I’m back! Not only did I go silent for almost two weeks, but I also left you hanging on the results from my 30-day Paleo Challenge.
Let’s cut to the chase and find out where I stand after 30 days of avoiding dairy, grains, legumes and processed sugar – or at least trying to avoid them. I earned myself 20 burpees everytime I broke the rules (damn that rice paper roll and avocado torte!). The burpees were accumulated week after week until the 30th day – March 4th.
CHEAT / BURPEE TALLY:
- Week #1: 2.5 cheats
- Week #2: 7 cheats
- Week #3: 0 cheats
- Week #4: 0.5 cheats
- Total over 30-days: 10 cheats
- Total Punishment: 200 burpees
This Sunday you’re in for a treat…and I am in for one hell of a punishment. You’ll get to observe me (and my guilty conscience) doing 200 god-awful burpees AT ONCE. My husband has graciously offered to record my burpee session (gee, thanks Keith) which I expect will last AT LEAST 25 minutes. I’m feeling sick just from the thought of it!
Now, for some good news. I felt SO AMAZING these 4 weeks – I was the leanest, most energetic, and healthiest (i.e. no bloating or digestive issues) I’ve been in a year…or since the last time I attempted this diet. Why wouldn’t I continue eating this clean for 60 days, 325 days, everyday? Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to do but I am sure as heck going to try!
Here’s one last look at what was on my plate during the final 7 days of the challenge.
My Paleo Menu: Week #4
Saturday, February 25th
Workout:
- Stairmaster – 25 minutes (intervals)
- Rower – 2 minutes (average pace – 2:07)
- Weights – Biceps (3 sets), abs and squats with 8 lb medicine ball (3 sets)
Breakfast:
- One slice of my Seed Loaf (blended mixture of seeds, coconut, banana, apple) – see photo to the right
- Apple
- 2 tbsp almond butter
Lunch:
- 2 eggs, 1/2 avocado, steamed broccoli
Dinner: Takeout from Bahn Thai Restaurant in Burlington (yum!)
- Panang Chicken Curry, Green Curry Chicken, Chinese Vegetable Stirfry (shared with Keith)
Snacks: At my brother & sister-in-laws birthday party. Avoided the chips, popcorn, candy, cake, cookies and excessive drinking (felt SO good not to have a food/alcohol hangover the next morning!)
- Raw veggies (1 cup – celery, carrots, tomatoes)
- Mixed nuts and dried cranberries (1/2 cup)
- 4 organic dried apricots
- Perrier with lime (3 glasses with lime)
- 2 glasses of red wine
- 3 x 800 mls of water
Sunday, February 26th
Workout: Off day
Breakfast:
- Slide of Seed Loaf with tbsp of almond butter
Lunch:
- 4 ounces of Apple Beet Carrot Ginger juice
- Carrot
- About 5 pecans
Dinner:
- Seared scallops (1/2 cup), sautéed swiss chard (2 cups), and king oyster mushrooms (two)
Snacks:
- 5 Beet & Carrot Cake Bites
- 4 glasses of water
Monday, February 27th
Workout:
- Cross Trainer – 27 minutes on (intervals) + 3 sets of situps with ball + 3 sets of push press (15 reps x 15 lbs)
Breakfast:
- Seed Loaf with 1 tbsp almond butter, 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2 Beet & Carrot Cake Bites
Lunch:
- 2 eggs with 1/4 avocado, 2 cups steamed spinach with coconut oil
Dinner:
- Apple
- Spinach salad with mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumber, pumpkin seeds
Snacks:
- 800 mls water x 2
- Bite of Lara Bar
- Frozen raspberries (1/2 cup)
- 3 Beet & Carrot Cake Bites
- 1 dried organic apricot
Tuesday, February 28th
Workout: Um, can’t remember. Maybe CrossFit?
Breakfast:
- 2 Beet & Carrot Cake Bites
- Apple
- Vitamix smoothie: pumpkin seeds, flax seeds (1 tbsp each), almond milk, 1/2 banana and 2 ice cubes
Lunch:
- Curry vegetable stir fry with hardboiled egg (at work)
Dinner:
- Spinach, celery, cucumber, tomato salad
- Sauteed cabbage and sausage (2 bowls)
Snacks:
- 1/4 of “Go Raw” Spirulina Energy Bar
- 3 dried apricots
- 10 nuts (pecans and almonds)
- 4 bottles of water
Wednesday, February 29th
Workout: CrossFit
- Barbara. My time: 39:20. Remember my first attempt at this workout? Dreadful. Thankfully, there was no urge to run to the bathroom and be sick this time.
Breakfast:
- 4 ounces of Beet Carrot Apple Juice
- 1 cup of salad
- 1/4 cup of cabbage with sausage
- Sliver of Sunflower Seed Loaf with 2 tbsp almond butter
Lunch:
- Swiss chard with a small piece of grass-fed beef
Dinner:
- Salad with pumpkin seeds, mushrooms, cucumber
Snacks:
- 5 Beet Carrot Cake Bites
- Tbsp of almond butter
- Tbsp pumpkin seed butter
Friday, March 2nd
Workout: CrossFit
- Backsquat @ 55lbs (5 reps), 65 lbs (5 reps), 80 lbs (5 reps)…I think that’s right anyhow
- For time: 30 wall balls (12 lbs) and 30 kettlebell swings (16 kg)
Breakfast:
- 3 Beet Carrot Cake Bites
- 1/4 of “Go Raw” Spirulina Energy Bar
- Vitamix smoothie: Raspberries, 1/2 banana, almond milk, flax and pumpkin seeds
Lunch:
- Spinach salad with broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, hard-boiled eggs
Snack:
- Apple
- 1/2 Banana
- Bite of a Lara Bar
- About 8 roasted almonds and 4 macadamia nuts
Dinner:
- “Raw Combo” at LIVE Organic Food Bar - Cannelloni, Artichoke Pizza, Walnut Tostada and a few bites of Almond Avocado Torte
- Raw Cashew Cheesecake - a modified (and healthier) version of this which I am DEFINITELY making soon.
Saturday, March 3rd
Workout: CrossFit
- For time: Max burpees in 30 seconds, 15 box jumps (20″), 10 dumbbell snatches per side (25 lbs) – My time: 12:40.
- 4 minutes of tabata rowing (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off x 8 rounds)
Breakfast:
- 3 Beet Carrot Cake Bites
- 1 Tbsp of Pumpkin Seed Butter
- 4 ounces of Beet Carrot Apple Juice
- 1 Tbsp of Almond Butter
Lunch:
- 2 eggs with spinach and avocado
- Cucumber slices
Dinner: Date with my husband at Spring Rolls (A last minute and convenient decision to eat here, since we were going to see a movie across the street. Otherwise, this would be one of the last Thai restaurants on my list).
Chicken Stirfry, Tom Yum Soup, a few bites of Seaweed Salad and a Perrier.
NOTE: if you’re gluten-free or Paleo, steer clear of Spring Rolls. They have ~6 menu items that were “gluten-free,” and 4 of which contained fried rice. Even though my dishes appeared to be Paleo friendly, something did not sit well. It was the lousiest I’ve felt in 30 days.
- Peppermint Tea
- Half of the Nanaimo Bar I bought for Keith from LIVE Food Bar. There had to be some maple syrup in here. Dammit! CHEAT – I’ll do 10 burpees (since I only ate half, and it rounds me up to an even 200 burpees).
Sunday, March 4th
Workout: Day Off
Breakfast:
- Half an apple
- Tbsp of almond butter and pumpkin seed butter with a few bites of banana
Lunch: Out for my brother and sister-in-law’s birthday brunch
- Ridiculously huge 4 egg omelette with asparagus, spinach, peppers, onions
- Roasted potatoes and a slice of my dad’s bacon
Dinner:
- Roasted cabbage, beets, parsnip with wild pickerel
- Sautéed swiss chard and onions
- Bottle of Perrier with lime
Snacks:
- Snacked on the leftover roasted veggies
- 4 Cashew Clusters
- 2 Banana Almond Avocado mini muffins – similar to this recipe but NO honey or other sugar substitute
This takes us to the end of this bitter-sweet journey. Conveniently (or not), I departed the following day for a week-long conference in Seattle. That spells d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r. I avoided the “bad” conference food as much as possible, but I succumbed to a few destructive meals.
My hotel was conveniently (or not) located near the Cheesecake Factory. Somehow I found myself forking over $7 for a massive slice of my FAVORITE dessert – chocolate brownie and caramel cheesecake. Bad, bad, bad. Add to that, a few Sushi dinners and the famous Beecher’s Grilled Cheese. Again, I caved…then I suffered with cramps and other issues. I felt SO good for 4 weeks and just flushed it down the toilet..
I’m back in Toronto, and am going to reign myself back in. Thanks for cheering me on along the way. The “challenge” may be over but this paleo journey is not, so don’t leave me just yet!
I’ll see you, and my 200 burpees, on Sunday 
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