So here we are, almost done with the first week of a six week challenge and it already feels different from the last challenge. Personally, I feel much more focused and determined to finish in high fashion and Jessica is right there with me.
The difference for me this time is I have a goal of training 3X/week for that six week period...at a minimum. If I can get my butt out of bed early enough on the weekends, maybe I can get more time in. The challenge also has a bit of money riding on it ($40 buy in) and I want to win. The first time I took part in a paleo challenge I won $100. I handed to Jessica. If it wasn't for her I never would have made it through the first week. The pot is a bit bigger this time so maybe we'll split it this time if I win.
OK, here's the update. Sunday night we took our before photos and went to bed. Monday morning we woke up had a bit of breakfast after I got back from a workout. The workout was brutal as always and I felt slow and weak during. I think that may have been due to the lousy fuel I had put into my system that weekend. Final dinner on Sunday was Mexican food with lots of tortillas and a margarita. Monday's breakfast was clean food and there was an added challenge for me; I am off the coffee for the duration of the six week challenge. A bit daunting as I am a two cup per day kind of guy. I have some Yerba Mate to help with the horrible withdrawal symptoms I get when I quit cofffee. It helped. As I packed my lunch for the day the house was beggining to smell good from the chicken Jessica had started cooking in the crockpot. I was already getting hungry, especially after the morning workout. I leave the house with a bit of food and surprisingly it was an easy day with minimal hunger and no caffeine withdrawal symptoms. My lunch got me through the 8 hour shift with ease. That night we ate the crock pot chicken and some asparagus, it was delicious.
Tuesday; Rough day for me
After a bit of breakfast and 1 cup of Yerba Mate it was off to work early. I packed some of the leftover chicken,fruit and nuts. The moment I got in my vehicle I noticed I was getting a headache. By the time I crossed the Bay Bridge I was in complete caffeine withdrawal headache hell. It was brutal and I had to work my entire shift that way. Brutal.
I didn't eat much that day. The headache ruined my appetite. After coming home, Jess had some dinner ready, we ate and went to bed, my head throbbing.
Wednesday; Much better, more determined
Worked out and was incredibly sore from Monday's workout but I pushed myself as best I could. Ate some breakfast and had two cups of Mate out of concern for another day of headaches from hell. No headaches and I think the rough day prior made me a bit more focused. I cruised through the day keeping my food clean, even though I was in my work building most of the day. I have this job where I don't go into an office. I hop into my vehicle and do my days work, starting and ending my day at home. I also work alone most of the time so there is less pressure to cheat by going out to lunch with your coworkers (eating socially has been a pitfall for me in the past). This time though, things are different. Like I said I spent a lot of my time at my work building. Any of you who have ever worked in an office know it is a battlefield lined with sugary landmines. My work is no different, except we have one of the most impressive vending machines I've ever seen. I walked by them several times ignoring them as best as I could. The hard part was the smell of the coffee brewers. There is almost always a fresh pot brewed and its decent coffee so avoiding it was a bit of a triumph...I was tempted.
I made it through the day with very little food in my lunch pack and it was sufficient. I wasn't hungry all day. I got home and Jess had made baked salmon and kale salad with baked sweet potato slices. Life is good.
So here we are Thursday afternoon, breakfast was three hard boiled eggs some berries and leftover sweet potato. Satiety achieved.
For lunch Jess is going to make fried salmon cakes out of the leftover salmon. Dinner we're going out to eat. Keeping it Paleo.
I fully intend on winning this challenge.
