Kicking Off Whole30 Week 2!

No, I did not perform this move today...

First, a quick recap of what I ate:

Breakfast: the last of the Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup (tear!), a banana, and a square of the Almost 5-Ingredient Spaghetti Pizza Pie.

Lunch: Diced grilled chicken thighs with green beans and tomatoes, seasoned with my tex-mex blend and a dollop of guacamole.

Afternoon snack: Baby carrots and cucumber slices with paleo ranch dressing for dipping.

Dinner: Went to the boyfriend's after Pilates, and he graciously shared one of his paleo meal delivery meals - grilled pork tenderloin and steamed cauliflower. Not the most flavorful meal, but beggars can't be choosers!!

So back to the Pilates...I had my first session in about 6-7 years tonight! The class ended up being a semi-private, only one other woman in the class besides me. The classical movements came back to me fairly easily, but that doesn't mean they weren't challenging - my inner thighs were on fire during a few of the holds! For those of you unfamiliar with Pilates, the practice was originally created by Joseph Pilates (hence the name) for injured dancers; the foundation of the practice is to strengthen the core muscles.

Mat Pilates, which, as the name suggests, is performed solely on a mat, shares some similarities to yoga. Pilates that is performed with equipment - the Reformer (which is the equipment in the picture above), Tower, Chair, or the Cadillac - is a very unique practice. Most classes either center around one piece of equipment, like the Reformer class I took tonight, or is a circuit class, in which the participant rotates through each piece of equipment throughout the class. Through the use of pulleys and springs, the participant uses his or her own body weight to strengthen and lengthen different muscle groups.

Pilates is a much gentler practice than the Crossfit I've been doing for two and a half years, and I think it's what my body has been asking me for (even If I do miss being completely wiped out by a workout). After class, I actually felt like my back felt more elongated, and it's felt pretty good all evening. I really want to get back to a second class this week, if I can work it out with the class schedule. We shall see!

That's about it for today - oh wait! I joined the Whole30 forum, August 4 start group, so if any of you are stopping by from there...thanks for stopping by, and let me know what you think!