The finals for the Crossfit Total and 1/2 Cindy are coming up on Saturday. Do you guys feel stronger physically and mentally after sticking to Paleo for the last two months? What are your goals for the finals?


John - Thanks for letting us do the memorial WOD with you. Kari seemed like an amazing person.

Top 5

As we've seen from our past few posts, it's time to get our ass back on track- eating healthy and WODing hard core. Like the rest of you, I have definitely noticed my terrible Thanksgiving diet taking a toll on my CrossFit workouts. I'm a bit more sluggish than usual and can't lift as efficiently and as heavy than I usually do. It's crazy how a few bad meals can greatly affect your workouts!
So as I started to plan my week with more healthier meals and a more consistent schedule, I started to get excited and think about all of my favorite CrossFit WODs and lifts that I am eager to improve. Then I also started to think about the workouts and movements that I'm not a fan of but would like to improve as well. As the new year approaches, I hope to keep improving in both of these categories (favorite and least favorites).
What are your top 5 favorite CrossFit WODs and/or lifts and/or skill? What are your top 5 least favorite CrossFit WODs, lifts, or skill? Are you ready to get back at it and kick ass on these top 5? I sure am!

My top 5 favorite:
1. Cindy
2. Power Cleans
3. KB swings
4. squats (air, front or back)
5. kipping pull ups

Least favorite:
1. Burpees
2. wall balls
3. anything from a hang position (hang cleans, hang snatch, etc.)
4. overhead squats
5. push press

seconds? thirds? no thanks :(

so, i thought i was a machine for the past couple of days in terms of lifestyle: work, working out, seeing friends and family, boozin', etc. and i thought my cheats werent affecting me greatly. yet, it all caught up to me last evening at work...tired, not feeling so hot, exhausted, blah, blah, blah. i went out to dinner with my good friend from boston and kept it paleo minus the beer, as i have tried to do for the most part this holiday week, but alas, still feel like shit this AM...and no, im not hungover.

thus, i look forward to today and getting back on track as well as tomorrow's workout, which i plan on going all out until the wheels fall off and i have to crawl back into the box.

Black Friday!

Well, I was able to avoid eating too badly yesterday... how about you all? If you did cheat like crazy, how are you feeling now?

Thankfully I am away from all signs of leftovers, so avoiding them won't be a problem. Either way, I plan on kicking my own ass at the box this evening - time to get back on board!

Let’s do this – What are you Thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

In honor of this day of thanks, I am posting several quotes that I believe are worth sharing.  In between your family & friends time, eating, watching football, eating, napping and eating - share what you are Thankful for!

 

“Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others”
Unknown Author

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them”
John F. Kennedy

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well”
Voltaire

“When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them”
Chinese Proverb

“Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out”
John Wooden

P.S.:  I am thankful that I completed the Chicago Turkey Trot 8k this morning -no walking!

What Results Have You Seen?

So I am entering into my 6th week of Paleo:)....minus the non-Paleo food that I am about to SMASH for the next three days. I am proud of myself becauseI never thought I could give up the things I worshipped such as candy, fried chicken, pizza, etc. for an entire month and a half and counting. I believe living the Paleo lifestyle has reaped so many benefits in my life. I am far more organized than I already was (super psycho neat freak Virgo here), my grocery shopping is uber simple, I am bright-eyed and bushy tailed throughout the day, I sleep much better, and I am getting FINE-er. lol. I measured myself today and since my last check in there is another 1/2 inch off my waist. So that is a total of 3.5 inches off the muffin top!

What kind of results are you guys seeing that make you happy? It doesn't have to be the trimming of the muffin top that vain ole me loves....are your WODs becoming quicker? Have health issues cleared up? Or if you just feel like a sexy beast that is alright too:) It doesn't matter what results you cherish so long as they continue to give you the motivation to push forward!

After Thanksgiving I plan on reverting to the 80/20% approach. Living the 100% Paleo lifestyle has shown me awesome results, but realistically I know it is not a lifestyle I can sustain forever. I need the occassional ham sammich....yes I said "sammich", or I would otherwise just go on a ham sammich eating binge. You guys would not want to find me in a corner in the fetal position crying and covered in ham scraps now would you? I know, I know...you find out I am more weird every week:(

Any hoot, let me hear your results! This is the time to pat yourself on the back for a job well done thus far and no one can judge you or say you are bragging:)

BTW....safe travels everyone! I am heading home to STL in a couple of hours....HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Happy Tuesday!

Sorry for the late post. Work has been crazy today and then I lost admin rights and couldn't post. Going to keep it short today.

As the holidays get closer, is anyone else having a hard time sticking to Paleo? I find that I am starting to relax a little more w/ my diet because it is the holidays. What motivates you to keep up with Paleo?

Howdy Y'all!

I’m on break (again) from school, hanging out at home in the QC (Queen City = Charlotte, NC) and I have a lot of time on my hands. Instead of studying (nasty!), I’ve been indulging in some pleasure reading – Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf! And as I’m reading through the Paleo Solution, Robb describes in one of his chapters some key exercise movements/elements necessary to maintain a healthy “caveman” lifestyle that goes along with the Paleo diet. Here is a quick summary of the chapter for you:

It is in our DNA/genetic makeup to be fit, strong, healthy and to exercise! Much of our problems with disease and other medical setbacks is a result of our increasing sedentary lifestyle which thus disrupts our genetic potential to be strong and healthy. Robb suggests a certain “Paleolithic Fitness” that entails several components to mimic as much as possible those of our ancestral, caveman fitness and lifestyle.

The first component is Strength. Strength is the ability to exert force and is one of the main components to do just about anything (from something as simple as walking to lifting heavy weights). Power is next. Power is the ability to not only use strength but use strength quickly. Flexibility or a full range of motion is necessary for stronger and safer joints and muscles. Endurance and stamina are used interchangeably. Stamina relates to local muscular work while endurance is the ability of the heart and lungs to carry oxygen throughout the body. These components are necessary to maintain strength and power while reaching higher cardiovascular levels. Interval workouts are encouraged to maintain good and better cardiovascular fitness but at a fraction of the time that people spend running for hours.

So lets put this all together. The Paleo Fitness components are strength, power, flexibility, endurance and stamina executed in intervals. Does this look like a certain exercise (or Cult haha) to you??? CrossFit!!! Robb even mentions a workout that involves 20 seconds of work, with 10 seconds rest, repeated eight times….

Basically, I’m getting to something that we already know….the Paleo diet AND CrossFit are the perfect match to maintain a healthy lifestyle, look HOT and just KICK ASS. You all are doing the right thing and I’m thankful to have friends like you to keep me motivated! So keep it up friends. You’re HOT and we all know it : ) Miss you guys! See you next week!

Goals.

So, we obviously have discussed all our goals pertaining to the paleo diet thus far (in great detail), which is phenomenal. yet, with this "challenge" winding down (going by LP box schedule), the crossfit total right around the corner, and the time of the year when we all sit back and reflect upon us, I want to know what skills in terms of crossfit you want to improve upon or master by year's end. For me, there are two major ones:

1. butterfly CTBs. while out with derek last nite he stated some of my butterfly pullups were questionable during the WOD yesterday. at first, i was like "how dare you..." (haha), but after that partial lapse in judgement, i realized i never really had anyone tell me if i was clearing the bar with my chin or not. he said the best way to be sure...make em CTBs. thanks derek. clown.

2. get 500m row at or below 1:40. my rowing efficiency has increased immensely. so it is time to stop pacing myself and go "balls out".

what skills do you wish to improve upon/master by year's end...keep it manageable people for all of our suck lists are miles long. i want concrete goals that are attainable.

Bears win!

Gotta love the Bears win and the programming at the box today!

Any of you play sports at all? If so, have you noticed any improvement since crossfitting? I've been skateboarding for a little over 13 years now and it's crazy how much more stamina I have, not to mention all around strength. I feel like the training as a whole has fed into many parts of my life, but this was just something that stuck out to me. Is there anything that you've seen drastic changes in since starting?

Food Log!

I am a carnivore!

The photo to the right was taken at an adorable little shop in Galena, Illinois this past weekend.  I thought it was hilarious and just had to share with my fellow Paleo Pals.                                                        

FLASHBACK:  I remember being a little girl in Disney World and having the choice to get either a delicious, fried, cinnamon-sugary churro or a monster size, savory, barbaric turkey leg - and I would always go for the Turkey Leg!

My weekend away reminded me that I HEART meat.  I ate Bison, Ostrich and Antelope Jerky and enjoyed all 3.  On our last night, the girls cooked homemade Turkey Burgers with Cranberries or 'Craisins'.  They were so delicious that I feel I must share!                           

                                                                                                                 

Cranberry Turkey Burgers                                                                              

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil             

Onion, finely chopped

Celery, minced

Fresh Thyme

Fresh Sage

Sea Salt

Ground Pepper

Cranberries, chopped

Lean Ground Turkey

measurements are not given as they vary according to taste and amount of Turkey

Oh yes, I am Judging your A$$....

Okay, so every week I seem to let you guys know what a bad person I am. LOL. Last week you found out that I am vain, and this week you will discover that I have become a little judgmental. I try my hardest not to judge people, I really do. All of that good ol' Southern Baptist upbringing has a way of making you believe the Big Guy will judge you just as harshly as you judge others....but I digress.

So today I caught myself being judgmental and thinking evil thoughts before 9am even hit. On the way to work glaring at the lady smoking a cigarette and walking infront of me...puffing like a dragon and blowing the smoke back at me.....I thought man she just looks unhealthy! A little Paleo and Crossfit would do her some good.

Fast forward 20 minutes...now I am in the cafeteria at work grabbing my usual veggie omelet and turkey sausage. Now I am amazed at the amount of crap people around me are piling on their plates. I watched in amazement as one lady got a huge bacon, ham, sausage, hash brown, and extra cheese omelet. You had to see this thing to understand. And then she slathered it with syrup! But let's not stop there....then she decided to polish it all off with a donut....just to be safe. I could just feel my arteries clogging up just looking at her plate. Once again I get into judgmental mode....I think what the heck is wrong with her...doesn't she know that is enough to feed 6 baby cows? No wonder she looks unhealthy...boy she could sure stand to do a little CF! lololol. Please don't hate me...I was rude as hell in my thoughts, but I'm just being honest.

The point of this all is that as I have embarked upon this Paleo journey I have become evil...j/k, but I really have noticed more how other people around me treat their bodies. Whereas a month ago I may not have noticed the monster omelet lady or the heifer that jumps on the elevator for just ONE floor, now I am really attuned to it. I try not to forget that before I cared or really knew any better, I was the chick that would go to a buffet and lose my damn mind. I mean I made a sport out of eating! Go up for one plate...recover for 15-20 minutes and then on to round two. That was very bad behavior that I only broke through becoming more educated about nutrition, portion control, and exercise. It would do me good to humble myself and realize that not everyone has reached that stage in their life:) I really appreciate CF, Paleo, and you guys for helping me to become more educated on healthy...but still HAPPY living:)

Crossfit Girls are Beautiful

Sorry guys... but this is intended more for the girls today.

Over the last couple of months of doing Crossfit, I have struggled with my goals and what I want to accomplish with Crossfit. At first, I was mostly just interested in losing weight and surviving the workouts. Now, my goals are more along the lines of competing in the WOD's and learning the lifts and the how and why behind the workouts.

Recently, I have noticed that I am starting to get leaner and I definitely have more muscle definition. But, I have had to fight the typical stereotypes in my head that girls are not supposed to have muscles and that skinny means fit. Open almost any health magazine and you will see size 0 girls all over in their itty bitty shorts holding 5lb dumbbells.

I don't think that I am the only one struggling with this. I have overheard some of the ladies at our gym openly say that they don't want to be able to lift X amount, that it is too much for girls and express doubt in their ability to even attempt certain lifts and weights. I have also noticed that sometimes when we get an great number on a lift/squat or whatever, it is blown off like it isn't a big deal.

I was openly complaining to one of the coaches about how I am not sure about the changes I am seeing w/ muscle definition and that I don't want to go overboard. I think I even mentioned something along the lines of having boy calves now. (I know a few of you have heard me complain about the same thing too. :) ) He sent me this article, http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_hayes_chicks.pdf. I love this article. It gave me a different perspective so I thought I would share.

I think that we should all be proud of what we can do at CF and we have come such a long way in the last 5-6 months. What are you most proud of?

Post Your Recipes!

Happy Monday all. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I know a good amount of you had a wonderful Saturday night! The food was delicious but the company was even more enjoyable. It was great seeing the various paleo dishes on the table and it made me excited to spice things up and incorporate these dishes into my meal planning. So for this post (on top of your food blog), I would like to ask for those of you who made something, please post your recipes! A lot of the dishes are great alternatives for the holidays (like Wendy's Shepherd's Pie instead of mashed potatoes during Thanksgiving). I know I will want to make them so I can still enjoy my Thanksgiving meal! Thanks again for the great night! It was so much fun and we should definitely do it more often! And even though it wasn't Paleo....drywall's fudge was delicious too.

Post away!!!!

Good times.

This has obviously come up many times since this blog was incarnated, but i believe the sense of community is one of the biggest benefits of crossfit; it keeps us all accountable. To that end, the party last night was a grand ole time and while there was talk of WODs, the pain after WODs, the results from WODs, the most hated WODs, and of course, the paleo diet (minus drywall), i actually had conversations with many of you on things other than crossfit!!! (hell must have froze over, or at least it felt that way on my three block walk back to the car in 50mph winds sans jacket). These conversations allowed me to get a better sense of all of you as individuals and not just the "firebreather" at the gym or the one who can do pull-ups until their arms fall off, etc. So, in the end, I thank Kristine for hosting the party (so kind, and very nice place, by the way), and all of you that made delicious, satiating dishes and that provide a sense of community at crossfit WL.

Friday - Another week down...

So after a few weeks in, how is everyone feeling? This usually seems to be the point where most of the crazy cravings stop and crap food tends to look, well, pretty crappy.

After reading your posts yesterday, it seems like most of you are feeling pretty good.

I know I felt pretty horrible post-halloween - at this point anything with bread or sugar in it doesn't really appeal to me at all (minus beer, how can that not be appealing :P). It feels like everything is moving in phases and this is nearly the point of no return. Anyone else feel this way?

Hopefully all of your Friday's go well (and work goes fast). The wod this evening looks freaking brutal and I am absolutely destroyed after last nights, but I'll be there. Oh and sorry I'll be missing the pot-luck tomorrow, but I'll be making some stuff to bring Kristine for you all!

Today (updating as I can)

Thursday - Top 5

What are your Top Five favorite things about Paleo?

What are your Top Five LEAST favorite things about Paleo?

Favorites
1.  More Energy
2.  Fewer Headaches
3.  Skinny Jeans!
4.  This Blog
5.  New found interest in cooking

LEAST
1.  Missing Pizza
2.  Watching others eat Pizza
3.  Inconvenience when I forget to bring lunch to work and need to figure out an alternative
4.  Getting crap from other people about Paleo
5.  um....can't think of another one: Thinking about Pizza?

*sorry for the tardy post

What's Your Inspiration Wednesday?!!?!!

So last night out of nowhere I had the most HORRENDOUS craving for all things bad. I don't understand where it came from. Here I am, about to reach my four-week mark, and all I wanted to do was go and punish some White Castles, Harold's, Lou Malnati's, orange chicken....I mean anything greasy would have sufficed last night. Luckily I was able to resist the urge....but it was a close one! The devil was on me! lol.

While I sat there and struggled with not going on a fast-food binge I really thought about why I am doing this. I wondered why it was so important to me. Why wasn't I eating a juicy cheeseburger or some chicken wings with mild sauce? Unfortunately, if you are expecting a deep and thoughtful answer I must disappoint you. I am doing this because I am vain. I wouldn't say I am vain as hell, but I'm close. I like to feel nice AND look nice.

The health rewards of the Paleo lifestyle are super-appealing, don't get me wrong homies. I have seen some of my back issues improve due to my core and overall body getting stronger....I have also seen my stomach issues improve vastly....I sleep better HOWEVER, I must admit I love watching another pound drop off of my scale and being able to get these child-bearing (without the actual child) hips into single digit jeans. I'm just being honest! LOL. Sorry if I killed your impression of me! lololol.

So my fellow C-fitters, what is your inspiration? Are you a little shallow like me and enjoy getting fine-er by the day or do you have a deeper reason for embarking upon this lifestyle? Kelsey shared her amazing story with us a few days ago....let's continue to get to know a little bit about each other:) Have a Happy Hump Day!!!

Got Sleep?

If you do not get enough sleep, you will:

1. Completely cock-block your fat loss.

2. Get fat, sick and diabetic.

3. Get old and wrinkled before your time.

When I was reading The Paleo Solution by Rob Wolfe, this really captured my attention. I don’t want to be fat, sick and have wrinkles! Because I am such a night owl, I constantly struggle with not getting enough sleep. Usually, the hardest part of my day is just getting out of bed. Before I read about the benefits of getting enough sleep, I didn’t know what an impact it can have on my health. For instance, it causes insulin resistance which causes fat storage around the waistline. So basically, it adds muffin to the muffin top. Also, your immune is compromised, you can be forgetful, moody and your protein collagen (what is responsible for youthful skin) is destabilized. We all work so hard to eat well (Paleo) and to work our bums off at each CF class. Not getting the right amount of sleep can actually negatively impact all that hard work we are doing. Now on to a couple of benefits of getting enough sleep: you will recover faster from exercise, better memory, less inflammation and you will be less grumpy in the am (or maybe the grumpy part is just me.)

Everyone should be getting 8+ hours of sleep. A good indication that you are getting enough sleep is that you wakeup with out the aid of an alarm clock. If you are not doing this, here are some tips:

1. Blackout your room* – Spend a little money on blackout curtains or you can even use black trash bags if you don’t mind how it looks from the outside. Remove any light source from tv’s, chargers and even the alarm clock. I actually just place something over my alarm clock that blocks the light.
2. Develop good habits. Try to go to bed about the same time each night.
3. Keep your room cool. As we sleep, our body temperature rises.
4. Don’t watch TV while lying in bed before you go to sleep.

Since I have started to get more sleep and blacked out my room, I really have noticed a difference. I don’t crave candy and salty food as much throughout the day. Also, I used to be able to take a quick nap at almost any time of the day. Now, I can’t nap. I don’t need to. And my coworkers don’t annoy me nearly as much in the am now. Ha! I hope they never see this.

* Straight from The Paleo Solution about why you should blackout your room. The porphyrin proteins that make up your red blood cells register light and carry this info of light exposure to your brain. This info blocks a very important antioxidant hormone/neurotransmitter called melatonin. This process is at the heart of your problem with cortisol.

Aaaaannnnd We're BACK!

Happy Monday!

I am back from my week-long road trip and it was so much fun but soooo bad. Like I said before, it's so hard eating Paleo on the road and on trips in general. It doesn't help that my friends are not Paleo so they just ate whatever pleased them. I must admit, I did cave in a couple times....

This trip was definitely a test for the upcoming holidays and I have to say, watch out kids- IT'S HARD to stay on track! As the holiday season rapidly approaches us, I would suggest practicing and preparing for all the temptations that are to come. Make sure you maintain your goals and stay strong. If you're going out of town, visit other CrossFit boxes. Surrounding yourself with other crossfitters will help you stay focused and keep up with your workouts too! Tell your friends and family what you're doing and make sure they understand so hopefully they'll remember not shove pumpkin pies and other goodies in your face. I think the main key is to not even give in ONCE because once you start, it's all downhill from there.

Those are just a few things I learned about Paleo on vacation and now that I've seen how easily you can fall off track, I will face the next break with much more of an effort. Will you be able to face those holiday temptations????

ALSO, DON'T FORGET!!

PALEO POT LUCK PARTY THIS SATURDAY!!!!

I HOPE YOU'RE STILL PLANNING ON COMING!!

Smorgasbord Sunday

So let me start off by apologizing for the weak post, I am swamped with work and leave for a Conference in Denver tomorrow. Yet, I do want to make a quick few points. First, with the clean eating some of us have been doing for the past couple of weeks and months for others, we now have a relatively clean box! Derek, John G, and Big Eric were at the box until 7p last evening cleaning our lovely hellhole (so you may want to thank 'em when you see 'em). While I felt like the dust and dirt was part of who we were at the WL and gave the box some character, I am anal-retentive at heart. Second, I wanted to touch on performance during metcons and strength exercises. Everyone has different goals with the paleo diet and their lifestyle, as Kelsey put it so grandiosely yesterday, but for me, one of the main reasons I went paleo was to increase my metcon performance. I was sick of my times being towards the lower end of all the classes I attended. Since I have gone paleo, my endurance has increased tremendously and although I am still one of the weaker gentlemen at the box in terms of weights I "throw around", I have seen large gains in all lifts. Obviously, the contribution my diet makes toward this progress cannot be separated from the contribution obtained from crossfitting 5 days/week, but it cannot go unnoticed that my gains began when I switched my eating habits in mid-July...just sayin'

Go away, cold!

Mmmm breakfast of champions lol

I was getting back from the Vitamin Shoppe yesterday and was thinking it would be a good idea to ask you guys what kind of supplements you're taking (or have taken) and how well they are working for you?

Quantity vs. quality and cost vs. quality always seem to be the big issues for me. I nixed a lot of brands that I loved, purely because they were way too expensive for what they were. Yesterday I dropped one of my favorite protein brands and jumped on board with a new one, just because it was the same price for 2 more lbs. I'm also running out of fish oil and I know that quality can be an issue with it - but I take so much it's really hard to justify spending a ton of money on it... I guess its back on the research bandwagon for me.

This is (some of) what I'm currently taking:

multi-vitamin (cheap, works great, and no 15 pills like the last kind I took)

Fish Oil (cheap shit I know, but there is a ton and it's really inexpensive. Looking into new stuff. Any suggestions?)

Whey protein (awesome, love this stuff and have been using it for years)

Whey protein isolate (awesome stuff too, just grabbed this yesterday)

... and there is more, but I suppose those are staples.

Log from yesterday Negative the couple beers Alex and friends caught me drinking at the bar! Hey, my car got nailed by some lady on my way to LP for class last night and I needed one haha - guess I shouldn't have cheated on the West Loop, huh?

My So-Called Social Life

Obvious temptations such as Halloween candy, office potluck parties or the bread basket at the dinner table are hurdles I can anticipate and prepare for.  One obstacle that I did not expect was the reactions I received from family, friends and oddly enough, strangers.  Something about voicing your intention to start making healthy choices, such as choosing a Paleo lifestyle, can bring out the best and worst in people.

Why is it that saying I have food allergies is easier and often more acceptable than explaining I CHOOSE not to eat certain foods?  My new healthy habit has prompted me to take a closer look at my social life.

For me, food and socializing go hand in hand.  In some cases, food has helped define my relationships and friendships – “let’s meet up for coffee” – “we can catch up over dinner” – “grab a drink after work”.  My choice to change my eating habits has not changed ME.  I am no longer the gal who will always be up for nachos and beer but I am still the gal who can laugh with you, talk about how terrible the Cubs are and jump at the chance to see a horror film.  People have an image of us, some may resist our changing, some may support it and some may be inspired and join us.

HUMP DAY!!!!!!

So this Paleo Challenge has been amazing for the most part. I have had mostly ups with only a few downs. The biggest down being this past weekend when I ate and drank everything that I could for my "cheat weekend". I really regret my overindulgence because I truly feel like it set me back. Oh well, it's over and done with...now it is time to move forward!

There are two things I think I could definitely improve upon with this challenge. Number one would be incorporating more vegetables into my diet. I eat a ri-effing-diculous amount of fruit every day, but I usually only have veggies when they are apart of the meal.....like sauteeded with some meat. However, when I snack I do not munch on veggies at all. So, today I made the change and brought carrots to work along with some fruit. Veggies are so boring to me, so I spiced up my carrots with a little balsalmic vinagerette and sea salt. What are some of your tricks for making veggie snacks more interesting?

The second thing I could improve upon is exercising outside of my 3 Crossfit days. Before Paleo I would run on almost every off day from Crossfit. Unfortunately, I began Paleo the same day week I began a new job with long hours, and my energy has just not been there. I am disappointed because I know if I re-incorporated my runs into my life I would see even better results!

So I have spilled the beans on where I have room for improvement with this challenge....how about my fellow Paleo-ers? What are some things that you know you could be doing better?

HAPPY HUMP DAY!!!!!

Getting back on track...

This weekend I went overboard with the cheating. Once Sat night rolled around and the drinking started, it was all downhill from there. All day Sunday was spent trying to sleep and eat off the crappy feeling that came from drinking too much and staying up too late. I even made a cinnamon crumb cake and justified it by thinking that my roommate and friends from out of town would eat most of it. Unfortunately, I was the one that nibbled on it all day. I also felt the need to do my part in eating the candy that was laying around for the trick or treaters. I gave myself a pass to eat whatever I wanted Sunday thinking once Monday came around, I would gladly trade in my bad eating habits and eat better because I know I feel better when I do. So Monday happened. And it was much harder than what I thought it would be to get back to eating healthy. Its like the junk stayed with me and I craved more of it! So once I got home, I again had to remove all temptation. The cinnamon crumb cake, chips, leftovers and candy all had to go. I love food and can't pass it up if it is laying around. So in order to keep me from sabotaging myself another day, it had to go.

I guess what I learned from this weekend is that it is ok to indulge a little, but I can't keep tempation around my place because I can't say no. I will eat it until it is gone or I am in a food coma. And not only was I already feeling bad from Sat night, but I made it worse with all the unhealthy food and then another night of tossing and turning and bad quality sleep. Since I have cleaned up diet on Monday and slept really well last night, I feel 100 times better.