Freedom in Structure?

Week 1 following Zone/Paleo is done. I have been following a 12-block plan (3-1-3-1-3-1) with one cheat meal with the girls last Wednesday. The results? I'm leaner. I'm stronger. I'm thinking clearer and have more energy.

Walking through the hall at work this morning, one of my co-workers asked me, "Are you losing MORE weight?" I explained to her that I'm still eating a lot of food, just regulating portions and balancing each meal with fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. 12 Blocks really is substantial; especially if you're like me and don't eat grains or dairy.

I have resisted the Zone for 2 years. Just thinking about it used to almost bring me to tears. I hated the idea of being regulated. My biggest fear was not getting enough food, and having to "gut out" feeling half-starved. Being Paleo for almost a year was a big help. Most people who Zone say that the first two weeks are the worst from getting over carb cravings for bread and pasta. Since, I'm already way beyond that stage, I'm not having those issues. I told my friend Tara, the brilliant author of http://www.wholehealthmadeeasy.blogspot.com/, that her 6-week Healthy Girl Challenge (HGC) this year was my gateway drug to Zone. The HGC required measuring vegetables, sweets, fried and fast food. Through that, I overcame my fear of portioning.

It also helps that I have a thorough knowledge foundation of nutrition. I have been studying nutrition for years, and have gone from Raw Vegan in 2007 to where I am now with lots of independent research. This past week I realized that one of my biggest struggles with nutrition has been portioning. Especially with amping up my training, I always wondered if I was getting enough, too much, or lacking in fuel.

The Zone has answered that question. I eat my meal or snack. If I'm still hungry or get hungry within an hour, I drink more water. If I'm still feeling weak, I'll let myself have a couple of nuts. If I go over on portions, it's normally with an extra block or 2 of good fat. I wait at least 2 hours after a 3-block meal to have a 1-block snack. I'm also having a lot more fun experimenting with the food blocks. I'm venturing out of my normal eggs and spinach for breakfast, kale with avocado and bison for lunch habit. Today's breakfast was 3 blocks of grass fed ground beef, 2 blocks of red cabbage, and 1-2 blocks of coconut oil seasoned with garlic, Himalayan salt, and a splash of liquid aminos. I let myself put some honey and coconut creamer in my coffee to make up for the remaining carbohydrate block. Picture is below.

Dining out isn't has difficult as I thought. If I go out, I eyeball portions to the best of my ability, but try not to drive my companions crazy. AJ took me to Perla's Oyster Bar the other night for dinner. I wanted a cocktail, so I deviated from Paleo, and got this amazing concoction of Prosecco, ginger, beet-infused vodka, and some other awesome liquor. I counted it as 2 carbohydrate blocks. We had oysters, grilled shrimp, and some salad. I may have gone a little over on the carbohydrate blocks, but didn't fret over it. I just did my best, and when the waiter asked if I wanted another drink, I declined.

This weekend, I went though the CF Endurance Cert at CrossFit Fort Worth . When we went out to lunch at a Thai restaurant, I got beef and vegetable curry and substituted steamed broccoli for rice. When we got back to class, my body literally "told" me that I needed a little extra carbohydrates and fats. I ate a few strawberries and had a couple of almonds, and felt perfect.

It does take a little effort, but not as much as I had expected. Since I bring my breakfast and lunch to work anyway, I just throw them on the food scale or verify with a measuring cup while I'm preparing. It also helps that Ziploc containers have measuring notches on the side for simple calculating.

Here's an example of advanced portioning with Genova salami.