I've fallen off the wagon, and I've done it in a bad way. Up until this point, I've "cheated" once or twice every week with no issues. In fact, the author of the original book says you can eat up to three "open meals" a week. This past week, I've had an epic fail and a major setback. Ugh.
We went out of town for the holiday weekend to visit family. Here's what that generally means: eat out the first night some place we normally can't go due to big brother's food allergies (we usually take big brother a few days before so he can spend time with his grandparents). Eat the leftovers the next day for lunch. Then, on our 5 hour trip, we grab a breakfast sandwich from the gas station or a drive-thru, eat lunch on the way at a fast-food place (we can't make the trip without stopping at least once - the kids don't care for the car much), and finally get to hubby's parents' house. There, we snack all day long (we are spoiled with goodies when we go), drink wine into the wee hours of the night, and snack some more. The way home is no different; fast food for lunch, then because it takes so long to drive, we usually end up eating MORE fast food for dinner because we don't feel like cooking (and because we try to use up all our perishables before we leave). It is a nightmare. As a side note, I know that some people eat like this all the time - I have no idea how they do it!!!
So, remember that lovely 138lbs that I was holding strong at? Gone. Vanished. POOF. When I weighed this morning after getting home last night, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. 145lbs. No joke. Disgusting. Here's the worst part. (warning: TMI alert!!!) My body is screaming at me. I not only feel awful - I'm tired, sluggish, bloated, swollen, grumpy, etc. - but I am now passing nothing but blood in my stool. Yep. Pooping blood. Lovely. I had a colonoscopy for this same issue before I got pregnant with baby boy...well, actually I was pregnant, but didn't know it yet. Oops. Anyway, they removed some polyps and lesions and told me to come back in a few years. They wanted to do more tests to find the cause of the bleeding, but because I was pregnant, they couldn't. The bleeding stopped for awhile, and when I look back it was when I was eating an allergy-free diet for the first 6 months of baby boy's life (due to big brother's food allergies, I didn't want to take a chance with the baby). Oh, and to be clear - I've had allergy testing with negative results. And the blood doesn't happen if I just eat grain/dairy once or twice a week.
Suffice it to say, I've had a wake up call. This cycle ends now. Remember as a kid when you played a game and messed something up or played the wrong way? What did you shout? DO OVER!!!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The pressure's on!
I've mentioned before that I am a kitchen gadget junkie, right? Well, I'll share one of my most favorite appliances ever: The Pressure Cooker. That's right, folks. I adore my pressure cooker. Why? Well, tonight I cooked a whole chicken - it was a big'un, straight from a girlfriend's farm - in that handy cooker in 30 minutes. 30 minutes! It would have taken me at least an hour and a half in the oven, and a good hour in my NuWave Oven. Along with my other many oddities, I tend to obsess about the doneness of my meat. I poke it, prod it, and cut it during cooking just to make sure it's getting done. If I cook a whole chicken breast, it ends up looking like tenderloins when I plate it. I know you're not supposed to cut into meat like that (you "lose all the good juices" and everything. Meh.), but I do it anyway.
Well, with the pressure cooker, I don't have to worry; mainly because I can't. I can't cut the meat "just to check." I just let it do its job and then put it on my plate. So tonight, my chicken was done, juicy, and on the table in 30 minutes. No joke. And believe me, I had to nearly stuff the sucker in the pot...it was big! There's also no question about doneness, either. The meat was nearly falling off the bones when it was done.
Speaking of bones, I have those lovelies in a crockpot as I type, along with veggies and herbs, and in the morning I will have a delicious stock that I didn't have to work for! I just threw in the stuff (whole), and turned it on. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
If you don't have a pressure cooker, go get one! I have this one . I got it as a gift a few years ago, and it's perfect for us. The hippie in my worries slightly about the aluminum, but hey - it was free. And, cooking in this one aluminum piece of cookware now and again is way less of a risk than taking an asprin or getting a vaccine. Just sayin'.
Well, with the pressure cooker, I don't have to worry; mainly because I can't. I can't cut the meat "just to check." I just let it do its job and then put it on my plate. So tonight, my chicken was done, juicy, and on the table in 30 minutes. No joke. And believe me, I had to nearly stuff the sucker in the pot...it was big! There's also no question about doneness, either. The meat was nearly falling off the bones when it was done.
Speaking of bones, I have those lovelies in a crockpot as I type, along with veggies and herbs, and in the morning I will have a delicious stock that I didn't have to work for! I just threw in the stuff (whole), and turned it on. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
If you don't have a pressure cooker, go get one! I have this one . I got it as a gift a few years ago, and it's perfect for us. The hippie in my worries slightly about the aluminum, but hey - it was free. And, cooking in this one aluminum piece of cookware now and again is way less of a risk than taking an asprin or getting a vaccine. Just sayin'.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Finally have time to post!
I'm several days behind on my posting. I've been mega busy completing a felt food order, and have spent every free minute sewing. I delivered the order today, so I have a little time to breathe! Phew!
I'm starting to get a little bored with my breakfast choices. Probably 5 days a week, I eat turkey bacon. Sometimes with eggs, sometimes without. Sometimes I throw a half an avocado in the mix. Sometimes I have an omelet with peppers, onions, and some sort of meat - usually just what's leftover from a previous meal (one day I threw some shredded roast in with my eggs; it was phenomenal!). I don't care much for fruit, so I just don't eat it. Now and then I'll have an apple, but I prefer it smothered with peanut butter. That's not usually practical for me.
Nine times out of 10, my lunch is whatever we ate the night before for dinner. I make a conscious effort to cook enough food so that Hubs and I can both eat lunch the next day; otherwise, I stand at the fridge for 20 minutes wondering what to eat, and he ends up eating in his work's cafeteria. I get very frustrated when I don't have an option of what to eat. Sometimes even when I have leftovers available, I opt for a deli meat sandwich on lettuce or something comparable. But it's nice to not have to eat that, if you know what I mean.
Because I've been so busy this week, I have neglected to take pictures of my meals. I did get a shot of a chicken salad I made with the leftover herbed chicken I had earlier in the week. My grandma brought me over some beautiful looking tomatoes (OK, as beautiful as they come when they're not quite in season!), so I thought chicken salad would be a nice light dinner since it's been so hot outside.
I'm starting to get a little bored with my breakfast choices. Probably 5 days a week, I eat turkey bacon. Sometimes with eggs, sometimes without. Sometimes I throw a half an avocado in the mix. Sometimes I have an omelet with peppers, onions, and some sort of meat - usually just what's leftover from a previous meal (one day I threw some shredded roast in with my eggs; it was phenomenal!). I don't care much for fruit, so I just don't eat it. Now and then I'll have an apple, but I prefer it smothered with peanut butter. That's not usually practical for me.
Nine times out of 10, my lunch is whatever we ate the night before for dinner. I make a conscious effort to cook enough food so that Hubs and I can both eat lunch the next day; otherwise, I stand at the fridge for 20 minutes wondering what to eat, and he ends up eating in his work's cafeteria. I get very frustrated when I don't have an option of what to eat. Sometimes even when I have leftovers available, I opt for a deli meat sandwich on lettuce or something comparable. But it's nice to not have to eat that, if you know what I mean.
Because I've been so busy this week, I have neglected to take pictures of my meals. I did get a shot of a chicken salad I made with the leftover herbed chicken I had earlier in the week. My grandma brought me over some beautiful looking tomatoes (OK, as beautiful as they come when they're not quite in season!), so I thought chicken salad would be a nice light dinner since it's been so hot outside.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I love coconut milk!
Even when I was eating dairy, I have never liked milk. I think it smells. I only used it to wet my cereal or to dunk cookies in. I never drank it. Yuck! When I was nursing my oldest child, I used rice milk as an alternative (nut milks are off limits to my nut-allergic child). I found it tolerable, especially since I never drank it. But to cook with and to wet my cereal, it was acceptable.
Nearly 2 years ago, I found SO Delicious Coconut Milk. The difference is like night and day. I'd used coconut milk before in Asian dishes, but it always came from a can. I didn't know you could actually drink the stuff. Anyway, coconut milk is the closest thing in consistency to dairy milk that I've found. It's not sweet like rice milk. It doesn't leave a funky aftertaste in your mouth. I love this stuff!!!
Anyway, the point of my coconut milk love story is that I made green bean casserole tonight - you know, the stuff that calls for condensed cream of mushroom soup from a can, dairy milk, and french fried onions? Well, I made a version tonight that was not only delicious (tasted like the crap-from-a-can version), it was healthy, dairy-free, and Paleo friendly. Woot! I also roasted a chicken and smothered it with fresh herbs from my friend Rhonda. Parsley, sage, and thyme made a tasty bird! (Are You Going to Scarborough Fair? oh wait. I'm forgetting the rosemary...) ((I'm hoping that someone gets that!))
So here's the recipe, if you're interested. It's an approximation, because I stink at measuring. I used canned green beans from my parents' garden, but you can use whatever you have. 2 quarts green beans, 1 container fresh mushrooms, chopped (or 1 can mushroom pieces), coconut milk - maybe 2 cups? Oh, and don't forget the onions!
Sautee the mushrooms in half dairy-free margarine and half olive oil until slightly golden. Add coconut milk. Normally, I'd make a roux using flour; however, since flour is a no-no, I went with a slurry (of water and cornstarch) after I had already added the milk. It thickened up quite nicely, and was the exact consistency it should have been for my green beans. Next, thinly slice an onion and fry it until it's crispy. Dump all the ingredients together, put it in the oven, and bake. The great thing about making the mushroom "soup" from scratch, is that it's already hot when you put it in the oven. So instead of waiting an hour for the Campbells Soup Version, you just need to wait about 20 minutes or so. Voila!
Nearly 2 years ago, I found SO Delicious Coconut Milk. The difference is like night and day. I'd used coconut milk before in Asian dishes, but it always came from a can. I didn't know you could actually drink the stuff. Anyway, coconut milk is the closest thing in consistency to dairy milk that I've found. It's not sweet like rice milk. It doesn't leave a funky aftertaste in your mouth. I love this stuff!!!
Anyway, the point of my coconut milk love story is that I made green bean casserole tonight - you know, the stuff that calls for condensed cream of mushroom soup from a can, dairy milk, and french fried onions? Well, I made a version tonight that was not only delicious (tasted like the crap-from-a-can version), it was healthy, dairy-free, and Paleo friendly. Woot! I also roasted a chicken and smothered it with fresh herbs from my friend Rhonda. Parsley, sage, and thyme made a tasty bird! (Are You Going to Scarborough Fair? oh wait. I'm forgetting the rosemary...) ((I'm hoping that someone gets that!))
So here's the recipe, if you're interested. It's an approximation, because I stink at measuring. I used canned green beans from my parents' garden, but you can use whatever you have. 2 quarts green beans, 1 container fresh mushrooms, chopped (or 1 can mushroom pieces), coconut milk - maybe 2 cups? Oh, and don't forget the onions!
Sautee the mushrooms in half dairy-free margarine and half olive oil until slightly golden. Add coconut milk. Normally, I'd make a roux using flour; however, since flour is a no-no, I went with a slurry (of water and cornstarch) after I had already added the milk. It thickened up quite nicely, and was the exact consistency it should have been for my green beans. Next, thinly slice an onion and fry it until it's crispy. Dump all the ingredients together, put it in the oven, and bake. The great thing about making the mushroom "soup" from scratch, is that it's already hot when you put it in the oven. So instead of waiting an hour for the Campbells Soup Version, you just need to wait about 20 minutes or so. Voila!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
"You look skinny!"
Today I was told this by 3 different people! Wooooohooooo! I really feel great these days. My clothes are getting loose, and I'm actually kind of looking forward to summer clothes. I'm holding steady at 138 pounds, which I find amazing considering my nightly habits for the past 3 or 4 nights. Remember awhile back when I said I liked wine? And that I was going to give it up until I got to my goal weight? Well, I lied. ;) So, I've had a glass or two of wine for the past several nights; and, along with wine comes before-bed snacks. I generally chose trail mix, so I wasn't gorging on crap, but last night I indulged in some chips and salsa. And still my weight holds strong at 138. I'm totally OK with that, all things considered!
I've been doing really well with eating through the day, which I think is the reason my weight is the same even though I've had wine and snacks before bed. Yesterday, I had eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast, a turkey "sandwich" on lettuce, and a burger and smoked sausage for dinner. Today I had nothing for breakfast - I know, I know, not a good thing. It was a strange morning with naps and such, so it just didn't happen. For lunch, I had leftover smoked sausage from last night. For dinner I grilled steak, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and cooked canned green beans from my parents' garden. We also had a big salad to go with it.
I've been doing really well with eating through the day, which I think is the reason my weight is the same even though I've had wine and snacks before bed. Yesterday, I had eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast, a turkey "sandwich" on lettuce, and a burger and smoked sausage for dinner. Today I had nothing for breakfast - I know, I know, not a good thing. It was a strange morning with naps and such, so it just didn't happen. For lunch, I had leftover smoked sausage from last night. For dinner I grilled steak, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and cooked canned green beans from my parents' garden. We also had a big salad to go with it.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
An alternative to spaghetti squash...
So, we had spaghetti squash the other day for dinner (on one of the days I didn't have time to blog), and I wasn't as thrilled by it as I was the first time. It was still good, but not delicious. Tonight, we had spaghetti-sauced meat over green beans. It was really good. Here's the scoop. Brown 2 lbs ground beef, mix with sauce - the sauce was supposed to be homemade, but I ran out of tomato sauce; therefore, Prego came to the rescue! Toss a bag of frozen or fresh green beans with olive oil (I used a frozen mix of green beans and yellow wax beans...man, I can't wait for the garden this summer!!! Then added oregano and basil for a little more flavor), put it under the broiler for about 10 minutes or so, turning often, until the beans are slightly crispy. Plate the beans, top with meat, and eat! Even my non-green-bean-loving-hubs thought it was tasty.
On another note, I woke up this morning feeling a little different. Thinner, if you will. So...I weighed. Another pound lost! 138lbs this morning! Wow. Also, as promised by the diet, I noticed my skin is clearer. I have suffered with annoying adult acne for a very long time. The only time I've noticed clear skin is either when I'm pregnant or when I was on an allergy-free diet. Yet another confirmation that my body does not do well with dairy or wheat products. I'm loving these new discoveries!
On another note, I woke up this morning feeling a little different. Thinner, if you will. So...I weighed. Another pound lost! 138lbs this morning! Wow. Also, as promised by the diet, I noticed my skin is clearer. I have suffered with annoying adult acne for a very long time. The only time I've noticed clear skin is either when I'm pregnant or when I was on an allergy-free diet. Yet another confirmation that my body does not do well with dairy or wheat products. I'm loving these new discoveries!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Catching up
Whew! I've been busy! As a result, my blog has suffered. Time to catch up...
Since I'm several days behind, I'll just fill you in on my dinner choices. It's pretty safe to assume that I'll have eggs, turkey bacon or sausage, rolled up deli meat with or without a lettuce "bun," or dinner leftovers throughout the day for breakfast and lunch. Two nights ago for dinner, we "Made it a Manwich Night!" OK, not really. You remember that goo in a can from childhood? I have a killer recipe for it, but decided to try one from the Paleo book. It was super simple, and quite tasty, even sans bun. I put it over a baked potato - not really recommended on the Paleo Diet, but I couldn't fathom just eating mouthfuls of beef.
I used 2 lbs of ground beef (from our grass-fed stash), diced peppers and onions, 1 can of tomato puree, and 1 Tbsp chili powder. The recipe called for 1/4 tsp ground mustard and 2 Tbsp cocoa powder (which would have made it interesting!)- but I didn't have these on hand, so I omitted them.
Last night, I had a dinner fail. The recipe has potential with some modifications, but as it was, it was pretty gross. I didn't even finish all of my food, which very rarely ever happens!!! It was a salmon scramble, and called for a 1 lb bag of mixed veggies (I used Thai veggies and threw in some broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots), 6 oz of canned salmon, 1 Tbsp rosemary, 1 tsp cumin, and salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are tender and salmon is heated through, and top with over-easy eggs.
The salmon is what made it gross. I love canned salmon - BUT, I generally eat it as fried patties, and load it with gravy. The flavor was overpowering to the veggies, though I did like the combo of rosemary and cumin. Suffice it to say, this won't grace my dinner table ever again. Ick. Next time I think I'll use canned chicken. It's worth another shot, but without the salmon!
I'm feeling great. I'm not bloated, and I even feel comfortable enough to wear clothes that don't just hang off my body. I noticed a few days ago that I don't do myself justice with the clothes I use as my staple wardrobe. I dress like a frumpy fat mom, and therefore, I feel like a frumpy fat mom. Hubs agreed with me (with lots of disclaimers from him..."no, you're not frumpy, no you don't need a girdle, no you don't have love handles, etc. in responses to my rambling. Ha!) So I've been trying to branch out and go out of my comfort zone in my clothing choices. Last night I had a meeting, and I actually wore (gasp!) leggings. And you know what? I got a lot of "You look great!!! The Diet is really making a difference for you!" comments. Yay for a self-esteem boost!
Since I'm several days behind, I'll just fill you in on my dinner choices. It's pretty safe to assume that I'll have eggs, turkey bacon or sausage, rolled up deli meat with or without a lettuce "bun," or dinner leftovers throughout the day for breakfast and lunch. Two nights ago for dinner, we "Made it a Manwich Night!" OK, not really. You remember that goo in a can from childhood? I have a killer recipe for it, but decided to try one from the Paleo book. It was super simple, and quite tasty, even sans bun. I put it over a baked potato - not really recommended on the Paleo Diet, but I couldn't fathom just eating mouthfuls of beef.
I used 2 lbs of ground beef (from our grass-fed stash), diced peppers and onions, 1 can of tomato puree, and 1 Tbsp chili powder. The recipe called for 1/4 tsp ground mustard and 2 Tbsp cocoa powder (which would have made it interesting!)- but I didn't have these on hand, so I omitted them.
Last night, I had a dinner fail. The recipe has potential with some modifications, but as it was, it was pretty gross. I didn't even finish all of my food, which very rarely ever happens!!! It was a salmon scramble, and called for a 1 lb bag of mixed veggies (I used Thai veggies and threw in some broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots), 6 oz of canned salmon, 1 Tbsp rosemary, 1 tsp cumin, and salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are tender and salmon is heated through, and top with over-easy eggs.
The salmon is what made it gross. I love canned salmon - BUT, I generally eat it as fried patties, and load it with gravy. The flavor was overpowering to the veggies, though I did like the combo of rosemary and cumin. Suffice it to say, this won't grace my dinner table ever again. Ick. Next time I think I'll use canned chicken. It's worth another shot, but without the salmon!
I'm feeling great. I'm not bloated, and I even feel comfortable enough to wear clothes that don't just hang off my body. I noticed a few days ago that I don't do myself justice with the clothes I use as my staple wardrobe. I dress like a frumpy fat mom, and therefore, I feel like a frumpy fat mom. Hubs agreed with me (with lots of disclaimers from him..."no, you're not frumpy, no you don't need a girdle, no you don't have love handles, etc. in responses to my rambling. Ha!) So I've been trying to branch out and go out of my comfort zone in my clothing choices. Last night I had a meeting, and I actually wore (gasp!) leggings. And you know what? I got a lot of "You look great!!! The Diet is really making a difference for you!" comments. Yay for a self-esteem boost!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Numbers don't lie...
Remember when I weighed on Monday after my hideous weekend of eating? I weighed in at 143 pounds. It is now Friday, and let's just say curiousity got the best of me (again) and I weighed this morning. 139 pounds!!! Wooooooot!
4 pounds, folks. In 5 days! Wow.
It's quite evident to me that this works. The times I've cheated and eaten "forbidden" foods, I feel awful. It's apparant that my body does not tolerate dairy or wheat. I still crave them, but when I indulge, I pay for it in a bad way.
I can't believe it's taken me so long to figure this out!!!
4 pounds, folks. In 5 days! Wow.
It's quite evident to me that this works. The times I've cheated and eaten "forbidden" foods, I feel awful. It's apparant that my body does not tolerate dairy or wheat. I still crave them, but when I indulge, I pay for it in a bad way.
I can't believe it's taken me so long to figure this out!!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
If you are what you eat, I must be a pig!!!
Literally! I baked a nice big Kentucky Legend Ham for Easter lunch. It is Wednesday now, and since Sunday, I've eaten that same ham for at least one meal each day, sometimes twice. One day I even had it for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner! That's 5 meals involving ham, folks. Suffice it to say, I'm just about sick of ham! (by the way, if you've never tried a Kentucky Legend, you're missing out!)
Anyway, I've stuck to the Paleo Diet since the weekend festivities. I haven't had time to blog about it, because I've got a lot going on right now and my evenings are taken up with sewing, sewing, and more sewing. I don't remember what I've eaten each day since Monday, so I'll just give the rundown for today. Oh...and, remember when I said I didn't want to see the scale on Monday morning after my gluttonous weekend? I was right. I weighed in at a heafty, bloated, 143 Monday morning. I generally don't weigh more than once a week, but after two days of eating the right way, I decided to weigh this morning. 141. OK, I can live with that. Sure, it's a pound heavier than I was last weekend - but after the way I felt over the holiday weekend, I'll take it.
So this morning I had - yep, you guessed it! Ham for breakfast, along with eggs. Lunch was a deli chicken sandwich on red leaf lettuce instead of bread, and some carrots. I ate a few bites of my kiddo's Ruffles too, but I'm not counting that as cheating. Dinner was a chicken apple salad. I wasn't sure about it at first, but as I continued to eat it, it grew on me. It was kind of odd at first. I sauteed chicken breasts in olive oil, added 1/4 tsp Allspice and 1/8 tsp ground cloves. Then, put the chicken on top of a bed of greens, add some thinly sliced apples (and just for kicks, I added a chopped raw squash - I needed a little extra texture), and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I didn't think the olive oil was going to be great as a dressing; I thought it would be a little too dry for my liking. But it was remarkably tasty!
I feel better already, just after eating the right way since Monday. I have to admit, though...the Easter candy is calling my name. I don't eat candy as a general rule. In fact, we've still got a big bowl of Halloween candy sitting in our basement. I'm just craving it because I "can't" have it. I think I'll be sending it to work with hubby tommorrow so I'm not tempted!
Anyway, I've stuck to the Paleo Diet since the weekend festivities. I haven't had time to blog about it, because I've got a lot going on right now and my evenings are taken up with sewing, sewing, and more sewing. I don't remember what I've eaten each day since Monday, so I'll just give the rundown for today. Oh...and, remember when I said I didn't want to see the scale on Monday morning after my gluttonous weekend? I was right. I weighed in at a heafty, bloated, 143 Monday morning. I generally don't weigh more than once a week, but after two days of eating the right way, I decided to weigh this morning. 141. OK, I can live with that. Sure, it's a pound heavier than I was last weekend - but after the way I felt over the holiday weekend, I'll take it.
So this morning I had - yep, you guessed it! Ham for breakfast, along with eggs. Lunch was a deli chicken sandwich on red leaf lettuce instead of bread, and some carrots. I ate a few bites of my kiddo's Ruffles too, but I'm not counting that as cheating. Dinner was a chicken apple salad. I wasn't sure about it at first, but as I continued to eat it, it grew on me. It was kind of odd at first. I sauteed chicken breasts in olive oil, added 1/4 tsp Allspice and 1/8 tsp ground cloves. Then, put the chicken on top of a bed of greens, add some thinly sliced apples (and just for kicks, I added a chopped raw squash - I needed a little extra texture), and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I didn't think the olive oil was going to be great as a dressing; I thought it would be a little too dry for my liking. But it was remarkably tasty!
I feel better already, just after eating the right way since Monday. I have to admit, though...the Easter candy is calling my name. I don't eat candy as a general rule. In fact, we've still got a big bowl of Halloween candy sitting in our basement. I'm just craving it because I "can't" have it. I think I'll be sending it to work with hubby tommorrow so I'm not tempted!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Reality bites!
Man. I'm full. Like, I feel like I could spontaneously combust at any given moment. The kicker? I didn't really even overeat. Here's the rundown, if I can remember.
Saturday - turkey bacon for breakfast. Remember when I said I needed to go to the store? That's all I had in the house! I had the leftover smoked sausage and sweet potato (yam) hash from Friday's dinner for lunch, while the boys all had sandwiches and chips. OK, so I stuck with the Paleo diet those two meals. It was pouring rain ALL DAY yesterday, and yet I ventured (with baby boy in tow) to not only the grocery store, but to Bed Bath and Beyond for a new vacuum cleaner - fitting that ours broke and we were going to have a house full of people for Easter dinner today! So off we went, rain and all. By the time I got home (nearly 3 hours later!!!), it was 5:30 and the last thing I felt like doing was cooking dinner. So...we got pizza. It tasted good, I won't lie. But an hour later, I felt like a balloon, my belly hurt, I was bloated and gassy, and I felt like I should probably go force myself to throw up so I could feel better. I didn't...but I seriously contemplated it!
Sunday - for breakfast I had two pieces of sausage on tiny little party buns with a piece of cheese on each sandwich. It's my cheat weekend, I figured I should go all out with wheat AND dairy to boot! Besides, they were tiny little buns. :)
We had Easter dinner here with my family. Ham, baked beans, potato salad, homemade macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, and an assortment of chips. I had a spoonful of each, but I didn't overdo it. Tradition is tradition, after all, and how could I pass up all that yummy food? For dessert, I made strawberry cupcakes (which I didn't eat), and a lemon ricotta cheesecake (which I did eat). I made it myself, and it was my first time ever attempting a from-scratch cheesecake. So I had a small slice. And it was goooood.
We ate at 1:00pm. It is now almost 9:00pm, and I literally feel like I just ate. I skipped dinner tonight because I was still so full. I can barely even choke down water without feeling like I'm going to explode.
Here's my conclusion. The Paleo Diet is awesome. Really, really awesome. When I do it, I feel great, have more energy, am less bitchy, don't complain of feeling "fat, bloated, gassy, hungry, stuffed," etc., etc. I know I'm putting healthy foods into my body on the Paleo Diet. I eat way, way more veggies when I'm following the diet. So the question is, why do I feel like I need to "cheat" and eat the forbidden foods?!?! I clearly feel like crap when I eat dairy and wheat. My body screams at me every time I do! So why do I do this?!?!?!
I'm back at it tomorrow. I hate to step on the scale to see what my weekend (really, just three meals!) has done to me. I know I feel like junk right now. I'm sure it won't be much different in the morning. I can't believe the difference in my body in just 2 weeks of eating whole, unprocessed foods. I don't know if this will really make me "lose jiggly fat" as the magazine promised (ha!). But I do know this: I feel better when I cut out grains and dairy. Period.
Saturday - turkey bacon for breakfast. Remember when I said I needed to go to the store? That's all I had in the house! I had the leftover smoked sausage and sweet potato (yam) hash from Friday's dinner for lunch, while the boys all had sandwiches and chips. OK, so I stuck with the Paleo diet those two meals. It was pouring rain ALL DAY yesterday, and yet I ventured (with baby boy in tow) to not only the grocery store, but to Bed Bath and Beyond for a new vacuum cleaner - fitting that ours broke and we were going to have a house full of people for Easter dinner today! So off we went, rain and all. By the time I got home (nearly 3 hours later!!!), it was 5:30 and the last thing I felt like doing was cooking dinner. So...we got pizza. It tasted good, I won't lie. But an hour later, I felt like a balloon, my belly hurt, I was bloated and gassy, and I felt like I should probably go force myself to throw up so I could feel better. I didn't...but I seriously contemplated it!
Sunday - for breakfast I had two pieces of sausage on tiny little party buns with a piece of cheese on each sandwich. It's my cheat weekend, I figured I should go all out with wheat AND dairy to boot! Besides, they were tiny little buns. :)
We had Easter dinner here with my family. Ham, baked beans, potato salad, homemade macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, and an assortment of chips. I had a spoonful of each, but I didn't overdo it. Tradition is tradition, after all, and how could I pass up all that yummy food? For dessert, I made strawberry cupcakes (which I didn't eat), and a lemon ricotta cheesecake (which I did eat). I made it myself, and it was my first time ever attempting a from-scratch cheesecake. So I had a small slice. And it was goooood.
We ate at 1:00pm. It is now almost 9:00pm, and I literally feel like I just ate. I skipped dinner tonight because I was still so full. I can barely even choke down water without feeling like I'm going to explode.
Here's my conclusion. The Paleo Diet is awesome. Really, really awesome. When I do it, I feel great, have more energy, am less bitchy, don't complain of feeling "fat, bloated, gassy, hungry, stuffed," etc., etc. I know I'm putting healthy foods into my body on the Paleo Diet. I eat way, way more veggies when I'm following the diet. So the question is, why do I feel like I need to "cheat" and eat the forbidden foods?!?! I clearly feel like crap when I eat dairy and wheat. My body screams at me every time I do! So why do I do this?!?!?!
I'm back at it tomorrow. I hate to step on the scale to see what my weekend (really, just three meals!) has done to me. I know I feel like junk right now. I'm sure it won't be much different in the morning. I can't believe the difference in my body in just 2 weeks of eating whole, unprocessed foods. I don't know if this will really make me "lose jiggly fat" as the magazine promised (ha!). But I do know this: I feel better when I cut out grains and dairy. Period.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Oh, the candy!
Today will be my last day of Paleo eating until Monday. That's right, folks. I'm a sucker. I'm succumbing to the pressure of the holiday. There will be a feast at my house on Sunday, and there is no way I am missing it!!! No way. I'll hop back on the wagon on Monday. But until then, I feast!
Today was a lovely Paleo day. Breakfast was turkey bacon and eggs over easy - this was the first time I'd let baby boy eat them prepared this way, and he ate half my eggs! MY eggs! For lunch, we went to hubby's work (we do it every week). He works for the government, so we eat good ole' cafeteria food. Today, on their hot line they had smoked sausages with peppers and onions, and I had green beans as my side item. Once again, baby boy ate ALL my green beans. Seriously. I maybe had 3 out of the whole bowl! I jokingly told hubby that baby boy was my best diet ever. He eats all my food!
We still need to go to the grocery in a bad way. I had a smoked sausage in the fridge (to be clear - I have a whole deep freezer full of grass-fed beef; but when it's frozen, it doesn't do me much good!). So for the second time today, I ate smoked sausage. At least I love that stuff! I sauteed mine with the remaining half of a green pepper in the fridge, an onion, and two zucchini. I made hash from my last yam to go with it. Hubby was right - yams do taste different than white potatoes. But not by much! I must have been having allergy problems the other night!
I am a kitchen gadget freak. If it has a specific purpose (for example, a pickle-getter or an avocado slicer), I want it. No, I need it. It's an obsession. So I get my veggies in their nice little stick shapes by using one of these. They're all cut in uniform shape and size, and I don't have to worry about chopping my own fingers off in the cooking process. Have I mentioned that I'm a klutz? :)
Today was a lovely Paleo day. Breakfast was turkey bacon and eggs over easy - this was the first time I'd let baby boy eat them prepared this way, and he ate half my eggs! MY eggs! For lunch, we went to hubby's work (we do it every week). He works for the government, so we eat good ole' cafeteria food. Today, on their hot line they had smoked sausages with peppers and onions, and I had green beans as my side item. Once again, baby boy ate ALL my green beans. Seriously. I maybe had 3 out of the whole bowl! I jokingly told hubby that baby boy was my best diet ever. He eats all my food!
We still need to go to the grocery in a bad way. I had a smoked sausage in the fridge (to be clear - I have a whole deep freezer full of grass-fed beef; but when it's frozen, it doesn't do me much good!). So for the second time today, I ate smoked sausage. At least I love that stuff! I sauteed mine with the remaining half of a green pepper in the fridge, an onion, and two zucchini. I made hash from my last yam to go with it. Hubby was right - yams do taste different than white potatoes. But not by much! I must have been having allergy problems the other night!
I am a kitchen gadget freak. If it has a specific purpose (for example, a pickle-getter or an avocado slicer), I want it. No, I need it. It's an obsession. So I get my veggies in their nice little stick shapes by using one of these. They're all cut in uniform shape and size, and I don't have to worry about chopping my own fingers off in the cooking process. Have I mentioned that I'm a klutz? :)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Busy, busy, busy!
Sorry for the lack of posting for a couple days. We are BUSY around here! Between preschool Easter parties, trying to finish up our chicken coop, and completing an order for felt food for a local business, my head has been spinning!
Speaking of Easter parties, I made Hot Cross Buns for big brother to take to his party. They were vegan, as he has food allergies to eggs and dairy - and I must confess. I ate one. OK, two. I had never made them before, so I had to test them out to make sure they were good...right?!
I need to go to the grocery store, in a bad way. Currently in my veggie stock in the fridge I have a half head of romaine lettuce and some kale. That's it. Not gonna cut it for the Paleo diet. I ate rolled up deli chicken today for lunch and dinner, with a half of an avocado. I'm hungry! So, off to the grocery I go tomorrow. Right before Easter. Grand.
No pictures tonight, but I'll get back on it tomorrow!
Speaking of Easter parties, I made Hot Cross Buns for big brother to take to his party. They were vegan, as he has food allergies to eggs and dairy - and I must confess. I ate one. OK, two. I had never made them before, so I had to test them out to make sure they were good...right?!
I need to go to the grocery store, in a bad way. Currently in my veggie stock in the fridge I have a half head of romaine lettuce and some kale. That's it. Not gonna cut it for the Paleo diet. I ate rolled up deli chicken today for lunch and dinner, with a half of an avocado. I'm hungry! So, off to the grocery I go tomorrow. Right before Easter. Grand.
No pictures tonight, but I'll get back on it tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Exercise, schmexercise
So up until this point, I haven't discussed my exercise program. There's a good reason for that -- I don't have one.
A few months ago, I worked with a holistic health counselor from Artful Balance. Chelsea Conard is a long-time friend, and is based in New York, NY. I learned a lot from her (including how to love kale!). The main thing that stuck with me, though, was regarding exercise. She had a great progressive weekly exercise program that combined strength training with cardio, and it took less than an hour to do. I was great about it the first week, and got 3 days worth of exercise in. The second week, I was supposed to do 4 days of the exercise routine...I didn't. I couldn't find the time. My kids wouldn't nap when I needed to be working out, and it was impossible to work out while they were awake. Unless I wanted to get sweaty right before bed, I had no chance of working out. I got very frustrated with the whole situation, feeling like I was doomed to be a "frumpy mom" all my life.
I told Chelsea that between remodeling my bathroom, preparing my gardens for planting, and building a chicken coop (not to mention running around after my kids all day, every day!), I had no time in my life for a regimented exercise routine. I don't have a gym membership, and even if I did, I wouldn't find time to use it. I didn't feel like there was any way I could work out in the "conventional" sense of going to a gym multiple times a week.
Always encouraging, Chelsea told me that MY way of exercise was really the "conventional" way. She said that our bodies were designed to do things like remodel, yard work, tend the kids, etc. She said that people go to the gym generally because they either 1) don't have a yard/house to work on, or 2) don't enjoy doing the work so they pay someone else to do it. That really resonated with me; I got my mind back on track when she told me that, and I haven't felt guilty about not "working out" since then. Lord knows I have enough yard work, remodeling, and chasing kids to keep me busy!
So for now, my cardio is playing tag and red-light-green-light with my boys. My strength training comes in the form of picking baby boy up and down and lugging him everywhere and doing yard work. It doesn't cost me a thing. It makes my children happy. I don't have to worry about putting them in a sub-par gym childcare. And you know what? There's no better gym in the world than my own back yard!
Moving on...
Breakfast was eggs and sausage. Lunch was leftover burgers from last night's dinner. Tonight for dinner we had steak stir-fry. I used the ever tasty grass-fed sirloin tip steak from my freezer, sliced peppers and onions, and then because it was beginning to look exactly like the chicken fajita salad we had a few nights ago, I dumped in a big portion of Thai style stir-fry veggies from the freezer - red and yellow peppers, edamame, carrots, celery, onions, baby corn cobs, and I'm sure I'm leaving something out. The recipe said to add some Tamari soy sauce (gluten free), but I had Bragg's Liquid Amino on hand (also gluten free), so that's what I used. I also added some grated ginger, because well, I love the combo of ginger and beef. I put it atop a bed of romaine lettuce, and called it done. It was delicious; and even though it was quite similar to the chicken from the other night, the seasonings made all the difference!
A few months ago, I worked with a holistic health counselor from Artful Balance. Chelsea Conard is a long-time friend, and is based in New York, NY. I learned a lot from her (including how to love kale!). The main thing that stuck with me, though, was regarding exercise. She had a great progressive weekly exercise program that combined strength training with cardio, and it took less than an hour to do. I was great about it the first week, and got 3 days worth of exercise in. The second week, I was supposed to do 4 days of the exercise routine...I didn't. I couldn't find the time. My kids wouldn't nap when I needed to be working out, and it was impossible to work out while they were awake. Unless I wanted to get sweaty right before bed, I had no chance of working out. I got very frustrated with the whole situation, feeling like I was doomed to be a "frumpy mom" all my life.
I told Chelsea that between remodeling my bathroom, preparing my gardens for planting, and building a chicken coop (not to mention running around after my kids all day, every day!), I had no time in my life for a regimented exercise routine. I don't have a gym membership, and even if I did, I wouldn't find time to use it. I didn't feel like there was any way I could work out in the "conventional" sense of going to a gym multiple times a week.
Always encouraging, Chelsea told me that MY way of exercise was really the "conventional" way. She said that our bodies were designed to do things like remodel, yard work, tend the kids, etc. She said that people go to the gym generally because they either 1) don't have a yard/house to work on, or 2) don't enjoy doing the work so they pay someone else to do it. That really resonated with me; I got my mind back on track when she told me that, and I haven't felt guilty about not "working out" since then. Lord knows I have enough yard work, remodeling, and chasing kids to keep me busy!
So for now, my cardio is playing tag and red-light-green-light with my boys. My strength training comes in the form of picking baby boy up and down and lugging him everywhere and doing yard work. It doesn't cost me a thing. It makes my children happy. I don't have to worry about putting them in a sub-par gym childcare. And you know what? There's no better gym in the world than my own back yard!
Moving on...
Breakfast was eggs and sausage. Lunch was leftover burgers from last night's dinner. Tonight for dinner we had steak stir-fry. I used the ever tasty grass-fed sirloin tip steak from my freezer, sliced peppers and onions, and then because it was beginning to look exactly like the chicken fajita salad we had a few nights ago, I dumped in a big portion of Thai style stir-fry veggies from the freezer - red and yellow peppers, edamame, carrots, celery, onions, baby corn cobs, and I'm sure I'm leaving something out. The recipe said to add some Tamari soy sauce (gluten free), but I had Bragg's Liquid Amino on hand (also gluten free), so that's what I used. I also added some grated ginger, because well, I love the combo of ginger and beef. I put it atop a bed of romaine lettuce, and called it done. It was delicious; and even though it was quite similar to the chicken from the other night, the seasonings made all the difference!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Second chances
Today marks one week of the Paleo Diet. I went to bed last night dreading the morning when I would have to face the mortal enemy - the scale. I couldn't avoid it forever, so I stepped on first thing this morning. I was quite surprised to see 140 pop up! Wooooooot! 2 pounds lost, despite my horrendous weekend's worth of cheating.
Now that the week is behind me, I feel confident that I can stay on track. No more excuses. Time to get it done. I have a deadline fast approaching...see, my 30th birthday is in August. For two years I've been telling myself that I am going to have some smokin' hot pictures taken on my birthday to kind of "immortalize" my young self. Lucky for me, my girlfriend Courtney Paris is a remarkable boudoir photographer. She will be the one making me look beautiful on camera. I need to give her a bit more (or less, HAHA!) to work with in the beauty department. I don't want to feel self-conscious for these photos. And these last 15 pounds are hindering me. Isn't it a shame that something as trivial as extra weight can make one's self-esteem plummet?
Now that the week is behind me, I feel confident that I can stay on track. No more excuses. Time to get it done. I have a deadline fast approaching...see, my 30th birthday is in August. For two years I've been telling myself that I am going to have some smokin' hot pictures taken on my birthday to kind of "immortalize" my young self. Lucky for me, my girlfriend Courtney Paris is a remarkable boudoir photographer. She will be the one making me look beautiful on camera. I need to give her a bit more (or less, HAHA!) to work with in the beauty department. I don't want to feel self-conscious for these photos. And these last 15 pounds are hindering me. Isn't it a shame that something as trivial as extra weight can make one's self-esteem plummet?
So, for breakfast this morning I did a no-no -- I didn't have anything. Mondays are kind of rushed around here, so I just didn't have time. Lunch was leftover chicken fajita salad from last night. It was so beautiful today that I wanted to grill burgers for dinner. I put it on a few leaves of romaine lettuce in lieu of a bun (I usually use iceberg for this purpose because it holds together better; however, I didn't have any in the house), added veggies and condiments, and had mixed veggies on the side. I didn't get a picture of my actual dinner, because my leaves were too big so you couldn't even see the burger hiding inside. But this is pretty close to what it looked like.
image taken from Google images
I'm encouraged by my 2 pound loss, and am looking forward to trying new dinners this week!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
So, so mad at myself.
OK. I mentioned previously that I don't weigh myself every day because I tend to become obsessed at the numbers on the scale. I kind of lied. I weighed myself on Friday morning (you know, the morning before my lunch disaster when I was feeling super skinny?). I weighed in at 139 - that's 3 pounds lighter than I was on Monday morning. I was stoked!
Then, Friday's lunch of "the nasty" happened. And it all went downhill from there. I sabotaged myself this weekend, big time. I don't want to even write this down, because it's embarrassing. But, if I'm making a life change and getting myself healthy, there's no sense in lying about it. Here's the scoop. I like wine. A lot. ;) Weekends have always been my time to have a glass (or two...sometimes 2.5) of wine in the evenings when the kids go to bed. On the Paleo Diet, he actually recommends drinking red wine or tequila, because as he says "Everybody's gotta party!" (I like this guy!). But I'm pretty sure he only means a glass. Not multiple.
So, Friday night I had the usual 2 glasses of wine. With wine comes an urge to snack. So I did. On chips. ugh. Saturday I did well for breakfast and lunch, but my grandparents invited us to an impromptu dinner because she made beef and noodles and "made too much for two people." I couldn't tell grandma "no," right??? So again, I ate wheat (and felt icky afterwards). And again, I drank wine that night.
So this morning I felt totally disgusting when I woke up. I felt bloated, irritable, and had an upset stomach. Curiosity got the best of me, so I weighed. You wanna know what the scale said? 144 pounds. Holy. Moly. I went from a great, thin-feeling 139 pounds on Friday to a whopping, bloated 144 pounds today. 2 DAYS!!! Yikes.
I'm back on the wagon, and let me tell you, I'm here to stay. Don't get me wrong - I will not completely eliminate wine from my diet...eventually. As in, when I get to my goal weight. But for now, I'm on the straight path to health and smaller clothing. :)
Dinner tonight was chicken fajita salad. It was delicious, and super filling. I won't lie though; the only thing that would have made it better would've been a huge scoop of sour cream on top and a big bowl o' refried beans on the side. I sauteed onions, green and orange peppers, and chicken in olive oil and then added 2 tsp of oregano and 2 tsp of cumin (more or less...I don't measure). Put the mixture on top of some red leaf lettuce, add chopped tomatoes and avocado slices, and dinner is served. I wanted to put my mom's canned salsa on top as dressing, but I'm all out. It would have been delicious though!
Then, Friday's lunch of "the nasty" happened. And it all went downhill from there. I sabotaged myself this weekend, big time. I don't want to even write this down, because it's embarrassing. But, if I'm making a life change and getting myself healthy, there's no sense in lying about it. Here's the scoop. I like wine. A lot. ;) Weekends have always been my time to have a glass (or two...sometimes 2.5) of wine in the evenings when the kids go to bed. On the Paleo Diet, he actually recommends drinking red wine or tequila, because as he says "Everybody's gotta party!" (I like this guy!). But I'm pretty sure he only means a glass. Not multiple.
So, Friday night I had the usual 2 glasses of wine. With wine comes an urge to snack. So I did. On chips. ugh. Saturday I did well for breakfast and lunch, but my grandparents invited us to an impromptu dinner because she made beef and noodles and "made too much for two people." I couldn't tell grandma "no," right??? So again, I ate wheat (and felt icky afterwards). And again, I drank wine that night.
So this morning I felt totally disgusting when I woke up. I felt bloated, irritable, and had an upset stomach. Curiosity got the best of me, so I weighed. You wanna know what the scale said? 144 pounds. Holy. Moly. I went from a great, thin-feeling 139 pounds on Friday to a whopping, bloated 144 pounds today. 2 DAYS!!! Yikes.
I'm back on the wagon, and let me tell you, I'm here to stay. Don't get me wrong - I will not completely eliminate wine from my diet...eventually. As in, when I get to my goal weight. But for now, I'm on the straight path to health and smaller clothing. :)
Dinner tonight was chicken fajita salad. It was delicious, and super filling. I won't lie though; the only thing that would have made it better would've been a huge scoop of sour cream on top and a big bowl o' refried beans on the side. I sauteed onions, green and orange peppers, and chicken in olive oil and then added 2 tsp of oregano and 2 tsp of cumin (more or less...I don't measure). Put the mixture on top of some red leaf lettuce, add chopped tomatoes and avocado slices, and dinner is served. I wanted to put my mom's canned salsa on top as dressing, but I'm all out. It would have been delicious though!
Eat your heart out, El Nopal!
So, friends. Back to the grindstone tomorrow. I'm hoping the scale is good to me in the morning, my official first weigh day. But I'm certainly not holding my breath. The good thing is, I know this works. I saw it on Friday. And I can feel it in my body when I eat things that aren't good for me. The wagon is rolling again...and I'm on it!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Lesson learned
This morning, I woke up feeling great. Well, that's not true. My kids kept me up all night and I only had a few measly hours of sleep, so I was tired. But I did feel lighter. No kidding. My usual belly bloat feeling was gone. I felt...skinnier. I have a scale in my bathroom. It mocks me every time I look at it. But I won't weigh until the week is up. If I weigh every day, I tend to get obsessed. But I just know I am lighter at this point in time. Sure, it's likely water weight; but it's weight lost, nonetheless.
Fast forward a few hours. Breakfast was fine; turkey bacon and a handful of grapes. But I totally, utterly blew it for lunch. My aunt and uncle came in from out of town, and I haven't seen them in over a year. They, along with another uncle, my parents, and my little family unit went to lunch together at Sam's Food and Spirits. I could've chosen a "healthy" option. But I thought, "What the hell. It's not often that we go out to eat, and I'm ordering whatever looks good." Big mistake. Big. (oh, and to be clear - on this diet you're allowed to "cheat" up to 3 meals a week. If weight loss is the goal, the less cheating the better. But it is allowed.)
I ordered an appetizer sampler as my entree. It included loaded potato skins, mozzarella sticks, green chile poppers, and deep fried vegetables. Oh, and let's not forget the side of fries. (ha!) First I should mention that even before the Paleo Diet began, I didn't eat that junk often - maybe a few times a year. But man. It looked good. So I ordered it. After a few bites of each appetizer, I started giving my food to the others at the table. I was starting to feel icky even while eating it. Before the meal ended (I was nowhere near finishing the whole plate), I got a terrible dizzy spell and thought for sure I was going to faint.
Fast forward again. About an hour after eating "the nasty" (the term I've always used for fried, cheesy junk on a plate), I felt absolutely horrid. I was bloated. I felt like I weighed a thousand pounds, and like I was trying to walk through molasses. I was a little surprised - what I thought was going to be *yummy* food turned out to be my nemesis. It's amazing how much better I have felt all week, just by eating Paleo foods. Suffice it to say I won't be doing that again anytime soon!!! Chalk it up to a lesson learned!!!
OK, so I redeemed myself for dinner. We had western omelets (well, more like western scrambled eggs) with green peppers, onions, kale, and tomatoes, sweet potato hash (I used yams. Honestly, I have no idea what the difference is, and it was my first time eating something other than an Idaho potato so I wouldn't know the difference in taste anyway!) with peppers and onions, and a few slices of avocado. It was quite tasty, and very filling! To me, the yams tasted just like white potatoes with a slightly different texture. Hubby told me I must be having allergy problems, because they tasted nothing like regular white potatoes. Who knows. They were good nonetheless!
Fast forward a few hours. Breakfast was fine; turkey bacon and a handful of grapes. But I totally, utterly blew it for lunch. My aunt and uncle came in from out of town, and I haven't seen them in over a year. They, along with another uncle, my parents, and my little family unit went to lunch together at Sam's Food and Spirits. I could've chosen a "healthy" option. But I thought, "What the hell. It's not often that we go out to eat, and I'm ordering whatever looks good." Big mistake. Big. (oh, and to be clear - on this diet you're allowed to "cheat" up to 3 meals a week. If weight loss is the goal, the less cheating the better. But it is allowed.)
I ordered an appetizer sampler as my entree. It included loaded potato skins, mozzarella sticks, green chile poppers, and deep fried vegetables. Oh, and let's not forget the side of fries. (ha!) First I should mention that even before the Paleo Diet began, I didn't eat that junk often - maybe a few times a year. But man. It looked good. So I ordered it. After a few bites of each appetizer, I started giving my food to the others at the table. I was starting to feel icky even while eating it. Before the meal ended (I was nowhere near finishing the whole plate), I got a terrible dizzy spell and thought for sure I was going to faint.
Fast forward again. About an hour after eating "the nasty" (the term I've always used for fried, cheesy junk on a plate), I felt absolutely horrid. I was bloated. I felt like I weighed a thousand pounds, and like I was trying to walk through molasses. I was a little surprised - what I thought was going to be *yummy* food turned out to be my nemesis. It's amazing how much better I have felt all week, just by eating Paleo foods. Suffice it to say I won't be doing that again anytime soon!!! Chalk it up to a lesson learned!!!
OK, so I redeemed myself for dinner. We had western omelets (well, more like western scrambled eggs) with green peppers, onions, kale, and tomatoes, sweet potato hash (I used yams. Honestly, I have no idea what the difference is, and it was my first time eating something other than an Idaho potato so I wouldn't know the difference in taste anyway!) with peppers and onions, and a few slices of avocado. It was quite tasty, and very filling! To me, the yams tasted just like white potatoes with a slightly different texture. Hubby told me I must be having allergy problems, because they tasted nothing like regular white potatoes. Who knows. They were good nonetheless!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
A Trip to the Doc...
...not because I'm sick. I just went in to get some routine blood tests ordered. I haven't had a "check-up" in...well, a long time. So I thought it may be time to do that. See, the Paleo Diet claims to lower cholesterol, manage and/or eliminate Type 2 Diabetes, etc. I don't believe that I have high cholesterol or anything, but I do have a severe history of diabetes in my family. I'm at a risk for developing it; especially if I don't change my eating and get to a more healthy weight. I've been having problems with my blood sugar fluctuating for several years, and it's gotten progressively worse. So, good ole' Doc ordered some baseline blood work for me to have done in a couple weeks. Should be interesting to see the results.
Onto the food for today. Once again, I'm singing the Leftover Praises. This morning for breakfast, I had two eggs over easy with some of the chicken I roasted a couple days ago. Yum! Talk about a protein boost first thing in the morning!
Lunch was...you guessed it! Leftover pork/carrots/zucchini/cauliflower from yesterday. And as an added bonus, the pork loin made enough so I could also use it as the main dish to tonight's dinner. That's right, folks, out of one pork loin I got 4 dinners, 3 lunches (big brother doesn't generally eat dinner a second time), 4 more dinners, and will likely have enough for at least 2 lunches tomorrow. So my 3.5lb pork loin has earned its weight in cost, to say the least! Now that's what I call economic!
For dinner, I shredded the pork, put it over a big bed of red leaf lettuce, added a little dressing and a handful of trail mix (for the record, as long as big brother doesn't come into contact at all with nuts, he is fine - he is not anaphylactic to the dust. We are very, very careful if we have any sort of nuts in the house, and we don't get around children or otherwise irresponsible/uncapable people if they are eating nuts of any sort, because risk of contamination is too great). I added a big scoop of green beans that were canned from my parents' garden, and dinner was complete.
Onto the food for today. Once again, I'm singing the Leftover Praises. This morning for breakfast, I had two eggs over easy with some of the chicken I roasted a couple days ago. Yum! Talk about a protein boost first thing in the morning!
Lunch was...you guessed it! Leftover pork/carrots/zucchini/cauliflower from yesterday. And as an added bonus, the pork loin made enough so I could also use it as the main dish to tonight's dinner. That's right, folks, out of one pork loin I got 4 dinners, 3 lunches (big brother doesn't generally eat dinner a second time), 4 more dinners, and will likely have enough for at least 2 lunches tomorrow. So my 3.5lb pork loin has earned its weight in cost, to say the least! Now that's what I call economic!
For dinner, I shredded the pork, put it over a big bed of red leaf lettuce, added a little dressing and a handful of trail mix (for the record, as long as big brother doesn't come into contact at all with nuts, he is fine - he is not anaphylactic to the dust. We are very, very careful if we have any sort of nuts in the house, and we don't get around children or otherwise irresponsible/uncapable people if they are eating nuts of any sort, because risk of contamination is too great). I added a big scoop of green beans that were canned from my parents' garden, and dinner was complete.
The green beans are so hot they're still steaming!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Leftovers rock!
Thanks to my squash last night for dinner, I not only had a tasty evening snack of roasted seeds, but they were also my breakfast. Yes, they weren't a substantial start to my day; but, they were yummy, full of nutrients, and kept me feeling not hungry until lunchtime. Woohoo!
Lunch was, of course, leftovers from last night's spaghetti squash. It was just as tasty today as it was yesterday. That will be a regular meal in our household. Because of my leftovers, breakfast and lunch took less than 4 minutes to get on the table.
Tonight for dinner I made a recipe from the book that prompted this experiment. It was a pork loin with cauliflower, zucchini, basil, and tomato sauce. I'm not a great recipe follower, though, so I made many changes. First off, it was supposed to be put in the Crock Pot. Oops. It was 1pm before I was even thinking about the dinner menu. No time for that. Secondly, I used a head of cauliflower and a ton of carrots, and forgot the zucchini. Oops. Oh well. I made it work, and tasty it was!!!
So, here's what I did: cut the pork loin in half because it was too big for my pressure cooker. Chopped the cauliflower and left them as big as I could. Dumped in probably a pound of baby carrots. Threw some basil in with it. Turned on the pressure cooker, and 30 minutes later, VOILA! Dinner is served. I did add a can of tomato sauce once I let the pressure out and let it heat up. I sauteed the zucchini with some onions and olive oil to serve with it, since I forgot to add it to the pot.
I did not get a picture of tonight's dinner, and I did it on purpose. See, while this dinner was quite delicious, to be quite honest it looked like vomit. Ha! I didn't feel like cooking the meat first in the pressure cooker, then putting the veggies in and bringing it back up to pressure, etc., etc., etc., so I just put it all in at the same time. The carrots were recognizable; the cauliflower didn't fare so well. Therefore, it looked icky on a plate. It would have made a beautiful stew in a bowl though...I'll do that next time! Oh, and it made plenty for leftovers for tomorrow. :)
On a side note: one of my BFFs came over today to pick something up from me, and she said that I "looked skinnier already." !!!!!! Woohoo! Talk about a self-esteem boost! Thanks, friend!
Lunch was, of course, leftovers from last night's spaghetti squash. It was just as tasty today as it was yesterday. That will be a regular meal in our household. Because of my leftovers, breakfast and lunch took less than 4 minutes to get on the table.
Tonight for dinner I made a recipe from the book that prompted this experiment. It was a pork loin with cauliflower, zucchini, basil, and tomato sauce. I'm not a great recipe follower, though, so I made many changes. First off, it was supposed to be put in the Crock Pot. Oops. It was 1pm before I was even thinking about the dinner menu. No time for that. Secondly, I used a head of cauliflower and a ton of carrots, and forgot the zucchini. Oops. Oh well. I made it work, and tasty it was!!!
So, here's what I did: cut the pork loin in half because it was too big for my pressure cooker. Chopped the cauliflower and left them as big as I could. Dumped in probably a pound of baby carrots. Threw some basil in with it. Turned on the pressure cooker, and 30 minutes later, VOILA! Dinner is served. I did add a can of tomato sauce once I let the pressure out and let it heat up. I sauteed the zucchini with some onions and olive oil to serve with it, since I forgot to add it to the pot.
I did not get a picture of tonight's dinner, and I did it on purpose. See, while this dinner was quite delicious, to be quite honest it looked like vomit. Ha! I didn't feel like cooking the meat first in the pressure cooker, then putting the veggies in and bringing it back up to pressure, etc., etc., etc., so I just put it all in at the same time. The carrots were recognizable; the cauliflower didn't fare so well. Therefore, it looked icky on a plate. It would have made a beautiful stew in a bowl though...I'll do that next time! Oh, and it made plenty for leftovers for tomorrow. :)
On a side note: one of my BFFs came over today to pick something up from me, and she said that I "looked skinnier already." !!!!!! Woohoo! Talk about a self-esteem boost! Thanks, friend!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Day 2 - going strong!
This diet is surprisingly easy for me. I've had people tell me there is "no way" they could cut out dairy or wheat. For me, it's kind of second nature. See, my oldest son (age 4) has severe and life-threatening food allergies to dairy, soy, eggs, and nuts, and recently outgrew his wheat allergy. I nursed him for 21 months -- since everything I ate passed through my breastmilk to him, essentially I was allergic to all that stuff too because I couldn't eat it without making him very sick.
Fast forward a few years, when my now-one-year-old was born. Because of big brother's allergy issues, I chose to go on an allergy-free diet when baby boy was born. Having no way of knowing if he would have allergies too, I decided to err on the side of caution. I was allergy-free for 6 months (including all of the top 8 allergens; dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and wheat), and many other foods that seemed to cause the boy digestional issues.
I am no stranger to eating this way. Though I did it before out of necessity, I do it now on my own will. I lost all of my pregnancy weight (40lbs) within the first 5 weeks of giving birth to my second son. I know it was because of the diet I was on. When he turned 6 months old, I gradually re-introduced offensive foods, and had success. Once I had reintroduced all the allergens back into my diet, I gained 10 pounds. And I can't get it off.
Today for breakfast I had turkey bacon and the remainder of the avocado from last night's salad. For lunch, it was leftover chicken from the roaster last night. I added a little mayo (OK, maybe not the most Paleo thing, but it doesn't contain anything that is "restricted" in this diet) and put it over some of the broccoli slaw (sans dressing) from yesterday's lunch. It was delicious, and super quick since it was all leftovers.
For dinner, we tried spaghetti squash for the first time. I topped it with spaghetti sauce and grass-fed ground beef. We purchased a side of beef back in November and split it with some friends. It tastes absolutely amazing, and I can't believe the difference in taste between it and store-bought beef.
The picture isn't the greatest - my camera battery was nearly dead, and lasted long enough for me to turn it on, snap a photo, and it went off. I didn't even get to make sure the picture took, so I'm happy that it did! I was extremely thrilled with the spaghetti squash. Hubby was expecting a more noodle-like texture, but even he ate it (and liked it). And baby boy ate two bowls of it!!! As an added bonus, I washed and roasted the seeds from the squash, and plan on having them for a snack later. I roasted them with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a tablespoon of dairy-free margarine and tablespoon of sugar. Delicious!!!
Fast forward a few years, when my now-one-year-old was born. Because of big brother's allergy issues, I chose to go on an allergy-free diet when baby boy was born. Having no way of knowing if he would have allergies too, I decided to err on the side of caution. I was allergy-free for 6 months (including all of the top 8 allergens; dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and wheat), and many other foods that seemed to cause the boy digestional issues.
I am no stranger to eating this way. Though I did it before out of necessity, I do it now on my own will. I lost all of my pregnancy weight (40lbs) within the first 5 weeks of giving birth to my second son. I know it was because of the diet I was on. When he turned 6 months old, I gradually re-introduced offensive foods, and had success. Once I had reintroduced all the allergens back into my diet, I gained 10 pounds. And I can't get it off.
Today for breakfast I had turkey bacon and the remainder of the avocado from last night's salad. For lunch, it was leftover chicken from the roaster last night. I added a little mayo (OK, maybe not the most Paleo thing, but it doesn't contain anything that is "restricted" in this diet) and put it over some of the broccoli slaw (sans dressing) from yesterday's lunch. It was delicious, and super quick since it was all leftovers.
For dinner, we tried spaghetti squash for the first time. I topped it with spaghetti sauce and grass-fed ground beef. We purchased a side of beef back in November and split it with some friends. It tastes absolutely amazing, and I can't believe the difference in taste between it and store-bought beef.
The picture isn't the greatest - my camera battery was nearly dead, and lasted long enough for me to turn it on, snap a photo, and it went off. I didn't even get to make sure the picture took, so I'm happy that it did! I was extremely thrilled with the spaghetti squash. Hubby was expecting a more noodle-like texture, but even he ate it (and liked it). And baby boy ate two bowls of it!!! As an added bonus, I washed and roasted the seeds from the squash, and plan on having them for a snack later. I roasted them with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a tablespoon of dairy-free margarine and tablespoon of sugar. Delicious!!!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Here we go!
Day 1 of the Paleo Diet. It has been surprisingly easy - much better than I had anticipated! I weighed in this morning at 142 pounds. (shhh. Don't tell anyone!) I am 5'3", so that gives me a BMI of 25.2. GASP! I'm in the OVERWEIGHT category!!! I knew I was a little soft in the middle, but had no idea I am medically considered overweight. Disgusting. Good thing I've decided to make a change!
So, this morning for breakfast I had scrambled eggs with kale and onions, and two sausage patties. It was delicious, and a breakfast that I have often. I'm thrilled that it fit right into the Paleo lifestyle.
Lunch was rolled up deli turkey, baby carrots, and broccoli slaw. This was my first time making the broccoli slaw, and it was quite tasty. I bought a bag of pre-shredded mix and added my own dressing of cumin, turmeric, and lemon juice. Next time I'll put a little less of the seasonings; by the time I made it to the bottom of the pile of slaw, it was a bit too tangy for me and I couldn't finish it.
So, this morning for breakfast I had scrambled eggs with kale and onions, and two sausage patties. It was delicious, and a breakfast that I have often. I'm thrilled that it fit right into the Paleo lifestyle.
Lunch was rolled up deli turkey, baby carrots, and broccoli slaw. This was my first time making the broccoli slaw, and it was quite tasty. I bought a bag of pre-shredded mix and added my own dressing of cumin, turmeric, and lemon juice. Next time I'll put a little less of the seasonings; by the time I made it to the bottom of the pile of slaw, it was a bit too tangy for me and I couldn't finish it.
I did well through the day and didn't snack. I wasn't hungry, to be honest. Usually, around 3pm I get snacky and have something. Not today!
Dinner was a roasted rosemary chicken (cooked in my NuWave oven - love that thing!), steamed broccoli, and a big ole' salad. It was delicious, and filling. For the record, I had a big bowl of salad -- I just put a little on the plate for the picture, because my plate looked kind of empty without it. ;) My salad had a few avocado slices and a handful of dried cherries for flavor and color.
I am giving a thumbs-up to this day. Super delicious meals, super easy, and I felt no desire to snack. Oh - I did have a spoonful of Sunbutter around 7pm, because I started feeling a bit shaky. My blood sugars have been kind of wacky lately, and I didn't want to have a full-blown episode. (I'm not diabetic, nor hypoglycemic. I am "borderline diabetic," and the disease runs rampant in my family. I am trying to get myself in line before it takes me over too...)
Ready for Day 2!!!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Paleo Diet...is it all it's cracked up to be???
Before I had children, I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I was lean without trying. I never had to exercise. I was a uniformed member of the United States Air Force for four years. Looking back at old pictures, I realized something. I was one hot chick. The operative word here is "was."
Now, two children and about 20 pounds heavier than my once "normal" weight, I find myself a tired, frumpy, and let's face it, chubby mama. I have the stereotypical baby pooch that mothers complain about. My clothes don't fit well. I try on several outfits before leaving the house, only to be angry because no matter how many different combinations I put on, nothing looks as good as it would if I were my previous weight.
I've tried (and had success with) Weight Watchers in the past; but that was a long time ago, and I've found that it is too tedious for my lifestyle these days. I don't want to count Points, measure portions, etc. I just want to eat.
My Granny (in-law) recently gave me a magazine when we were visiting her, and the main headline was "Lose Jiggly Fat 3x Faster With This Diet!" Was she trying to tell me something? Hmm...Anyway, I read the article and stumbled across The Paleo Diet. Supposedly, this diet not only helps you lose weight quicker, but also helps acne, depression, gives you more energy, etc., etc., etc. OK. I'm down. I purchased the book "The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet" by Robb Wolf. It made sense to me. So, I decided to give it a shot. It's better than what I'm doing now, right?
Basically it boils down to this: Eat meat. Eat vegetables and fruits in season. Live like a caveman would have. Cavemen didn't have processed foods or high fructose corn syrup. They didn't have dairy or whole grains. They didn't have "convenience foods" to throw in the microwave, or fast food chains. They hunted and gathered their food, and walked miles in the process. They had no gym memberships, no televisions, no distractions. Their sole purpose was sustaining life. What comes to mind for me is "Eat to Live!" rather than "Live to Eat!"
This blog will document my success (or failure?) while using the Paleo Diet. Tomorrow will be the start of this lifestyle change for me - I will weigh, measure, and document the findings. I will also post pictures of the foods I eat, and recipes that I think are delicious.
I need a change. I need to lose weight. I need support. Let's see if this Paleo Diet is all it's cracked up to be...
Now, two children and about 20 pounds heavier than my once "normal" weight, I find myself a tired, frumpy, and let's face it, chubby mama. I have the stereotypical baby pooch that mothers complain about. My clothes don't fit well. I try on several outfits before leaving the house, only to be angry because no matter how many different combinations I put on, nothing looks as good as it would if I were my previous weight.
I've tried (and had success with) Weight Watchers in the past; but that was a long time ago, and I've found that it is too tedious for my lifestyle these days. I don't want to count Points, measure portions, etc. I just want to eat.
My Granny (in-law) recently gave me a magazine when we were visiting her, and the main headline was "Lose Jiggly Fat 3x Faster With This Diet!" Was she trying to tell me something? Hmm...Anyway, I read the article and stumbled across The Paleo Diet. Supposedly, this diet not only helps you lose weight quicker, but also helps acne, depression, gives you more energy, etc., etc., etc. OK. I'm down. I purchased the book "The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet" by Robb Wolf. It made sense to me. So, I decided to give it a shot. It's better than what I'm doing now, right?
Basically it boils down to this: Eat meat. Eat vegetables and fruits in season. Live like a caveman would have. Cavemen didn't have processed foods or high fructose corn syrup. They didn't have dairy or whole grains. They didn't have "convenience foods" to throw in the microwave, or fast food chains. They hunted and gathered their food, and walked miles in the process. They had no gym memberships, no televisions, no distractions. Their sole purpose was sustaining life. What comes to mind for me is "Eat to Live!" rather than "Live to Eat!"
This blog will document my success (or failure?) while using the Paleo Diet. Tomorrow will be the start of this lifestyle change for me - I will weigh, measure, and document the findings. I will also post pictures of the foods I eat, and recipes that I think are delicious.
I need a change. I need to lose weight. I need support. Let's see if this Paleo Diet is all it's cracked up to be...
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