Tales from the Gym--Welcome to the 21st Century

I can't believe I hadn't blogged this already.

So.  I went to the gym two weeks ago and threw my back out.  I do remember blogging that.  What I didn't blog was my conversation a week later.

I saw Nike (my fav female personal trainer) talking with Dan (my fav male personal trainer) and one other guy (turns out it was Chris, the PT Director).  I wanted to let her know that my back was healing, but my new chiro had put me off heavy squats and, presumably, dead lifts for now.

Dan frowned at the news.  Nike was surprised, but understood....and Chris?  Chris said, "That's good.  You're a girl and shouldn't be lifting like that, anyway."

Dan and Nike split.  Had I not been standing in LA Fitness, I would have verbal assaulted him and, likely, kicked him quite hard.  There are no words for his chauvinistic attitude, nor is there any excuse.

I've since taken up dumbbell training which is going very well.  I've had more DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) with dumbbell training than I ever had with barbell.  Dumbbells are also humbling.  I never knew that 10lbs could be so heavy when doing curls.  I'm hoping to, someday, be doing curls with 25lbs.  Maybe higher.  We'll see.

In the meantime, I leave you with this awesome inspiration: 

St. Paddy's Day Dinner

I love traditional foods.  Let me rephrase: I love ethnic and ethnically traditional foods.  I do understand that corned beef is not traditionally Irish (they usually eat pork), but I also know that the Irish don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day, either, so I don't care.

Since I've switched my diet to a Paleo/Primal lifestyle, I have found cooking to be so much more enjoyable.  I enjoy the scents, the flavors, the experimentation...  It's all fun for me.

Last weekend at our local farmers' market, the husbeast and I scored a grass-fed, 1.24lb buffalo brisket for about $20.  We decided to use this meat for our corned beef and cabbage dish for St. Patrick's Day.  

It was an amazing choice.  Using the recipe at Paleo Effect, this brisket was, hands down, amazaballs good.  The veggies weren't bad either, but the meat was amazing.  I may try to find a venison brisket next year.

 Browning the brisket....

 Cover with beef broth & water--at least 2" over the meat to make sure it doesn't dry out.  Add in the spices....

 Bring to a boil!

 Add the veggies!!!!  (Not pictured, the mutant parsnips)

 Beginnings of  paleo Irish Soda Bread....

 The buffalo brisket....aka, CORNED BUFF'LO!

 The lovely, lovely veggies....parsnips, carrots, onions, and cabbage....

 This is an Irish Car Bomb.  Sorta.  It's actually nothing like a car bomb, and everything you should see if you consider using chilled, 2-year-old Bailey's....  It's definitely a bomb, though...

 The final spread.... clockwise:

Paleo Irish Soda Bread
Cabbage, parsnips, carrots, & onions
Corned buff'lo brisket.













I think tonight's dinner was hugely successful.  I have a dessert I want to make, but...not tonight.  The Jameson's will have to wait to be mixed into icing....for Black Velvet cup cakes....

New Beginnings...Now with Mutations!

I went in for my report of findings today from my chiropractor.

I discovered that the previous six years of chiropractic have made a significant difference.  But, I also learned something new about my body.

I.  Am a Mutant.

That part's actually pretty obvious given I'm a red head (genetic mutation).  What isn't obvious is the fact that I have a prehensile, internally vestigial, L6 vertebra.  

For those of you who don't know anatomy and physiology, the average human has 5 lumbar vertebrae.  

I have 6.  Six.  Plus, I have a twisted pelvis and slight scoliosis.  If my spine were completely straight, I'd probably be 5'6" or 5'7"...seriously.

So, because I have the beginnings of arthritis in my spine, slight scoliosis, and the L6...I'm not allowed to do heavy squats.  I didn't happen to mention my deadlifts, so I'm assuming I'm probably not supposed to do those, either.  At least for now.

So...dumbbells it is!  ...and a note to the Personal Training Director that when someone says, "This is hurting me," to stop and ask questions rather than say, "You just need a stronger core."

I need one less vertebra, dumb ass.

Tales from the Gym - Ouch

Yesterday was the first time I'd worked out since Friday last week.  Why?  Because my insomnia has hit (more like slammed) me head on.  But, I have goals and such and I want to make them, so I dragged my butt to the gym.  I always feel better, right?

Yeah, no.

I was in the bottom of my first 175# squat of the day when I felt my back slip and a sharp pain hit.  Thinking I'd done something wrong with my form, I went to the top, reset my position and went back down.  At the bottom of this squat, I felt and heard a POP! Not a snap, not a crack, a POP.  It was at this moment that I realized my back had tried to politely tell me it was bored and hadn't gone out for a while; the POP was the door slamming as my back went out without me.  I'm sure there's a BRB sign somewhere....

I finished the workout, anyway.

My back hurt so much I was nearly in tears.  I decided to try a new chiropractor since the current one isn't working for me (in a very literal sense).  I got the oddest look from the nurse practitioner when I said I was at the bottom of a 175# squat.  Almost as if she were saying, "Girls shouldn't be lifting that kind of weight."  I almost dared her to tell me that....  I was ready.  But, she didn't.

So, needless to say, I shan't be doing deadlifts tomorrow...or barbell squats.  I think I will likely be switching to dumbbells and doing a full body routine...we'll see if sit ups are possible.  Hope so...need to do 'em!

Milestones 2013

I am still obsessed with my weight and the scales.  But it's a good obsession, I think.  I'm excited to see my progress.

After ten years of struggling with my weight, I'm finally below 160#.  My measurements are close to my first goal (after I hit it, we'll see if I should cut down even more).  Currently, 38-31-37.5.  I think 38-28-36 is reasonable.  If I like how I look there, I'll stay there...otherwise, I may try for 38-28-34; we'll see.

Just a quick update...that's all. :)

Eyes on the Prize: Superheroine Updates

So, Memorial Day weekend is our next gaming convention and it is my goal to be spandex-ready.  

Why spandex?  Because if left to my own devices, I will theme everything with super heroes.  I needed an idea--a theme, if you will--for the Charity benefit on May 24th (Friday night of Gamex).  Super heroes seemed a good one, so I decided to cosplay Zatanna for this event.

Fosse!

But that meant I needed some cosplays for the other two days, as well.  What better way to challenge yourself to get into good physical shape than by playing super heroes!  So, next on my list is Mystique...but, with a twist.  Rather than walk around virtually naked like Rebecca Rajimon, I thought I'd do a more classic Mystique.  I remember in some of the cartoons, they would draw Mystique as her shape-shifted person (so, full costume of whomever she was), but either leave her skin and hair OR keep her yellow eyes so young viewers (such as moi) didn't get confused.  Therefore, I'll be cosplaying Mystique.... as Emma Frost.

 

 

 

 

 

Smexy!

Now, just one more.  Who could I do?  Rogue?  She's my ultimate.  I need to play her soon, but I'm just so...afraid.  Plus, I really need a Gambit to play off of.  I'm taking applications for a sexy Creole with snappy playing cards.  So, I thought about what got me into super hero cosplay and I knew who I had to play.  For 6 years, I played a game called City of Heroes.  It was uncerimoniously closed in November of 2012.  What better homage to my friends who created the characters than to cosplay one of the cannon gals, Sister Psyche.

R.I.P.  You were the 2nd to die...and then they killed them all.

To that end, I thought I'd just give a quick update on my progress, post-Whole30 number 1!  My measurements are down, again!  Not much, but hey, it's still progress!!

Bust: 38" (Think this is stuck here, now)
Waist: 31.5"
Abdomen: 36"
Hips: 37.5"

My goals are as follows:
Bust: 38"
Waist: 28"
Abdomen: 32"
Hips: 36"

Once I hit those, we'll see how I look and feel and if I want to decrease any of them.  I think those are pretty healthy numbers and pretty attainable and maintainable numbers, as well.

Whole30 Program - The Progress Shots

Here they are. The horrifying, terrifying... PROGRESS SHOTS...

You remember these, right?

Whole30 - Day 1, 173lbs

Whole30 - Day 1, 173lbs

Fortunately, so do I... And I hate these pictures.  Can you believe I actually thought I was doing okay looking like this??  Yeah, me either.  

But, this was then and these are now...

Whole30 - Day 30, 161lbs

Whole30 - Day 30, 161lbs

Not that I'm knocking people dead with how I am now; I still want to lose another 10lbs or so....but, srsly. I can have pineapple. I'm pretty okay with this!

Weekend Cooking - Fritatta Recipe

Since my discovery that I can have pineapple, I'm making sure to keep up with my Paleo lifestyle.  Pineapple is delicious and I will have it as much as I can.  I need to make up for 35 years of not being able to!

March 3 was also my spiritual birthday!  Just like my tattoo says, March 3, 1982.  I was 4.  Best decision, EVER!

(this is freshly done)

Sunday had an epic meal plan for dinner: Bacon-crusted meatloaf; creamy, spicy collards; and pineapple upside down cake.  My husband was impressed with my pineapple upside down cake, even though I used the wrong pan.  It was an awesome first attempt.

Now!  Breakfast Saturday was fun.  I wanted to make something tasty that would be filling and feed all three of us...so, I made a fritatta.  Usually, I follow strict recipes on making fritattas, but no one seems to ever want to use tomatillos in anything other than puree sauces with avocado (which sounds amazing, don't get me wrong).  Here's what I did.

Ingredients
4 tomatillos (sm/med), large dice
3 strips of thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
1/2 onion
2T minced garlic
1/4c coconut milk
6 eggs
bunch cilantro, chopped (optional)
1/4c feta cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400* and make sure you use an oven-safe skillet.

Start by dicing your onion and sauteing it in the oil of your choice (olive or coconut...I used olive oil).  This will take approximately 7 minutes; during this time, dice your tomatillos. Once the onions are mostly translucent, toss in your garlic and saute until aromatic (so, about 30 seconds).  Add the tomatillos and saute for a few minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the diced bacon, coconut milk, and eggs.  Whisk to a smooth, satiny texture, then poor the mixture over your veggies.  Let the mixture cook on the stove top for about 5 minutes, or until eggs set up.  Sprinkle the feta (if using) on top and stick in the oven.  After 20 minutes, take the mix out and sprinkle with cilantro.  Put it back in for another 5 minutes.  Remove from oven, crank to broil, and stick it under the broiler for about 1 minute.  Cut into your preferred serving size and enjoy!  Use some salsa for a little bit of an added kick.

Please note: cooking times vary and a lot of this is approximation.  When I create recipes, I don't tend to measure...just eyeball it.  I'm terrible, I know.

Anniversary Weekend Plans

My anniversary is April 6.  As part of a New Year's challenge, we've decided to *do* something once a month.  Whether it's go to a museum, travel to Solvang, or take a trip to the moon, we're spending time out of the house and enjoying life.

This month, we're going to the Comedy & Magic Club to see Jay Leno.  I'm very excited about this.  I love Jay Leno and have wanted to see him for a very long time.  I just need to figure out what to wear!  Maybe a small shopping trip is in order...

NEXT month.  April.  The first weekend (the Anniversary), we're going to pack up and drive out to Joshua Tree where Ken's family has a small shack/cabin.  It needs some work, but, we're really just going to get away.  Taking bikes; taking hiking shoes.  I sent him a link for a Paleo brunch and I'm thinking there's enough food in that menu that it would last us the two or three days we'd need food!

Here's the list.  The mimosas must happen.  They must happen every week.  I really think this would be awesome over a potbellied stove!

What do you think??

Maybe these awesome pancakes?  I'm just excited to be going and excited to have bikes this time!!!

Day 30 - The Whole30

I know I did my recap of the program before I posted my food log for yesterday, but hey!  I was excited!  Today, I'm wearing jeans I've not worn in a long time.  They need hemmed.

So, yesterday's food was ... well...

RECAP

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 4 strips of bacon, and 2 slices of back bacon

Lunch: homemade meat sauce (which was like a chili), a banana and coffee...and more coffee.

Snack: 3 or 4T of peanut butter and a banana

Dinner: Pina Colada Chicken with three pina coladas!  I'm so excited about being able to eat pineapple!!!

So, that's it, really.  I'll get the "after" pictures today and get them posted.  I'm sure there's a drastic difference.

My goal is to keep this blog updated, but I have issues with remembering (clearly).  If I don't update it again, I will in April!!
 

The Whole30 Recap

Today is Day 30 of my Whole30 challenge.  I'll do a recap later for what today's foods were, but for now, I want to share the awesomeness of the success.

When I started, these were my numbers:

Weight: 172.3
Bust: 39"
Waist: 33"
Abdomen: 39"
Hips: 40" 

Roughly.  There was up to an inch variance depending on time of day and tape measure used...and whether or not I could breathe.

As of this morning, my numbers are:

Weight: 161.4
Bust: 38"
Waist: 31.5"
Abdomen: 36"
Hips: 38"

...and I can breathe when I take the measurements. 

Not to mention, I feel amazing.  I feel healthier, stronger, clearer.  I still have a raging case of ADOS... (Attention Defici---oooh, sparkly!), some anxiety/panic attacks, and seasonal allergies.  BUT!  I have lost my allergy to pineapple and kept off my allergy to iodine!  So, yay!

Ultimately, I'd like to lose another 10lbs or so and see if I can drop those numbers to 38-28-36.  My first goal was to get my hips to 38"....SUCCESS!  Now, to get the other number for my waist to cooperate... :D 

I'll do another Whole30 challenge in April, just to make sure I'm super hero ready come Memorial Day for Gamex.