Primal Ponderings

Huge

2011-11-01T21:38:00.001-08:00

Let me tell you it is NOT okay to tell a pregnant woman that she is going to be HUGE in 12 more weeks. Even if it is the truth. Now, with that said, there is a good chance I will be huge in 12 weeks I am always huge at the end of pregnancy. I have just about no torso, I think I have about 2 inches between the bottom of my rib cage and the top of my pelvic bones. Yeah, there is no where for baby to go but out until it drops into the pelvis, which probably won't happen until right before delivery. On the other hand, I am still so LOW on my weight gain. I am pretty excited about that.

Some thoughts I had today about my weight gain, exercise routine and the way that I eat. I know without a doubt my weight gain is low because of my lifestyle, mostly my way of eating. In previous pregnancies, even with more weight gain I bascially was at my pre-pregnancy weight soon after delivery, even with two I was LESS after the baby was born than I was before. So, I am very interested to see what my weight is this time after I deliver. One, my weight gain is less and two, I eat so much better!

Then there is exercise. I have exercised through all my pregnancies where I was in the military. This is the first time I have actually made an effort to maintain muscle. Now, I am NOT lifting super heavy but I am still lifting some and doing push-ups an stuff. I workout enough to be sore, but not to be painful the few days after. My goal is NOT to build muscle right now, just to maintain my current lean mass.

So, if my weight is less after baby, and I am able to maintain my lean mass, will that result in a lower body fat percentage? It would totally be cool if it did! And I am really excited to find out how my new lifestyle will change the end results of pregnancy. So 10-12 weeks until delivery and I figure I will take 'stock' of everything at six weeks post-partum :-D

They Didn't Make It :(

2011-10-25T22:52:00.002-08:00

So, the boyos didn't make it to 30 days grain free. We shall keep working at it though. I have a new goal though. Since I can't lift heavy enough right now to really work on my legs, I have decided, "why not work on the shoulders and back?" So that is what I am going to do. This weekend I will have hubby take some new back shots and some shoulder/arm shots too. I am really motivated by "before/after" pictures right now, so I am hoping if I start now, when the baby gets here I will have made some decent progress. The side benefit? It should help make it easier to get back to doing push-ups for my fitness test. Win-win situation right? Right!

I have back shots from Oct 2010 and Jan 2011, so I already have some before pics :D

Hopefully this will help me stay motivated! I have only about 13 weeks until baby time, so I need to get with it!!!!

October 18, 2011

26 weeks pregnant :D

Some results...

2011-09-27T21:44:00.002-08:00

So I did a quick measurement on Savage_Boyo. Why? It has only been one week and I don't think we will do this weekly, but I wanted him too see if he had any results. His weight is a tab bit higher. He spent the weekend camping and ate a bunch of power bars made with nuts, that totally could have made a difference in the scale. Of course I am really not concerned about his over all weight. I am hoping he maintains really and that he builds muscle and loses fat as he grows. He improved his WiiFit age though, yes arbitrary, but was happy to be "12" instead of 15...lol.

So his week one results are:

Belly Button: 36.25 (+.25)
Natural Waist: 33 (-.5)
hip: 33.5 (- 1 in...really?)
neck: 13.5 ( - 1 in, really?)

Last week:

belly button 36
natural waist 33.5
hips 34.5
wrist 6.5
forearm 9.75
biceps 10.25
neck 14.5

So, from now on I will wait until the end of his 30 days to do anymore measurements. He was happy with the results though, even though he 'gained' a bit on the belly button measurement. He was pretty impressed with the neck and hips. I was too.

I weighed in today with a gain of .8, which is perfect. At this point one pound per week is about right :D

We had yummy pork loin with pesto for our meat tonight, served with sweet potato fries and apple sauce. Yummy!

I am thinking cheese steaks tomorrow! Yummy. Too bad I already have 'food porn' for that.

End of Week One

2011-09-26T22:25:00.000-08:00

Well, week one is up for my son. He says he hasn't had any wheat since last week. I want to believe him, but you know...he is only 12 and he did spend the weekend away on a camping trip. I say I will give him the benefit of the doubt. So far I don't see too many changes in him, but it has only been a week. Hopefully we see some noticeable changes soon. He still has a wheat belly and for his sake I hope this helps him.

My husband is currently in the process of passing a kidney stone. It seems every time he decides to go grain free he gets a stone. We KNOW it is not the diet causing the stone. Why? Because he doesn't eat any more meat than he normally does and they are fairly large stones that would take more than 2-3 weeks to get that large. It makes me wonder if eating better makes his body realize they are 'foreign' substances and therefore wants to expel them A.S.A.P. I hope this one goes quickly because I hate seeing him in so much pain! He is reporting a 20% improvement in his hand pain which we think is arthritis. Some of his other joints are still pretty painful, but he is thinking that he has an injury that just needs to be addressed.

For me? Thinks are going well. I will weigh tomorrow and see what the total weight gain is up to this point, 23 weeks 4 days pregnant. This is a bitter sweet point, baby is moving well which is reassuring, but it was at 24 weeks that we discovered our son, Colm, had passed in my womb. So, yeah, this is a bit of an emotional time for me. THe good part is that this baby moves WAY more than Colm ever did and if baby is alive when we hit 'viability' at 24 weeks there is always a chance they could save him/her.

I bought the kids some boxes to pack their lunches. We don't qualify for 'free lunch' anymore, which I think is really a blessing in disguise. Hubby is going to adjust his work hours so that he can be home when the older kids get home from school, which will save on after school care. We can use that money to go towards packing lunch. Best of both worlds! Nothing extra out of our pocket and the kids will eat primal at school. Have you ever really looked at an elementary school lunch menu? Ugh, just AWFUL all grains and junk food. Look up your local school district and find the lunch menu, take a gander and be appalled! Here is an example, totally NOT primal!!!! So, while we do plan to reapply, for a back-up plan on days we just don't make their lunch, or to even let them pick once in a while a lunch they really like, I am happy to have wrapped my mind around the idea of feeding them from home!

2011-09-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

Savage_Boyo's Measurements:
9/19/2011
belly button 36
natural waist 33.5
hips 34.5
wrist 6.5
forearm 9.75
biceps 10.25
neck 14.5
Weight: 125, I am not particularly concerned about his weight since he IS a growing 12 year old boy. What I am interested to see is if he stays the same and slims down. This is what I am hoping for. After starting football in July he has slimmed down a bit and can fit in some of his jeans that were too tight, but he gained 8 lbs from the last time he weighed himself 140 days ago. I am willing to bet this is muscle from the running, push-ups, up/downs, etc.

Whew! I thought I lost these...thank goodness for auto-save.

So as of today the Boyo is doing well he has been grain free since Monday, doesn't seem like much, but it is for him. He has successfully navigated school lunch today, he chose salad. He complained of a headache yesterday, but said it is much better today. We had warned him this might happen as he goes through wheat withdrawal, which in some ways is similar to opioid withdrawal.

This weekend he will be going for a camping trip with the Boy Scouts. He will be staying over two nights and they will be doing a lot of hiking. We have already discussed the foods that we will send with him. He is concerned about the other foods and he knows bread will be there. I am going to make him some almond flat cookies so he can have a 'smore' if he wants one. Yes, marshmallows and chocolate are not the best things in the world, but he has agreed to stay away from the graham crackers.

Savage_Dave is steadily losing weight. The best part though is a lot of his pain is gone. I will have to focus a post on him soon and detail everything he has been going through. Right now he is battling a kidney stone, no not as a result of being Primal. He suffered these long before we even knew what it was to be paleo! I will add his measurements soon too. I am so excited to see the changes in my men!

I personally have been doing well with staying away from ALL grains, even though I am only committed to being wheat free for a few more weeks. Right now my 'down fall' is sugar. Yeah, I need to work on that. Take away the work stress and it might be easier.

Fellowship: Hash brown breakfast casserole

2011-09-18T12:42:00.001-08:00

I volunteered to do fellowship at church every few months. Well, today was my day and I wanted to make something that was tasty and relatively healthy, primal style. I went with breakfast casserole, of course MOST people wouldn't consider it healthy due to the amount of fat, but *we* know better right? Now, because it was being made for a large group not all of the ingredients were as 'clean' as I normally would like, but still a good choice. So I made two types of breakfast casserole, one with bacon and one with sausage. I got about 3-4 requests for the recipe, sweet! Of course I did also provide cereal and milk, because well...the kids like it a lot and it is fairly cheap. I feel a slight amount of guilt for that. Most people also bring cake, doughnuts and muffins...so I did good...right?!?!

So, here is the super simple recipe.

pre-heat oven to 350F
hash browns (I used frozen, feel free the shred your own taters for a healthier version)- if frozen thaw them!
8-15 eggs, scrambled- depending on the size of your crowd
1/2-3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 medium onion diced
about 2 cups of shredded cheese (I used Mexican 4 cheese blend)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (I suppose you could use milk, but why would you want to?)
1 pound bacon or sausage, your choice

brown sausage or cook bacon until crispy
sauté onion in bacon grease (I *suppose you could use something else, like butter or um....that other stuff, but it won't taste as good!)
grease bottom of casserole or baking dish* with....bacon grease of course...well, unless you use that other stuff
layer hash browns in pan
layer meat of your choice
combine eggs, cheese, onions and chili powder, pour over meat and potatoes
bake for about 45 minutes at 350F

*I used the 'half size' disposable aluminum pans from Sam's Club. They are about 9 x 11, but I am not sure of the exact size. If your pan is bigger then you may need more egg mixture to fully cover the meat and potatoes, adjust accordingly.

All four pans were gone in about 10-15 minutes! Yeah, next time I better make six. I think I will make one each of sausage and bacon more 'adult friendly' a.k.a SPICY! I suppose adding some salsa to the top as an indicator of spiciness might be a good idea. ;-)

Unfortunately, no food porn because I didn't think to blog this recipe until after it was so well accepted by the group. The next time I make it I will add pictures for ya.

*******

Now for some good family news. My hubby SavageDave has been grain free for about two weeks now and already seeing big improvements! His gas, if not totally gone is at least not deadly anymore. He has lost some weight AND his psoriasis on his knee is healing. I am very hopeful that this will also help his arthritis pain even more than it already has.

Some REALLY great news, Savage_Boyo has realized that he too feels better grain free and has agreed to at a minimum be gluten free. This is going to be our first goal with him being that he is 12 and has some autonomy in his food choices outside of the home. He is starting tomorrow. He wants to continue to improve his health and get fit after he worked so hard during football this year. He has decided he wants to try wrestling this year at school, so that will help him stay on track. He totally has a 'wheat belly' and is understanding what it means. He is really ready for this now, so it should be easier to get him to comply. Of course, it means packing lunches and getting up early to feed him breakfast, but it is worth it to help his health. I am pretty sure he will have a huge benefit not only in his body composition, but also his behavior and emotional well being.

We will all be doing some 'before' pictures tonight for our 'challenge' I know the "big" 30 Day Challenge on www.marksdailyapple.com began last week, but I still think we can see enough change over the next three weeks to make it worth it. Savage_Boyo is excited by the idea of being one of the first kiddos to add his success story to Mark's sight. Anything to help motivate him, right? I wanted to say too, that although he could have had AY type of cereal today, he went with Corn Pops. not a great choice, but he read the label and they are gluten free so he picked those over Fruit Loops. Not a bad choice for a 12 year old :D

My picture of course will show a growing belly, but hopefully just the belly. I would really love to keep the weight gain in my face, arms and legs to a minimum this time. I had become totally lazy and was just walking for a few weeks for my exercise. About two weeks ago I got back to lifting. Of course not nearly as much as I was doing before, but hopefully enough to maintain my lean mass as much as possible while I am pregnant. Good strong muscles can only help when it is time to labor!

I know, I know...slacker!

2011-09-17T13:10:00.001-08:00

So, I have been such a slacker. I don't know why. It isn't like I don't spend too much time on the internet anyway. I just haven't felt much like 'talking' I guess.

Things are going well. I finally decided once and for all I needed to be at a minimum wheat/gluten free. So, for two weeks now the only indiscretion has been some onion rings last night. I wanted at least half of the pregnancy to be 'primal/paleo'. I am still including some grains in the form of rice, and still having a higher intake of carbs compared to how I ate pre-pregnancy. I personally would not be upset if I were to go into ketosis for a bit, but honestly we don't know about the risk this would pose to the baby, so I decided it was better to play it safe.

Even with my carbs increased from 75-125 a day up to 100-150 I have been able to maintain a nice slow eight gain. I had lost a bit in the beginning, which was most likely from getting back to being primal after going off the wagon for a few weeks around Easter. I was back up to 158, then got pregnant and back to eating better and was back down to 153. I cam currently 158 again. So, breaking even? Or an eight pound gain, depending on how you want to look at it.

So, hopefully I will be better about getting on here and posting.

Here is my most recent belly shot. It is a few weeks old now. I need to do another one. Yes, those are pajama pants. It was late and I was already getting ready for bed :P

Oh Yeah, It's MEATZA!

2011-07-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

At times like this I am glad to be more primal than paleo. I like cheese, and while I don't eat nearly as much as I used to, I like my 'pizza' too much to ever give it up completely.

So, we had some ground beef that needed to be cooked since we had defrosted it more than 24 hours ago. I wasn't so sure what to make and then Savage had a great idea. MEATZA. Cheesy yummy meat with veggies that tastes a lot like pizza. Sigh :)

Meatza is super easy to make, even easier than 'real' pizza because the dough isn't as finicky. I used to make 'healthy' whole wheat pizza dough that never seemed to come out right. Now, I make meatza and ruining the crust is next to impossible!

Recipe (or more of 'directions')

If you have a primal meatloaf or meatball recipe you really like it would work well for this.

1 lb ground beef (can add up to half sausage if you would like- not more than that though because it shrinks too much!)
spices to taste: I used basil, salt, pepper, garlic (dried) and onion powder.
- I usually use good fresh garlic and onion but was way too lazy for that today ;)
2 eggs

mix all together in a large bowl.

using a pan with an edge (very much needed or else the fat will run all over the oven!) press the meat out towards the edge of the pan. You want it thin, but not too thin or else the meat will split apart when you cook it. Probably about 1/4 of an inch at the thinnest.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes

Pull it out and top it just like you would any other pizza.

Today I used; anchovies (I know <ewww gross>), artichokes hearts, black olives, pepperoni and garlic. Yum! The kids are getting just pepperoni.

Last time I made the crust too thick, it was still yummy but really heavy.

This was my first attempt at meatza- too thick on the crust!

Of course, looking at this meatza from last time, I totally forgot the mushrooms tonight! Oh well, more for next time :D

Fish Ball FAIL!

2011-06-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

Now, let me start this by saying the soup was delish, for sure! But, I wanted fish balls, not broken up pieces of salmon. Lesson learned, puree the fish in the food processor. I suppose it would need to be sort of mousse like, so I might try some whipped egg whites folded in. Hmmm, maybe that will be tomorrow's mission: make fish balls that stay together.

So the rest of the recipe was basic, and not really a recipe. Here are the details anyway.

1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste (yes pre-made)
2 tsp fish sauce
squirt of srirachi
1 box vegetable broth (would normally use chicken, but I had it left over)

Simmer coconut milk and add curry paste, simmer for 5 minutes. Add broth, squirt srirachi to taste and fish sauce to taste (it can be salty so add it slowly!)

What I tried to do to make salmon balls.

1 can salmon
1 tsp garlic chili paste
squirt sriachi
egg
1 tbsp coconut flour
garlic powder
cilantro leaves (I used dried, but fresh would be better)

Formed into balls and gently placed in broth at slow boil, let them boil for 8 minutes. They broke apart in the broth. So there is the fail. But, as I said still very tasty. I suppose that is the life when you are learning to cook without things like regular white flour.

So there you have it, Fail Fish Soup....in all its delicious glory!

Wrist Slap PLEASE!

2011-06-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

So, not so god today. Bummer. It started out bad and sort of went downhill. I craved potatoes, I smelled them after my workout, as I walked past the bowling alley. Greasy, nasty home fries. So, what do I do after I get home shower and get ready for work? Of course the only logical thing, right? I grab my hard boiled eggs, I take a few minutes to fry up some bacon and go on my merry way.....oh, wait, no not quite. I do the very worst thing possible. I go through the drive through at BURGER KING! What the hell? Seriously, BK? Ugh.

So breakfast was a BK breakfast muffin, hash rounds and OJ. Totally not cool!

Lunch was fine, mostly just snacks because I wasn't hungry.

Then I had this long boring training session at work. And they had snacks, and I ate one. A Zinger. It was so not worth it! And when I went to get my daughter from the School Age Program? A blasted biscuit. The knock off Red Lobster kind.

Then as I left the daycare for my younger daughter. It dawned on me. "I'm blogging again" And worst of all I am posting the foods I ate for the day. And now I have to ADMIT to someone I ate that crap! Geez! What was I thinking? Well, now I will remember, so tomorrow should be good again. Because I have NO desire to post another blog like this one! It is embarrassing to say the least.

The Tale of the Mayo!

2011-06-22T22:02:00.001-08:00

I came home today with the bright idea to make some sweet potato fries and broil some sirloin. Well, the sirloin was not finished thawing, so we were then down to baked sweet tater fries and um....egg salad? Tuna? Sure, that'll do in a pinch and save the meat for tomorrow. I look in the fridge, no mayo. Granted I probably *should make my own, but I am too lazy. I buy Hellman's, I get the canola oil version, which I KNOW is not great, but it doesn't contain soy- which is really bad for me with my thyroid issues. At any rate, yesterday I alluded to the fact that my daughter's have an unnatural fondness of mayo. I bought it just about a week ago, yesterday there was half a jar. Today? It is ALL gone. So, no tuna for me. Tuna for the kids, mixed a little sour cream, some garlic powder and salt and they were happy. Unfortunately, I like to dip my sweet tater fries in mayo too....sigh. Savage Dave to the rescue! He picked up some mayo on the way home from work. My hero!

I did okay today.
My eats:

B: handful of walnuts, 2-3 olives and 2 baby carrots
S; a few more nuts, 5 peanut M&M's (bag is gone..whew!)
L: NY strip, baby carrots, grilled eggplant with melted mozzarella, some more olives
D: sweet tater fries, mayo, 1 Dove dark chocolate

I also had half a serving of Whitman's chocolate at some point and the one REALLY bad thing, which was a Rice Crispy Treat, one of the small prepackaged ones :(

No food photos for today, but they are coming soon I promise. Tomorrow I will be cooking the sirloin, so maybe a meat photo shoot. Yeah baby!

Overall today was good. Mick had a baseball game and got a hit, he was so excited. Frustrating that it took 20 minutes to convince him he HAD to go. Hopefully next time will be easier to get him motivated.

Wow, it has been forever!

2011-06-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry I have neglected this blog! It really is a terrible thing to do. If I don't take care of it, well then no one will read it!

So a quick update is in order.

Life has been interesting. The sun shines...all....day....long! Now, I know technically the sun shines all day almost every where at least most of the time. Of course when there is rain, it isn't shining. But, that is NOT what I am meaning. When the sun is 'up' for 23 hours, you have no night! I miss the stars, seriously I miss them. While we don't have a full 24 hours of daylight, it is pretty darn close and even though the sun 'sets' the light is always there. 22 hours of full sun and 2 hours of twilight. Interesting indeed. Although, I have to say sleeping is not as difficult as I thought it would be.

The kids are out of school. Which means my nerves are SHOT! Dealing with the shenanigans of my 12 and 8 year old sons. FUn and crazy at the same time. The 8 year old has been banned from the microwave after setting some chicken on fire.

Food. Yeah, how has that been going? Well, honestly not great. I had a few 'treats' during Easter and it was bad for a while afterwards. The last week or so I have put on my big girl pants and put my foot down with myself. Time to get real. I am lucky I didn't gain a lot of weight. Actually I am 153 pounds as of this morning, so my lowest weight yet. I'll take it.

I had been eating some grains again, and that has been nixed. Sunday was my last indulgence, no more!

I need to get on here and report back, it will help me keep it real.

I was a member of SparkPeople for many years, technically I still am, but recently I have not felt the SP love. They are over bearing and quite frankly WRONG. I was tired of subjecting myself to their tyranny. I will occasionally go back and read my SparkMail, but other than that I have stayed away. They banned one of my friends, and I think that was the last straw. That and the really pushy, and often flat out rude/disrespectful staff was enough to make me say, 'no more.'

I have NOT been posting on most of my other support forums either. I am trying to ease back in because I feel like it is a vicious cycle. Eat bad, don't post. No support (reading posts by others, etc.)/feel justified to eat bad. Not good logic, but seems to be true for me.

I really want to get back to food blogging. Of course that means I have to get back to cooking, hopefully I will feel up to it soon.

Sort of off topic, but my daughters have an unnatural love of mayonnaise, it is really kind of gross!

Comparison of Pre-Primal Intake and Primal Intake

2011-04-17T22:48:00.002-08:00

Just for reference in June 2009 my calorie goal was supposed to be 1,690 - 2,040 based on my height, weight and activity level. I was for the most part eating on the low end of that range. My calorie range now according to the same site is 1,400 - 1,750, I consistently at at or above that level and lose weight.

June 2009

NUTRIENTS:	GOAL	6/9	6/10	6/11	6/12	6/13	6/14	6/15
Calories:	1,400 - 1,750	1,294	1,644	1,569	1,520			1,518
Fat:	37 - 64	33	59	74	48			46
Carbohydrates:	186 - 268	196	215	131	182			187
Protein:	60 - 144	64	76	87	76			99
Fiber, total dietary:	25 - 35	17	30	11	18			14
Cholesterol:	0 - 1,000							568
Calcium, Ca:	100 - 150							53
Folate, total:	100 - 125							15
Potassium, K:	3,500 - 4,700							1,128
Vitamin C:	100 - 500							53
Selenium, Se:	100 - 200							53
Sodium, Na:	500 - 2,300							4,548

October 2010

NUTRIENTS:	GOAL	10/12	10/13	10/14	10/15	10/16	10/17	10/18
Calories:	1,400 - 1,750			1,699				1,748
Fat:	37 - 64			62				105
Carbohydrates:	186 - 268			175				40
Protein:	60 - 144			125				151
Fiber, total dietary:	25 - 35			27				11
Cholesterol:	0 - 1,000			377				758
Calcium, Ca:	100 - 150							54
Folate, total:	100 - 125							67
Potassium, K:	3,500 - 4,700							1,289
Vitamin C:	100 - 500							698
Selenium, Se:	100 - 200							154
Sodium, Na:	500 - 2,300							1,484

Primal Eats:

Monday
October 18

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CALORIES

CARBS

FAT

PROTEIN

MORE NUTRIENTS

BREAKFAST:

Egg, fresh, 2 large	140	0	10	12
Coconut Milk, 2 tbsp	59	1	6	1
(Jones) All Natural Golden Brown Sausage, 1= 33 oz, 1 serving	120	0	12	4

BREAKFAST TOTALS:

319

LUNCH:

Avocados, California (Haas), 0.3 fruit without skin and seeds	87	4	8	1
Broccoli, cooked, 0.5 cup, chopped	27	6	0	2
Peppers, sweet, red, fresh, 0.5 medium (approx 2-3/4" long, 2-1/2" dia)	16	4	0	1
Beef jerky, 1 serving (view recipe)	74	0	1	13
Butterball Turkey Roast, 4 oz	160	0	5	28

LUNCH TOTALS:

364

DINNER:

Beef - Ribeye Steak, 8 oz	464	0	13	67
Mangosteen, 2 tbsp	30	7	0	0
Kerrygold Irish Butter, 0.5 tbsp	50	0	6	0

DINNER TOTALS:

544

SNACK:

Cream Cheese, 1 tbsp	51	0	5	1
Almonds, 6 almond	42	1	4	2

SNACK TOTALS:

COFFEE:

Half and Half Cream, 1 tbsp	20	1	2	0
Regular Coffee, 1 cup (8 fl oz)	2	0	0	0

COFFEE TOTALS:

SNACK 2:

Chocolate, Dark Ritter Sport (6.25g sq), 3 serving	93	11	6	1
Sorrento Stringsters, 1 oz	80	1	5	8
Mozzarella Cheese, whole milk, 1 oz	85	1	6	6

SNACK 2 TOTALS:

258

SNACK 3:

Coconut Milk, 1 tbsp

SNACK 3 TOTALS:

SNACK 4:

Coconut Milk, 1 tbsp	30	0	3	0
Almonds, 10 almond	69	2	6	3
Whole Foods Selenium 100 mcg (1 pill), 1 serving	0	0	0	0
*Nature Made Vitamin D, 3 serving	0	0	0	0
Ionic-Fizz, Magnesium Plus, 1 serving	0	0	0	0
*Finest Natural® Omega-3 Fatty Acid Fish Oil (1 softgel) 1000 mg per softgel, 1 serving	20	0	2	1

SNACK 4 TOTALS:

119

CLICK TO ADD/EDIT EXTRA MEALS

CALORIES	CARBS	FAT	PROTEIN
1,748	40	105	151
1,400 - 1,750	186 - 268	37 - 64	60 - 144
0 - 2	146 - 228	0	0

Pre-primal

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CALORIES

CARBS

FAT

PROTEIN

MORE NUTRIENTS

BREAKFAST:

Milk, 1%, 0.5 cup	55	6	1	4
Blueberries, fresh, 0.25 cup	20	5	0	0
Cereal Kashi Cinnamon Harvest 1 cup, 1 serving	190	44	1	4

BREAKFAST TOTALS:

265

LUNCH:

whole wheat couscous salad, 0.5 cup	120	18	4	4
Sunbeam hot dog bun, 0.5 serving	50	10	1	2
Macaroni, enriched, 0.5 cup spiral shaped	94	19	0	3
Kraft Light Done Right Italian Salad Dressing, 0.75 tbsp	20	1	2	0
Peppers, sweet, red, fresh, 3 ring (3" dia, 1/4" thick)	8	2	0	0
Green Beans (snap), 10 beans (4" long)	17	4	0	1
Kiwi Fruit, 0.75 fruit without skin, medium	35	8	0	1
Cucumber (peeled), 1 cup, sliced	14	3	0	1
Honeydew Melon, 10 honeydew balls	50	13	0	1
Baby Carrots, raw, 85 grams	28	7	0	1
Strawberries, fresh, 3 large (1-3/8" dia)	16	4	0	0
hot dog oscar meyer wieners bun length, turkey, pork and chicken, 1 serving	170	0	16	6
Kraft Pasta Salad Gourmet Favorites Asian Sesame, 0.25 serving	63	8	3	1
Dip - Spinach Dip - Tostitos -Creamy- 2 Tbsp, 0.75 serving	38	2	3	1

LUNCH TOTALS:

722

DINNER:

Hormel Natural Choice Pork Loin Filet Parmrsan, 4 oz	120	1	4	20
Olives, black, canned (small-extra large), 6 large	30	2	3	0
Rice - Success Brown Rice Boil-in-Bag (cooked), 0.5 cup	75	16	1	2
Brussels sprouts, cooked, 8 sprout	60	12	1	4

DINNER TOTALS:

286

SNACK:

Baby Bell, 1 serving	70	0	6	4
Starbucks Milk Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans (40 Pieces/Serving), 0.1 serving	19	2	1	0
Baby Carrots, raw, 85 grams	28	7	0	1

SNACK TOTALS:

117

COFFEE:

Schwans Breaded Chicken Pattie Nuggets, 6 serving

200

COFFEE TOTALS:

200

SNACK 2:

Kimchi Korean pickled cabbage (1 serving = 1/2 cup), 1 serving	16	3	0	1
Schwans Breaded Chicken Pattie Nuggets, 1 serving	33	3	2	2

SNACK 2 TOTALS:

SNACK 3:

None

SNACK 3 TOTALS:

SNACK 4:

None

SNACK 4 TOTALS:

CLICK TO ADD/EDIT EXTRA MEALS

CALORIES	CARBS	FAT	PROTEIN
1,640	215	58	76
1,400 - 1,750	186 - 268	37 - 64	60 - 144
0 - 110	0 - 53	0 - 6	0 - 68

Marvelous Meatballs!

2011-04-10T08:44:00.002-08:00

No picture since they were devoured too quickly!

I am not one for really keeping track of what I did though, so I will do my best to give you the recipe if you want to try it.

1 pound ground pork
1.5 pound ground beef
1 extra large eggs
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
about 1-2 teaspoon of the following: garlic powder, onion powder and kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 slices of cooked bacon crumbled
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoonsof the powdery Kraft cheapass parmesan
1/2 to 1 cup thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeeze out extra moisture

brown onions and garlic in butter
toss everything into large bowl an mix until blended, do not over work the meat
gently roll into balls about the size of a racquetball.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, turn and back an additional 10 minutes. I switched the rack the pans were on for more even cooking.

Slacking Again!

2011-04-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

I really should try to get back here and post more frequently!

Life has been pretty good lately. I started lifting this week. You know, the 'real' kind :)

I did squats, lumberjack press and chest press on Wednesday. Today was dead lifts, chin-ups and dips. I already know I need to increase my weights, especially for the lower body stuff. I am going to have to venture into the weight room because the weighted bars in the workout room are too light for me.

I still have the same goals, 20-22% body fat and under 150 pounds. I am currently at 155 pounds, so my weight goal is almost there. I was at 28% body fat the other day using the impedance scale at the gym. It gave me about 42 pounds of body fat. When I did the math the percentage was actually 27.5%. My lean mass is around 112 pounds. To get to 20% BF at 145 pounds, I will need 116 pounds of lean. So, that is what I am shooting for. I still need to lose 13 pounds of fat though! That means I will probably lose about 6 more pounds of lean since lean includes water and fat has about 1 pound of water for every 2 pounds of fat. So, I need to add about 10 pounds of muscle. I wonder how long that will take for an old lady?

I will be focusing on getting enough protein. My goal is 1 gram for every pound of my goal lean body mass, 116 grams per day. Some days this is really easy and others days it seems like it is really difficult. It might take a little more planning to get the protein everyday. I am going to eat my protein first and then eat my veggies, that way make the protein goal everyday.

Cheesesteak- Primalized!

2011-03-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know it doesn't take much to primalize a cheesesteak. Just ditch the roll and sauté the veggies in bacon fat, yum!

So, here is the amazingly difficult recipe.

-heat about 1 tablespoon bacon fat in skillet on medium heat
-add peppers, stir around a bit
-add onions, stir around a bit (do I need to say that the onions and peppers were sliced? Or can we handle that step?)
-remove peppers and onions when the onions just start to get wilted
-add mushrooms to skillet, stir around a bit (add some butter for flavor- if your 'into' that kind of thing)
-unwrap steaks (I used Fast Fixins this time, I know not quite paleo, but give a girl a break- I do have four entire children and a husband here ;o) )
-cook steaks according to directions on package, get frustrated when they take longer than 3 minutes- stamp foot a little, roll eyes
-remove meat from heat
-plce meat on plate
-removed pre-sliced provolone from package
-place on top of meat- nuke for 20 seconds to help meat cheese
-remove plate from nuker
-add veggies and mushrooms to plate

the rest is optional:

-brag about meal on the internet
-take pictures and share you enjoyment

Beef Jerky

2011-03-05T16:56:00.005-09:00

Beef jerky is super simple to make. You don't even need a dehydrator!

So, my method.

Take the beef you are using, the cut really isn't too important I use whatever is on sale London broil works great, and place it in the freezer until it just starts to get frozen, this makes it easier to slice.

Slice beef into strips about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch thick, trim the biggest pieces of fat.
in a plastic containder put a layer of the beef, sprinkle meat with seasonings of choice.
Put down another layer of meat, more spices, layer of meat, more slices. I usually sprinkle a little salt for flavor, about 1 teaspoon per 3 pounds of beef.

Sometimes I will fill the container with water and a dash of soy sauce, maybe some vineger or lemon/lime juice. Depends on the flavor I am going for.

A recent batch, which was soooo yummy, was just onion powder, garlic powder, cracked pepper, a bit of salt and chili powder with a dash of soy sauce (coconut aminos) every few layers. This was copied from a Facebook note, I no longer use the soy sauce, you just don't need it.

If you don't have a dehydrator use your oven. I only have one cookie cooling rack(also known as a bacon rack) . I would use that on the bottom rack of the oven. I cover the bottom rack with aluminum foil to catch drips. Then fit the smaller pieces of meat on the cookie cooling rack. The rest I would just hang from the top rack of the oven. Set the oven to the loweest setting, between 140 and 170 degrees. Prop the door open, and let the meat dry. If you want it to go faster you can prop a small fan in the door. It takes about 4-8 hours.

I have gotten to where I like a bit of salt, onion powder and garlic powder best. You don't need a lot, just enough to lightly coat each piece of meat.

Awesome, "I don't feel like cooking" Meal!!

2011-03-04T19:44:00.001-09:00

So, I got home a little late from work since i had to pick the kids up from after school care. The motivation to cook was just not there. My wonderful hubby had purchased a pre-cooked chicken, you know the kind from the grocery store? Not perfectly primal, but pretty darn good anyway. My inner Grokelle wanted bacon, yum!

So, I popped some bacon in the oven and pulled some chicken off the bones.

Rummaging through the fridge I found a slightly limp remnant of napa cabbage and there was a red onion on the counter. I can work with this. Another quick look in the fridhe...oh, yogurt and a bit of mayo. This might just turn out okay.

So without further ado, my yummy "lazy Mamma Chicken Salad Wrap"

the funky red thing is a radish, the plate needed color besides green...lol

Chicken salad:

a pile of chicken ripped from the carcass, I like to have lots of dark meat
1 large dollop of plain full fat yogurt (about 1.5 tablespoon..maybe)
1 large dollop of mayo (not totally primal since it was Hellman's--oops)
1.5 teaspoon onion powder
1.5 teaspoon garlic powder
a clump of garam masala
a sprinkle of sea salt

Mix it all together, taste it and see if it is 'right', adjust seasoning as needed

So, how was it so delicious? Well, take the napa cabbage and blob some chicken salad in teh middle, squirt a bit of sriracha on there. Add some of the red onion and top with a bit of the bacon. Bite, then wait while you overcome the urge to slap your momma. Well, in my case it was my hubby because he was sitting next to me. I wish I had some more it was that good. Luckily it is all gone because I am full and don't NEED to eat anymore right now.

Oh, was thinking of doing something silly

2011-03-02T22:56:00.002-09:00

So, I was thinking of doing a 'weight loss' ad style photo shoot. You know the kind I mean. Where in the before pic they push out their belly and then in the after they suck in their gut. So, my photo shoot would have three shots. The pushed out belly, the normal belly and the sucked in gut.

I am a great gut sucker! I think I can make it look like I lost about 2 inches! Is that a testament to the strength of my abs?

Not Enough

2011-03-02T22:50:00.000-09:00

Not enough of something. Not enough good eats? Not enough good exercise? Not enough play? Sleep? Thinking?

I don't know, but something. I feel like i am missing something. I am guessing it is play. Too much time on my butt reading stuff on the internet. I have these grand ideas of doing 'something fun' with the kids and then it doesn't happen. I need to work on that. We have abundant snow and a pretty cool hill near-by. Sledding would be great play AND exercise. It was surely warm enough this afternoon at 8 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, I realize to some that doesn't seem like a good 'warm' temperature, but considering it was -24F at lunch time and 8F when I was going home from work, well that feels pretty damn warm!

So, yeah...play. Play for me and WITH the kids. They need more attention I think. Positive attention that is!

Maybe I should set up parental controls on my computer log-on, and make it so I can't log on between 8a.m and 9 p.m. I bet that would at least help me stay off the computer for a bit.

Other than being a bit blah about that aspect of my life things are going well. I did NOT get back up to 160 pounds after this weekend. I would love if 157 became my new 160. Or heck maybe even 155. Once I get below 150 I won't care one ounce about my weight anymore. I really want to focus on getting lean and not worry about weight, but I have this mental block that I can't be lean if I weigh more than 150. I *KNOW this isn't true, but man to see that weight, even if just for a moment before I build up those cool womanly muscles. I have not been that low in AGES and it would just be so nice to get to that next milestone. I am guessing that I can achieve 25% BF at that weight. Since I don't want to be bulky, just sculpted and sexy (you know LGN), I don't need to pack on huge amounts of muscle tissue. I guess that my 'goal' weight to be at 20% body fat would be around 140.

I know I need to lift more. And I know I need to HIIT more. Everything else is good.

So, there it is.

And yes, there will be more about the anti-low carb article I posted a few weeks ago :)

It Has Been too Long!

2011-02-27T21:44:00.000-09:00

I haven't blogged on here or my other blog for a while. I guess not much to say.

I did use the body fat calculator at the gym on Friday. In the afternoon, so the weight was not accurate, but I was down to 28% body fat, and had 114.something pounds of lean tissue. Not sure how that happened since I have been eating below 130 grams of carbs a day. According to the article by that dietitian I am supposed to be LOSING lean tissue, not maintaining and I certainly should not be LOSING body fat. I thought it was supposed to be water weight?!?! And water weight is considered 'lean tissue'. Darn, I must be a special chick!

I guess I am happy with my results, already down a percentage point of body fat :) I am, what? 14 days into the challenge? Maybe if I keep it up I can lose another point, or even gain some lean! I was not able to work out as much as I normally do, so with three good workouts this week a gain is a possibility.

I need to continue my series on the Q&A with that dietitian, I just haven't had the desire to. I suppose dedicating my brain power to my promotion test studies probably had something to do with that. I tested Friday though, so now I have some time left for other things. I will be taking the GRE this summer, so I need to focus on that soon. I need a math refresher for sure! Expect another post tearing apart the dietitian one day this week.

It's ABout Personal Responsibility People!

2011-02-19T21:05:00.000-09:00

Some lady in California is suing Nutella. Why? Because they claim to be a part of a healthy breakfast. She didn't realize it contained sugar and saturated fat. So she is suing them because she fed it to her kids.

Really?!?!

Are you kidding me? Did she not read the label. Does she not pay attention to the healthy information available all over the internet, sent home from schools and on T.V. shows? Seriously! If she went to school anytime during the last 30 years she had a nutrition/health class of some sort. They told me when I was 8 years old in 1984 that things high in sugar were not good for you. This led me to decide, at a mere 8 years old that sugary cereal was not a good choice for breakfast.

I just asked my 11 year old son if he thought Nutella was good for him. His response? "No." With a head shake. He then said it could be PART of a healthy breakfast if you "ate one, or half". So, my 11 year old son gets it. He understands that in moderation it can be healthy. Of course I had to prompt him on what you could eat it with since we are talking healthy here. He said 'bacon and eggs', then said well maybe 'waffles, or toast', knowing full well WE don't consider them healthy, but according to our government it is a whole grain world and they sure are healthy.

I wonder if that is part of the reason the government doesn't want to change their guidelines. Admitting whole grains are not that healthy would result in a class action lawsuit.

The government made me fat because they told me to eat insulin spiking carbohydrates and leaky gut causing grains!

Oh, wait. Maybe I should sue Nutella for telling m that their product will help me get my kids to eat more whole grains. :)

The Article that Started it All! (Dietitian Exposed Part 1)

2011-02-18T22:46:00.002-09:00

Well, maybe not ALL as in the very beginning of my way of life, but it did start this most recent challenge. I know I posted it before, but it still haunts me. The information is just so inaccurate, it is really all just this person's opinion. There are no hardcore facts. Yet, people read it and latch on to it as the honest truth. I have trouble with inaccuracies being trusted, I believe in honestly and integrity. I am sure this dietitian believes she is giving good advice, but she really isn't. That is really disturbing to me too.

Here is the link again: http://www.dietitian.com/locarb.html (1),(3),(4)

I am not sure if I will get to everything, but I will try and if needed will do it on more than one post.

The nutritional information provided here on carbohydrate controlled diets is based on research, education and clinical experience. I don't quote specific research studies as this website is for the general public not for nutrition scientists to debate various studies.(1)

This part is probably very true. They use research, but like any person only reviews things that support their belief system. Another issue is that there just hasn't been very much GOOD legitimate research in the nutrition world. Most of it is epidemiological studies based on people reporting on their diets over a period of time. It is widely known that humans are not very good record keepers when it comes to their personal eating habits. So, yes they use research and look at studies, but most of them are pretty flawed. Including things like the average end food 'cohorts' eating almost the same diets by macronutrient ratios, yet still classifying them as being within the parameters of the study. In this study that is perfectly clear:

Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction(2)

This represents the four diets from the above study, can you tell me which diet was the low carb one?

Diet 1: 1832 KCal, 208g CHO, 64g FAT, 83g PRO ( 45% CHO, 31% FAT, 24% PRO )

Diet 2: 1757 KCal, 173g CHO, 72g FAT, 90g PRO ( 40% CHO, 37% FAT, 23% PRO )

Diet 3: 1886 KCal, 190g CHO, 81g FAT, 86g PRO ( 40% CHO, 39% FAT, 21% PRO )

Diet 4: 1819 KCal, 218g CHO, 64g FAT, 77g PRO ( 48% CHO, 32% FAT, 20% PRO )(2)

I have no idea which diet is which, but it shows how inaccurate the research really was because all the diets are pretty similar in macronutrient ratios. Did you know that the Ornish diet is supposed to be 70 CHO, 10% fat and 20% protein? Do you see even one group that achieved that goal over the course of the study? I sure don't. But the abstract says they were 'compliant' with their prescribed diet. I really don't see how that can be considered compliant. All of these ratios, compared to the Food Guide Pyramid, are technically considered 'low carbohydrate' or at least 'lower carbohydrate' diets, no wonder they worked. Yet, this is the type of study that is used for the 'research' mentioned by the dietitian. Not so impressive, is it? I would guess they don't want to share their research because it is obvious it is manipulated or just flat out misinterpreted.

Secondly, high or low blood sugars do not cause anxiety attacks. The cravings and obsessing you describe are more indicative of binge eating.(3)

Really, blood sugar levels do not cause anxiety attacks? Hmmm, I have experienced it personally when I had an attack of hypoglycemia. When your blood glucose levels are too low it will trigger a stress response, this includes a flood of adrenaline into the body. This flood of adrenaline results in an anxiety attack. The body does not care that the 'flight or fight' response was the result of low blood sugar levels. It reacts the same way regardless of where the stimulus comes from, so people that are prone to anxiety attacks will experience them more frequently when they have unstable blood sugar levels. Now, some say this might not be true and that anxiety attacks have nothing to do with blood glucose levels. But, those same people will admit that a case of hypoglycemia will cause symptoms that are very similar to and can be mistaken for an anxiety attack. The original person that commented and asked the question of the dietitian is not a medical professional, and would not know this. The same would be said for the audience of people reading her response. What would have been a better thing to do was clarify that low blood glucose levels* cause symptoms very similar to an anxiety attack, but not an actual anxiety attack. Although, I have experienced this phenomena and I will say it sure SEEMED like an anxiety attack. And you know they say perception is reality, right?

High blood sugar is one symptom of diabetes and is caused by a lack or insufficient production of insulin. Low blood sugars is one symptom of hypoglycemia which is triggered by eating high carbohydrates, especially simple sugars and sweets, which causes an overproduction of insulin.(4)

Here it seems to me she doesn't quite grasp the difference between Type I and Type II diabetes. Type one is caused by a lack of insulin, whereas Type II is the result of either a lack of insulin OR hyperinsulinemia (high insulin, or over production of insulin). Insulin resistance (IR) is what causes Type II diabetes in many people, IR is a situation in which the cells of the body are not able to use the insulin appropriately to reduce the blood glucose levels. This leads to high levels on insulin in the blood. Eventually this leads to Type II diabetes. Does this medical professional really want to stand by her statement? Wanna read more about it? Check out this great article on it.

Okay, that is all for now. Reading the next question and her answers has lead me to realize that each question deserves its own post. There is just that much wrong information being presented as truth.

So, more to come. Maybe as a Friday night project.

Tomorrow I will post the yummy stuffed portobellos we had for dinner, delish!!! (with food pron)

*note that ANXIETY is one of the symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Day 3

2011-02-16T20:58:00.000-09:00

So, I have been busy with a class this week. Unfortunately, because of the class I missed two of my fitness sessions with my squadron. That leaves me just Friday afternoon, but I think we are having a commanders call or something. I guess missing out on my longer workouts might mean the silly dietitian wins for this week. I mean I can't possible stop myself from losing muscle if I am not in the gym pumping iron and running my butt off 5 times a week, can I?

So, I did do some push ups an dips today in the lounge at the building where I am taking the class. Nice, huh? I was waiting for the micro to heat up my chicken a tad. Maybe tomorrow I will do some squats instead :)

I have managed to stay below 130 carbs each day so far this week. I was super lazy about logging it yesterday, I only bothered with the carby foods, veggies, fruits, etc. I had about 60 yesterday.

I got my new running shoes! I sure wish I was going to the gym tomorrow to test them out! Maybe if the hubby doesn't have to work late I can squeeze in a gym session after class.

Oh, I found an *almost primal 'make do' for sushi! I love sushi, it has got to be just about one of my favorite foods of all time. Of course, sushi rolls come with rice, which on occasion is okay but on a regular basis needs to be avoided. I took some cucumber (perfectly primal) and marinated it in miso and sushi vinegar (not so primal). Then I wrapped it up in the nori, just like sushi. Let me tell you, it was exactly the same, but it makes a good substitute for eating more frequently. I am not totally anti-miso because it is a fermented soy product, which we know is not as bad for us as straight up soy. It isn't a darn veggie burger or tofurkey or anything nasty like that.

I have to take a moment to brag. N1S got fourth place in the science fair! That is a huge accomplishment for him and I am so proud!

I guess that is all for now. I have been tracking my goals and such in my notebook and will update later. I haven't made it to the gym to test body fat percentage or anything, but I did do it last week, so I may just go with that for my starting weight and percentage of body fat. Same with the measurements, use the ones from the end of the last challenge.

Another Challenge Already?!?

2011-02-13T23:21:00.000-09:00

Yes! I need to do this. I am in the 'prove em' wrong' mind set now. So starting tomorrow. Yues, tomorrow, I am going to be as strict as I can. I will eat chocolate, drink coffee and have dairy. The timing will be good because this challenge will end before St. Paddy's Day ;)

So, this challenge is the build muscle while low carb challenge. It means I will have to remain below 130 grams of carb a day. According to this Q&A with a registered dietitian a person under 130 grams of carbohydrate a day will catabolize muscle.

"Both 30 and 55 grams of carbohydrate per day are less than the minimum 130 grams necessary to prevent loss of lean tissue (muscles and organs). I would not recommend either for weight loss as you are likely to regain this weight once you stop dieting. Read the questions and answers below for more information."

"The problem with these diets is that after the first few days, body stores of glucose (glycogen) are depleted and the body turns to the only other source of glucose which is lean muscle tissue (organs and muscles). Metabolic rate decreases because the body thinks it is starving and because the muscles that burn calories are cannibalized to provide glucose."

So, I am making it MY mission to show that it isn't as cut and dried as that. We shall see what happens to my poor widdle muscles when I consume under 130 grams of carbs per day.

This thread is the impetus for my thoughts. The fallacies and lack of true understanding is so frustrating. It is especially difficult to read from the 'professional.

Anyone willing to join me? 30 Days of lower carb, you can go even lower than 130 if you want to.

I will include my normal workouts, and try to add an extra 'lift heavy things' day. I am very much wanting to get to 20 push-ups ASAP. Real ones, on the floor not the stairs. I am down to the 3rd stair now, will move to the second hopefully this week. I really want to get my back more muscular. I am hoping that this 30 days of lower carb will lead to seeing better definition in my back since it should lead to less back fat...shudder.

Will take 'before' pictures and measurements on Tuesday. This is the day I can use the BF monitor at the gym, so it makes sense. Let's see what 30 days can do when you REALLY stick to it.

Quick Update

2011-02-10T22:38:00.000-09:00

I am offically finished my last 30DC, and I am not upset about the reults, but Iknow they could have been better. I will buckle down and do it for real next time. I am thinking I will start sometime next week. 30 Days Full Primal. I can do it. It will HAVE to include push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups.

My next fitness test will be in April. I am hoping the last week of April so I can run outside. But, there is talk I will have to do it before my EPR closes out, which means by April 12th. It seems in my brain that I have "plenty' of time, but I know that isn't true.

I have stepped up my running. I ran twice this week. Not as far as I would have liked, but still within in profile. I did 12-12 laps today, which means I moved my body 1.5 miles, but I didn't run all of them. Six of the laps were running and I did them in about 65 seconds each. Not bad, and right in line with my goal of 13 minutes or less for the mile and a half run. I am giving myself 8 weeks to get to that goal. Last Friday I ran one lap only at that pace, this week I ran two laps at that pace. Each week I will increase a lap, running it in 65 seconds. So, one week I need to do an extra. I think doing it this week coming up makes most sense. So, I will do 3 laps with about a 65 second time for the lap.

I am down to the third step for push-ups! I was able to do 10 of them. I am hoping to get to 20 by the beginning of next week. Then I will progress to the 2nd step. I am hoping for full floor push-ups by mid March!

Tomorrow will be 'aerobics room craziness' or 'vigorous calisthenics". I am thinking; bent over rows, jump squats, ball roll outs, spilt squats, crunches on ball and seated torso twist with medicine ball. We shall see.

I have some new shoes coming! I can't wait for them to get here. They are 'barefoot' shoes, but don't look creepy like the Vibram Five Fingers. I purchased Merrill Pace Gloves. Woot! I have wanted a barefoot shoe for a long time now. I am really looking forward to sprinting in them :)

Reminder of my long term fitness goals, test wise:

run: 12:45

push-ups: 15

sit-ups: 42

abdominal circumference: 32.5

body fat: 20%- not tested, just a goal

For my April test:

run: under 13 minutes

push-ups: 15 (counted, at least 20 'attempts')

sit-ups: 40

AC: 33

Body Fat%: 27 by impedance

Explanation of 20 'attempts'. They have been much more strict with counting reps on push-ups. So my goal is to be able to do 20, and have them count a minimum of 15. If they count all 20, great! But, I know I need to be able to do more than my minimum, just in case they don't count a few. My minimum is 14. By being able to do at least 20 I should be great.

End of Challenge

2011-02-09T18:28:00.002-09:00

Original Measurements January 11, 2011

ankle: 7.5

calf: 14 1/8

lower thigh: 17

upper thigh: 22

hips: 40 (sigh)

waist:

natural waist (NW) -34.5 AF measurement- 37 (eek!) AF measurement sucking it in- 34.5

chest: 35

wrist: 6 1/8

forearm: 10

upper arm: relaxed- 11 contracted- 11.25

neck: 13.25

Measurements today, February 9, 2011

ankle: 7.5

calf: 14.5

upper thigh: 21.75

lower thigh: 17 2/8

hips: 39 7/8

waist: NW- 32.5, AF- 35 AF sucking in: 33

chest: 34.5 ( might redo this one in the a.m.)

wrist: 6

forearm: 10

upper arm: relaxed: 11 contracted: 11.25

neck: 13.25

Not too shabby for the waist. I lost (as if you couldn't do the math) two inches from my natural waist and two inches from where they do my official testing. Only 1.5 inches at the test point with sucking in my gut. Of course that always seems to happen to me. I am getting frustrated with my hips though. I want them to be 38 inches again.

Still no real improvement in my upper arm. One of these days...lol I did increase my calf size a bit though, I wonder if that is from the sprinting.

Overall I am happy with the inches lost. It will only get better with time. I guess I should really be happy with this since I was not as dedicated as I have been in the past. I need to do another 30DC and really be diligent.

I will weigh myself in the a.m. and report back, with the BF% too.

Here is today's BF% by measurement:

You have 25.8% body fat.

You have 40.4 Pounds of fat and 116.6 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water).

January 11 BF% by measurement:

You have 27.6% body fat.

You have 43.6 Pounds of fat and 114.4 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water)

That is a difference of 1.8% Let's see what the gym scale says tomorrow. Oh, and supposedly I did the impossible, gained muscle while losing fat...go figure. I hope the gym impedance scale shows a loss too!

Lazy day

2011-02-05T21:21:00.000-09:00

Well, I didn't get all of my workout in. I did one set of 20 push ups on the fourth stair and one forward plank on elbows. I didn't realize how sore some of my smaller muscles were from yesterday. Now the muscles between my shoulder blades are screaming and so is the annoying lower right abdominal muscle that likes to act up on occasion. I should have planned for something else today.

Now, if you count house cleaning as exercise I got about 40 minutes of that done. :)

Today's eats:

two hard boiled eggs, with butter and sriracha
1.5 pieces of bacon
coconut milk
heavy cream
a bit of agave nectar
a serving of almonds
cabbage and kielbasa for dinner, with butter
piece of turkey breast
carrots, raw
a tiny bit of almonds
5 white chocolate chips

Tomorrow is super bowl Sunday. Plan to eat some skinless gyoza, but I need to get to the store in the morning. I am excited about trying the recipe. I need to pick up some more zucchini too so I can try the cabbage rolls with out the tomatoes for people that are avoiding nightshades.

Here is a quick and easy breakfast food:

1 package bulk breakfast sausage (or ground meat with spices)
eggs
cheese if you use it

Brown the meat in a skillet
add scrambled eggs (about 4-8), stire until eegs are cooked
add cheese if wanted
or salsa
or hot sauce
or a can of tomatoes
or some chopped veggies
or....whatever you think will taste good :)

Yeah Baby!!

2011-02-04T21:47:00.000-09:00

I got a great workout today. I really like sprinting. I hate running, but sprinting I enjoy. The challenge maybe? KNow how good I will feel after? The soreness in all the right places.

I started with some chin ups on the assisted machine. I off weighted it by 125 pounds. I did a few sets at lower weights first, but couldn't pull up all the way so I didn't count those. I did two sets of five at 125 pounds. I also did two sets of 10 dips. I think the dips might be good for my shoulder, I could feel the anterior shoulder muscles really working. My goal is to be able to do a real chin up/pull up.

After that i went up to the track. First I timed myself on a lap. I decided that I am going to run at least one lap each time I go there, and then add a lap every few times. If I run each lap at the time I want to be able to run one for my test, by the time I test I should be able to do it easily. I accidently turned off the stop watch on my iPod with the first one. So I ran another lap after resting for about 30 seconds. I did that lap in 52 seconds. So, I was going to leave, but it seemed like it was too soon and I didn't feel like getting on the elliptical. Then I had the bright idea to sprint for real.

I ran the straights and walked the curves. I did that for 4 laps. I thought I was going to die. I would have done more, except I got to where the sprints just weren't sprints anymore. I rested a bit and then timed another lap. That one I did in just over 1 minute. It felt like a good pace, even though I was already exhausted. That means I should be able to run that pace for the full 12 laps. At one minute a lap I should be able to finish in an excellent time. My goal for my next fitness test is under 13 minutes for the mile and a half. I am liking that. I ended up going a mile total since I did 8 laps, 1 walking.

So, I am thinking this will be my Friday program at least until I can go fast for the full mile and a half. Each week I will add to the timed lap. Next week it will be two. Since I go to the gym three times a week anyway, if the track is available on Tuesday and Thursday I will run a few then too. So, yeah even though I hate running, I am actually making a running plan. If I want to achieve my goal of a 90 on my test, I need to get serious about it.

I am thinking the pull-ups and dips will help with my push-ups. Tomorrow I will do:

3 sets of stair push-ups: 20, 20, muscle failure
tabata thrusters
planks: each side and forward on elbows and in 'front lean and rest'
practice sit-ups: as many as I can in one minute

Then Sunday is rest. I don't normally do anything on Saturday, but like I said I have a goal to achieve. The planks will help my push-ups, the sit-ups are to see where I am and how much work I need there and the tabata is a great fat burner.....32.5 inch waist here I come!

What do I need to get a 90?

12:30 run
42 sit-ups
15 push-ups 32.5 inch waist

I have until the first week of April to get there. I am going to try my best to achieve this goal as fast as possible. Originally, I thought I could get there by my October test. Yeah, that won't happen because I will just keep putting it off and waiting too long to start. So, I start....well, I started today. Will I be devastated if I can't get there in April? Heck no! I am still on a fitness waiver, I am not expecting miracles. I know though that this training should help my injured shoulder, if I do it right.

This means I will have to do more than just the squadron P.T. I can handle that, even if it is just 1-2 extra things at home. I'll recruit the kids. If I can get out of the 70s for my score by April I will be pretty darn excited. If I get to 90 I will have a party.

Why 90? Well, because if you score a 90 you only have to test once a year :)

Cabbage Rolls

2011-02-02T18:54:00.001-09:00

My wonderful husband made cabbage rolls today for dinner, thanks to Everyday Paleo and our neighbor down the street who let us borrow her pressure cooker. Let me just say YUMMY!!!!! Hubby added thre slices of chopped bacon to the meat. It was so good. I am really looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch.

I am thinking I want to get just a plain white plate for taking food photos.

So, life is good. I am very happy to have finally made it below 158 pounds! Downward! My upper back is sore, I think from the way I am doing push-ups now, this is not a bad thing :)

My eats have been good today. Let me tell you berries and coconut cream is the bomb, especially with a little dark chocolate shredded on top!

Of course I had to add a picture of my cutie girl. I think she needs a bit of a hair cut :)

Cholesterol Update!

2011-02-01T21:19:00.000-09:00

So without further ado, my cholesterol levels from today.

Lipid Profile 01 Feb 2011 0852 Units Ref Rng
Glucose 87mg/dL (74-106)
Cholesterol 219 (H)mg/dL (100-199)
Triglyceride 38mg/dL (35-160)
HDL Cholesterol 60mg/dL (36-60)
Cholesterol/HDL Cholesterol 3.7 (0-5)
LDL Cholesterol 135.0 (H) mg/dL (0-130)

So, raise your hand if you think this is bad. Raise your hand if I need to work on my cholesterol levels.

I know I don't. I know that research has shown that a high HDL is great and any HDL >60 puts you at low risk for heart disease, so I am right on target there. That is actually up from my last test which was at 49, that happens to be on the low end for women.

What about the elevated LDL? Well, research also shows that super low triglycerides, well triglycerides under 100 can make the estimation for LDL artificially inflated. So, if my LDL was actually measured vs. being estimated the numbers may have been very different.

Of course there is the issue of the overall high cholesterol, since it is 219, which is of course over the limit. Well, with a high HDL, which we know is a good thing, of course my overall cholesterol will be on the high side. Heck even if my LDL was within the 130 limit, my overall cholesterol would STILL be too high.

All of my cholesterol ratios are excellent.
LDL/HDL: 2.25/1 ( For LDL/HDL ratios, the goal is to keep it below 3.5:1, with the ideal being under 2.5:1)
HDL/LDL: .4/1 (In the case of HDL/LDL ratios, the goal is to keep this ratio above .3:1, with the ideal being above .4:1.)

So, as you can see, my ratios are ideal! Actually better than average. So, even though my overall cholesterol is high, and my LDL is just over hte end of hte limit, I am perfectly healthy. I am willing to bet if I waited a few more weeks and tested it again my LDL would be down, I probably should have waited for 6 weeks after the holidays before I got the labs drawn. But, it is okay, I am not worried about it at all.

The question is, will my doctor? Only time will tell.

Here is a great link explaining all the levels, and why mine are good.

www.healthy-eating-politics.com/blood-test-results.html

I would be really interested to see if my LDL was big and fluffy, which I am guessing it is since my triglycerides are so low :)

Decadent?!?!

2011-01-31T22:25:00.000-09:00

As I was eating my snack of about 1.5 ounces of tri-tip beef the other day someone asked what I had. Of course I told him what it was. Yummy, delicious STEAK. It makes a wonderful afternoon snack, especially after a good morning workout. A little protein re-stock a few hours later always makes me feel better and keeps me from being hungry.

He told me that was a very decadent snack. Decadent? Really? He asked if steak was my snack, what was I going to have for dinner. I replied (of course), "I dunno, maybe more steak? We have some pork loin in the fridge and I roasted some chicken. Whatever it is, it'll be yummy!" What more could I say? I mean yeah some veggies, maybe a dollop, or two, of butter. But, what else would someone have for dinner? Cheese cake?

Now, cheesecake is what I think of when i think decadent. Not steak. Steak is just good eats!

I wonder if that is why so many people have such a hard time with my lifestyle. Maybe they just can't wrap their brain around being 'decadent'?

So, a quick Challenge Update.

I still can't do push-ups on the floor. I think 10 was very aggressive. I am hoping for 2 'good' push-ups. I am up to 20 on the stairs though. That is way better than the 5 I was doing to start. I KNOW I need to do some upper back and core work to get my push-ups where they need to be.

Mount Washmore? Getting there, conquering the entire mountain may never happen, but I can mostly see the laundry room floor, huge plus!

I batch cooked this weekend! Only two meals, but at least I did something. I need to get some groceries tomorrow to get us set up for the rest of the week, or two. I found out that the Sam's here has a good deal on frozen berries. I think I might need them. I eat a lot of berries, nom, nom, nom.

Let's see, what are my other goals? Ah, hmmm. I don't remember.

Weigh-in in the morning. Hopefully, I can FINALLY see 157....pretty please!

I am totally thinking about getting Insanity. I want a crazy home exercise program. I think it would be good because it is something N1S can do too. He is going to be playing football and probably should start getting in shape now so he doesn't feel left behind when he starts practice. The other good thing is it doesn't require any extra equipment.

So, just one more week on the challenge. I already know I didn't do as well as I have previously. Because of this it is going to be right back to it after this one is over. I actually considered just ending this one early and starting again, but that really seems like cheating. So, I am accepting that I might not reach my goals, but it will NOT be a failure. It will be a learning experience. Getting back into the swing of things and moving on.

Roast Duck!

2011-01-31T18:15:00.000-09:00

So I roasted a duck last night, and it turned out really yummy. It isn't as good as the one my mom makes, but I didn't have her recipe and went from memory. This is when I discovered why I rarely share what I cook. It is kind of hard to share a recipe when you don't use any and you don't know how much of everything you are putting in! So how does an 'intuitive' cook share their deliciousness?

I can give you the ingredients:
duck, rinsed and dried

about 1/4 cup soy sauce (to be truly primal you would want tamari- wheat free)
1 bunch scallions (AKA green onions)
4 cloves garlic
about 1 inch of fresh ginger
1 tbsp honey
3 pods of star anise
rice vinegar
about 1/2 cup water

Pre-heat oven to 375
combine soy sauce, chopped garlic, honey and vinegar and then pour over and in duck
place duck in roasting pan with green onions (duck should be dressed, I used the flap of fat and skin to hold the legs in place)
place in oven, set timer for, well about 10 minutes or so.
turn oven down to 325, baste duck, add water
taste the sauce about 20 minutes later, decide it isn't "right", add more flavors: garlic powder, ginger from the spice rack because you are too lazy to chop more from the freezer, a little more honey- about 1 tbsp all mixed with about 1-2 more tbsp soy sauce. Pour over duck, add another anise pod.
roast with lid on now for about 1.5 hours. Then remove lid and roast for about 20 minutes. Decide you want to roast a pork for later in the week, prepare the pork. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 400. DOn't take the duck out, the skin needs to crisp up a bit.

Take the duck out when the oven is pre-heated for the pork. Realize that although the duck is finished, it might have been better long and low. Decide to follow a bit more direction in the cooking portion. We want the skin crispier next time ;)

Woot! Woot!

2011-01-29T14:31:00.000-09:00

This is of course 'unofficial' but this a.m. I weighed myself and I was 157.6, yay! I wanted to see where I was in hopes that it would keep away the 'just ones'. I think it will.

Knowing I could be at my short term goal on weigh-in day would be very happy making. So, there will not be 'just one' chip, or 'just one' bite of bread, or 'just one' piece of pizza. There may be 'just one' glass of wine, but I know I can lose if I have wine, but not other types of alcohol.

Eats so far:
1.5 slice of bacon
1.5 hard boiled eggs
1.5 ounce beef tri-tip
2 cups of coffee with heavy cream. First cup had 5 semi-sweet chocolate chunks and 5 mint chips.

Not sure about the exercise thing, unless you count the 10 mins I spent being silly with the girls and M-Man dancing around.

I really need to start adding more food photos and recipes for folks!

What to say?

2011-01-27T23:06:00.000-09:00

Nothing too exciting. I have been really doing well with making lunches for me and Number 1 Son. Well, I have been making my lunch for quite some time, but just started it for N1S recently. The food they serve at lunch is not that great, and he seems to pick some of the worst choices they have. So, for the first time in his public school education, I am making him lunch. He doesn't always eat it all, but I figure even most of the time is better than burgers and pizza everyday. I was thinking I should make lunch for my honey too, he might feel a bit left out.

I didn't work on laundry mountain tonight. It wasn't because I forgot, but more of a burnout from folding about 6 loads of laundry last night. I will wash an extra load tomorrow (I did wash/dry the morning load today).

My treats today: 1 piece chocolate, a piece of brie cheese, one bite of gluten free cake.
My fruits/veggies: cabbage, bell pepper, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, onion, plantain- not all were full servings, but I think it adds up to 5 servings total.

Exercise: LHT and sprint again. Similar workout as Tuesday, just a little more directive from the PTL. Pyramid push-ups, squats, squat jumps, crunches, lunges and mountain climbers. Sprints between each exercise, then run 3 laps around the field and walk two (I ran 2 walked one because my knee doesn't like the circles)

I guess that means tomorrow can be just a move slowly day, although I think I will get on the Total Gym and do some pull-ups :)

That's all for now. Tomorrow is Friday! Woot!!!

Quick Update

2011-01-26T23:05:00.000-09:00

I mde progress on laundry mountain!!!! We got all the stuff folded from the top of the washer/dryer. Not only that, but all my stuff and the kids stuff was put away, this is monumental! I am thinking this new system might work, and then once the largest part of it is done we can work on a set night for each person.

I ate okay today. I am hoping that I see some results, but I am thinking it might be time to limit my dairy again. Yeah, I seem to be stuck. It is either sodium or cheese, or maybe both.

I weighed 160.1 today, yup, keeping it real. I didn't want to admit to that, but I have to. I really think it is a result of the alcohol this weekend, so none this weekend for me (did you read that guys, none), well maybe one glass of wine. Definitely no Carolans, too much sugar!

-Track food, at a minimum log 'treats'- one square of dark chocolate, some cheese and H&H
-Eat 5-10 veggies and fruits per day: just barely 5 :(
-Lift heavy things 2 times per week: 1 time so far
-Sprint once per week (can be tabata): already!
-Move slowly 2-3 times per week: not yet, need to work on this one- still
-Play: this wasn't on my list, but should be. Eh, it is really something I need to work on- still

I have been managing to get to bed before 11:30, but need to work on getting it bck to 11.

That is it for now. I need to get to sleep, it is 11:05 ;)

What Day Is It?

2011-01-25T23:08:00.000-09:00

\I don't know, I started on January 11th I think, that would make it Day 15 or something.

Better is how I can describe it. I am beginning to think it is time to throw in teh towel on laundry mountain. I am having so much trouble sticking to the plan because it is fairly overwhelming. Plus, I am so friggin forgetful about some things, especially things I just don't want to do. So, instead of the one person a day I am changing my strategy. I am going to wash a load at night before bed, toss it in the dryer in the morning. Start another load in the morning and then toss it in the dryer when I get home. After dinner, homework, baths, making lunches, studying for promotion testing (or maybe during with the audio book?), I will fold it and put it away. I might feel like I could even do the schedule if I do it this way, but it requires to much remembering and I think I need it in smaller steps.

Food was great today.

My eats:

B: two eggs scrambled with coconut milk and hot sauce, sausage patty
C: 2.5 cups (read about 3-4) coffee, half & half, coconut milk, about 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Snack: 7 wasabi almonds, 3 macadamia nuts
lunch: shrimp salad (mayo, sushi seasoning, onions, garlic), cabbage leaves, orange bell pepper, parmesan crusted zucchini rounds (dipped in garlic flavored egg wash), 1 square dark chocolate
S: mixed berries with coconut milk and cinnamon
S: a few almonds, a few walnuts, a bit of chocolate and a few white chocolate chips (I should call this 'trail mix' and say it was about 2 tbsp...lol)
Dinner: yummy homemade clam chowderish soup with leeks and parsnips, 1/2 corn muffin
S: 1 slice liverwurst, zucchini rounds

Damn, I eat a lot. I really felt like I ate great today, but maybe too much....rofl. I had started to tally it up, you know log it on an internet based tracking system. I really wanted to finish it off today, but then I made a homemade soup, and I don't feel like going through the hassle of logging it in. Well, that and the site doesn't seem to want to let me go to that part of the site :(

So, I will try to track tomorrow, well more accurately anyway. If I can remember what I ate I might try adding today's stuff tomorrow.

Oh, I did a LHT at the same time as getting in a sprint workout. We had to sprint part way down the indoor field and back. We worked out for 35 mins and just kept sprinting and doing calisthenics of our choice. So a twofer! Love it.

-Plan meals for the week and pre-cook 1-2 weekday meals on the weekend: nope :( not this week-Track food, at a minimum log 'treats'- Eat 80-90% Primal- so far this week :)
-Eat 5-10 veggies and fruits per day: heck yeah!
-Lift heavy things 2 times per week: 1 time so far
-Sprint once per week (can be tabata): already!
-Move slowly 2-3 times per week: not yet, need to work on this one
-Play: this wasn't on my list, but should be. Eh, it is really something I need to work on

These are the "Before" pics for this challenge, I need to find my other shorts the ones I am wearing in these photos are HORRIBLE!!!!! Plus, the other pair was easier to see in :)

I will do better job with them at the end, dedicate an entire post to the 'before and after' reveal.

Need to Find Motivation

2011-01-24T22:02:00.001-09:00

Yeah, it has been low lately. I *want to get to my goals, I just don't really *want to do the work to get there. I need to work on that.

I am doing fairly well with eating during the week, but can't seem to keep it together on the weekend. This is something I REALLY need to work on.

But, what has been the biggest struggle is stupid Mt. Washmore. It just isn't happening. That I REALLY, REALLY need to take care of...sigh.

So, today I ate well:
1 tbsp pecans, 2 walnut halves, two macedamia halves, homemade beef jerky, 7 Wasabi & Soy Sauce almonds.

coffee with H&H and coconut milk

lunch: hamburger patty, 5 shrimp, mixed berries with coconut milk and cinnamon, carrot.

green tea with coconut milk- 2 cups

dinner: chicken (fried no skin), 1 beef rib, 4 parmesan crusted zucchini rounds, 7 almonds, brie

after dinner: 5 chocolate chunks (you know the kind for baking), a few walnut pieces, a few raspberries

So, I think I also need to re-cap my goals to help me remember what I want to achieve. I added them to the side where my weigh-ins are. I actually did really well on exercise last week. I exercised 3 times, with a sprint on Friday and "LHT" on Tuesday and Thursday. I did not track treats and stuff that well though.

Okay, that is all for now. I will be trying to be better with getting on here everyday.

Choices- revisited

2011-01-14T21:53:00.000-09:00

So, I talked recently about choices, how we choose to eat food or not eat food. How we don't cheat, we know that we are choosing to eat something that might be bad for us, or we think a moment and we chose to eat the food we know is healthy.

In a sense this means we choose to be fat, or unhealthy, or unhappy. It is our choice. It is not McDonald's fault that you are fat, Ronald McDonald did not grab you by the hand with the burger in one hand and your jaw in the other and force feed you. If your parents didn't teach you healthy habits as a child, it is NOT their fault that you have not now learned the right things to eat, obviously you can read ;) It is not the schools fault the children are fat, make your child's lunch. It is not the governments fault, if you try following the food pyramid and it doesn't work, well then look for something that does.

It is time for people to open their eyes and admit that they are responsible for their weight. You may have a medical condition, you may have taken a medication that made you gain weight. Yes, I understand this, been there done that. But, if you are still fat months or years later, it is still your fault. Well, your body anyway. You can't blame anything or anyone else.

Maybe you have a thyroid condition, or took DEPO or steroids. Well those things don't last forever. There are ways to make it work. There are ways to lose the weight, even if it has been difficult or impossible in the past. How do I know this with such certainty?

I gained a considerable amount of weight in 2005. I had my daughter in July 2005 my top weight during her pregnancy was 205 pounds. By mid September I was down to 176. In December 2005 I went to the doctor because I was up to 205 pounds again, while eating well and exercising. I don't even know for certain what my top weight ended up being. In January 2006, I was diagnosed as being hypothyroid with a TSH of 100. This started a long journey of weight loss. I started medication and in the first 6 months I lost a little bit of weight, probably about 10 pounds or so.

After that it was a struggle. I know what it is to struggle with your weight, to do everything possible and still not lose, or maybe lose 1-2 pounds a month. I struggled enough that I decided there was no reason for me to stay in the military since I had been unable to lose enough weight from January 2006 until July 2009.

Enter The Primal Blueprint and The Paleo Diet. They saved my life. After years of calorie restriction and exercising without success I was finally able to lose weight, effortlessly. It was a miracle, or so I thought, until I began researching it. It wasn't a miracle it was science.

If you are interested in the science of it read the book Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. Or take the time to lurk around on Dr. Eades blog, or the PaNu blog. They can explain it a lot better than I can. Or you could take the time to go read this: http://entropyproduction.blogspot.com/2009/02/all-medical-science-is-wrong-within-95.html

I just really think it is time for people to realize that their choices are what got them fat, and their choices keep them fat. Regardless of a medical condition, there is a way for every person to lose weight and get healthy, you just have to be willing to look closely and change things up if they don't work. Or, you might just have to be willing to 'go against the grain'. Ditch it and feel better :)

Quit making excuses and get healthy!

Sunlight!

2011-01-13T22:01:00.000-09:00

So, no we still don't have the best sunlight yet, but it is actually making it off the horizon and into the sky. Definitely leading to longer days and giving the hint of spring. Although, it is still below zero and probably will get colder over the next few weeks.

Today was a pretty good day. I didn't really eat as many veggies/fruits as I wanted to, but I stuck pretty well to the plan. I just wasn't hungry for them, wasn't totally hunger today at all, although my calories don't show that. I ate pretty well.

Hubby made some interesting treats, a chocolate covered prune, pretty tasty :)

I let hubby take some pictures of me this morning, but I was afraid to look at them. I suppose I should upload them for integrity. Sigh.

Here's to keeping up the goodness.

Oh, I did turn down Cheetos today that is a huge deal for me, I love them.

Ah well, I am not feeling too chatty tonight. No real deep thoughts to share.

Determining the 10-20%

2011-01-12T22:44:00.000-09:00

I had no clue how to do that. Really, by ratio, by weight, by how much it looks like compared to the rest of my food. I decided to go straight up with the calories. So I added the number of calories from all non-primal foods. Today that would be the 9 chocolate covered espresso beans, 2 squares of Ritter-Sport 72% dark chocolate and a 2 tablespoons of half and half.

I then divided that total by the total number of calories I ate. It came to 9%. So, I figure it is pretty darn close :)

I realize a lot of people don't like the 20% rule. And you know what? I don't give a rats a$$. This is my life and my choice. I want to stay primal as long as possible and for me to do that and still enjoy the way I eat, it is going to include chocolate and some dairy products. That is all there is to it. I have been told I am not 'paleo' or, 'well that isn't very primal is it?' You know what? I still don't care. I am not really a caveman, we have some things in modern society I refuse to part with. Chocolate isn't the only one. I will NOT go back to sand paper toilet paper, or a leaf or some craziness. I like my Charmin thank you very much. And Bounty paper towels. You won't see me doing a lot of things our ancestors did, it just isn't happening. I like chocolate I eat chocolate. I'm not paleo, now my feelings are hurt...sniff, sniff.

Seriously, it just isn't that hardcore for me. I am reaping the benefits of the diet and the happiness my little bit of chocolate gives me.

Am I try to justify my indulgence? No, I feel no need to justify anything. I am just letting you know that some one can throw spears at me and say I am not 'paleo' or 'primal' and that is okay. I am NOT really either of those. I am me and I choose to stay me as healthy as I can, while still eating chocolate every day.

Bison Chili

2011-01-12T18:40:00.000-09:00

Bison Chili from TPB Cookbook

My husband who loves me the most made this for our dinner, it was so worth the picture.

Why Is It?

2011-01-12T17:41:00.000-09:00

Why is it that when I am doing a 30DC the thought of abstaining from a Reese's Peanut Butter Heart is easy. I saw one, I wanted one and I chose not to eat it. I played the thought game, "you can have just one, it is small!" But, I decided not to eat it. Why can I do it so easily by telling myself it won't help me stick to the challenge, but in normal "life" I can find a way to justify it? I need to work on that. The Reese's Heart isn't any better for me 28 days from now than it is today. I need to just learn to say, 'no' all the time.

Today has been a good day so far, I ate only two squares of dark chocolate. I can live with that. I turned down the Reese's heart, I can really live with that.

We are having yummy bison chili with avocado for dinner, my wonderful husband cooked it for me. He is the best. I should take some pictures and share :)

I need to get to the laundry, we have a ton that needs to be folded. I really hate doing laundry, can you tell?

Tht's all for now, more update later. I am going to try to figure out if I am literally sticking to my percentage for the 10-20%. I think just going by the percentage of my calories will give me an idea if it is going over or not.

Here Goes! Day One

2011-01-11T22:14:00.001-09:00

So this is it, getting to be the end of Day 1 of the 30DC.

Here are my measurements:

weight: 158.1
BF% by impedance: 29% (woot! down a point already, go hydration)
BF% by measurement: You have 27.6% body fat.

You have 43.6 Pounds of fat and 114.4 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water)

All measurements in inches

ankle: 7.5

calf: 14 1/8

lower thigh: 17

upper thigh: 22

hips: 40 (sigh)

waist:

natural waist (NW) -34.5 AF measurement- 37 (eek!) AF measurement sucking it in- 34.5

chest: 35

wrist: 6 1/8

forearm: 10

upper arm: relaxed- 11 contracted- 11.25

neck: 13.25

So, there it is. The starting over point. I really feel like the last few months have had a negative impact on my health. I need to keep that in mind if I am injured again and find a way to maintain my muscle composition. Going backwards on all those things has been quite an eyeopener. I do have to say though that I took the measurements at night. I may redo the waist and chest measurements because of all the water and stuff in my belly right now. They are probably more accurate in the morning.

Other goals:

Laundry- Got the girls laundry in the wash. I couldn't remember which day it was for what was supposed to be accomplished, but as long as one was done it isn't a complete failure if I did the wrong load.

Fitness- Did 10 minutes of running without stopping, then about 12 minutes of walking. I finished that portion with two 200 meter sprints. I did a total of 40 counter level push-ups, with the closer grip. Wow, those are more difficult! I can do it though, I know I can.

Nutrition- I didn't log on the food tracker today, but I will tomorrow. I think that is helpful, especially for anyone wondering what exactly I do eat.

veggies/fruit: celery, cucumber, red bell pepper, apple, berries

off plan- 1 square dark chocolate, 3 chocolate covered coffee beans (<10% off)

water 90+ ounces

Day 1 seems like a success to me. I could have had a bite of a steak finger (grains) or a piece of a candy cane (just not good), but I didn't I said, "no". I could have skipped the sprints. I made a lot of choices today, and all of them were good. Oh, yeah and free pizza. I could have had free pizza, but I just the topping today. Oh, yeah baby. The power of the 30DC!

Let's see what tomorrow brings!

Little personal things not specific to the challenge:

in bed by 11 on work nights

drink 80+ oz of water

make lunches night before

I think that is enough for one night. More 'deep thoughts' to come as the 30DC continues.

Has anyone decided to join me? Let me know and make a comment!