When we think great quotations and inspiration, Colin Farrell does not usually float to the top of the list. This morning, while running through a few topics to write about that all felt lukewarm, I was listening to Good Morning America in the background. Colin Farrell was a guest, and I heard him say, "We are all emotional. We are either connected to our emotions, or suppressing them."
Well, isn't that a simple truth? We are 10 days into the Paleo Zone Challenge, and I'm going to venture a guess that we've all had the emotional pendulum swinging pretty heavily at times. I was born emotional -- it's pretty much a requirement to survive in an Italian-Irish family. We are all so in tune to the activities in others' lives through social media, that we forget to realize that human beings are very complex emotional creatures, all the time, but we are all usually suppressing those emotions to carry through the day.
Every single person that uses social media could fill their year with status updates or tweets that are completely different - the unsuppressed emotional versions. Granted, there are a few individuals who share their every thought and feeling, and those are usually the ones that people deem weird or unstable and end up blocking. Why? Because no one wants to read about everyone else's mundane problems or feeling of the moment when we all are experiencing the same. I could have updated throughout 2013 in an intensely personal way, sharing all the things that scared or upset me, shook my confidence, or even gave me a small, very personal success, but mostly, I didn't. The face we project to others is mostly the "suppressed" emotional version - because it's what is socially acceptable. We save the "connected" emotional version for our innermost circle: the few friends who will take you or leave you regardless of your life's mess, your significant other, members of your family who love you unconditionally, and of course, our beloved dogs (that's my dog Max in the picture. Dogs are incapable of suppressing their emotions.)
I am noticing, here at Day 10, that without sugar, alcohol, and artificial fuel in my body that I am becoming more connected to the people and situation around me. Chris and I were discussing it this morning, even before I received my Daily Affirmation from Colin Farrell. I realized, that while I was at work all weekend, I was more present in the workplace. My thought processes were clear. I was able to multi-task more efficiently. I engaged others not in a sarcastic, biting way, but in a more light-hearted yet still humorous way. I laughed easily with others. In general, I felt more real, more awake, and more aware than I have been accustomed to feeling in many months.
I find myself now saying, "Am I feeling [this way] because of the sugar detox, or because I just never noticed that I should have felt [this way] before, in the same situation?" One of the primary methodologies behind alcohol and drug rehab is to learn to feel the real emotion, deal with it, and move on after feeling it, without using the previously used crutch to suppress it. We are all experiencing that methodology now, and sometimes it's gonna feel uncomfortable. Were there times when I wanted a beverage over the weekend? 100% yes. Am I feeling confident, successful, and very well-rested because I chose to stick to the program? 110% yes.
I welcome the real emotions now. Is "real" always flowery and pleasant and gigantic smiles with big shiny, white piano key teeth? Not that I was that person often, but we all know those who are. Remember, they are suppressing whatever emotion they need to, to get through their day. The perfect person on Facebook who's life is engaging and funny and full of awesomeness? They are suppressing an emotion that is not for general consumption. We all are. Social media is not the best platform for our real emotions, but face to face or voice to voice is. Use those times to your advantage to connect to your, and their, emotions.
Take the hugs and kisses when they are there. Pound your fists when you need to. Or just take the time to emotionally connect your truths with those around you. It will serve your mind, body, and spirit much better than any other part of this challenge.
dog kiss
Monday, February 10, 2014
Friday, February 7, 2014
Well, Hello Friday!
One down, only 11 more to go! Let's go back to one week ago today.... There was talk of burgers and beer and sushi and pizza. Wings and cheese and bacon and chocolate. And beer. How does all that sound, only one measly week later? We've all been faced with temptation throughout the week, whether it's M&Ms by the bushel at a conference or chocolate chip cookies by the bucket at the nurse's station, but we pushed forward, chomping our broccoli and diced chicken as others' glucose levels took the hit for us.
Fridays are always a bit difficult at first. It's a day of transition for most people, and the unofficial "best day of the week." People celebrate, usually in bars, restaurants or at each others' houses. Here's another challenge within the Challenge: Don't become a hermit. Find a way to socialize with others, to have fun, but not to mess up your hard work. If you have friends getting together, go ahead and get together with them. Either bring your own food, already measured, or make it your cheat and eat only the foods you are allowed to eat, without measuring. Step away from the water bottle, and pour your water in... A GLASS! The top rack of my dishwasher has had 2 coffee cups in it every cycle, because we are drinking only out of our water bottles!
Also, take the time to notice what feels better. The dark circles under my eyes are virtually gone. My skin is looking rosier already. Some of you have told me you feel yourself shrinking already. Stay off the scale, it's too soon. The numbers will only either give you a false sense of security or feeling of futility. Don't bother, there will be weighing later when it matters. I can guarantee that if I stepped on my scale, I would use whatever number showed up to validate my particular insecurity at that moment, or use it as comparison toward future weeks. It's not important this week. I know that I feel better, I'm sleeping better, I'm working through the challenging moments, and I've had a successful week.
Keep at it, only 11 more to go!
Fridays are always a bit difficult at first. It's a day of transition for most people, and the unofficial "best day of the week." People celebrate, usually in bars, restaurants or at each others' houses. Here's another challenge within the Challenge: Don't become a hermit. Find a way to socialize with others, to have fun, but not to mess up your hard work. If you have friends getting together, go ahead and get together with them. Either bring your own food, already measured, or make it your cheat and eat only the foods you are allowed to eat, without measuring. Step away from the water bottle, and pour your water in... A GLASS! The top rack of my dishwasher has had 2 coffee cups in it every cycle, because we are drinking only out of our water bottles!
Also, take the time to notice what feels better. The dark circles under my eyes are virtually gone. My skin is looking rosier already. Some of you have told me you feel yourself shrinking already. Stay off the scale, it's too soon. The numbers will only either give you a false sense of security or feeling of futility. Don't bother, there will be weighing later when it matters. I can guarantee that if I stepped on my scale, I would use whatever number showed up to validate my particular insecurity at that moment, or use it as comparison toward future weeks. It's not important this week. I know that I feel better, I'm sleeping better, I'm working through the challenging moments, and I've had a successful week.
Keep at it, only 11 more to go!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Chia and Chewbrocca
I went to the gym at a non-usual time for me yesterday, which I highly recommend to everyone once in awhile. I am a 10am, 11am, or 12 noon person usually on my days off, but because of ice, downed power lines, and food preparation I went to 4:45 pm instead. Normally, we walk into the gym, see mostly the same faces, and go through the workout. By going to a completely different time slot, I was able to have great conversations while suffering (and suffering I did, apparently my lower back said "Hells to the NO!" at 300 partial deadlifts- Now I feel like I need to wear a Scarlet DNF), and get a new sampling of perspectives and food ideas for the Paleo Zone Challenge.
The good news: we are all feeling the exact same things - as weird and difficult as they are. Bloat, yes. Are you feeling like a zeppelin or are you finally deflated from that lovely transition? I had visions of being useful for national newscasts, floating above the ice-damaged power outage areas and reporting, as I chomped on something cruciferous. The bloat passes as your intestines begin to grasp what we are putting them through. Becoming One With The Bathroom, also yes. I might have had a moment of falling to my knees, hands fist pumping in the air, face to heavens, yelling "Noooooooo" when I race to the bathroom to pee only to find Chris has beat me to it. Yes, we have other bathrooms, which I found is a luxury, because there is at least one person on this challenge who shares her one bathroom with the rest of the family- I think in her case I would make the men and boys run outside. Many of us commute, and we are faced now with water deprivation in the hour or so before we leave for work. I have done the "gotta pee, gotta pee" dance as I've driven into the parking garage in Baltimore, followed by a very brisk walk into my workplace, straight to the bathroom.
And finally, chewing. Lots, and lots, of chewing. Meat is the easy part. The Carnitas, Beef Brisket, and hardboiled eggs that Chris and I cooked on Sunday will have lasted us through the week. However, I've heard stories of chewing gobs of green vegetables while driving down 270, Vitamixing them (I'm jealous on that one. It's not nearly as cool to say, "I just throw them in my Oster."), adding them to the protein drink, and steaming entire bags of frozen veggies. There are short cuts, yes. Hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, a clementine, a sweet potato, all have a lot of block bang for the buck. However, as I lectured this morning to the other PZC participant I live with, you gotta do the green time. The green veggies are the big quantities, but you need the vitamins they pack.
Every person that questions this diet will say, "No dairy? What about your calcium?" Calcium is the reason we need our green vegetables. Calcium is very important for bone density and strength, working in synchrony with the weightlifting to give us strong, sturdy bones. But it also helps maintain proper neurological and cardiac function. Calcium imbalances can throw off your entire operation system - it's not to be messed with. Leafy greens (kale, collards, spinach, broccoli and turnip greens) are all excellent sources of calcium - iron and magnesium too. But guess what else gives a huge calcium punch? Chia seeds. These little miracles have gone from the kitschy "as seen on TV" world in the form of growing everything from a turtle to Mr. T, to being the one of the latest healthy superfood powers. Talk about a rise to superstardom. Chia seeds are loaded with calcium, and 1 fat block equals 0.3 oz. These things are like little grains of sand, so that's quite a lot. Get yourself a bag of Chia seeds, and start adding them to your protein shake or any other meal. Just make sure you actually eat them and they don't all stick in your teeth, because that may diminish your credibility at your next meeting.
So, bottom line, get your greens in at least 2 meals. If you need to make them 2 of your smaller meals, then ok, but know that you should be taking in greens at least a couple of times throughout the day. More chewing? Yes. Your energy levels will thank you. Now, happy chomping, chewing, and checking your mirror for black spots in your teeth.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Breaking up is hard to do
There are parts of the challenge that don't exactly fit with your day-to-day schedule. 12 weeks is a long time. There are birthdays, weekend events, holidays, business trips, pleasure trips, spontaneous invites, all-day events. There are also standard workdays (stay at home parents included). I understand. It's hard, uncomfortable, weird, and inconvenient. There are times when it doesn't feel like it's just gonna work that day. You're right. Now (Cave)Man Up.
12 weeks is a long time. 3 months. However, it accomplishes something HUGE. By strict adherence to Zone blocks and Paleo choices, you are slowly chipping away at your dysfunctional relationship with food. This can't be accomplished in 7 days, or 5 days on and 2 days off, or 1 day off every 7 days. It has to be accomplished by severing the emotional and perceived physical need of certain food choices at certain times during the day, week or month.
Food measurements are exact, but not really. Is your cup of vegetables actually a cup or almost a cup? In the long run, after 12 weeks, the couple of grams that escape or sneak in won't matter, they will even out. No one can account, exactly, for Every. Single. Gram. Don't try to cut a corner, fit the proverbial square peg into the round hole. Just measure the food out for your blocks and eat them. When you can. If it takes an hour, fantastic. If you wolf it down in 30 seconds, equally fantastic.
If you're hungry before your next meal, settle down. If you're full before your meal is finished, settle down.
We all like to eat the things that we like to eat. However, each and every one of us that signed up for this Challenge did so because we were dissatisfied with some aspect of our health. Weight, inches, body fat percentage, stamina, strength, whatever. At some point, we all looked in the mirror and thought, "I need to improve this, and I know that I can." Right now, we all want chocolate or pie or ice cream or potato chips. Many of us want a beer. That is because we've completely socialized our food intake, and we have developed an unhealthy dependency on the types of food we've eaten.
Who told you that breakfast has to look like a bowl of oatmeal with berries and a drizzle of cream? Or eggs over easy with bacon and drizzly, syrup-covered slab of French toast (even if it's gluten-free bread)? Did you know that no one is the breakfast boss of you? (I'm the youngest child in my family. I have perfected the tone and delivery of "You're not the Boss of me.") You may eat brussel sprouts and steak for breakfast. A snack does not have to look like plain popcorn or an apple or a Chobani yogurt. A snack can be a cup of broccoli, some sunflower seeds, and a slab of pork. Dinner can be eggs and green beans, with salsa.
Once you change what you think you're supposed to eat and when, you will feel liberated from the food ties. And it takes time. Some of the residual needs stick around for 5-6 weeks. Most of them are gone after the first week. TV commercials of gooey cheese appetizers and fried anythings will be irrelevant to your clean-eating brain. It won't look good. And, if you happen to get a taste of anything with an artificial ingredient, you will immediately know it and it will taste horrific.
It's time to cut away what society has told us to eat and when to eat it. Here's why you eat: healthy fuel to survive and thrive to the next day. It's no more complicated than that. We eat the best fuel and hydrate well so that we can have energy to complete our day's work and then rest solidly. After our deep sleep, we can wake up and be productive superpowers again the next day! The Zone helps us figure out what our plate should look like. I think we all have been smacked square in the jaw with different looking plates at meal time. A lifetime of eating American doesn't change quickly. We have 12 weeks to hit the reset button, to change the way we eat, look, and feel. Yes, it's strict. I need strict, because I will negotiate anything in my mind and rationalize it if I believe it's possible. Strict is good.
Measure, eat, drink, rest, repeat. The bags of the Old Eating style are packed and at the curb. Don't let them back in.
12 weeks is a long time. 3 months. However, it accomplishes something HUGE. By strict adherence to Zone blocks and Paleo choices, you are slowly chipping away at your dysfunctional relationship with food. This can't be accomplished in 7 days, or 5 days on and 2 days off, or 1 day off every 7 days. It has to be accomplished by severing the emotional and perceived physical need of certain food choices at certain times during the day, week or month.
Food measurements are exact, but not really. Is your cup of vegetables actually a cup or almost a cup? In the long run, after 12 weeks, the couple of grams that escape or sneak in won't matter, they will even out. No one can account, exactly, for Every. Single. Gram. Don't try to cut a corner, fit the proverbial square peg into the round hole. Just measure the food out for your blocks and eat them. When you can. If it takes an hour, fantastic. If you wolf it down in 30 seconds, equally fantastic.
If you're hungry before your next meal, settle down. If you're full before your meal is finished, settle down.
We all like to eat the things that we like to eat. However, each and every one of us that signed up for this Challenge did so because we were dissatisfied with some aspect of our health. Weight, inches, body fat percentage, stamina, strength, whatever. At some point, we all looked in the mirror and thought, "I need to improve this, and I know that I can." Right now, we all want chocolate or pie or ice cream or potato chips. Many of us want a beer. That is because we've completely socialized our food intake, and we have developed an unhealthy dependency on the types of food we've eaten.
Who told you that breakfast has to look like a bowl of oatmeal with berries and a drizzle of cream? Or eggs over easy with bacon and drizzly, syrup-covered slab of French toast (even if it's gluten-free bread)? Did you know that no one is the breakfast boss of you? (I'm the youngest child in my family. I have perfected the tone and delivery of "You're not the Boss of me.") You may eat brussel sprouts and steak for breakfast. A snack does not have to look like plain popcorn or an apple or a Chobani yogurt. A snack can be a cup of broccoli, some sunflower seeds, and a slab of pork. Dinner can be eggs and green beans, with salsa.
Once you change what you think you're supposed to eat and when, you will feel liberated from the food ties. And it takes time. Some of the residual needs stick around for 5-6 weeks. Most of them are gone after the first week. TV commercials of gooey cheese appetizers and fried anythings will be irrelevant to your clean-eating brain. It won't look good. And, if you happen to get a taste of anything with an artificial ingredient, you will immediately know it and it will taste horrific.
It's time to cut away what society has told us to eat and when to eat it. Here's why you eat: healthy fuel to survive and thrive to the next day. It's no more complicated than that. We eat the best fuel and hydrate well so that we can have energy to complete our day's work and then rest solidly. After our deep sleep, we can wake up and be productive superpowers again the next day! The Zone helps us figure out what our plate should look like. I think we all have been smacked square in the jaw with different looking plates at meal time. A lifetime of eating American doesn't change quickly. We have 12 weeks to hit the reset button, to change the way we eat, look, and feel. Yes, it's strict. I need strict, because I will negotiate anything in my mind and rationalize it if I believe it's possible. Strict is good.
Measure, eat, drink, rest, repeat. The bags of the Old Eating style are packed and at the curb. Don't let them back in.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Becoming One with the Kitchen
I sent my sister a couple of texts regarding plans at 8:00 this morning. She finally responded at 10:00 am with "I couldn't understand how you were up sending texts at 8 am on a Sunday, and then I remembered that you and Chris were on your diet and not drinking - it was so out of character for you to be doing anything that early." The theme of Day 2 of this challenge, Superbowl Sunday, is Winning!
We have used every appliance, bowl, pan, and the grill in 8 hours today. I am quite familiar in the confines of my kitchen. If I made it out of there, it wasn't long before a food chore was pulling me back in to the triangulated area between my sink, stove, and refrigerator. The dishwasher has been loaded, ran, and emptied. We smoked a brisket, cooked up some pork carnitas for the second time in 2 days, and also cooked for the extended family that is coming for the game tonight. For the first time, I made my homemade macaroni and cheese with kielbasa, and "salt to taste" was like a gigantic STOP sign in front of me. No worries, that's what the people who will be eating it are there for.
Here's a big question: "Why am I peeing so much?!" Because your kidneys, thyroid and other glands are trying to adjust to the tsunami that is flooding your internal beach. Right now, they are all working overtime to get rid of the excess water. In a few days, your tissues, mainly your muscles and skin, will begin to soak up that water, and your kidneys will have far less to get rid of. You will be peeing less, in a short time. In the meantime, make it your habit to get your water intake squared away an hour or two before you hit the sack.
Keep at it. Stay prepared. Cook in bulk, so leftovers are quick and easy meals. Day 2 almost done - only 82 more!!
We have used every appliance, bowl, pan, and the grill in 8 hours today. I am quite familiar in the confines of my kitchen. If I made it out of there, it wasn't long before a food chore was pulling me back in to the triangulated area between my sink, stove, and refrigerator. The dishwasher has been loaded, ran, and emptied. We smoked a brisket, cooked up some pork carnitas for the second time in 2 days, and also cooked for the extended family that is coming for the game tonight. For the first time, I made my homemade macaroni and cheese with kielbasa, and "salt to taste" was like a gigantic STOP sign in front of me. No worries, that's what the people who will be eating it are there for.
Here's a big question: "Why am I peeing so much?!" Because your kidneys, thyroid and other glands are trying to adjust to the tsunami that is flooding your internal beach. Right now, they are all working overtime to get rid of the excess water. In a few days, your tissues, mainly your muscles and skin, will begin to soak up that water, and your kidneys will have far less to get rid of. You will be peeing less, in a short time. In the meantime, make it your habit to get your water intake squared away an hour or two before you hit the sack.
Keep at it. Stay prepared. Cook in bulk, so leftovers are quick and easy meals. Day 2 almost done - only 82 more!!
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Game ON
This day certainly arrived before I was ready. Ready, but not fully prepared, that is. I said goodbye to my good friend Papa John last night, and I panicked a bit when I had to usher my even better friend Cabernet out of my life, but I didn't let either friend overstay their welcome and I got to bed relatively early.
Day One of a huge change in one's life is a challenge in and of itself. Everything seems so big, so insurmountable, so dramatic, but really, it's just a new navigation of our usual daily path. I opened my eyes in bed this morning, and my first thought was... the counting. Counting numbers, amounts, weights, water. The time spent counting blocks, measuring, looking at the reference sheet that has a font way too small for my presbyopic eyes. But the counting and measuring, like my formerly excellent eyesight, diminishes with time. I remember from previous challenges, I found a few meals that worked for me, and those became my weekly staples.
The first week is definitely uncomfortable. I just ate 2.5 cups of grilled eggplant, and that was uncomfortable. Now, it's time for me to eat again, and I have to find a quick one-block "snack" that won't make my abdomen split and explode wide open (I know, dramatic, but it is day 1). Today and tomorrow will be filled with cooking. We will have our meat stash, our hard boiled egg stash, and I'm going to try to create 2 Block egg cups that are grab-and-go for the snacks. Like you, we have our challenges - a visiting father for the weekend who will be enjoying the basement bar solo tonight. Superbowl invites, and family gathering invites. There is even a fantastic event downtown, but all the great shops and restaurants hand out food and beverages so we will be skipping that for now. Instead, we are opting for staying at home, playing some games, and waiting for the snow to start falling.
Also, avoid your friends who are on "failure watch." When people question you, which they will, ("No dairy?????" "No grains??????" "All that measuring???????" "Gasp - No Alcohol??????") just tell them your goals are more important right now. I tell people that I've done it before, that a few slips gradually turned into a weakened nutrition lifestyle, and I was done feeling bad about myself and my food choices. There will always be people who try to discourage for any number of reasons. My advice is to shrug and move on.
Finally, like the big workouts, break it down into smaller, more digestible amounts. Don't look at the length of the challenge -take it a day, a week, or even a meal at a time. I'm happy to have started, because the anticipation of the beginning was more stressful than figuring out a meal or a snack. Cheers to the next 83 Days!! Now, I'm off to do better things: fill my water container, stand in the kitchen, and chew some food. Oh, and wrap my belly so it doesn't explode.
Day One of a huge change in one's life is a challenge in and of itself. Everything seems so big, so insurmountable, so dramatic, but really, it's just a new navigation of our usual daily path. I opened my eyes in bed this morning, and my first thought was... the counting. Counting numbers, amounts, weights, water. The time spent counting blocks, measuring, looking at the reference sheet that has a font way too small for my presbyopic eyes. But the counting and measuring, like my formerly excellent eyesight, diminishes with time. I remember from previous challenges, I found a few meals that worked for me, and those became my weekly staples.
The first week is definitely uncomfortable. I just ate 2.5 cups of grilled eggplant, and that was uncomfortable. Now, it's time for me to eat again, and I have to find a quick one-block "snack" that won't make my abdomen split and explode wide open (I know, dramatic, but it is day 1). Today and tomorrow will be filled with cooking. We will have our meat stash, our hard boiled egg stash, and I'm going to try to create 2 Block egg cups that are grab-and-go for the snacks. Like you, we have our challenges - a visiting father for the weekend who will be enjoying the basement bar solo tonight. Superbowl invites, and family gathering invites. There is even a fantastic event downtown, but all the great shops and restaurants hand out food and beverages so we will be skipping that for now. Instead, we are opting for staying at home, playing some games, and waiting for the snow to start falling.
Also, avoid your friends who are on "failure watch." When people question you, which they will, ("No dairy?????" "No grains??????" "All that measuring???????" "Gasp - No Alcohol??????") just tell them your goals are more important right now. I tell people that I've done it before, that a few slips gradually turned into a weakened nutrition lifestyle, and I was done feeling bad about myself and my food choices. There will always be people who try to discourage for any number of reasons. My advice is to shrug and move on.
Finally, like the big workouts, break it down into smaller, more digestible amounts. Don't look at the length of the challenge -take it a day, a week, or even a meal at a time. I'm happy to have started, because the anticipation of the beginning was more stressful than figuring out a meal or a snack. Cheers to the next 83 Days!! Now, I'm off to do better things: fill my water container, stand in the kitchen, and chew some food. Oh, and wrap my belly so it doesn't explode.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
In 3... 2...1 GO, Again!
Once again, it's Game Day. Or Game Days, all 84 of them. This is where you dig deep, find your motivation, check your attitude and revise as needed. Preparation and Planning my friends, this is the key to a successful program.
Many of you are doing the 2014 12-week Paleo Zone Challenge through Crossfit Frederick. Some of you are doing it on your own. However you choose to go about it, the good news is that you have made the choice to sacrifice those creature comforts that haven't exactly been your best choices. Here's the good thing: You aren't alone. We're all in this together, and I plan to write about all the challenges, the successes and failures, and the improvements we all see as we lunge into the next 3 months.
Find your motivation. What has driven you to take the challenge? We all have the Achilles Heel that blocks us. Mine was my beloved Red, Red Wine. Sigh... I love how wine makes me feel, all warm and relaxed, and of course I'm so much more fun and funny when there's wine involved. But, it's loaded with calories and sugar, so I will give myself the jump start my metabolism needs by eliminating it. It also comes down to an internal battle of "Who's stronger, me or the Cab?" I would say, "The Cabernet is GOING DOWN!" but that sounds like I'm drinking it. Which I won't be after Saturday. My motivation is to get my strength and energy back, and to get rid of the excess hibernation layer I seem to have developed which is great if you're a bear, bad if you're a person.
Also, I look back to the winners of last year's challenge. Their before and after pictures were nothing short of amazing. They worked hard, sacrificed, and completely changed their bodies and mind in just 10 weeks. I had my painful "before" pictures taken today. Thank God I count Amanda May as one of my best friends, because baring my dry, pale skin for her camera and getting my "before" numbers was humbling, painful, and generally sucky. I'm looking forward to the next check-in measurements, because I know they will show improvement, just like those of last year's participants did.
Planning and Preparation. Get your pre-challenge big butts to the store, and stock up on your favorite meats and frozen veggies, and make sure your plastic food container supply is bountiful. Go primarily with frozen veggies, because the time constraint will hit you hard and fast. I will be grilling and cooking a ton of meat over the weekend to get Chris and I through most of the week ahead. We will grill and roast a bunch of fresh vegetables too, but the frozen ones are easy to cook quick. Roast a few sweet potatoes or squashes. Portion out your fruit. Make sure your scale batteries are good. Stock up your spice cabinet. Get yourself together, so that you aren't scrambling during your work week.
Are you ready? In 3-2-1 GO!
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