Going Primal

It’s the end of the year and as I look back over the past 12 months I see a lot of inconsistency. I've had great moments, horrible moments, and everything in between. My best was two weeks in June when I ate nothing but fresh vegetables and fruits, healthy fat and lots of protein. I haven't felt that great in years, I lost 8 pounds and felt stronger. Unfortunately we went to a family reunion, I fell to temptation and...well...

I can't beat myself up too much though. Suffice it to say 2011 was a Year of Experimenting. Experimenting with new foods (chard, liver, kale, and bok choy to name a few), new exercises (P90X), starting at the university and trying different study methods, and transitioning from raising a baby to raising a toddler. I didn't lose the weight or put on the muscle I had planned but so what? I now know what diet works best for me, what exercise program motivates and keeps me coming back for more, and how to balance school, kiddo, and personal growth.

Here's to 2012. With my new skills will it be the Year of the Bikini? Probably not since we are hoping to add to our family, but it will be the year of healthy eating, more time outdoors, more laughter and less stress and, best of all, more time with the people I love.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Scrolling through and seeing new posts? I've decided to combine my older gardening blog with this one to have all my stuff in one place. Enjoy!

I've been trying to get out of my rut of chicken breasts/baked chicken, pork chops, and steaks and finding new ways to prepare meats. Today was cold, dark, and after receiving some bad news about an ill family member I just wanted comfort food. I was idly flicking through my recipe box while trying to find a car title* when I stumbled on an old meatloaf recipe I haven't made in years.

Basically, take some ground beef, an egg, some seasonings, maybe some diced onions or peppers depending on whats on hand, and mix it up good. Roll it out on a sheet of wax paper till its about an inch think and six inches wide, put down a layer of provolone and prosciutto, use the wax paper to roll it up like a burrito, set the burrito in a pan and bake till done. The recipe calls for a tomato topping but I think it tastes nasty and don't use it (plus that keeps the carbs down). Cheesy beefy goodness in a neat little package that is wonderful fresh from the oven and spectacular cold the next day. Yummmmm, add some root veggies on the side to help soak up some of the grease and you've got a meal fit for a caveman.

As I type the meat and seasonings are all mixed together (letting them sit and become friends helps the flavor in my opinion) and I can't wait to sit down to a big slice of "bread". Now, if only I could find my car title the day would look a lot brighter.

*No, I'm not crazy. I've lost my car title, I've gone through the obvious places 4 or 5 times and now moving on to any place where paper has a tendency to congest. The damn thing has to be in the house!

Its been in the 30s all this week with freezing fog and rain. Finals are done and I think I passed my classes *fingers crossed*, now I can finally get into the holiday season!

Yesterday we put away all the Halloween/Fall decorations, the house looks rather bare without all the reds, oranges and bronzes. We also moved furniture and scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed. Now the place is sparkly-bare and awaiting red, green, silver, and gold. I've got the Holly station on and Christmas carols rolling up and down the hallways, the guest room is full of presents waiting to be wrapped for the gift exchange and Secret Santa, and the many boxes of Christmas decorations pulled out waiting to be emptied. I can almost smell eggnog and pine.

Without the stress of school I am suddenly a much happier and carefree person. Could be because I've also been watching my meals closer and cutting out a lot of clutter that has been sneaking in. Yesterday I leaped out of bed for the first time in weeks, obviously I've been getting too much sugar or carbs or something. With the cold and all this energy I went a little nuts and made two huge pots of soup: for lunch was Chinese Egg Drop and for dinner was Minestrone. Admittedly the minestrone was rather high in carbs and beans but its tomato-y goodness was perfect for a cold day; and the egg drop soup hit the spot (even if it is more of a summer-type soup). I'm already eye-balling the last pumpkin we have and trying to think of how it could be turned into a savory, winter-y, soup. Any suggestions?

Mark's blog had an interesting post today about rituals. Being the holidays I'm starting to notice other families and what they do, and the little things we are starting to do that are becoming our own unique rituals. Having a child makes these little things more important, for some reason. I look forward to when she is a little older and understands a little more about what is going on.

Now, to find a gluten-free, low-carb, healthy gingerbread recipe. Wish me luck!

It's been a while so I whipped out the measuring tape. Gad, this is depressing but oh well:

Bust: 47"
Waist: 48"
Hips" 51"

What I want them to be (and what they were in high school):

Bust: 36"
Waist: 25"
Hips: 38"

Man....I gotta ways to go.

My ol' man:

School is kicking my hiney. So many papers due all at once, it feels like the last two weeks all I've done is type! And I'm still not done. Oh well. Only two more years to go :D

Nothing very exciting happening here-other than schoolwork. Hubby is working on a major business project, kiddo is growing like a weed, and we've been on-again-off-again on our eating habits. I've definitely gained weight *sigh* I need to figure out how to balance my time better so I can get classwork done, cook, have time to be a human, and keep the house clean. I still have Halloween decorations up!

AHHHHHHH!!!

Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday to me!
Oh my God I'm 30!!
Happy birthday to me!

Here's to 30 rough and tough years of growing up and figuring out who I am. Still not sure but I know what I'm not. My hair's just as dark as it was 30 years ago, though its a bit longer and there's a few strands of silver in it now. I survived babyhood, toddler-hood (with a few memorable scars still showing), tween-hood, and teen-hood (not quite sure how I did that) and even made it through the 20s without embarrassing myself too badly or ending up in the pokey. I still don't have a college degree (only two years left though!), still haven't gone sky-diving, skiing, gone to a music concert, or visited Europe.

I've had a career with one of the top computer software companies in the world (who needs a degree?), lived in many different places and have bought a house; own two cars outright, married a wonderful man and gave birth to the world's most beautiful and intelligent baby (hush, your baby is perfect too). I've seen fire and flood, swam in glacier melt and with sea turtles; eaten snails and frogs and things best left unsaid...and I'm not old yet!

Here's to the next 30 years! To watching my baby grow up, to finishing college, to learning more about myself, to being a good friend and a good mother, to having fun, eating good food, and laughing till I cry!

I have to scream, suddenly it feels like I have too much going on, not enough hours in the day, and not enough patience or energy to accomplish anything. I've even skipped two days of P90X just have that hour to get other things done. Did they? *sort* of course not, I should have just worked out.

Tomorrow we leave for the coast and I can't wait! I'll have to drag some of my work with me (grrrrrr) but otherwise it will be nothing but 3 days of sand, sun, and family. Err...well...at least the Pacific Northwest version of sun, lol!

Sore and a little achy but man it feels good. I feel like I've actually accomplished something...though, lets face it, I'm so out of shape I'm not completing nearly the same amount of reps/weight as the people on the show. Oh well, a little at a time and I will get there.

Splurged a little today on the dark chocolate. Hubby found some 60% stuff that is awesome! I actually felt satisfied after one piece, but then I got to working on homework and didn't put the bar away so next thing I know its halfway gone. Next time I'll only take a serving and then put it back in the cabinet. You'd think I'd have learned by now that when I get to reading/taking notes/distracted the hand keeps shoving things in the mouth, even if the body is happy.

It is really getting to be fall here. This weekend I hope to talk hubby into going to apple picking. Other than that its just working out and cleaning house on the agenda. Maybe we'll take a walk down to the library. Happy weekend everyone!

P90X...Feel the burn!!!

Oh yeah, I am very much feeling it. I've never done so many push-ups in my life, it feels great! In a weird, masochistic way. Tony Horton is extremely cheesy, which is strangely what I need when I start to wuss out. Just when I think I'm done and going to pack it in, he says something so off the wall dumb I start giggling and pump out a couple more reps. Technically P90X isn't really primal but I am hoping it will speed up my results.

So, here are my goals for the next 90 days:

Workouts 5 days a week with the 6th day optional.
Reasoning: 5 days a week I know I can get a workout in during kiddo's nap. During the weekend we are often out of the house, or hubby and I do house/yard work together so I can't guarantee a workout time. Don't want to set myself up for failure.

Primal Diet that Includes Dairy
Reasoning: Trying to do 80/20 just isn't cutting it, I give myself a little rope and then I suddenly realize that the little indulgences have become big ones. I will give a little lee-way for my birthday trip, Thanksgiving, and the Christmas trip. This will give me something to look forward to (on those days its milk chocolate or die) so I shouldn't feel deprived.

My Stats as of today:

Weight: 222.0
Waist: 47"
Hips: 46"
Chest: 47"
Right Arm: 17.5"
Left Arm: 17"
Right Thigh: 26.5"
Left Thigh: 26.5"
Neck: 18"

What a weekend! Spent Saturday at the university watching us get our butts kicked. *sigh* We managed to avoid the high-sugar, high-carb tailgating though there were some biscuits and gravy that smelled divine. Must stay on track!

Sunday was spent cleaning the yard and prepping for the cold season. Last weekend we split the oak rounds and this weekend I stacked all the wood while hubby mowed the yard. My back is whining about all the bending and lifting but it feels good to look out and see all that fire just waiting to burn. Got it stacked and covered just in time too, right after I came in the house to wash up it started raining.

It is now officially fall so we unpacked the Fall/Halloween decoration box. Kiddo was amazed at all the lights and had a blast helping hang them up. The house is looking very bronze and copperish-I love it! From now till the Winter Solstice is my favorite time of year, with the warm days and cool nights, the trees changing color, Halloween and Thanksgiving and Solstice to look forward too.

Today is a cool, drizzly-gray day and occasionally the breeze kicks up a little cloud of bright yellow leaves. I've got kiddo down for her nap and the house scrubbed; now to figure out dinner, do some homework and decide whether to chance taking a walk to the library. Ahhhhhhhh I LOVE FALL!

I realized today that 80/20 probably isn't a safe thing for me. On one hand I've been eating more veggies (thank goodness for Farmer's Markets and end of summer deliciousness!) and lots of healthy fat. On the other, every night I've given in to the craving of a peanut butter cup. And no, not the primal version, the Reese's version.

So, I haven't had ANY grains this month. But in the Reese's are soy, sugar, lactose, nonfat milk (and then strangely milk fat, why not just use regular milk??), some chemical stuff as a preservative...not exactly happy, healthy food. But damn it tastes good. And I'm staying under 100 carbs a day, and I feel great, and...

*sigh*

Honestly, I don't think its the sugar, I think its milk chocolate. That creamy taste, the smell, the color, the way it glues itself to your fingers and has to be sucked off. Mixing cocoa with a sweetener (coconut milk, fruit, etc) just doesn't cut it, even though it is healthier and doesn't taste bad-its just not milk chocolate.

So, how did you kick your worst eating habit? What's that one food that is just refusing to leave?

Not much excitement this Sunday-a little cleaning around the house with lots of sitting on the porch enjoying the breeze and watching the leaves dance. There is a definite feeling of fall in the air, even if the thermometer says its 90 degrees out. I'm starting to think of fall decorations-I wonder if petunias come in yellow, red, and orange-it would be cool to replace the hanging flower baskets out front with those colors.

Hubby read through the P90x instructions and we went through the beginning assessments. I can jump higher than him, which was a surprise, though he can hold a wall squat for much longer. Our plan is to start the program tomorrow (that way we can finish it before the Christmas holidays) and see what it does. I'm kinda excited but more hopeful than anything else.

Got my new Vibrams in the mail yesterday *squeal* Unfortunately I think they might be too big, there seems to be a lot of space at my heel when my toes are in the correct spot. The shoe doesn't slip around at all so I think I will wear them a little bit and see if they are comfortable. I won them off eBay and can't return them-if it ends up I really need a smaller size I'll post them on eBay. Hubby wants a pair but he has a longer middle toe so I'm not sure if they will fit on him, we need to find someone in town who carries them so he can try some on.

Off to go look at fall garden magazines and think about decorating for the autumn holidays. I love this time of year!

Saturday post
It's FINALLY football season. Whoo-hoo! I've waited all summer to see my boys in action and here they are!!

And, of course, along with football comes the food. My team was playing away today so no tailgating but that didn't stop me from going a little crazy in the kitchen. I whipped up a batch of Buffalo wings, bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos*, and for a sweet, chocolate cheesecake. And yes, it was all diet-approved deliciousness!!

First off, the Buffalo wings, courtesy of this recipe from MDA. The first batch I followed the recipe exactly, the second batch I added a lot more hot sauce-fire in the house! I really had trouble limiting myself to three, they were so good.

Second was the jalapenos. After a slight malfunction when I accidentally rubbed my eyes while cleaning the peppers (it is possible to laugh and cry at the same time, though my eyes are still red even as I type) these came off perfectly! The crispy, salty bacon offsets the cream cheese and both help to mellow the spice of the pepper that it is very easy to get a little carried away nibbling on these bad boys.

Last was chocolate cheesecake, made with 100% cocoa, cream cheese, an almond flour and butter crust, and a little bit of xylitol for sweetening mmmmmmm-MMMMMM! A perfect end to the day's gorging (which after nibbling here and there, plus actual meals, I felt like I'd overdone things by the time the last game was over.)

Not much exercise happened, though we did get the pool flipped upside down so it could dry completely and put away the pump and toys. There is now a huge bare spot in the yard but the grass underneath is already starting to green up. Hopefully it will grow back before the fall rains hit. And my boys lost...*sigh* but otherwise it was a great day!

*Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients:
As many jalapenos as you can scarf down (I used 6 since they were huge)
Cream cheese (depending on how many jalapenos you'll need more or less, I used about 3 ounces)
Bacon (at least one piece per jalapeno)
Toothpicks

Heat oven to 450 degrees
Slice jalapeno in half and remove seeds
Stuff as much cream cheese in the two halves as can fit
Fit the two halves back together (I found if I scrap off any excess cream cheese the halves will fit snugly back together)
Wrap a slice of bacon around the jalapeno, secure with toothpick
Lay on foil covered cookie sheet
Bake for 15-20 minutes (basically till the bacon is crispy)
Let cool completely
Scarf down!

Five days in and starting to have mood swings. Just feel sad and down and not really sure why. Can't think of anything that would be causing a downer of a day, the sun is shining and its nice out, kiddo is healthy and happy and soon it will be the weekend and football.

Leftovers for breakfast and lunch with pan-fried steaks for dinner. yum!

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day, I'd love a hunk of milk chocolate at the moment. Must be strong!

A sad day as we drained the pool and prepped it for storage. It's supposed to be hot the next couple days but then start to cool off and we figured we'd better get drained and allow it to dry out before the fall rains start. I hope they hold off till October but you never know in this area. Makes me sad to see it go-I love summer.

Fried up the liver in onion and bacon for lunch after soaking it in milk for two hours. I think I got it perfect...however...the taste. Texture wise it was very tender and flavorful. I suppose if you like the taste it would have been a perfect dish but both hubby and I had one bite and were gagging. I can't even describe it, hubby said bitter, all could I think of was the sour gut smell you get when cleaning a carcass. Kiddo ate three or four bites but then she started feeding her's to the dog.

So, our attempt at eating guts has come to a screeching halt. I do intend to order sweetbreads the next time we go to the French restaurant in town, give those a shot. Maybe under a trained chef they will be excellent. Otherwise, I don't think we are going to try offal again soon.

Took out the beef leg bones from the bone broth, smashed them with a hammer and returned them to the liquid. Going to give them another day of simmering before leaving the lid off and reducing the liquid down. Hubby commented that the smell of beef stew was beginning to get old, I have to agree. I'll be glad when the bone broth is finished and awaiting consumption, and my house smells like flowers and apples again.

Spent some time in the garden checking things over. The lettuce has bolted and the leaves have become very bitter so I pulled all the plants and prepped the ground for a second planting. The chard is doing great and the tomato bushes are covered in pinkish fruit. Even the squashes are starting to set babies-though with how late it is in the season I have doubts on if they will get ripe before the rains and frosts.

I think hubby was a little afraid of my cooking skills after the liver and grilled up some steaks. I did redeem myself by baking a spaghetti squash and tossing it with sage-cream sauce. It turned out excellent but kiddo didn't like it. Not sure why, she usually loves anything remotely like pasta.

Was really tired by 9pm and crashed early. Tomorrow-finishing the bone broth and marinating some steaks. Yumm!

For only getting 4 hours of cruddy sleep today hasn't been too bad. It helps that kiddo is still tired from her beach walk and is content to cuddle and play quietly. Hubby is starting to get over the carb flu and pick up some energy, he slept well last night which is usually a sign that his body is beginning to heal.

My wetsuit came today. I was partly excited, partly depressed when I got the box. I won it off eBay but I made the horrible mistake of confusing the thickness of the material. I didn't realize it till after I won the auction but had half-heartedly hoped that the seller had made a typo. Nope, the listing was correct, I just can't read. Instead of 5mm thickness (which is what I thought it was), its half a mm; .5mm. I dive in cold water, not warm. The suit isn't nearly thick enough-grrrrrr!!! So much for thinking I was getting a great deal on a nearly-new ScubaPro. Oh well, it fits like a dream and I love the design-now to get one in the thicker material.

Breakfast was ham and cheddar rolls for me, cheese omelet for kiddo and sausage for hubby. Lunch was leftovers and dinner...ahhh dinner. I excelled at dinner!!

Pork roast seasoned with salt, garlic, red pepper, herbs and paprika with a drizzle of olive oil and slow-roasted in the oven; steamed brocooli; and chard simmered in cream over konja noodles. The chard dish was a new one for me and turned out quite well-I think a little bacon and more of a crunchy noodle (maybe kelp?) might make it perfect.

Hubby is already commenting on how he has more energy and is feeling great. For getting so little sleep I actually felt good-tired, but alert. And darn proud over how awesome the pork and chard turned out. I love it when a dish works!

An awesome day spent outside-something we really need to do more often. Tossed together a quick breakfast of sauteed onions and peppers in scrambled eggs; packed a lunch and off we went.

Our first stop was at a recreation area. The forest along the road was gorgeous but as we got close to the river there were all these, for lack of a word, hobo camps. The garbage left behind was annoying, as was the rotting mattresses but what was really disgusting was the little piles of human excrement that was everywhere. I couldn't figure out what all the napkins were doing scattered around the side of the trail, till the wind shifted. Then I knew. UGH!! Needless to say, we left.

Our next stop was better but the bank was steep so kiddo didn't have much room to run. Fished for a little bit but only caught big junks of algae. I haven't fished this area much but the water was really low, I'm not sure if there was anything too catch, except for the tiny fishies that nibbled on my toes. Or I didn't have the right lure, or was casting in the right spot, or...

Afterwards we had a picnic with ham and cheese rolls, apples, and all beef hot dogs. Then on to the ocean!

As we got closer to the beach the clouds came in. On the river it had been hot and sunny but on the sand it was cool and breezy. Very much fall weather. We had a blast walking in the sand and kiddo LOVED playing in it. It was the first time we've been to the beach since she started walking and she had a blast running away from us, getting chased down, running away again. I don't think she was actually running away as enjoying having so much space to go.

We dug in the sand and made piles, until she threw some in the air just as a convenient breeze blew it toward me (and the camera). I got a little sidetracked trying to blow all the sand out of the lens, but didn't succeed and now the lens are stuck open. *sigh* After that we decided to walk further down the beach and see what there was to see, finally stopping where the wind had built small, knee-high "dunes".

She liked to slide backwards off them (not sure why) and it was pretty cute to watch her wiggling and laughing. Then I took her down to the surf. She found that amazing! After a couple times of getting her toes wet she started running from the little waves, I just about died laughing. Until she tripped, landed on her face and the wave caught her. It was barely am 1/8th inch tall, but that was enough to soak her front and with that breeze she quickly became an ice cube. Changed her clothes and wrapped her in a blanket and decided to go home.

Stopped at the store and picked up some veggies, then home and dinner, baths and bed. But I couldn't sleep. Finally got out of bed and read for a while, then messed on the computer organizing photos and fiddling with the camera (whose lens is still stuck open at this point)till I got drowsy-3am. Ugh. Woke up at 7am, thought about trying to go back to sleep but knew it wasn't going to happen.

So, day 2 was filled with ups and downs. I hate not getting to sleep, I've had problems with insomnia since I was in college and I always worry it will return. Hopefully it was just the one night. And hopefully I can take the camera apart and fix it, its a rather expensive one and I don't think we can replace it very quickly.

Tomorrow's goal is to find an awesome liver recipe and burn a pork loin (in an interesting and delicious way).

Back on track after another lapse and have one simple goal for September. One month of primal-no giving in to cravings, no 'oops', none. Hubby is on board and we've promised each other to be more supportive, even if all hell break's loose.

We're already starting out on a good foot. Hubby found beef soup bones for super cheap! Can we say BONE BROTH! Oh yeah! Right now those lovely, marrow-rich femurs are simmering away in the crock pot and the house smell divine.

And I found liver! Much to hubby's chagrin Fred Meyer's had calves liver. I'm thinking liver and bacon wraps. Must somehow figure out a super-yummy way to serve them to replace hubby's horrid memories of gray, nasty guts force-fed to him as a child.

On top of that find, I also found a store-bought salad dressing that is fairly healthy. It does have canola/sunflower oil in it but those are the only bad ingredients. I figure that the oil is far down the (small) list of ingredients that there probably isn't much in it and if it helps me eat more salad then its a good trade.

Hubby has decided he's going to cook once a week, most likely a fish dish since I've always hated fish and (since I hate it) can't cook it worth beans. He is adamant that my hatred comes from poorly cooked trout as a kid. Maybe, or maybe that fish smell just makes me nauseous and all those tiny bones just seem a lot of work. I will quite happily fish all day and let someone else eat what I catch, I'll even gut and scale but actually eating?

He's set on changing my ways though, and I'm quite happy not cooking one night a week to let him try. Tonight he made Parmesan-crusted cod. It was actually decent, though (to me) mushy and the 'crust' didn't really form. I was afraid it would be horribly fishy tasting but it wasn't, the flavor was very delicate. The texture though...well, its the first time he's cooked fish in years so hopefully its just a matter of him perfecting his skills, rather than because its fish and fish is just mushy.

So...on to healthy eating!

Carb flu is kicking my butt. I ache, I'm so tired I could fall asleep as I type. How many more days of this? Just one or two more, I can make it, I think.

Have eaten steak for the past 5 meals-thinking I need to get more veggies or a different protein in somehow. Can't really say there's a veggie calling my name though, so its difficult to just walk out in the kitchen and slap something together. I've ended up staring dully into the fridge at the piles of green, orange, red, and yellow foliage and not having a clue what to do to make them edible. This is when I really wish I had more veggie dishes to fall back on for summer. I have some awesome fall/winter ones (though they usually include a large helping of dairy in some form)but other than green salad, not so much for hot summer months when turning on the oven is a suicidal gesture.

*sigh*

It's been over a month since my last post and what a long, painful, scary, heart-breaking month it has been. First, my aunt found she has breast cancer. Its invasive, the doctors already screwed up once and we've all got our fingers crossed but...Then, a friend of mine went into labor (at 46 weeks!! Oh my god!!), her midwives refused to take her to the hospital when she started having trouble, end result: a perfectly healthy baby boy dead. The level of incompetence they showed...I can't get into it-if I start raving now this entire post will be nothing about those two bitches who should be drug into the street and publicly executed.

*deep breath*

All in all its been a horrible month and to say we fell off the wagon would be an understatement. With all the stress and sadness and worry (not to mention eating junk and not exercising) I've gained back 10 pounds and I'm exhausted all the time.

But, as always, the world turns, time passes, and pain starts to dull. We've done what we can for our friends and family and now its time to focus on our own health (before we fall apart, oy vey the migraines lately...ugh!). I have to admit, the first bite of juicy, greasy steak was like heaven. Our garden is starting to burst with ripe veggies and I steamed some fresh chard to go with the steak-hubby was very impressed (and this the man who I had to force to try a bite just a few months ago.) Day 1 and the carb flu is hitting pretty hard for me but I know in a couple days I'm going to be bursting with energy. I need it, kiddo is starting to figure out how to run and I gotta keep up. :)

Back home and what a trip. Between the family drama, fall-like weather and a house full of aunties (all tipsy most of the time) I can't say the trip was very relaxing but it was interesting. Unfortunately we were not able to eat clean. We tried, but...I could give a long list of excuses but why bore everyone.

Anyhow, I did learn some important things:

1. Tarantula Tequila rocks but don't drink Mom's version (which is basically straight tequila and ice run through the blender to make a slurpee) unless you ate a huge meal of carbs or have had lots of practice drinking with aunties. Unfortunately, I decided to fast to avoid the super-carb meal and haven't been drinking much (the occasional glass of wine or beer here and there) for the past few months...I got pretty blitzed. Not falling down puking, thank god, but close to it. Like I laughingly told them the next day (with my head spinning) that I just can't drink with the big girls and have to go back to the sand box. I think I embarrassed my mom a little bit but oh well.

2. After eating perfectly seasoned rich foods all those high-carbs foods I've missed really have no taste. For example, I had some sourdough: it smelled awesome, the texture against my fingers, and in my mouth rocked, but it had zero flavor. I could have chewed packing peanuts and gotten more taste. I also had a bite or two of pasta and was disappointed again. I used to love bread and pasta and now I was missing my pan-fried steaks.

3. Fast foods places are horrible. Between attempting to stay clean and kiddo's soy allergy there wasn't much we could eat, or wanted to eat. Next road trip I'm packing better (and thank you MDA for having a "What to Eat when Traveling post" I read it too late use the tips but now I'm better prepared for the next trip.)

4. I love my family but no one is interested in hearing about eating healthy (though my sister desperately needs to do something), and it was a downright battle to get them to read ingredients and not feed kiddo soy. I'd say I should have done more cooking but when your bullied out of the kitchen by people older, shorter, and downright meaner than you...well, it was just harder than expected. Thankfully kiddo didn't get anything bad and didn't break out in hives. Still not sure how we succeeded but we did.

What a weekend. I'm glad to find my taste-buds have changed. While the weekend has messed up the Whole30 plan we are getting back on track. If anything, the weekend has shown us that we love this way of eating and it has truly become a lifestyle for us and not just a diet.

Time to pack up and head for the open road! I am so excited to see the family. I still need to stop at the store and pick up some grapes and check out the jerky selection as snacks. I also have some steaks to cook up and slice thin-I figure those on lettuce leaves would be fairly mess-free "sandwhiches", maybe add some sliced peppers and olives and...we'll see whats lurking in the fridge.

Haven't slept well the last couple nights and I feel like I'm running on empty. It's probably because hubby has been gone-I always get overly sensitive to night noises without him here, even though I have the killer guard dog snoring on the bed. A German Shepherd who'd probably run away if a burglar yelled at him...oy vey...

Hubby staggered home at 5am (thank you airports for canceling flights!)and crashed. I still need to pack and get the car cleaned out and the food figured out. I'm a little worried if we are going to be able to 'eat clean' on the trip, as the family tend to cook like demons and none of its healthy (but ooooooo it tastes SO good!). My aunt is already talking about a new margarita recipe she's found that's to die for. *sigh* This is gonna be really tough.

Nothing exciting to report. Starting to get into a routine so...no new recipes, no outstanding breakthroughs. Hubby is off on biz trip and it's just us girls here.

I made mayo! And it tasted good!! *dances with joy* And I made Thousand Island dressing that tastes just like the name brand WHOOP-WHOOP! I rock!!!

Ok, so the mayo is a little bland, even hubby said it didn't really have a taste, more of just a smooth texture with a touch of tang. But that's OK, I have a cupboard full of herbs and spices and now that I have a base I can make a ton of cold sauces. Yippie! Also, the Thousand Island dressing is...well...runny..kinda like water...but it tastes great. Not sure how to thicken it up, maybe add an egg yolk? Hmmmm. As is it is definitely edible but I know if I'm going to convince other people to eat it (aka my mom) it needs to look exactly like the bottled stuff. Maybe even come in the same bottle, lol!

After the mayo excitement there wasn't much else going on. Picked up the car from the shop and helped hubby get ready for another biz trip. He's worried about eating on the trip since he can't exactly cook and won't have much time for meals. He's going to try though-the first obstacle: airport food. I feel for the guy, he's been doing so good.

So, just me and kiddo for the next couple days, then road trip! Can't wait, its going to be exciting. I'm going to cook up some chicken and steak that I can cut into strips for finger foods for the drive, plus get some more fruit like grapes. That should do us for the road, I am a little worried about being around the family. Telling my older relatives that I won't/can't eat their specially made crumb cake? ooooooooo I can sense the hurt feelings and lack of understanding all ready.

Back in May I set myself some fitness goals and I should go back over and see if I met them (a little late).The goals were:

5 push-ups
5 pull-ups
Lose 10 lbs
Compete in a 10k

Where I'm at:

Push-ups: 1 good one, then crud. Can do 10 girlie push-ups but the goal was military style.

Pull-ups: 0.

Lose 10 lbs: I'm close but not completely there. My clothes are starting to fit better so I'm happy, even if this goal wasn't met.

Compete in 10k: Still haven't signed up. I haven't been walk/jogging as much and I don't think I would make it to the end of a 10k. They do have a 4 mile walk, I might sign up for that instead and keep working toward a 10k.

Why didn't I meet my goals? Simple, I haven't been consistent. I could beat myself up at this point for not making it but honestly, I'm so proud that I've made it to Day 8 on Whole30 that I don't really care that I can't still do one pull-up. It will come.

On a side note, I have kept up the goal of working on one math lesson a day through the summer. I'm trying to test into a higher college math class to save money and time but I'm a complete dunce. It's torture to sit at the table and force my brain to subtract, square and find the meaning for Y but I've been doing it. Talk about meeting a goal! Of course, I won't know if it actually has been reached till I take the test but just the fact that I no longer have to force myself to get out the math book is a win.

New goals:

By September 12th I will:

Be able to jog a mile without stopping.
Keep working on the 5 pull-ups, 5 push-ups goal
Finish writing Chapter 3 in the sci-fi book

Off to cook some steaks and wrestle with numbers!

Woke up in a horrid mood, was grumpy all morning. Hubby was racing around like a chicken with his head cut off and being utterly unhelpful. Finally got everyone fed, showered, and in the car. Ahhhhhh-the new AC works awesome. Dropped kiddo off at Grandma's and then on to a child-free day!

First stop was picking up a copper bowl set a lady was selling on Craigslist. Yay craigslist!! Yay copper bowls!! They need a little cleaning but they are in perfect condition. I can't wait to use them.

Next was the mall. We walked and did a little shopping. Got my "move slowly" exercise out of the way going from store to store. First looked for summer clothes *sigh* still need to drop a few sizes to comfortably fit into anything I liked. Picked up some way cute things for a friend's baby shower though. Then swung into the lotion-potion shop (aka Bed, Bath, and Beyond) looking for some after-pregnancy pretties for her. Didn't really see anything that said "buy me!". Next wandered around, stopped at a hair salon and got some AWESOME tea tree shampoo (and it was on sale, score!) before going to see Cars 2. Which rocked, may even be better than the second.

Hubby was starving when we got out of the theater so we gave Chili's a try. Super yummy grilled steak and steamed veggies. I was very proud of myself. While I sniffed my way all through the food court (ooooo the sweet cinnamon smell of rolls, teriyaki chicken, smoky BBQ) I didn't feel a need to actually eat anything I smelled. The sniffing those delicious odors was good enough. Our food was extremely late (probably because we special ordered with no dairy or sugar plus the waitress tripped and dropped the plates) and the waitress brought us free chips and dip. Normally I would have munched away but this time I was completely uninterested. Kinda think the waitress felt bad but I wasn't going to nibble a chip just to make her feel better, to be honest hubby and I were bantering about movies and actors and hardly noticed the time flying by. I didn't care that the foods was late, it was nice just being with hubby.

Chili's was good but I did get a headache after-felt like I'd had too much sugar but I'd checked their menu/allergy list before we went and there shouldn't have been any sugar in our dishes. Plus, we specially asked. Oh well, maybe I was just tired from all the walking and lack of sleep.

The only bad part of the day was getting out of Chili's after 7pm and everything shut down. Still had getting a car seat and stopping by the plant nursery on the list. I didn't get to get any flowers for the front planters *sniff*. Did stop by Walmart and got more eggs and some extra light flavor olive oil. Gonna give mayo another try. And the AC went haywire again, only this time it was stuck blowing hot air on the passenger side. *sigh* Back to the shop you go! Fingers crossed its fixed before this weekend.

All in all it was a pretty good day. Kiddo was very happy when we picked her up-she'd obviously had a lot of fun playing with Grandma at the park and was just about to collapse from exhaustion. I have to admit, I was pretty tired too.

One week down. Three more to go.

Made it through breakfast and fought off the need for sourdough bread and tomato sandwich for lunch and made do with steak and cabbage but about mid-afternoon the want...THE NEED...for something sweet and filled (think chocolate covered cherries, those donuts with cream filling, lava cakes, you get the idea) had become almost overpowering. I was stomping through the house, snapping at everyone, sucking down water and telling myself that it's moronic, I do not NEED sweets, I do NOT.

Finally, after snarling at hubby for the third time in 10 minutes I got on the treadmill and did sprints for 30 minutes. Had weak, wobbly legs but at least I was back in control of the sugar cravings. Whipped up some more pan-fried steak and bacon-brussel sprouts for dinner and stayed out of the kitchen the rest of the day.

Not sure why the sudden cravings. After 6 days I was hoping to be past all this-but things are getting more stressful with the family trip coming up this weekend and hubby has another biz trip and is completely preoccupied with other things. If nothing else, this is showing what an emotional eater I am. *sigh*

Day 5 and its getting easier and easier to cook. I noticed today I didn't have to stop and re-think a dish because I couldn't use (fill in blank) and needed a substitute or a way to re-flavor. True, I am starting to use the same 3 or 4 recipes over and over but they are safe and taste good.

I did branch out and tried a new recipe: mango-lime grilled chicken.A handful of frozen mango chunks (thawed), juice from three limes, some salt, ginger, and cumin; squish the mangos till they are mostly juice, mix in lime juice and seasonings, mush some more (I dumped everything in a zip-lock bag), add chicken, let marinate for an hour, throw on medium grill...yum! The sides were rather dull: sliced tomatoes and steamed broccoli, but everything turned out fairly well. The chicken could have used a mango chutney, or some tropical fruit salsa to help balance the lime flavoring, but maybe I was just looking for something sweet.

Hubby's requested steak for tomorrow but I don't think I will try a new recipe for that. Pan-frying in olive oil is still the ultimate for our taste-buds. Eventually it has to become old and boring but so far that hasn't happened. As for sides, starting to get bored. I wish it was further in the season, my garden is dragging along not doing very well. I can't wait for fresh green beans, fresh tomatoes, fresh everything. Even the farmer's markets seem to be lacking in veggies my taste-buds are crying for. Oh well, that's what we get with such a cool beginning to summer.

Day 4 and hubby is starting to overcome the caffeine addiction. He's finding it easier to wake up in the morning but still has the afternoon slump. I've been tired all day but that's because I ran out of sun tea and made up a big batch with the decaf stuff...obviously I'm having caffeine withdrawals as well.

Not much exciting happened today. No new recipes, no interesting meals. Basically steak steak steak. Thinking we need to break out some chicken or pork for tomorrow. Hubby brought home a big bag of limes and lemons for the tea and every time I open the fridge door and see them rolling around I get the urge for a tropical/Caribbean/Mexican-style citrus chicken thing. I keep thinking of lime and chicken but can't remember the recipe...will have to dig through the cookbooks.

Didn't get any exercise in but I noticed as I was getting ready for bed that my upper arms and belly don't seem as poofy. Yay for water weight loss! Maybe my camel days are over!

Day 3 and we're all feeling better. Hubby crashed and took an afternoon nap but other than that he was more awake and perky. He's starting to enjoy the meals (as long as I don't say the "c" word) and we went into town and stocked up on meat. Tri-tip was $2.69 a pound, whoo-hoo!!! I got 40 pounds worth, should be set for the next two months. Also found some yummy Italian sausage that is free of all the bad stuff-kinda expensive but definitely worth it. When we got home I grilled up some of those and with my homemade sauerkraut we had a delish late-lunch.

So, made the mayo. Eh...this time it turned out right but the flavor...to me its like eating solid olive oil. I added a bunch of herbs, more salt, more vinegar, and it still tastes like olive oil. *sigh* Gonna hit the farmer's market and pick up some fresh tomatoes, maybe if I add those it will help break up the "olive-y" flavor. Or maybe I should have gotten more expensive olive oil. Oh well. At least this time I have the technique down so now to perfect the taste.

We also went to the doc's to get an update on some blood work we did before starting Whole30. Hubby is a little low on thyroid and REALLY low on Vit D but his cholesterol and triglycerides are perfect. I'm good on everything but my cholesterol (both good and bad) is low and the trigs are high. So the doc is pushing healthy fats like fish oil. UGH. I got some fish oil pills while we were in town but I shudder at gagging them down. I hate fish. I really really hate fish. *sigh*

Not much else exciting for the third day. Starting to notice an improvement in my sleep but that could be from other factors as well. I've started taking a 20-45 minute time out after kiddo has been put to bed to just sit outside and look at the stars, meditate, zone-out, read...just to have some calmness and winding down before bedtime. I think that may be helping more than diet, but it could be the two combined. I do need to start working in some exercise. hmmmmm....

Day 2 and I'm zooming. I think its because I've been fairly low/non-caffeine for two years and I accidentally made a huge jar of sun tea with regular tea rather than decaf. Apparently we are out of decaf tea but still had a box of regular. Hmmm, I wonder how old this stuff is? Oh well, still tastes good but I need to get some lemons.

I feel great! I'm doubting its because of the Whole30 and more because of the tea but who cares, it is wonderful to feel so full of energy! And my taste buds are in heaven-delish pan-fried steak with cabbage (breakfast), leftover steak with green beans (lunch) and roast chicken with leftover green beans and a small side of sweet yams for dinner. Lots of scrumptious greasy crunchy bits, garlicky meat juice and tasty veggies.

Hubby on the other hand...well...he's dragging. Breaking the caffeine addiction is kicking his butt. I had to break it when I became pregnant but he's depended on Diet Red Bull, black coffee, and high caffeine diet soda to get him going in the morning for years. He was sitting on the couch struggling through some papers for work and barely able to carry on a conversation. I finally couldn't stand him anymore and got him a cup of the sun tea, which helped perk him up and drove away a headache. Just signs that this is something he really needs to do. He also spent every meal whining about how it needed cheese. I just rolled my eyes and kept shoveling in perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked protein. He'll get over it. To be honest I'd love a big chunk of milk chocolate, or maybe a slice of crusty french bread with a huge pad of butter. But that steak...I love it when I get it perfect like that. It more than made up for the lack.

Today I'm going to attempt to make mayonnaise. I got my Julia Child cookbook, plus recipes from the MDA website, plus tips and advice from the MDA forum. My goal is salad dressing, as oil and vinegar just isn't cutting it and with the heat it would be nice to have cold dishes to serve. I'm thinking chicken salad with grapes and pecans, or a huge green salad with lots of veggies, or maybe a sauce to go with grilled fish. Will post results tomorrow, wish me luck!

We started Whole30 on the 4th of July...maybe not the best as hubby was definitely craving a beer but with some perfectly grilled New York strips and a veggie-heavy salad we made do. Kiddo was very happy to get some beef, she gobbled down half a steak on her own!

Already starting to feel tired and drained-that good ol lack of sugar feeling. I whipped up a bunch of berry smoothies (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and coconut milk)but I think there was way too much fruit sugar in them. Kiddo was "running" around the kitchen screaming and I got a splitting headache about 30 minutes later. Weird since it was nothing but berries and coconut milk. May have to limit fruit more than planned.

We had a lot of fun lighting off fireworks and slapping mosquitoes before going to bed to distant booms and crackles. I hope you all had a great 4th of July!

Yay! Hubby's back! And looking much skinnier though probably not from what he ate on the trip, he definitely wasn't being primal. I really need to toughen his palate to spices and heat so he can go on these trips and eat authentic foods without heart burn and other problems. Though, I have to agree with him, naan is yummy!

Its nice having him home, though we have slacked a bit in the cooking department. But after being home only a day he suggested we try a Whole30!! Seems he's been mulling over his health and how he's been feeling lately and decided he needs to do...something...and I've been going on about primal and Whole30 now for a while and have been trying to stick to it with some noticeable results so he wants to give it a shot as well. I was shocked! Tomorrow we both go in and get blood work done (I really pushed this because I think if he sees results in black and white it might help him stay the course for more than 30 days) and then Sunday we are going to start Whole30!

I'm excited. While he was gone I was eating very close to a Whole30 diet with the inclusion of some dairy. I noticed a huge change in how I felt mentally though I had a lot of trouble falling asleep at night. I think I wasn't getting enough physical exercise. I only lost 3 pounds though, which depressed me as I was hoping to lose more (and no, my clothes don't fit any different either.)

It will be very hard for hubby, he'd live on cheese, crackers, and beer if he was allowed. He's also gotten into a horrible habit of drinking Crystal Light mixes instead of plain water, those will have to go as well. Its going to be stressful for him but I think he will find it jump starts his weight-loss and will improve how he feels. Hopefully that will be enough to keep him on track for the full 30 days. We will have to get through 4th of July (shouldn't be that hard) and a family reunion (really really hard...not sure if we'll make it through that) so there will be some major obstacles. But heck, if it was easy it wouldn't be as much fun, right?

One of the great benefits of the standing desk: leg work outs. While waiting for a web page to load I'll do leg lifts or squats. While reading through long pieces of texts I'll do toe-raises. Sometimes I jog in place, or stretch, or balance on one foot. It seems like, even though I'm surfing the web, I have to be motion and I'm starting to notice a slight difference in my legs. Its small, there is still a lot of flab to burn off but its there. I love the standing desk!

Haven't been online much what with all the doctor visits, sunshine, and hectic chaos that has been life lately. Do have lots to share though!

After several visits to the pediatrician we were referred to an allergist and found kiddo is sensitive to milk, egg white, soy, cats and dogs. We've spent the last week keeping all dairy, eggs and soy out of her diet and the hives and swelling have nearly disappeared. We also scrubbed the house down and gave the cat and dog a bath. We go back to the allergist tomorrow and I believe we'll add back one food item at a time to see what the culprit was. I am hoping we can add back some dairy, its been hard not cooking with butter or cream. Thankfully I have a supply of rendered bacon fat and coconut milk, but it just doesn't taste the same to us grown-ups. Kiddo hasn't seemed to mind though.

Kitty is getting older and crankier and has been refusing to let us brush him or clip his nails for months. We finally gave in and went to the vet for a sedative. Everyone at the office loved him (helps that he's roughly the size of a St Bernard puppy-this cat is huge!) and we got a prescription for Ace. A couple of those and he was one relaxed feline-which was good since his nails were atrocious. He probably lost a pound of fur and after a bath is back to his sleek, shiny self. Wolf-dog also got a brushing and a scrubbing, its amazing what a good brushing can do at this time of year. He was getting a very dull, yellow-ish tint to him but now he's silvery again.

I gave up on my pepper and tomato seedlings, they're dead and no amount of coaxing and watering will bring them back. Hubby surprised me with big plants from Bi-Mart to replace them and suddenly my garden is looking green and bushy. I also transplanted the lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower seedlings-it actually looks like a garden now instead of a mud pit! I waited on the corn, squashes and melons since those seedlings are still rather small but did plant a ton of wildflower seeds and bulbs. Hopefully in a couple weeks the house will be surrounded by color and scent.

Hubby has taken off for a work trip so I'm a single mom/work widow for the next two weeks. Since its just me and kiddo (and she doesn't exactly complain about what I cook) we are buckling down to a more Whole30 menu for me, with more carbs for her. Over the past couple weeks with all her health issues I've found hubby and I slacking more and more-to the point I caught myself inhaling Dove chocolate squares last night (and saying with each one that THAT'S IT, only to start unwrapping another piece). Time to nip that in the bud and get back to steak, steak, and more steak!!* I've got a ton of green, leafy stuff in the fridge and a freezer full of meat. Long live fat!

Incidentally, if anyone has an awesome recipe for chicken thighs I'm all ears. I've burned through all of mine and I think the birds are multiplying, every time I think we've finally finished all the chicken thighs I find another 4 or 5 packages hiding behind a roast LOL!

*We probably aren't being as bad as it feels but when you have as much weight to lose any slip-ups feel like complete failures

For five years I've lived online. My job required me to be on the computer for 10+ hours a day. My employer wouldn't put in a standing desk without a doctor's note, and it was more of a pain to try and get in to see a doctor than seemed worth it. Plus I already had to deal with co-worker envy and a standing desk would have made it worse.

My last month of pregnancy I was put on bed rest due to complications from high blood pressure and other issues; I spent the time surfing the web, terrifying myself with what could go wrong with baby, finding new recipes to try once I could handle being back on my feet, ordering books and baby cloths, just having a grand time...but still on the computer for hours on end.

Fast forward, baby's born and I can't handle putting her down (and after a while she'd cry if I did), the three slings we'd bought were either too big or two small and, finally I got where I would sit or lay next to her all day long. During the long hours while she slept peacefully in my arms I would surf the web one-handed. After all, there are only so many sleeping baby pictures to take, and so many hours of staring at sleeping baby before the attention wanders.

Do you see a habit? Oh yeah, I have a computer addiction. A bad one. On top of that I have low back pain, hip pain and an almost inability to bend and flex. All these years of sitting have done a number on the bod, and its time to take it back!!

This morning I traumatized the poor, cheap wood bookshelf that sits in our den. Moved shelves around, drilled holes, moved books to other places in the house and ta-da!!! A standing desk! The laptop sits at a perfect height for my hands, though I have to look down at the screen. Already I'm noticing some aches and pains in my legs and hips-no doubt the bod is starting to unkink from years of sitting for so long.

It's only been half a day but I've already noticed I'm avoiding the computer. I still fulfill my surfing addiction, and those Farmville animals need fed, but once I'm done I don't sit mindlessly surfing news articles or eBay or any of the other sites I'd go to, just to kill time waiting for kiddo to wake from a nap, or trying not to interrupt her intense independent play.

While I can't say I'll give up internet completely, and with school I can't give up the computer, I can say I've started to drastically reduce the time spent staring at the glowing screen, which will no doubt improve my health in the long run.

Now for some couch stretches!
Don't Go in the Pain Cave

I love fat. I love the crinkly silk taste of it sliced from the side of a nice rib-eye, or the warm, oiliness coating my tongue, carried by veggies swimming in butter. But for all the love of fat and protein when I’m stressed all I want is chocolate. Milk chocolate and something full of processed flour-pasta is the ultimate winner, with Chinese food covered in fried rice the second.

*sigh*

Why can’t that luscious, juicy steak give me the same feeling of comfort and support that a bowl full of pasta does? Is it just a learned behavior? Pasta and rice=safety and comfort while buttery fats=…

Well, I’m not sure what they equal. Maybe that’s the problem. I think of steak and I think of the slice of meat itself, while, when I think of pasta I think of family and laughing around the table slurping up noodles. So when I’m stressed (like now with the health problems and family issues that have come up) all I really want is a piece or three of rich milk chocolate, so much so that I'm turned off by a perfectly cooked steak and only crave noodles.

I have to get past these cravings!!! Life is never going to allow a two or three week space where something stressful isn’t happening just so I can overcome some eating habits but how to beat these cravings that I know are purely psychological, not based on any type of dietary need…

Will power. Disciple. Overcoming weakness. And allowing myself to be human. Its all I can think to do. There are times I wish my goals weren't so hard to achieve, but the lessons are in the journey and the destination is the reward. Must keep walking down this path if I ever hope to see my jawbone again.

By the by, the steak the other day turned out awesome, though a little more rare than hubby likes. It actually worked out good since he’s able to take the leftovers to work where a quick zap in the microwave will get them hot and done enough for his tastes. As for me, I was very unlady like and gorged on greasy, oily, buttery steak. Even kiddo laughed at Momma’s bad manners.

Woke up this morning to singing birdies and the drip-drop of raindrops. *sigh* And so much planned for today-go take sale photos of the horse, transplant all the seedlings to the garden, finish building the chicken coop, show hubby the new way to cook steaks. Oh wait, I can still do that last one.

Now, I love my grill: the nice charred black end bits that crunch between the teeth, the warm, bloody middle that you can suck the juices out of; the grill turns a good steak into a delicious dinner. But my primal peeps over at the MDA forum shared a link on how to pan-fry steaks and I may just have to change sides. Either I've gotten so used to grilled steak that it's become mundane, or pan-frying is just the better way to cook steak but the sleek, buttery crunch of the outer layer followed by the rich, beefy inside...its the same steaks but brought to a whole new level.

For the recipe click here: The Food Lab:Tips for Perfect Steaks

I already had breakfast but all I can think about is steak, steak, steak. I may need to go to the butcher and stock up.

Last week was horrible but thankfully its over. Kiddo is on antibiotics but the swelling is completely gone and most of the hives have disappeared as well. She's taking the medicine without a fuss and getting more lively every day-its wonderful to have her back to her old self.

The stress knocked us for a loop and we reverted to old habits, pizza, beer, and ice cream being the worse of the culprits. The good thing was we ate up the rest of the high-carb, non-primal foods that were hiding in cabinets and the freezer. Over the weekend we were fairly primal and now its time to buckle down and break these bad habits. We both have the Wanna, its just discipline and denying short-term satisfaction that we have problems with.

I read a very interesting blog piece yesterday about discipline and what it really means. In a nutshell it says discipline is creating a constant habit. And conventional wisdom says it takes about 4 weeks to develop a new habit. So, even with the negative reinforcement we get when we eat cruddy (tummy trouble, lethargy, migraines) we haven't broken our old eating habits and developed new ones since we only seem to manage to stay on track for a week or two at a time. It's not lack of self-discipline, it's lack of giving the way of eating time to become a habit.

Here's the link if you want to read it yourself, I found it fascinating : Zen Habits:Discipline

That may be why Whole30 has had such great results for others. If they could get through those 30 days of super-healthy eating they removed their old habits and replaced them with healthier ones. It makes me hopeful that it is possible to break the cycle we seem to be on and get rid of the weight that is dragging us down.

Not much going on here at the farm. We planted the pepper and tomato seedlings since they were starting to get sickly in their smaller pots. I'm hoping they'll handle the shock all right, they are rather small.

The rest of the seedlings are doing well. The squashes are popping up as well as the pole beans and sweet peas. The carrots and bush beans are the only ones left to not make an appearance...patience I keep telling myself, patience.

Spent the weekend putting together a chicken coop and doing spring cleaning. Ran out of daylight, nails, and wood (all about the same time) so the coop is only a quarter finished but we've already got our chickens reserved: two Rhode Island Reds from a young man who raises chickens as his 4-H project. I love that we are able to help our local youth and get some feathery friends.

Scrubbing the house down wasn't nearly as much fun as hammering nails but boy did it it need it. It feels good to have the place aired out and clean. About the only thing we weren't able to get to was the closets and they are going to be all day ordeals. *sigh* Thankfully it's time to go back to the garden and chase away more weeds.

A long night with kiddo tossing and turning a lot but sleeping through. She wasn't hungry for breakfast but then, I made ham and egg fritatta and it didn't taste very good to me either. Went back to the doc but thankfully most of the swelling had gone down. Kiddo was checked over again and given another two shots of the high-dose antibiotics, plus a prescription for 10 days of oral antibiotics. Thankfully she didn't need to go in the hospital and, as long as she doesn't suddenly show signs of a reaction to the antibiotics, and the hives go away in the next 10 days, she should be fine. Thank god.

Came home and had lunch. Should have been good but after two nights of not sleeping I gave in to deli sandwiches and chips. And oreos. And Diet Coke. Total comfort food that I need to replace but for today it tasted like wonderful.

Dinner was steak (good, but not grass-fed), salad (good but with Sweet and Sour dressing{very bad}), and...wait for it...boxed scalloped potatoes. Yeah, I'm a horrible person. I'm also exhausted and grumpy and terrified that whatever is going on with my baby is going to get worse instead of getting better. Changing my eating habits has gotten knocked to the bottom of my Things To Do list, but its still on the list. Whole30 is just going to have to wait a week or two.

sigh. I need to get some sleep.

The weather has been fickle here in the Pacific Northwest-one day 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, followed by 4 days of dreary, cold, gloomy, misty rain, then another 80 degree day to tease and tantalize.

The seeds are zooming along with the lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower definite winners-they are about an inch high and loving the cool days. The corn is just starting to pop out of the ground and the chard...well...the chard was doing great until I accidentally left the ground cover on them during a hot day and baked the poor things to death. Oh well, replanted.

This year we are giving companion planting a try: planting fruits and veggies that help each other grow close together, and adding marigolds and nasturtiums to protect from bugs and other nasties. Its the first time I've ever planted flowers in the garden, those are usually left for the flowerbeds around the house. It will be very interesting to see the garden in its glory, with all plants tall and bushy and the bright splashes of color showing amongst the green.

Now, to have the patience to wait that long. I am so glad that summer is just around the corner!

Woke up this morning to kiddo's eye swollen shut and her cranky and grumpy. Didn't eat breakfast, spent the morning carrying her and singing, playing silly games, trying to keep her occupied and happy. Was able to get an appointment with the doc who diagnosed her with two ear infections and occipital cellulitis-an infection in the tissue around her eye.

sigh.

Nearly 3 hours, 2 shot of super-duper antibiotics, 4 severe melt-downs and a warning if the swelling didn't go down overnight we'd have to go to the hospital for stronger stuff we left the doc's office. I love that woman, I really do. The same health problem affects me every couple years (the last time was the day after I gave birth to kiddo-gotta love the newborn pics, looks like I ran into a door). I've seen at least 8 different doctors and no one could tell me what was causing it or why it happened. Kiddo's doc checked her over and then explained everything using a nose/ear/throat chart. Its always nice to get answers.

By supper the swelling was going down and kiddo was starting to perk up. Hopefully she'll sleep well tonight and be better tomorrow. And now we have an explanation for the hives that broke out last week-I knew it couldn't have been from food, she hadn't had anything new!

I love solving mysteries. :D

With all the chaos I ended up grabbing a Snickers along with a Diet Coke (aka brunch). Supper at least was kinda clean: roast chicken (but not organic, range-fed-sorry folks, I don't have the finances for the super healthy chicken), steamed green peas and salad (but with Sweet and Sour dressing {sugar and god knows what else}). Not a perfect Whole30 day but...

Tomorrow is another day, tra-lah tra-lah.

Today I am starting a, slightly tweaked, Whole30 challenge. I have been doing OK on Primal but that 20% leeway that I love also keeps biting me in the rear. I do great for a few days, a week, and then have a day where I'm over-stressed or just tired and give in to a meal that isn't quite healthy, which often leads to a sugar binge.

I hear lot of great things from others who have done the Whole30 challenge and I'm hoping I can be as successful. I AM going to do a little tweaking: allowing butter and some heavy cream but in moderation. The only reason I'm doing this is because I can't see myself cooking a separate dish just for myself because I used a little butter or cream in the original dish. I know its an excuse but I honestly don't have enough pots and pans, or patience, to do it. So, rather than shooting myself in the foot at the starting gate, I'm going to allow the small amounts of dairy.

30 days. No grains. No legumes. No sugar (even fake, replacement kinds). No alcohol. No processed foods. Very, very limited dairy. Its going to be tough but I am up to the challenge.

On another note the exercise program has been going great. I'm starting to actually like walking/jogging (who knew THAT could happen??). Need to get more weight-lifting in though, not sure if I will meet the pull-up/push-up goal if I don't get on the ball. I'm starting to notice a slight definition in my calves and arms, its very slight but its there!!

Yesterday we finished putting up the ugly orange road fencing that will temporarily keep the dog out of the garden. Eventually we will replace the fencing with stock panels. These will be thick enough and heavy enough to support the grape vines on the long side of the garden, as well as easy to put up and take down on the front side where we'll need to get in and out occasionally with the truck (especially in spring when we haul in manure and compost.) They aren't very fancy but they will get the job done and once the grapes are growing, and in summer when the sweet peas are winding along, they will hardly be noticeable. Right now its plastic road fence until payday.

We also prepped the garden, finished the garden plan and planted all our outdoor seeds. At first I was going to plant them in the garden and save on transplanting but its still early May and I worry about a late late frost. Instead I planted them in seed trays so if it gets cold I can bring everything indoors. On the building list is a green house, but I can't decide on the design and whether it should be a permanent one or a portable. Hubby jokes that I've turned the house into one big greenhouse...can't say he'd be lying!

Had a couple 75 degree days, they were wonderful. All of us have gotten a little bit of color and the lawn is growing wildly. In the morning the dew smells so sweet, I love springtime!

Its been a while since the last post. With the spring holidays and family visits I've had a hard time staying focused and on track-lots of eating out, junk food, Cadbury cream eggs, totally not primal foods. As a result I've gained back some of the weight I've lost...grrrrrrr!!!

Now to start over. Some would wonder why I am trying to stick with this lifestyle when I seem to have such a problem. Like any bad habit it takes time to break and the Primal diet (when I stick with it) not only makes me feel better, but is the healthiest diet I have ever encountered. There is no counting, no guilt trip (unless you put yourself on one like I do), nothing but good, nutrient-rich food like vegetables, meat, fruits, and healthy fats. When I cut out the sugar and eat more veggies I have less migraines, less general aches and pains, and more energy. But sometimes it's just hard to say no, and that's what I really need to build on: will-power.

So, I'm 4 days in. I've gotten past most of the sugar cravings though hubby brought home some low-carb chocolate cremes and I'm having a hard time walking past them. Must be strong!!

I decided to give myself more goals than just to lose weight and get stronger. While those are great goals to aim for they are pretty vague so here are a few specific short-term ones to work toward:

Compete in the Scandia Run in August.
    This is an easy, flat 10k run. I hate to run but this should be far enough out to slowly train up.

Be able to do 5 push-ups and 5 pull-ups by July 1st
    Two months...should be enough time

Lose 10 pounds by July 4th
    That would be about 1 pound a week-should be do-able.

I just ordered a Nike+ sensor to help track my workouts. Here's to lots of walking, slow jogs, losing weight and getting strong!!

Current Stats:
Weight: 216.2
B: 47"
W: 47.5"
H: 46"

Here at Oak Island we are starting to gear up for the growing season. Outside we have lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower seedlings up and growing like weeds; inside we have tomatoes and peppers seedlings under the grow lights and have started planning for the green beans (bush and pole), corn, squashes, pumpkins, and watermelons.

Today was a gorgeous day, what a wonderful May Day! We tilled the garden and sank the posts for the garden fence. This year the garden will look much fancier, we are aiming for a cottage garden-type appearance. I think it's going to look fabulous once everything is done, though it will take a few years for the permanent plants to mature and fill in.

So. Here we are. I fell off the wagon. I know, I know, didn't last long did I? Honestly it wasn't completly my fault, I mean, my folks showed up and brought a ton of food (lots of carbs) and I can't just throw food out. And then about the time all the carb-y stuff was gone they came back for a visit and restocked us; and hubby got sick and only wanted pasta for meals; and finals and...and...

Well, point is I have a lot of excuses and it happened. But now its time to get past it so...here we go...round two.

The nice thing is kiddo is doing great and at her last doctor's appointment the doc said she was growing wonderfully. I discussed the primal diet with her and the doc thought it was awesome, as long as she thrived on it and I watched out for tummy issues. That was a big help since I'd been afraid that maybe eating no grains and so much fats would be bad for little one (and there lies another excuse I used to splurge). I have noticed that both kiddo and my mood swings have gotten worse since gobbling pasta and cookies, and neither of us sleep as well as we did before. So, with the doc's approval, and hubby on board, and agreeing that we need to stop being so lazy and quick with the excuses...we are bound and determined this time to stay on track.

And spring is coming. Its always easier to eat healthy and stick to goals when the sun shines.

This posting is rather late but I've been busy with kiddo's first birthday, getting the yard and garden ready, finals and starting the Spring Term.

Last week my tiny little baby turned 1 years old. How did a year go by so fast? How did she get so big? It was great having all the family around to celebrate that special day, even if we all had a bit of a sniffle.

A few days later we planted her tree: an October Glory red maple that should grow big and wide and have deep, glossy, green leaves during the summer and brilliant red leaves in the fall. We were looking for a tree to help shade the front of the house and the timing worked out that we got the tree the day after Miss M's birthday. So we've decided it is her tree, and to start a tradition of planting a tree on significant birth dates. Though, now it will be hard to move from this place-I wonder if I can dig it up in 5,10, 15 years when we finally get the ranch and move? LOL

On the garden front the tiny pepper seedlings have not liked how the changing weather has made the house cold, then hot, then cold and we struggle to build a fire, let it burn out, re-build it. I hate using electric heat, the bill always becomes sky-high but the outside temperatures are all over the place. I've lost a couple seedlings who just couldn't handle the house being 50 degrees one night and 80 the next (that's what I get for trying to put extra wood on so hubby didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to check on it. sigh). Oh well, still have time to plant more seeds.

On Saturday a nice lady is bringing out several yards of compost for me and, if the weather isn't too horrible, we'll get the garden tilled and maybe even sink the corner posts. Never did get around to building the chicken coop so I think the chicken plan will have to wait another year. Unless there are a gazillion wasps around again and then I might pick up some adult birds and build a small pen for them that would work in the warm weather. With Miss M being so close to walking we are going to have to do something about the bug problem this year if she is going to be outside...and darned if I'm gonna keep my kid locked in the house during the sunny season because of those bugs.

So, that's where we're at...still waiting for spring and warm weather so we can get our hands really dirty. I have been planting primroses and pansies to help keep my sanity but there's only so much room for those cuties. I may have to resort to drastic measures and clean out the side yard and start the shade garden idea I've been kicking around for a while.

You know what happens when you down two (or was it three?) glasses of wine and then suddenly realize that you haven’t eaten much day, haven’t had anything alcoholic in at least a month, and your eating low-carb? Oh yeah, you get a little silly.

That’s what happened to me, it was a good ending to what had been a cruddy day. It started off good with Hubby saying “We’re going to the coast right?” (I thought he’d forgotten about it) and me bouncing on the couch and saying “To catch us some crabs right?!” I should have realized he wasn’t game for the bug catching when his response was rather lack-luster but I was too busy planning where to rent pots and what to bring with us and how to dress kiddo so she’d stay warm to notice. I rushed through homework and off we went.

Only to wander around the seaport trying to find the rental place, and then to find out the tide had turned. The second the counter lady said that the best time to catch crabs was over till next slack tide (but we’ll still rent you pots, just want you to know), Hubby was saying No to the whole crab hunting thing. Which annoyed me to no end. Sheesh, stop the passive-aggressive crud and COMMUNICATE!

Which meant the rest of the day I was trying not to pout or throw a temper tantrum like a small child, but it was hard, I’d really been looking forward to throwing some pots out and watching the seals. And while we were running around town trying to find these places the gentle sea breeze had worked itself up to a nice strong freezing wind. We did walk on the sand for a little bit but kiddo was starting to turn into such a popsicle from the wind chill (even with three layers, such a cute little round puff-ball of fabric) that we finally gave it up and came home. We get to the coast so little it seemed like a wasted trip. Sighhhh…..

So, the day’s stats:

Breakfast

Couple almonds, some leftover parmesan chips, a stick of string cheese and a piece of sugar free candy…spaced out through the morning, (I was rushing around)

Lunch

Repeat of breakfast…just snacked all day long though all together I might have had 4 chips, half a cup of almonds and 2 packs of string cheese (oh, and 2 candies). I really should have eaten something because…

Supper

Low-carb home-made pizza (cauliflower crust, mozzarella, tomato sauce, belle pepper, pepperoni, Canadian bacon)

I inhaled at least one 12” pizza (made two since we were all a little hungrier than normal) plus the two or three glasses of wine that left me a little giddy and laughing at my childish behavior earlier. Felt silly but hey, I’m a stay at home mom that used to be a career woman and most of my friends are still on the career path (aka haven’t talked or returned emails since kiddo was born) so the few times I get out of the house with Hubby to help with baby are a blessing and a curse when I want to do something specific and can’t/don’t get to. Oh well, Hubby forgave me and I (somehow!!) managed to stay on the diet without succumbing to a chocolate binge. :)

Whoo-hoo energy! OK, I didn't leap out of bed and turn cartwheels but I didn't feel like I was covered in slow-drying cement either. And it's the weekend so Hubby is home, yeah!! I got a few minutes alone and took a looooong hot shower, between lots of girly bubblegum soap and the extra energy I felt like Superwoman by the time I was dressed. And he fed kiddo breakfast...what a sweetie!

So with all this energy I had to do something. After succumbing to 20 minutes of web surfing (what an addiction) I decided to go a little crazy with tonight's menu and try and duplicate our favorite dish from a local pub: Parmesan crusted halibut. I've never cooked fish so this could be challenging.

Once the crazy menu was completed we went shopping. I love having energy and drive while "hunting" I get so many crazy ideas. I even picked up some leeks and red chard (things I've never eaten) much to Hubby's dismay. Oh well, if I cover it in enough cheese or bacon grease he'll eat anything.

Didn't get much exercising done, unless you count carting kiddo around downtown to get to the fish store (which didn't have halibut) and then to the fancy-shmacy Whole Foods place (where I got lost in the bulk herbs drooling over all the possibilities and picked up some ground cardamon to make Butter Chicken with) to get two super expensive fillets.

Oh, and in the name of Grok we stopped by Bi-Mart and got our fishing and shellfish licenses. If the weather is good tomorrow we'll go hunting for real.

Breakfast

Parmesan chips snagged off the rack.

Lunch
Shirataki noodles mixed with herbs and sliced grilled chicken

Dinner
Parmesan crusted halibut with Red fried in bacon and roasted summer veggies (zucchini, crookneck squash, and carrots)

Unfortunately the halibut didn't turn out the way I was expecting. Instead of being light and flaky with a crunchy crust it was more like fish-n-chips. Crunchy yes, flaky yes, but in a fast food fried type way. Hmmmm. Hubby loved it and ate 3/4s of the fish and was raving about what he'd do with the rest. He was so happy with the fish he gagged down the chard with no complaints. It was ok, tasted like bacon to be honest. Kiddo loved it and ate all of her share and was snagging some of mine when I wasn't looking. The summer veggies were summer veggies, nothing exciting.

If tomorrow is a nice day we'll have some excitement to share. I've never gone crabbing without my parents (and Hubby hasn't at all) so we'll see how much I remember. And I've never cooked a crab so it could be doubley-exciting. I'm thinking of going total Grok and building a campfire in the backyard to cook any bugs we catch.

Was I tired yesterday? Nahhhhhhh, compared to today I could have run a marathon, heck a TRIathalon. Grooooooooooan......must get out of bed, child demands it, musttttttt

It wasn't till late afternoon before I started to come out of the brain fog but I knew I had to be getting over the hump. By evening I was even able to string enough coherent sentences together to finish my homework and turn it in. I really should have cleaned the house but just didn't have the energy and, with a three day weekend coming up, figured I'd have plenty of non-baby time tomorrow to do it. So the place was a mess. Oh well.

Kiddo is getting a new tooth and ranges from grumpy to happy. She slept a little better (which means I got a little sleep) but seemed extra needy. Worked out good, spent a good portion of the day cuddling her and holding down the couch. It was a fairly dull day-which was about all I could handle.

Breakfast
Chicken sandwich (spicy mayo, oopsie roll, leftover baked chicken breast)

Lunch
Leftover grilled chicken thigh, raw carrots, and another chicken sandwich (for some reason I was starving)

Supper
Grilled hamburgers on oopsie rolls with Parmesan chips

I should point out right here I am a little confused on dairy products-are they part of the primal diet or not? I know I need to get the book but have to wait for payday and the library doesn't have a copy. Oh well, if it doesn't then maybe I'm a...prima-tarian....or...half-primal....or.....need a catchy phrase for some who is mostly primal but eats extra things (like a vegetarian eats chicken and fish but no red meat....or is that a vegan? So many darn titles for people!!!)

Snacks
4 or 6 Sugar-free candies (darn you hubby for buying these things!!!)

Liquids
Ice water
A little whiskey over ice nightcap
Crystal light grapefruit thingy...way too sweet, won't have again

Exercise
Does snoring count?

The second day. Always the worse.

I woke up with ringing ears and that bright, burning ache which usually signals the start of an ear infection, plus a vague, all over ache. Ahhhhhhh, the wonderful switch from burning sugar energy to fat energy. I can almost hear all my internal gears grinding to a halt and switching over. Oh well, it only lasts a few days. Tomorrow will be better.

Spent most of the day in a slight fog, trying to roust myself off the couch to do....something...anything (besides crawl back in bed). Kiddo hadn't slept well the night before but you'd never know, she was everywhere and laughing like a loon. How does she have so much energy??

Watching her I ran up into a dilemma. I know sugar and heavily processed grains are bad (why else am I getting rid of it from MY diet?) but what do I do with kiddo? She only has 6 teeth and has trouble chewing meat (even crock pot stuff) and is iffy on veggies. Her usual diet has oatmeal, potatoes, carrots, dry cereals, and some bread....how do I replace those but still have food she can eat?

Hubby and I talked it over and thought up some ways around things (dicing meat into a fine meal for example...though not sure how she's going to like it since then it will be harder to pick up) and steaming veggies. How to replace cheerios though? That godsend when she suddenly decides she MUST EAT NOW and I have to prepare the meal first. A handful of cheerios and she is happy stacking, munching and throwing them at the dog and I get 5-15 minutes to throw a meal together. I wonder if dried veggies, sliced really really thin, would have the same crunch and dissolving ability as cheerios. Hmmmmmmm will have to think more on that one.

Otherwise the day went good. Hubby came home and cooked dinner (yeah!). By evening I was still exhausted and dragging but Day 2 is over.

Breakfast
Chicken sandwich with spicy mayo on an Oopsie roll.

Lunch
Grilled chicken thigh with raw baby carrots

Dinner
Chicken stuffed with provolone and prosciutto, roasted asparagus in olive oil and garlic

Liquids
Finished the Diet Cokes. Sigh...good-bye my red and silver friends!

Exercise
Lifted 3 pound hand weights for 5 minutes
6 twenty-foot wind sprints carrying 20 pound weight (translation: ran up and down the hallway-living-room-kitchen corridor carrying kiddo)

Mood
TIRED! Don't have the strength to snarl at anyone but if I did I'd be cranky. Looking forward to Day 5 when usually the energy comes back (or at least, always has the last few times I've done low-carb).

Last year the weather turned so cold that the garden stopped growing. By August we had a bunch of zuccini but not much else. In December the three small pumpkins finally gave up and rotted, half green and half wanna-be orange. Check out the carrots:

Yep, that's one of the BIG carrots. Sighhhh....I got so discouraged I stopped blogging, stopped weeding, and just glared at the dark, cloudy sky as it rained, rained, rained.

BUT...IT'S A NEW YEAR!

I've already started some pepper seeds going under the BrightLight. Organic red and greens, plus some orange belles (couldn't get organic orange ones). It's been 10 days and no sign of a sprout and I am getting worried. Last year only one of these seeds sprouted (out of 24)-I had thought it was because of the cool weather. Hopefully it isn't the seeds, these organic things are expensive.

The garden is still in a state of ugliness. I never got around to "putting it to sleep" so it's basically a mud pit right now. Once the ground firms up I hope to get another 3 yards of composted steer manure to mix in and help break up the clay some more. I'd love to get a real fence up instead of that ugly road construction neon orange stuff but we'll see. Definitely will get the log borders settled in and hopefully the grapes planted this year so we can start getting table grapes. And there is still the chicken coop/run to build and chicks to get.

It's only February and we are busy! Here's to hoping for a more productive year. *fingers crossed*

After a two week splurge of carbs it's back to meat, veggies, and more meat. During the two week hiatus I stumbled on the MDA (Mar's Daily Apple) website and decided to incorporate the primal diet with our low-carb diet mixture of Atkin's, South Beach, and common sense.

The Reason
I'm 29 years old and tired. I have constant back pain, migraines, and am always cranky. Ten months ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who today is so close to walking is scary. Scary cause she's getting so big, and scary because I have no idea how to keep up with her in my current condition. To top it off, hubby wants another baby (so they are close in age) and I am seriously considering the idea. My major hang up: if I can't keep up with a 10 month old, how can I keep up with a running toddler and a newborn?

So, something has to change.

I've tried low-fat. I've tried calorie restriction. I've tried low-carb and had the best results that way (except for the inevitable lazy I-don't-wanna-cook-lets-get-pizza day that usually knocks me off the track. For the past two months I've been doing low-carb, kinda. Lots of cheat days, lots of skipped exercising. Not much weight loss or muscle gain.

Enter Primal.

Wandering the internet one day I stumbled on the MDA blog. It took four days to read all the posts but when I reached the end I had found a home. Growing up on a horse and cattle ranch our diet consisted mainly of what we could grow, raise, or hunt. Feeding cows, changing water lines, riding horses, hiking and tracking-all slow and steady activities, lots of lifting, lots of walking. And man was I skinny thing back then. Then I went to college and the draw of McDonald's, take-out Thai food, vending machines full of Snickers, sitting for long hours in classes and the library...well, they took their toll. Fast forward 10 years and all those good habits I learned as a kid are still just a memory, locked up behind a wall of fat, kicking and screaming to be turned free.

And Primal just might be the key.

It makes SENSE!! Meat and veggies, some fruit, no grains (that's gonna be a tough one) and lots of calm exercise. No demands for an hour at the gym, 5 days a week. Playtime even!

So, lets go PRIMAL.

Lunch
After skipping breakfast due to baby demands, lunch was a simple affair of cleaning out the fridge. Baby carrots, snap peas, and broccoli florets dipped into a veggie dipping sauce-thingy my parents gave us (lots of dill, heavy cream and mayo). A couple cocktail weenie's (needed to eat them up) on the side. Not the best primal meal but with our budget throwing out food is a no-no.

Supper
Whats more primal than ribs? Tearing meat off the bone with your teeth, getting BBQ sauce and charcoal in your eyebrows, oh yeah! While hubby was all metrosexual with his New York Strip that he'd splurged on, the kiddo and I got covered in grease and burned meat bits chopping on beef ribs (kiddo also had some grilled chicken since she only has a few teeth) and for the veggie was sauteed Brussels sprouts with bacon. Eating without utensils, licking meat juice off your arm...I could eat like this every night.

Snacks
No snacks today, what with one thing and another I didn't really get hungry till I started cooking dinner. Then it was hard to wait, so I probably should have snagged some leftover carrots from lunch.

Liquids
Awwwwwwwww the hard part of going Primal, giving up my Diet Coke. There were only 6 left in the case so I partook and enjoyed a few, mentally saying goodbye with each can. Once this box is gone no more!

Mood
Grumpy, tired, snappy. Stressed about school, kiddo hadn't slept well so I hadn't slept at all. House is a mess but all I want to do is curl up and sleep. Snarled at hubby countless times. Didn't exercise (bad Kaylee!) but did cook up some Oopsie rolls for tomorrow. Hand whipping egg whites till stiff should count as exercise!

The Stats
Height: 5'4
Age:29
Weight: 212.0
B: 46.5"
W: 47"
H: 47"

So...there's my first post on this journey. Will try and keep all the rest a little shorter. I am expecting a long, interesting, difficult-but-with-lots-of-rewards trip that will change my life for the better. Probably some melt downs, falling off the wagons, lazy days, and great days, up ahead. Let the journey begin!!

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Friday, December 9, 2011

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Monday, September 26, 2011

Friday, September 23, 2011

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Friday, September 9, 2011

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Monday, September 5, 2011

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Friday, July 15, 2011

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Monday, July 11, 2011

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Friday, July 8, 2011

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Friday, June 24, 2011

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Friday, May 27, 2011

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Monday, February 21, 2011

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Friday, February 18, 2011

Thursday, February 17, 2011