13-0!

Cam and my Tigers beat South Carolina (56-17) tonight to secure a spot in the BCS National Championship game! I couldn't be more excited.

WAR DAMN EAGLE!

Things I Like Thursday

I have no choice but to order these. Want some? They also come in red, and there's so much more Yay Burpees apparel to chose from. I might have ordered a t-shirt too...

What happens in Vegas makes me bloated.

I'm back from Vegas! I had an amazing weekend with seven girlfriends as we relaxed, ate fabulous food (maybe it was Zoleo; maybe it wasn't...), laughed a ton and even did a variation of Tabata Something Else in our hallway at Paris. It was such a blast and made me even more thankful for my friends. Special shout-out to my girl Nicole for hooking us up!

After a weekend away, it's sometimes tough to get back into the swing of things, specifically good eating habits. I absolutely love seeing and feeling the benefits of a good Paleo/Zone diet, but I'm also not one to deny myself the culinary treats of a weekend in Vegas. So, I indulged in margaritas from El Segundo Sol where I discovered my new favorite margarita of all time (mango), breakfast and dinner at Mon Ami Gabi and of course, a waffle cone from Ben & Jerry's (not gonna link that one; it will do more harm than good for your appetite!). Of course everything was delicious, but I'd be lying if I sad I was happy about the approx. 2 lbs. of extra weight I'm now carrying around in addition to an overall feeling of puffiness. Blehhh.

Do you ever feel that way after vacation? Do you feel like the indulgence is worth the feeling of "two steps back" you have when you return to your normal routine? I don't... So here are a few tips (to be used on or off vacation) for allowing yourself to indulge without feeling like a total failure.*

Be prepared. Plan the places you'll go and check out the menu in advance. Find items that are good choices so that you aren't forced to make a last-minute, un-researched decision when you place your order at the table.

Limit yourself. One margarita is okay. Five is not. Yes, food is good, but is it that good? We work hard, but hard work can be quickly erased by what we put in our body. Sorry, but I'd rather keep my external obliques and lower back dimples than have another margarita. It's hard to remember that when you have a menu full of mouth-watering food and drinks, but try to ask yourself: "is it worth it?" Usually, the answer is no.

Practice self-control. This one is extremely difficult for me. I can't just have a bite of a piece of cake because I'll want to eat the whole thing (then have a second piece, and a third...). If you know what your triggers are, don't indulge them. For me, it's my sweet tooth. Jen, you remember that time we went to Bull & Bear and I didn't take a bite of the skillet cookie?? This is why.

If you have to cheat, cheat "in the Zone." If you know you're going to want a cupcake from Sweet Mandy B's after having lunch while shopping in Lincoln Park, skip the carbs and fat during lunch and just have protein. I'm not about totally depriving myself of the things I love for the rest of my life, but again, I like my back dimples, so I'm going to be a smart cheater.

Be easy on yourself. So you might have eaten an entire plate of Nutella Crepes at Yolk, plus the blueberry waffles that were meant to be shared by the table. Don't beat yourself up over it and continue to eat poorly throughout the day because you've already screwed up. Get over it, and move on.

Hopefully those help those of you who struggle (like myself) with food temptations! Feel free to comment on other tips that you've found successful.


*Dear Readers: I'm talking to myself here too. By no means am I 100% Zone 100% of the time, but I do try my hardest to be good to my body and not totally wipe out all the work I do in the box by eating like a bottomless pit. I fail too, and I absolutely will tell you about it. I'm all about transparency.

Encounters with the Rich(??) and Famous

Jeff Samardzija is my neighbor. I live in a three-unit walk-up condo building in the garden and first floors; he's up on the third with his girlfriend and horse-dog that gallops up and down the stairs very loudly. I have had one lovely and friendly encounter with him to date, until this morning...

I had worked out at 5:45am (sidenote: first time doing 75# push presses in a workout and I LIVED!), then gone back home to take a nap. After napping, I went to la-tan to burn bronze up for my upcoming Vegas weekend. When I got back home, I pulled into our parking area only to find J-Sam unloading groceries from his car. Awesome... I'm basically a hot mess. In sweats, a t-shirt and hoodie, no make-up, hair is a disaster, etc. I get out of the car, and J-Sam greets me with a supercool "howya doin?" I'm all, "good, thanks!" {I'm literally a few paces behind him now, as he's got his last batch of groceries and is heading into our communal side door} He then proceeds to enter our building via the side door, and slam and lock the door behind him. I literally stopped in my tracks, about 3 feet from the door to think about what just happened (and I think I might've actually said "really???" out loud). Jeff Samardzija knew I was coming in, and yet closed the door and locked it behind him. Nice one, homeboy.

Then I went inside and into the restroom and saw that I had my tanning goggles draped around my neck. Hotttt.

This Week

I'm heading to Vegas on Friday morning, which means I'll be laid out on a lounger for three days straight. Not cool, considering I ate at a buffet last night, had tots today and couldn't keep my hands off chocolate tonight. It was one of those weekends where I had no control when it came to food. Fail.

So, I'm upping the ante as far as the workouts go and will be strict Zoleo until I leave Friday morning. Here's the exercise plan:

Monday: 7am L2 followed by 2 mile run
2-a-day Tuesday: 7am L2, evening L2 Oly class
Wednesday: 5:45 L3, evening jog (goal: 40 minutes)
Thursday: Afternoon workout on my own

Flight leaves early Friday morning, so I won't have a chance to get one final workout in. Dang it.

Saturday Cheer

Stumbled Upon

I was doing some digging for "Before" pictures of our latest Athlete of the Month and came across this lovely image of myself! It was taken in January, right after we had moved into our new space. This picture absolutely cracks me up... not only am I a total chunk-o, but I am so very clearly miserable! I'm probably in the middle of a set of man makers or dumbbell thrusters, wanting to be anywhere but in at Atlas. My shirt is all bunched up around my waist, my left arm just wants to drop the dumbbell, and I'm probably roasting in those pants! Sidenote: who in their right mind does a CrossFit workout in pants anyways??

All that being said, I'm thankful for a few things:
1. That I'm way more buff and toned now than I was in that picture.
2. That I'm one of only two people that have access to our fabulous photo archives.
3. That I have better-fitting sports bras.
4. That my fellow morning crew never told me how grody I looked, because I probably wouldn't have kept coming back.

Things I Like Thursday

There are actually two today!

1. Being moved out of my old place and in to my new place. The new place is in total shambles, but I'm so happy to be there!

2. These. I just might get some this weekend to congratulate myself on moving. They're perfect wear-to-ACF-in-the-fall pants.

What are your fave kick-it pants for the fall season?

I have a problem.

I'm in mid-move, people. There are four deceptively strong men here taking everything away quicker than I could pack a single box. I'm certain they think I'm crazy because there are approximately 47 bags of clothing scattered throughout my apartment. And I don't blame them, because I, myself, am also confused as to how one person can own so many articles of clothing.

That's the living room. All those bags in the corner? They're two or three bags high and all filled with clothing. Take a stroll into my bedroom, and you'll find...

...even more bags of clothing. There's one bag that contains scarves alone. That? Is absurd. I should be on Hoarding.

Oh hey! That's my closet. With two suitcases, a duffel and four college-era plastic bins of more clothes. The laundry basket holds shoes, but not all of my shoes; I have a large, 4-foot tall box containing about 20 boxes of shoes. Some boxes hold one pair, some hold two... sick.

The move kind of snuck up on me. That being said, I didn't really have time to go through everything and sort things I was "keeping" vs. "donating" vs. "selling." I fully intend to sort as I unpack. In the meantime, I'll continue being guilt-ridden about all the STUFF I've managed to accumulate over the past five years.

Today...

...marks the day that the most amazing woman I know came into the world. My MAMA! I love my mom more than I can express, and I want nothing more than to be just like her someday. Happy Birthday to you, Mama! I love you TONS!

Here are my two sisters (at left) and me with our beautiful, thoughtful, funny and incredible Mama.

Things I Like Thursday

If ya'll haven't noticed, I'm having a bit of a hard time being consistent with the blog. I'd like to post every other day, but at the very very least, when times are tough, just ONCE a week. So, in an attempt at consistency, today is the first of a new weekly installment titled "Things I Like Thursday." Yay! Could be something I like, love, am obsessed with, want, etc...

For the very first TILT, we have a plug for local restaurant and definite obsession of mine, Yolk. This is, hands-down, one of my favorite restaurants in the city. And I only order one item on the menu - the Iron Man omelet. YA'LL! It. Is. So. Good. I get mine cooked dry, with chicken added, and it comes with salsa for dousing or dipping. And I get fruit on the side (pineapple, strawberries and oranges). I've tried other things there - the amaaazing whole-wheat banana pancakes, eggs benedict, the Big Tex omelet* - but the Iron Man steals my heart and satisfies me every time. Yesterday. This morning. Last week. Basically every other week if not weekly. Haven't had it? Get it. Haven't been to Yolk? Go. Immediately. There's one right by Atlas on the corner of Wells and Chicago and a brand new one in Streeterville at Erie and McClurg.

Sidenote: I can't believe I've never taken a picture of my omelet! So sad I don't have a pic to post here. I will take one soon. And that could be tomorrow.

Another reason why I love Yolk so much is because of the people there. They know me and my obsession with their food. They greet me (and Jen and Terry) when we walk in the door, and they don't care that we're sweaty and in gym clothes. One of the managers, Pete, is even going to start up at ACF on Monday! I walked in there today (in the middle of our box-painting session at Atlas) in a gross t-shirt, shorts and flip flops, with paint dabbled all over my body. I looked sick. Pete told me I looked beautiful. That secured Yolk's spot on the inaugural TILT. Congrats, Yolk! I LIKE YOU/LOVE YOU!

*Note that Yolk doesn't JUST serve breakfast... they have all kinds of stuff! I just happen to go there between 10 and noon to eat, for a "working brunch" or just brunch.

Pause

I had to be at work early this morning for Basic Training and decided that I would ride my bike in. I left home early - about 6:15 - to get there with time to make coffee and get settled in before the class started. When I got out to the lake path, the sun was still below the horizon, but I could tell it was going to rise any minute. I didn't want to miss it. So I kept looking over, probably every 15 seconds or so, to make sure I didn't miss the sunrise.

I had just passed North Avenue when I peeked over and saw the smaaaallest little sliver of the sun poking out above the horizon. I screeched my bike to a halt and sat down to watch this 60-second phenomenon of the sunrise. And yes, I took out my phone to take a picture. Because I wanted to remember how I felt in that moment. Hopeful. Blessed. Small. Thankful. Curious as to why I didn't watch the sunrise more often...

Life is fast. I spend so much time just going and going and going. Working. Meeting friends. Catching up on Top Chef. Speeding around the corner to be the first one to see a parking spot. Worrying. Wishing. Contemplating. I kill so much time doing these things, using up my energy, spending my thoughts... instead of just. being. still.

I was so excited about seeing the sun rise this morning. But the feeling I had while actually watching it come up was one I wasn't anticipating. I felt like the world just stopped for a few seconds, like I wasn't worrying about anything or rushing to do anything. Like I could just sit there in awe of what was happening, in awe of my Creator, rejoicing in the knowledge that He wanted to meet me there this morning. And thankful that He still pursues me through small moments like that in the midst of my busyness and rushing around.

I realize this post is a little heavier than usual, but it was on my heart, so I wanted to share it. And I encourage you to pause and just listen. God broke through to me this morning and reminded me who He is, and tonight I'm feeling calmer and more at peace than I have in a long time.

2 Breaths & 30 Compressions

I'm CPR/AED Certified now! We held a certification course today at the box, it was quite fun, and we got to practice on dummies just like The Office crew did in that amaaazing episode. Haven't seen it? View a clip. Or two. Hands-down one of my favorite episodes ever. And the intro is the one where Dwight makes the little trash-can fire and traps everyone in the office. People are throwing chairs and miscellaneous office machines through the window to escape, Angela is pulling her cats out of drawers to save them... SO FUNNY. But I digress... thanks to our fabulous course and great instructor, ACF athletes can now rest assured that if they go into cardiac arrest, choke on beef jerkey, or have a stroke, a CPR-certified coach will come to their rescue!

MEOW

Poor lil kitty!



"Wee-wee pads"?!?! Hilarious. She's a good kitty though, and she's got skillz - she even caught a cat one time.

What is it with Mobile, Alabama, and its crazy news stories?! Obv I'm referring to the leprechaun, one of my all-time fave youtube vids...

Quick Question

For realz??

Cheating

We're in Week 2 of the "I Am CrossFit" Challenge, and for the most part, I'm doing quite well. I've lost a pound, am feeling a little tighter and even got a couple comments on my "toned" arms yesterday! YES!!!

Food wise, I haven't really cheated... unless you count the mac and cheese from Smoque I might have nibbled on at my church picnic on Sunday afternoon... But honestly? In 9 days? When you're used to eating however you want, whenever you want?? I'd say that one little mac and cheese incident isn't worth fretting about. I could have done much more damage in 9 days time.

Now, tonight I got to thinking. If I could cheat right now, if I really wanted to cheat right now, what would I cheat with? There was what seemed like a banquet table-full of food choices that came to mind, but a few things rose to the top for sure...

First up, the Quattro Staggioni pizza from Quartino. Artichokes! Roasted red pepper! Mushrooms! Zucchini! All on top of a thin, delicious crust!!!! Oh my goodness, it is so good yall. If you've had it, you know. If you haven't, go. Now. (PS, Quartino also has half-priced wine bottles when you get them to go!)

Second, strawberry cheesecake ice cream from Windy City Sweets. Now, if you recall, this was my indulgence of choice after "the incident" so apparently it's my go-to for self-pity. It has real strawberry tracks. And chunks of graham cracker crust. I think my mouth... yeah... my mouth just started watering.

Third, peanut and peanut butter M&Ms. Alternating, of course. And they count as one food since they're basically the same thing. No picture or description needed - obviously - because they're amazing.

Fourth choice, stromboli. This is a family recipe that my mom taught me to make years ago. It's pepperoni and ham rolled up in cheesy, bready goodness. It's a boyfriend-pleaser too, which is always nice. Here's a pic... not the best one, but you get the idea, and I bet you want me to make it for you.

Last, but most certainly not least, I would want a huge brownie. Nothing special, just the kind that you make from a Betty Crocker mix. It would still be a little bit gooey, and I would want ice cream piled up on top of it (specifically Edy's Slow-Churned French Silk). YUMMMM! Either that or about 3 Skillet Cookies from Gaslight.

Now if only all my favorite "Cheats" existed in some form of Paleo form, that would be awesome. If anyone has ideas on that, let me know. And feel free to share what YOU'D eat to cheat.

All the single... ladies?

Someone at my old gym (Fitness Formula on Halsted St.) took this video of a dude - gay fo' sho - doing the "Single Ladies" dance mid treadmill workout. Man am I sorry I missed it.

Nutrition Lecture @ Atlas

Everyone is invited to tomorrow night's Nutrition Lecture here at Atlas, which will cover the basics of both the Paleo and Zone lifestyles. The lecture starts at 6:30 and will be led by Jen. Jen's SUPER knowledgeable when it comes to food and nutrition, and loves sharing that knowledge with people who are eager to learn. I'm a huge nerd for this stuff, and can't wait for tomorrow night!

Proof that food can be delicious AND healthy!

THIS website is one of my favorites. It's a great resource for recipes and food info, including a great little blurb on Splenda yesterday. Very timely, since Jen and I both decided (independently) to give it up.


Today's recipe caught my eye because of the drool-inducing photo. Are those lamb kabobs gorgeous or what!? I'd love to cook those up at some point this weekend... Maria (author of Dialed-In) says they're delicious, and I definitely believe her. I'm seriously licking my chops right now.

Back in the Windy City

I got back from my 10-day trip yesterday afternoon, and am ready to hit the ground running. A quick recap...

The Level 1 cert was amazing. I felt like such a dork, being totally high on CrossFit and ready to conquer the world one squat at a time. The coaches/instructors were amazing, I made some great CrossFit friends from all over the world, and I learned so much more than I thought I would. Highlights include winning the team WOD (team Fran) with my six-girl powerhouse, perfecting my "active shoulders," meeting CrossFit celebs and of course, receiving my Level 1 Instructor certificate after acing my test. If any of you have the opportunity to attend a Level 1 cert, I highly recommend it.

The Kids Cert was also quite the experience. In addition to learning coaching cues for kids - like Oompa Loompa, "angry gorilla" and Superman - we got to watch Preschool, Kids and Teens classes. Those kids move better than a lot of adults I've seen; they're just so fluid, flexible and confident. Seeing a 3-year-old girl squat, a 7-year-old boy do 24" box jumps and 16-year-old dude do rep after rep of 155# squat cleans is nothing short of amazing (and entertaining). I'm so excited to recruit kids and train them up to be amazing CrossFitters. So, if you know of any kids ages 3-18, send them my way!

Wedding weekend was absolutely amazing. Action-packed and crazy, but amazing. I'm so happy for my sister... she's now married to her best friend, and I couldn't be more excited to see how her future unfolds with Patrick. I'm also a little jealous, as they're honeymooning at Zoetry in the Dominican Republic right now. I've been a bit sleep-deprived for the past 10 days, and laying on a beach sounds like heaven. Then again, it's really good to be back in Chicago and back at Atlas. I don't think I've ever said that about a job before, but I honestly love working here and spending my day with such fun, passionate and driven people.

Update on the Zone... I was really good and strict until I got to Memphis. Then it was time for a bachelorette party, bridesmaid luncheon, rehearsal dinner, reception and celebratory brunch, all of which included amazing food that definitely exceeded my daily block allowance. My favorite foods of the weekend were: the rehearsal dinner steak that melted in my mouth, a veggie salad that we had at the bridesmaid luncheon (pretty sure I can make this recipe Zone-friendly) and of course, wedding cake. Allie had a strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting that was A-MA-ZING. We had the leftover cake at my parents house, so I might have had a little for breakfast Sunday, snack Sunday and breakfast Monday. I have a weakness for sweets, especially cake. I am admitting this only to stay accountable to my readers (which is probably just Jen at this point), and to show you that it's okay to cheat. I knew that I had a big food weekend coming up, so in preparation, I was very strict and stuck to my block plan. And now that the weekend is over, I'm back on that plan, and anxious to feel as good as I felt before the wedding.

Pictures from California and the wedding to come...

Getting Cert'd

I'm in southern Cali until Wednesday getting my Level 1 and CFKids certs. I'm so excited! Today is day 1 (of 4), though I got in yesterday morning and was able to spend some time cruisin around the San Diego area and laying on the beach in La Jolla. I also found a couple houses that I'd like to have. Not buy - because I probably can't afford them yet - but if someone wants to give them to me, that would be perfect.

My certifications are at CrossFit Brand X in Ramona, about 45 minutes west, so I've got a nice little drive ahead of me. Then it's off to Corona Del Mar to hook up with Jen for a relaxing night in our house on the beach!

I lost count...

I can't remember how many days I've been Zoning, but I maaaay have fallen off the wagon this weekend. I had a bit of an "incident" at the Spartan 300 on Saturday...


I fell off a 7-foot pull-up bar, landing on my head/neck/back. I was immobile for a couple hours, but after spending the afternoon/evening at Northwestern, I left with nothing but a "head trauma" diagnosis and prescription for Vicodin. Close call. Luckily, I had Jen and Terry to keep me company (and take this awesome staff pic) at the hospital.

Later in the evening, I probably had about 67 blocks of carbs in the form of D'Agostino's pepperoni and onion pizza and Windy City Sweet's strawberry cheesecake ice cream. I guess I felt entitled.

With only 10 days until my sister's wedding, I'm back to strict Zone. Breakfast this morning was an egg and six almonds with a giant iced coffee (free/no blocks!). Snack was a delicious Paleo Cacao Nib Cookie from sweet Kelly (of "Kelly and Eman"). Lunch was Cajun turkey, an apple and almond butter with flax seed.

In other news, I overheard this conversation while having my vitals checked in the ambulance on Saturday:

Woman Paramedic: I felt out of shape when I woke up this morning, but now I feel even worse about myself. Did you SEE those people in there??
Man Paramedic: Yeah, I don't know what was going on...

They had just seen all the ACF coaches after the Spartan 300, sweaty, shirtless and totally ripped. I might have been halfway passed out, but I was one proud GM.

Day 3

Today I was right on the money! Check it out...

8:00am:
- Muscle Milk: 3B Protein, 1B Carbs, 3B Fat
- Apple: 2B Carbs

10:45am:
- 2 Eggs: 2B Protein
- 1cup Broccoli: 1B Carbs
- 12 Almonds: 4B Fat

1:10pm:
- Ground Beef and Broccoli: 2.5B Protein, .5B Carbs
- 1/2 Avocado: 4B Fat

3:30pm:
- Muscle Milk: 3B Protein, 1B Carbs, 3B Fat
- Peach: 1B Carbs

6-9pm (Happy Hour(s) at Citizen with fellow ACF'ers - SO FUN!):
- Grilled Chicken Strips: 4B Protein
- 5tbs Guacamole: 10B Fat
- 3 Glasses Pinot Gris: 3B Carbs

Total blocks for the day:
Protein: 14.5B
Carbs: 9.5B
Fat: 24B

Highlight of the day: 3 glasses of Pinot Gris. And that guacamole! SO GOOD! That's a great snack option, since Citizen is right across the street from ACF...

Lowlight of the day: raw broccoli at 10:45. You would've thought I was a toddler. I hate raw broccoli. I gagged all the way through it, but I did it. And Jen actually said while I was eating it, "maybe you'll start liking it!" Umm, no.

Day 2

It's the second day and I'm a little tired of avocado already. I need some new fats. Anyway, here's what I ate today:

8:00am:
- Chocolate Muscle Milk Light Smoothie: 3B Protein, 1B Carbs, 3B Fat (I discovered today that Muscle Milk has 5g fat, which equates to about 3B)
- Apple: 2B Carbs

10:40am:
- 1cup Carrots: 1B Carbs
- 2 Eggs: 2B Protein
- 12 Almonds: 4B Fat

1:30pm:
- 3oz. Turkey: 3B Protein
- 1/2 Avocado: 4B Fat
- 1cup Strawberries, 1/2cup Blueberries: 2B Carbs
- 12 Almonds: 4B Fat

4:20pm:
- 1 Egg: 1B Protein
- 1/4 Avocado: 2B Fat

7:00pm:
- 3oz. Turkey: 3B Protein
- 3cups Romaine: .5B Carbs
- 1/2cup Tomato: .5B Carbs
- Larabar: 1B Protein, 7.5B Fat, 3B Carbs

8:45pm:
- Nectarine: 2B Carbs

Total blocks for the day:
Protein: 13B
Carbs: 12B (oops)
Fat: 24.5B

I was closer to my goal numbers today (14B Protein, 10B Carbs, 28B Fat), but went over on Carbs. I couldn't help it. I really needed that nectarine because I was at Bridget McNeill's playing trivia and didn't want to eat the complimentary popcorn. So, I think in the grand scheme of the day, that nectarine was an ok choice.

In the Zone

Today marks day 1 of something I never, EVER thought I'd do... the ZONE diet! If you know me at all, you know that I. Love. Food. LOVE IT. So "diet" isn't really a word that exists in my vocabulary. However, I'm a pretty healthy eater, have been 70% paleo for the past 6-ish months, and only indulge in the occasional cupcake, or brownie batter, or mini Snickers, or package of dried pineapple... With it being summer and sister's wedding being only 25 days away, I decided to kick it up a notch and take Jen up on her offer to be my Zone partner for the next few weeks.

I should say that I knew NOTHING about Zone this morning, except that Jennifer Aniston does it and looks amazing, you measure your food and count out your portions in "blocks." But Jen (my Jen, not Aniston) is super knowledgeable when it comes to food and nutrition, so she immediately started imparting that knowledge on me when I walked in the door this morning. The math goes like this:

7 grams of protein = 1 protein block
9 grams of carbohydrates = 1 carb block
1.5 grams of fat = 1 fat block

Being a small/medium female who exercises a ton, I get to have 14 protein blocks, 12 carb blocks and 28 fat blocks every day. (Side note: that 28 sounds like a ton of deliciousness, til you hear that a measly THREE almonds equal one fat block.) There are a couple key things to remember as you eat throughout the day:

1. After exercising, eat a balance of protein and carbs with very little to no fat. After all, your body absorbs everything you eat right after you work out, and you don't want it absorbing that fat, do you? Fat is for other times during the day, when your body can use it as energy (not recover off it).
2. Measurements of food are not equal. They are assigned their block value based on the effect they have on your insulin levels. Por ejemplo, 1/3 of a banana equals 1 block while 1 cup of strawberries also equals 1 block. That's because the banana will raise your insulin levels much more than a strawberry will, so you are allowed less of it. I'd rather have that cup of strawberries because it's more food!
3. Meals should be comprised of equal protein and carbs, and 3x the protein in fat.
4. This website has tons of good Zone information, block assignments and meal plans, which sound quite delicious!

There's a lot of thinking (math too), but I like to think of it as this fun little game so that it doesn't seem as "diety" to me. And truth is, you get to eat a lot! My snacks/meals filled me up so quickly today! Here's what I ate (B = Blocks):

8:00am (post workout):
- Chocolate Muscle Milk Light Smoothie: 3B Protein, 1B Carbs
- Apple: 2B Carbs

10:50am:
- Spinach/Strawberry/Blueberry Smoothie (sounds/looks SICK but is SO GOOD!): 2.5B Carbs
- 2 Eggs, 1 Egg White: 2.5B Protein
- 1/2 Avocado: 4B Fat

1:50pm (post sprints):
- Chocolate Protein Shake/Whole Milk/Protein Powder/Strawberry Smoothie: 3B Protein, 1.5B Carbs, .5B Fat
- Strawberries: .5B Carbs

6:15pm:
- 5 oz. Tuna with 2/3 tsp. Light Olive Oil Mayo: 5B Protein, 2B Fat
- 1 Avocado: 8B Fat
- 24 Almonds: 8B Fat
- 1 Nectarine: 1B Carbs

Total blocks for the day:
Protein: 13.5B
Carbs: 8.5B
Fat: 22.5B

Here is my lovely dinner... looks like a lot of food right? It filled me up quickly... I actually ate it over the course of about 30 minutes.


I'm about 2 hours from going to bed (those sprints WORE ME OUT!), and I'm feeling pretty good. Don't get me wrong, I was famished by dinnertime. But supposedly, you and your stomach get used to the portions. And, keeping Jennifer Aniston in mind helps. She eats like this, so surely I'll have her skin/body/a** in a month or two, right??