and I absolutely loved everything we had this week.  Thank you to Julie & Charles for helping us make this Paleo Challenge a success so far!

Turkey Loafing (a spin on meatloaf)
2 medium sweet onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt (we use sea salt)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 c chicken stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 large eggs
4lbs ground turkey
1 c Cave Ketchup (this is Paleo ketchup, but you can use regular ketchup if you are not doing Paleo. However, I highly recommend it so you are not eating the sugar that is in normal ketchup)

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Saute onions, red pepper, and all spices with coconut oil over medium heat until onions become translucent. Remove from heat, stir in tomato paste, stock and Worcestershire sauce.
3. In large bowl, crack eggs over your turkey and fold in the onion mix once it is cooled.
4. Place in casserole dish, no greasing required
5. Pour your Cave Ketchup over the top and bake for 90min. You want the internal temp at 160 degrees to know that it is cooked all the way through.

This recipe made a HUGE casserole dish of turkey loaf.  We ate on it for 2 days, it was FABULOUS!
___________________________________

Mashed Cauliflower (instead of mashed potatoes)
1 head fresh cauliflower
1 c chicken stock
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1. Cut your cauliflower head into small chunks of the florets and stems.
2. Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and allow to cook for 20 minutes. You may need to add more stock if it dries up too quickly.
4. Pour cauliflower and all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, or keep in pan and use a hand mixer or hand masher. Mix/mash until you reach the desired consistency.

I found that this recipe was wonderful, but I utilized the additional tips they gave of using chives and/or crumbled up bacon bits for additional flavor.  This is a good alternative to mashed potatoes, and an easy way to get your family used to the taste of cauliflower.
_________________________________

Morning Glory Muffins
2 1/2 c almond flour (I make my own with raw almonds in the Bullet, saves money)
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups carrots grated
1 large apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 c shredded coconut
1 c raisins
3 large eggs
2 tbsp honey (optional, and we did not use it)
1/2 c coconut or avocado oil
1tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Add carrot, apple, coconut and raisins. Combine well.
3. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, [honey], oil and vanilla together.
4. Pour this mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. The batter will be very thick.
5. Spoon into standard muffin cups.
6. Bake for 30 minutes (we baked them for almost 40).

This was my favorite thing of the week aside from the turkey loaf.  I felt like I was cheating they were so yummy!  Kaylee even enjoyed it, which made me smile :)
___________________________________

There were several other recipes we used this week but these were some of our favorites.  We will use a couple of the same ones next week, along with new ones.  Enjoy!

Days 2-4

We have almost completed 4 days of the Paleo Challenge, and we're still going strong :).  Jon continues to amaze me at his willingness to try these new foods, and his support he provides. I want to say how proud I am of him, and how much I pray each day that he continues on with the Challenge and sees it through.  I think he will be very surprised at the results and how different his body feels.  We both have seen our appetites reduce significantly, and we are able to experience the true "Full" feeling after eating very little.  The quality of our food is so much better than it has ever been and it's wonderful!  Tonight we are having Turkey Loaf from Paleo Comfort Foods.  OMGosh...I actually had some this morning with eggs and it was AMAZING!  Mom would be proud...I'm eating my meatloaf.  I actually cooked it last night because it has to bake for 90 minutes.  The house smelt wonderful for hours. 

When my alarm went off this morning I could tell my body needed more rest, so I took the morning off at CFX.  I missed it terribly, but I think I really did need the extra sleep.  Tonight I will go do some working out on my own which will be good.  It's freezing outside, so my plan to go running is a bust.  I refuse to let convenience be an excuse anymore, as it used to rule my entire life.  If it was too hard or too inconvenient, I hid away from it and didn't even try.  CrossFit has helped me change that mentality to realize that I can find a way to do something, anything, and I can make it be as hard as I want it to be.  Workouts can be modified, they can be simple or complex....but they count.  Every wallball, every squat, every pull-up, every sit-up, every run, every movement you make your body do will count towards something.  If anything, it will prevent it from going backwards in the direction you have always gone.  Don't let excuses rule your world anymore.

One of my biggest "excuses" is mommy guilt.  I am a full-time working mother who only gets to see her little girl about 1.5 hours each weekday. That's it.  It tears me up inside if I let it get to me, I love her more than she will ever know but right now this is the life we  have to live.  I take advantage of every minute I see her and try to let her know she is my everything whenever I can.  But there are some days when I feel so guilty for training at night instead of seeing her. Tuesdays and Thursdays are when I workout both in the morning and evening.  I don't get to spend any time with her on these days, but Jon does a fantastic job of taking care of her.  She knows I am at the gym (getting "stinky" as she calls it) and she knows I will be back in the morning.  I can always count on her huge smile and big hug in the morning after she wakes up.  The guilt I have is not from her or from my husband...it is from me.  I am preventing myself from giving it my all sometimes. 

For those moms out there who are worried about taking time away from your family to change your life - STOP.  If you never changed a single thing about your lifestyle right now, how long do you think you would live?  How much medication would you have to take the rest of your life if you got diabetes from a sedentary lifestyle?  How much would it cost your family to put you in a nursing home when you are old and not mobile enough to take care of yourself?  How much would those doctors bills cost each year when your immune system is shot because all you feed your body is junk?  What will you miss out on in your children's lives when you die at a young age because you didn't take care of yourself the way you should have?  The cost of living a convenient and sedentary lifestyle is so much more expensive than the sacrifice you make for a few short years to correct the problems in your life. The hard work is not forever....there will be a day when I am finally in maintenance mode and do not have to work myself to the bone in order to keep pushing towards these goals.  (The problem with that is I am now a self-proclaimed CrossFit junkie and LOVE it, so I probably will still go 6 times a week anyway! but you get the point).  Just like when I was working full-time and going to school full-time....there was an end in sight and that is what kept me going.  Starting was only half the battle.  Take some time to really analyze yourself and what quality of life your are missing out on because you are too afraid, or too unwilling to change.  If you need help to make those changes, ASK!  My husband continues to amaze me every single day at how supportive he is, and how he is always willing to let me take that extra class, go for a run, etc. if it means it is helping me get better.  Why?  Because I am a better mother, wife, and person for it.  He sees the joy I experience from being a part of the team at CFX and how I have always longed to be a part of something and I have finally found my place in this world of fitness.  Living 26 years on the other side of the playground from the athletes was a hard pill to swallow, and I experienced a lot of emotional pain because of it.  I'm finding my own spot on that team of athletes and I love every minute of it. 

You have to start somewhere, I did.  I started 55lbs heavier, unable to do modified ANYTHING.  I now have several days a month where I actually lift the same weight as the rest of the crowd (known as RX or prescribed weight).  You can do this, but you have to be willing to ask for the help you need.  For those who are already starting your journey, I am SO very proud of you!!!  You've taken the first step to changing your life and you will thank yourself for it when it is over!

I promise to get some recipes up here, it's been hard to find extra time.

Day 1 under way

Happy Monday! Today is Day 1 of the CFX Paleo Challenge and so far Jon and I are off to a good start! The WOD today at CFX was short and sweet, and I especially enjoyed the strength portion because I got a new 3 rep max (RM) on my back squat [115lbs]. The WOD involved rowing and [55lb] squat cleans. I'm not very good at the transition during squat cleans (first you clean it up, then do a front squat) but it's always good to know what you need to work on.

Yesterday was a cooking extravaganza in the Hanson house. God bless my wonderful husband for cleaning up after my mess each time I started a new dish. My goal was to have 6 things cooked, I made it to 5 and then stopped. The Chicken Enchiladas tasted great, but my coconut tortillas need a bit of work :) they looked more like pancakes. For my first time making them, it could have been much worse so I am okay with my pancake tortillas for now. I do plan on sharing some recipes soon, I just need to be sure it's okay to post them here as long as I give credit to the author. I'm unsure what the "netiquette" is on that whole thing.

I was weighed in, measured, and the dreaded photo in a sports bra and shorts was taken. As awkward as that moment is, I do it because I want to see what it will be like after the 45 days is over. I will be thankful I bared all and I will be proud of what I see. I hope that through this I can encourage people to start their own journey in whatever way they can. God designed our bodies to be strong and capable, but until you learn how to control it then you are not doing justice to God's gift. Gaining control is one of the hardest things I have ever tried to do, and I am still trying. Continue to give yourself permission to "try again" each day....pushing yourself harder than you did the day before. If you fall, get right back up and try again. There will come a day that you gain the control you need to change your life, but until then keep trying and find people who are there to support you on this journey.

I'm very very very proud of Jon for giving this a try. This is a huge transition for him because he really loves dairy, as well as breads. I hope you will all pray with us as we go on this journey together so that we can both see the benefits of Paleo for 45 whole days. 1 day down...44 to go!

A cute tid-bit from miss Kaylee this morning: She is convinced she needs to take her Dora lunch box to preschool now and insists she carry it out of the house each morning. She is growing up so fast, I wish I could freeze time so that I don't miss any opportunity to show her how much I love her.

1 Day until Paleo Challenge!!

CFX is holding a 45-day Paleo Challenge that begins Monday.  Jon has decided he will join me for this challenge and go Paleo for the entire 45 days!!  I am beyond excited right now, because last time it was super hard doing it by myself. For those of you who do not know what I am talking about, Paleo is a lifestyle of eating.  Some people call it the "Caveman Diet"; however it is a lifestyle change instead of what you think a diet would be.  Our food will consist of fruits, vegetables, meats (including seafood), nuts/seeds, and healthy fats.  It will NOT consist of sugars, processed foods, grains, dairy (but we can have eggs), and anything else you can think of that is processed.  The prospect of switching over to this healthy lifestyle is very intimidating for many people because they don't know where to even start.  So....as we go along I will be posting weekly menus and information about where my recipes come from so that you may try them on your own!  There are tremendous health benefits to going Paleo, and I'm so proud of my husband for giving this a go.  I promised him there would be plenty of food around for him to munch on as long as he stuck to it :).

I will be spending most of tomorrow cooking several meals that we can freeze for the week, as well as snacks and breakfast items.  Here is what our weekly menu will consist of, and every bit of it is Paleo!:

Sunday
- Breakfast:  Egg Muffins, apple slices
- Lunch:  Tuna salad wraps
- Dinner:  Chicken Enchiladas

Monday
- Breakfast: Egg Muffins, fruit
- Lunch: Leftover chicken enchiladas
- Dinner: Hamburger patties and mashed cauliflower

Tuesday
- Breakfast: Smoothies, hard boiled eggs
- Lunch: Leftover hamburger patties and mashed cauliflower
- Dinner: Tacos

Wednesday
- Breakfast: Smoothies, hard boiled eggs
- Lunch: Leftover tacos
- Dinner: Turkeyloaf, roasted broccoli

Thursday
- Breakfast: Egg Muffins, fruit
- Lunch: Leftover turkeyloaf, kale chips
- Dinner: Grilled Chicken, roasted broccoli or other veggie

Friday
- Breakfast: Morning Glory Muffins
- Lunch: Leftover grilled chicken, or tuna salad
- Dinner: Salmon and steamed veggies

Saturday
- Breakfast: Smoothies, hard boiled eggs
- Lunch: Hamburger patties, kale chips
- Dinner: Shrimp Skillet

As you can see, these are mostly common items that you would make all the time, right?  Well....kinda.  Items that would normally consist of a tortilla will now be homemade coconut tortillas. There will be no cheese on the tacos, instead they will be dressed up with salsa and sauteed veggies that will make the taste phenomenal.  Smoothies will have coconut milk and frozen fruit, no sugar or "fluff". Our bodies are going to learn what it is like to eat CLEAN, and we're pretty excited!  Now you are probably wondering what little miss Kaylee will be eating.  Um....that is yet to be determined.  This little 3-year old is quite a picky eater and I'm trying to fix it but it is a slow process.  We will still have foods around she is used to but hopefully she will begin to try new things.

Enough about food, here's the WOD from today, enjoy!
200m barbell carry (55lbs)
25 thrusters (55lbs)
200m barbell carry (55lbs)
25 overhead squats (45lbs)
400m medball run (6lbs)
50 wallball (10lbs)
400m run
50 medball situps (10lbs)
50m waiter carry, 50m farmer carry (20lbs each hand)
40 ground to overhead (15lb each hand)
[took about 45-ish minutes]

We're Back!!!

Well hello everyone!  Considering that this blog has been dormant for over a year, I believe it is time for a do-over...or at least a fresh start.  I have felt a huge need to re-evaluate several things in life lately and the first step is to lay it all out there for the world to see.  I truly believe there are people out there in the same kind of situation(s) we are and can benefit from the possibility of change.  I won't attempt to bring everyone up to date, but will start fresh from here. 

CrossFit is a huge part of my life now, and I am proud to be a part of CrossfitX here in Bellingham.  I've never been part of a group so encouraging, so challenging, and so genuine.  For the first time in my life I feel like I "belong" somewhere.  It has been a huge struggle to get over my personal issues with self image and confidence.  While it is still a work in progress, I have come a long way.  Thanks to my amazing coaches at CrossfitX and the CrossFit community in general, I have lost 55lbs in 1 year.  I am halfway to my goal so far.  Although many people around me see a huge difference, there are days when I still feel like the "old" Brianne and can't see past the fat suit, so to speak.  I know that one day that will change, but for now it is still a daily struggle.   I'm known simply as "Bri" at the CFX gym, which I think is fitting because I've never been called by my nickname except by close friends and family.  I wanted to start over and I felt it was the best way.  It's almost like "Brianne" is representative of the old me who struggled to love herself each day; and "Bri" is becoming the girl she has always wanted to become....while being scared out of her shoes in the meantime! :)

Every day except for Wednesday and sometimes Sunday, involve some type of CrossFit workout.  Saturdays are especially fun because the workouts last at least 2x as long and I get the workout with people who are not normally in my 5:30am class. <---- That's right people, 5:30am...sometimes it wears on me but that's the only time I have right now.  There's 2 nights a week where I will either have another workout or go for a run; however, it's not much fun running in the cold right now so that has been put on hold for a bit.

On January 9th, we will start a new Paleo challenge at CrossfitX (CFX) and I am psyched!!!  After the holidays, I am ready to start fresh and get my body back into game mode. Once I experienced my first Paleo challenge last year, my body has never been the same as it was prior to Crossfit.  It rejects a lot of "junk" that I used to eat and I instantly feel like crap when eating things that are horrible for me.  Yes, that means I still do on occasion, but it never fails that I completely regret it.  I plan on using Sunday for cooking and I hope it is not too difficult.  Mom got me a new cookbook: "Paleo Comfort Foods" for Christmas, which I will be using a lot for my meals.  I will post recipes and pictures here when possible so you can all try your hand at it. 

I'm still hoping and praying that the day will come when I am healthy enough to try out for the police department when they open recruitment.  Right now I am close to reaching that goal, but it is still too far to grab a hold of.  There are many days that I wake up thinking "why keep trying? It is too far away, you will never reach that goal" but I can't allow myself to quit now.  I've come too far and my family has sacrificed way too much for me to give up.  I know God has a place for me in law enforcement, and I devoted 4 years of my life to achieving the best education I could get for it too.  I just have to let go of the misconceptions I have and take advantage of every day He gives to me.  I am thankful for every single day I have with my family, and I long for the day that I can help make their lives even more enjoyable and secure. 

As we go along, I will give updates on workouts (which are called WODs "Workout of the Day"), recipes, struggles, achievements, and opportunities. It's time to keep pushing past the ruts that come up and over the plateaus that show their ugly little heads.  One of my favorite quotes [which of course I don't know word-for-word] say something about "Be the kind of woman who, when she wakes up in the morning, Satan says 'Oh crap, she's up!".  It's GO TIME!!!