Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 30

Holy Shnikes! I cant believe its over. Yesterday wasn't to much of a challenge. I woke up feeling great (and looking great):

I had a meeting in Westport, CT yesterday at 11:30am so before we left we stopped at off Pret to grab some lunch so we could eat after the meeting.

I resisted all the good looking bread they have in there:

I knew I would have my time in the sun later that evening. Our meeting went great and I ate a Chicken Salad on our ride back to the City. I was feeling great when I got back to the City. It then started to pour on me and I had no raincoat (dammit).

I stopped off at the Amish market for some fruit and veggies. I needed to prep for the Last Supper:

Figured I had to go out on top with some Chicken and Broccoli. I have eaten so much goddamn broccoli in the last few weeks, its amazing. I do love the stuff now.

I laid around for a little. Caught the cat taking a nap in the Bathtub. So weird. This cat actually likes water and doesn't mind getting wet. He's so funny.

At night I played basketball for around 1 hr 45 mins. I could feel 12:01am coming like Christmas. I decided I would wait up to have a drink (sounds odd I realize). As soon as the clock struck midnight I reached for a Cherry Pepsi and 2 large Chocolate Donuts. Holy Shit!!!! I apologize for my language but that is the only way to describe the taste of that soda. It was amazing. Words cant really express how it felt, but it was unbelievable.

Later on in the evening (yes I had a sugar rush). I had an Arizona Ice Tea/Lemonade. I stayed up late watching Nashville. I thought about having a smoke to top off this wonderful evening, but opted against it.

I woke up this morning with a mind crushing headache. Kind of like a really bad hangover from a run the night before. My mouth feels weird (I think I am dehydrated) and I don't have the same pep in my step as before. My body doesn't like processed sugar I am realizing. Otherwise I wouldn't feel like this the next day.

This morning I went back to get a coffee from the guys on the corner who I use to go to all the time. I ordered a large coffee, whole milk and sugar (they really pile it on):

 
The guy asked me "Where have you been!??!??!" I told him I was away on holiday. I could sense he was looking at me like "Boy Nick, you really look skinny. Have you been doing Paleo?"

So here I am Day 31. Almost 24 lbs lost. Ready to destroy my body for the next 2-3 days with sugary crap and other bad stuff (not totally true, but I will indulge).

Thanks to everyone who has read and supported me during this process. It's been a lot fun. See you all on the next blog.

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 29

I can't believe we are already at Day 29. This has gone real fast. Lets get right into my day.

First thing I am noticing upon reflection is exhaustion. It's gone. In the morning I am getting by with a cup of coffee and maybe a piece of fruit. I use to start my day with two blueberry muffins and potentially a bacon, egg on poppy bagel with a Sunkist (man I love that stuff in the AM). I would think those things would get me going in the morning when in reality they would really slow me down.

I also haven't had bacon in 4 days and feel good. Thats not to say I have stopped eating but definitely taking a break for the time being.

Not much to talk about in terms of diet until lunch time. I had a bunch of things to do for the job until 12, I did them, then punched out for lunch. We ventured over to Duke's again on 41st Street. Duke's is offering us way more variety then Mirage on 43rd street does. It has a much better bev selection, line moves quicker and there are so many more options. I think we will be dining here more and more often.

I had some beef, a little chicken, veggies (asparagus and broccoli) and some sweet potatoes. For like the 10th day in a row I was not licking the plate. I didn't manage to finish my meal (fine by me).

For the rest of the day I stayed focused on what I was doing. I did have a second cup of coffee with shit (I mean Silk) Almond Milk. I am learning some new stuff at work and using a new application which although challenging and fun can be frustrating. Good news I am not comforting myself or eating out of stress. Just because I didn't load a file properly isn't an excuse to down a bag of M&M's.

Before I knew it, it was quitting time. I punched out and headed to the Amish market to pick up some fruit. While walking there I had the great idea that I would remake the Paleo Banana Bread that I fumbled this weekend. I needed a little bit of Coconut Oil and Almond Butter.

Here are some of the ingredients:

Coconut Oil: Overpriced, but boy does it make a difference. Well worth the price. Roughly $12-14 dollars a bottle and will last you for some time.

 Almond Butter: Really good and much healthier than Peanut Butter. My favorite of the Butter's is Sunflowerseed butter. Yumm.

Nick's Coconut Flour: Not much I can say here. I put it in this container and label it so no one steals it. Here is what it comes in:

Bob's Red Mill makes really good stuff and has you covered in the kitchen when it comes to healthy baking.

Finished Product was much better than this weekend (it's all in the Coconut Oil):

Happy (skinner) guy eating it:

For dinner I had some chicken vegetable soup, a little bit of fruit and Teas Tea. That was it for the night.

Since I thought you might be curious I decided to do a little before and after.

Here is a browse around my kitchen/home to see the change:

Before

Before

Unhealthy in this one

I was heavy in this one


After:

This way of life works better for me. One more day and I'll have 30 days in the direction of a healthy, balanced life that I always wanted.

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 28

As I stood in my hallway last night (butt-naked) about to get onto my scale for the last time in the 30 Day Challenge I recalled stepping on the scale for the very first time and coming in at a whopping 252.8 lbs. What would the number be? I knew from previous weigh-ins that I was somewhere in the 230's and already pleased with the amount of weight that I have lost (and more importantly how I feel).

Final Weigh-in: 229.3 lbs

That brings my total weight loss thus far to 23.5 lbs in 28 days. I have lost .83 lbs/day doing the Paleo Diet which is proof that it works. I know that the amount of weight loss I have seen would not continue and that at some point it would plateau (that is why I am juicing next). This Diet and this 30 day challenge has given me a step in the direction that goes somewhere. 28 Days ago I was heading towards 300 lbs and now I am heading towards 200 lbs. 

Skipped breakfast yesterday morning and just had some coffee (with Almond Milk). For lunch I had some chicken and veggies. Some of the asparagus I picked up had green beans (legumes--bad). I ended up not needing anything else to eat the rest of the day (until dinner). For dinner I had Rotisserie Chicken with broccoli and carrots. I also have started drinking Teas' Tea which is great with some good Ice Cubes, Lemon and Lime. 

Feeling very good about the amount of weight I have cut. 

Till tomorrow

 

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 27

I finally am getting back to a good sleep schedule. I woke up on Sunday morning at around 11am. I went to sleep at 1 am.

I woke up to this really great meal:

I am trying to cut back on the bacon since it really made me feel like crap the day before. After I ate this I laid around the house for a while and watched some TV. I didn't really do to much until 5 pm. I had no bacon yesterday.

At this point I really started craving something sweet. I haven't had one of these cravings in weeks. It sucks when you get them because you are entirely ready to throw the whole diet and everything out the window. I really wanted some spaghetti followed up by a piece of chocolate cake. I held off though and decided to make some Paleo Banana Bread.

I headed over to the Amish market to pick up some Coconut Flour as well as some fruit. I'll share the recipe at the end of this post for anyone who wants to try it. While shopping I came across my 3rd favorite Chip:

POPCORNERS!!! Man I love them. I miss them. :(

I got what I needed and got out of there fast. Shortly after I was back in the kitchen mixing everything for the Banana Bread.

While the Bread was baking I started cooking some steaks, broccoli and made a mean Club Soda with Lemon and Lime. The Banana Bread did not come out as expected and I attribute that to not using Coconut Oil. Instead I used Grass Fed Butter. The Coconut Oil gives it that nice little sweet, moist taste. Lesson learned. I didn't use Coconut Oil because I try to conserve it as much as possible since it costs around $19 a bottle. Total Ripoff. When making Banana Bread, Use Coconut Oil. It makes all the difference.

Here is how the Banana Bread turned out. Not the greatest, but got me over my urge so I'm grateful to this Banana Bread.

The Paleo March continues...BOOM


Nick's World Famous Paleo Banana Bread:
4 bananas, (2 1/2 cups mashed or 575 grams)(they can be yellow bananas)

4 eggs

1/2 cup almond butter (140 grams)(or coconut, sunflower seed, macadamia nut, etc butter)

4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, melted (can substitute coconut oil)

1/2 cup coconut flour (75 grams)(or almond flour, macadamia nut meal, etc)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free or homemade)

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit Combine your bananas, eggs, and nut butter, and grass-fed butter in a blendtec, blender, food processor, or mixing bowl and mix well (if using a mixing bowl you need a good hand-mixer) Once all of your ingredients are blended, add in your coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and sea salt and mix well Grease a 9×5 glass (see notes) loaf pan with a fat of your choice (I used grass-fed butter). If you use a metal pan it will probably bake in 35-40 minutes so start checking at 35 to ensure the middle stays moist Pour in your batter and spread it evenly throughout Place in your preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean Remove from oven and flip your bread out onto a cooling rack Slice and serve

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 26

I feel like absolute crap today. I think I went to hard on the meat yesterday (and meals in general) and not enough on the veggies and fruit.

So here is how saturday played out. I woke up and cooked breakfast for Marisa and I. We had bacon and scrambled eggs. I had way to many pieces of bacon (like 8). We also had fresh squeezed OJ (p.s. Peeling oranges sucks).

After that I rode Citibike over to the West Side (I am not a member of Citibike, I joined yesterday).  We went to see Tod and Amanda (they recently got married and were featured in a post).

Tod had some really good food he was eating. I love Popcorners. I remember when they first came out. Probably my top 5 in terms of Chips I love. Here is the breakdown: Cheese-doodles, Cool Ranch Doritos, Popcorners, White Cheddar Popcorn and lastly Corn Chips.

Here is Tod chowing down on my 3rd favorite chip. Look at him go.

Next he broke out some ravioli:

Man they looked good. There was also Meatballs with a great looking cheese (Cheese divides opinion in the Paleo world, so the Meatballs would have been in-bounds).

Here is the happy couple chowing down on some Kettlecorn popcorn. We were at the time having a spirited discussion about health and nutrition so I think I may have converted them into trying Paleo or juicing. We shall see.

After that I headed home and chilled out for a little. Here is where a problem started. I was hungry when I got home so I made myself 8 more pieces of Bacon. Gross (I know). I then went down to my moms and had some Ham she made (and veggies) and then to top that off I went to the Meatball shop with Marisa. I had 5 Meatballs with tomato sauce (see they were in-bounds for me here) and a really good garden salad with some awesome flaxseed.

We then went bowling with a big group and I kicked everyones ass in the game. I killed it:

That's me coming in with a whopping 116. I woke up this morning with a headache and I slept really late. Also the Cat was right on top of me when I awoke:

He's so cute though so I couldn't get mad.

 Talk to you all soon (I cant believe 30 days is almost over).

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 25

Day 25 came and went. Can't believe it has almost been a month and I haven't put any crap into my body. Couple of things I want to clear up. My previous post where I laid out what Day 31 would look like is not something I am going to be doing. That would be gross. I have learned way to much about nutrition and my body to do that to myself. I will have a treat or two (like bread) on Day 31 but nothing like I described yesterday.

For breakfast yesterday I went down to my moms again and had some eggs with Bacon. I needed to go down there to get my contact lenses. I just got a whole year supply of lenses (yay). I had a meeting downtown at 10am so I went into work quickly, had some coffee and then headed downtown. When I got to our meeting I had some Hazelnut coffee and a glass of water.

For lunch I had Chicken and veggies from Chirping Chicken in GCT. Very tasty and found out new place that I can eat.

There was a party at my office for St. Patty's Day:

I had a few pieces of Corned Beef (the Rye Bread looked amazing but I declined) and then left early to head home. Long week.

For dinner I went to Sparks Steakhouse. I have never eaten here. Boy is that overpriced. Here was what we had for dinner (in addition to some shrimp):

and the bill was $218 bucks. I wont be eating there again anytime soon.

When I got home I had a Banana and Strawberry smoothie. I then hit the sack and slept really well.

I cant wait to start Juicing for 30 days. Its going to be long and hard but I am really looking forward to cleansing my body and just have fruits and veggies.

Hope everyone has a good saturday.

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 24

So it's day 24 and to be honest I am running out of things to say about being Paleo. I'll give you the rundown of my meals etc yesterday then we will engage in some playful banter about what I am going to eat on Day 31 (the day before the 30 day Juice Challenge). I am getting excited about my binge.

Started out the morning getting up so goddamn early (again). I ran down to my moms and hung out there for a little bit. Had some coffee (black no sugar) and picked up some bacon (remember I finished all mine). Took a cab back up to my place and made some breakfast. I had 8 pieces of bacon for breakfast again (aggressive) and some scrambled eggs.

For lunch I had some chicken, greens, salad and water. We tried this new place Duke's on 41st street. It's a definite upgrade from Mirage on 43rd--I just wish it wasn't so damn cold outside.

I had water the rest of the day and wasn't feeling tired or stressed at all. I felt full just like I have the last few days. For dinner I had a steak (cooked well done like a proper caveman) and some asparagus. I washed all that down with Iced Tea unsweetened. Went to sleep at 10 and woke up at 6:30 am. Slept through the whole night and it felt great. I fell asleep on the couch though so it wasn't a proper good nights rest but who cares, I didn't wake up at 430 am.

What will Day 31 look like:

As soon as the clock strikes 12:01 am here is what I am thinking. Start off with a nice cold Coca-Cola. Make sure I have really good Ice Cubes (I like it with good Ice). The move onto a really good slice of pizza (I am thinking Joe's here) and then finish that feed off strong with some kind of Chocolate Cake (I am thinking Max Brenner here). The fall asleep into a food coma until the next morning.

Wake up (don't know how I will feel) and start off strong with a Sunkist orange soda (we're talking 20 oz at 8 am) and a really big bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. After that make my way to some greasy dinner for either a Waffle loaded with syrup or Blueberry Pancakes. Again, drinking soda throughout the whole meal.

In between lunch and breakfast definitely have a muffin or two of some kind (probably Banana Chocolate Chip from Crumbs). For lunch it's gonna be on and popping. I would like to have fried chicken with fries, rice and some really good bread. Soda through the whole meal followed up by Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery.

Chips, Candy, cookies and of course more soda all in between lunch and dinner. For Dinner I want to go to Pietro's Italian restaurant and have a big bowl of Spaghetti and Meatballs, lots of bread, Clams Oreganata, Coca-Cola in the glass bottle and some kind of cake or dessert. I then want to go home and watch 4 hrs of TV while I drink soda, eat chips and other types of crap. Now how amazing does that day sound???

By Day 32 I am going to need the Juice Cleanse. I cant wait to binge on this (and document it).

See you on 25.

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 23

Day 23 came and went like many others. I am really starting to get the hang of this Paleo thing. This is probably the latest I have ever posted. More than 9.5 hrs since day 23 ended. Don't worry I haven't been hiding in a corner stuffing my face with Devil Dogs and Slurpee's (although I would like to be). Instead I have been eating well and exercising.

Yesterday in the morning I OD'ed on Bacon and had 8 stripes. Aggressive, I know. It's just so damn good. I also had some scrambled eggs (my specialty) and some water. I pushed on through to lunch and had some chicken, beef and greens. Again, didn't finish my plate. Had a few meetings the rest of the day (I did get caught in the rain, BUMMER) and tried to drink as much water as possible. For dinner I have steak and carrots. Weird choice but I was down at my moms and that was all she had for a veggie.

Two hours of hoops last night. I am exhausted, but my jumper is coming back little by little. Need to play more.

Sleep pretty well. We'll see what Day 24 holds.

NN

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 22

Hello from the Paleo world.  I wonder if Cavemen had as much trouble sleeping as I have had in the last few days. It's getting better but still not great. Last night was the closest I came to sleeping straight through (still came up 2 hrs shy of my alarm).

Yesterday was a fairly uneventful day. I woke up so goddam early since I cant sleep straight through the night and had some eggs with bacon. One of my eggs had a double yoke (bonus!!). I have almost polished off the bacon I got from Wisconsin. Looks like I will be going back to Applegate Farms Bacon for the next few days.

When I got into work I had some coffee with Almond milk and powered through until lunch where I had some chicken, veggies and salad. For a snack I had some fruit around 4pm. I worked until 6pm.

I am starting to see that I actually require less food. I am so accustomed to getting big portions of things but since I have been eating healthy I haven't been finishing them. I find myself full. I still need to make an effort to drink more water during the day. However, a day at a time its getting better. The amount of fruit I had yesterday was much less than I've eaten in previous days. I think this has to do with the fact that my stomach has felt full.

For dinner I had chicken and veggies but I didn't even finish the plate. Normally I would be licking my dinner plate like a dog.

Overall I am feeling really good about the way things are turning out. I am losing the fat in my face and have even lost a whole pant size in my trousers.

Tonight is basketball so I should get a really good 2hr sweat going from 9-11.

Note: Since I am having so much with this 30 day challenge and I really do enjoy seeing how far I can push my body in terms of my health I have decided what my next 30 day challenge (and blog) will be:

Nick's 30 Day Juice Challenge.

My plan is to finish the 30 day Paleo Challenge out strong, have 1 day where I allow myself some bread, Coca-Cola (god I miss that), Cake, etc (basically everything but a cigarette) and then head into the 30 Day Juice Challenge. I know this will be difficult and I am doing this to try and learn the benefits of juicing and how difficult it is. My overall plan for a healthy lifestyle is to return to Paleo, but I would like to get a lens into the Juice Craze. Not sure what will happen, but I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun.

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 21

Well, it's Monday and it's weigh-in day. I came in at 233.8. That's 19 pounds. I had  weighed myself on Sunday and I was down 20lbs (232.5) but if we are going by the rules, its 19lbs. Still very happy about that. I'm down almost a pound a day. I know that is not sustainable as we head in the final stretch of the Paleo challenge.

Okay to the day behind my now. I am still not sleeping well. It sucks. I fell asleep last night after I posted and then was awake by 330am, up again at 6am and then just stayed awake. Felt good this morning but by the afternoon was shot.

For breakfast I had scrambled eggs with bacon. For lunch I had some grilled chicken, salad, green beans and sweet potatoes. I was still feeling a bit hungry after this so I had a fruit smoothie (banana strawberry). Again, to much fruit through the course of the day.

I was home at 5pm, went out for a little at 6:15pm and then was asleep by 7:30pm. I know I should be staying awake, but I just cant. I am up now, posting this and then trying to go back to sleep. I missed dinner this evening and trying to keep it like that.

Right now I wanted to order some greasy crap from the diner and watch TV until 3am. I would have 2 16oz Coca-Cola's in the can with ice, a large bacon cheeseburger with fries, a piece of chocolate cake, smoke 8 cigarettes and watch the two episodes of The Walking Dead that I missed when I was away. After that aggressive feed I would eat a bag of cheese doddles as an after dinner snack. Believe or not I lived like this for a long time. I wouldn't think of anything right now of calling up and ordering all that junk. It's sounds real compelling to me.....but I  wont.

Hanging in there...

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 20

So happy to be back in the US. Love Love Love America!!!

Had a pretty good day today. Woke up real early around 7:30am, went out for a jog down to my moms. I did take a cab back. I'm not totally there in terms of fitness, but I'm working on it.

For breakfast I made some scrambled eggs (cage free) and cooked some bacon that I ordered from this really good place in Wisconsin. I had this bacon when I was in Chicago and got the name from the waiter--Nueske's. It's really good. I recommend. Have to cook it well. The whole meal (eggs and bacon) was balling. Exactly what I needed. I cooked it all with KerryGold butter. It's grass fed. Another Nolan recommendation.

I also tried to make some fresh squeezed orange juice from my juicer. I left the Orange Peel on (the juicer can rip through anything) and it subsequently ended up tasting like crap. I could taste the peel. It was bitter. Total failure on my part and a waste of a pound of Oranges. We'll try again tomorrow.

Next stop was Ikea. This store is a true test of a man's patience. I hate. I wont go back. Two of the things I wanted they didn't have. Empty....

This left me sad face.

I think I look thinner in the photo so was happy about that.

After I loaded all the other stuff I got in the car and got back home I need some food and a nap. For lunch I had some chicken, broccoli and fruit. I got through as much of the Americans (love that show, I highly recommend) and fell asleep.

I was woken up by a my friend who came over to help me assemble the desk I was able to get at Ikea. Again a true test of patience in assembling Ikea goods. I hate it. I'll never do it again.

Here is the before:

 And the lovely bag of screws:

And here is the after:

Not to bad right? I felt satisfied for the job we did. For dinner I had some chicken vegetable soup and some Iced Tea infused mango (unsweetened).

I'm not to hungry now either. Couple of things I am realizing about my eating habits. I still go to snacking to much during the day. I find myself eating way to much fruit. It's better than Starburst or Sour Patch kids, but I do need to limit the amount of fruit I am eating a day. It's natural sugar, but nevertheless it is still sugar.

Looking forward to the weigh-in tomorrow. I know that I am going to start to plateau in terms of weight loss and I need to accept that. Will need to pick up in terms of exercising. I am still at three days a week, but need to workout a bit longer and harder.
 Looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow. Haven't been to the office in weeks.

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 19

I am somewhere in between Day 19 and Day 20 but we'll stick with 20. I am exhausted but hanging on a few more hours till I can get to sleep and sleep through the night. We'll the last time I left you all I had just climbed the tallest mountain in all of Athens (sounds so glorious when I say it like that) and had just eaten some bread :(.

For my last night in Greece I wanted to have a good meal and end the trip on a positive note so I went back to the Butcher Shop restaurant where I had eaten at a few nights before. I had some chicken skewers and the lamp chops with broccoli. Very good. I got home that night and fell right asleep after an episode of SAMCRO.

I woke up this morning at 4am (local Athens time) and headed to the airport for my flight to Paris. While I waited in the airport I made some calls, texted with some people and had some pistachios.

My flight home totally sucked. I usually am able to get Economy Comfort (I'm not high up enough on the corporate food chain for Business Class) but wasn't able to this time. So here was how I sat for the 3hrs to Paris and the 8hrs back to NYC. FML.

I did watch "Enough Said" starring James Gandolfini and Julia Dreyfus. So sad about Gandolfini. Such a great actor. Another thing that sucked was I lost my iPad mini. I left it on my first plane. I only realized as I was boarding my flight to NYC. Dammit. That iPad served me well for over a year. I hope whoever has her now takes good care of her. So long old friend...

I breezed through customs which was amazing. The line for non-US was crazy long (like a 3hr wait at least). I also found out you don't have to fill out a customs card anymore, its all computerized now. Pretty cool. 

When I got home Marisa and I went right to the Smith on 2nd avenue and had some lunch. I went with Steak and Eggs with some Apple Wood Smoked Bacon on the side. So good to be back in the USA.

Later on the in the evening we went to pick up some fresh fruit and make some smoothies. 

A couple of non diet related things I need to share: 

1. I took this awesome photo of this guy booting out of a cab. How awesome?

2. I found out why in Greece they give you the receipt right after you order something--its the law.

Looking forward to getting some good sleep in my own bed tonight.

Till tomorrow friends. 

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 18

It's a sad day for me. This morning at 6:30am local time in Greece I hung up my caveman club and become a regular everyday person again--I ate bread. ughhhh. Let me explain the circumstances to you all.

So as you know I have been traveling for almost 2 weeks straight--Chicago and now Greece--and I'm tired and still getting over jet lag. So I had breakfast yesterday morning and then went to the Archeology museum. Feeling good and full from breakfast. I had at a meeting with our partner here in Greece around 1pm. I finished up at 3pm and was exhausted. I stupidly laid down for a nap (I had not had lunch yet) next thing that happened was I woke up and it was 11:30pm. Dammit.

A this point I'm still tired and extremely hungry. Nothing is open to eat and I have to go without dinner now. I hate missing one meal in a day but two was brutal. I toss and turn the rest of the night because I have just slept 8hrs during the day. Finally 6:30am comes (Breakfast is served downstairs) and all they have are hard boiled eggs (which I hate and already endured on Wednesday) and a ton of bread. So with my headache really starting in on me and my stomach dying for some food I gave in and had 3 slices of toast, an apple and a Chocolate croissant (I know, that was pushing it).

I have to say that I felt unbelievable better getting some food into my stomach. I really didn't want to eat the bread but I needed some nourishment. This has been a tough trip on me. I have been doing a lot of work, I'm alone which sucks and I am finding myself constantly hungry and tired. I also have not been able to get on a good sleep schedule which is another thing that has really affected me negatively.

The rest of the morning was not a wash. I put the laptop away and went out for a 6 mile walk. I climbed to the top of Mount Lycabettus. There is a beautiful little chapel up there and some great coffee shops.

I'm not giving up on being Paleo and for lunch I just had some Rocket Salad and grilled chicken with water. I started this blog because I needed a place to be honest and accountable.

I am leaving tomorrow morning at 6am Athens time. Cant wait to get home. I miss NYC.

Nick's 30 Day Paleo Challenge- Day 17

Day 17....done. Yesterday was a toughie. As you are seeing in the previous posts (from Greece) my meals are spread out over longer periods of time than usual (for me) and I am not getting the variety or the portions that the comforts of home afford me.

So I was going down for breakfast yesterday when I last left you guys. I made it through that meal despite being hungry (and slightly pissed off about being Paleo). I had some Hard Boiled Eggs (don't know why I put that in Caps) which I haven't had since I was a kid. In addition to that I had some fruit and black coffee. Mildly satisfying.

I left breakfast and went to my first meeting. One of my colleagues suggested we grab some coffee and quickly go through the agenda. We went into a coffee shop near the Bank we were going into see....they had bread and pastries....and boy did they look tasty.

Check that....

I was drooling at the mouth.....

I ended up with black coffee, no milk and no sugar. I also grabbed a water for the meeting.

After the meeting (which went really well) I had a few hours and a colleague who had flown in from London and whose flight wasn't until 7pm so we decided to go to the Acropolis and check things out. It's really amazing. It's hard to imagine how advanced Greek culture and society was so long ago. It was a beautiful day also. Sun shinning and warm weather (suns out, guns out weather) I think I look skinner in the pictures.

Front of the Parthenon

 

 

Back of Parthenon

 

The construction you see in the front is the Greek government is aiming to restore all the old buildings and monuments that were burned, sacked and not taken care of over the years. The building is more than 2000 years old....crazy.

There were probably a lot of Paleo diets going on then so I felt right at home being on that sacred ground.

When we finished up going through the site we went for lunch near by at a Bistro. There are a ton of good restaurants near the site (that's what they told me) and we picked the closest one.

For lunch I had some shrimp (boy did I order wrong on this one, you'll see what I mean in a minute), some vegetable soup (not like what we have at home, its a puree, not a lot of taste to it) and the steak.

The appetizers (which I didn't love):

The shrimp is on the left....ewww. Not good.

For my main I had meat and veggies (minor relief):

 

 

I wanted this bread soooo bad:

When we finished up lunch. My colleague headed back to the airport and I headed back to the hotel. I was so beat that I took a nap (that really screwed up my jet lag). I fell asleep for 4hours and woke up hungry, still tired and unsure of what time it was.

I found this restaurant in a Fodor's guide that looked right up my alley, it was called "Butcher Shop." So I decided to go there for a feed and to check it out.

Great call by Fodor's. This place was as close as I was going to get to Smith and Wollensky's out here. The selection was great and the food was amazing. I had some broccoli, lamb chops (yum) and some chicken skewers. I didn't finish everything.

One funny thing I have to mention about dining out in Greece is that literally right after you order you're food they give you the bill. I haven't had a situation yet where I ordered something else after the bill came (I might try that tonight just to see what happens).

And again...amazing bread I had to pass one. Check it:

Till next time...

Nick