Back to work!

Monday 5/30

Memorial Day WOD

Randy

Randy Simmons, 51, a 27 year LAPD veteran and SWAT team member was killed February 6, 2008 in the line of duty. Officer Simmons is survived by his wife and two children. This is my 2nd year doing this WOD to honour that thin blue line. I love and admire Matt so much, it hurts.

75 power snatches (55#) @ 6:51 … I’d have preferred to go at 50#, but we don’t have a 33# women’s bar ... regardless, this is a :47 gain from 7:38!!! yay!

This is one of my favorite workouts because it feels the most “natural” to me - the ROM feels like when I pick up my backpack so I don’t psyche myself out. Today was my first day back since being sick last week and then judging CF Regionals 12 hours a day all weekend ... so I was looking forward to it.

Overall, I still feel weak and the tank still feels small, but overall, I feel “cleaner”, I’m not as grouchy, and I’m recovering better. Perhaps this is a sign that the paleo diet is starting to kick in and I just need to up the caloric intake and toughen up mentally. yay!

Tuesday 5/31

Pre-WOD:
Press 5 x 65-75-80-85(3) ... PR was 90, so I have some work to do. I posted video of the round I failed.

WOD @ home
30-20-10 reps of: (8 min cap)

Push Press (65#)

Kettlebell Swings (1 pood)

6:58... slow, felt weak, and lack 33# bar to scale down at home, but my goal was to go unbroken and keep sub 7:00 ... which I barely did (yay!)

Post-WOD:
10 deadhangs: 3-3-2-2 (I'll get you #4!!!)
20 TTB: 7-5-5-3 still kipping in between but was able to string 2 together a couple of times (yay!)
50 DU: 6-17-21-12 breaking less - I pretended I was Paws!

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Hey! I just now noticed that this is the 2nd sub-7:00 workout I’ve done this week. Cool!

ranking from 1-10 so far...
sleep: 9
diet: 9
health: 7
stress: 5
recovery: 8
mental energy: 8
physical energy: 7

Notes: I confess that I’m still not feeling my “GRRR” yet ... Rudy is right about finding the right priorities and setting goals accordingly ... without them, that sense of urgency, commitment, and inner drive won’t be there to push you. I love to climb and the mountains motivate me like no other, but I always find myself mentally wandering until the 6-9 month mark comes around and it hits me like a ton of bricks that it’s time to work. Truthfully, I’m finding the mental/emotional aspect to be my biggest struggle because I want to be more consistent with my training year-round instead of seasonally.

Matt is really good at that and is so disciplined - he’s a good role model in that respect so I just have to keep at it. On a related note, I’ve been v-consistent with my paleo diet and Matt has been inspired to follow suit. I love a good win-win situation!

26-31 May: Paleo Days 11-16

Trying to catch up on my log!

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Thu 5/26: Day 11

Sick, but a little better! Food stayed down and there is light at the end of the tunnel! Staying in bed and getting the right foods/supplements in helped.

Morning: hot tea, vitamins, and theraflu ... appetite still out...

Afternoon: chicken breast, pineapple, and 2 hard boiled eggs ... a tough meal to down, but necessary

 

Snack: hot chamomile tea, theraflu & hot water ... and a lot more sleep

Evening: 1 quart vegetable and chicken soup ... I got this from the Chinese Takeout that Matt loves to order from ... they kept it simple/clean for me, it was cheap, and pretty darned good. Nice folks @ Chinese Kitchen ... family-owned, down to earth folks, pretty clean food (no MSG, gluten-sensitive, et al), and good to peeps on diets.

I really wanted to go to the CF Regional Athletes’ Meeting, but I knew I had a big weekend coming and rest had to take priority... I may be dumb at times, but I’m not stupid.

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Fri 5/27: Day 12

Judging @ The North Central Crossfit Regionals Competition ... wow! So inspiring!

Morning:

• chamomile tea mixed with theraflu and 1/2 of my vitamin supplements (iron, fish oil, folic acid, C, multi, and gingko biloba)
• coconut milk with chocolate whey protein
• chicken breast and banana

 

Throughout the day: I knew judging would keep us from being able to sit down for long, so I brought packets of whey protein, almond cherry lara bars, my turkey jerky mix, celery/carrot sticks, and grazed on fruit and paleo packs ... also took the rest of my vitamin supplements

 

 

Evening:

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Sat 5/28: Day 13

Judging @ The North Central Crossfit Regionals Competition

Morning: coffee, fish oil, vitamin supplements, coconut milk with chocolate whey protein, 3 boiled eggs and a small bowl of cherries

Throughout the day:

More of the same (above) plus one of the Tuna Salads from the concession stand (i.e., dry tuna on a bed of lettuce and veggies)... I found some fresh fruit and brought 3 boiled eggs. Also went through 2 nalgenes (about 2L) of water.

Evening: was in bed by 20:30 after a cuppa green tea ... it was a LONG day!

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Sun 5/29: Day 14

Judging @ The North Central Crossfit Regionals Competition

I weighed myself today...126lbs ... BOOOOOO! How did I lose almost 10lbs? WTF?! I am eating well and getting in loads of calories (2500-3000)... I guess that’s another sign of how much muscle I’m still losing and how sensitive my metabolism still is ... what a bummer... Well, whatever, I need to look forward and there is 30lbs of muscle and meat I need to put on by May 2012. Upping the ante, baby!

Morning: coffee, fish oil, vitamin supplements, coconut milk with chocolate whey protein. Adam suggested this and it’s pretty good stuff.

Throughout the day:

I packed a pemmican bar, chicken breasts, boiled eggs, nuts, and cherries ... but I also found a paleo kit and a few handfuls of strawberries and blackberries in between heats. The meat, eggs, pemmican bars, and whey mix were my only sources of protein - but I’m grateful given how little time we had to eat and how mobile the day was.

Evening: got home by 19:00 and promptly went to bed after a big cup of green tea. It was a GREAT weekend - I can hardly put it into words how inspiring and emotional it’s been. Made a few new friends and connected with a few old ones - I didn’t workout much and I’m pooped, but it was a good weekend nonetheless.

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Mon 5/30: Day 15

Memorial Day

Morning:

• 5 scrambled eggs
• coffee & 1/2 of my vitamin supplements
• whey protein & coconut milk

Throughout the Day: 2 turkey hot dogs, 4 turkey burgers, mustard/garlic/EVOO sauce (I made this - it came out really good!), a few pickle slices, and about 1/2 a head of romaine ... also snacked on handfuls of cherries, blackberries, pineapple, strawberries, almonds, walnuts

We had family over and - wish I remembered to photograph the spread I laid out - but given the chaos, not too much time for taking pictures. This is the last plate I made for myself.

Post-Hero WOD: BCAAs mixed into 1L water, 1 banana, some carrots, celery, and more blackberries

Evening: wasn’t hungry, but I had some whey protein with coconut milk ... I need to get to at least 130-135 and stay there

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Tue 5/31: Day 16

Kept it simple. It’s nice to eat real food again. I’m not counting calories - really just estimating based on last year’s paleo challenge and the # of protein grams I’m getting. Good news is that I am feeling better and I am seeing some incremental, albeit small, improvements. I just need to stay consistent and keep myself in check.

To help add more calories, I’ve been incorporating more nuts, fruits, and berries. Almost every day has included at least 1 avocado and 1c of coconut milk - so I’m doing what I can to maintain my weight responsibly and without relying too much on supplements like whey protein powders.

Morning:

• 2 Chicken breasts
• 1 avocado
• vitamin supplements
• coffee mixed with whey protein

 

Afternoon:

• paleo crunch pack
• handful of cherries
• 2 packs of tuna with water

Evening:

• 1/2lb ground turkey with organic herbs
• sauteed chard with EVOO and garlic
• handful of my turkey jerky/nut/fruit mix
• strawberries and pineapple

24 - 25 May: Paleo Challenge Days 9-10

Tue 5/24: Day 9

Morning:

• vitamin supplements
• coconut milk with powdered cocoa and whey protein
• 5 egg omelet with red onions
• sautéed spinach/kale mix
• strawberries, and pineapple

I’m really liking this in the morning with coffee. It’s simple, fast, highly absorbable, and good calories. Eggs are one of my favorite protein sources

Afternoon:

• steamed yellowtail with seaweed ... about 1.5lb fish
• red and orange chard with garlic & EVOO

Snack: handful of nuts and dried cherries

Evening:

Feeling Sick!

I ate 2 chicken breasts and kale, but “no absorption going on” ... any more details would be serious TMI ... let’s just say that Matt had to hold my hair ... yuck

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Wed 5/25: Day 10

Still Sick - but I got up to make my turkey jerky mix! So excited because Alison joined in the purchase and I could get things in bulk. If you’re interested to join the next batch, then I can do more variants of fruits in bulk.

 

Morning: got loads of C and protein in with grapefruit, cherries, eggs, and some blueberries ... tummy was kinda urpy, but food stayed put. I read a lot about grapefruit, lemon, and lime balancing pH levels in the stomach (unlike orange) ... Dr. Peter D'Adamo is a naturopathic physician and author of “Eat Right for Your Blood Type” ... being an engineering science person, I liked his chemistry-based approach and use of basic science in his explanations. His earlier publications were a bit more academic, but he started putting out more mainstream-centric work that I like (and can share with people without them looking at me like I’m a freak)

Anyhoo, this works for me and I get loaded with immunity-fighting stuff from nature :)

Afternoon: slept and mentally willed fever to go down ... I felt a flu coming on

• drank loads of grapefruit juice and chamomile tea
• theraflu and water with lemon
• 22g whey protein & coconut milk (gotta get SOMETHING in!)

Snack: missed this as I slept through it. Wow, when the body wants you to rest while it fights off infection, you gotta listen to it.

Evening: more of the above as well as 1 quart vegetable/chicken soup

Sick

Sick sick sucks

Sun 5/22: WOD

15 min AMRAP @ Home: 10 rounds + 2 TTB
5 Toes-to-Bar
10 Push Press (95/65 or 40% of 1RM jerk)
15 Jumping Lunges

Took my junk food angst out on the bar @ 55# (maybe too light because I really didn’t feel the “hurting” during the last few rounds?). The bar did a great job shredding my hands during the push presses - could be that my lax grip wasn’t helping.

Also, I wasn’t particularly “fast”, but I found a pace and stuck to it. The jumping squats were hard on my knees so I might be doing something wrong. Met my goal of no breaks and less than a 5 count in between.

Felt tired, but good today.

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ranking from 1-10 today…
sleep: 9
diet: 8
health: 8
stress: 6
recovery: 7
mental energy: 8
physical energy: 7 (maybe not enough protein?)

Sun 5/22: Paleo Day 7

I looked at my intake yesterday and noticed something right away ... dull colours. Not enough dark greens, reds, or oranges ... which means I’m prolly not getting enough good nutrients. So I visited Fresh Market and went to town in the produce section... I can’t WAIT for the CSA to start!

	09:00 Good morning, sunshine!  5 eggs with 3 no-salt turkey slices 16oz coffee with coconut milk Supplements: fish oil, multi, biotin, and folic acid Eating when I’m hungry and it seems to be getting a tiny bit easier.
	11:30 - 13:30  snacktime...  handful of almonds handful of dried cherries handful of blueberries need to go food shopping... this really took the edge off my desire for the junk food and was good to graze on throughout the day while we were busy ... just 3 more weeks ... I can do this...
	17:30  worked out around 15:30, had endurox shot post-WOD ... which curbed my appetite and revived me until I brought home some groceries... I’m not sure if olives like this are ok for the paleo diet, but they prevented me from buying the hunk of feta cheese and spanikopita that was calling for me. handful of kalamata olives
	18:30 Boy, I was hungry!  loads of  sauteed bok choy with red onion 1/4lb tuna sashimi mango salsa with olive oil, cilantro, and lime juice Supplements: fish oil, multi, iron, magnesium, gingko biloba Wow. Whatever hunger or cravings I had vanished when I had this. It was a huge meal and VERY satisfying. We really liked the simplicity and found we saved about 50% buying sushi-grade fish by the pound and cutting it fresh at home rather than getting sashimi made-to-order with all the packaging...

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Notes

I have a feeling I didn’t eat enough. Looking above, I can see that I didn’t get enough solid proteins in to sustain the day’s activities or plan my food well. It’s a process and I’m still working on it...

Sat 5/21: Day 6 ... find the right pace

I’m still fighting the sugar withdrawl, but I believe there’s light at the end of this tunnel. Eating lots of protein-rich foods when the hunger pangs set in are helping a lot. Its hard to crave that ice cream when you’re full - so I’m optimistic.

	08:00 Got up, shook the cobwebs, and got in gear. Went for lovely hike with Cody-the-Dog 5 eggs with spinach and turkey slices 18oz coffee with coconut milk Supplements: fish oil, multi, biotin, and folic acid
	13:30  I was SOOO ready to eat... 10oz poached chicken breast  sauteed spinach with red onions
	17:30 As busy as we were, the next 4 hours were killing me... of course, Matt saw this as an opportunity to have some fun and taunted me with ice cream and PBJ’s... these quick snacks did the trick and Matt’s pleasure in seeing me suffer was reduced to just a dirty look... cherry/date/almond larabar  1tbs almond butter  1c sautéed spinach
	18:30 - 19:30 hungry hungry hungry! 5-egg inside-out spinach turkey omelet roasted chicken wings  Supplements: fish oil, multi, iron, magnesium, gingko biloba  The omelet was a craving-saver and super-quick to make with salt-free turkey and handfuls of fresh spinach. V-slim pickings with the chicken wings when you’re only eating the meat, though. They were leftovers in the freezer from the meat box.

Active Rest Day

Stiff as a board and felt every squat movement I practised this week hiking several miles with Cody-the-Dog and my heavypack in the forest preserve … he kept looking at me like “Really, lady? That’s all you got?!”. It was still level 1 fun.

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ranking from 1-10 today...
sleep: 8
diet: 8
health: 8
stress: 6
recovery: 5
mental energy: 8
physical energy: 5 (probably not getting enough protein & nutrients to feel benefits yet)

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Before Photos...

ugh ... the obligatory bathing suit photos ... please don’t laugh at the awful photography ... I probably should’ve waited for my lawn chair marks to come off so my hiney cheese isn’t so obvious. I’m not thrilled publishing these kinda photos given how much my weight fluctuates and my age ... but oh well. This is what I get for eating all that junk food since September ... skinny punkass...
Photos: (1) - (2) - (3)

Fri 5/20: WOD

Power Clean 5-5-5 @ 85-95-105

It felt super light, but my goal was consistency first, heavy weight second ... Coach said 2 out of 5 looked good. I have some bad habits to correct so I’ll do this again tomorrow. 

Then 21-15-9 @ 5:50
- Deadlift (105#)
- Pullups

It was hard not going to RX DL weight, but I know I have to break bad habits on that front first (i.e., turtle back). So there were short, 1x breaks per round on the DL. My pull-ups were disappointingly slow work, though. Was only able to keep them in 2s and 3s. 6min on the Versaclimber was tough and I can use the feeling light-headed excuse all I want, but for a sub-6 sprinty-type workout, the truth is that I didn’t mentally get in it. Tomorrow is another day to turn it around and I’ll keep chipping away.

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ranking from 1-10 today...
sleep: 8
diet: 8
health: 8
recovery: 8
stress: 7 (personal stuff)
physical energy: 7 (I took 3 points off for too much energy?!)
mental energy: 7 (see above … I felt kinda hyper)

Fri 5/20: Day 5

Cravings aren’t as bad even though I think I’m conpensating with fruits. I’m also starting to feel a little more “normal”. But it’s only day 5 and I’m clearly impatient.

	8am 18oz coffee with coconut milk morning vitamins Lacked appetite, so I didn’t eat. 11:30 Appetite finally kicked in!  10oz slow-roasted beef steamed bok choy tossed with sauteed red onions, herbs, and EVOO
	13:30 - 15:30 1L nalgene of water handful of dried blueberries 1/2 pemmican bar 1tbs almond butter
(oops. forgot to photograph)	20:30 finished 2nd liter water 1/2lb container of sauteed shrimp with garlic and seaweed salad from WF I’ve been on this seaweed kick. Its good. 21:30 handful of dried cherries and blueberries I definitely need to start laying off all the fruit/sugar. Looking back at my workout and feeling overall, the message that I’m lacking protein rang loudly.

Felt weak today ... and by the looks of what I consumed today, there is a reason why. I’ll up the protein considerably and start cutting the nuts and fruits back.

Thu 5/19: Reading, Reflections & Strength Work

Strength Work

Wednesday’s Foundations workshop got me excited about working more on ROM, so I decided to do strength work today instead of hitting the WODs... first things first, right?!

I started with snatches and then broke them down into front squats, OHS, and GHDs - all the while keeping it light (between 65-85#) and just plugged away. They felt really good and I had fun, but they weren’t as consistent as I’d have liked. Every time I failed more than 2 reps, I’d drop 10# and just do more.

With Stephanie and Emmit coaching me along, I did at least 6-7 sets of 4 with additional corrective reps thrown in, then hit the GHDs for 4 sets of 10.

Big takeaway: consistency and engaging the glut/ham chain better. I also felt better squat depth using Kurt’s cues from Foundations - rotate the dinner plates & pull the string !! These cues gave me more position awareness and a little more consistency.


Reflections
Looking back, I worked really hard last year, learned some basics, and had solid gains, but I think my biggest lesson from training was working smarter. I didn’t pay as much attention to ROM integrity & consistency back then, all the while hitting these solid PRs with only 8 months between day 1 and basecamp ... the conclusion being how greater the gains I can have this time around armed with more knowledge, 12 months, and a history to glean from. Very exciting, but I need to be more patient.

Speaking of which, I think of Tucker discussing a lot of this in his gymnastics class. He said that a sign of a great athlete is one who has great body awareness and control (i.e., kinesthetic awareness). They can quickly assess what their body needs to do and execute it with efficiently.

That really stuck and has been inspiring. Climbing for decades made my body accustomed to carrying a lot of weight over long distances, so I should feel patient and confident enough knowing that I can let go of my ego and focus on where the coaches are trying to get me.


Reading: Diet and Addiction
I am an addict ... I have substance addictions with sugar, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. The latter of the 2 never became a problem for me because excessive use isn’t socially acceptable, there are many support systems out there to help you, and I nipped these issues pretty early in life. However, sugar and caffeine is marketed, rationalised, and defended on an epic level ... like crack cocaine, it’s all cheap and highly accessible. Consuming extraordinary amounts of sugar and caffeine has become part of the mainstream American lifestyle. It's ok to give someone the stink eye if they're in public with a ciggy or carrying a 5th of whiskey, but heaven forbid if you give a 2nd look at the big chick in the corner stuffing her face with ice cream?! How is that not seriously FUBAR?!

Anyway, someone suggested I take Concerta to deal with what seems to be ADHD, but I thought about taking a closer look at my behavior and trying at least 1 holistic method before getting an RX. After reprioritising a few things in my life, controlling my intake, and giving my schedule more structure, I’m starting to feel like I’m normalling out in 2 weeks... I immediately noticed fewer of those weird ADHD spurts/crashes after that caffeine-rich post-wod drink or junk food sugar fix.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a strange and energetic character, but I don’t feel so jittery and like I’m jumping out of my skin. Also, my skin texture seems a little less clogged, I feel more motivated/positive, and I’m sleeping a bit better overall.

Chipping away at this book and a few articles thus far:

Livestrong article on diet - http://www.livestrong.com/article/113530-diet-nutrition-adhd/

Understanding nutrition - By Eleanor Noss Whitney, Sharon Rady Rolfes

ADHD Diets - http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-diets

ADHD/ADD Natural remedy Report (www.treatADDnaturally.com)

Phospholipid spectrum disorders in psychiatry and neurology - by Malcolm Peet, Iain Glen, David F. Horrobin

Nutrition and ADHD: Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Micronutrients and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - By Natalie Sinn

Scattered Minds: Hope and Help for Adults with Attention Deficit - By Lenard Adler, Mari Florence

Thu 5/19: Day 4 ... think burly!

I’ve decided to let my appetite work FOR me and not AGAINST me in that I will satisfy what my body NEEDS instead of what my body WANTS. Time to be my own parent, so to speak. I can do it!

	08:00 Oops. Should pay attention to skillet instead of watching another CF video with Matt. I should also up this to 5 eggs and other protein/fat sources given how hungry I’ve been getting by the afternoon.  3 eggs with spinach and turkey slices 12oz coffee with coconut milk Supplements: fish oil, multi, biotin, and folic acid
	11:30  If I don’t do something, I‘ll forget to eat and be cruising D&D again...  1 pemmican bar 1 TBS almond butter
	14:00 - 17:45 Alison J got me thinking about BCAAs and my turkey jerky mix so I ordered the jerky and refreshing watermelon BCAA mix (it arrives in 2-3 days). I also made this bag of nuts, dried fruits, and chicken breasts to satiate my impressionable little mind right now.  I ate this throughout the afternoon: 3 seaweed sheets 3/4lb roast chicken breast 1 pear 1 kiwi 1c almond and walnut mix 1/2c dried cherries & blueberries
yeah ... it was that good.	20:45  I got home REALLY craving sugar ... but if I recall anything I’ve learned, my body is really screaming for protein and is addicted to the insulin rush of sugar. So... I fought the urge and had sauteed baby bok choy slow roasted beef with red onions 1L water I don't remember the proportions ... but it was at least 12-16oz of beef and a few cups of bok choy. I got stuffed and shed the cravings (even as Matt taunted me and threatened to go buy dairy queen ... I love that sick mf'er ...).

Yikes is all I have to say. I took this yesterday but I’ve been rather nervous about posting it because looks are deceiving... my lil hip pooch is kinda funny, though. That’s a hard-earned junk food cortisol pooch, though, my friends.

Anyway, this is the body of a mountaineer that needs to be strong enough to carry a 210lb man down 2 miles to safety, pull hundreds of pounds of gear out of a crevasse, build snow walls made of dozens of 40lb snow blocks, or drag a 100lb sled with a 40-50lb backpack up and down +6500m mountain. (My performance goals by end of April 2012, BTW) Sounds like a lot and I have a lot of work to do, but I’ve done it almost every year since god was a child...

I mean, I look “OK” for a “normal” gal my age and frame size ... but I’m supposed to be a self-sufficient, high-altitude mountaineer... someone I envision as a bit more ... BURLY.... Net-net, I need to gain at least 25lbs of muscle, strength, and endurance. Its hard to see in photos, but as Coach always said, “The numbers don’t lie, T”. Bryce RULES.

(click here to see an old photo of me at a more functional 145lbs)

Wed 5/18: Paleo Challenge Day 3 ... the struggle can be refreshing

	Late breakfast @ 09:45 18oz coffee w/ coconut milk 1L water with lemon splash 1/2 of daily vitamins 3 eggs with 1/2c spinach 1tbs almond butter
	Mid-morning snack @ 11:45 handful of dried cherries (wait for it...)
	Lunch @ 15:10 1/2 of this chicken handful of dried blueberries handful of almonds 1/2 avocado 1 sheet of seaweed (Bam! The nuts, berries, and avocado didn’t make the photo because I was FAMISHED!)
	Dinner/late snack 17:30 - 21:45 other 1/2 of roasted chicken 1/2c cranberries 1/2c almonds 1/2c walnuts 4 sheets of seaweed

I was inspired by JJ to take a before and after set of measurements:

Weight: 134lbs

Chest: 36 1/4"

waist: 27 3/4"

hips: 36 1/4"

quad: 21 3/4"

calf: 13 3/4"

Gunz: 11 7/8" (ha! Bicep: 6.25", Tricep: 6.75")

Yea, I’m on the skinny side and we already know I’m fairly weak. I’m not sure what my body fat % is - I’d like to get that done this week if I can. It's not pretty, but I see it as a great opportunity and no where to go but up!

Notes:

Most of the reason why I'm participating in the paleo challenge isn’t necessarily for the 2 goal tracks they offered, but to help me kick the raging junk food addiction I developed upon my return from wyoming this past summer ... having said that, today was AWFUL. I forgot to take food with me and skipped a meal (went from breakfast to late lunch - about 4 hours) ... so I was REALLY cranky, hungry, cranky, and hungry until I got some calories in me later in the day.

It was bad. All I could think about was junk food. So bad that I drove out to D&D's, parked, and sat there almost in tears. I tried distracting myself online with my cell without much luck... yeah, no IF for me until I clean up and maintain good dietary habits. IT SUCKED.

That got me thinking about how I ate during training - what worked and what didn’t. What worked for me last year was carrying around a bag with all of my food for the day - school, lab, and new life with matt forced me to do that. So no matter where I was or what I was doing, I always had the right foods in the right amounts available to me. I also realise that this is how we eat on the mountain - food is packed by the day so you can efficiently cache as you ascend. It’s also a measure for getting in enough calories each day and gauge how you're acclimitising based on how your appetite compares to what food is left in the bag.

New thing: Matt and I love sushi, so I bought these seaweed wrappy thingys ... but never used them. So they were sitting around. While I was gorging myself after the longest 5 hours of my life, I noticed them and wondered how they might taste with the chicken... why not, right? It was delish! It had the right balance of fatty, meaty, and salty with a bit of crunch. Shared some with the CFC gang and they confirmed that I’m not crazy.