Curing a Modern Life

Nothing new to report here, except I’m tired, trying to plan my week and don’t want to do the stuff I have to

I’ve been watching the CBC’s “Village on a Diet” show, just out of curiosity.

Chicken Liver Pate @ Paleo Diet Lifestyle

Salmon Chipotle Burgers with Fruit Salsa @ Gavan Murphy, via healthhabits.ca
We could change up the fruit salsa to be more ‘paleo’.

Live Primal also has a great recipe collection - you must check it out. It isn’t pretty and illustrated, but definitely inspiring!

Today’s Kick-my-butt plan!

Breakfast

Grocery store and ake some meals for the week - namely the pate (yum!) and I’m going to make some fish burgers with catfish; I’d like to develop a turkey meatloaf recipe.

Homework. There is homework to do.

I did a morning shift yesterday. I didn’t sleep much, as I tend to have anxiety before hand and never sleep right. I slept fine, but always at the back of my mind, I knew I’d have to get up soon. Boo work anxiety!!!!

What was interesting was that I wasn’t hungry yesterday. I didn’t have cravings. I didn’t eat until noon - on a work day - which is very strange for me. I ate a little, stopped when I’d had enough. Overall I think it was a pretty light day. I ate a very small dinner when I came home and wen to ed at 9:00 pm on a Saturday.

I have some work I’d like to do today, but most of all, I’d like to relax

Last two days have not been very primal:

Thursday evening was a bit of a loss late int he evening. I should have gone to bed, instead of over induldged in some apple pie yogurt and chocolate almonds. Probably 55+ carbs in one sitting, though I imagine I was under 150 for the day.

Yesterday evening I went to the resto and didn’t have the control to order primal when, in hindsight, I could have made a much better choice. I had creamy duck risotto, creme brulee and most of a bottle of red wine. I really enjoyed the restaurant and will likely go again - with a PLAN next time.

(The day wasn’t great. I had 2 mini-cakes. For THAT I should have done better.)

But I had a wonderful evening with friens that lasted hours longer than I meant too - I didn’t even expect to have that much fun.

I have an on-plan meal ready at work already (and a delicious one at that) and gym plans for this afternoon. I hope it’s a quieter day than yesterday!

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast:

Fry up up 2 slices of bacon, sliced up leftover pork cubes (a handful), asparagus, mushrooms;
1 fried egg

Lunch:

Goat cheese, cherry tomatos, canned salmon with home-made mayo.

Dinner:

De-boned chicken thighs, “breaded” in almond-curry-thyme, fried in coconut oil. Delicious!
Microwaved broccoli with a little butter.

Some blueberries and strawberries for dessert and green tea.

Activity: BL Cardio Max at a medium effort.

THURSDAY (The Plan, anyway.)

Late Breakfast:

Hard-boiled egg, mayo, crumbled bacon breakfast salad

Snack:

I don’t know, yet. It dawns on me I haven’t much fruit in the house.

Late Lunch/Early Dinner:

Almond Chicken and Green Beans

Evening plans: Pick up paycheque after class, go to gym, deposit paycheque, do a few groceries, hit the sack.

Yesterday was a petty good day… except if you consider I didn’t go to class. If I don’t get in gear by Thursday I’m going to have some serious problems. So, yeah, today I am booked. I’m just going to enjoy my morning glass of water and breakfast and 3FC. and then move on.

Weigh In: 145

I’ve been very conscious of my thighs this week. They feel fuller in my jeans; I’ve noticed them rubbing together when I otherwise wouldn’t have.

I went to the gym yesterday, did 40 min. on reclined bike at a lower intensity as suggested by Primal Blueprint - which I read while cycling.  I came home and had a surprisingly light dinner - stopped when i wasn’t hungry.

I’m pretty hungry for breakfast now, though.

Yesterday was an excellent eating day. I tried macademia nuts for the first time. Expensive but delicious! The bad was maybe 1/4 cup of soy milk in an iced coffee - I just don’t like the taste of cream. Plus there was some  goat’s cheese, which is an indulgence food

Did I succeed in my goals?

I was more active this week, but less then I wanted to be. Less then I need to be.

Eating  was a lot more primal.

Groceries were still expensive. I don’t know how to keep this up. Rather - I can’t keep it up and keep paying off debts.  Ugh. The end of the semester can’t come fast enough.

I need to make a better exercise plan, at least until it’s warm enough to crack out my bike and enjoy going outside.

Now, 2 days a week I work a shift on my feet. That’s standing walking for 16 hours / week.

I’d like to do minimum 2 days/week at the gym, but I’m having trouble meeting that goal. This week I’d like to go to the gym on Thursday, Saturday and Tuesday evening.  (Today I’d like to do the 30 Day Shred). From the success stories on the website, I know that real, regular activity is the key to success to losing the fat.

Fried Eggs and Bacon - and probably not more than once a week

Vegetable or lean meat egg omelette

Bacon vegetable stir-fry

Lox and salad

Berries and Almonds

Ugh. Okay. So I tried on a dress last night that I bought last summer and it was too tight, especially across the stomach and thighs. One other dress also didn’t fit right.

I need to get this into gear. By gear I also mean the gym. I also need to re-evaluate my eating. The daily fried eggs and 2-5 bacon is too much (although i haven’t gained weight and I’ve eaten it daily for two weeks.) I definitely need more vegetable bulk when I have breakfast.

Any ideas for a low-carb breakfast?

Dinner at Mom’s last night was an over indulgence. 2 coffees, 1 glass of wine, 2 slices of baguette (one with -erg-margarine) and a small scoop of potato amidst the damage.

I’m going to keep reading PB, keep motivated, and not worry about feeling guilty.

AND I WILL go the gym after being a hair model today. (Hair looks funky awesome, BTW.)

.. and reading the Primal Blueprint at the same time, here at my computer. It’s the episode discussing lap-band surgery being available now to people who are 30lbs overweight with another medical condition (diabetes, high cholestorol).

2 male doctors are pro, one female doctor is anti. (All are also distinctly overweight, too. maube those gentlemen should get the surgey, since they advocate it so much!)

I have lots of beef with this. I am wary of weight loss surgery - I know some people find great success, others who lost a lot less weight then they expected, even gaining some back.

I don’t want to make people feel bad. I can really understand why people get WLS. Having to lose hundreds of pounds must be overwhelming. When you have immeditate other health problems. I really think it should be for the obese; It should come with the help of a counselor, a nutritionist etc.

I am horrified to think that some people’s insurance would pay to put it in but not take it out.

The examples given: One girl who lost 50 lbs in 6 months; One girl who lost 180 lbs in 6 years. They were both obese when they began , they’re both still overweight. They hardly eat anything - yogurt, pudding, soup. They must take a monster multi-vitamin.

Lap band does seem to be the least invasive. Dr Oz did say that it doesn’t cure the emotional connection to food, though,

I don’t believe that WLS is a solution for food addiction. Food addicton, stress eating, I feel like these need to be treated.I know I had to learn about this, slowly, my own way. I had to learn to handle stress, learn about my food triggers. I learned through trial and error that carbs trigger cravings in me.

I’m always sorry to hear that people will try every single kind of liquid or fad diet but can’t succeed; They can’t quit the emotional eating, or the processed foods, and can’t commit to lifestyle change. I definitely think that an obese person can lose 50 lbs in six months, or 180 lbs in six years, I’m sure I’ve seen many at 3FC.

But I guess if you really, really can’t learn to say no to bad foods, if you really, really can’t limit your stress or find a way to fit more activity in your life, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

Time always just goes so fast! And I have another busy week ahead

I have a question for you all, and it maybe applies more to to those of you are single or don’t have children. (Then again, it may not.)

Do you eat all of you ‘best’ or favourite groceries first?

I have lots of “backup foods” like canned fish, frozen things, that I buy when on sale and eat when I’m really broke. I like ‘em just fine. But, for example, today I bought some smoked salmon and I just HAD to eat it for lunch today. (Seriously - smoked salmon vs. chicken hearts. I really like the hearts, but I just LOVE THE SALMON.)

I ate 5 slices with some cream cheese that i wanted to get the heck out of the house It’s not paleo, but it’s not that high in carbs either.

Tonight is another special event. Last night was lovely, but I did have a small glass of wine and as much as 5 small oatmeal cookies. Tonight there’s a big meal with everyone contributing. I’ve taken to eating fewer sweets at these feasts. I myself am not bringing paleo foods - I’m just going to enjoy a taste of everything and enjoy it!

Also, today I was thinking about buying The Primal Blueprint from the bookstore… Hmmm…

I’m posting mostly because I’m procrastinating getting in the mood for some other writing work I have to do.

I’ve been reading oldest to newest the posts on Mark Sisson’s blog, Mark’s Daily Apple. You may or may not know, Mark developed ‘Primal Blueprint’, a plan I am currently following. It’s similar to other “Paleo” styled plans with a little more realism - dark chocolate and wine are okay sometimes, etc.

Toe-may-toe / Toe-mah-toe: I like this “paleo” thing, and I’m not rigid enough to cut out everything. And Primal Blueprint’s informative but ‘real’ blogs, graphics design, website design, spokesperson etc. all look great. I’ve been marketed to and sold

However, in reading Mark’s Daily Apple, there’s a remarkable difference between the earliest and latest posts. Okay, so it’s not that surprising, we all change! Not to mention that most ‘professional’ blogs have multiple writers, and Mark’s does too.  A lot of those very early posts mention eating whole grains and yogurt and other things that Mark doesn’t endorse now. Also: (It seems that) Mark does a lot more posting himself, now

The whole blog has a whole lot of nice, fun facts. I enjoy how it’s written Mostly, I think I just love the Friday success stories! Helps me along the planning of my own.

Yesterday’s Damage:

1 Bagel: 46 g - I didn’t pack dinner for work
1 Beer
1 cup of spaghetti

Yesterday was strange: Bouts of very slight fever and nausea; Then I’d be hungry. The last time I had mixed nausea and hunger was a food poisoning that took a day or two to kick in. By the time I left work, I felt a lot better.

Yesterday’s SUCCESSES!

I went to a bar after work and only drank a beer!
I sang freaking KARAOKE after only 1 beer!

I’m a little disappointed, but I also remember that I’d often eat 3x as many carbohydrates; 4x as much spaghetti in one sitting; 2 bagels and butter at work because I was eating away my stress.

I have a big evening tonight and am looking forward to it, feeling a little anxious.