Listener Questions – Episode 40: PaleOMG Uncensored Podcast

Answering listener questions about diet, CrossFit vs Orange Theory, pet peeves, photography tips and all sorts of other questions!

[powerpress]

____________

Aaptiv is a fitness app that gives you custom workouts with the voice of an elite trainer and an amazing playlist, walking you through the class or workout or training session! They have unlimited workouts such as race training, ab workouts, spinning, strength training, and even more! I’ve been using it for stretching workouts after my CrossFit or Orange Theory classes! To get motivated or simply just get to stretching this 2017, try Aaptiv out for FREE for 30 days using the promo code PALEOMG. Sign up here and try it out for 30 days now!

Support the podcast by clicking the Subscribe button on iTunes and please a review only if you love the podcast! There is enough negativity in this world, don’t spread more. I love hearing about what YOU want me to talk about so feel free to leave on comment here or on social media with topics you’d like me to cover! And don’t forget, some posts have affiliate links which I may be compensated from. This compensation helps with keeping this blog and up and running! Thank you so much for your support, you guys are amazing!

____________

Episode 40 Transcription!

Today’s podcast is brought to you by Aaptiv. Aaptiv is the fitness app that brings together the voice of an elite trainer walking you through a workout step by step through that workout, with amazing music in the background. So, these workouts, since they’re just on your phone, on an app, you can do them anywhere. You can do them while traveling. You can do them in your basement. You can do then in your garage, or in the other room while your baby is sleeping. You can literally do these workouts anywhere, and they make it pretty cool. I actually saw a woman last week doing her workout; she didn’t have weights, so she used candles. Those gigantic candles. Pretty awesome. So you can do these workouts anywhere.

And just last week, I announced my partnership with Aaptiv, doing the Aaptiv and PaleOMG Get Strong Challenge. It was seven days with seven workouts and seven PaleOMG recipes; one recipe that is never before seen. It’s a fajita chicken salad, served cold. It’s so good. You have to make it. It’s so bomb. So, right now you can get into that challenge. Say you missed last week; not to worry. You still have time to get this workout done. All you have to do is go to www.Aaptiv.com and use the promo code PaleOMG and then you not only get 30 days for free with Aaptiv, but you can also just go down to curated play lists at the bottom of the Aaptiv app, and pick PaleOMG. Boom. The challenge is right there. So you can start on Wednesday. You can start today. You can start tomorrow. You can start next month. But it’s seven days, and it is going to get you feeling better, sweating your ass off, and getting fitter than you were yesterday. Is fitter a word? I really have no idea. But go try it out. Go to www.aaptiv.com. Use the promo code PaleOMG, and get fit with the Gets Strong Challenge.

1. What’s happened this week [3:13]
2. Bachelorette recap [10:12]
3. Friends who don’t understand your job [21:52]
4. Beauty procedures you didn’t love [24:57]
5. Plans to lose weight for the wedding [26:43]
6. Growing your hair out [29:09]
7. CrossFit and your period [29:57]
8. Question about acupuncture [31:42]
9. Frozen versus fresh veggies [32.04]
10. Snacking [33:02]
11. CrossFit and breast implants [35:39]
12. Post workout skincare routine [35:51]
13. Change in eating for CrossFit competition [36:47]
14. Bodybuilding competitions [38:04]
15. Burnout on posting [44:01]
16. Quality versus quantity [44:53]
17. Adjusting needs during monthly time [47:03]
18. Being comfortable in your skin [48:07]
19. Balancing cardio with weights [50:49]
20. Picking a cocktail [51:27]
21. Stopping the self sabotage [52:39]
22. Staying on plan while sharing a home [55:19]
23. Calorie counting [56:29]
24. Guilt over a cheat meal [56:36]
25. How frequently do you treat yourself [58:22]
26. Making up new recipes [1:00:37]
27. Working with an esthetician [1:01:55]
28. Do you miss competing in CrossFit [1:04:44]
29. White rice versus brown [1:08:00]
30. Photography tips [1:09:14]
31. Hair washing [1:12:44]
32. Eating at sporting events [1:13:14]
33. All the guys you’ve dated [1:14:22]
34. Back on track with eating [1:15:51]
35. Redoing old recipes [1:17:05]
36. Putting yourself out there on social media [1:18:15]
37. Saving money and investing [1:20:42]
38. Sticking to paleo [1:23:33]
39. Pet peeves [1:26:32]
40. Choosing CrossFit or Orange Theory [1:28:26]
41. What changed after no longer competing [1:29:40]
42. Fitness centered blog [1:30:51]
43. Repurposing outfits [1:32:26]
44. Juli Reality TV [1:34:27]

This is Juli Bauer from PaleOMG and you are listening to PaleOMG Uncensored.

Juli Bauer: Well hello there, guys. This is kind of weird because I’m recording this on my phone. Because the system that I record my podcast on is acting like a real dick today. So I just feel kind of weird. Just on my phone here. Recording a voice memo. But hey, what are you going to do. What are you going to do? I hope everyone is having a wonderful day, and hopefully it’s raining where you are. Because the rain has been very welcome here in Colorado. It’s been so hot. and now my dog can run around without having a heat stroke. And that’s always a positive, you know. He’s sitting on my lap right now, so I have to have my computer off to the side, and almost falling onto the floor. He’s so thoughtful, so caring.

1. What’s happened this week [3:13]

Let’s talk about what’s happened this week. I don’t think anything has happened. We put a deposit down for our landscaping. Finally figured all that bullsh*t out, because landscaping is the worst. We painted our house, so our house is nice and painted. It is a dark gray, and as the woman down the street who is about four billion years old told me, it sticks out like a sore thumb. So obviously she’s a fan. All the houses on our block are like 1950s houses, with this ugly, most of them are ugly brick. There’s a lot that are like nice brick, like nice color. The red brick that’s just classic. But most are an ugly orangish-red brick, including that old hags house. So, we didn’t want to be like that. We wanted to be a little bit more modern, because inside our house is very modern. And we wanted to be a little bit more updated. So we went with the painting. Obviously, some people, meaning only her not a fan of it. Because everyone else in the neighborhood has loved it. Including the people who are next door to us, who are amazing women. And random people have let me know that they love it as they’ve walked by. So I can’t wait for us to get landscaping done and for us to crush her spirit. That’s a little bit harsh. But I want to say, “Hey. We know what we’re doing. And we don’t want to look old as f*ck, like you.”

Ok. This is what else has been happening. This is probably why my anger levels are at an all-time high. So, and this is a question I got. When I asked people to leave questions, I got a couple of questions about acupuncture, because I’ve been putting it on my social media, when I’ve been getting acupuncture. My husband was getting really bad migraines, and so he went to the person who does acupuncture and kind of physical therapy type staff with the people from our gym. So he had amazing results. His migraines have almost been completely gone. And I was getting really sore traps to the point that it was causing headaches. And I don’t ever, ever get headaches. Like, if I get a headache, it’s very, very strange. And so, when my traps were so tight, I couldn’t really do anything about it. I was like, finally, f*ck it. I need to take care of myself. I’m going to go and do acupuncture.

And I hate acupuncture. My first experience with acupuncture, it was the worst. I cried afterwards. Like, it gave me so much anxiety that I cried. And I’m not like a person who’s not a fan of needles. I don’t care. Draw my blood, I can watch the blood come out, I can watch the needle go in. It doesn’t bother me. But when you’re sticking needles in me, that’s not very comfortable, oh hi dog. If you’re sticking needles in me, and just letting me sit with my thoughts for 20 minutes, I’m not f*cking into it. I can sit with my thoughts and get work done. That’s what I think. And I get it. I need to meditate. But all I can think about is how I need to do stuff. My poor dad was telling me about meditation, and how he’s meditated, and whenever your brain wants to go somewhere, you just stay there. You just stay in that meditation state. And I’m just thinking the whole time, like, I could be getting so much f*cking work done during that state.

So, anyways, I did acupuncture yesterday, or two days ago when you’re listening to this. And he did dry needling, and he did dry needling in my traps, and in my throat, like the muscles in my throat; and I don’t know about you, but who likes f*cking needles in their throat. And if you do, you’re probably into some crazy S&M sh*t, and that’s your own business. But me, personally, no. So I’m like sitting there. I’m just trying to take it in. I’m trying to be okay with it, be comfortable with it, and I’m not. I’m super sore today. And I think acupuncture is supposed to release energy. And I feel like it’s released some sh*tty f*cking energy. Because I’m a real b*tch. Can’t help it. It’s just who I am.

So, yeah, that’s why I’m doing acupuncture. To help with my tight traps and stretch out my chest. Because I don’t know if you look at CrossFitters. Maybe you’re a Crossfitter yourself. Look in the mirror. Your shoulders are f*cking rounded as sh*t. Whenever I look at these competition, it’s these women with these round shoulders. Nobody stands up straight, because their chest muscles are so tight, it’s pulling their shoulders forward. The chest muscles are much bigger than the small muscles around your scapula. So, yeah. I don’t want to look like that, and I don’t want to be an old person who’s just getting that hunchback. So, working on it.

Someone asked if it was for beauty reasons. No. Well, I guess so. I don’t want to be an old round person. So I guess it is long-term beauty. But this guy does deep tissue massage, and it’s super f*cked up. And I’m just yelling cuss words the whole time. Whatever. It’s supposed to help; it should help. This is my third time. I’m trying to keep an open mind about it. So far, I f*cking hate it. But hey. My husband goes there, and he’s like, oh, I just sit there with needles in me and almost sleep for 30 minutes. I’m like, what the f*ck. I literally; I left and I got off the bed and the bed was a pool of sweat. Because it’s like so much anxiety the entire hour. A pool of sweat. And I’m not joking. Like I could see the line, like I had pissed the bed up to my neck.

So yeah. That’s what’s been going down in this place. Some acupuncture. Some old had on our street. House painting. And landscaping, which starts next week, and I’m so pumped for. I cannot wait to be the house that is not ugly. According to me. Obviously, not that one woman.

2. Bachelorette recap [10:12]

Ok. So let’s; we’ve got to get to this. We can’t f*ck around here. Because I want to do a recap of this week’s Bachelorette, and then we’ve got to go into questions, and there are like a million questions. And I’m telling you now, as I yawn, that I’m going to yawn a million times. You talk to yourself for an hour to an hour and a half without yawning. Because you’re talking nonstop. Try it. Do it. Ok. Let’s talk about the Bachelorette.

So, this Bachelorette episode, thank god that we’re back on, because last week some f*cking basketball game was on. How is basketball still on. Is it played 24/7, 365 days a year? Because that’s what it seems like. That’s what it’s like. It’s on all the time. It drives me f*cking crazy. Not that I hate basketball; I hate all sports, ok. But it seriously never ends. We did March madness. I understand that’s college, but shouldn’t it all just be then and done? Eh? Eh?

Okay, so the episode wasn’t on. It skipped last week, and whenever episode was supposed to air, that was during the midst of the Bachelor in Paradise shenanigans. I mean, there’s all this he-said she-said lawsuit. I think it’s all cleared up now. But pretty much, Corrin got super wasted, DeMario got super wasted, and then they were pretty much just naked out at the pool and doing everything but sex. So you just can visualize that on your own, ok. So doing all that with cameras around. And who knows, I don’t even know if I’m telling the truth. But these are the things that I read. That a producer was like, we should stop this, and another producer was like, no keep going. And that producer sued ABC, and then Corrin was suing ABC. And then, whenever, a lawsuit team, looked into it and said there was no misconduct.it was drunk people doing drunk sh*t. We’ve all been there, unless you don’t drink. I’ve done some dumb shit in my day, and I had nobody to sue over it, you know. You’ve just got to f*cking swallow your pride, and say maybe I shouldn’t drink anymore. So, that’s just an idea. Just an idea. I can’t hold my alcohol, so I don’t really do it.

Ok. But this week on the Bachelorette. Oh, and I think Bachelor in Paradise is about to start filming again. Thank god, because it was like suspended. And if I didn’t have that to watch in August, I don’t know what the f*ck I would do with my life. Oh, except you know what? I’m going on a boating trip. Through St. Martin, St, Vincent, all these other saints that I’ve never heard of in the islands. And, yeah. I just bought two new swimsuits today. That’s what I’m doing in august, along with watching Bachelor in Paradise.

Ok, so back this week on the Bachelorette. Just so we know, we found out that Lee, who is still on the show, who has the tallest hair of all. He has a pompadour that is 4 feet tall, and he’s about 3 1/2 feet tall. So his pompadour is more than his body. It’s ridiculous. It’s just so weird. So it’s been out all over social media that he’s a racist. He has all these racist tweets. It’s very strange. And he always calls Rachel, who he’s trying to bang at this point, he always calls Rachel ma’am. If my husband said, “Yes ma’am” to me, I would say we’re never having sex again. Do not call me ma’am. I’m not your f*cking elder.

So, Lee sucks. He’s a racist. He loves making men angry. He talks to Rachel, and talks about how his grandma died from cancer. And its like one of those conversations, at least how the producers spun it, is he brings it up out of nowhere. He’s like, “My grandma died from cancer. You want to make out?” Like, that’s pretty much what it is. It’s like, hey. Stop using your family’s death to wiggle your way into another rose ceremony. He clicks his tongue a lot on the episode. And I don’t care what else. He’s a racist, I hate him. I hope he dies. No, that was so mean. Oh my god. I did not mean to say that. I’m just; it’s just the acupuncture energy, ok. I don’t hope he dies, but I hope he gets kicked off the show and someone poops on his head.

Ok, so let’s see. So Diggy, the guy who looks like a Ken doll, and then the guy who has the biggest jaw of all time. They all get kicked off. And the two best parts of the entire episode, which are very small parts. Is Brady, who is Ken doll. He is combing his hair with a tiny finger. It’s one of those; imagine a tiny finger that fits on top of one of your fingers, and he’s using it as a comb. That was my favorite part. And then, the Russian guy who ponytails his hair a lot. He tries to manbun, but he’s not quite there. He has a zebra print purple jacket on. And Rachel kept him. F*cking get your life together.

Ok. So, after the rose ceremony, they call go to Hilton Head. Which I want to go so badly. Hilton Head is high on the list of places to visit. So I’d like to go there soon. Dean gets the first date. Dean looks like he’s 14 and he should be in a boy band. But like the cool on in the boy band. Not like the; I don’t know any boy band names anymore. But not like the one who gets around. And writes; I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m trying to say. But Dean has very white teeth, and I really love that about him because my husband has the whitest teeth ever, and has this big smile, and that’s why I fell in love with him. Among other reasons. But his teeth are what moved me towards him. I literally remember the first time he came into the gym, and somebody was talking about how hot he was. And at that point, I just didn’t think of him like that, because I was coaching him. And I was like, yeah, he has really nice, white teeth. That’s what I thought.

So that’s what I notice about Dean. He has great teeth. He’s 2 years old. So they go on a blimp date. They go up in a blimp. And Dean is so scared. He literally shits his pants. You can see the fear on his face. It’s not like fake fear, or like, “I don’t really like this.” It’s like, I sh*t my pants and I don’t have an extra pair of pants; what am I going to do, producers. What? It’s so great. So the date; whatever. They go up in a blimp, and Dean’s like, “I can do this. I’m not going to die.” And then they go, I don’t know, to some concert like they always do. And they’re on a stage in the middle in front of everyone who is recording them, and they’re dancing with some guy. Does anybody know this artist? He’s a great singer, but who the f*ck is this guy? And then they’re dancing and making out. It’s like, ok. Everyone is recording you and you’re making out. I rarely even hold my husband’s hand in public. Not that I don’t like to, but I’m sure as f*ck not making out in front of everybody. It grosses me out when people do that. It’s like, you don’t have a house? I guess if you’re 14 it’s ok because you’re desperate.

Ok. Then they have a group date, and they’re on a boat. And I think it’s called the vagabond, but it looks like Vagi-bond. Vag. The vag boat. So I don’t know. They just dance on this boat, and they’re drinking, and the guys are taking their shirts off. And this Josiah guy, who I think is a lawyer. He takes his shirt off, and he’s like, “I’m the best looking man here.” And he’s flexing his boobs. I just hate when dudes flex their boobs. It’s like, ok we get it. You have muscle. I can flex my boobs too, and I’m not doing it. Honestly, I could flex them better than Josiah did. So, jokes on you.

So they have this little boat time. And I don’t know, they’re doing the limbo. Weird sh*t. And then they have to go do a spelling bee. Which is f*cking hilarious. And honestly, I give these guys credit. Doing a spelling bee in front of everybody who is judging you, and you just, fade out. You have no idea how to spell something. It’s so hard. I get it. And you can f*ck up easily. One guy f*cked up champagne, because he just switched the G and the N. Not a big deal, you know. You are saying it out loud, and it’s hard to picture it in your head. When all these people are watching you. And you’re probably pissing sweat. All these guys sweat so much.

So the one that I thought was so funny was Eric, who has the worst voice ever. He sounds like; I don’t know. He sounds really annoying. But he had to spell façade, and he spelled it P-H-Y-S-D-E. {laughs} Physede. Physed a. Physede. Physd. That’s how he spelled it. It was great. But then there was like Josiah got the word stunning. Ok, who the f*ck can’t spell stunning? My dog can spell stunning. And then the other guys got boutonniere, and polyamorous. I’ve never said that word. I don’t even know what that word means. And Josiah got stunning. So stupid.

And then; oh, then nothing really else happens. They have their, I think they’re into. I don’t know what’s happening at this point. I think they’re just hanging out after the group date. And my favorite, what’s his face, What’s his name? Oh, Peter. Peter talks about how he lives in Wisconsin. And she’s like, “Yeah, I’d move to Wisconsin.” Ok, Rachel. Get your ass out of the grass. I couldn’t really think of anything there. But, ok. No offense to people who live in Wisconsin. I’m not hating on you. But why the f*ck would you ever move to Wisconsin if you don’t already live there? Or you’re like, 80 years old, and you’re like, yeah let’s retire in Wisconsin. You live in Dallas, Rachel. I had the best cupcake of my life in Dallas. The best cupcake. And extremely good cocktails. Just saying. No thank you.

And just so you know, Peter, it came out that one of his goals in his yearbook. You know, when you’re like, what do you want to do when you grow up, of your high school yearbook bullsh*t. His said his goal was to be on the Bachelor. Funny how that played out, am I right? Am I right. Ok. So that’s what happened. The show ended with Lee being more racist. Quite boring. Lee, you bore all of us, and your hair is stupid. Ok, I know I’m being really mean to him, but it’s because he’s a racist. So that’s why.

3. Friends who don’t understand your job [21:52]

Ok. Let’s grab a sip of water. Take a deep breath in so I don’t yawn. Just so you know, if you don’t yawn when another person yawns, it means you’re a serial killer. Or a psycho. Just so you know.

So, ok. Let’s see. I asked questions on Instagram the other day. I like to do these episodes like every 5 or so episodes, a listener question episode. And I had a ton of fun questions. I have like 4 pages. So better get going.

Ok. Let’s just start. I hope people don’t mind when I say their name. Sometimes I might not say their name because it’s just too much to pronounce, and I can’t spell like the guys on the spelling bee. Ok, Lemon and Fig. “How do you deal with friends who don’t get what you do? I feel like I have the greatest support network through other bloggers and Instagrammers, but I have a hard time feeling understood by those in my real life community. Do you ever run into this? How do you deal with it?”

Yes. I run into it every single time that it’s not a friend. I think most people think that my husband makes all the money, and I just have this little go-to job. Just like fun job on the side that doesn’t make much money. And I make more money than he does with my job. And I wish I could say that to them, and smack them in the face. But, at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. If they don’t think that I have a real job, and I’m over here making a life for my family, and making money that I can save and put away for retirement, and pay for landscaping. {laughs} Whatever, it doesn’t matter at the end of the day. But I do over that with my husband sometimes. I’m like, I wish people took my job seriously. And he’s like, who cares? You’re like that dark horse. People don’t know that you’re doing well. And I’m not; yeah. Yeah. So I guess I just don’t give a sh*t. {laughs}

And my friends know it’s a serious business. But I’m sure a lot of my friends don’t think it’s a serious business as well, but they just don’t say that. But nobody knows. Your income, your security, your happiness, your day to day. So who cares what they think at the end of the day? I still don’t think my parents totally understand. I think my dad tries to understand. But I think when they’re like, “You don’t have benefits?!” Because that’s always been so important. My mom was always like, “You need to find a job with benefits.” And you know, at the end of the day, I have to purchase my own health insurance that I never, ever, ever f*cking use.

It’s crazy with health insurance. It’s like, you almost hope something bad happens so the health insurance is worth paying for. Isn’t that terrible? I don’t actually wish that. But health insurance is such bullsh*t. Whole nother topic, am I right? {laughs}

4. Beauty procedures you didn’t love [24:57]

Ok, this next one. C-Caps. “I love hearing about all your favorite beauty products and procedures. But is there anything you would not do again, or that wasn’t worth it? How does your spray tan never look fake and orange?”

What would I not do? I think I’ve liked everything I’ve done. The only thing that I didn’t love. Well, I just wasn’t like, “Oh my god, this is the best thing ever.” Is permanent eyeliner. Just because it’s not super obvious. But you don’t want it too obvious that you have fake liner on all the time. So it’s just kind of one of those things that if you don’t wear makeup ever, then it’s worth it. But if you’re wearing makeup like I do, then you kind of cover it up. So what’s the point of it. But it still I think an awesome thing to just make your eyes pop a little bit more. It’s just not; it hasn’t been my favorite. Like microblading my eyebrows; that was by far my favorite, and worth it. Totally awesome. Yeah.

And for the spray tan, I go to a place called Glamour Bar here in Denver, and she spray tans it on you. And you’re not in a booth or anything, so it’s super even. And the products she uses are just high quality products. So I guess that’s how I don’t get orange, and that weird color. Because her colors are awesome. I’m pretty sure she uses St. Tropez. I’m not positive, but I think that’s what she sprays on. And then when I use my own tanner at home, I use St. Tropez, as well. And I don’t think it gives you that orange color.

5. Plans to lose weight for the wedding [26:43]

Next question. Maria. “My wedding is a month away, and I totally dropped the ball getting into shape and toning up. What would you recommend to drop some pounds and tone up as much as possible during the last month? I know progress doesn’t happen that quickly, but looking for some things to add in my routine and get motivated in going this month.”

Ok. So here’s the thing, Maria. Losing weight takes a good amount of time. Losing weight and toning up; my body has been changing for the past 7 years. So, I don’t think there’s one thing you can do to just drop a bunch of pounds. Because for me, I lost 30 pounds in 3 years. It wasn’t just a quick fix. And I don’t think anybody should use quick fixes. I think they are detrimental to your long-term health. And I know everybody wants to feel and look their best on their wedding day, and I get it.

But the only thing I can recommend is just eat healthy. Stay away from sugar. Stay away from alcohol. Eat healthy, and continue with an exercise plan. Don’t do anything drastic. It’s not good for your body long-term. And I see so many women who, before their wedding, they starve themselves. They do excessive exercise. And they get super skinny for their wedding, and then they blow up afterwards, and they gain a bunch of weight back. And nobody wants to do that.

At the same time, I don’t want to look back at my wedding pictures and be like, “I wish I still looked like that. I’ll never look like that again.” Because I was emaciated. I didn’t want that. So the only thing that I really changed; I had been working out, when my wedding day came, I had been working out continuously for the past 6 years, and been eating healthy for 6 years. The only thing I changed for the last month leading up was I tried to stay away from sugar, I didn’t drink, and I just ate a little bit more chicken and white fish and salmon. We didn’t do as much steak and higher fat meats. And that was it. Because my husband was eating a ton of chicken breasts. And I couldn’t do it as much. But that was the only thing I changed. I just tried to eat a little bit healthier and stay away from sugar and alcohol. But don’t do anything drastic. Just don’t do it, because you will regret it long-term in life. Yeah. That’s the advice I got.

6. Growing your hair out [29:09]

Kim Harris. “Desperate for my hair to grow. Any tips for getting longer, healthier locks?” One, eat healthy. Two, drink a lot of water. Three, add collagen to your diet. I added collagen a few months ago, and my hair has been growing like crazy. And my hair was literally always the same length. Never grew. And now it is growing so fast. I have to get my nails redone so much quicker, which kind of sucks. But my hair is growing like crazy. So get some collagen in your diet. I love Great Lakes, and I love Vital Proteins. Those are my two favorite collagens. So get some collagen in your diet. But eating healthy helps too.

7. CrossFit and your period [29:57]

Ok, Jabahan. I don’t know about that name. “Juli; back when you were competing in CrossFit, did you ever have any issues with losing your period?” I get this question a lot. “If so, how long until after competing did it take for your body and hormones to return to normal? I know you’re not a doctor. I’ve been struggling with my cycle after I started lifting.”

Ok, so when I first started CrossFit. This was like 7 years ago. I dropped weight really quickly, because I changed my diet and I changed my exercise routine. So I lost 30 pounds extremely fast. I mean, I think it was extremely fast. It was like 9 months, I dropped 30 pounds. And I lost my period. It just went away. I wasn’t worried about it, because I was like 21, and I don’t know. I just wasn’t worried about it because I was 21. But, it came back once I gained weight. So I haven’t had issues. I went off my birth control a couple of months ago just to get off of hormonal birth control. And I haven’t had any issues. So I think it’s something you need to talk to your doctor about. Because I don’t have much advice, other than the weight gain helped me gain that period back.

But I know a ton of women in the athletic field who have lost their period. And some worry about it, and some don’t. Obviously, it depends when you’re trying to have a baby, you definitely want that. But I would talk to your doctor, because I don’t have much advice on that. Because I haven’t really dealt with that a ton.

8. Question about acupuncture [31:42]

Ok. Fertz. “I don’t think I’ve seen or heard the answer to this. But just;” Oh, I actually answered. This is a question about the acupuncture. So sorry I meant to delete that one. But yeah, just doing acupuncture to help with headaches and release some of the tension and tightness in my shoulders and chest. Ick.

9. Frozen versus fresh veggies [32.04]

Bronwyn. Bronwyn, you’re my friend. Hi Bronwyn. She asks, “Frozen veggies versus fresh veggies.” So I always go for fresh, in-season vegetables first, but I like to keep frozen vegetables in my freezer for crazy nights. So the other night, I made kind of like a stir fry. And it was just stir fry veggies and then cauliflower rice. And the frozen veggies, they’re picked fresh and then they’re frozen. So they’re still high quality. And you can get organic ones as well. I just like having those fast ones that I can just cook up in a pan when they’re frozen, like stir fry veggies, and cauliflower rice. Or green beans, even. I keep those in the freezer so when I’ve run out at the end of the week have something ready to go for dinner. So I like both. I just like to keep both on hand.

10. Snacking [33:02]

Ok, this one says, “What is your take on snacking? I think you’ve talked about this a little bit before. I’ve been hearing from other paleo enthusiasts say that you should only eat three square meals a day and that snacking messes up your blood sugar levels. My whole life I’ve been a snacker.”

Ok, so I think it’s important to remember that meals should be big enough that they hold you over longer than they would on a normal American Standard Diet. So if you’re eating breakfast in the morning, and you’re eating the Standard American Diet of a bowl of f*cking Cheerios, and a bowl of fruit on the side, and milk, you’re going to be hungry really f*cking fast. Because you’re spiking your blood sugar, and then you’re coming down in a crash and then you feel that hunger. But if you’re eating breakfast of lots of vegetables. You’re adding in good protein; good quality protein. And then a little bit of fat in there, you’re going to be held over much longer than you would versus that all sugar breakfast.

So, this also depends on your activity level. So if you’re working out on a regular basis, maybe you’re going to get hungrier than a person who is completely sedentary at their desk all day every day. I know that my mom and I eat very different meals, because I’m half her age, and I exercise daily. And my needs are different. So I’ll have a snack when maybe she’s not hungry at all, and we’ll have different sized meals. So I think it’s important to remember that you should be getting great quality food at your meals, and a good amount of food. Eat more than what we’ve been taught to eat. So eating a sh*t ton of vegetables, good protein, some good fat in there, and you should be held over.

I think it’s a little bit harder when you’re doing your lunch to dinner. A lot of people get hungry in there, including me. So I don’t think it’s bad to have a snack. I just don’t think you should be snacking on high sugary things or protein bars. Just heavy sugary carbohydrates, because that’s just going to lead to more snacking. I think we should be getting more of that greens, vegetables, and a good protein as a snack in just a smaller amount than you would have in your meal. So that’s kind of how I see snacking.

11. CrossFit and breast implants [35:39]

Paleoish Dub. “Can you do CrossFit with breast implants under the muscle?” Yes. I have breast implants under the muscle. I’ve been doing CrossFit for 7 years. Boom.

12. Post workout skincare routine [35:51]

Melanie. “What is your post-workout skin care routine?” Well, Melanie. I have absolutely no post workout skin care routine. I worked out at 9 this morning, and then I went to the mall, and then I went grocery shopping, and then I went to the dog store, and I walked the dog. And now I’m back at home recording this podcast, and I have done nothing for my face. And I can feel the salt on my forehead. So not the best person to ask for this.

If I was a normal human being who worked out and then had to go to work, I would just wash my face and then put on the normal products that I use on my face. But that doesn’t usually happen. I go straight to doing other stuff after I workout. So I don’t have any routine. But wash your face. Don’t be gross like me.

13. Change in eating for CrossFit competition [36:47]

Sunny Windy. “I’ve read your post on all the different transformations your body has done. And I’m wondering how you would eat differently if you decided you wanted to go back into competing? I’m asking because I’ve lost weight and lost all my PRs and wanted to bulk up a little more without gaining fat.”

If I wanted to go back into competing in CrossFit, I would just eat more. I would probably eat more carbohydrates than I do now, and I feel like I eat a decent amount of carbohydrates now. But if I was competing, I would eat more carbohydrates, and I would make sure I would get a small meal in after my workout. And I didn’t really do that much. I tried sometimes, but I just wasn’t good and consistent with it, because I didn’t feel hungry after a meal. But I would force myself.

Now, I don’t need food. I don’t need protein, I don’t need a shake. I don’t need anything right after a workout, because I’m normally going to go eat lunch, or breakfast, or dinner, so I’m not needing that. But if I was competing and working out multiple times a day and trying to hit weights, I would make sure I got food in to help me recover. So that’s what I’d do differently. I’d get more food, and I would get more carbohydrates.

14. Bodybuilding competitions [38:04]

Stacia. “What are your thoughts about bodybuilding competitions? I had a really bad binge cycle relapse from one. Listening to your podcast about portion control and intuitive eating has helped me. That’s exactly how I want to live. Not on a meal plan, eating the same thing every day, using a scale. But truly listening to my body and building muscle at the same time.”

So, to each their own. I have a coach at my gym who is competing in a figure competition soon, and she’s trying to get her pro card. And she is really, really good at cutting back and being very strict and regulating what she’s eating and what she’s drinking. And she gets f*cking shredded. It’s crazy, every week I see her on a Wednesday, and her body has transformed from the week before. Because her competition is here in July. And she loves to do it. And she wants to get her pro card. And that’s her goal.

After she finishes, she goes back to normal life. And she blows up, just gains weight like a normal person, and she looks like a normal human being. But compared to what her figure competition self looks like, it looks like she’s a completely different person. And she seems like she deals with it very well. Me? No f*cking way. I would not deal with that well. I would not be ok with it. And I don’t think it is healthy for the body to be very restrictive, and then binge. And be very restrictive, and then binge. Sure, your body maybe can bounce back from it. But I think you’re going to suffer those effects later on in life. Both physically and mentally. So I don’t think they’re healthy long-term for people. And you know, you see all these competitions.

Actually, you guys should go listen to the podcast, Girls Gone WOD, that just came out this week with Cherie Chan. It’s like 200-something episode with Cherie Chan, who her husband is Matt Chan. He’s a competitive CrossFit athlete. A lot of people know that name, which is why I say that. But they had a great; she talked about this, and I think it was just a great episode to listen to. But I see these women in competitions; even men. Super restrictive. I mean, you can’t drink water the day of your competition. And then after their competition, they’re like; “Look what I earned!” And it’s like a whole packet of Oreos. And they’re like, “I’m so excited I earned this. Can’t wait to eat this.” And then you binge on f*cking Oreos. Ok, that is so bad for your body.

And we see, Joy and Claire talk about how food should not be a transactional thing. You should not be working out so you can have all these cocktails over the weekend. Or you’re working out to burn off the regrets you have the night before. Food should not be looked at that way, and we are taught through social media that that’s the norm. And you know, I’ve written posts where I’m like, going to work off. Say I was at the Aspen food and wine classic this past weekend. And you know, you’re eating and drinking a lot. And I did a soul cycle class. And I almost wrote, “Earning my food for the weekend,” or something like that. And I’m like, no I’m not! I’m working out to take care of my body. And I’m going to eat what I want to eat because I decided I want to eat it. There’s no hatred towards myself for eating something. And if I was going to hate myself, why would I eat that?

So there’s just this negative relationship with food that we’re taught that it’s ok. And it should not be like that. And I wish more women and men would f*cking wrap their heads around that. Like, people are always like, “Well why don’t you eat that?” And I’m like, ok that makes me feels sh*tty, and I’ll regret eating that, so I don’t eat it. And because I don’t want to have that negative relationship with food.

Another thing, like wine. I had wine over the weekend. I’m not like a huge wine person, but there was really high quality, amazing wines at this food festival. And I’m not thinking how I’m going to work out so hard to burn this off, because I’m enjoying the moment. I’m enjoying my life. I’m enjoying those times that I will never get back. Who knows if I’ll ever have the opportunity to go to the Food and Wine Classic again. I’m living my life. And there’s no negative viewpoints on it.

So I don’t love body building competitions, because what many people have made it. I’m sure there are some people in that fitness arena who don’t have issues with food. Maybe. But from the majority of what I see in my own personal life and what I see online is it creates a really negative relationship with food that’s very hard to break after you get out of the competing world. So I’m not a huge fan of it. I’ve seen friends go through it, and it just looks f*cking miserable. So that’s kind of how I see it. To each their own, though. No judging, I couldn’t personally do it with my own issues I had with food before. So I hope that helps, Stacia. And I think that’s how your say your name. I don’t know.

15. Burnout on posting [44:01]

Ok. Beck Lance. “Do you ever get tired of posting and being constantly connected?” Yes. It’s hard to post multiple times a day, and just come up with content for social media. But that’s the business, at the end of the day. And it sucks being constantly on my phone. And I try not to do it in certain situations. I don’t want to be that person who’s doing selfie videos when she’s with a group of friends. Or at a concert. Or just, you know. I try to take more pictures if I’m at an event. But at the end of the day, that’s my business and that’s how I keep my business going, is being on social media. So yes, I get sick of it every day. But don’t we all with our jobs, with some part of our job? And it doesn’t feel like a job so I have nothing to complain about.

16. Quality versus quantity [44:53]

Em Hall. “I’m overweight and seriously want to make a change. I’m 35 with two kids, and I don’t want this to be something holding me back when I’m 40. I know the secret to weight loss is my diet and exercise, but should I focus on more the quality of my foods; i.e., eating much cleaner, or counting calories and staying under the goal number?”

I highly recommend just concentrating on the quality. Don’t think about quantity. Don’t obsess about a number. Hit quality food. If you are eating high quality food, if you’re eating a sh*t ton of vegetables, green vegetables, and you’re eating good quality protein, you’re going to lose weight. That’s it at the end of the day. If you’re drinking on a regular basis. If you’re eating sugar or high carbohydrate foods, and maybe you don’t exercise much, that’s really needed in a person who doesn’t exercise much. If you’re sticking to those, staying away from. Sorry, I’m skipping over my words.

If you’re concentrating on staying away from sugar and alcohol, and those heavier carbohydrates if you’re not exercising much, and just incorporating good fats into your diet. Good vegetables, green vegetables, and high quality meat, you will lose weight. So concentrate on quality. Stop thinking about a quantity. Stop thinking about a goal number. And don’t even think about exactly how much weight you need to lose. Just concentrate on eating well, and showing your children how to eat well, as well. I think if more people could teach their children how to eat healthier, the world would really change moving forward. And as I travel around the country, we’re really losing that, and don’t know how to fix that. It starts with the parents. Because those parents are going to teach them those habits. So think about quality, for sure.

17. Adjusting needs during monthly time [47:03]

Mad Smith. I’ve got to take a sip of water. Hold on. Ok. “You’ve given great insight on how to listen to your body when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. So I’m wondering, how do you adjust your diet and exercise routine during your time of the month?” Let’s see. “I feel like my body during that time can often have a more distorted list of needs than a typical day.”

So when I’m on my period, I usually up my carbohydrates, and I have a little bit more sugar. I have some dark chocolate. Yeah, I just eat a little bit more. And that’s it. I move on with my day. But yeah, I think more carbohydrates. My friend Cassy from Fed and Fit, when I was having some hormonal imbalance because of getting off birth control. She was like, I recommend upping your carbohydrates and that might help. And it totally did. So, up those carbs.

18. Being comfortable in your skin [48:07]

Let’s see; Cooking in Code. “You seem very happy with your body, and comfortable in your own skin, even despite the haters. I know that even after losing weight and achieving their goal, people often struggle with body image issues, and find it hard to be happy with their body.” Oh my gosh. I’m not yawning at your question, I swear to god, Cooking in Code. “Do you have any tips for being happy with your body where it’s at, and being comfortable in your skin?”

So, this is an ongoing battle. I am comfortable in my skin, but I have; we all have days where it’s hard. I look at photos of myself every single day. That pretty much sucks. When you’re not looking at photos of yourself, I think it makes it a little bit easier. But I’m literally editing photos almost every day of myself, and my face. And my skin. And my teeth. So I obsess a little bit more than a normal person would.

But, when I start seeing myself get to that point, I cut it off. And I say, I’m not doing this. You’re not doing this. Stop. You’re better than this. And I move on. I put my head space into a different activity. So to me, I lived my life for probably 25 years hating myself and talking down on myself. And where did it get me? It got me no f*cking where. Nowhere. And I just don’t want to do that anymore. So when I see myself going into that downward spiral, I say, Ok. I’m not doing this. I’m going to go concentrate on something else. I’m going to go work. I’m going to go take some pictures of food. I’m going to go for a walk. I get my mind off of it, and I move on. I have insecurities just like anybody else. I just don’t talk about them. That’s it at the end of the day.

I used to talk about it incessantly. And it’s like, who gives a f*ck? Everybody has issues. Everybody has insecurities. It doesn’t change. And nobody saying anything is going to validate it. So I have to validate myself. And I validate myself by working hard in the gym. Being in good relationships with people. Eating well. And living a happy life. And if those things don’t validate me, then I need to change it. So I just don’t concentrate on the little things. And when I’m going down a downward spiral, I put that energy towards something else. And don’t dwell on it.

19. Balancing cardio with weights [50:49]

Oh, and she had another question. “How do you balance cardio and weight lifting?” I kind of think of everything I do as cardio and weight lifting together. I mean, I don’t go into the gym thinking, “Ok I’m about to do my cardio.” I literally have not thought that way for 7 or more years. Because CrossFit is both. We do weight lifting, we do cardiovascular. So no matter what, I’m always getting some kind of lifting in, and some kind of cardio in. Whether I’m doing Orange Theory or CrossFit. I don’t think about balancing it, because I’m always doing it.

20. Picking a cocktail [51:27]

This next one. “What’s your favorite cocktail to get when you want a drink without all the sugar? I always get vodka sodas, but I’m always looking for other options.” Here’s the thing. I don’t like alcohol that much. If I’m going to have a cocktail. I’m going to have a fun cocktail that I know I like. I’m not going to waste those calories on a boring vodka soda. And I used to do that all the time when I was drinking heavily in college. I had vodka sodas up the wazoo. But if I’m going out knowing I’m going to drink, I have a fun cocktail. And I usually cut it out after 2 cocktails. And after I’ve had 2, it’s like ok. If you’re having a third, you’re not going to feel so great. So I tend to cut it off at 2.

But I don’t want just alcohol in a sh*tty version, if that makes sense. I would just rather be sober and drink water. So it’s either an all out bad for you cocktail with sugar and all the good stuff, or it’s nothing at all. I’d rather just drink water. So I’m sorry I can’t have better advice for that. But that’s how I do it. I’d rather all in or no thanks.

21. Stopping the self sabotage [52:39]

This is from Kelsey. “Do you have any advice for those who are ready to make a change, start to see progress, and then as soon as you see success, become fearful and sabotage all efforts on the weekend. For an example, I’ll be motivated for 2 weeks, start to see some results, then totally go overboard on the weekend. And then continue to be off track the next week. It’s a bad revolving cycle that I cannot get out of.”

Well here’s the thing, Kelsey. Stop saying you can’t get out of it. Because that’s the first worst part of people, and I’ve done this in the past, too. Saying you can’t do something as easy as not sabotaging yourself. You say you can’t do it; well you f*cking can. Maybe you can’t scale Mt. Everest. Maybe you can’t, I don’t know. Maybe you can’t do something else. You can stop sabotaging yourself. You just have to make the decision to not do that anymore.

So I did this for a long time. I ate so healthy Monday through Friday, then the weekend would come and I would f*cking eat everything in sight. I would eat complete sh*t. And then come Monday, I’d gain 10 pounds and felt terrible and upset with myself and sad and depressed. At one point, I was like, What the f*ck am I doing? Why am I doing this? I hate myself on Monday. And I have to find balance. I can’t do this anymore. So I stopped doing it. And that’s at the end of the day. We all make decisions. And what sets us apart from other people is one person says they can’t do something, and another person says, “Let me try it.”

So you have to just stop doing it. Stop saying you can’t do something, and start saying, Ok. The weekend is here. I’m not going to eat junk food. And I’m not going to overdo it on cocktails. I’m going to go out with my friends, and I’m going to have one cocktail, and I’m going to have soda water or I’m going to drink water the rest of the night. Or I’m going to go home early. Or you can be like me, and I say, I’m not going out with people because I don’t want the peer pressure of people pushing me to drink when I don’t want to. Because it’s f*cking annoying.

So you just have to make the decisions of how to make sure you don’t sabotage yourself. And some lifestyle changes, and maybe people you’re around has to change. But you can do it. You just have to say, “I can do it.” The hard truth is, you just can do it. You just have to figure it out on your own. That’s how I did it.

22. Staying on plan while sharing a home [55:19]

Chameleonaire! Like it. Like the name. “So it’s my senior year in college, and I still live at home. How do I get my parents on board? My mom loves cooking, but isn’t fully committing. It’s hard to stay on track when some people around me are temptingly me with unhealthy options.”

Ok, so I moved home with my parents after college. I had an internship that was near their house, and so I moved in with them for probably 6 to 9 months. And that was when I just started eating paleo. And I just start making my own food. That’s it at the end of the day. If your mom loves cooking and she’s not cooking the sh*t you want, then cook for yourself. Sorry mom. I mean, you’re a senior in college, so you’re like, 21, 22? You can easily make decisions on your own and you can cook your own food. So that’s what I did. I made my own food, and then I would sometimes make food for the family, and they would eat it or they wouldn’t eat it. That’s up to them. But make your own food. And so then you’re not tempted with other food, because you made your own sh*t. Easy as that. Easy as pie.

23. Calorie counting [56:29]

Sarah asks, “Do you count your calories?” No.

24. Guilt over a cheat meal [56:36]

Billy Jean. “Do you ever feel guilty after eating a cheat meal? If so, how do you deal with the guilt?” So, I’ve talked about this on the blog and probably podcast. I don’t call anything a cheat meal, and I f*cking hate the word cheat meal. I just hate it. It’s just like is so negative. Like, when I think of cheat, I think of cheating on your spouse. And I don’t want to ever be cheated on. And I don’t ever want to cheat on my husband. And that’s something we would both never do. And so then you put it onto food; why would you cheat with your food? If that makes sense. You are putting it; you make the decision to do something. So I just hate when it’s like considered a cheat meal.

I don’t eat “cheat meals.” I eat food that I want, and sometimes I go overboard and most of the times I don’t. But I don’t ever see anything in a negative connotation when it comes to food. I just don’t see it like that. Because it puts a bad relationship on food, and I don’t want that relationship that I had my entire life anymore. So, if I eat something that I’m just not eating my healthiest; maybe I’m eating too much sugar. I’m having too much chocolate at night. And if it’s making me feel guilty in any way, then I just clean it up. I stop eating chocolate at night, and I eat a bigger dinner, more vegetables, and I just cut that court. And I don’t feel that guilt. And I just move on. So that’s how I deal with not a cheat meal, but the food I decided to eat. I just hate the word cheat meal. I hate it. It’s gross.

25. How frequently do you treat yourself [58:22]

Christy. “You’ve shared some amazing treat recipes. My question is, how often have you found that you can eat these treats without sabotaging your results? Once a day? A couple of times a week? And has that amount changed as you’re trying to lose weight versus now.”

When I make desserts, I get them out of the house pretty quickly. I share them with neighbors. I take them to the gym. Just the other week, these ones. I thought they would get eaten, and they just weren’t getting eaten in time. So they weren’t exactly how they are the first day you make them, because they were just sitting in the open air. I didn’t even container them in my fridge. And I knew I’d eat them, but I didn’t want to share them with anybody because they weren’t the best quality since it had been a couple of days. So I threw it all away. And that’s what I do.

So I try to get the treats out as quickly as possible. When I’m having one treat a day. Which I’ve done for a long time. But if I’m having one treat a day, I find myself just feeling not so great. And seeing a little bit extra weight on me from the sugar. And so, maybe if I’m making a treat recipe. Say I made these chocolate chip raspberry bars. I made those a couple of weeks ago. That would be a once a week type treat. Other treats that I eat are like dark chocolate, and that would be like a small couple of bites at night if I’m doing that on a regular basis. But I can usually see the difference when I start eating chocolate too often. So you know, I don’t say I can’t have something. But I just don’t like having it easily available. So a lot of times I’ll do freezer as well. So a craving calls, I can get it out of the freezer, but it’s just not as readily available.

So I think you have to find what works for you. And what works for you and your goals. And see how your body changes. And if you don’t care how your body changes, if you don’t see the changes. Everybody is different. But I like to leave those fancier treats for once a week, probably. And then smaller treats, like dark chocolate for every day or every couple of days depending on what I’ve got going on in life.

26. Making up new recipes [1:00:37]

OK. Lauren. “How the hell do you keep making up new recipes? Are you afraid you’re going to run out of brain power one day?” No. I do not fear that. There are unlimited combinations. It’s almost like; have you seen those Sonic drink combinations, where there are like 2 million combinations of different drinks you can make? Food is kind of that same way. I mean, literally, you could make a chicken dish, and you could use a completely different spice and it’s a completely new recipe. So there is no chance that you’ll really ever run out. So I haven’t burnt out. The only time I feel like I run out of ideas is when I’m making a cookbook and I’m writing for the blog as well. I think that’s very challenging to come up with new stuff.

So I don’t worry about that, but I think it’s really helped adding different stuff to my blog. So fashion, and workouts, and working with different companies, and promotion for companies. And then I try to share two recipes a week, and that’s really helped. Because before at one point I was trying to share 5 recipes a week. And that’s much harder. But doing different things helps with that, for sure.

27. Working with an esthetician [1:01:55]

OK. Let’s see. Oh hey, it’s just Jay. I don’t know what that says. Ok. “When did you decide enough is enough with your skin, and you made the move to an esthetician? I’m 29 and my acne seems to still be going strong, unfortunately. Did cutting out certain things from your diet help? I’m aggressively trying to pay for grad school. So I’m trying to wait until that’s done to spend money on non-essentials, such as my face, but I’m very self-conscious of the acne. Did any over the counter products work well?”

So the biggest thing for me. Everybody’s acne is so different. Your hormones are so different. So there’s a ton of different causes. Cutting out eggs and nuts long-term has been very beneficial to my skin. At the Food and Wine Classic this past weekend, I ate a lot of eggs because that’s what was around for breakfast. Like the best protein. It was like, eggs or you’re eating scones. And I don’t eat scones. So, I ate more eggs, and I broke out right away. And I was drinking wine, of course, and just having more sugar. But, the eggs that I had at the Food and Wine Classic made my skin break out. I had like 5 zits. And then once I got home and cut those eggs out, my skin completely cleared up. So cutting out eggs and nuts has been huge for me.

And then I went on Accutane years ago. Accutane is very controversial, and a lot of people have had bad experiences with that. I was not that person, and I would recommend it to anyone. Of course, do your research, talk to your doctor. But I had a great experience with Accutane. So that’s what really helped me clear my skin up. And no over the counter products worked for me.

I highly recommend people check out Vivant skin care products. I know a couple of people have written to me and thanked me for telling them about those products, because it’s helped clear up their acne. So I would recommend checking them out. They’re not the craziest expensive. They’re definitely a little bit more than over the counter. And drinking a sh*t ton of water. That helps your skin for sure. But, it was the eggs and nuts that I really had to cut out of my diet, and stay away from. And that’s helped my skin a lot.

28. Do you miss competing in CrossFit [1:04:44]

Ok. Let’s see, Rebecca. “Do you ever miss competing in CrossFit, that you feel like you want to do it again, if it weren’t for the downside you felt? I’ve read about what you felt in earlier posts.” Rebecca, you worded this odd. So, I miss competing in CrossFit. I miss beating people. {laughs} I really liked that part when I was competing in CrossFit, of kind of being the underdog, and being able to beat women that I hadn’t before, at future competitions I beat them. I love that. I love the comradery and community at competitions. But at the same time, I can’t imagine spending a weekend at a competition nowadays. That sounds f*cking awful. And I think there’s a lot of douche baggery in CrossFit competitions, and I just don’t really miss that. But I miss the competitiveness. I miss just being able to push my body to different limits that aren’t possible at this point. I just miss that. I love that.

And I must be a masochist; I love the feeling of just like, I can’t go any further. And then you do. And I had that the other day. We had a workout that was rowing, wall balls, and running. And it was very hot that day. It was like 97 degrees out. And the run, it’s a 470 run. It’s like our 400-route, but it’s 470 meters. And I was in the last run, and I was like, I’m either going to throw up or I’m going to sh*t myself. I literally thought I was going to lose all control of my bowels into my green pants. Light green. How terrible would that be. And then I finished, and I beat the guy that I was trying to beat in the class. I beat him. And that was my whole goal. And I love that feeling. And even though I was like, I almost lost control of my anus. Sorry if that was too much visual. But I almost lost control. And I f*cking love it. I love it. I love that pain. And being able to push longer and harder than somebody else.

And I can really pull myself into some adrenal fatigue, so I have to make sure I don’t do that. If you don’t know what adrenal fatigue is, just Google it. I had a question about adrenal fatigue. You can learn about that through Google. It has much better information than me. But I can really put myself into some fatigue, because I will push and push. Because I’m stubborn as f*ck. And try to beat that person. And yeah, I almost threw up in the meantime. So I love that. I guess I miss the masochist, is that how you say it? I think that’s how you say it. Behavior of CrossFit competitions. Love that sh*t. But yeah, I would never go back.

29. White rice versus brown [1:08:00]

Ok. “I’ve heard white rice is actually better for you than brown rice, and I wanted to know if you see a difference when you eat rice.” So, white rice. If I’m saying this correctly, I think I am. But remember, Google has better answers for you, than me. Ever. Probably.

So think of a grain of rice. Brown rice has the hull; I think that’s what it’s called. It has the outside barrier. And then white rice, it’s stripped of that hull. I think I’m saying this correctly. I don’t f*cking know. But, it’s stripped of that. And I process white rice much better than I process brown rice. Because brown rice, since it has the hull on it. Am I saying this correctly? I should have researched this question. But we ain’t got time. But yeah, I process white rice much better because my body can break it down. My stomach acids can break it down a little bit easier. I think. But yeah. Google that sh*t, it will have better information. Because you know, you can’t rely on me for anything except Bachelor recaps, really.

30. Photography tips [1:09:14]

McKay. “Photography tips? Also, is CrossFit worth the cost?” Ok, so photography tips. I’m guessing you’re talking about food photography, maybe? So food photography, you need natural light. And these are all my opinions. Just remember that. And I’m not a photographer. I’ve never taken photography classes. I don’t know what the f*ck I’m doing. {laughs} So take it with a grain of salt, if you know what I’m saying.

So I take my photos right next to a big, what am I trying to say? Window. Jesus. So I take my pictures next to a big window that brings in natural light. I don’t use any light in the bedroom. Set the dish up right next to the natural light that’s coming in. And then I use a piece of poster board. So that thick, white poster board. I use that to reflect the shadow. So say you have the window on the left-hand side of your plate of food, and then on the right-hand side you’re going to have a piece of poster board. And you can literally look this kind of stuff up. There’s great books about food photography as well. But this white poster board, it reflects that light. So you can take away all the shadows that might be on the right side of the plate.

I like using linens. I personally like flowers in my photos. I think it just gives this really beautiful texture and color and just freshness to the food. I’ve had complaints from people, saying they don’t like the flowers. And that’s just personal style. And I think those people suck. {laughs} So one of my favorite food photographers. I actually met her. She’s like 21. She’s so young. Her name is Tegan. I don’t know if she’s 21, but she’s young. Her blog is Half Baked Harvest. And she’s the one who gave me inspiration of using flowers in my photography. But her photos are stunning. So whatever.

But I love natural light. I love flowers. And linens. Start figuring out what color makes something pop. A lot of times, say I’ll have reds in my food. Maybe I’m doing tacos and it has a bunch of red peppers. I like to use a blue linen that kind of pops with that color. And it depends on the mood, and the time of year, change up those linens. I have a sh*t-ton of linens that I use.

But another food photographer who does great stuff on Instagram, and she does kind of how she sets up her shots. And I think she’s even done seminars. Is Broma Bakery. And I love her. And she’s f*cking hilarious, too. People who are funny are my favorite. Why is everybody so serious all the time? She is not serious. She’s hilarious. And she does absolutely stunning food photography. So check out Half Baked Harvest and Broma Bakery.

And then I edit my photos in light room. I don’t know what the f*ck I’m doing. I just edit them until I like how they look, and I keep figuring it out along the way. And then any outfit photos I take in natural light, where it’s in the shade usually or it’s a cloudy day. That makes it a little bit easier. If it’s super sunny, I wear sunglasses so I’m not squinting the whole time and I can keep my face up without creating shadows on my face. So that’s how I do that. Hope that helps!

31. Hair washing [1:12:44]

This one is, “How often do you wash your hair?” Oh honey. Maybe twice a week if I’m lucky. And I don’t really do much to my hair. I just throw it in a nasty-ass bun, that I just put on my Instagram stories. And that’s how I do my hair. Because I actually had somebody ask me how I do my bun, so I just did an Instagram story about it. But I literally was my hair whenever I have to take outfit photos, or go to an actual event. So I try to do it twice a week. If that. If that. I work from home. You’ve got to remember that.

32. Eating at sporting events [1:13:14]

This question I think is hilarious. It says, “I know you’re not a fan of sports.” Because sports are the worst. “What do you eat on those long days of being at a stadium.” Ok, honey, I have not spent “long days” at a stadium. I have gone to baseball games. We usually show up late to a baseball game, or leave early. But at our stadium, they have a baked potato station. So you can get a baked potato and put pulled pork or steak and veggies on top. And it’s almost like your building nachos, but with a potato. So I go there every time. Because I know I’m going to make a good choice. So that’s what I recommend for people, is to look up the stadium. Look at the food that’s available at the stadium, and plan ahead. If there’s no good at the stadium, well hide some snacks in your purse or your jacket or whatever. Hide some snacks. I’ve done that plenty of times. And plan ahead. Eat a full meal before you go so you’re not eating sh*tty food. It’s all about planning. Life is all about planning.

33. All the guys you’ve dated [1:14:22]

Ok. This one says, “How many guys did you date.” I love this. This is like totally random and I love this. “How many guys did you date seriously before your husband?” So I dated; I’m going to go through names. Is that weird? I don’t’ care. So my first boyfriend, Brittan, when I was like 13 years old. “Dated” him; I was 13, for 2 years. I’m very much a 2-year girl. So 2 years. And then my next boyfriend was Josh, another 2 years. And then my next boyfriend kind of end of high school, into college, was Conrad. And then my college boyfriend was John, and that was 2 years. And then I just kind of dated people here and there, nothing super serious, until I met my husband. So Brittan, Josh, Conrad, John. Four. I dated 4 people before I met my husband. But I mean, I dated a bunch of people in between those, where you go on random dates and all that bullsh*t that sucks. But yeah. Then I met Brian. And we lasted more than 2 years. So that’s how I knew it was worth it. Because that 2-year mark was broken. We pushed through. He’s rad.

34. Back on track with eating [1:15:51]

Maddie. “How do you best bounce back from a bad day of eating? I often find that when I have a bad day, it almost starts a bad habit.” So this kind of goes back to that Food and Wine Classic I was at. It was lots of alcohol. It was lots of parties. It was lots of random food. We didn’t have many full meals. I only had a handful. But it was very tastings. Like you’d go to a table, and they would have sashimi salmon. Then the next table would have cheese. So it was like random eating throughout the day. So a lot of calories, but very sporadic eating.

And then when I got home from that, I just get a clean meal. So I did, I think I did kale, carrots, salmon, and sauerkraut. So food that’s good for the gut. High quality protein. Good fats. And just lots of veggies, and that kind of starts to take me out of that downward spiral of just sporadic, kind of high sugar eating. So I just incorporate a healthy meal, and then that starts me onto the next one. So it’s just cutting that bad habit off and moving forward.

35. Redoing old recipes [1:17:05]

Allie. “I was wondering if you ever think about redoing or tweaking some of your older recipes?” So it’s definitely crossed my mind. My website probably has 700-plus recipes. And it’s very, very challenging to go back in old recipes and redo them and rewrite them and rephotograph them when you’re trying to move forward and continue with updating your website. I add new content to my website 5 to 6 times a week. So it’s very challenging to go back, unless you have an assistant. My friend, Lexie, of Lexie’s Clean Kitchen, she is actually doing that. She’s going back in old recipes and rephotographing them and tweaking them however. But she has an assistant that she’s doing that with. And I just work on my own. I have an email assistant, but I work by myself at home. And I just don’t have time to create new content while going back and fixing old content. So, I’d love to do that, but that is just not on the top of my agenda. I don’t know if it ever will be.

36. Putting yourself out there on social media [1:18:15]

This next one is, “Do you ever find yourself struggling between your social media self and your personal self? Because you’re so open, do you ever think of some of the crazies? Like, has anyone ever showed up at CrossFit Broadway when you’re there and made it awkward. Basically, I’m wondering if you ever feel nervous about having a lot of information out there?”

I’m nervous about it all the time. That’s something that’s very on my mind. And mostly because I listen to all murder podcasts, and I’m very aware of the bad people out there, and the bad things that have happened to people. Social media now just makes it even more possible. Like, when I get a mean comment, I can find out where that person lives. It’s not hard. And people can do that everywhere. So I get very nervous about that. My name is out there. But when you put a book out there, your name is out there right away to the complete general public. And then my blog does that as well.

So I do get nervous about it. And I’m very careful about what I talk; do you hear my dog right now? Crazy. So I’m very careful about what I say. A lot of times I post something; Jackson. Stop screaming. A lot of times I post something after I’ve already left there. We’ve had plenty of people come into the gym who are readers of the blog or the podcast or whatever, but they’re not crazy people. And I’m sure there are maybe crazy people out there, but they’re usually not coming to the CrossFit gym. Knock on wood. But I think about it all the time. And a lot of times I don’t post until I just went somewhere, and I post about it afterwards. I don’t try to post my location.

And that’s; you know, I’ve wanted to post before and after photos of our house, and block out the number of our house. Because I want to show the paint job that we did. But that still makes me feel super uncomfortable, too. It’s a fine balance of sharing a lot of your life and connecting with people through the internet, while still having your security. Which is why never show my husband’s face. Because that still gives me some personal security in my own life. So it’s definitely a hard balance to find, for sure.

37. Saving money and investing [1:20:42]

Ok, Mel. “Can you share any money-saving and investing tips? How do you save and budget, but still enjoy life?” I think you should totally have a tax accountant who is making sure that everything is running correctly and you’re filing your taxes correctly. And then finding an investment person. A financial advisor. So, we work with someone, a family friend, that we’ve loved. And has been really amazing for our; Jackson, stop crying! He’s just crying on the floor. It’s very distracting. But we found a person that we love for our investments, and we’ve done great with our investments because of her. And she gives great advice.

So I think finding a financial advisor who can give you helpful ideas. But then, at the end of the day, save your f*cking money. Like, I save most all of my money, because I don’t know how much I’m going to owe in taxes, and it freaks me out. And sure, I could do the math. But I just get freaked out that they’re going to be like, “Oh, sorry, you owe more.” Because the government hates everyone. So just save your money. Put it away. Put it in a savings account. Don’t touch it. And I think that’s a good way. But a financial advisor is always helpful. For sure.

And, at the end of the day, we are able to enjoy life in the ways that we want to. Like going on vacations. Because we don’t have kids. And this is no hate to people who have kids. Because there are plenty of people who have kids and go on amazing vacations too. But we’re able to go on really cool trips. Like my friend, who I have this boating trip in August. She was like, “Hey. We have this yacht trip coming up where you sail on a yacht for like 9 days, and you island hop, and you have a personal chef. And our friends had to back out; do you want to come?” And I can say yes because I don’t have to pay for my children’s daycare or food or clothing. I’m literally only paying for my husband and I. And I can say, yes I want to go on that trip. Because I don’t have financial obligations with another human being.

I’m not hating on people with kids. Don’t take it that way. Stop being a f*cking freak. I’m just saying, because we don’t have children, we’re able to do more things that we wouldn’t be able to if we had another person to take care of, and financially oversee, and think of the future for them. And their college fund, and whatever else. Yeah.

38. Sticking to paleo [1:23:33]

Ok. Just a handful more. McKenzie. “I’m a newb.” I like how she spells newb. N-O-O-B. “To paleo, and I’m totally overwhelmed with information. Where do I start? I want the lifestyle change, and when I do eat paleo I feel amazing. But I struggle with maintaining it out with friends, drinking alcohol, eating at restaurants. What’s your advice for someone starting paleo journey and stay on track and make the changes stick?”

So, I always think back to when I first started paleo. And I was broke as f*ck. So I was trying to afford paleo. So I never went out. I made a lot of social decisions to not do all the fun things my friends were doing. Because not only could I not really afford it, because I wanted to afford food. But I was competing in CrossFit, and I wanted to do well in CrossFit. And drinking alcohol does not help with muscle regeneration, or muscle growth. Alcohol doesn’t help with anything.

But I think, it’s a choice. People make the decisions to go out with their friends and party all day. And they’re like, “Paleo is so hard because I can’t do all this.” It’s like, you still can do that. You just can’t be drunk all the f*cking time. And I think making those decisions is harder when you’re around peer pressure, for sure. So I still don’t go to a lot of social functions, because I’m not up for listening to people b*tch about me not drinking when they’re drunk. Who gives a f*cking sh*t?

But I recommend researching where you’re eating beforehand, so you know what you can eat. If you’re going out to a restaurant, it’s not always going to be perfect paleo. They’re most likely going to be cooking sh*t in sh*tty oil, like canola oil. But, make the best you can. So whenever we go to a Mexican restaurant, I have fajitas. And I try not to overdo it on corn chips. I’m not beating myself up when I have corn chips. But I just try not to overdo it. Then when everybody else drinks, I don’t. And I make it sometimes a game when we’re at a friend’s house. I bring soda water over, just so I feel like I’m drinking something with everybody. And then I’ll see how many soda waters I can drink, other than just water. It just gives me something different. But I’ll see how many soda waters I can drink while we’re at that friend’s house, and everybody is partying. And I just make it a game with myself.

But at the end of the day, you can do something. It’s not that hard. You just have to make the decisions that are best for you. Not best for anybody else. Not best for these people who are forcing peer pressure on you. You make the decisions, and you can do it. Research place, stay away from alcohol, and still have fun with your friends. You totally can do it. It’s totally, totally possible.

39. Pet peeves [1:26:32]

This question, I like this. “Pet peeves. What are your pet peeves? Or anything that seems like everybody loves but you just can’t get into?” I think I have a lot of pet peeves. I hate when people are late. And you know, there’s a difference between. I live in a place that’s very busy now. Traffic always f*cking sucks in Denver now. So I get it. When there are people late to class, I get it. I try not to be very hard on people. Sometimes it annoys the f*ck out of me, but I’m way better than I used to be. Because I get that traffic sucks. But like today, I was in an Orange Theory class, and this mom and daughter roll in like 5 minutes late. They’re wandering slow. They’re filling up their water bottles. They’re just f*cking half-assing sh*t. Get there early. Work hard in the class. And leave afterwards. I just hate when people dilly-dally around.

I really hate when people come into a gym, like they’re dropping into our gym, and they show up 2 minutes after class has started. And they haven’t filled out a waiver. They’re new to this gym. It’s like, if you’re new to a gym, get there 15 minutes early. What the f*ck are you doing? Oh that pisses me off so bad. So I hate tardiness. I hate dilly-dallying. Go through life with a purpose. Walk with a purpose, drive with a purpose. I’m not saying speeding. But do life with a purpose. So that’s what I think. Pet peeves are definitely tardiness. I hate when people are late. That’s my main thing.

Something I think everybody loves right now, and I can’t get into, is macros. Or keto. I always think diet stuff. People are super into those. I don’t give a f*ck about either. I like just eating healthy and just going on with my life.

40. Choosing CrossFit or Orange Theory [1:28:26]

Ok. Mandy. “I was wondering how you choose between doing CrossFit or Orange Theory. Do you just wake up and go with whichever sounds fun that morning? How do you do it?” Every week is a little bit different, depending on when I can get photos done for my fashion photos or if I have to interview someone. Just like life always changes every week. But I have a pass with CrossFit that I can go two times a week. I’m sorry. I think I said that wrong. I have a pass with Orange Theory, not CrossFit, that I can go two times a week. And so I go to Orange Theory two times a week. And sometimes that changes.

But I like to split some days between CrossFit, just because it can be so demanding on the body. Especially our owner’s programming right now, which I’m not a huge fan of. But if I really hate the workout, and I’m like, f*ck no I’m not doing that. I’ll go to Orange Theory. But I tend to not often look at the CrossFit workout before I go. So, yeah. I go to Orange Theory twice a week, and the other three times a week I’ll go to CrossFit. And that’s kind of just how I do it.

41. What changed after no longer competing [1:29:40]

Ok, Grace. “What did you change the most from Regional pictures.” When I was competing in the Regionals. “To today?” There’s not a biggest thing I changed. I changed a sh*t ton. I changed working out multiple times a day to only working out 5 times a week. I was literally working out 2 to 3 times a day almost every day without any rest days. So I always have 2 rest days a week. I wasn’t eating enough food. So now I eat more food. I eat more carbohydrates. I don’t stress about my weight. I stressed about my weight when I was competing in CrossFit. And that stress definitely led to hormonal imbalance with cortisol. And all the heavy lifting I was doing, every single day, over and over was pretty tough on my hormones. I sleep more, I drink more water.

But the biggest thing I think is eating more, working out less, and not stressing. Stress is f*cking bad for your body. We have enough stress in our lives. The last thing we need to do is be stressing about our bodies. That’s the biggest stuff.

42. Fitness centered blog [1:30:51]

Beth. “A while ago, you hinted in moving in the direction of more fitness content on the blog. Any updates on that? I miss your Instagram workouts.” I miss my Instagram workouts too! But it’s hard to get all that done. I mean literally, I’m on my computer or my phone all day every day. And I’m coming up with new recipes. And I’m figuring out new outfits. And I’m working on new projects with companies. And different contracts that I have to finish. So I would love to do more workout stuff. And that was kind of the goal for 2017. But my blog has taken just a little bit different direction of working with more companies. I just haven’t had time.

And the whole thing with getting these workout videos done, is you often need a person with you, just so they can film different angles of the workout. And it’s just really challenging to find a person in the middle of the day, go to the gym, film a workout. Or during a workout, be like, “Hey, will you film me during this workout while you’re coaching other people.” It’s just kind of inappropriate. So that’s why I haven’t done much with workouts; I just don’t have time. So hopefully that maybe goes in that direction at some point. But I’ve just been having fun with all the other stuff, and I’ve been constantly busy every time of the day. And who knows if it will go that way? It might in the future, but as of right now, I’m happy where it is.

43. Repurposing outfits [1:32:26]

Ok, this one. Two more questions. This one is, “I know as a fashion blogger being trendy is key. But do you think you’ll ever rewear any of the pieces you wore this summer next summer? Would you restyle the same pieces, or is that fashion blog cheating?” So, personally, in my own personal life, I would totally rewear pieces over and over. And I still do. I’m wearing a dress that I bought last year, and I’ve worn to multiple weddings. I’m wearing that again tomorrow night. It’s just I post new outfits and new clothing because I can’t sell what has already sold out. And clothes sell out very quickly. So 90-90% of the time, something that I bought last summer is not available this summer. So I can’t sell that. And that’s part of my business plan, is selling clothing. So I can’t make any money off of a clothing item that’s not available. If that makes sense.

So me personally in my own personal life, I do wear clothes on a regular basis. And I have plenty of pieces in my closet that are from last year or the year before or even a couple of pieces from college that I still own. I just don’t put those out on social media, because they’re not available online anymore. And that’s part of my business plan. So I hope that makes sense. So I do restyle them, and I do rewear them. I just don’t post that stuff online, because it’s not available for a person to get. And I know that’s always frustrating, where you’re like, “Oh, where did you get that, I want to buy that.” And you go, and it’s a look-alike that doesn’t totally look like it. And you’re like, “I don’t want that. I wanted the piece that you’re wearing.” So I try to just do as new as possible stuff that’s still available. Because that’s just how my business plan has worked its way out.

44. Juli Reality TV [1:34:27]

And last but not least, from Heather. “When are you getting your own reality TV show?” Well, Heather. Reality TV f*cking sucks. I don’t know if you know anything about reality TV production. But it’s the pits. So I don’t see myself having a reality TV show. Never say never with anything in life. I f*cking hate children, but I’ll never say I won’t ever have children, because you never know. You never know how that yearning may come on. As of right now, still hate them.

But, yeah. No reality TV show. I get emails regularly from different people who produce reality TV shows. But I just don’t think I would be that interesting. I like my marriage the way it is. Not trying to cause friction to my marriage. I like my friendships the way they are. My friendships don’t have friction because; we’re not dramatic people. This isn’t Real Housewives over here. We live in a 1950s home. I hang out with my dog. I just don’t know how my life would be exciting on reality TV. So they would have to manipulate it. And that sucks too.

But you know, I wouldn’t mind rolling in Kim Kardashian money. If they were like, Hey. Here’s $6 billion. Now you want a reality TV show? Yes. Yes I do. But yeah, that’s not in the future. Not in the future plans for me.

Ok. That’s all I got for you guys today. I hope this recording turned out great because it was on my f*cking phone. It’s hard being a podcaster when you don’t know what you’re doing, and you’re doing it by yourself in your home, not in a studio, with no one helping you. Sh*t is hard. I’m a dummy.

Ok. I’ve got to get out of here. I’m going to make some food for the week. So I get these recipes done for you guys. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe. If you have a bad review, shove it up your ass. No I’m just kidding. Oh man, I just got so many mean reviews for that. Thank god I don’t look at the reviews. I just can’t handle it. But, I heard that reviews are very important. So leave a review. Be kind to others. You don’t have to shove it up your ass, ok. I hope you have a great day. It’s been real. It’s been lovely.

Thank you guys so much for all of your questions. It’s so fun doing these podcasts when I feel like I’m actually talking to people instead of just talking about random stuff. So thank you for sending in your questions. If I didn’t answer your question, just come over to www.PaleOMG.com and I’ll have this post, and you can leave your question there where I’ll answer it. And don’t forget to go to www.PaleOMG.com for over 700 free recipes. Paleo recipes. Two new coming every single week for you guys.

I hope you have a great day. I’ll see you soon. Bye-bye for now, darling.