Primal/Paleo-ish in September
 

Good morning!
If you're wondering just what Primal means, here's a link to help you.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
Welcome to all!

"Holy moly! I've always gotten Trader Joe's almond flour for $4-something for a 1 lb bag."

We do not have Trader Joe's in Denver. I looked up where their new stores were going and it was like Des Moines and Omaha. Omaha!! Nothing against Omaha but come on...... I think the closest one is Albuquerque/Santa Fe.

I ordered the Brand recommended by Elana's Pantry http://elanaspantry.com just because she said her recipes work best with that brand and consistency. I am still using up some garbanzo bean, oat and other weird flours from my gluten-intolerance days. When/if my husband decides to go primal 100%, I will have to toss these as well.

I am losing so slowly, about 1 pound a week and only after fasting at least one day a week. I really think I would have gotten bored and tried something else if it hadn't been for this forum, MDA and you all.

Thank you.

I also must say that I am always under 50 g carbs and usually under 1000 calories. Not by choice it just works out that way, if I am truly not eating unless I am hungry.

I like that the scale is going down and I hope that it's just my old bod trying to adjust to this new way of using fuel.

I walk 45 minutes per day. When it gets a little cooler, I am going to try 2 walks a day. I take my dogs and they have to sit down and rest when it is hot :).

I do not lift heavy things yet. I have a gym membership, but in the past if I start weightlifting, I gain weight and cannot see the weightloss although I know that I am getting smaller. I think it is because I naturally have little muscle mass and any effort I put in causes a gain. Maybe just fluid into the cells. I will go to the gym when I am at goal (131) with the knowledge that I will put on muscle and not fat and that equates to some number on the scale for me.

It would be neat to be a 63 year old body builder :)

Hugs to all,

Brown-- You're absolutely right corn is not Primal, but I love it so much that I eat it because it's in season here right now... Usually only one ear, sometimes two...

I've gained .8 lb in the month of August, considering what I ate and drank all month, I'm very happy with just that gain...

Same ole same ole here...

1. 2 eggs fried in coconut oil
2. full fat yogurt, coconut milk, walnuts, whey protein shake

Hello all, Have not done my official weigh in yet, (will do at my friends clinic who has the full blown Taniza scale that weighs muscle mass, water, etc) BUT my home scale says 10 pounds loss since Aug 9. I am very happy with that.

Chinese Buffet: I do my best to make good choices, claim the 80/20 rule, and just enjoy the time with friends and family. I dont get anything breaded, but I dont worry about what oils they cook with. Typically I get some salad, and pile up on the fresh toms, cucs, onions, and some olives. Then ontop of my salad I might put some salt and pepper shrimp (the are just cooked in shells with heavy seasoning) I will have brocolli beef and/or broc chicken. I will have seafood stirfry and mongolian beef. Typically that is plenty to choose from. I start with a huge glass of water before hand and continue through the meal to flush out the MSG and sodium.

Curry soup recipe....hmmmm recipe? like one written out with measurements and all? Yeah, I dont do that LOL BUT....I cubed up all my veggies, add chicken, shrimp, what ever protien if you want it in there. Start with a heavy bottomed pan, toss in butter, for a large batch I used a whole cube, this made 8 servings. Melt that then add your curry paste, I used yellow, but could easily use red or green. I used about 3 TBL for my large pot. Blend that together and add 2 cans of coconut milk, 2 cups of organic veg broth, all your veggies and cook until the veggies are done. That simple. I used peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic, sweet potato. Would be great with caulifower too. Same type of process for my chicken curry, just did not add the veg broth and I let it boil a bit and reduce fluid

What was on my plate yesterday?

IF from 8pm till 6pm, other than coffee
Dinner, large salad of mixed greens and english cucumber (cavemen did NOT like to burp!) London broil from the grill, sauteed mushrooms in butter and garlic. And my favorite new steak sauce....mashed avacado with sea salt and cracked pepper
OH, and my evening Americano and game of cribbage on the front porch........followed by the onset of a horrid headache that put me to bed at 9pm

Today: Green Mint Tea
Dinner: Salad, london Broil, Maybe a fried egg over the top. Strawberries and raspberries with coconut milk and a square of 83% choc

Starting a new focus group today that I will be co-leading, based on the Becks Diet Solution book about Cognitive Therapy. We were going to have one group for 6 weeks, but some wanted the noon hour and some wanted eveings, so we are doing both! Oh boy!

Sandy, think if you got some higher cal food when you were hungry that the increase in cals might help boost the weight loss? Just an idea, that works for me at times, but 1 pound a week, that really is nothing to poo poo!

I pretty much missed the whole month of August. I'll try to participate in September. My workload is easing up a bit. We've been having fun on the weekends in our new vacation cabin. It's been a lot of fun.

I had a great August, food and weight wise. I lost about 8 lbs. I'm rarely craving sweets anymore. Except yesterday. I saw that the halloween candy was out. I'm a sucker for reeses pumpkins. I didn't even enjoy eating it. I need to keep that in mind everytime I see one. The sweet cravings are mainly psychological now. I associate happiness with seeing those reeses pumpkins, but in reality, I don't like them as much as I used to do. It made me feel a little sick.

I plan on participating in the primal challenge on Mark's site. Should be fun. It starts 9/7.

Mikkijoe - your coconut/curry soup recipe sounds great. I'm in the mood for soups.

I kinda was suspecting that I need to up my calories. Is it that the body won't release the fat if calories are less than some amount maybe based on your BMR? My BMR was tested as 1130 a few years ago. I am pretty much sedentary (computer work) except for my walks.

Your weight loss of 10 lbs is huge!! Hope when you officially weigh in it is even more;)

Well I'll be, I've been here almost 10 years and never even used the "post reply" button, I always use the "Quick Reply " or "Go Advance" :lol: ... I think you may have created a monster, see below :dizzy:

For lunch I had a can of sardines, coleslaw, peach, all mixted in the same large bowl, I'm funny like that :lol: For supper I made some BBQ chicken with some roasted cauliflower... After running and the gym I had some almonds and a beer :shrug: I was hot :lol:

:bravo: 10 lbs wow!! That soup sounds delish!!

Great work on 8lbs :dance:

I had a rough day. I think it was the reeses that I ate yesterday. I had a hard time staying away from sugar today. I had 1 1/2 tsp in my tea and a capri sun. Plus some bread. I did fight the temptation of eating out at lunch today. I came home and had leftover curried sirloin and asparagus cooked in coconut oil and garlic. I really need to get some groceries tomorrow.

I pour my bacon grease into a cup ... but not for disposal!!! The bits kind of float to the bottom and there's pretty nice grease on the top. If it gets down to where I cannot take any more nice grease off the top, I pitch it.

I do the same with my bacon grease. I do not know what's wrong with the bits?
Is it that they might burn when you use the grease to pan fry for example? I use up everything.

I treat bacon grease (uncured anyway) like gold...

Anyone else joining the 30 day challenge on MDA? Sounds like he is giving away all kinds of things! I would love to win the $100 gift card for grass fed beef, and I would REALLY like to win a pair of Vibrams, I want them BAD!

Yesterday, for some reason, I was hungry. I wonder why, becasue that is not a normal feeling lateley. Then I kinda think it is partly PMS, and partly the weather change. We have really slipped into fall. It is still beautiful here during the day, sunny, 80's and up. But night and mornings we have that crisp feeling, which I really like. BUT I wonder if that triggers my foraging activities.

Yesterday at work at 10:30am I had 2 chicken and sun dried tomato sausages with a bag of steamed green beans (grocery store run) THEN had some mixed nuts and a square of chocoate
At night at 9pm I had left over london broil with 2 eggs on top, AND a bowl of berries and a square of choc. THEN 2 all beef dogs and a slice of munster cheese.
Yesterday was a crazy day, I worked, had a class to teach at noon and one immediatly after work, (AND had a self imposed audit in the middle of the day--what was I thinking?) got home at 6:50 and my daughter needed last minute school supplies, so we went out and got those and did not get home till almost 9pm! I dont like days like that!

Today: tea right now, soon to be 2 chic sausages and some fresh from the farm cottage cheese.
Tonight? dunno, have no idea what they took out for dinner, or if they did at all

Hiya,

Sparky--1 pound a week is 52 pounds a year--sounds dang good to me! I know how hard it is to lose weight after 50. And I do know that eating too few calories simply makes my body stop losing weight, I believe I read we go into 'starvation mode' and our metabolism is lower so as to conserve fuel [fat] until there's food available again!

Congrats to these 8 and 10 pound losers--way to go!

Breakfast: 2 egg frittata w/ shredded cheese and salsa

Lunch: Cherries and pork chop

Lotta water. Total carbs so far today: 40 gm

At the end of September I'm going to re-do the measurements I took in July. Very curious to see what changes--I have been lifting heavy things!

Onward!

spanky

Food so far:

1. 2 eggs in coconut oil
2. coconut oil and yogurt with walnuts
3. chicken, yello beans, cauliflower
4. chicken wings

I still use my ground flax and add it to my yogurt... I finished off the psyllium and didn't buy more because I just prefer ground flax ...

Can NOT get myself in gear here at work today!!!

Went off to Amazon and bought a copy of "You Are Your Own Gym" by Mark Lauren--it looked like the best bodyweight exercise book out there. I see it mentioned on MDA. And I am SO tired of weights per se.

I'll give a book report here once I'm into it. Shouldn't be long--I love that overnight shipping!

spanks

Please, do!! It looks like something I'd be interested in. I know that I can look up exercises to do, but I'd love to have them all in one place of reference.

My daughter pulled me away from my work at 8:30 am and we took an hour long walk with my grandson. I do not eat before my walk so after we let the little one play in the park, it was 11 am and lunch time almost.

So for today:
Black coffee, fresh sausage (5oz) and the best, juiciest peach ever. I really was not at all hungry but fast day is tomorrow.
Sunflower seeds and Blackberries
Salmon and creamed spinach for supper with almond flour drop biscuits...Yummy!!!! So good that I had to have a small glass of Riesling (I poached the salmon in the wine as well).

MY husband was orgasmic (heaven forbid). Said that if this meal was in a restaurant, he would send compliments to the chef.

Edit: The biscuits are from Elana's cookbook and they were actually too sweet. I will cut back on the sweetener next time. My husband loved them but I am so sensitive to sweetness that it was too much for me. I melted butter and used instead of grapeseed oil and it worked just find. While researching agave, I found coconut nectar (sap from the coconut tree), supposed to be low glycemic and not taste like coconut. Will have to try and find it at Whole Foods. I think Coconut Secret brand also has the sap evaporated into crystals much like sugar.

I know I need to eat more but it is so weird that I am not hungry.

I just received elanaspantry.com's cookbook and I am anxious to try some of the breads and crackers using almond flour. I do miss these. I cannot imagine that they will taste good. I'll let you all know.

I am confused about grapeseed oil and agave. She uses both alot because she does not want to use dairy or sugar. I do not think MDA likes either. MikkiJoe, I think you use agave, do you notice a spike in insulin at all? Also, I know grapeseed oil is big in the IP world.

I would rather use butter but then maybe her recipes won't turn out.

Ummmmm.....

I do use agave now and then, in small quantities. Probably twice a week. It is from a plant BUT it is highly processed, just as much as corn syrup really, so I am sure it is not the best choice

What exactly is the MDA challenge? Is it just to be super primal? I am not exercising primally yet so I wonder if it includes workout requirements...

Food yesterday:

Roasted veggies
Cottage cheese
Cheddar cheese (I know I eat too much cheese)
fresh raspberries
Fage yogurt
Baked chicken
A peach
Fresh Mozzarella
Tomato, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar

MDA challenge is something Mark puts out every now and then it looks like. Yes it does include workouts, but I wont be participating 100% in those. The reason I am doing it is to keep me motivated and participate up to the level of where I am right now--or push me a little further. PLUS I would love to win $100 of grass fed beef etc. Looks like tons of give aways available.


SO, for what I ate yesterday:
Chick sausage and cottage cheese 10am
frozen bag of veg and 5 pieces of bacon 3pm
Dinner out---mistake! Took it as my 20%, made the best choices, but I am ALL kinds of puffy and sluggish this morning! I ordered a seafood dish that had shrimp, scallops, octopus and mushrooms sauteed in garlic and butter.....on plan right? And I only ate about 4 bites of the rice, not a huge deal right? And I had about 8 corn chips with salsa. So the combination between the carbs, the corn, and the oil the cooked the chips in..........boy oh boy, I feel like a puffer fish out of water!

Where's Claire? I've failed you my dear. I missed a day of exercising :( How's about 13/14 days ;)

Well, again I fasted only 22 hours instead of my usual 36 and did not do my regular walk (went shopping at a new farmers market type store).

I lost .6 but not enough to get me to 163. I am going to my new low-carb doc on my birthday 9/27 Dr. Gerber, for my annual physical. He has been featured on local TV and is listed as an in the know MD on LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com, Jimmy Moore's site. So.....I want to weigh close to what I did last year, 161. Last year, I lost weight eating whole foods but was not restricting carbs per say. I am really hoping my numbers, especially inflammation and CRP are down. So then I will maybe be able to surmise that carbs are the culprit and not cholesterol that I eat or make.

After cutting my fast short I ate:
3!!!! glasses of wine, some parmesan crisps (only cheese kinda salty) and uncured ham chunk (3 oz)
Later a taco salad

I think the wine made me go crazy except that going crazy means only 19 grams of carbs for the day. Isn't it strange that my definition of losing control just means breaking a fast earlier than normal as opposed to eating 3 snickers in one day:)

Hi "Redflame"

Noticed you on MDA. I haven't posted much. My ID is primalmaven.

Newbie here, I have lost 13 lbs and now am kinda looking to do this plan...
I need to lose another 40 lbs!

I have been non meats for some months, but I love fish, especially, seared Ahi!!

Let's Unite!!!:)

Brown created a monster
 

WOOT!


[QUOTE=sparky1946;3462344]
It would be neat to be a 63 year old body builder :) Heck yeah!!


This sounds very cool - where do you do this, Mikki?

[QUOTE=wendyland;3462644] I lost about 8 lbs. I'm rarely craving sweets anymore.
I'm super impressed - 8lbs rocks!


[QUOTE=Ilene;3463496]Well I'll be, I've been here almost 10 years and never even used the "post reply" button, I always use the "Quick Reply " or "Go Advance" :lol: ... I think you may have created a monster, see below :dizzy: Hee, hee... that's two of us!

I do too, and I never in MILLION years thought I would be cooking hamburgers (and whatever) in leftover bacon grease! In my fat phobia years (the last couple decades), you couldn't have paid me to do that. We had burgers last night cooked in bacon grease. Trader Joe's has grassfed organic ground beef -yay!

Welcome!

Here I am, and I must say 13 out of 14 rocks! I am at the end of my 2 week "induction" -- I'm fairly pleased, though with school starting and STRESS racheting up, I did have some "cheats" -- on about 4 different days I had a handful of macademia nuts. I had dark chocolate (small piece) 3 nights. I ate a couple strawberries. I did manage to forgo alcohol completely (!!). Nuts and fruit are not supposed to be consumed on induction. Friday I had a dr. appt at 3:30 in afternoon, so my weigh in was after breakfast, lunch, and lots of water - I was 146 exactly :carrot: , which was 10 lbs. lighter than my last visit in May. I'm pleased with that and know that it's more like 12lb. if I weigh in morning. Hoping to hit 140 by end of month.

The challenge for me now is being back at work and being utterly and totally surrounded by JUNK, sugar, more JUNK, and more SUGAR -- carb explosion :( I have 2 colleagues now who are low carbers and we are trying to stick together.

I plan to continue this induction way of eating (VLC) for another week or two if anyone wants to join me it would be great.

Have a primal day!

Pardon my glitches in my mass quoting attempts... it'll take some practice. :)

I'm not even going to try the multi quote thing.

Hi Chewy! Welcome!

I walked back and forth to church today in the most awful shoes. Very cute but argh! my toes. I'd better get some of those nonslippy things for under the ball of my foot.

I got my copy of Good Calories, Bad Calories. My goodness it's a big book! I might have to read it off and on between fiction ;)

Quiet day today. DH has to run a little errand at work, we have a quick family obligation at around six. I think I'll throw in a load of laundry and curl up with a book. I could do a little hemming for DH too, but he has to be home for that.
I wonder if I can read on the elliptical.
Pork chops for supper methinks.

Hi Claire! I'd love to join you for two weeks of VLC. In the last week I've lost 2.2 lbs. of the 3.5 lbs. I gained on my European trip, putting me at 204.2. On Sept. 23 I'm going to visit some relatives I have not seen since I was a small child, so I'd really like to be 199 or less by then. Since they haven't seen me for years, it will make absolutely no difference to them, but it will make me feel GREAT and that is what I am aiming for.

Thanks! CJ

Susan, I've been reading it all summer (for at least 2 months!) in between fiction and nonfiction books related to teaching. I've had about 3 books going at all times. It's very scientific, dense, and thorough, but it's absolutely one of the most enlightening books I've ever read (I mean that literally). About 50 pages in, I began to use a pencil to annotate to keep me focused -- I've underlined key points and written a few marginal notes. I'm toward the end now, and it's getting even more interesting. It's just an overwhelming read though - so much to take in, and if you are like me, it will validate fully the way you are now eating and leave you feeling bewildered at your adherence to low fat/low cal for so many years (well, I'm speaking for myself here).

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I feel it's been a life changing book for me.

Taubes has a new book coming out in Dec. that is supposed to be more geared toward the layman - not so scientific, I guess, but an overview of what to eat. I am looking forward to reading it too.

That would be fantastic, CJ! We can keep each other accountable. I may not post every day because of school starting Tue, but I will most definitely be checking in. Your goal sounds very reasonable, and it sounds like the scale is really cooperating with you! We can do this.

I found a lo carb recipe website:

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/menus.html

Here are a couple I am going to try soon:

1. http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/most_awesome_pizza.html

The entire pizza only has 6 net carbs!

2. http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/improve...ion_rolls.html

The roll has .5 net carb!

Claire and CJ,

I was a bad, bad, girl yesterday..... I had a few pieces of a crummy frozen pizza I noticed in the freezer. It started when I had to use up some avocados. I bought some "healthier" tortilla chips for DH to use for dip. but I had to taste the stuff 'cause I hadn't made it in a while and wanted to make sure the recipe was still a good one (changing taste buds you know).

Anyway, I measured out 6 chips (my first cheat) and tasted the recipe. It needed salt badly but then my dh could've told me that. :( Well that brought on all kinds of crazy thoughts. How I miss chips. How I miss pizza and before you know it I was rationalizing baking 1/2 of this lonely little pizza that was sitting beside my grass-fed stuff.

Wound up having 88 carbs yesterday!!!!!

Anywho, I will be joining you for your 2 week induction challenge as well as MDA's challenge what ever that might mean. Is induction just keeping in ketosis? 20 grams or less carbs?

Chewy,

First of all welcome!

I had a version of those rolls and I am going to try the one you posted. My SIL is a sandwich maniac and would love if these came even close to tasting OK for him. He is very overweight and doing IP sort of with a little Primal thrown in (my influence).

Thanks for the link.

Update: Made the rolls and they were quite acceptable. Gave some samples to SIL and he was thrilled.

Hi Sandy & Claire -

My plan is to eat only proteins and veggies. I am aiming for 20 grams of carbs, but won't go crazy if it's higher. I just want to eat "real" nutritious foods, keep carbs lowish, not be hungry and lose some weight.

If you want the "formal" Atkins induction, here is a link.

CJ

I bought meself some Keto sticks :)

Reminiscent of my Atkins days in 1980??

Just for fun.

Thank you for the welcomes!!

I failed at the one bread recipe, but found this on to work ok:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/atki...ound-flax.html


I am going to add some feta cheese and use 1 egg for 2 muffins, it was too eggy for me!

I also found this recipe:

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/flax_ga...flatbread.html

I just got back in town today. We had a great weekend at our cabin. Except for a small fire in the house. My oldest put a plastic dishtub full of moon sand on the toaster. Somehow, it got turned on and caused a pretty good size fire. We were able to get it out, but it was a little scary. We are going to turn off all appliances from now on except when they are in use. Big lesson learned for everyone.

My food choices were pretty bad. I had in my mind that I was doing the 30 day challenge at MDA and that meant free for all. I did do some sprinting. First time I've ran in quite awhile. It felt great.

I'm looking forward to the challenge, but also a little nervous. The second I tell myself that I can't have something, I want it like crazy. I need to go to the store tomorrow and stock up on meet and veggies.

Good luck to everyone else!