tolerance is overrated or the revolution ceases, but the practice carries on

Sometimes I can't decide on a blog post title, so I make them irrationally long.

Bootycamp challenge ended last week and we sweated till we dropped in a final mountain climber challenge... and then we sweated some more.

Some before and after photos are currently posted on the Portland Fit Body Bootcamp facebook page and if you are looking to be inspired, look no further than to these amazing folks. All together, revolutioners lost more than 400 pounds. Amazing!

While I am super excited to buy new pants (smaller pants- I should clarify), the benefit of the challenge was more than shedding some unwanted pounds. I proved to myself that in spite of torn ligaments, flooding apartments, new found food allergies and anything else that was thrown my way, I could survive, if not thrive. My amazing bootcamp fambly, fabulous friends, and of course my own family, helped me through some crazy ish.

I now have the Wonder Years theme song stuck in my head... Have a little help from my friends...

Call me crazy, stubborn or just stupid, but I only took two weeks off class after I tore my ankle to shreds before I couldn't help but wake up at the ass crack of dawn to indulge in my 6 am power hour.
I am almost back up to speed (hey I held my own in the mountain climbers competition...)

While the revolution has ended, I've picked up some dietary habits that will probably not go away anytime soon. After the initial "AH WHAT DO I EAT ? THIS ISN'T VEGAN" freak out, I have really enjoyed the Whole30 (44) challenge. I appreciate the emphasis on whole foods and going back to basics.
And I feel so much better.
I have energy, I feel happy, I sleep. I don't need 40 cups of coffee a day (just the 3.5). I haven't been sick with a cold or flu since Christmas, a record indeed. And trips to the doctor and ER are now due only to clumsiness, rather than unexplained stomach cramps and vomiting.

I started eating fish and eggs around Christmas, and two months later, in preparation for some fancy solo valentines day dinner, I found myself skinning and boning a chicken.  

Boning. Not my activity of choice. Wait. Well....

Never mind.

I'm sure my poor mother is horribly confused, I don't blame her. We've been having the same "so what do you eat" conversation for years. Its been a variation of "if it has a face, I don't eat it..." and "dairy will kill me" ( flair for the dramatic much? )


But now, while dairy will still wreak havoc on my tummy,  my former grain and bean friends are also stirring up trouble, as my lovely doctor explained to me. Not by any means celiac or gluten intolerant, just sensitive. Awesome. I'm sensitive. Neat.  



In spite of this softer hallmark side of Liz of new found sensitivities, I suppose my mantra hasn't changed all that much. Moderation in all things, know what you're eating and where it comes from, processed foods suck. etc. etc. I'm just avoiding titles like lacto-pesca-ovo-vegfoodatarian.

So what do I eat?

Organic and local fruits, vegetables, white meat and seafood. Please see this glimpse of Portland Reality to understand.

But let me translate...

Food!