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?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Feel the burn...
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!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Updates
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
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
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Less computer, more standing
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
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
Friday, May 27, 2011
Where oh where is my jawbone?
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.
*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.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Rain rain go away....
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.
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.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Discipline
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.
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.
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