Thursday
I woke up hungry today - but I couldn't force down the frittata again. Eating it 3 times was enough for me. I'm definitely going to alter the recipe some the next time I make it! So, I made a strip of bacon, 2 fried eggs and coffee. Midmorning I ate a banana, some strawberries and blackberries. Yum!
I was hungry again when lunchtime came around - I ate some leftover quesadilla filling (chicken, black beans, corn and cheese). I left out the tortilla because I didn't really want to cheat with the grain and because it would be impossible to make a crispy quesadilla in a microwave. So, no tortilla for me today! I paired it with my homemade guac with plantain chips and then some red peppers and a little bit of ranch dressing. Delicious and filling!
My afternoon snack was roasted carrots and zucchini and a couple squares of dark chocolate. I had the Dove dark chocolate today because that's what I have at school BUT I think it's too sweet for me now. It's amazing to me how much I don't want sugar now that I haven't been eating it. I used to be a sugar-fiend! And it is so true that the more you eat, the more you crave! But now that I am not eating much of it, I just don't crave it. The vegetables that I've been eating have really been satisfying me. This is a huge answer to prayer for me. I have spent so much time asking God to help me conquer my addiction to sugar and it looks like I finally found a method of eating that really helps! Praise God!
For dinner I had leftover herbed chicken from last night, a large portion of broccoli and cauliflower and a small portion of smashed potatoes. Again - yum!
For dessert tonight I made these hazelnut cookies. I was a little skeptical about them because they don't have any flour. But they really were yummy! I even brought them to our church home group tonight and they were eaten quickly!! I think that I'll try to chop the nuts up smaller next time to achieve a more "flour" like texture. But otherwise they were a really nice treat! And the best part to me is that I didn't feel like I needed to eat a dozen of them. I was satisfied with just 2! :-)
My stomach has been feeling a little weird for the last 2 days. It's like I'm kind of hungry but don't want to eat. I'm going to keep tabs on it to see if it keeps up, but I don't think it's related to the diet. We are in the process of adoption and we received our referral Tuesday for 2 girls!!!! I think it's more nerves and excitement that's keeping my stomach from feeling "normal!"
This may be a bit of TMI - but I've always been what I've considered a little bit gassier than normal . . . but on this diet, that has decreased by about 90%! Again, praise God!
Yesterday at school, I noticed that my pants were a little looser in the seat than I remembered. Today my other pants were a little looser in the waist. I don't think anyone would notice any weight loss yet, but I'm starting to feel tighter! Considering that I've only been committed to this for 4 days, I'm thrilled to see even small results already!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
This is one of my favorite side dishes in the winter! Seriously, so satisfying and delicious!! Even our 9 year old loves brussels sprouts because of this recipe!
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Approx 1 pound of brussels sprouts, stems trimmed, outer leaves removed and halved (if they're really large, I'll quarter them)
3-6 strips of center cut bacon, diced
Heat a 12" skillet** over medium heat. When it's hot, add the diced bacon and cook for 5-7 minutes until it starts to brown and most of the fat has started to cook.
Add the brussels sprouts to the pan and stir to combine with the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sprouts start to brown and soften (about 10-15 minutes).
**I like to use my hard anodized pan for this recipe because it creates a nice carmelization on the sprouts instead of just cooking them. Delicious!
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Approx 1 pound of brussels sprouts, stems trimmed, outer leaves removed and halved (if they're really large, I'll quarter them)
3-6 strips of center cut bacon, diced
Heat a 12" skillet** over medium heat. When it's hot, add the diced bacon and cook for 5-7 minutes until it starts to brown and most of the fat has started to cook.
Add the brussels sprouts to the pan and stir to combine with the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sprouts start to brown and soften (about 10-15 minutes).
Chicken Quesadilla
So this is semi-primal . . . but when I need me some Tex-Mex it really hits the spot! One of my favorite go-to meals when I need a quick and satisfying dinner!
Chicken Quesadillas
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 pound chicken, diced small
1/2 serrano pepper, minced
4-5 green onions, minced
1/2 can corn kernels
1/2 can black beans
shredded Monterrey Jack and Cheddar cheese blend
8" sprouted corn tortillas (or your tortilla of choice)**
spices: cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 12 in skillet. Add chicken and spices to taste. (I usually use about 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp oregano and salt and pepper to taste). Cook until chicken is no longer pink - I often squish the chicken with the back of my wooden spoon while cooking to help it cook faster. The squished chicken also mimics shredded chicken that is traditionally used in quesadillas.
When chicken is done, add green onions, pepper, beans and corn and heat through. Remove to a bowl and wipe out your skillet (carefully) with a paper towel. Now it's time to assemble those quesadillas!
Lay a tortilla on the hot pan and sprinkle generously with cheese - the cheese is the "glue" that holds the quesadilla together! Spoon some of your chicken mixture on top and sprinkle with more cheese. Lay another tortilla on top to finish it off. Cook over medium heat until the tortilla is lightly browned on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook on the other side for 3-5 minutes or until the second side is browned.
Slice in half and serve with your favorite salad or vegetable!
**I LOVE flour tortillas - a true Texas girl, I know! But, they're not primal at all. I've substituted a sprouted corn tortilla in an effort to make this more primal. It's still not strictly primal, but I'm happy to substitute this when I need some good Tex-Mex and don't want to go completely off!
Chicken Quesadillas
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 pound chicken, diced small
1/2 serrano pepper, minced
4-5 green onions, minced
1/2 can corn kernels
1/2 can black beans
shredded Monterrey Jack and Cheddar cheese blend
8" sprouted corn tortillas (or your tortilla of choice)**
spices: cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 12 in skillet. Add chicken and spices to taste. (I usually use about 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp oregano and salt and pepper to taste). Cook until chicken is no longer pink - I often squish the chicken with the back of my wooden spoon while cooking to help it cook faster. The squished chicken also mimics shredded chicken that is traditionally used in quesadillas.
When chicken is done, add green onions, pepper, beans and corn and heat through. Remove to a bowl and wipe out your skillet (carefully) with a paper towel. Now it's time to assemble those quesadillas!
Lay a tortilla on the hot pan and sprinkle generously with cheese - the cheese is the "glue" that holds the quesadilla together! Spoon some of your chicken mixture on top and sprinkle with more cheese. Lay another tortilla on top to finish it off. Cook over medium heat until the tortilla is lightly browned on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook on the other side for 3-5 minutes or until the second side is browned.
Slice in half and serve with your favorite salad or vegetable!
**I LOVE flour tortillas - a true Texas girl, I know! But, they're not primal at all. I've substituted a sprouted corn tortilla in an effort to make this more primal. It's still not strictly primal, but I'm happy to substitute this when I need some good Tex-Mex and don't want to go completely off!
The Best Guac Ever!
This is serious the best guac ever! I make it all the time and everyone who samples it wants to know what I do to it to make it so delicious! It's so simple and so yummy!
Guacamole
3 ripe avocados
4-5 green onions, minced
1/2 serrano pepper, minced and seeded (keep the seeds if you want some heat)
fresh lime juice to taste
salt to taste
This dip is delicious with red pepper slices, baked plantain chips or even spread on a turkey slice!
Guacamole
3 ripe avocados
4-5 green onions, minced
1/2 serrano pepper, minced and seeded (keep the seeds if you want some heat)
fresh lime juice to taste
salt to taste
This dip is delicious with red pepper slices, baked plantain chips or even spread on a turkey slice!
Week 1 Day 3
Wednesday
How do I determine if I'm eating primal 80% of the time? The only thing I can figure is that if I eat 10 meals, then 8 of them should be primal. Or maybe I eat 8 primal foods out of every 10. Or maybe if I eat 2000 calories in a day, then 400 of them can be non-primal?!? I still don't know quite how to determine that. If you have tips, let me know!!
Breakfast today was the sweet potato/sausage frittata with lime juice - same as the last 2 days. I'm already getting tired of it. I may not be able to finish this whole thing! We'll see . . . I didn't eat the whole portion today. I'm not quite sure if it's because I just wasn't hungry or couldn't eat more of it. Either way, I didn't eat as much this morning. But then after an hour and a half I had some mango. Yum!
I didn't eat as much at lunch either - brussels sprouts with bacon, hard boiled egg, a banana, raw carrots and red pepper with a little ranch and iced tea. I just wasn't that hungry - but I did eat about 1/3 cup of trail mix about an hour later. I didn't want a snack mid-afternoon, but I was very hungry by the time I got home from school and started dinner.
My pre-dinner snack was some of the beet chips I made last night - they were far from crispy so maybe dehydrated beets might be a better name for them! I think I like them, but they did taste a bit burned. I will definitely make them different the next time I make them - or perhaps buy a bag at Trader Joe's!! :-)
Dinner was semi-Paleo. I cooked some chicken cutlets in coconut oil and a bunch of dried herbs. The vegetable was steamed broccoli and cauliflower with garlic, salt and pepper. I did add some smashed potatoes in an effort to use up a large bag that's in my pantry! Unfortunately, the smashed potatoes turned out gluey and not the best I've ever made. I guess the good thing is that I didn't eat a large serving! :-)
Again, I didn't eat a ton tonight at dinner. I guess my appetite shrank today some. I'm hoping that's a step in the right direction!
Perhaps I'm not eating a lot because I have had a headache since Monday in the middle of the night. I was so severe last night that I got out of bed to take my serious meds and grab an ice pack. It keeps coming back when the meds wear off, but my chiropractor crunched my neck and relieved some of the pressure. It's not totally gone yet, but I hope with some sleep tonight it will be!
And now, it's time for a pre-bedtime snack! Not sure if it will be Girl Scout cookies or a vegetable! I'm thinking cookies! :-)
How do I determine if I'm eating primal 80% of the time? The only thing I can figure is that if I eat 10 meals, then 8 of them should be primal. Or maybe I eat 8 primal foods out of every 10. Or maybe if I eat 2000 calories in a day, then 400 of them can be non-primal?!? I still don't know quite how to determine that. If you have tips, let me know!!
Breakfast today was the sweet potato/sausage frittata with lime juice - same as the last 2 days. I'm already getting tired of it. I may not be able to finish this whole thing! We'll see . . . I didn't eat the whole portion today. I'm not quite sure if it's because I just wasn't hungry or couldn't eat more of it. Either way, I didn't eat as much this morning. But then after an hour and a half I had some mango. Yum!
I didn't eat as much at lunch either - brussels sprouts with bacon, hard boiled egg, a banana, raw carrots and red pepper with a little ranch and iced tea. I just wasn't that hungry - but I did eat about 1/3 cup of trail mix about an hour later. I didn't want a snack mid-afternoon, but I was very hungry by the time I got home from school and started dinner.
My pre-dinner snack was some of the beet chips I made last night - they were far from crispy so maybe dehydrated beets might be a better name for them! I think I like them, but they did taste a bit burned. I will definitely make them different the next time I make them - or perhaps buy a bag at Trader Joe's!! :-)
Dinner was semi-Paleo. I cooked some chicken cutlets in coconut oil and a bunch of dried herbs. The vegetable was steamed broccoli and cauliflower with garlic, salt and pepper. I did add some smashed potatoes in an effort to use up a large bag that's in my pantry! Unfortunately, the smashed potatoes turned out gluey and not the best I've ever made. I guess the good thing is that I didn't eat a large serving! :-)
Again, I didn't eat a ton tonight at dinner. I guess my appetite shrank today some. I'm hoping that's a step in the right direction!
Perhaps I'm not eating a lot because I have had a headache since Monday in the middle of the night. I was so severe last night that I got out of bed to take my serious meds and grab an ice pack. It keeps coming back when the meds wear off, but my chiropractor crunched my neck and relieved some of the pressure. It's not totally gone yet, but I hope with some sleep tonight it will be!
And now, it's time for a pre-bedtime snack! Not sure if it will be Girl Scout cookies or a vegetable! I'm thinking cookies! :-)
Week 1 Day 2
Tuesday
I started off the day by waking with a mild migraine at 3 am. Boo. But I took some meds and went back to sleep. But it was still there when I woke up for the day. I took some of my prescription meds and it was gone by 10 am. I'm torn between what caused this one - the red wine I had last night or the change in weather. Both are triggers, so who knows what caused this one. I know it wasn't grains! :-)
One thing I learned yesterday is that I need to have an abundance of Primal food available for me to choose from when I get hungry. I brought a bunch of stuff to school that I can eat if I need it! Also, every day I bring to school a large jug (72 oz) of water with a couple of tablespoons of unsweetened cranberry juice. I usually don't have a problem drinking enough water because I know that when I finish the jug that I've had enough. ,
Then I almost forgot my coffee before I left for school! But, I remembered right before I left! Whew!
Breakfast was coffee, a banana and the same frittata as yesterday, but I squeezed some lime juice on eggs before I heated it up. (Lime juice on eggs - doesn't sound good does it?!?!?) That seemed to help the heavy spices that are in there. I have 4 more pieces to go after today, so I'll keep squeezing the juice until I can make it again with different spices!
I was NOT hungry until 11:45 when it was time for lunch. In the past, I've been starving at 10:30 and have eaten a mid-morning snack! I'm pleased that I'm staying full longer - at least for today!
Lunch was the last of the leftover flank steak and a spinach salad with red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing. I was pretty full after that, but I still didn't feel satisfied, so I ate 4 grain free pigs in a blanket and a square of dark chocolate. Now, I'm full but not stuffed. :-)
I was so full after lunch that I didn't have a snack like I usually do! I hope that means that my body is getting used to eating less and my meals lasting longer! :-) I have been so hungry lately that I've been eating every 2-3 hours. Ugh! Hopefully this is changing!
Dinner was semi-Paleo . . . again using up what we have in the fridge/freezer! I made black bean/corn/chicken quesadillas with homemade guacamole/chips and brussels sprouts with bacon. These are some of my favorite things!
I'll create a page of recipes and post these recipes on there. I used a sprouted corn tortilla for the quesadillas so that made them "better" than just a plain flour tortilla. They were a little tougher to eat than a soft wheat tortilla, but suprisingly good! Usually I can down 1.5-2 of these things easily. But tonight I ate just 1 and filled up with my brussels sprouts and guac! I was really full after dinner, but that lasted me through the night. I didn't feel like I needed any dessert or a something small to last me through the night! Yay! Again, I'm hoping that my appetite is decreasing!
I spent a couple hours in the kitchen. In addition to dinner, I made roasted carrots and zucchini with some Italian spices and beet chips. Two things I learned - zucchini cooks a lot faster than carrots and beet chips can burn easily! The carrots and zucchini taste good even if the zuchhini is a little mushier than I like! The jury is still out on the beet chips! Allie certainly didn't like them! She spit it out and gave the rest of her chip to the dog!!
I started off the day by waking with a mild migraine at 3 am. Boo. But I took some meds and went back to sleep. But it was still there when I woke up for the day. I took some of my prescription meds and it was gone by 10 am. I'm torn between what caused this one - the red wine I had last night or the change in weather. Both are triggers, so who knows what caused this one. I know it wasn't grains! :-)
One thing I learned yesterday is that I need to have an abundance of Primal food available for me to choose from when I get hungry. I brought a bunch of stuff to school that I can eat if I need it! Also, every day I bring to school a large jug (72 oz) of water with a couple of tablespoons of unsweetened cranberry juice. I usually don't have a problem drinking enough water because I know that when I finish the jug that I've had enough. ,
Then I almost forgot my coffee before I left for school! But, I remembered right before I left! Whew!
Breakfast was coffee, a banana and the same frittata as yesterday, but I squeezed some lime juice on eggs before I heated it up. (Lime juice on eggs - doesn't sound good does it?!?!?) That seemed to help the heavy spices that are in there. I have 4 more pieces to go after today, so I'll keep squeezing the juice until I can make it again with different spices!
I was NOT hungry until 11:45 when it was time for lunch. In the past, I've been starving at 10:30 and have eaten a mid-morning snack! I'm pleased that I'm staying full longer - at least for today!
Lunch was the last of the leftover flank steak and a spinach salad with red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing. I was pretty full after that, but I still didn't feel satisfied, so I ate 4 grain free pigs in a blanket and a square of dark chocolate. Now, I'm full but not stuffed. :-)
I was so full after lunch that I didn't have a snack like I usually do! I hope that means that my body is getting used to eating less and my meals lasting longer! :-) I have been so hungry lately that I've been eating every 2-3 hours. Ugh! Hopefully this is changing!
Dinner was semi-Paleo . . . again using up what we have in the fridge/freezer! I made black bean/corn/chicken quesadillas with homemade guacamole/chips and brussels sprouts with bacon. These are some of my favorite things!
I'll create a page of recipes and post these recipes on there. I used a sprouted corn tortilla for the quesadillas so that made them "better" than just a plain flour tortilla. They were a little tougher to eat than a soft wheat tortilla, but suprisingly good! Usually I can down 1.5-2 of these things easily. But tonight I ate just 1 and filled up with my brussels sprouts and guac! I was really full after dinner, but that lasted me through the night. I didn't feel like I needed any dessert or a something small to last me through the night! Yay! Again, I'm hoping that my appetite is decreasing!
I spent a couple hours in the kitchen. In addition to dinner, I made roasted carrots and zucchini with some Italian spices and beet chips. Two things I learned - zucchini cooks a lot faster than carrots and beet chips can burn easily! The carrots and zucchini taste good even if the zuchhini is a little mushier than I like! The jury is still out on the beet chips! Allie certainly didn't like them! She spit it out and gave the rest of her chip to the dog!!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Week 1 Day 1
Monday
Breakfast was turkey sausage/sweet potato/green onion and egg frittata with coffee (I put a little stevia and 1% milk in it). I made the turkey sausage and I wasn't wild about the spices I put in it - made the whole dish feel really heavy (might have been too much fennel and paprika). I don't really care much for Indian food and the sausage felt like there were too many Indian spices in it. But - it was a good first attempt at a frittata. I've been making quiches for a long time - but this was the first frittata. What's the difference anyway?
Mid-morning, I had a snack of strawberries and blackberries
Lunch was leftover flank steak and a few red potatoes roasted with herbs. I put some of my red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing on the steak to keep it from getting too dried out and it was YUMMY! I then ate my 2 cups of baby spinach with oil and vinegar dressing and a banana.
But I'm still hungry, so I dipped into my stash of Trail Mix and I'm feeling more satisfied. I might have to grab another handful or a piece of dark chocolate!
Typically, I'm really munchy between 3-5. I have a snack of red peppers and another banana that I can eat if I get hungry. I have a feeling I will!!
. . .
Yeah, I had to have the chocolate!! :-) And the red peppers too!
. . .
When I got home from school, Allie and I drank a glass of unsweetened almond milk with a little bit of Hershey's syrup in it. Now I know that Hershey's syrup is not Primal, but I'm in the mindset of using up what we have before we buy more, so I'll still use it in small quantities until it's gone. Then I'll make my own chocolate flavoring with cocoa and stevia or something like that!
Dinner was leftover beef and barley soup (I tried to eat mostly the meat and vegetables and not too much of the barley). I added 2 hard boiled eggs because I was still hungry.
Dessert was a slice of cheddar cheese and a glass of red wine. I don't normally drink red wine, but I opened a bottle to make the beef soup, so I might as well drink it, right?!?
All in all, it was a pretty good day, food-wise. I made it through the "witching hours" of 3-5 relatively easily. I ate my snack and a small piece of chocolate, but that satisfied me until dinnertime. Yay!
And I really didn't NEED to eat dessert last night, but I thought I would since I had the food available and it sounded good before bed.
I didn't get to exercise at all today because I had open house at school and had limited time after work before I had to go back up. But I did make an effort to move around the classroom and campus more instead of staying at my desk for hours on end. Plus I did some plies while I was brushing my teeth. Every little bit counts, right?
Breakfast was turkey sausage/sweet potato/green onion and egg frittata with coffee (I put a little stevia and 1% milk in it). I made the turkey sausage and I wasn't wild about the spices I put in it - made the whole dish feel really heavy (might have been too much fennel and paprika). I don't really care much for Indian food and the sausage felt like there were too many Indian spices in it. But - it was a good first attempt at a frittata. I've been making quiches for a long time - but this was the first frittata. What's the difference anyway?
Mid-morning, I had a snack of strawberries and blackberries
Lunch was leftover flank steak and a few red potatoes roasted with herbs. I put some of my red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing on the steak to keep it from getting too dried out and it was YUMMY! I then ate my 2 cups of baby spinach with oil and vinegar dressing and a banana.
But I'm still hungry, so I dipped into my stash of Trail Mix and I'm feeling more satisfied. I might have to grab another handful or a piece of dark chocolate!
Typically, I'm really munchy between 3-5. I have a snack of red peppers and another banana that I can eat if I get hungry. I have a feeling I will!!
. . .
Yeah, I had to have the chocolate!! :-) And the red peppers too!
. . .
When I got home from school, Allie and I drank a glass of unsweetened almond milk with a little bit of Hershey's syrup in it. Now I know that Hershey's syrup is not Primal, but I'm in the mindset of using up what we have before we buy more, so I'll still use it in small quantities until it's gone. Then I'll make my own chocolate flavoring with cocoa and stevia or something like that!
Dinner was leftover beef and barley soup (I tried to eat mostly the meat and vegetables and not too much of the barley). I added 2 hard boiled eggs because I was still hungry.
Dessert was a slice of cheddar cheese and a glass of red wine. I don't normally drink red wine, but I opened a bottle to make the beef soup, so I might as well drink it, right?!?
All in all, it was a pretty good day, food-wise. I made it through the "witching hours" of 3-5 relatively easily. I ate my snack and a small piece of chocolate, but that satisfied me until dinnertime. Yay!
And I really didn't NEED to eat dessert last night, but I thought I would since I had the food available and it sounded good before bed.
I didn't get to exercise at all today because I had open house at school and had limited time after work before I had to go back up. But I did make an effort to move around the classroom and campus more instead of staying at my desk for hours on end. Plus I did some plies while I was brushing my teeth. Every little bit counts, right?
Sunday, February 24, 2013
This is It!
I have reached it . . . the point where I know change MUST happen. I have spent so long wishing for change and hoping that things will turn out differently, but nothing really has. You know . . . the definition of insanity . . .
This journey started last fall when I realized I was eating way too much sugar, so I started a journey to eliminate most unnatural sugars in my diet. As a part of that process, I learned that I CAN live without Coca Cola. And I have learned that sugar really is addictive - the more you eat, the more you crave.
But then Thanksgiving hit . . . and then Christmas . . . and all the progress I had made from the early fall was derailed. I have struggled since Christmas to get back on track with eating a low sugar and small portions diet. I've gained weight and lost confidence in my struggle against my eating habits.
Additionally, in the last year, my migraines and allergies have gotten worse. So, I started looking into a gluten-free diet in an effort to eliminate migraines. Then I remembered a friend had mentioned the Paleo diet back in the early fall and I began to research. There are a lot of things that make sense to me about it - modern grains are not necessary for humans to thrive. Overindulgence in grains in sugar appears to be the root of many diseases these days.
In reading all about the Paleo/Primal diet, it appears that following this type of diet can cure a number of things that ail me - migraines, IBS, depression, auto-immune thyroid disorder, high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, allergies, and joint pain plus produce weight loss, increase satiety, reduce cravings, give me a clearer mind and more energy. It almost sounds too good to be true. Maybe it is, but I've read so many success stories and talked to others who have benefited from this lifestyle that I believe it's worth a try. I'm cautiously optimistic that all of these things can happen for me.
So, this is the it - changes are happening and I'm easing into the Primal lifestyle. For me it's about health and conquering sin. Conquering the sin of overeating, making poor choices in my diet and the sin of feeling miserable about myself because of my sin. This is a deeply spiritual journey for me; the result of a lot of prayer. I know that I cannot do this on my own, but through God's power and strength I know that this sin can be overcome.
I'm done with counting calories and trying to fill up on low calorie/low fat foods that always leave me hungry. I am longing for a diet of real food that satisfies my hunger and still allows me to drop to my optimal size.
This week, I am beginning the transformation by easing into the diet. I am using up things that I have that are not Primal while I transition to things that are. My goal is to eat as much as I can primally while allowing for some flexibility in using up my pantry ingredients. Next week I hope to all but eliminate grains and take it a step further the following week. This is a long term lifestyle for me not simply a fad that I hope to use to lost quick weight. For my health, given my family heath issues, I need to stay with this for life.
The Game Plan:
Eat lots of: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables
Eat some of: healthy fats, starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, nut butters
Eat rarely: quinoa, wild rice, legumes, added sugar/honey
Eat next to never: grains and processed foods
My goals:
To transform from a sugar burner to a fat burner
80-90% adherence
Lose 20 pounds
Slow exercise 3-5 times per week
Intense exercise once a week
Gain more energy
Gain clearer mind
Gain clearer skin
Eliminate IBS
Eliminate allergies
Eliminate migraines
Eliminate joint pain
Stop taking Lexapro within 1 year
Stop taking Synthroid within 1 year
Reduce cholesterol
Reduce blood pressure
Increase satiety
Reduce sugar/grain cravings
This journey started last fall when I realized I was eating way too much sugar, so I started a journey to eliminate most unnatural sugars in my diet. As a part of that process, I learned that I CAN live without Coca Cola. And I have learned that sugar really is addictive - the more you eat, the more you crave.
But then Thanksgiving hit . . . and then Christmas . . . and all the progress I had made from the early fall was derailed. I have struggled since Christmas to get back on track with eating a low sugar and small portions diet. I've gained weight and lost confidence in my struggle against my eating habits.
Additionally, in the last year, my migraines and allergies have gotten worse. So, I started looking into a gluten-free diet in an effort to eliminate migraines. Then I remembered a friend had mentioned the Paleo diet back in the early fall and I began to research. There are a lot of things that make sense to me about it - modern grains are not necessary for humans to thrive. Overindulgence in grains in sugar appears to be the root of many diseases these days.
In reading all about the Paleo/Primal diet, it appears that following this type of diet can cure a number of things that ail me - migraines, IBS, depression, auto-immune thyroid disorder, high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, allergies, and joint pain plus produce weight loss, increase satiety, reduce cravings, give me a clearer mind and more energy. It almost sounds too good to be true. Maybe it is, but I've read so many success stories and talked to others who have benefited from this lifestyle that I believe it's worth a try. I'm cautiously optimistic that all of these things can happen for me.
So, this is the it - changes are happening and I'm easing into the Primal lifestyle. For me it's about health and conquering sin. Conquering the sin of overeating, making poor choices in my diet and the sin of feeling miserable about myself because of my sin. This is a deeply spiritual journey for me; the result of a lot of prayer. I know that I cannot do this on my own, but through God's power and strength I know that this sin can be overcome.
I'm done with counting calories and trying to fill up on low calorie/low fat foods that always leave me hungry. I am longing for a diet of real food that satisfies my hunger and still allows me to drop to my optimal size.
This week, I am beginning the transformation by easing into the diet. I am using up things that I have that are not Primal while I transition to things that are. My goal is to eat as much as I can primally while allowing for some flexibility in using up my pantry ingredients. Next week I hope to all but eliminate grains and take it a step further the following week. This is a long term lifestyle for me not simply a fad that I hope to use to lost quick weight. For my health, given my family heath issues, I need to stay with this for life.
The Game Plan:
Eat lots of: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables
Eat some of: healthy fats, starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, nut butters
Eat rarely: quinoa, wild rice, legumes, added sugar/honey
Eat next to never: grains and processed foods
My goals:
To transform from a sugar burner to a fat burner
80-90% adherence
Lose 20 pounds
Slow exercise 3-5 times per week
Intense exercise once a week
Gain more energy
Gain clearer mind
Gain clearer skin
Eliminate IBS
Eliminate allergies
Eliminate migraines
Eliminate joint pain
Stop taking Lexapro within 1 year
Stop taking Synthroid within 1 year
Reduce cholesterol
Reduce blood pressure
Increase satiety
Reduce sugar/grain cravings
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