Well... this hasn't been as bad as Previously Advertised. I do crave sugar, but fruit helps. It's still sugar, yes, but it's not as concentrated as you would get in candy or any sort of processed food.
I feel like I should be posting my food logs here... You may notice I eat a lot of the same things. Specifically meat. I love meat. For the last few weeks, I've been buying all the meat I eat at home (that is steak or beef jerky) from grass-finished sources at my local farmer's market. It's a bit more expensive, yes, but "studies show" that grass-fed beef fat contains high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, just like flax seeds and oily fishes.
I also eat a lot of fruit. I try to balance it with more veggies, but damn I love fruit.
The reason my diet hasn't varied very much is that I haven't been to the store recently! I'm leaving for a few weeks to my parent's house, and want to try to eat as much food in my fridge as possible.
***
Day 1:
- pastrami / salami slices
- blueberries
- strawberries
- nuts
- watermelon
- salami
- nuts
- meat
- salad with oil & white balsamic vinegar
- nuts
- pumpkin seeds
- meat
- strawberries
- peanut butter
- raw coconut oil mixed with raw cocoa (no sugar)
Workout: 4 PM Crossfit. 21 / 18 / 15 / 12 / 9 / 6 / 3 reps alternating wall-ball + burpees or squat-thrusts.
***
Day 2
- pastrami / salami slices
- strawberries
- blueberries
- watermelon
- nuts
- meat
- celery / carrot sticks
- nuts
- pumpkin seeds (in shell)
- meat
- rainbow chard, cooked in olive oil with garlic, onions, vinegar, splash of white wine
- watermelon
- peanut butter
- coconut oil /unsweetened cocoa (makes a chocolatey paste)
Workout: 4 PM Crossfit. Lift heavy shit over your head, pick it up off the floor to do it, and record the three heaviest lifts ( I was bitchy and tired, so I only managed to get 35 kg overhead). Back squats. (PR - 60 kg backsquat for 3 rep, also I snatched a 12 kg kettlebell repeatedly for the first time! Yeah!)
Day 3
- pastrami / salami slices
- blueberries
- strawberries
- watermelon
- macadamias
- meat
- salad (I got Italian dressing in the cafeteria :( )
- nuts
- mixed fruits from cafeteria
To be continued...
Workout: 4 PM Crossfit. I don't know what today's torture is. :)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
30 Days of Paleo
Inspired by Melissa Byers' great blog post, I am going to do this.
Eat Clean. For 30 Days.
I am starting NOW.
Breakfast was pastrami, salami, and blueberries. To drink I have my trusty 40 oz water bottle (stainless steel, of course), a tall glass of ice, and some tea (Kamiya Papaya Oolong from Teavana right now. It will change in a few minutes when I go make another cup). Lunch is a Trader Joe's chicken salad (sans the little fried noodles). Dinner will be, I think, steak and vegetables. Or steak and fruit.
I am giving up dairy, coffee (unless I can manage to learn to drink it black), alcohol, and sweets. The only dairy I was really eating was milk in my morning cup of coffee, so I am not too far off. And alcohol should be relatively easy; I was drinking about two glasses of wine per month. I figured out it exacerbates my allergies (very frustrating!).
When I get home tonight, I will also take oregano oil. It tastes like Satan's asshole, but it is a powerful anti-fungal agent. By eating clean Paleo and using natural anti-fungal agents, I will be killing off any fungal load in my body. There is research out that suggests that starving and killing off your internal fungal load will help manage hormones, thereby balancing things like fat management. It is hard to believe that I exercise this much and have not lost any fat. In fact, it's pretty ridiculous and REALLY frustrating, and makes me want to yell and punch things.
*Ding*. Did you hear that? It means GO.
Eat Clean. For 30 Days.
I am starting NOW.
Breakfast was pastrami, salami, and blueberries. To drink I have my trusty 40 oz water bottle (stainless steel, of course), a tall glass of ice, and some tea (Kamiya Papaya Oolong from Teavana right now. It will change in a few minutes when I go make another cup). Lunch is a Trader Joe's chicken salad (sans the little fried noodles). Dinner will be, I think, steak and vegetables. Or steak and fruit.
I am giving up dairy, coffee (unless I can manage to learn to drink it black), alcohol, and sweets. The only dairy I was really eating was milk in my morning cup of coffee, so I am not too far off. And alcohol should be relatively easy; I was drinking about two glasses of wine per month. I figured out it exacerbates my allergies (very frustrating!).
When I get home tonight, I will also take oregano oil. It tastes like Satan's asshole, but it is a powerful anti-fungal agent. By eating clean Paleo and using natural anti-fungal agents, I will be killing off any fungal load in my body. There is research out that suggests that starving and killing off your internal fungal load will help manage hormones, thereby balancing things like fat management. It is hard to believe that I exercise this much and have not lost any fat. In fact, it's pretty ridiculous and REALLY frustrating, and makes me want to yell and punch things.
*Ding*. Did you hear that? It means GO.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
I Can Haz Loom!
I finally got my loom!
It's a Harrisville Designs 4 shaft loom, about 30" wide and maybe 48" tall? I love it!
I took that picture yesterday, before I had messed with it at all. My friend Jen agreed to come over Friday and help me get yarn and warp it for a project. I picked out a kitchen towel set to weave, and it turned out that my reed was too widely spaced (6 dents / inch), so either I need to pick a new project with thicker yarns, or get a new reed. I'll see if Weaving Works has reeds that will fit this loom; if not, I'll start with a different project.
Today, in preparation for Friday, I took some time to at least straighten out the straps and pulleys and make sure everything was strung correctly. The pulleys at the top that hold each harness were threaded incorrectly and strung over each other and prevented things from returning to a normal static position, but I think I fixed most of that. Jen may have to help me fine-tune some stuff, though.
***
I carded these batts over the weekend. Aren't they fun? Just a mix of what I had lying around - a lot of SoySilk in those batts, for sure (mostly it is the shiny peach colored fiber).
***
I broke down and ordered some stuff off Etsy. I found this seller called Shunklies off of someone else's blog (can't remember where, sorry!!), and they had a delightful kettle dyed roving that just really spoke to me. I also picked up 100 g of scoured Norwegian fleece for a song.
Here's the fleece:
Here's the roving! Isn't it neat? It's called "Humbug". I just checked, and there isn't any listed right now. It's combed Shetland.
***
Finally, some knitting progress. This is to be Daniel's sweater. Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Hand to Hand" sweater, using Cascade 220 superwash, size 10 Addi Turbo needle. I'm making the 38" chest sized sweater, and modified the cable up the arms. Instead of hers, I am using the "Nautical Twisted Rope" cable pattern from a Barbara Walker Treasury (can't remember which one, either!). The picture doesn't show it, but I am actually very pleased with the 220's stitch definition. If you're not familiar with this sweater pattern, the way it works is you start at one cuff, knit up and around to the collar, leave a hole for the head, and knit down to the other cuff. Then you pick up stitches below the torso portion of what you just knit, and knit straight down, in the round.
It's a Harrisville Designs 4 shaft loom, about 30" wide and maybe 48" tall? I love it!
I took that picture yesterday, before I had messed with it at all. My friend Jen agreed to come over Friday and help me get yarn and warp it for a project. I picked out a kitchen towel set to weave, and it turned out that my reed was too widely spaced (6 dents / inch), so either I need to pick a new project with thicker yarns, or get a new reed. I'll see if Weaving Works has reeds that will fit this loom; if not, I'll start with a different project.
Today, in preparation for Friday, I took some time to at least straighten out the straps and pulleys and make sure everything was strung correctly. The pulleys at the top that hold each harness were threaded incorrectly and strung over each other and prevented things from returning to a normal static position, but I think I fixed most of that. Jen may have to help me fine-tune some stuff, though.
***
I carded these batts over the weekend. Aren't they fun? Just a mix of what I had lying around - a lot of SoySilk in those batts, for sure (mostly it is the shiny peach colored fiber).
***
I broke down and ordered some stuff off Etsy. I found this seller called Shunklies off of someone else's blog (can't remember where, sorry!!), and they had a delightful kettle dyed roving that just really spoke to me. I also picked up 100 g of scoured Norwegian fleece for a song.
Here's the fleece:
Here's the roving! Isn't it neat? It's called "Humbug". I just checked, and there isn't any listed right now. It's combed Shetland.
***
Finally, some knitting progress. This is to be Daniel's sweater. Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Hand to Hand" sweater, using Cascade 220 superwash, size 10 Addi Turbo needle. I'm making the 38" chest sized sweater, and modified the cable up the arms. Instead of hers, I am using the "Nautical Twisted Rope" cable pattern from a Barbara Walker Treasury (can't remember which one, either!). The picture doesn't show it, but I am actually very pleased with the 220's stitch definition. If you're not familiar with this sweater pattern, the way it works is you start at one cuff, knit up and around to the collar, leave a hole for the head, and knit down to the other cuff. Then you pick up stitches below the torso portion of what you just knit, and knit straight down, in the round.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Too Lazy for Pictures
But not too lazy to write!
I broke down and bought a Skacel Schoppel Wolle Zauberball in the "Tropical Fish" colorway from the Fiber Gallery today. I also picked up a couple of Blue Sky Pretty Cheep project bags, in the periwinkle and tangerine colors.
I am SO SORE from hiking! Mostly my calves, butt & quads. Holy Moly! Climbing down the stairs was an event this morning. Another sign that I need to hike more!
I'm getting further on Daniel's sweater; probably a good 6" up the sleeve now. I also decided to make short socks out of my Cat Bordhi "Jeweled Steps" socks. I am just ready to be done with them. Maybe I took too long, but now I kind of think that pattern is a little boring. (!)
I am also spinning a couple of things - on the wheel is part of a 100 g braid of BFL roving I bought at OFFF last year. On my spindle is a tightly twisted thin singles of Gotland, which I drumcarded in a fit of excitement this morning before leaving for pilates. I think I am going to try and make a 3 ply sock yarn out of Gotland and possibly some silk and / or mohair and / or some other wool. I think two solid plies of something and then a variegated ply of something else would be really interesting looking... I suspect the outer coat of Icelandic wool would make a good sock yarn; it's not really soft, but it's sturdy and has a decently long staple (even the lamb's fleece I have).
I am also excited because my friend Jeanne got my loom for me!!! (I think!)... I should be able to pick it up from her Monday or Tuesday... WOOO!!
I broke down and bought a Skacel Schoppel Wolle Zauberball in the "Tropical Fish" colorway from the Fiber Gallery today. I also picked up a couple of Blue Sky Pretty Cheep project bags, in the periwinkle and tangerine colors.
I am SO SORE from hiking! Mostly my calves, butt & quads. Holy Moly! Climbing down the stairs was an event this morning. Another sign that I need to hike more!
I'm getting further on Daniel's sweater; probably a good 6" up the sleeve now. I also decided to make short socks out of my Cat Bordhi "Jeweled Steps" socks. I am just ready to be done with them. Maybe I took too long, but now I kind of think that pattern is a little boring. (!)
I am also spinning a couple of things - on the wheel is part of a 100 g braid of BFL roving I bought at OFFF last year. On my spindle is a tightly twisted thin singles of Gotland, which I drumcarded in a fit of excitement this morning before leaving for pilates. I think I am going to try and make a 3 ply sock yarn out of Gotland and possibly some silk and / or mohair and / or some other wool. I think two solid plies of something and then a variegated ply of something else would be really interesting looking... I suspect the outer coat of Icelandic wool would make a good sock yarn; it's not really soft, but it's sturdy and has a decently long staple (even the lamb's fleece I have).
I am also excited because my friend Jeanne got my loom for me!!! (I think!)... I should be able to pick it up from her Monday or Tuesday... WOOO!!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Cars
I took a couple of test drives on Friday. My first drive was a Honda Insight, and that was shortly followed by a Toyota Prius.
The Insight is Honda's latest hybrid offering. It looks like a clone of the Prius, except it's smaller and about $3000 cheaper. I really wanted to like the Insight; I remember fondly driving the original Insight back when it was released in the early 2000's, and I worked for the California Air Resources Board. Then, as now, the driving was a little "ker-chunk"y. Back then, I think it was just that the manual transmission I was driving wasn't shifting very well. Now, it's the flywheel re-engaging when accelerating from a stop that is giving the clunky feeling. It's not enough to make a passenger sick, but it's noticeable to me, especially since my Civic is a fairly smooth ride. The other objectionable thing is that rear window viewing area has been compromised in the name of aerodynamics. You are forced to look through a window that is split in half laterally, and the C pillars are thick, so you don't get a lot of lateral-rear view. I don't believe the Insight comes with a rearview camera.
What I do like about the Insight is that it is smaller than the Prius. I like small cars, that's just me. I like that they maneuver more easily, you can get into tighter spaces, and park them in more areas than bigger cars. I like not having to think about how far away the ends of my car are. And I also felt that acceleration and driving were decent, if you don't take the kerchunking into account.
That being said, the Prius was a nice ride. The seat is firm, yet cushiony. The suspension is very smooth, as is the driving. I enjoyed the seamless transition from electric to gas-assisted power, and it provided acceleration that was at least comparable to my current Civic, if not a little quicker (probably due to the electric motor torque available on the low end). The rearview camera is a nice aid, but I would assume I'd be better off actually turning my head and looking behind me. The negatives... it's bigger, somewhere between a Civic and an Accord in terms of length, but the interior volume is equivalent to a Nissan Maxima. It's more expensive. The rear window is still in that annoying lateral-split configuration.
In the end, I decided to wait. I was eager to take advantage of the current promotion (if you take delivery of a vehicle with > 40 mpg fuel efficiency before August 1, you do not pay any sales tax). However, I think my parents, Daniel, and some friends convinced me to wait. I am going to ride out the flight test program at work, and see how my finances stack up after that; a few months of getting essentially double the paycheck should bulk up the savings quite nicely.
The Insight is Honda's latest hybrid offering. It looks like a clone of the Prius, except it's smaller and about $3000 cheaper. I really wanted to like the Insight; I remember fondly driving the original Insight back when it was released in the early 2000's, and I worked for the California Air Resources Board. Then, as now, the driving was a little "ker-chunk"y. Back then, I think it was just that the manual transmission I was driving wasn't shifting very well. Now, it's the flywheel re-engaging when accelerating from a stop that is giving the clunky feeling. It's not enough to make a passenger sick, but it's noticeable to me, especially since my Civic is a fairly smooth ride. The other objectionable thing is that rear window viewing area has been compromised in the name of aerodynamics. You are forced to look through a window that is split in half laterally, and the C pillars are thick, so you don't get a lot of lateral-rear view. I don't believe the Insight comes with a rearview camera.
What I do like about the Insight is that it is smaller than the Prius. I like small cars, that's just me. I like that they maneuver more easily, you can get into tighter spaces, and park them in more areas than bigger cars. I like not having to think about how far away the ends of my car are. And I also felt that acceleration and driving were decent, if you don't take the kerchunking into account.
That being said, the Prius was a nice ride. The seat is firm, yet cushiony. The suspension is very smooth, as is the driving. I enjoyed the seamless transition from electric to gas-assisted power, and it provided acceleration that was at least comparable to my current Civic, if not a little quicker (probably due to the electric motor torque available on the low end). The rearview camera is a nice aid, but I would assume I'd be better off actually turning my head and looking behind me. The negatives... it's bigger, somewhere between a Civic and an Accord in terms of length, but the interior volume is equivalent to a Nissan Maxima. It's more expensive. The rear window is still in that annoying lateral-split configuration.
In the end, I decided to wait. I was eager to take advantage of the current promotion (if you take delivery of a vehicle with > 40 mpg fuel efficiency before August 1, you do not pay any sales tax). However, I think my parents, Daniel, and some friends convinced me to wait. I am going to ride out the flight test program at work, and see how my finances stack up after that; a few months of getting essentially double the paycheck should bulk up the savings quite nicely.
Tiger Mountain Hike
My friend Melinda and I went to a popular local hike today, called Tiger Mountain. All the reviews of Tiger Mountain I've read say it's a 5 mile out-and-back, but... I don't believe it. Melinda also thinks they redid the trail a few years ago, and we estimated we walked between 6-8 miles total. The signs up the trail, if accurate, mean that now the trail is about 4 miles to the western summit, roughly >2000 ft elevation gain.
ANYWAY, despite the possible / probably sign inaccuracies, it was a beautiful hike. And a challenge for me, which is something I enjoyed (when it was over, at least!).
I showed up at Melinda's house in Redmond at 8 AM sharp, and we drove about 20 minutes southeast on I-90 to arrive at Tiger Mountain (exit 20, if you're curious). We got to the trailhead early enough to score a parking spot in the lot directly adjacent to the trailhead. Upon exiting, we noticed that a ton more cars had parked, and people were adding about an extra 1/4 to 1/2 mile to their hike just to reach their cars!
Melinda seemed to have no problem ascending the mountain, but since I don't have a great cardio system (despite Crossfit), I was huffing my way up the mountain. I also chose to wear my knee braces, which was a smart move because the trails were fairly steep in a lot of portions, and the braces serve to stabilize my knees from lateral movements and causing further inflammation later.
Here I am at the top, after shedding my blue fleece and zipping off the lower part of my hiking pants. The cord around my neck that looks like it's choking me is actually a wide-brimmed hat, but the vast majority of this hike is underneath a deciduous tree canopy. Melinda remembered that if it's warm out, the forested area can get quite humid.
The view from the top is spectacular, especially on a beautiful day like today. In the next picture, if you look just to the left of the exact center of the picture, you'll see a white blob. That's the peak of Mt. Rainier.
Here is my "proof-positive" picture, confirming that we did make it to the top!
And here is a shot of Melinda and me, blue sky and green trees surrounding us at the peak. We played a brief game of fetch with an Australian Shepherd, and enjoyed a brief snack while taking in the scenery before descending.
I ran out of water from my Camelbak pack about when we were 1/4 of the way back down, which made for a slightly frustrating descent. Melinda had survived the hike with barely any water left in her bottle. We got down and I remembered I had some tea in the car, so we sucked that down, then drove back to her place, picked up her husband Chris, and went to lunch at Panera.
What a great day! My knees are still sore, but I hope that will go away tomorrow. I am going to take some ibuprofen tonight before I fall asleep, just to help inflammation stay away.
I really want to do more of these hikes, because getting out and hiking is the only way I can think of to really improve my hiking skills!
****
A side note: My new 3 rep max for military press is 25 kg. Yeah! That was after a 2000 meter row, too.
I got home and ended up getting a lot of knitting, and a few small things around the house, done.
ANYWAY, despite the possible / probably sign inaccuracies, it was a beautiful hike. And a challenge for me, which is something I enjoyed (when it was over, at least!).
I showed up at Melinda's house in Redmond at 8 AM sharp, and we drove about 20 minutes southeast on I-90 to arrive at Tiger Mountain (exit 20, if you're curious). We got to the trailhead early enough to score a parking spot in the lot directly adjacent to the trailhead. Upon exiting, we noticed that a ton more cars had parked, and people were adding about an extra 1/4 to 1/2 mile to their hike just to reach their cars!
Melinda seemed to have no problem ascending the mountain, but since I don't have a great cardio system (despite Crossfit), I was huffing my way up the mountain. I also chose to wear my knee braces, which was a smart move because the trails were fairly steep in a lot of portions, and the braces serve to stabilize my knees from lateral movements and causing further inflammation later.
Here I am at the top, after shedding my blue fleece and zipping off the lower part of my hiking pants. The cord around my neck that looks like it's choking me is actually a wide-brimmed hat, but the vast majority of this hike is underneath a deciduous tree canopy. Melinda remembered that if it's warm out, the forested area can get quite humid.
The view from the top is spectacular, especially on a beautiful day like today. In the next picture, if you look just to the left of the exact center of the picture, you'll see a white blob. That's the peak of Mt. Rainier.
Here is my "proof-positive" picture, confirming that we did make it to the top!
And here is a shot of Melinda and me, blue sky and green trees surrounding us at the peak. We played a brief game of fetch with an Australian Shepherd, and enjoyed a brief snack while taking in the scenery before descending.
I ran out of water from my Camelbak pack about when we were 1/4 of the way back down, which made for a slightly frustrating descent. Melinda had survived the hike with barely any water left in her bottle. We got down and I remembered I had some tea in the car, so we sucked that down, then drove back to her place, picked up her husband Chris, and went to lunch at Panera.
What a great day! My knees are still sore, but I hope that will go away tomorrow. I am going to take some ibuprofen tonight before I fall asleep, just to help inflammation stay away.
I really want to do more of these hikes, because getting out and hiking is the only way I can think of to really improve my hiking skills!
****
A side note: My new 3 rep max for military press is 25 kg. Yeah! That was after a 2000 meter row, too.
I got home and ended up getting a lot of knitting, and a few small things around the house, done.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Surprise Package
I received a small package in the mail yesterday. From Daniel! He is currently on a ship, and emailed me to say they were planning to let the sailors swim off the side of the ship for a while. Sounds like fun! Except I was wondering how they get off the boat...after all, most decks are quite high above the waterline.
Isn't it pretty? It's a simple piece of woven cotton cloth, with a fun print on it. The print reminds me of peonies or chrysanthemums, with the occasional bee flitting around. The funniest part is the slip of paper that came with it, showing how one could use the fabric. My favorite picture is the final one, "Bath".
***
I also wanted to show off a wool shawl I purchased on my trip to Madison. I got it at one of those ubiquitous "hippie" stores that smell like patchouli or Nag Champa, and sell goods that are ostensibly fair-traded. Anyway, this shawl is wonderfully light, yet warm and snuggly. I have used it at the office a few times, and find it easier to don and doff than a cardigan. Although a friend of mine did call it "a bit mature for you". :)
***
My friend Melinda and I went strawberry picking on Saturday, up north of Seattle in a town called Arlington. Here is the result:
Beautiful. luscious red berries. Sweet as sugar, and fragrant. The farm wasn't organic, so we had to wait and wash everything when we got home. $1.50 / lb. I picked 13 lb ($20 worth) and helped Melinda get 20 lb all within about half an hour, which attests to the farm's dense berry plantings.
Below is part of my haul, drying on blue towels on my stovetop. In all, I made a large strawberry milkshake (using whole milk, strawberries, vanilla extract, and stevia liquid), froze 4 quart size bags of berries, had 2 x 32 oz containers in the fridge plus another couple of bowls full of strawberries to deal with yesterday. Yum!! My entire place was strawberry scented!
Isn't it pretty? It's a simple piece of woven cotton cloth, with a fun print on it. The print reminds me of peonies or chrysanthemums, with the occasional bee flitting around. The funniest part is the slip of paper that came with it, showing how one could use the fabric. My favorite picture is the final one, "Bath".
***
I also wanted to show off a wool shawl I purchased on my trip to Madison. I got it at one of those ubiquitous "hippie" stores that smell like patchouli or Nag Champa, and sell goods that are ostensibly fair-traded. Anyway, this shawl is wonderfully light, yet warm and snuggly. I have used it at the office a few times, and find it easier to don and doff than a cardigan. Although a friend of mine did call it "a bit mature for you". :)
***
My friend Melinda and I went strawberry picking on Saturday, up north of Seattle in a town called Arlington. Here is the result:
Beautiful. luscious red berries. Sweet as sugar, and fragrant. The farm wasn't organic, so we had to wait and wash everything when we got home. $1.50 / lb. I picked 13 lb ($20 worth) and helped Melinda get 20 lb all within about half an hour, which attests to the farm's dense berry plantings.
Below is part of my haul, drying on blue towels on my stovetop. In all, I made a large strawberry milkshake (using whole milk, strawberries, vanilla extract, and stevia liquid), froze 4 quart size bags of berries, had 2 x 32 oz containers in the fridge plus another couple of bowls full of strawberries to deal with yesterday. Yum!! My entire place was strawberry scented!
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