Fit Just Got Real: Has Anyone Seen My Abs?

Well, it’s safe to say that since I didn’t weigh or measure myself at the start, I can’t produce numbers to back up the observation that I have not seen any results, weight-wise, from doing the Whole Life Challenge: performance level.

I have noticed that I am better in the gym. I'm pushing myself more these days. I even got my first pull-up (although I kipped) a few weeks ago. It wasn’t my diet, but good coaching. I feel that when coach took away the option of banded pull-ups, it made me have to stop being lazy and work that much harder; because when you have a full class and only five sets of rings, your rounds or reps for time are affected by waiting your turn in scaling. But I digress ... 

To be honest, I saw more results when I wasn’t counting calories and omitting foods and just ate a sensible, well-rounded diet -which I had started months before the challenge. By the time I had started on the WLC, I had lost a few pounds overall, some inches from my hips and a cup size from my boobs. I measured that by the looseness of the larger sized pants I had to buy and the gap in my bra around each boob.

I also had more energy, didn’t feel tired all the time and was ready for the 6 p.m. CrossFit class. I was so excited to start the WLC at the performance level, because I wanted to see abs – on my body, not on someone else’s.

It’s about the halfway point and here is where I’m at: I am wishing for a devastating, kick-start-level, weight-loss inducing break-up so that I can get back into my old clothes. I am completely serious.

Since I've been on the 'top-tier' level of the challenge, I have not lost a single pound or inch and by the time gym class comes around, I have no energy left. All I eat is chicken or fish, veggies and fruit; and I’ve ingested enough water to sink the Titanic. Really, even with the two or three times I ‘cheated’ and had something that wasn’t allowed on the plan, I thought I would see mega results.

Mega.

But I haven’t. And I cut out ¾ of my grocery list for this (although I didn't save money because 'diet' foods cost more money); but I guess the bright side is I haven’t gained weight.

I’ve seen everyone around me make progress and look better and when I look in the mirror and see no change, it’s disheartening. I spent all this time being as diligent as I can, following the rules and saying no to things I wanted to say yes to, to not see the reward.

It pisses me off. However, even though I will probably not do this again, I feel I’ve learned some things:

• Life is easier – and cheaper - when meals are pre-made. It cuts so much time out of my morning to have my lunch stacks prepped so all I have to do is toss them in a bag and go. I can stay in bed an extra half hour in the mornings. 

Just a sidenote: I also added another half hour of sleep in the mornings by not wearing make-up. It's not pretty, and I'm sure my co-workers are wondering what experiment I'm trying now, but getting that extra time in the morning = money. 

• I don’t need coffee in the morning – with sweetener or without. But, I like coffee in the morning and my daughter bought me a Keurig, so I will have coffee every morning.

• There is so much about nutrition, supplements, vitamins, the digestive system and age that I never paid attention to before, and of which I am totally aware now. It’s been an enlightening and educating experience. But, it's not one I would feel I'm qualified to advise anyone on because I don't have a degree. What works for someone else may not work for me and vice versa. 

• I’m not about the ‘diet’ life. I spent my entire life being on one diet or another, but I’ve never looked better or have been happier than when I was not counting calories or cutting entire food groups from my life. I work hard in the gym, and my reward should be more than a Paleo muffin.

• It’s not that hard to eat within the realm of health when I’m traveling or at work. It is, however, inconvenient and presumptuous to expect restaurants will cater to a specific diet if they are not prepared. Like, I’m not going to walk into a New York Pizza place and ask for a cauliflower crust, and then get all celebitchy when they don’t have it … I’ll just have the pizza.  

• For all the whining I did, I can do what I set my mind to do – I’m as strong as I want to be. There are no excuses stronger than my willpower. And whatever I try to convince myself is a valid reason for ‘cheating’ on  the way to my goals is just me being too lazy to do the work to get there.

• It's okay to be selfish and take care of myself. 

• I'm the least happy when I'm constantly thinking about food, and since I've been on the WLC, all I think about is food and points. 

It hasn’t all been super disappointing for me. The best part is that I was doing it with the support of my gym mates and seeing them make progress is inspiring. Plus, it’s always nice to diet with friends. There’s company in the misery of not being able to eat that cupcake or lick that spoon of icing. …

… or partake in that bottle - I mean cu- glass of wine …

While I’m not keen on the WLC from my own experience as far as expectation versus reality, I will say it’s a good place to start for anyone wanting to make a change. For me, making a lifestyle change sounds a lot like being on a diet for the rest of my life.  I'm about to turn 41 and there's nothing more depressing than looking ahead at 40+ more years of never eating another peanut butter and jelly sandwich again. And if I have to be honest, nothing makes me happier than being able to eat food that tastes good and doesn’t dent my bank account trying to eat like a caveman.

Because if processed food had been around back in those days, I assure you, those cavemen would have been all over it – like I’m about to be all over my Paleo lunch right now.  

Road Trip: Land of Oz

The Land of Oz is real and located high in the mountains of North Carolina. I know this because I traveled there for a visit last week.

Not by a tornado, but by Jetta. And it took four and a half hours to get there ...

Okay, so, it's not the REAL Oz ... because it's super hard to get over the rainbow in a car. I went to the next best place: Autumn at Oz on Beech Mountain in Boone, North Carolina. It's a recreation of the magical land from the movie "The Wizard of Oz" which we all know was based on a book that no one probably read because nowadays everyone waits for the movie. Anyway ...

Autumn at Oz only happens once a year, and by the time I heard about it last year, it had sold out. So,

I think one of my friends knows
this actress playing the witch. 

this year, I waited for tickets to go on sale like a professional shopper at WalMart on Black Friday - one month in advance.

Oh, yes I did.

Hey, a trip to Oz is serious business and very much worth the price of admission - which includes the busride to the top of Beech Mountain where the the magic from the Wizard of Oz is recreated through a nostalgic journey on foot that includes all the characters from the Land of Oz - from Auntie Em and Uncle Henry to the other characters including the Munchkins, Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Dorothy -  along the yellow brick road in the many costumes used over the years.

Which was a little unsettling as far as the costumes were concerned. The cowardly lion went from being super realistic to a cheap Halloween costume you'd get for your kids and that was a little creepy to see. But all the characters were were super nice; one 'actress' has been with the park since it opened in 1971 - she was the first Dorothy and now her daughter is one of the many incarnations of Dorothy.

Did I have fun? Yes. Would I do this again? Absolutely not. Does my daughter feel the same? Yes.

She started with the park as Dorothy. 

Do I recommend this trip to anyone else? If this is your only destination in Boone, and you're driving more than two hours to get there, then, no. Here's why:

It's really too cold to enjoy the park. Although it's fall, it felt like winter - in the 40s and super windy. Our fingers and toes were frozen through our boots and gloves.

There is a minimum one hour wait to start the tour. You have to wait outside and it's miserably cold. Even though I bought the 2 p.m. tickets, we didn't start until 3 p.m.

I don't carry cash and they don't take a card at the food, drink and handwarmer stands. At least, that's what I was told when I asked. That's not mentioned on the web site.

Everyone singing "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" on the busride to the entrance of the park. Acapella. Off key.

Once you're on the yellow brick road, the tour lasts 30-45 minutes. That's because you're in a line behind other people who are taking a bazillion pictures with each character in every possible pose, and with every single camera they own.

She's the daughter of the original
Dorothy of the park. 

Did I mention how ridiculously cold and windy it is in Oz? It's really hard to walk when you can't feel your feet and even more so when you can't smile through chattering teeth.

I can def mark this off my bucket list and file it under 'was neato, but will probably not go back unless it is very unseasonably warm.' However, there were a lot of people who dress up to go to the event every year. It was like walking into a Star Trek convention only everyone was dressed like Dorothy, Glinda or the Scarecrow. And there was one Rainbow Brite complete with multi colored braids. Almost got a picture of that, but my fingers were too cold to move fast enough.

If anyone is interested in going, remember to dress like winter, carry cash, be ready to wait and stand around a lot. Also, maybe make other plans in town and go for a weekend. I made the trip in one day and was literally chanting, "there's no place like home" the entire way home.

In all, it was great to spend a day with my daughter and get her photos with all the characters along the Yellow Brick Road. Because you know I made her stop at every photo op to preserve the memory of the only time we will ever be in the Land of Oz.

Yup, those costumes are just a little terrifying. Compared to these:

Paleo Pumkin Pancakes That Are Pretty Decent

Improvising foodie pics. 

I’m not much of a genius in the kitchen. If there’s a recipe for it, if it’s nuke-able, or comes out of a box, I can make it. Most of my meals are prepared in 30-minutes or less because I don’t like to spend a lot of time cooking.

Since starting on the Whole Life Challenge, I had to not just change the way I cook and eat, but also how I think about food. No more skipping meals, like breakfast, because of time constraints and dinner should be eaten before 7 p.m. So, I’ve stuck to the same menu items because of ease, convenience and budget.

Basically, my diet has been mostly eggs with nitrate free bacon or sausage and peppers for breakfast; and meat, eggs, fruits, and veggies for lunch and dinner.

Although I pre-make my lunch/dinner, I make breakfast fresh every morning. I dislike the taste of lukewarm eggs and nuking them dries them out. However, on the mornings I’m running short on time, I end up either skipping breakfast or grabbing a piece of fruit and black coffee.

Really, I need more than a banana and black coffee. Seriously, I don’t even know what I’m thinking with that banana. It’s like trying to paint a smile on bitterness. I needed to find something I could take with me and heat up at work on the mornings I don’t have time to make breakfast – that wouldn’t taste like cardboard or dried eggs.

To be perfectly honest, I’m not a big fan of eggs anyway. In the last four weeks, I’ve eaten more eggs than in my entire life up to this point. So, I really wanted to find something like a Paleo doughnut or breakfast cake recipe that didn’t taste like eggs because I like those two things and really don’t like eggs that much.

Preferably something with icing on top.

What I found instead is the next best thing: Paleo Pumkin Pancakes. Finally, out of all the Paleo sites spamming my inbox, one of them sent me something I can use.

As I scanned the recipe, there were a just a few ingredients I that I just can’t have on the performance level: sugar, milk, flour, pumpkin spice – basically anything that would add a richer flavor to the food to ensure I might actually like it … right?

With my limited knowledge of how ingredients work in recipes, I knew I’d be cutting those items out and replacing them. Thinking back to the paleo coconut blueberry muffins I made before the challenge, I had an idea to sub those ingredients with ones approved for the performance level of the challenge.

I used coconut flour, Stevia and almond milk, but left out the pumpkin spice – mainly because I’m not sure what it is and if there are health benefits. Also, just a note: a little bit of Stevia goes a LONG way.

Something that is not mentioned on the Challenge list is approved spices – there’s not even a mention of salt and pepper to flavor food. But the recipe called for cinnamon. Cinnamon is GOOD for you: Cinnamon provides high amounts of calcium and fiber. Also, one teaspoon provides a whopping 22 percent of the daily recommended value in manganese.

What does manganese do for you? A lot, actually. Manganese is a trace mineral that helps the body form strong bones, connective tissues, and sex hormones, and coagulates the blood properly. It helps metabolize fat and carbohydrates, regulate blood sugar, absorb calcium, and is essential for optimal brain and nerve function. As if that's not enough, it’s also a component of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase, which helps neutralize free radicals that can damage cell membranes and DNA. Proper levels of manganese have been linked to the prevention of diabetes, arthritis, epilepsy, and even PMS.

Soooo, I’m allowing it since it’s technically not a sweetener and has a bunch of health benefits, although there’s probably not enough in the recipe to do all of that jazzy stuff I just mentioned.

What you’re gonna need:

¼ cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

½ cup coconut flour (or almond flour)

½ tbsp Stevia

2 tbsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

(if you’re on a different level of the challenge, add the pumpkin spice and try 1 cup of rice flour instead for a gluten free recipe)

Directions

Whisk pumpkin and egg together until smooth

Add in remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth

Using coconut oil to grease the pan, make them like you would regular pancakes

Makes 6 medium size pancakes or a lot of minis 

Enjoy with Maple syrup, fruit preserves or plain

Just some notes:

I used ½ cup coconut flour. If it’s too watery, add a little bit more until it has a thick consistency. Like pancake mix. Remember, a little bit of Stevia goes a long way. Also, if you’re on the mid- to low-level challenge, you can add stuff like real sugar or honey, pumpkin spice and real milk.

All the food I’ve eaten up to this point has been pretty bland and my goal with these pancakes was to add something with a little more flavor to my diet. These pancakes definitely taste great. You can refrigerate or freeze them for take-and-go meals, but they taste better fresh.

I’m thinking about using this recipe to make them into muffins. If I don’t ruin my oven or burn my kitchen down, I’ll let y’all know how that turns out.