Hi All,

Just checking in - sorry that I've been a bit absent! My sister is visiting for the long weekend, and I'm just not spending much time on my computer (very good thing!).

The good is that I've been walking alot, haven't been drinking much (err, except on Wednesday night ...). The bad is that I've had a bit of bread each day - not a lot though. And I'm really trying to limit the starches overall. It'll be better as of Monday, once it's just back to my regular old routine.

Heading to Montreal this morning with my sis for an overnight trip! We are having dinner at a good friend's. I think he's making lamb, so I'm hoping that there are sufficient veggies with it ... but I won't lie, I'm sure there will be lots of non-primal things there. I'll just do the best I can do.

Hopefully she and I can rent bikes this afternoon and bike around the city. It'll be great! Otherwise, we'll at least be going for a good walk!

I'll write more on Monday, when it's back to the same old, same old!

Saturday:

B: coffee with almond milk
S: almond butter
L: chicken breast with cukes, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, oil & vinegar dressing
S: almond butter
D: chicken souvlaki and broccoli with butter, wine

I didn't get any real exercise in (or any play either, come to think of it). I'm on Chapter 5 of the book, and loving it. Tomorrow (Easter at MIL's) is going to be a bit of a challenge!

Just thoroughly enjoyed a primal nap

I found pork rinds in WalMart! I love those things!

That's right folks ... we do the best we can! I can't find nor afford the organic, grassfed and so on ... so I do the best I can. This has still got to be loads better than I used to eat.

If the topic ever comes up again, remind me that pork rinds and flavoured cream cheese have too much salt for me. Ugh puffy hands and face!

However, I did do a nice bit of formal exercise yesterday. Elliptical sprints.

, Susan!

So I'm about half-way through the book and he had me at the point when he said Mama Grok would have breastfed for 3 years. Yippee!! The book makes a lot of sense. I'm reading it with a very critical eye, but I am seeing so much sense in it.

Breakfast today: eggs-in-a-tomato (2 sliced tomato rings with over easy eggs cooked in them), turkey bacon (has a little sugar, bummer!) and avocado.

I avoided this kind of diet premise for a couple of years. Those who know me well will know why. But I'm glad I opened my mind (and the book).
I've found that almost every weight loss/healthy lifestyle book I've ever read has good and bad points. If we read enough we'll learn to seperate the workable from the crap!

I think I'm going to bumble through a day on fitday to see what's happening with hidden carbs and salt. I always had calorie creep when I counted. I wonder if I'll have carb creep too.

We just went for a glorious walk!

I have had the worse 3 food days... primal or otherwise...

Ilene, if it makes you feel better, Saturday was a nutritional disaster zone for me from start to finish, including gut-buster muffins and McDonalds. It really hit me over the head with a 2X4 how much my food choices influence my mood, energy level, GI tract (TMI, TMI!), self-image, etc.
Today has been much better and tomorrow is a new day!

Thank you midwife

Oh my dears!

The nice thing about primal, for me, is that I took my time getting good at it. If I am yet I know that Ilene and Midwife already eat well. Just assume you're already 60 or 70% there and before you know it ... you'll be 80% or better, just like Sisson suggests.

I've collected up a pound and a half or two over the weekend but I'm sure it's not fat, just bloaty holiday weight. I'm so sensitive to salt anymore! Within my wage bracket, salt is pretty common in foods. Even meat!

Last night. I sauteed some endive and chinese green something in garlic, onions, coconut oil and butter. It was fabulous! So was the chicken toureado but it was prepackaged

According to fitday, yesterday was 1644 cals, 65% fats, 112 gms protein (28%) and 33 gms of carbs (8%).

I would seriously swear that I was eating a lot more than that!

So (I'm just halfway through the book, so maybe he explains), do you have a calorie aim, Susan?

Breakfast: 2 eggs, yellow squash shredded and sauteed in a bit of olive oil, avocado.
Snack will be cc and blueberries
Lunch turkey bacon, hardboiled eggs, salsa, refried beans probably (clinging to my legumes)

Dinner TBD

Exercise: 1 hr weights, 3 mile interval run

I'm back from my weekend trip. It was exhuasting driving 7 hours there and back for only a 3 day trip with a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 year old.

I tried to avoid grains as much as possible, but it was really hard at my aunts house. I did pass up dinner rolls and tried to eat as much turkey and green beans as I could to fill up on.

I had 4 sausage links for breakfast. I'm still trying to put together a plan for today.

Yesterday was not quite primal - not even 80%, thanks to Easter at MILs. But I made the best choices possible, and was gratified to find that my weight was steady this morning (171.6), and not the usual 2-3lbs gain that is pretty standard for me after a feast like yesterday's. Overall I'm really enjoying this primal thing; no cravings, no hunting around the cupboard for something to eat every 15 mins.

Today:

B: IF
S: almond butter
L: omelet with ham, green peppers, onions
D: salmon, grilled, with lots of veggies (that's the plan, anyway)

Hey Midwife ... no not really. There are a couple of guidelines that stuck in my brain. 1/2 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. 50 - 100 grams of carbs for fat loss. And the rest is selected fats.

I'm not sure why I'm frightened of too low calories. Doesn't make much sense considering I used to think less was better.

Yesterday I just ate what I wanted from what I had and that's how it turned out. I'm sure I'll be able to maintain more easily if I can already end up close to "good" without even trying really.

Today's food so far:
1. blueberries, ground flaxseeds, bran buds, dollop of yogurt
2. AES protein drink, it's not primal, but my mouth was frozen I went to the dentist this morning, and I was really hungry
3. Left over ham, again not primal but ... Coleslaw, greens, flax oil in a large bowl...

I also went for a long walk, I ran yesterday and I don't like to run two days in a row, so I walked... The gym is also closed