Dairy Free - Another Day...

Look what has appeared back in my refrigerator (after being absent for only a few days!!)
I cut grains from my diet. I've been following Paleo / LC quite well in the past few months. So I thought I'd cut dairy too. Well, I think I needed a better plan before embarking on such a large elimination.

Here is the problem with eliminating dairy for me: Breakfast. For quite some time now I enjoy Greek yogurt with ground flax seed and a bit of fruit or imitation honey (xylitol sweetened). And in my coffee, a splash of cream. This makes for a perfect breakfast for my taste buds, and it keeps my carb intake in a very reasonable area. I am not *yet* a bacon and eggs breakfast fan.

My idea to eliminate dairy came on the heels of the discovery that there was such a thing as coconut yogurt and coconut creamer. Unfortunately, the kinds that are sold in stores at the moment have very little fat, and the yogurt isn't Greek style, so they are thin, wimpy and watery. Not to mention most varieties are packed with sugar. So I figured, I'll make my own coconut yogur! I researched and studied, and bought a yogurt machine. I cooked up my coconut milk, added my starter, some gelatin to thicken it up and stuck it in the machine. The end result of this first experiment was simply awful. Gritty thick white paste that was floating on the top of some gross looking liquid. I know one issue was that it 'cooked' too long. As for the gritty texture - who knows. But I'm not giving up!
In the meantime, I will continue to eat dairy, because without it I find I am craving like a little carb-fiend again. If something was working for me, I need to stick with it.
Baby steps!! Argh.

BOD POD = humble pie

I had a BOD POD test today at Bod Pod Atlanta. I'm still having trouble comprehending how a pressurized chamber of air can differentiate between fat, bones, muscle, water, etc... but hell, the thing looks space-agey so it must be good. Oh and the NFL uses this thing, so that's good for something right?

It was dry, compared to the dunk tank/hydrostatic testing, and as a result much quicker. Simple and painless is a good way to describe my overall experience, other than coming to terms with the results. I'm just going to zen myself out of worrying about the specific numbers for now, and give myself credit for:

• Eliminating grains, which I believe allowed me to exercise again. No more hamstring pain (among other issues)!
• Cutting out dairy. Today was the first day, but my chronic throat-clearing was almost non-existent all day
  
• Actively working on my fitness. CrossFit 3x per week was my goal. Slow and steady, small goals.
  
• Incorporating some balance into my life. It's not just work all the time
  

And now, the results:

I'm 40
5'4"
body fat: 34.4%
fat free mass: 65.6%
fat mass: 58.981 lb
fat free mass: 112.381%
body mass: 171.62 lb
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) kcal/day: 1423

So, I may set a goal based on these numbers. I have to ponder on that some more.

Why so tired? Filthy Fifty!

Today's workout was a mind trip. I had a rough start, because the first thing we had to do was box jumps. For some reason I had a mental block and could not jump high enough to make it. I was feeling the pressure of getting started (I was holding up Ali) - so I did not do the prescribed height. Well I don't know if it was my mind, or my body, or both - but it took me over 63 minutes to do the workout (Ali did hers in 37 minutes). I don't know why I was feeling so sluggish, but I felt like I was moving in slow motion.
After the workout I went to the grocery store, and got my yogurt and creamer replacements (of the coconut variety). Looks like I might just turn into a coconut! Maybe cutting out the dairy will help me be less sluggish. I'm also experiencing pain in my arms and hands at night - but this could be a) mental, b) soreness from Friday??, c) some allergic whoknowswhat. Sigh.
Although I was not pleased with my state today, I did make sure to focus on maintaining good form with full range of motion throughout. So I am happy for that!

Filthy Fifty
For time:
50 Box jump (24" box - I think I did 18"?)
50 Jumping Pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings (26#)
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press (W:35#)
50 Good Mornings (W:35#)
50 Wall ball shots (W:14#)
50 Burpees
50 Double unders (sub 250 single unders - AKA jump rope)

How will I do without dairy?

Honestly, Greek yogurt has become such a staple for me... sigh. Is there any replacement that will be suitable? Pomegranate, Greek yogurt and a touch of sweetener...

Wokka Wokka!

I bought an $8 wok yesterday at Ikea. It is my new favorite thing! It's so quick and easy to throw together a stir-fry with primal ingredients. I often use eggs, cracking them in towards the end or cooking up some meat for the fry. It's so easy to experiment with different veggies and seasonings.
What a great item. What a difference from using a large frying pan. All the ingredients actually fit (raw bok choy, spinach, and other greens are so big to start), and slide nicely to the center as I cook. Fun!
I created a large, hot and very satisfying meal including food prep and cleanup and eating the meal in less than 30 minutes. Next week I'm going to pre wash and chop certain veggies so I have an easy selection of ingredients to toss into the stir-fry or a big salad (like Mark Sisson's 2 minute salad).

Yesterday's workout was the CrossFit Total. It was time consuming because I was new to the workout and had to experiment a lot with weights. Next time I'll have a good start point, which is where I left off! Ali was excited that I "made it on the board" - which I plan to learn all about sometime in the future (hee hee!). I'm just so proud of myself for getting healthier at this point, I don't care much about times and competitive results. One day, maybe I will.

CrossFit Total
Heidi: 155(PR) + 85 + 185 = 425
Back Squat -155
Shoulder Press - 85
Dead Lift - 185

Pigeon Toed Squats?

When I was a kid, I had to wear leg braces during the day, and shoes with a metal bar that forced my feet outwards in bed at night to help "cure" my pigeon toedness. These were not pleasant contraptions and ultimately made zero improvement. My parents eventually took me to see an orthopedic surgeon for x-rays and to see if there was a surgical remedy, and there was: to cut the femur and reposition my legs, because my hips were turned so far inward. Thank GOD my parents passed on that option!

Fortunately, my condition never really bothered me - and thankfully, I wasn't teased much about the braces either. As an adult, my condition turned out to be a benefit for martial arts, helping with my turning round and swing kicks.
Today I ran into an exercise that brought the condition back on the radar for me: Overhead Squats. These were really tough! I was all over the place - my right knee wanted to move inwards, and my right heel wanted to lift off the ground when I had toes out. Or I'd lose my balance. Of course the upper body and core work was challenging too.
Could the fact that my hips are turned in more so than most people mean that I need to have a modified foot position? I'm still not sure.
Jeff suggested this notion long ago. It would make sense that the muscles and ligaments connect in such a way that pointing my toes out would twist them into an unnatural position.

After the workout Mike and I looked at some different foot positions for me, and one issue is my knees weren't tracking over my toes. When I did this, there was a marked improvement. Also, when I tried to keep my upper body perpendicular to the ground I'd fall off balance. Leaning forward (but still keeping the lumbar curve). I also recognize that my muscles are just not accustomed to this type of skill, so there are certainly flexibility and muscle weakness issues at play too. I did find an interesting thread in the CrossFit Discussion Boards about Toe Positioning For Squats.

WOD
Five rounds for time (35:02 - this is by far my longest workout! I was tired today....)
95 pound Snatch, 3 reps (I did baby bar)
95 pound Overhead squat, 15 reps (baby bar)
Run 400 meters