Paleo Detox Diet: Day 3 - Sympathy for the Devil

Temptation is the devil looking through the keyhole. 

Yielding is opening the door and inviting him in.

-Billy Sunday

The Sin, Enkel Dika

6:10 AM

I wake up before my alarm goes off to the gentle and soothing sound of birds chirping outside my window. I toss around for ten more minutes before rolling out of bed to stretch and get myself going. 

6:45 AM

Head outside hit up the apartment gym. Brrr - this freezing weather makes me wish I was back in bed, wrapped up in my big, fluffy comforter.

Once I reach the gym, I do a circuit of sprints, walking at 15% incline, and weight training for 25 minutes. 

Calories Burned: 200

7:15 AM

I feel surprisingly energetic and refreshed, considering the awful state I was in yesterday. This whole concept of AM work outs is starting to grow on me.

I realize that in my exhaustion-induced stupor last night, I forgot to prepare any food for today - no de-thawed/marinated meat or chopped veggies. On top of that, my roommates are both running around the kitchen, and jumping in the middle seems like jumping into a pack of lions all fighting over a piece of meat. I don't want to stress about being late, so I just quickly make my smoothie and pack some almond butter and decide to buy lunch today. Could be a horrible idea, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. 

Paleo Detox Diet: Day 2 - Sweet Nothing

Without a struggle, there can be no progress.

-Frederick Douglass

6:15 AM

The unwelcome sound of a rooster crowing jerks me out of pleasant sleep, and it takes me a second to recognize that it's just my phone's alarm. I feel exhausted, so I convince myself that five more minutes of sleep will be beneficial and hit Snooze. 

7:50 AM

I open my eyes and am greeted by bright sunlight. Unusual...

Then, the realization settles in that I hit Dismiss, not Snooze on my alarm - and now it's time to panic. 

Good Morning, Protein!

8:05 AM

After a quick shower, I hustle to get my meals together for the day - protein berry smoothie, celery and almond butter, strawberry & salmon salad, and deviled eggs from last night. I'm mad at myself for sleeping in and missing my AM workout, but I make a promise that I will make it up later. It's the least of my worries, since I'm so behind in schedule.

8:20 AM

Run out the door make-up free and hair up. Today will be one of those days where I just avoid mirrors (ignorance is bliss). 

Paleo Detox Diet: Day 1 - Rise & Shine

The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.

 - Mark Caine

6:15 AM
As my alarm goes off, my immediate reaction is...Nooooo. Curse you, Daylight Savings Time!

6:30 AM
Hit the treadmill at the gym in our apartment complex. Alternate between walking and jogging at varied inclines for 20 minutes. End with a 5 minute ab circuit. 
Calories Burned: 185

7:00 AM
Prep my lunch for the day. Grilled (using a stove-top grill pan) chicken breast over a bed of romaine, spinach, parsley, and chopped veggies. Cut up 2 stalks of celery and pack them with 1 tbsp. of crunch almond butter. 
Blend up berries, coconut water, and egg white protein powder and toss into a 16 oz. water bottle.

Paleo Detox Diet: Day 0 - Prepare to be Cleansed

Oh, New Orleans. There is no trouble that you won't find, no concept of day and night, and no vegetable that hasn't been battered and deep fried. Basically - Bourbon Street is like Disneyland for adults (and I loved it). But after a week of hurricanes, jambalaya, and good old fried chicken, I fell out of my workout regimen and continued to eat poorly, even after I'd returned to reality. With work being incredibly busy, I put little effort on getting back on track and felt myself getting lazier and lazier by the day (ignorance is bliss). And then came the dreaded moment - hopping on the scale for the first time in weeks. 

The shenanigans one can find on Bourbon Street....

Yikes - the scale revealed I am five pounds over my happy weight. Besides the weight gain, my body just doesn't feel as good as it should - I've been feeling bloated, lethargic, and mentally cloudy for a while now (basically...I feel like crap because I've been eating crap). On top of that, my skin has broken out and looks dull and ashy. There's no question about it: it's time for a detox to reset my life. 

For the next week, I'll be recording everything from my grocery list to my results, and every detail in between - how hungry I am, dealing with temptations, my recipes, etc. - so you can follow my progress (or lack thereof). 

Here's my Paleo Detox Plan...

Fit Tip of the Day: The Most Accurate Way to Calculate Calories Burned From Workouts

Struggling to lose those extra pounds and can't figure out why? It may be due to miscalculating the calories burned during your workouts. Here are the top five reasons you are getting it wrong, and how to more efficiently calculate calories to help you reach your weight loss goals. 

    Reason #1: Your Cardio Equipment Doesn't Know You    

This is where I have noticed the biggest failure in recording calories burned. Cardio equipment - treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, etc. - are going off of some vague factors when calculating the number of calories you've worked off. For those of us who like to create our own cardio circuits (i.e. simply hitting the "Quick Start" button and manually increasing speed, incline, or resistance), the equipment assumes you are 150 lb and returns its value based on that weight. If you weight more than that, you are burning more calories, and if you weigh less, you are burning fewer calories. Of course  there are options to enter in more information about yourself - height, weight, gender, and age. The problem is, the numbers are still inaccurate because the machine does not know your muscle to fat ratio, stride efficiency, or bone structure. Because no two bodies are the same, it is impossible to get an exact calculation and the resulting calculation of calories burned can vary from 15% to 20%. 

More reasons and helpful calculations after the jump!

Diet Tip of the Day: Eating Fast Food on a Paleo Diet

Panera or Burger King? Chinese or Mexican? In the world of fast food, searching for Paleo-friendly options feels like embarking on a quest for buried treasure (that may or may not actually exist).  Paleo is all about fresh ingredients, no preservatives, and all natural ingredients - everything that Fast Food is not - right? Not necessarily. Keep reading for a breakdown of how to eat Paleo when on the go, without spending a fortune, and, most importantly, which options are off the map. Happy hunting!

Diet Tip of the Day: Soy Food Alternatives - Friend or Foe?

The claim that soy-based food alternatives are "healthier" options for us is one of the biggest misconceptions in the food industry. You can't escape soy - it's everywhere. There's the obvious products - soy milk, tofu burgers, vegan cheese, etc. Then there are the less obvious products - basically 90% of the processed foods you buy at the store or eat in a restaurant (especially fast food places- most of them use soybean oil in their food): non-dairy creamers, bread, margarine, frozen meals, canned foods, protein powders and drinks - you can't escape it. 

And the experiment begins!

Hi everyone! This blog initiates the experiment to determine if all those "weight loss" calculations and celebrity diets really work. Here you can find healthy/diet specific recipes, celebrity diets or workout routines, and any interesting diet-related articles/info I come across in my research. I will also be tracking my diet, measurements, and workout routines to determine what works and what doesn't. Thanks for reading!