Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof coffee. My NEW favorite way to enjoy coffee.

Quite a few of the people that I follow on Facebook have posted about this or have messaged me about it. Thought I’d give it a whirl.

What you need:
Coffee
Coconut oil
Unsalted grass-fed butter (such as Kerrygold)

I eyeballed about 1 T each of oil and butter then just mixed it all together with each cup of coffee.

I was a bit skeptical at first. I thought it sounded like an odd combination of flavors, however I was thoroughly impressed. The flavor is pretty fantastic. The butter gives it a rich, creamy flavor, while the coconut oil gives it just a hint of coconut. They really compliment each other well.

The idea behind it is to provide a cup of coffee that will give you energy as well as help you stay fit. It’s also a great way to get a little extra good fat into your diet. None of that extra super processed, crazy ingredient garbage. Just a legit, clean cup of coffee with an added punch of awesome. Careful, it really does pack a punch.

Check it out. Let me know what you think.

Bulletproof website HERE.

Results

A recent conversation with a coworker.
“You’re pretty into fitness.  Help me figure this out.  This summer, I quit drinking soda pop.  I eat more veggies.  Basically, I eat pretty healthy.  My goal was to run 100 miles this summer.  I hit over 150 miles.  I feel good.  I feel more toned.  My clothes fit better.  After 10 weeks, I stepped onto the scale and I only lost 5 pounds.  How can this be? I feel like I should have lost more weight.” 

Has something like this happened to you?  Eating well, getting your exercise on, feeling great…..then step on the scale and realize that despite all of you efforts, you’re only down 3 pounds?  Happens to me quite a bit.  I typically weigh myself every two weeks.  At first, I was dropping the pounds left and right, Now, I lose a few pounds every couple of weeks or so.  I used to get really frustrated.  It didn’t make sense to me.  Now, I realize that the scale is just a number. 

On a sidenote, you hear people say all the time “muscle weighs more than fat.”  Shoot, I’ve said it.  I think I even said it this week.  I realize now that while the intent is good, the facts are wrong.  Muscle and fat weigh the same.  As the old riddle goes, “Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?”  A pound is a pound.  What people mean to say is that muscle and fat differ in density.  If you look at 5 pounds of muscle next to 5 pounds of fat, fat takes up quite a bit more space than the muscle.  In short, you lose the fat pounds, but can gain the muscle pounds.  It’s not as easy to tell you’ve gained muscle as is for fat.  Make sense? 

So many people are caught up with the scale number game.  There are plenty of other ways to gauge weight loss.  Check these out.

Your clothes.  Have you gone down a few jean sizes?  Have you had to move to a smaller belt notch?  Shirts fitting a little loose lately?  All signs that you are losing weight.  It means you’re slimming down a bit.

Your energy level.  have you noticed that you don’t need that extra cup of coffee during the day?  Head a little clearer?  Sleeping better at night?  The way that you feel is a HUGE indicator on how you’re doing.  All of these are signs of weight loss. 

Body-fat percentage. Try getting your body fat tested then compare it a little ways down the road.  Always an interesting aspect of weight loss.

Comments.  With weight-loss, people will eventually notice.  In one of my previous posts, I made mention of how it’s not a quick and easy thing.  Weight-loss takes time.  One good sign of weight-loss is receiving comments from others.  They will notice.  It’s a good feeling.  It goes a long way and keeps the motivation going strong.

Participation.  With weight-loss comes confidence.  Do you find yourself more social?  More apt to participate in group activities?  Maybe put yourself in the spolight?  Perhaps you have found that you are less reluctant to try new things or go on a new adventure.  More good signs of some weight-loss.

Taking up less space.  Do you feel smaller?  Easier getting into your car?  On a plane?  At the movies?  Great indicators that you may have lost a little weight.

I guess the point is, don’t be so bent on the number that the scale gives you.  Sure, it’s alright to keep what the scale says in the back of your mind, but don’t rely solely on that.  There are a plethora of other indicators of whether not you’re losing weight. It’s not a speedy process.  Give it time, stick with it, and you will see great reward. 

You’ve got this!

Success

I have been 90% Paleo for about 7.5 months now.  Why did I do it?  A handful of reasons I suppose.  Weight-loss.  Get more toned.  Become healthier.  I wanted to eat cleaner, which is tough to do in this carbalicious world we live in.  Basically I just wanted to be fit.

This morning, I thought I’d hop on the ol’ scale.  I’ve managed to get rid of an extra 25 pounds and probably half as many inches.  My clothes fit better, I need to buy new belts, and I’ve started to see muscle tone.  Flabby to firmy.  7.5 months to get to where I am.  3.5 months until I turn 30.  Well on my way to being in the best shape of my life. 

When beginning a fitness journey, a solid support system is HUGE.  Start with the people who you live with.  Are they on board?  Encouragement from family is super important.  Next comes friends.  Do you have a workout buddy?  Fitness group at work?  Super close CrossFit class?  This is key.  My family has been great.  Constantly encouraging me and keeping me accountable.  The last time that my mom came to visit, she noticed that I looked more fit and asked to borrow one of my Paleo books (It Starts With Food).  My family is always telling me that they’re proud of me.  At work, there’s a cork board as soon as you walk into the women’s locker room.  We hang motivational sayings, workouts, witty fitness one-liners (for example: Exercise, the poor man’s plastic surgery), and clean recipes.  I know I find it encouraging.  I also belong to a pretty close-knit CrossFit community.  We are constantly encouraging each other.  If someone misses a few workouts, they will hear about.  Support system.  Gotta have it.   

Man oh man, it’s tough.  One day I just started eating 90% Paleo cold turkey. Shortly thereafter, I joined a fitness challenge group put on by my friend, Laura, over at Fully Fit.  I believe the challenge group was 60 days.  I did my CrossFit, ate Paleo, and threw in a couple Insanity workouts a week.  This group is what kept me accountable.  I wrote out every single thing that I ate during that time.  Laura and the rest of the group were free to comment, critique, criticize…encourage, motivate, and give advice.  During that time, I decided to create a Facebook page, then furthermore create this blog.  I wanted to post recipes.  Pictures of my food that many of my Facebook friends were sick of seeing.  Motivational pictures that helped me get to the gym, eat cleaner, or just give me a good laugh.  I just wanted a place to document my journey I guess. Really keep myself accountable.  I can’t just up and quit being the Paleo Paramedic.  Well, I suppose that I could, but that’s lame.  Accountability is a must.  Sneaking that handful of M&Ms from the ice cream bar at the work cafeteria is less likely to happen if you have a clean-eating buddy and are obligated to tell them all about it. 

So many people are wanting a quick fix.  Quick fixes work great…but then fail.  It won’t last.  Also, it’s not the healthy way of going about it.  The tried and true way to be fit is old fashioned change up your diet and get moving!  Again, it’s slow, but it works. Within about a month, you’ll start seeing changes.  Within a few months, other people will notice.  Stick to it.  The days that all you want to do is hit snooze, don’t do it.  Get up and get after it.  All the times that you’re starving and would love nothing more than reach for those Combos or cupcakes, don’t give it.  Not worth it.  One day at a time.  I consider each day that I eat clean and workout a victory.  By now, it has become a habit.  It’s just what I do.  Hosting a party at my house, of course there will be Paleo snacks.  Out of state for training for work, of course I’ll get a workout in every day.  Make fitness a part of your daily routine.  Just something that you do.  As much of daily occurrence as brushing your teeth. 

There are great days and there are amazingly difficult days.  You will fail.  You will get frustrated.  Happens to everyone.  Give yourself a few minutes to be frustrated, feel guilty, what have you….then move on.  Don’t let one bad meal ruin your entire week.  No such thing as a bad workout.  As they say, the only bad workout is the one that you didn’t do.  Furthermore, when you’re frustrated, don’t turn to food.  Super good mood….don’t turn to food.  You’re not a dog, don’t give yourself a cupcake treat every time you accomplish a goal.  When emotions are running high (or low), take it out in the gym.  Take on a tough workout you’ve been dreading for days.  Pound the pavement with a pre-sunrise run.  Heck, one can even walk the dog with aggression. Many times, emotion-fueled workouts are the best.  AND, you feel better afterwards.  

Set goals for yourself.  Reach them.  Set new goals.  Write them down and cross them off as you reach them.  Here are my CrossFit goals for the year.  I have added to the list and crossed out as I’ve reached the goals.  It’s like creating a to-do list.  The best part is checking stuff off.   

No matter what, never ever, ever, ever quit.  Don’t do it.  Take rest days.  Have treat meals.  But don’t you quit.  Keep going.  Stay motivated.  Every day, stay motivated. Write notes on your mirror.  Label your cellphone alarm clocks with inspiration such as “TIME TO BE AWESOME!”  Do what you need to do to stay motivated, especially on the rough days.  It’s worth it.  I promise. 

Keep On Keepin’ On

Every single day, you have to pump yourself up to do the fitness thing. Honestly, I am not a fan of going to the gym. It’s not fun for me. BUT, I do it anyway. It’s not fun munching on carrots when everyone else is devouring cupcakes and chocolate milk. BUT, I do it anyway. By sticking to it, I know that I will feel better, look better, become stronger, become more healthy, and become more fit. That’s what keeps me going.

This fitness thing, it isn’t easy. It’s slow at first. Tough. Eventually, it will become a habit. Something that you think about and something that you work on every day.

You’ve got this! Keep on keepin’ on!

Roast Beast

Haven’t made a roast in awhile. Figured since today is my shift day, I could throw some stuff in the crockpot and let it cook all day.

Grocery shopping first thing. Picked up a nice little 3# roast for my medic partner and me. I threw in some carrots, onions, and sweet potatoes. Next were 2 cans of beef broth, s&p, and a little garlic salt. 

Those babies cooked for about 8-10 hours. I felt that it needed a little gravy, so i decided to make a go of it. I have a terrible track record with gravy so I was   little nervous. Just the broth and some almond flour for thickness. I wish I could give you exact amounts, but really I just added the flour until it was thick.

Delicious. The roast was awesome as always…the gravy wasn’t terrible.  I will have to work on the almond flour gravy.

I always like crockpot meals. Easy prep, easy cooking, easy cleanup. This roast recipe is pretty simple.  There are many ways to add to it.  If you dig crock pot cooking, check out Paleo Pot.  All sorts of great recipes.

Happy eating!

B.A. Pancakes

I love a good pancake. This recipe makes 1 big pancake.

Simple.
2 T coconut flour
2 eggs
2 T coconut milk (I used almond milk)

Mix that together, pour into a well greased frying pan. Flip. Once cooked, add your favorite toppings. I chose to add butter, Justin’s Maple Almond Butter, and real maple syrup.  I also recommend adding fresh fruit to the pancake.

I made this as a snack the other night. Fluffy, filling, and delicious. The almond butter added so much flavor. Pretty ugly looking, but pretty fantastic.

Happy eating!

Recipe HERE.