Week 2 came and went in a flash! Work was really busy so not every recipe was totally doable for me but I'm very pleased with how it went overall.
Some thoughts:
1. The lack of carbs doesn't seem like a big deal until you try to go for a long run. Then suddenly it feels like all your muscles are shouting, "feed me, pasta, bitch!" And then you cut your long run short.
2. Every recipe can actually be broken down into this formula: lean protein + greens + tomatoes/bell peppers/some other veggie. Once you get the basic formula you can actually play around a little more and make interesting dishes. I wasn't wild on the Tuna in Romaine Cups or the funky lettuce wrap things, but I loved the Roasted Chicken Breast with Quinoa and Kale.
3. I don't think I lost any weight on this challenge, but I do feel like I was making very healthy choices and it's made me more mindful about things like snacking. Now instead of reaching for biscuits or crisps with tea I'm more likely to pick up an apple or cup of berries. Mind-blowing? Not exactly. But I think the challenge got me into the habit of buying large volumes of produce every week which in turn makes you feel guilty when it goes off in the fridge.
4. I've been working nights and I feel like the recipes from the clean eating challenge are giving me enough energy to get through a 12 hour shift with no sleep! I managed to shake my coffee addiction purely because I know that if I have coffee I won't be able to nap once it gets quiet. So thanks, Buzzfeed and my backbreaking call schedule - I'm off coffee!! We'll see how long that lasts.
5. Guys, I really miss writing about beauty. Once nights are over I'm going Project Diva. All the spinach and antioxidants are making my skin look pretty great, now I just need some sleep and I'll be fit for public consumption again.
In summary - do I recommend the Buzzfeed clean eating challenge? Absolutely! It was a great way to hit the "reset" button on my eating habits, it introduced me to some new recipes that I'm excited to keep cooking, and it wasn't as restrictive or rigid as other cleanses so it was totally doable for a newbie like me.
More info on the Clean Eating Challenge here!
xoCaitlinK
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
That Time I Took the Buzzfeed Clean Eating Challenge
Remember earlier this year when Buzzfeed published the Buzzfeed Clean Eating Challenge? For some reason my favourite website for Spice Girls gifs was publishing healthy eating advice and it actually seemed doable and reasonable. Unfortunately at the time I was busy traveling and not staying still for very long, so I held off trying it until now because I wanted to take the time to do it right and do it consistently. Read on for the carbophiles guide to a 2 week detox.
Day 1 Monday: It's the first day at my new job and for some unknown reason I chose this week to go caffeine, alcohol, and carb-free. Kill me. Seriously kill me. My new flatmates think I'm a healthy eating nutjob because I've eaten so much kale.
Breakfast was the kale banana smoothie which I choked down but surprisingly kept me full until midday. At lunch I wolfed down the salad and snack portions at the same time because I am an idiot and didn't portion out the salad properly. It is disappointingly small and sad. Dinner was yet another salad. I desperately wish for warmer weather because salads on overcast rainy days make me want to kill myself.
Day 2 Tuesday: I'm starting to settle into the cleanse and realize I can trick myself into feeling like I'm eating carbs by adding quinoa to EVERYTHING. So far no hypoglycemic attacks but my boss bought me coffee today and I didn't want to be rude (and I actually really desperately wanted coffee) so I had a latte, oh well.
Day 3 Wednesday: As the week progresses and I become tired and worn out from work I'm super grateful to be following a meal plan and coming home knowing that all the food I need is already in the fridge. I also love the salad dressing recipes, they were simple for a total newbie like me and extremely flavourful even though they only have a few ingredients. The smoothie recipes so far are lame and I hate them. They make too much and the flavours are dull.
Day 4 Thursday: Ugh cauliflower steak for dinner last night and eggs for breakfast this morning is just a little too much blegh for me. Who the hell uses cauliflower when an actual steak would do?! This will kill me.
By Thursday afternoon I actually am totally fine and have recovered from the shock of eating cauliflower steak. But I am still offended by its existence.
Day 5 Friday: Hooray for the weekend! I no longer care about the no-alcohol part of the cleanse. A glass of wine is exactly what I need at the end of the week and it tastes even better because it is "forbidden."
Week 1 is more or less done! I feel great, I think the calorie amounts were perfect even though I saw some bloggers saying they couldn't survive on so little. The cleanse actually plans for you to eat six small meals a day which isn't really doable at work so I end up having my "snacks" as desserts after meals and that keeps me going well enough. Also I realized I'm not that into almond butter. Week 2 starts this weekend with all the prepping and getting ready and I'm excited! I hope that I'll pick up some healthy eating habits from the cleanse and definitely love that I know all these new salad recipes!
Speak soon,
xo CaitlinK
Day 1 Monday: It's the first day at my new job and for some unknown reason I chose this week to go caffeine, alcohol, and carb-free. Kill me. Seriously kill me. My new flatmates think I'm a healthy eating nutjob because I've eaten so much kale.
Breakfast was the kale banana smoothie which I choked down but surprisingly kept me full until midday. At lunch I wolfed down the salad and snack portions at the same time because I am an idiot and didn't portion out the salad properly. It is disappointingly small and sad. Dinner was yet another salad. I desperately wish for warmer weather because salads on overcast rainy days make me want to kill myself.
Day 2 Tuesday: I'm starting to settle into the cleanse and realize I can trick myself into feeling like I'm eating carbs by adding quinoa to EVERYTHING. So far no hypoglycemic attacks but my boss bought me coffee today and I didn't want to be rude (and I actually really desperately wanted coffee) so I had a latte, oh well.
Day 3 Wednesday: As the week progresses and I become tired and worn out from work I'm super grateful to be following a meal plan and coming home knowing that all the food I need is already in the fridge. I also love the salad dressing recipes, they were simple for a total newbie like me and extremely flavourful even though they only have a few ingredients. The smoothie recipes so far are lame and I hate them. They make too much and the flavours are dull.
Day 4 Thursday: Ugh cauliflower steak for dinner last night and eggs for breakfast this morning is just a little too much blegh for me. Who the hell uses cauliflower when an actual steak would do?! This will kill me.
By Thursday afternoon I actually am totally fine and have recovered from the shock of eating cauliflower steak. But I am still offended by its existence.
Day 5 Friday: Hooray for the weekend! I no longer care about the no-alcohol part of the cleanse. A glass of wine is exactly what I need at the end of the week and it tastes even better because it is "forbidden."
Week 1 is more or less done! I feel great, I think the calorie amounts were perfect even though I saw some bloggers saying they couldn't survive on so little. The cleanse actually plans for you to eat six small meals a day which isn't really doable at work so I end up having my "snacks" as desserts after meals and that keeps me going well enough. Also I realized I'm not that into almond butter. Week 2 starts this weekend with all the prepping and getting ready and I'm excited! I hope that I'll pick up some healthy eating habits from the cleanse and definitely love that I know all these new salad recipes!
Speak soon,
xo CaitlinK
Monday, July 14, 2014
A Case of the Mondays
Hello at last! I've been off the radar in a major way because I've been packing (legitimate), moving (also legitimate), traveling (ehh...) and Tindering (oh boy) and all these pursuits have been taking me away from my little corner of the internet. I'm in a listicle mood because it's Monday and I worked a long-ass day today (no, not a long ass-day. Although it kind of felt like that too).
1. Packing! Dear God, is there anything less stressful than packing and moving? I moved officially yesterday and only brought with me a suitcase full of clothes, a duffel bag full of gym stuff, and a carryon suitcase full of makeup. I am officially a woman with four pairs of shoes but six shades of blush. Priorities are for idiots.
2. Moving - can this be a separate category? My new place is adorable but my bedroom is teeny tiny, hence the serious downsizing of my wardrobe. Most of my clothes are in storage and I brought with me only about thirty items of clothing. I'm not seriously considering a change to the minimalist lifestyle, a la Project 333, but it is weirdly comforting to know that everything I own, everything in my entire apartment, can be combined to form outfits and they've been pre-vetted so I know everything "works." That means nothing is missing a button or needing a hem fixed, nothing is a little too tight or a little too lose. Everything is shipshape and ready to go, which is a blessing because...
3. Work. I'm rostered for 60 hours per week plus call which isn't the worst schedule in the world but it's far from the best. I give myself another two weeks before I switch to all-scrubs all-the-time mode. The work itself is busy but manageable and thankfully busy days pass quickly. Today I met a little old lady with purple hair. Now I want purple hair too. Also we had this interaction:
Me: I've heard you're asking to see [consultant not involved with this patient's care]. Can you tell me why?
Purple Haired Glamazon: Do you have an iPhone? Google him.
I do. I realize it is the best looking man I've ever laid eyes on and I followed him down a corridor this morning just to see where he was going.
PHG: Ah, now, I wouldn't be kicking him out of bed for eating crisps!
I've seen my future, and it. is. awesome.
4. Tinder - How have I not tried this before now? I love making snap judgments, I love looking at pretty things online, it's like Tinder was made for me! Honestly the actual flirting and followup is a little bit more effort than I'm into, but the swiping left and right is positively addicting.
5. Running - I'm officially back in the game! I've been running for five weeks now with only minimal plantar fasciitis pain. I'm considering doing a half marathon next year and ideally a few more races in between now and then as well. I still want to do the Edinburgh Marathon very much but I'm a little nervous because it seems like I tend to injure myself when I go for distance. Fingers crossed for healthy feet and a healthy mind (equally crucial it seems).
And with this cartoon I leave you for a few days more. I used to have tidy lovely handwriting. Now expediency is the name of the game.
Good night, and good luck!
1. Packing! Dear God, is there anything less stressful than packing and moving? I moved officially yesterday and only brought with me a suitcase full of clothes, a duffel bag full of gym stuff, and a carryon suitcase full of makeup. I am officially a woman with four pairs of shoes but six shades of blush. Priorities are for idiots.
2. Moving - can this be a separate category? My new place is adorable but my bedroom is teeny tiny, hence the serious downsizing of my wardrobe. Most of my clothes are in storage and I brought with me only about thirty items of clothing. I'm not seriously considering a change to the minimalist lifestyle, a la Project 333, but it is weirdly comforting to know that everything I own, everything in my entire apartment, can be combined to form outfits and they've been pre-vetted so I know everything "works." That means nothing is missing a button or needing a hem fixed, nothing is a little too tight or a little too lose. Everything is shipshape and ready to go, which is a blessing because...
3. Work. I'm rostered for 60 hours per week plus call which isn't the worst schedule in the world but it's far from the best. I give myself another two weeks before I switch to all-scrubs all-the-time mode. The work itself is busy but manageable and thankfully busy days pass quickly. Today I met a little old lady with purple hair. Now I want purple hair too. Also we had this interaction:
Me: I've heard you're asking to see [consultant not involved with this patient's care]. Can you tell me why?
Purple Haired Glamazon: Do you have an iPhone? Google him.
I do. I realize it is the best looking man I've ever laid eyes on and I followed him down a corridor this morning just to see where he was going.
PHG: Ah, now, I wouldn't be kicking him out of bed for eating crisps!
I've seen my future, and it. is. awesome.
4. Tinder - How have I not tried this before now? I love making snap judgments, I love looking at pretty things online, it's like Tinder was made for me! Honestly the actual flirting and followup is a little bit more effort than I'm into, but the swiping left and right is positively addicting.
5. Running - I'm officially back in the game! I've been running for five weeks now with only minimal plantar fasciitis pain. I'm considering doing a half marathon next year and ideally a few more races in between now and then as well. I still want to do the Edinburgh Marathon very much but I'm a little nervous because it seems like I tend to injure myself when I go for distance. Fingers crossed for healthy feet and a healthy mind (equally crucial it seems).
And with this cartoon I leave you for a few days more. I used to have tidy lovely handwriting. Now expediency is the name of the game.
 |
| Not my cartoon. Because I can't write as tidy as that. |
Good night, and good luck!
xo CaitlinK
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