Dear Jenn

You have been my guinea pig for the past 7 months, letting me try new workouts, new movements, and helping me gain confidence in training someone by myself. But in the past month, you have surpassed all expectations I ever had for you. Your new found dedication is unrivaled by anyone at the gym. You went from a casual client to a full blown committed athlete and everyday you come in, put in 100% and it makes me want to be a better coach. You started the paleo challenge without even telling me, proving to me that you really do care about yourself and your health. I've known you since you were 16 and not until now have I seen you with so much energy and confidence. It makes what I do so worth while. You inspire me to be more healthy, more fit and more committed to everything I do. I just wanted to let you know your efforts do not go unnoticed. And although I am leaving, you will still keep inspiring me to be the best coach I can be. Thank you. Love T!

I dream of....pizza?

Yup. You read correctly. Pizza. No joke, I had a dream the other night where a pizza was sitting in front of me, no one was around, no one would ever know if I took a slice. Did I? Surprisingly no. Which is completely weird to me since I have dreams that I smoke or take a drag of a cigarette on a weekly basis. But I didn't eat a slice of pizza? Blasphemy!!

So we are nearing the end of the "challenge" and I realized there's something different this time around. I'm not counting down the days until the 1st of February, I don't have a "foods I'm gonna eat list", basically, I don't feel like stopping. My body fat is down and my ego is up. And in 85 days I will be frolicking around the desert at Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival in outfits similar to this.

With friends who look like this

Good inspiration. Right?

So how are we doing? I've been eating like a queen and exercising like a machine. "What have you been eating, Tara?" Pictorial Diary:

Just to show a few. If i could get my god damn photo stream to work I'd have a shit load more pictures.

So trying new sports is a big crossfit thing and while I believe it's a great idea, I've had a lot of trouble finding sports in which A) I haven't played and/or B) don't use the adjective of "beer" (i.e. beer league) Lucky for me I have a great client I train once a week named Jim Bedgood. He's 61 and probably the most physically and mentally focused person I've ever trained. Why? He's been teaching karate for 40+ years. What have I been doing Tuesday/Thursday around 7am? Tai Chi mother fuckers! Here's a little video of Jim getting his tai chi on.

Parting the wild horses main and some other movement involving a crane. Wanna join us? No prob! Just give me a heads up because Jim will be in sporadicly this week due to a head sensei staying at his house.

Finally, I will end with a blog entry from the one and only Jenna Marbles. She's real. She's funny. She's really funny. Check out the multiple benefits of coconut oil here.

Planning Ahead

Hello fellow Paleo fanatics! You are more than half way through the 30 day challenge and have already made a huge step in improving how you feel each and every day. I am going to give a little input on how to to keep Paleo: 1) delicious; 2) Easy to plan; 3) Reasonably priced

Breakfast this morning consisted of:

4 eggs, 4 pieces of bacon, 1/3 avocado and my home made picco de gallo! This meal costs <$2, it is filling, delicious and I never get sick of it! I'll switch up the bacon and use ham, turkey, chicken/turkey sausage, whatever meat you like! Leftovers work great for breakfast also

I like to get some tackling fuel in my system before my morning strength and WODs so I have the energy to push through the day! I try to tell my roommates and anyone I know to make sure you eat some breakfast in the morning. Breakfast provides tons of great things for hard working athletes like all of you!!! It gets the metabolism going, it makes you less hungry throughout the day and is vital for your muscles and brain. You will be focused in on your deadlift as well as the afternoon meeting with your boss!

Here is a little side that goes great with anything, Salsa! I love salsa. Anything that ends up not tasting that great, or if my chicken is a little dry, or the plain eggs not doing it for me, I kick it up with Salsa! I use to spend tons of money on processed, liquified salsa that was 1) expensive and 2) had other "stuff" in it I didn't want. Stuff like SUGAR -- bleehhhhh. Salsa can be made fresh and last the whole week for pennies on the dollar! I went to Foodmaxx for some great deals on my fruits and veggies. I know its the same stuff they get at savemart for way less (hopefully most of it is local)

You need:

3-4 roma tomatoes (.57 cents / lb)

Cilantro (3 huge bushels for .99 cents)

Onion (cheap anywhere)

Jalapeños or I prefer Serrano peppers (much spicier -- use half or whole and clear out some seeds)

1 garlic clove

Garlic powder, pepper, and a little lime juice

Throw it all together and chop it up in a food processor or "Salsa Maker" if you have one (If you don't, you need to go to the Fresno Fair and get one!)

Chop it all up together and adjust for taste. Make a few batches and you're set for the week! Mess around with the recipe and adjust to your personal preference! Once you have this stuff, you won't go back to the ol' Bobby Salazar's Salsa, especially once you see how much money you can save!

I am also going to show you all a little view into how I prep my week. I try to think ahead on which nights I am going to have night class (usually Monday - Thursday) and what days I know I have other plans.

Asparagus baked in the oven for 12 minutes at 400 degrees drizzled with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), garlic and peppar. Keep it fast, simple and you'd be surprised how great it tastes.

Tupperware is one of my favorite things as I have told you before. I will usually try to cook a few pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts so I always have protein on tap! A lot of times I will eat that with asparagus, broccoli, salsa, and avocado. Other times, I will use that chicken breast and use it to make something else like chicken salads and try several different ways of making those creative. A little bit of red wine vinegar or EVOO and balsamic and you have a great tasting meal that all your co-workers and classmates are going to "Oooo" and "Aahhhh" over. It's incredible to see how much one persons impact is over a whole group of friends/co-workers.

The magical EVOO and Balsamic! I would be lost without these two. This is one thing that I really recommend spending a little bit extra for multiple reasons. First, better quality really does taste better. Second, I did some research and TONS of EVOO are really not being 100% honest! Terrible, I know!!! A lot of your usual EVOO only contain 10% olive oil and the rest is soy/canola oil!!! WTF! I know, I was upset when I heard this as well. I recommend stopping by "We Olive" in old fig garden, where they have the BEST olive oils as well as balsamic and other incredible ingredients. Truly made in italy this stuff is around $1.00 per ounce, but is the real deal. Bring in your own personal container and you can fill it right up! There are certain items that you can't really bargain your way around and you are better off to just spend the extra dime. This is one of them!

Keep up the great work everyone! Remember, Paleo can be great tasting, reasonably priced and always effective! Don't forget to message me on Facebook or Twitter if you have any questions/recommendations. Thanks for reading :)

jump in the river or get in the car?

So while getting down on some tai chi this morning with one of my clients, he brought up the paleo diet. Now, I stop and say to my self "hold on. This isn't just a diet. It's not the Atkins diet, its not the lose 25 pounds in 25 days diet. It's a lifestyle. At least it should be, right? We are looking better, feeling better, so why would we revert back to the eating habits of the old? It reminded me of a story I heard about a town in Egypt, where every summer, the parents would let the children swim in a known infested river. The kids would mainly come out with eye infections which would leave them blinded for a couple of hours. We think "Call CPS! They are putting their children in harms way!" And when an American reporter asked one of the residents why he let his children swim in a river when he knew, 100% everytime they would becaome ill, the resident responded with this question "Why do you drive?" The stunned American reporter replied "well, how else would I get around?" The resident then said "Americans are killed more in car accidents than any other sickness or disease in the world, but you still choose to drive. My children just want to go swimming and have fun with their friends. If it means they have to be sick for a few hours, fine. You choose to risk your life everytime you get in your car, and involuntary subject your children to accompany you. My children have a choice." Pretty powerful if you ask me. So why do we voluntary subject ourselves to looking and feeling like shit? When we eat right, we feel good, when we feel good we look even better. But we choose to get in the car, go to the drive thru, eat the last piece of cake, drink the 12 pack of beer. So how do we stop those urges? I'll tell you. CHEAT DAY! Yup, you can have one, but only one. Why? First off, it gives you something to look forward to. Like I said before, I will never give up pizza, but I won't eat it everyday. Secondly, it will prevent you from binge eating or snacking. Thinking that you will never have a reeses peanut butter cup ever again will lead to the temptation to snack. Having a cheat day let's you put it in your foodbank. And finally, the hangover. The sickness you will feel the next day will bring you back to reality and back on track. Will you do it again? Most likely. But's your choice. Jump in the river or get in the car.

Paleo=Productivity

Due to my highly productive day, I have decided to give you the double shot of blog today. No chaser.

Since I've been cooking more and more I decided it was time to take a trip to my storage unit and pull out all the neat cooking gadgets I received as wedding gifts. My roommates Target knife set was no longer doing the trick, and one set of tongs? Counter productive. So here's what I grabbed!

My chopper, my self sharpening knife, my multi slicer, my mega spatula! Oh my!

Luckily for me, I happened to get married around the time when my sisters "get rich quick" scheme was selling shit for Pampered Chef. And when I say shit, I mean amazing cooking ware I will never sell. To tell you the truth, I forgot I had so much stuff. It's like the wedding god's predicted I'd get fat, have to lose weight and cook for myself. And the orange strips on the utensils? I have roommates. I don't want my classy cutlery to get mixed up in the rapture that is Target silverware.

So pillaging through my storage was not the only thing I did today. I woke up at 4am, tortured some private clients, went to the bank, checked on a donation for the competition, purchased a lulu lemon hoodie (shhhhhh!) did a light workout, went to costco (record time and amount purchased. $17.91 & i was in and out in 12 minutes WITH A RETURN!) got a massage, went to the mall, grabbed food for atom and I, went to the storage for a couple hours, went back to the gym, trained someone at 5pm, did my endurance intervals, work on some stability exercises, went to trader joes, came home, cook dinner and breakfast for tomorrow.

 It's almost 11pm and I'm ready to hit the sack. But the question remains, does being paleo make you more productive? Does it give you energy and motivation like you've never had before? I can tell you right now if it was 6 months ago, it would've taken me a month to finish all these tasks. I would've thrown a nap in there or a trip to the bar. Maybe 2. So this really gets me thinking back to October when I went to San Diego for the OPT big dawg bash. If you don't know who OPT is, look him up. Good shit. Anyway, they talked a lot about how what and how you eat can affect you mentally. Things like anxiety & depression, were both rooted in the reason and results of what we eat. We get nervous, we eat. We get sad, we eat. But worse than being nervous. We eat these comfort foods which spike insulin and cortisol levels and our whole body is out of whack. We leave our immune system to attack what our emotion has put in our body. And the end result? Well you're not gonna get thinner eating comfort foods, you are gonna be sick, unhealthy and depressed. And the cycle just repeats itself. 

So take into account how great you feel. If you really want to test it, do what Josh K did over the weekend and eat some bread and crap. When you feel like a donkey's ass in the morning, you'll hop right back on the wagon.

I made some amaze balls dishes tonight but I'm on the verge of falling asleep on my laptop so I'll make your mouth water in the morning.

Half way point! or is it?

So we've reached the half way point of our paleo challenge, but the real question is, who's sticking to it after the 30 days? I woke up this morning and did my normal bathroom ritual when I looked in the mirror and said "holy shit". I immediately grabbed my phone and snapped some photos of my self and compared them to the photos from the beginning of the challenge. WOW! I was floored by the difference. With such great results aesthetically, why wouldn't I continue to eat this way? Starts as a challenge, turns to a diet, then finally a lifestyle. So the question remains "Could I live completely paleo for the rest of my life?" Completely? Probably not. I do own an italian food restaurant and if anyone told me I could never eat pizza again, I would probably stab them in the eyes with a dull pencil. Repeatedly. Tell me no pizza AND no crown royal? Expect armageddon. So this will lead into the more relaxed "Primal" lifestyle. It has the same roots of a paleo lifestyle but with more of a realistic outlook. i.e. It's ok to fall of the wagon every once in a while. We just dirt off our shoulders and hop back on. I'll get more into that when the challenge ends.

So what have you been eating?

These are scotch eggs. Mega delish. I used sausage from save mart claiming to be from new york (because all things great come out of ny, right?) only to find out it was made in sunnyvale, ca. Shame. I'm going to trader joe's today to pick up some chicken sausage. Thanks to Crossfit Invictus for the recipe.

This is steak and broccoli from Teriyaki Don on herndon & cedar. Minus teriyaki add spicy. Loves.

So I know we shouldn't be sharing our before and after photos but I just had to. Mind you the top pic was taken late in the first week.

 Don't mind my sleepy face. That's actually my excited look in the morning.

Om nom nom!

How goes it fellow Paleo Fanatics? Most of you know me, those of you who don't my name is Joshua Kruger and I am going to be trying to help Tara post on our FTF Paleo blog. I will be posting/discussing about how to keep it paleo on a budget, packing/planning ahead and other little tasty tricks I have learned in my experience on the Paleo diet.

So how was your lunch today? In my opinion, the work/school day is the easiest time to keep it paleo. Instead of arriving to work empty handed, make sure to pack a lunch (and snacks of course) to keep you on track. Tupperware is my favorite thing, I'd be lost without it. Packing the lunch keeps you well proportioned and forces you to keep the paleo going. Don't you dare touch those cookies or candy on your co-workers desk!!! You don't want it! I also feel it makes the timing of my eating easier as well. I try to space meals out every three hours or so, getting in my protein, fats and carbs.

Pictured is one of my "go-to" meals. It is a frozen turkey patties from Costco (seasoned up with a little paprika, garlic and pepper), wrapped in lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, spicy mustard, avocado and usually a little bacon in there too! These are LOADED with lean protein (30g a patty) and taste amazing! If you have the time, I also recommend making your own patties using ground turkey, eggs, seasoning, mushrooms and onions (and whatever else is in the fridge!). They tend to fall apart a little, but hit them with some high heat on the BBQ and they are delish! A similar mixture can be used in a turkey meatloaf that I really enjoy with a salad, sweet potato and some veggies.

Later next week I will show you how I prep my week of food since I don't have time to come home and cook dinner. I am up early hitting the gym, work or studying 8-5 and night class from 6:30 - 9:30pm. So if I don't plan ahead I am screwed! It costs a LOT more money to go out for every meal and to try to keep it paleo ($10-15) range at least!!! With a tighter budget I can purchase a weeks worth of food for <$50. Thats 5-6 meals a day, monday through friday at about $10 a day! Stay posted and I'll show you my tricks of the trade :)

Example weekday:

6:30 -- Coffee!!! And a protein shake (grassfed whey if you can or any other clean protein) Mix with water (this isn't "Paleo" for the strict type, but it is necessary for me to survive)

9:30 -- 3 eggs, turkey/chicken sausage, avocado, salsa and a little bit of fruit

12:30 -- Double Turkey burger! (See Picture)

3:00 -- snack time with apple, almonds and some beef jerky

6:00 -- dinner time -- Tri-tip or chicken breast with a LOT of broccoli, sliver of avocado and salsa

8:00 -- Optional (depends how starving you are) -- beef jerky, another piece of tri-tip, or protein shake.

How do you guys make it through the week? Do you make the same thing every week or try to switch it up? If anyone has any questions/concerns please don't hesitate to send me an email, post on FB, twitter, text. I am ALWAYS easy to get ahold of one way or another. Keep up the strong work everyone!

Joshua Kruger

joshkruger13@gmail.com

Twitter: jkruger13

(559) 281-4909