Paleo Tuna Cakes with Wasabi Tartar Sauce

I have to admit, I missed a few days tracking my food. My goal was to log all my food for 30 days straight to keep myself accountable and hopefully eliminate binge eating. This past weekend was just insanely hectic!

I’m back on it with a vengeance though.

Today was nearly perfect.

I made a new recipe for lunch today that I’m really excited about! But first … breakfast.

I’ve discovered that the secret to a delicious Paleo breakfast is: meat + a vegetable + an egg. I’ve made several yummy breakfasts with this equation.

So far it has worked out well every time. Today was no exception …

Pork sausage + bok choy + scrambled egg.

The peppery, slightly bitter bok choy was really good with the sausage.

For lunch I made Paleo Tuna Cakes with a Wasabi Tartar Sauce and grilled brussel sprouts.

This was my version of the Quick and Easy Salmon Cakes in Practical Paleo. My version included:

2 – 5oz cans wild caught tuna
2 eggs
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh sage (ground in a spice grinder, or you could use dried)
2 Tbsp Coconut flour
1 Tbsp Zoe’s Kitchen Spice of Life (optional)

Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly combined and divide into 4 cakes.

Melt coconut oil in large skillet, about 1/4 inch deep. Fry tuna cakes until browned on each side (approximately 2-3 minutes per side) then let rest on paper towel while you make the tartar sauce.

For Tartar Sauce:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil Mayo
1 Tbsp Capers
1-2 tsp Wasabi paste
1 tsp spicy mustard

Mix and serve alongside the tuna cakes.

I’m really excited about how easy and delicious this recipe was. I have a feeling I’ll be making it often.

Dinner was quick and easy after CrossFit tonight. I had pre-roasted some carrots with just the tiniest drizzle of agave nectar, made an old vegetarian stand-by … my okra and tomatoes and quickly baked some tilapia fillets with Old Bay seasoning and a sprinkle of Zoe’s Kitchen Spice of Life.

I even had the ingredients in the pantry to whip up some quick Chocolate Coconut Cookies from Practical Paleo.

Must go nom on them now!

Killer, Fun and Meh

I’ve been watching entirely too many re-runs of the CrossFit Games on ESPN2 the last couple of nights before bed. I’ve had some crazy dreams because of it.

Our workout last night was a “fun” one. I’ve pretty much decided that CrossFit workouts fall into 3 categories: “Killer”, “Fun” and “Meh”.

Killer = OMG, that effing sucked it was so hard.

Fun = I worked really hard but I didn’t feel like I wanted to die, and it was kind of fun.

Meh = That didn’t challenge me enough today.

Obviously, fun is my favorite. I rarely meet a “meh”, but it has happened once or twice.

Strength:

Back Squat: 2 x 10 (I did 75 lbs)
2 x 5 (did 95 lbs)
1 x Max Effort Reps @60% of 1RM (Did 85 lbs, 17 reps)
Dips: 5 x 8-10
*the dips are to be performed between each Back Squat Set*

I’m getting so much better at my back squats, and I even think I might like them.

WOD:

90s ME KB Swings (35#, Did 44)

-rest 1 Min.

4 Min. AMRAP
15 Hand Release Pushups
10 Situps
(Did 3 rounds)

-rest 1 Min.

4 Min. AMRAP
15 Squat Jumps (weighted if possible)
10 Pullups
(Did 2 1/2 rounds)

-rest 1 Min.

90s ME KB Swings (35#, Did 40)

I’m thinking maybe Tim didn’t find this one “fun”.

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte

This might change your life. Even if you aren’t Paleo, you just saved yourself $4 at Starbucks. And you’re welcome.

• 1 Cup Coffee
• 1/4 cup Coconut Milk
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 2 Tbsp Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup

Pulse in blender. Top with an extra sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and I guess if you were feeling extra fancy you could make some coconut milk whipped cream.

Hot damn.

Nothing in the Fridge

I can tell that I’m really starting to get used to Paleo cooking when I can make decent paleo meals without a recipe and with bare minimum ingredients. In other words, nothing in the fridge.

I woke up this morning and realized that I really don’t have any fresh ingredients on hand. I’m trying to wait until atleast Friday before I go grocery shopping. Buying gifts is taking up all my extra dough.

I’m pleasantly surprised with what I’ve been able to throw together today with pantry and freezer ingredients only.

Breakfast:

Roasted Butternut Squash, Pork Breakfast Sausage and a Sunny Side-Up Egg.

Lunch:

This is probably the one I’m most impressed with. I had a tiny bit of my leftover Chicken & Sausage Spaghetti Squash from a few days ago, but not nearly enough for a serving. I cooked up some frozen brussel sprouts, some extra sausage and threw it all together with some Zoe’s Kitchen Spice of Life. Bomb diggity!

And then dinner:

Mustard Sage Baked Chicken Thighs, Sautéed Green Beans w/ onions and Moroccan Pumpkin.

Frozen green beans. Canned pumpkin.

To the canned pumpkin I added a Moroccan spice blend called Ras El Hanout and a mashed banana and topped it with a bit of finely shredded coconut. A perfect balance of savory with a touch of sweet.

It should be interesting to see what the next couple of days produce until I go grocery shopping again.

Tonight’s workout at CrossFit was a good one. I especially enjoyed the strength portion tonight which was 5×4 back squats:

The reason I enjoyed it so much was because I’m notoriously bad at squatting. These runner hips just don’t like to do that. I warmed up really good tonight doing Hurdler Stretches, Ham/Hip Swings and Wall Balls.

My third week at CrossFit when we first learned back squats I fell on my ass with only the 35 pound bar.

Tonight I was able to squat 95 pounds, 20 times! This is not a lot by most people’s standards, but it’s awesome for me!

Our WOD was:
10 Minute AMRAP – 10 front squats (55#), 10 pull-ups, 10 lateral burpees.

I finished 3 full rounds + 10 squats, 10 pull-ups and 3 burpees. Soooo close to 4 rounds!

And I remembered to log all of my food today. Yay!

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

My friend Devan wrote a blog recently about setting goals using the SMART method. Before I read her blog I hadn’t actually heard of SMART, but it makes so much sense.

Set goals that are:
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

There are always things to improve on, and I have lots of them, so I decided to go ahead and make a SMART goal of my own. It would be easy to set goals that are easily attainable, such as “exercise 3-4 days a week”, but that is not a problem area for me personally.

I spent some time thinking about where I really truly need to make improvements in my life and what I’ve discovered (or really already knew) is that my problem is food. Specifically binge eating.

So my SMART goal is to: Log all food and drink that I consume for 30 days straight.

Specific:
WHO: Me.
WHAT: Log all food.
WHEN: Every day.
WHY: To become more aware of what I’m eating/drinking.

Measurable: 30 day time period, all meals/all snacks/all drinks.

Attainable: This is definitely something I can do. I have a computer and a phone app that I can use to log which makes it convenient.

Realistic: 30 days is a realistic amount of time for this goal.

Timely: Starting tomorrow and ending January 9th.

Here we go!

Chicken & Sausage Spaghetti Squash with Lemon Shallot Coconut Cream Sauce

That’s quite a mouthful of a name. I’m so excited about this recipe that I created tonight! Makes me wish I had actual measurements to give you, but I made this up as I went along.

I started with a chicken breast that I had marinating in a cilantro sauce in the fridge for a couple of days. Steve’s Original PaleoChef Cilantro Ginger Sauce for reference, but I don’t think this step is necessary to the final product. Also, Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach Chicken Sausage, but there again, I’m pretty sure any sausage would do.

Anyway, I grilled the chicken breast on a cast iron grill pan on each side for about 2 minutes and then cooked in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

I cooked the spaghetti squash in the microwave, poke holes in it with a sharp knife and put the whole thing in the microwave for 15 minutes. Then cut in half and scrape the seeds out.

In the meantime I made my coconut cream sauce. Sauté sliced shallots (1 or 2) in a sauce pan then add approximately 1/2 cup of full fat coconut milk, a pat of butter or ghee and the zest of one lemon. Simmer on low.

Slice 2 sausage links and brown in a pan with a little oil, add grilled chicken cut into cubes and about 3 cups of fresh spinach. Using a fork scrape the spaghetti squash “noodles” into same pan and add lemon coconut cream sauce and toss to combine. Salt and pepper as needed.

Sooo good!

After a night OFF last night, I’m back on the Paleo wagon.

I felt so heavy and yuck on my run this morning. I had a blast having a special dinner and drinks with friends, so I won’t say that it wasn’t worth it, but its definitely something I need to keep to a minimum.

Have a great night.

Day 31 – What Now?

I got a text this morning from my friend, Danyalle, who wanted me to come try a new class at the Y called AMRAP. So I rushed off to take the little man to school and had just enough time to hit the treadmill for the “meat” portion of my scheduled 7-mile tempo run before the class started. I ditched the warm-up and cooldown and just did the 5 mile fast part of the run.

I forgot my iPod, so I had a chance to spend some time thinking about what I want to do next as far as eating goes. Changing from being a vegetarian to eating Paleo then to the Whole30 has been a big adjustment. I have really enjoyed both ways of eating. I enjoyed the vegetarian cooking more I think, but I feel physically better with the Paleo eating.

So I think where I want to go from here is what my friend Barb refers to as “Paleo Light”. Basically I want to eat Paleo whenever possible but adding back in a couple of things that the Whole30 program didn’t allow: natural sweeteners like honey, agave and maple syrup. I also want to add back in wine and cheese occasionally. Well, wine regularly… cheese occasionally.

Things that I haven’t missed, I see no reason in re-introducing at all.

I don’t want to schedule cheat days or meals. When I do cheat I want to make sure that it’s something so totally worth it and special that I won’t feel guilty. Guilt is no longer allowed in my life in regard to food.

My husband lost 18 pounds during his Whole30, but he still has a significant amount of weight to lose. For that reason, I might decide to do the Whole30 program again soon to support him in his weight loss efforts. Or anytime I’m feeling like I’m getting off track.

And then you’ll get to read my day by day accounts all over again. Yay! … Just kidding! I wouldn’t do that to you.

Today’s breakfast was a Steve’s Original Paleo Krunch Bar:

I ordered a few items and a seasonal sampler pack from their website to try.

After my run and the AMRAP class I went to, I decided to take myself on a lunch date to Zoe’s kitchen. I ordered the Steak Kabobs with roasted veggies and substituted slaw for the roasted potatoes it normally comes with.

I had some time after lunch before the little man got home from school, so I thought I’d run around and do some Christmas shopping, but I actually ended up deciding that I really just needed some time to rest. Resting and relaxing are not things that come easily to me, but they are still important things. I’ve worked really hard lately, so I’m taking the next 24 hours and having myself a “lay down day”.

I’m playing Wii with my son, making Christmas cookies (that I don’t plan on eating), watching movies and laying around. I don’t even plan on changing out of my pajamas.

As a matter of fact I’m laying in the yard right now…

Oh, and I almost forgot … for those who are wondering, I lost 8 pounds during my Whole30.

Whole30 Done.

Daaaaaaay 30. I survived. I might even dare to say I thrived.

Although I won’t know the official scale results until tomorrow I already outlined the great benefits I’ve noticed. Tomorrow I’ll give you the results and talk about what I’m going to do from this point. Today I’ll just talk about today.

I woke up this morning with some pretty gnarly bruises.

The clavicle bruise I totally understand. I have a really prominent left clavicle and yesterday’s Clean & Jerks were the devil on that. I’m kind of concerned that my shins bruised so easily. Must remember to mention to a doctor.

Anyway … my schedule today called for an easy 6 mile run. I wore my heart rate monitor and made it my mission to keep my heart rate just below 140.

The first couple miles were awesome, but the longer I ran the more my heart rate increased and the more I had to slow my pace. Super frustrating on a day my legs were ready to GO! I fought the urge to sprint out my last half mile.

9:06, 9:04, 9:13, 9:21, 9:28, 9:33

I ended up finishing with a average heart rate of exactly 139.

Breakfast was the last of my leftover Puerto Rican Beef. I’m sad to see it go.

I had a late lunch of Tuna Salad before heading to CrossFit.

Tonight’s WOD was:

20 Minute AMRAP Teams of 4
a. 200M Run
b. Pullups
c. Weighted Situps
d. Rest
*There will be a team member at each station posted above. Each member will work on the movement they are stationed at until the person running returns. Once the runner is back everyone will rotate to the next station.

We only had a team of 3, so it made it a little bit confusing. Not my favorite WOD of all time, but still a good workout.

I rushed home afterwards to meet my friend Drew, who came over for dinner tonight and to keep me company while the hubby is out of town. Stand-in hubby, if you will. I even made him take out the trash.

We made: Mustard Sage Baked Chicken Thighs from Practical Paleo, roasted butternut squash and asparagus.

I had a banana later for “dessert”.

And with that, my Whole30 is done. See you tomorrow!

Whole30 – Day 29

I haven’t posted my Whole30 day info the last couple of days because my meals have been a little bit repetitive. Today is no different, but being that it’s day 29 (eeeeek) I thought I should check in.

The hubby left today for a business trip and won’t be back before Day 31, so he went ahead and weighed himself this morning. He lost 18 pounds!! I can’t wait to see what my results on the scale will be.

In all honesty, I don’t think I’ve lost very much. Regardless of that though, I really feel like I’m already seeing the true results.

These are the things that I have seen a significant noticeable difference in:

1. Quality of sleep – I’ve been sleeping better than I have in atleast 10 years. I’m falling asleep easier and waking up much more easily than is typical for me. I’d say I’ve woken up before my alarm and feeling refreshed atleast 80% of the time during my Whole30. This is huge for me!
2. Recovery from exercise – Other than normal muscle soreness the day or two following a particularly difficult CrossFit day, I have had virtually no exercise related pain. ZERO soreness after my 16, 18 and 20 mile runs! No injuries to speak of, no nagging pain in my shins, feet or ankles like I have from time to time.
3. Endurance – The first week as my body was adjusting to the decrease in carbs my legs felt heavier and more tired than usual during my runs, but starting the second week I noticed significant improvement in my endurance. I used to use energy gels every 45 minutes – hour during runs. I have not used 1 single energy gel during my Whole30 and I’ve done atleast 3 runs which were over 2 hours long.
4. Energy Level – Off the charts! I used to be a regular mid-day napper. I don’t believe I’ve taken a nap at all during the past 30 days, except during yoga relaxation. 🙂

Those are the biggies that are most important to me and the reason I started the Whole30 in the first place. I’ve also noticed my clothes fitting better and I can tell a difference in muscle definition, particulary in my arms.

Today’s eats were:

Meal 1: Leftover Puerto Rican Beef topped with a sunny side up egg. I’ve discovered you can make just about anything breakfast food by topping it with an egg.

Meal 2: Steak Close Talker from Moe’s with black olives, cilantro, lots of salsa and guacamole. Tip: On Mondays I order the exact same thing, except I call it a “Naked Homewrecker” so that I get the special $5 burrito Monday price. 😉

Moe’s steak is grass-fed.

Meal 3: Zucchini “pasta” salad with bacon, red onion, tomatoes, avocado and kalamata olives.

One of my Christmas presents to myself came in the mail today. A CrossFit log book.

Because I definitely need one more place to log my shit.

What I like about this book though is that is has a place to track your day to day WODs as well as PRs, Benchmarks and even has a Paleo grocery shopping guide, explanation of all exercises, Travel WODs, blah blah blah.

Today’s workout was INTENSE.

Strength: EMOM (Every minute on the minute) x 8 – 3 Clean and Jerks (55#)

WOD: 21-15-9 Thrusters & Burpees

I probably should have apologized for the number of times I said “the F word” during that 9 minutes before I left. But hey … atleast I got to write it in my new log book.

Atleast there’s that.

Santa Chase – Jingle Bell Run

My 4 year old son ran his first 1 mile race today! I’m so proud of him!

A couple of months ago I bought him a new pair of sneakers and when I purchased them I referred to them as his “running shoes” and the rest was history. He’s been asking frequently to go running with me and we will run to the end of our road and back. When I told him last night that we were going to go watch Daddy run a race this morning, his first question was “is there a kid’s race?!”.

It was a great day! I love that we are making fitness a family activity.