So here is the struggle: I adopted full-paleo at the beginning of the year by doing a Whole 30. It worked really well, I lost weight and I was feeling like a shooting star—full of life and energy. Then after it I slowly saw myself going back to sugar {of course, you tricky vixen} and not being as strict. So I did another Whole 30. Perfect reset button, right? Not so much. I mean yes, I was off sugar and making better choices but I found myself slipping back into my old habits faster and all the weight I had lost was regained back. By the time October came around I was feeling tired. I was tired of food prep each week, all this effort and seeing little to no benefit from it. So I went to Mexico and said to myself, enjoy this trip, eat what you want when you want it. I drank alcohol {not in excess}, ate desserts and removed the guilt. Sure I got sick, but I came back home feeling restored.

This weekend I met with an old friend and trainer and she was kind enough to help dissect what I was eating and where things were going awry. Here is was a typical day looked like for me:

Breakfast {7am}: 2 fried eggs in ghee with cauliflower rice that had onions or bacon or cilantro or all of it. With water.

Snack {9am}: coffee with stevia and cream. Water. Water. Water

Lunch {12pm}: chicken or beef with green beans and plantain chips. Water.

Snack {2pm – 5pm}: ALL THE SUGAR YOU CAN FIND! IN MY MOUTH NOWWWWWW {ok not really, but yes mini chocolate bars around the office, at least 10}. Water.

Dinner {8pm after Crossfit}: chicken or beef with broccoli and potatoes. I love me my potatoes. Seriously, erry night. Sometimes fruit with whipped cream, sometimes ice cream, sometimes no dessert. Water.

The feedback I got, which I suspected, is that I am not eating enough, specifically protein. And I was saving my carby veggies until lunch or after, which is why I was losing my shit at 2pm looking for sugar. I also tracked the food I ate for 2 weeks on My Fitness Pal, and I was lucky to break 1200 a day eating the way I was, even with the chocolate—yes I tracked that even though one of Whole 30’s mantra’s is to not track you calories.

So for the next three weeks I am going to differ my eating so that I am eating every 3 hours or so and increasing the amount of protein. I have also been told to do cardio for 45 minutes every day. This makes me cry salty, salty tears. I dislike cardio but I will do it. I was given the science behind it and it makes sense {just don’t ask me to repeat it to you, cause I don’t remember the technical bits}. I plan on giving myself 2 days off a week, but on my non-crossfit days shit is about to get real. What am I going to do for 45 minutes? I can’t run that much and I don’t have a stationary bike or elliptical. I do have a jump rope…I even wish I had a rowing machine at this point. Even if rowing for 45 minutes = BARF.

So here is what I am eating as of yesterday morning:

Breakfast {7am}: 2 egg whites, 1 egg scramble with veggies and ½ cup of oatmeal. Water.

Snack {9:30am}: coffee w stevia and 1 tbsp of cream; 3 boiled eggs, eat two without their yolk. Water!!

Lunch {12pm}: chicken or beef or fish with 2 veggies. Water.

Snack {2pm}: protein pancake. Fruit. Water!

Snack {5:30pm}: Can of tuna or shredded chicken etc. Water!

CrossFit at 6pm to 7pm or my 45 minutes of cardio FUN

Dinner {7:30pm}: Same as lunch.

This isn’t horribly, terribly different from how I have been eating. I get to keep my coffee and Frances said that I can have small amounts of sweets but choose 1 day out of the week for that and to not go crazy. I mean yes, I am snacking more, but my main meals are pretty much the same. I am just going to be snacking my face off. I have even had trouble remembering to snack at the right times, but I have gotten it all in. I can tell you already that the snacks are helping with my wanting all the sugar all the time. In fact, last night my husband offered me Hershey Hugs and I didn’t really want any. I sure could have eaten some, cause YUM, but I didn’t.

Tonight is my first 45 minute cardio session {yesterday I did an hour long cardio class, I didn’t die} and I forgot my iPod with my music, so this should be interesting. I plan on doing some running, elliptical and bike. Maybe the stair machine, but I hate it, so maybe 5 minutes ha ha! Wish me luck!