Over halfway done!

We are starting week 5 of the Trojan Challenge which is very exciting. Week 4 was pretty tough, TONS of non-paleo food cravings and I was exhausted so the workouts didn't go as well as I would've liked. I am ready to step up my game and really rock the rest of this challenge. 


~Changes so far:
     ~Lost 5 pounds (I would like to loose more but that's not my actual focus)
     ~Clothes are fitting looser! I really need new jeans, who doesn't love when their clothes fit loose?!
     ~I'm a lot more toned...I have triceps and my abs are starting to show up again (hello abs, I have missed you)
     ~I can see a definite change in my strength. Not only am I lifting a 15lb kettle bell for all workouts but I can    use a 20lb for some also. I know that a lot of people are using much heavier weight than I am but I have never had upper body strength and a few months ago my 10lb "Barbie Kettle Bell" was too heavy so 20lbs is a big deal.
      ~I feel healthier in general. I'm drinking tons of water and eating healthy and working out almost daily, I'm getting tons of compliments from people which is always exciting. I love getting the "Your stronger than you look" comment.


On to the food. Not gonna lie, I am having some trouble with the paleo (I'm Italian, we LOVE our grains). I have found some paleo dishes that I really like and make often but I also need to add some variety; I'm pretty tired of chicken and veggies. At work, we have a bunch of magazines with recipes in them so I've been getting a lot of meals from those and turning them paleo :) 

~Paleo things I love: 
   ~Almond Crackers! I am addicted!!! They take like 10 minutes to make and taste delicious. I found the recipe here . 

   ~Spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs in any form. But here is my favorite, thank you Martha!

 

   ~My food processor is pretty much my favorite thing I own right now. I just toss in a ton of veggies (usually carrots, broccoli, cauliflower,  spinach and tomatoes). Instant side!

 ~Non Paleo things I miss:

    ~Potato and egg tacos
    ~Pizza (this is mainly an issue because my patients order pizza a lot)
    ~Trudys (any Mexican restaurant really) I've decided just to avoid this all together due to my love of chips & queso, tortillas, rice & beans.
    ~quinoa


Time to step it up, very excited to see what the next few weeks will hold (as a side note, I will start updating this a lot more)

Check out this blog post from Coach Lisa who has a team in the I AM CROSSFIT Challenge. This all applies to the Trojan Challenge also.

"Here's my unofficial theory:
Weeks 1-3: These weeks fly by! They are 'cake' (not literally, SS!) or at least you are carried through with the excitement of a new challenge!

Weeks 7 & 8: Also, 'cake' because week 7 you're almost done, you can see the light, and you're enjoying the progress you've already made - Week 8, EASY - it's the last week!

Weeks 4, 5, & 6: These weeks are the proving ground. This is the time to use your life lines - phone a friend (do you have a support system in place?)- ask the audience (your team is here to support) - consult an expert (call your coach)! By now you are aware of when and where you get tripped up. You also know what to do to stay on track. Plan - commit - make it happen!
This is also a good time to reassess your goals.
Are they realistic? Are you taking the steps you committed to in order to reach them? Do they need to be adjusted with your coach?"