Breakfast smoothie

This is one of my favorite breakfasts, although I’m still trying to find the perfect combo without too much sugar. Works best with a Vitamix or other uber-blender.

1 cup of water
~20 almonds
Blend well to make almond milk
Add:
2-3 loose cups of raw baby spinach or other mild greens
A small banana (I prefer to freeze it first)
1/2 cup of frozen fruit (I prefer blueberries)
2 Tbsp wheat germ
3-4 ice cubes

Optional:
1 cup Fage or other yogurt for richness
Chocolate (or other flavor) protein powder

Blend well and enjoy slowly!

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Bodyfat calculators – useful?

Kitch helped me get caliper body fat measurements (ouch!) to help me figure out my body weight. I got my sister to take circumference measurements, and now I’ve played around with a few bodyweight calculators online.

My results: 41%, 32% and 26% on three different calculators. I think the second may be closest to the real measurement. The second two calculators took into account my wrist, calf, neck and forearm measurements in addition to waist and hips. As someone “apple-shaped” (that is, I carry my weight around my waist, argh), a bodyfat calculator that only looks at hip and waist is going to give an elevated number (according to the online info of the first calculator). But I was still surprised about the variation between methods.

Not sure if the bodyfat calcs are going to be very helpful. I’m hoping that each method will at least show the same percentage change, then I can at least feel confident about that number. We’ll see.

I’ll post the results at the end of the challenge, with before/after bodyfat and measurements. You know, provided there is some improvement. :)

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Apple Cinnamon Paleo Pancakes

I’m going to be trying this this weekend for breakfast. Gotta go get some coconut milk!

From Cooking For Health and Performance by Scott Hogan

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Coconut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup ground walnuts or almonds (grind up or buy pre-ground)
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 small apple or 1/4 lg. apple
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup blueberries

Pancakes. A really good pancake breakfast is just fantastic. Give this one a try!

Instructions:

Coat two non stick skillets with coconut butter. Toss all the ingredients except the blueberries into a blender and blend.

Pour the mix into the skillet and fire up your range on medium and cook that pancake. Three minutes or so is usually good. When it comes to flipping time — channel your skills or just use that second skillet and turn the first one upside down into the second.

Heat up the blueberries if you like.

Zone Blocks: A 5x Fat extravaganza of goodness. 2 C, 1 P, 16.5 F

I’ll let you know how it turns out!

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Boom! More Milk!

See, prior to this NCII dealio, I was on GOMAD and really just interested in getting stronger.

Enough’s enough though. No more GOMAD, but I am going to drink the milk I have — albeit not at the one gallon a day rate I was enjoying. I had a half gallon left of creamy goodness.

Then CK goes shopping.

Lots of Milk

And Just Like That -- More Milk...

Boom! Four Gallons.

I’m like — “WOMAN! I told you I’m going Primal! I gotta cut down but if it’s in the house…I’m a weak weak man.”

Her response. “Just go big on your squat and then you can turn into a skinny sissy again.”

Harumph.

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Food Journals?

I’m curious how people are planning to do their food diaries for this nutritional challenge. I’ve tried a couple before, and haven’t yet found one that is truly easy to use. Most recently, I’ve used livestrong.com/thedailyplate, and since Mark’s Daily Apple commentors reference fitday, I’ve tried that, but found the food database to be sorely lacking. So let me know:

1. Do you use an online program? A smartphone app? Pen and paper? Do you pay for the premium service, or just use the free version?
2. Do you always log, or just when you are tuning up your diet?
3. Which method of journaling do you prefer, and why?

Thanks!

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