Day 7: Carnivorous cravings

So today ends the first week of paleo challenge. I'm feeling great. And just now noticed, that instead of craving frozen yogurt or nachos, all I really want to eat is meat.
Anyway, I like lists. So I'm going to list some of the paleo foods I'm really loving so far.

• Sparkling water: It cured my cravings for diet coke quick. And it's so much more refreshing. Squeeze in some oranges and it's like a virgin paleo mimosa.
  
• Almond butter: So good on fresh apples.
• Paleo smoothie: Frozen blueberries, strawberries, a small splash of fresh squeezed orange juice with no sugar added and heavy whipping cream. Blended. Forrest's CrossFit trainer told him the heavy cream is ok because it's not pasteurized and processed the way regular milk is. Let me know if you hear differently.
  
• Turkey slices with avocado.

And here are some things I'm still missing.

• Hummus
• Cheese
  

Day 4: Going nuts

I haven't been sleeping well this week. Not sure if it's because of eating paleo, or because it's hot in Fountain Valley or because I've been sore lately from the workouts.
Regardless, my restlessness at least has one benefit: I can remember what I dream. And last night's was nuts.
Even though today is a rest day for me, sometimes I'll dream about what the workout will be at CrossFit. It's like my subconscious is anxious about what grueling workout awaits when I wake up.
Today, I dreamed that our WOD wasn't a workout at all and that instead, we had to make paleo food for old people. Justin had brought in these old 1950s grimy ovens, and we were supposed to be baking meat. But some people added beans and sour cream -- like they were making a cassarole -- and the food blew up in the oven. I woke up so confused, not because we were asked to bake at the gym, but because I thought for a minute that I might be allowed to eat bean burritos after all.
I definitely didn't eat burritos yesterday:
Wasn't feeling good in the morning, so I didn't eat until lunch. Had a shrimp salad during a work meeting with tomatos and almonds.
Then at 4, before crossfit, I was starving again so I went to this sandwich shop by my office and asked them to scoop some tuna in a cup and throw in half an avocado and tomato slices. I thought I might throw that up during the second round of lunges yesterday.
Then I met some girlfriends for day-after-birthday dinner and had a chicken salad with avocado and almonds on top.
Here's the lunchtime salad:

Day 2: Dejavu

Today has been ridiculously busy so far. Usually, that's pretty standard when I squeeze in CrossFit before early meetings.
But what I learned today, is that without pre planning, this diet could get really boring, really fast. Here's why: This morning, I wanted a hard boiled egg before working out, but I didn't have time to make a batch last night. So instead, I grabbed a handful of walnuts.
When I got back, I ate half an avocado, some slices of turkey and some fruit -- which is exactly what I threw into a bag for lunch before bolting out the door this morning. (That's a photo of the lunch spread, plus some more walnuts. The dollar is to buy water since I forgot my bottle.)
Anyway, I love avocados. And turkey. And pineapples and kiwi. So for today, the lack of variety is no big deal. But next week I'm going to try to make a batch of lunches at the beginning of the week so I have at least SOME eating diversity. Any ideas?
In terms of workouts: Lindsay and I both felt a little weak this morning. I'm glad Justin -- all around awesome guy who owns Orange Coast CrossFit -- blogged today about the adjustment period for this diet. Made me feel slightly less like an ass when I couldn't front squat more than 90 pounds because I thought I might pass out.
On another note, today is my birthday. And I'm especially happy that one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasures is not prohibited on this diet (or at least I think it's not). Korean. Bar. B. Q.
I'm going to look up some of the side dishes to see what's legal and what's not (e.g. can I eat bean sprouts or the thinly-sliced daikon radish that you use to wrap up the meat).

Day 1 recap

So it's the end of day 1 Paleo challenge, and already some delicious foods have tested my willpower. I went to the movies with some girlfriends tonight, and the smell of buttered popcorn was hard to resist. Then we went to Daphne's Greek for dinner, and I watched my friend eat spicy hummus and pita -- one of my favorites.
Still, after the meal when she was saying how uncomfortably full she felt, I was feeling satisfied and reenergized from my chicken kabob, glad I had passed on the starch. (My kabob was really good -- came with grilled onion, red and green peppers. I ordered it with a salad, minus the feta cheese and dressing. Instead, I squeezed some lemon on top of the lettuce and added salt and pepper. Was so yum!)
My goal for the week is to get the balance and portions of the meals right. I felt great after breakfast around 8:30 this morning, but I didn't eat again until after 2 p.m. (turkey slices, fresh kiwi and pineapple and a tablespoon of almond butter). I was feeling hungry again just a couple hours later, so I ate more turkey with avocado. Then I took some walnuts and water with me to the movies. But I felt tired for most of the afternoon -- until I ate dinner really. I don't know if that's because my body is adjusting to life without sugar, or because I'm eating too much or not enough of a particular food group, or because I had a long day at work and my brain was tired of being awake.
It's definitely tired of being awake right now....