Rest Day Recipe: Jalapeno-Avocado Sauce

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Dish of yellow-green sauce

Jalapeno-Avocado Hot Sauce

I absolutely love spicy food. The hotter, the better. But — alas! — I have children! When I cook, I cook for all of us, and they simply don’t have the tolerance for hot food like I do.

So instead of integrating spicy into my dishes, I add it after it’s been served.

I tried buying hot sauce. I like Cholula, but I wanted hotter (and I wanted to avoid the Xantham gum they add). So we found something called “Widowmaker” at Whole Foods. Turns out Widowmaker isn’t quite as badass as the name would have you believe. I really have to question Whole Foods buyers because it was weak sauce.

Over Christmas we picked up an excellent hot sauce at the Farmer’s Market: Hotvocado from Kala’s Kuisine. I highly recommend it. I tasted the Gingery Habanera, and I liked it too.

But that got me and Andy to thinking — we have a few jars of hot peppers we canned over the summer — why not make our own sauce? And then we could be sure it would be paleo and free of weird thickeners. So we did, and it turned out AMAZING.

We canned pint jars of peppers, so if you need to buy peppers to do this, look for a 14.5oz can, packed in vinegar.

Jalapeno-Avocado Hot Sauce

Ingredients

1 jar pickled jalapenos, liquid reserved
1 small Haas avocado
1/4 cup reserved pickled pepper juice (vinegar) to blend

Instructions

Combine the peppers and avocado in a blender. Add pickle juice to just lubricate enough to mix — maybe a little more. Blend and serve.

This should keep for about a week in a sealed container in your fridge. It’s good on EVERYTHING. Seriously. I put this stuff on my eggs, steak, salad, you name it. Delish.

How To: 5 steps to loving vegetables

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Fork in plastic bowl of greens, carrots, cucumbers and meat

My lunch

I often hear people talk about how they don’t eat vegetables. I once had an executive producer who told a waitress at a restaurant that she “doesn’t eat vegetables” and wanted to make sure whatever she was ordering did not have a single one on the plate. Andy has similar stories of co-workers, and lately these stories come up when people see what we eat.

It’s like they feel like they need to defend their own eating habits.

It’s true that my family eats an insane amount of vegetables. They are a staple of nearly every meal, except breakfast, and only because my coach has me eating protein and fat only at breakfast.

But we didn’t always eat vegetables in large amounts.

It’s true my mom made vegetables available at every meal. There was always a salad or vegetable side — like lima beans, peas, broccoli or spinach. But when I was in high school, I rebelled, and fast food became a way of life when I was out with my friends. College wasn’t much better. I shudder to think what I ate. No wonder I hit my heaviest weight my freshman year and struggled to shed it over the next 10 years.

Even when I was a vegetarian, I didn’t eat as many vegetables as I do now. Grains were still a huge part of my diet. Pasta, rolls, rice were all featured on my plate.

When you go Paleo, meat becomes a natural part of your nutrition, but it does not comprise the majority of it, contrary to what many people believe. Meat MUST be balanced with fat and carbs, preferably huge amounts of leafy green vegetables.

While I never hated vegetables, I never LOVED them either. It took time for me to adjust my palette. It is possible to love vegetables. Here’s how:

Do a sugar-free challenge
(AKA junk-free, Whole 30, primal, paleo)

Vegetables taste sweet. I discovered this last year during the I AM Crossfit challenge when I gave up all chocolate, alcohol, dairy, and cut way back on fruit. Giving up sugar for a while totally changed the way I taste things. Without sugar to dominate my palette, I can actually taste other flavors. And guess what, vegetables taste sweet! Give me a bowl of Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, and I’m in heaven.

Kids look at vegetable bins

Kids don't hate vegetables! But sometimes you have to serve something 10 or 20 times before they will like it.

Sign up for a CSA

A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) will deliver a share of whatever crops a farmer grows every week or every two weeks, depending on how it’s set up. Our CSA, through Johnson’s Backyard Garden, comes every week all year long. I don’t like food to go to waste, so I make sure that we eat whatever comes in our box. That means I’ve had to be creative and figure out how to cook vegetables I’ve never encountered before.

Invest in a good cookbook

I can’t stress the importance of a good cookbook enough, because if a recipe tastes bad, it’s much harder to overcome that aversion to vegetables. Not all cookbooks are created equal! I tend to shy away from celebrity chefs, many of whom write recipes that are hard to pull off on a weeknight (Yes — even Rachel Ray. 30 minute meals, my ass.)

My go-to cookbooks are from the editors of Cooks Illustrated magazine (Anything they’ve written. They’ve NEVER let me down), Deborah Madison (Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone), and Rick Bayless (Mexican Everyday). Lately we’ve added two new cookbooks to our collection and so far so good:

If you want to go the primal cookbook route, there’s always a few from Mark Sisson, and the ones with “paleo” in the title, like Everyday Paleo and Paleo Comfort Foods. I’ll be honest. It’s all a formula. Meat, veggies, spices. Some recipes are well-written. Some aren’t. If you’re going just for innovative or well-written veggie recipes, stick with the cookbook authors that have a proven track record.

Remember, just because you didn’t like a vegetable in one recipe doesn’t mean you won’t like it in another. I had to try five different okra recipes before I found the one that everyone in my family raved about. Sauteed okra with tomatoes is now a family favorite, and it even managed to turn Andy from an okra-hater to an okra-lover.

Eliminate grains

When you get rid of grains, you have to fill your plate with something, right? Instead of making it meat — make it vegetables. And the more you eat them, the more likely you are to learn to like them. So stop filling your plate and stomach with grains and make room for more vegetables.
Variety of vegetables at famer's market

Try a new vegetable every week

Eating vegetables I like really helped me eat more, but trying new ones made meals an adventure. I credit my CSA with forcing me down that road. As the seasons change, our box of vegetables does too, sometimes with varieties I’ve never heard of. Romanesco cauliflower? Golden beets? Rutabaga? Okra?

It’s just more fun when you try something new.

Bonus:
Grow your own

There’s just something about growing your own food that makes you want to eat it. My kids will nibble leafy greens all day, straight from the plants. They get excited when they harvest something and then it’s served for dinner. Somehow, that personal connection makes us all more likely to eat our vegetables. I’m not sure why that is, but I’m definitely glad it happens.

I guess the key to loving vegetables is to open your mind and mouth to the possibilities.

My Workout World: Tools for mobility

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PVC pipe and lacrosse ball

Two of my mobility tools

Keeping my muscles, joints and ligaments healthy is really important. Over the past several months I’ve added daily mobility, stretching and strengthening exercises to my routine. As a result, I’ve noticed I’m not as sore and uncomfortable after workouts as I used to be. Since I work out 5 or 6 times a week, often with no rest days in between Crossfit and Olympic Lifting, alleviating soreness is a must.

I think I overdid it Saturday, though. Some of the muscles in my left hip and glutes started tweaking while lifting weights at home. I should have stopped, but I kept going, and by Saturday night everything in that area was tight. I pulled out my mobility tools and worked on loosening the tension. I was still sore the next morning, so instead of my planned workout, I spent 30 minutes rolling out again. I’m hoping it will help so I don’t have to miss Olympic Lifting on Monday.

I’ve learned a lot about rolling out from the folks at Crossfit Central, the Mobility WOD, and my chiropractors over at Next Level Chiropractic. I bought a Trigger Point kit years ago after a seminar, but I rarely use it. My favorite tools were actually really cheap.

  • PVC pipe
    We picked up a 4-5 inch PVC pipe at Home Depot and cut it down to 2 feet. I use this a lot for major muscle groups, like my quads, lats, hamstrings, calves, etc.
  • Lacrosse ball
    I used to use the Trigger Point ball, but I found it was too soft. Tennis balls are also too soft, but lacrosse balls are perfect for digging in and getting those small areas. My chiropractors have me working on my TFLs (in my hips) every day, but it’s also great for pectorals, biceps, triceps, etc. I picked up a used Lacrosse ball at Play It Again Sports for only 99 cents – deal!

So what was the workout that has me spending extra time rolling out and stretching?

Back squats w/ 5 sec pause 50% 5×2, 55% 5×2, 60% 5×1 → 75/75/80/80/85
Snatch balance + OHS 3+3×4 → 55/55/60/65
Push press + jerk 65% 2+1×2, 70% 2+1×2 → 55/55/60/65
Snatch grip deadlift 3×4 (by feel) → 65/85/95/100
3 rounds: 200m run / 1 min rest

No, it wasn’t the deadlifts. I think it was the back squats. We still don’t have a rack, and my max clean is right around 85# – so I may be feeling the strain from cleaning the bar up and then pressing it over my head into position. I’m hoping to stay active today, keep my muscles from freezing up and becoming even more painful.

Workouts for January 16-20, 2012

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I couldn’t keep up with posting my workout separately every day this week. Life got in the way and something had to give. Unfortunately, as much as I love to write, blogging got the short stick.

Here are the workouts I did this past week:

Sunday
Explosive Strength
A) 2-DB Spilt Snatch 3×5 @ 20# (60 sec rest)
B) 2-DB Push Jerk 3×5 @ 30# (60 sec rest)
4sets: C) 1-arm Bench Press x 4 @ 25# / Full-depth pushups on toes x 8
D) 60 sec Wall Squat (Max-tension) / Jumping Squats x 10
Finisher: 15x 3 DB swings (each arm @ 30#)

It’s time to make this workout harder. The wall squats and jumping squats were cake. And I realized that I’m strong enough to keep my core tight during pushups without “snaking.” It’s also time to bump up the dumbbell weight a little.

Monday
Olympic lifting
Drop Snatch 3×3, 2×3, 1×3 → 55/55/60, 65/65/70, 75/80/85
Snatch w/ pause below knee 2×3 → 50/50/50
Hang Snatch 1×4 → 50/50/50/50
Power Jerk 4×4 → 65/70/75/80
Front Squat 75% 4×3 → 95/95/95/95

I walked out of class feeling really good. There were several times I finally landed the snatch and it felt more natural. I know the weight is a little low, but I’ve been struggling so much with technique, that I would love to “get it” before worrying about bumping up the weight. I even got a “Good Job” from Zach.

Tuesday
Crossfit class
Shoulder mobility
10 min AMRAP
5 Muscle Ups
10 Overhead Squats
Results → 4 rounds + 5 MUs + 5 OHS @ 65#

I really liked doing shoulder mobility beforehand — I felt all loosey-goosey. But it’s didn’t last long. I felt like a giant mound of sore muscles after this workout. I scaled the muscle ups from my knees.

Wednesday
Olympic lifting
Hip Power Snatch + BN PUsh Press + OHS 3+3+3×4 → 50/50/55/55
Hang Snatch w/ pause below knee 2×4 → 55/55/55/60
Clean + Front Squat + Spilt Jerk 1+3+2×3, 1+2+1×2 → 60/65/75, 80/85
Snatch Grip RDL 90% (of snatch) 5×3 → 65/65/65

I wasn’t as successful with form during this workout. Zach had a classic look of horror on his face when he saw me clean and then jerk 85#. I thought about using an excuse (because 85# is my max), but I know that crap doesn’t fly with him.

He told me to sign up for the Olympic Lifting seminar with his coach and Olympic lifting expert Ursula Garza, so of course I did. I’ll definitely write about my experience.

Thursday
Crossfit class
Power Cleans 5×7 (do not drop bar during set)
55-60-65-70-(no time)
5 rounds: 9 Burpees Pullups / 15 GHD Situps
Cutoff 10mins: finished 4 rounds + 5 Burpee pullups (jumped from low box)

So close. It only I had a couple more minutes I could have finished.

This time the burpee pullups were more challenging. The band was not an option for pulups, so I set up a low box with a 45# plate under the bar. That made it harder to jump my chin over the bar, so I had to work harder. I HATED the GHD machine — not because it was hard, but because of how unstable it was. I felt like my butt was going to fall through one round — so this made me REALLY slow.

Friday
Rest Day. Yay!

On Thursday evening, I started feeling a pain around my right shoulder blade area in the back. It was awful. I just happened to have an appointment with the chiropractor the next morning, who told me that it has everything to do with the constant tension I feel from my neck down to my shoulders, which has everything to do with some of my muscles not being properly conditioned.

So now I have more exercises to do every day (in addition to the ones I’m doing to strengthen my left hip). SIGH.

Oh well, at the least the pain is already gone.

What?!! You mean it WAS a 35# bar?!!

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I feel kind of stupid today. And annoyed.

Over the weekend, I went to Play It Again to pick up some clamps for the barbells at the house. (I figured it was about time after 1 1/2 years to make sure the plates DON’T fall off the ends of the bar.) While I was there, I was eyeing the bumper plates, and got to thinking I would LOVE a 35# bar, since that’s what I use in class. It’s just smaller in my hands and feels better to me.

Andy, being the darling that he is, ran out and picked up a bar and two 15# bumper plates. So cool…

Cindy presses bar against tree background

I love that I'm wearing jeans and slippers in this photo. ;)

But then Andy said,” Um, Cindy, I think we should take this bar back.”

“Why?”

“It’s the same weight as the one you already use.”

And he was right. We got out the scale and everything. The bar that I’ve been using all along is 35#. All this time I thought it was 45#, because that’s what they told us when we bought it at Play It Again. I knew it was a little lighter than that, but I didn’t think it was 10 pounds.

So all this time I thought I was using a 45# bar, it was actually 35# — which explains why my numbers were always better at home than in the gym. (“Why does it always feel heavier at the gym?” “It must be that I’m ‘cold’ in the morning — that’s why it’s so hard.”)

Go ahead — laugh. I deserve it. In my defense, the bar is not as thin as the ones at the gym. And its weight wasn’t marked when we bought it. Plus I was pregnant when we bought it, so everything felt heavy.

I’ll laugh about this — one day. Right now I’m feeling a little annoyed. But I’m also feeling a little relieved. The mystery of the discrepancy is solved. Now that I know what weight I’m ACTUALLY using, I’ll push myself more, and I should be able to see some strength gains.

Saturday night I did my first strength session with the bumper plates and the knowledge about the true weight of the bar. This is what I did:

Front squats 3×2, 3×2, 3×2 → 65/80/85
Push Press + Jerk 60% (of jerk) x3+1×2, 65% x3+1×3 → 50/50, 55/55/55
Snatch Balance 3×3 → 35/35/45
Snatch deadlift 3×4 → 85/80/95/100

So, instead of another bar, we decided to get a rack. We found a reasonably priced rack online that we’re going to order next month. Then I’ll be able to squat more than I can clean.

Until then, I’m still annoyed. Grrr….

Me vs. The Zone

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Holding Zone book

This Zone thing. It’s… interesting.

I guess that’s my nice way of saying I’m… well… less than thrilled with it. I find the weighing and measuring to be tiresome. In fact, it takes a good hunk of the enjoyment out of a meal. Also, maybe I should buy an updated edition of “Enter The Zone,” because some of the nutrition information is a bit out of date.

But, I have a goal, and I’m determined to reach it, so I’m giving this a shot. It’s only been a couple of weeks.

Paleo was easy, wasn’t it?

If I think back to 2009 when I made my shift from vegetarianism to eating Paleo, I’m not sure that was such an easy transition as I would like to believe. For a couple of months, I even tried to Zone my food, and if I remember correctly, that’s what helped me transition a little faster. Zone discourages grains and sugars, even though you can still fit them into your diet. I remember thinking — “A huge salad versus a tiny sandwich? I’ll take the salad, please!”  In that way, Paleo and Zone work really well together. All of those leafy greens and yummy vegetables that I enjoy so much are favored heavily by the Zone, so I can eat more of what I really like.

Paleo is Quality. Zone is Quantity

I quickly dropped the Zone from my diet because of the weighing and measuring. I just didn’t like it. Paleo felt more natural. It was and is a lot easier to choose foods knowing what food groups I can and can’t eat than memorizing how many blocks equal what amounts… and so forth and so forth.But that’s because they’re two different things. My first I AM Crossfit coach — JDP — explained it simply: Paleo is the quality of food. Zone is the quantity.

There’s another reason they fit well together.

I managed to avoid full-on Zoning during both of the I AM Crossfit challenges that I participated in because first I was pregnant, then I was breastfeeding — and restricting quantity would not have been wise. I followed rations, and those were ingrained in my head. Carb – 40%, protein 30%, fat 30%.

I tried to make every plate look like that.

My issues with The Zone Diet

The trouble is, I read. A lot. And I read about nutrition. I read Paleo blogs, and I’ve come to really respect what folks like Loren Cordain, Mark Sisson, Robb Wolf and the Whole 9 folks have to say. And some of the things they say don’t jive with what Dr. Sears says.

I think what bothers me the most is how fat-phobic the Zone Diet is. It took me years and years to get rid of my fat phobia, and when I did, I finally started losing fat. Research shows that fat doesn’t make you fat. Fat combined with super-processed sugary foods does, so cutting that junk out of your diet is a huge step in the right direction.

Have you seen the fat amounts on the Zone Diet? We’re talking 3 almonds is a whole block. Or 1/3 tsp of olive oil. That’s quite a difference from what I’m used to just eating Paleo. Plus, I don’t avoid saturated fats. There are benefits to saturated fat from grassfed animals where the ratio of Omega 3′s to Omega 6 fatty acids is much more in balance.

I’m not sure how long I can keep this up

I hosted a Twitter chat at work the other day with one of our health educators. It was all about nutrition and weight loss. I know that the way I eat isn’t exactly mainstream, so I don’t make an issue of it. But somehow the Paleo Diet came up, and the educator said she hated it and had a huge problem with it.

I’m used to those type of comments, so it didn’t ruffle my feathers. Most people can’t get past what ISN’T included in a Paleo lifestyle: Grains, legumes, dairy. Grains is usually the worst offender, because most health professionals believe that whole grains are essential to a healthy diet.

Then, they say stuff like — “Well, cavemen ate grains and roots and all that. These paleo people eat way more meat than what our prehistoric ancestors REALLY ate.” I usually point out that vegetables are the focus and point them to Robb Wolf’s book, because he does an excellent job at dispelling myths about ancient diets.

Then they say stuff like it’s unsustainable, because they don’t know how anyone could live without grains, legumes and dairy. And they’re shocked when I tell them I’m been eating like this for more than 2 years and I feel great. Of course, they don’t understand the 80/20 rule or occasional indulgences. (I should really have my Paleo pitch ready.)

Zone feels much less sustainable at this point. But maybe I’m just looking at it like the Paleo naysayers. I don’t really understand how good I can feel or all of the science, so it’s easier for me to criticize it.

Why I’m sticking with it

But even though I have some issues with the Zone and I find it extremely cumbersome, inconvenient and unsustainable, I’m giving it a shot. Combined with Paleo foods, Zach believes it will help me lose the body fat that I want to lose.

And to be honest, as much as I want to eat that giant steak that Andy grilled up last night for dinner, do I really need 10oz of meat? Unlikely. Limiting my portions to 4 blocks of protein and fat has been a good thing. I no longer feel like I ate way too much 10 minutes after each meal. I feel satisfied. Clean. Well-fueled.

The sugar-monster cometh

That’s not to say that my cravings have decreased. Last night, staring into the chiminea fire with Andy and the kids as they drank hot chocolate with marshmallows, I was pretty much hating the way I eat, but not because of the Zone. That week of eating all the sugar I could handle really messed with me, and my brain is going through a sugar addict’s withdrawal. This is my “Junk-free January.” I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to drink a glass of red wine and eat chocolate. But I’m not going to. Not only would I have to give up a large amount of yummy vegetables in order to Zone that stuff, but it’s not even part of Paleo nutrition.

How about performance?

I can’t say that I’ve noticed a change in performance, but it will likely take time to measure results. And even if results are flat or negative, that doesn’t mean my nutrition is the reason. My sleep is off again thanks to a second job and a million other projects. And I’ve been feeling some stress.

Here’s how my Crossfit workouts went this week.

Tuesday

5 rounds
Row 500m/400m/300m/200m/100m
Ring Rows 25/20/15/10/5
Deadlift 5/4/3/2/1
Time: 15:35 @ 115#

Thursday

A) 5 rounds
4 Shoulder Press
3 Push Press
2 Push Jerk
55# (started at 65# – did 1 round at 60# and had to drop to 55#. Still very challenging!)
B) Tabata Push ups / squats
Score: 12 pushups / 17 squats

Not bad, in my opinion. And if you read my post yesterday on this week’s Olympic Lifting class, you’ll know that progress is being made there, too!

Let’s just give this Zone thing a little time. I’m not going hungry. It doesn’t seem to be hurting anything essential. And I’m open to this experiment, even if it is a little uncomfortable.

More good than bad in Olympic Lifting

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You know when you walk away from something really hard, and you have a warmth in your chest and a smile on your face because you know you did just a little better than last time?

Well, that’s how I felt both times walking away from RedBlack Gym on Monday and Wednesday.

That’s not to say that I made every lift. Or even that I had great form every time. Or any time. Uh-oh. I’m talking down about my performance again. Better knock that off. Ahem…

But at the end of Monday’s class as I was putting my tennis shoes back on, Zach commented that there had been progress.

“More good than bad,” he told me.

“Yes!” I yelled across the gym.

It is a big deal. We are not talking about a man who hands out compliments freely and without reason. And that’s a good thing, because I know his instruction is sincere and it motivates me to work harder.

Monday

Power Snatch + OHS 2+3×4 → 55/55/55/55
Snatch off blocks 2×5 → 55/55/55/55/55
Power Cleans 2×4 → 55/65/75/85
Push Press 4×5 → 65/70/70/75/75

Wednesday

Drop Snatch (snatch balance) 3×3, 2×2, 1×2 → 35/35/45, 50/55, 60/65
Snatch off blocks 2×4, 1×3 → 55/55/55/55, 60/60/65
Power Jerk + BN Jerk 4+3×1, 3+2×1, 2+2×1, 1×1 (BN only) → 55/60/65/70
Back Squat 75% 4×3 → 110/110/110/110

I’m very excited about how things are going. The improvements are really small, but I’m taking note. The weight is just a tiny bit higher on some things. But more importantly, I’m just a little more consistent. My body feels less awkward. I have a long way to go, but I’m encouraged.

And that’s a really good thing.

And the scale goes up…

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I stepped on the scale this morning for the first time in a couple of weeks. I really shouldn’t do that.

For months my weight has been pretty steady. This morning, it was up. Hmmmm….

My knee jerk reaction is that this Zone thing and eating lunch is not working the way I intended. Fortunately, part of me is a little calmer, and I’m considering the other possibilities.

For one, stepping on the scale once in the morning is just a snapshot. Weight fluctuates throughout the day. Secondly — maybe what I ate over Christmas finally caught up to me. Third — I haven’t slept as much lately thanks to a freelance gig I just took, so the cortisol is probably going crazy.

It’s only been a few days of zoning Paleo. I’m still figuring this whole thing out. To be honest — it’s a complete pain in the butt. I can feel myself getting a little obsessive. This is not something anyone with a history of eating disorders should go near.

However, portion control is the ultimate goal. I’m no longer breastfeeding, but my brain is used to eating a lot of food to support it. So really, I need to get my brain used to less food. And hopefully, this will help fuel muscle growth.

In the meantime, it’s been a front squat kind of week!

Wednesday
Hip Power Snatch + BN Snatch Grip Push Press + OHS 3+3+3×3 → 45/45/50
Hang Snatch below the knee 2×3, 1×3 → 55/55/55, 55/55/60
Clean Pulls 5×3 → 70×3
Front Squat 65% 4×4 → 85/85/85/85

Thursday
Front squat 3×5 → 85/95/105/115/120
Team of 3 For Time:
2K row
100 Dual KB Thrusters
100 Burpees
Results: Team w/ Kat & Beth → 1500m row + 100 burpees+100 thrusters @ 25# DB (me), 20# DB (them)
Cutoff: 15min

The team WOD was fun, but what we did in class was NOT what they tweeted out the night before. It was supposed to be a 5K row and 250 each of the thrusters and burpees. We probably would have done it if there had been no strength component. But there just wasn’t time.

Well, off to bed for a little sleep tonight. G’night!

You don’t win the warmup

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My poor Google reader is feeling so neglected. Twitter has become my news feed. I find so many interesting posts and articles related to my different interests.

Wouldn’t you know, most of the people I follow talk about health, Crossfit or Paleo. I should REALLY branch out a bit.

But one of the feeds I follow is @CAthletics, and I love the quotes and blog links the post. One that really interested me is on warmups, and how they are meant to warm you up — for real. They’re not supposed to rival your workout in intensity.

I’ve been thinking about that on my warm up runs – both in class and at home. I used tear out of the gate, trying like hell to get back before everyone else. OK — I tried not to be last. That was my big worry.

Then Andy told me, “Cindy, you don’t win the warmup.” And I realized racing in the warm up is kind of silly if it wears you out before the workout. So I dialed it back a bit. It’s no JOG. I’m still running. But it’s not a max effort run. I save that for AFTER the warmup.

After this morning’s warmup, it was time for another benchmark!

“Cindy”
20min AMRAP
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

Results: 10 rounds + 5 pullups + 10 pushups + 4 squats w/ strict pullups on blue band & pushups on knees

I was slower this month, but that’s because I changed up my pullups. I’m going for strength — not speed — so I did strict pullups with the blue band.

Ow. I’m going to hurt tomorrow. I’ll be rolling out in the morning.

Don’t call it a diet

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scale on stove

It's called a "diet" scale

It’s January 2, and that means I’m starting on my new goals — one of which is to Zone my food and hopefully slough off some more fat and hit my goal.

Andy ran out and got me a new scale because our kitchen scale broke over Christmas — with a little help. (It happens when curious hands drop it on the floor). I used the scale mainly for baking, and I expected him to just replace it with another all-purposed kitchen scale. I was a little surprised when Andy turned up with the scale you see above.

The package said “Diet Scale.” Gees, I can’t stand that word. But it works pretty well for what I’m doing. I weighed and measured everything at dinner — the chicken, cauliflower, collards and carrots. I actually don’t think I ate enough, since I’m supposed to eat 4 blocks of Protein, Fat and Carbs. But I don’t feel hungry, so I guess I’m just fine.

Today was also the first day back to my Olympic Lifting classes. We spent the time getting acquainted with the lifts — or I did, at least.

Hip Power Snatch + Push Press + OHS 3+3+3×3 → 35/45/55
Snatch + Hang Snatch 1+1×5 → 55/55/55/60/55
Clean + Front Squat 1+3×3 → 65/65/65
Back squat 65% 4×4 → 95

SIGH. Zach keeps telling me I change everything when the weight goes up. (See how he had me drop the weight on the snatch-hang snatch combo?)

I feel like I’m causing him great exasperation. I wish it would all just CLICK. How can I make it just click?