High Time

To post an update! Paleo is going well for us. Keith has lost a little bit of weight but that is not his goal so we are going to start incorporating more carbs in to his diet. I have gone from 193 down to 188 in 2 weeks. That is pretty good considering I haven't been able to lose weight for years unless I don't eat. I am eating a TON and it's all delicious food so I am winning I guess!


The 2 week detox period wasn't that bad but I really don't feel exponentially different than before. I've read a lot of people have this day where they wake up and feel different and neither Keith nor I have had that. Now, a lot of those people are detoxing off sodas and conventional foods too. We've been eating mostly organic (at least produce) for a while now and I used to be HIGHLY addicted to Coke Zero and Pepsi Max- I stopped drinking those before I got pregnant and it really was a rough habit to break. I still miss the cold fizz tickling my throat...and oh my geez I want one!!! That stuff is dangerous (in component AND addiction) don't do it! I really was hoping for this wake up moment when the world seems a little brighter and I feel amazing...but it either hasn't kicked in, or our diets weren't as messed up as some other people switching to Paleo. Or it's all a load of crock and nobody should eat Paleo....Nah. You can't go wrong with meats, veggies, and fruits! Now, Keith and I both feel 'cleaner' if that makes sense. We both feel healthier and I have noticed an increase in my energy but those all can be explained away by 'in our heads we know we're eating healthy so we act healthy' combined with 'I have to have energy because our toddler is running rampant in the city so hide yo' kids hide yo wife'. Being the late walker that Bryce was (15 months) he is sure making up for it now. He's starting to not want to be carried anymore when we are outside and what not. This creates a problem when I need to get to the car quickly or have a load of groceries in my other hand...etc. I can't just let him go because he does NOT listen when I say to come back. The whole 'oh ok then mommy is going bye bye' thing worked for like a week...now he thinks it's funny and is like 'ok mom see ya later let me go run in to this lake/street/pool/ditch...' and I don't want to use one of those leash things either but they sure do look convenient!! Moms? Any advice?


The most difficult part of sticking to Paleo is the prep/cook factor. We never really cooked much since we've been together. We'd do cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and then sometimes cook dinner (which usually looked an awful lot like tijuana flats or chipotle)...so this is taking some getting used to. Bryce also wants to 'help' with everything and we've tried the ol' here's a pot and pan and spoon to 'help' and he's like 'pft mom...slamming the cabinets is MUCH cooler'....so yes, my dinner has gotten cooked at 10PM and eaten at 12:15AM after Bryce is long asleep. I'm working on it though :) I have faith I can do better! So here are some pictures for you all. Some food and a couple others. Please let me know how you're doing :)


We've got pictures of paleo banana bread, pumpkin pancakes, n'oatmeal, Bryce eating the n'oatmeal, Bryce eating chocolate mousse (made out of avocados, maple syrup, cocoa powder etc), chinese 5-spice lettuce cups, macadamia crusted tilapia with butternut squash, cilantro cauli-rice and pesto scrambled eggs, homemade pesto, etc. Enjoy!

First day down, a lifetime to go!

Well the first day of Paleo is under our belts and so far I am doing alright. The lack of sugars and grains has given me a headache today but I can deal with it...just hope it isn't a 2 week headache! When you first start Paleo there can be a 3day-3week withdrawal period, with most people experiencing symptoms for about 2 weeks. From what I understand it is your body resetting itself to use energy from meats (protein), eggs, and veggies, as opposed to running off sugar and carbs. Paleo is definitely not low calorie or low fat, in fact, fat is recommended at every meal. It can be in the form of avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. I don't *think* it is considered low carb because you're allowed sweet potatoes and all the veggies you want. Butternut squash, etc. These things are in moderation and usually once a day. I don't know if my headache is from lack of the sugars and carbs or if I just have a headache.


And before I continue- HOLY SHOPPING LIST BATMAN!!! The premise of Paleo is to eat like our ancestors before the agricultural age was introduced about 10,000 years ago. Ok- so I can't go hunt a mammoth or saber toothed tiger... but I can buy the best meat I can possibly afford (grass-finished, pasture raised, etc). These things are EXPENSIVE. I used the shopping list that was provided for me by my Paleo book and of course all organic, grass-fed, pastured, etc is recommended. Our grocery bill for ONE WEEK of food was $250.00!!! That's $1,000 a MONTH on groceries. Yeah...not gonna happen. I did our budget this month and because of that expense...well....it's not pretty. I've been barking up other avenues to see what I can do to cheapen the bill. I'm thinking whole chickens are a must because the entire chicken (including carcass) can be used. It makes meals for days. We already stocked up on grass-fed beef when it was on sale so we're good on that front for a few weeks- but after that I found a close farm that sells their grass-fed beef for $6.49/lb. That's pretty good for ground beef that is grass-finished. I've got eggs covered- farm fresh $3.00/dz, as for veggies I think I'm going to come off the organic trolley and only buy the ones on the dirty dozen and stick to conventional on the clean fifteen. (just a warning to all those that think organic is just a ploy I read about a study (I'll have to find it later) that an experiment was done and the fruits and veggies on the dirty dozen still contained dozens of pesticides AFTER washing....with a pressure washer used for HOMES! I don't know anyone who washes their produce with a pressure washer so just be careful!


I don't say these things to be uppity or judge anyone and I hope I don't give off that impression. I say it because I care about others and I want them to be healthy!!!


Anyhow, besides the mild headache I feel fine. I AM craving sugar but that is Keith's fault! He takes the blame because I made a chocolate cake from scratch and he was supposed to bring me a piece back from work (he had a potluck) but the frosting had cream in it and he left it out all day. On a normal day I'd have probably still eaten it but the stomach bug I had is still too fresh in my mind and I wasn't willing to chance it!


Our menu yesterday was swirly crustless quiche (eggs, zucchini, carrots, salt, etc baked in the oven), bacon, and raw sauerkraut (for probiotics), lunch was a green salad with balsalmic vinagrette and mustard glazed chicken thighs (uhm...yum!), and dinner was a baked citrus chicken with carrots, onions, garlic, and a side of beet roots with fennel. The latter was disgusting if I do say so myself. I've never had beets (that I can remember) and they taste like I want to BEET them with a sugar cane. They seriously taste like dirt. And fennel tastes like licorice. So we had a side of dirt covered licorice. I won't be making that again. The chicken was great! Anyhow- I'll try to remember to take pictures of the food adventures coming up. Thanks for keeping in touch! Beets are good for you...good for you...good for you.

Tomorrow is the day!

Tomorrow is our official start to Paleo (although I said that at the end of August too and it never happened). There was a valid stomach bug excuse for that though. My main worry with Paleo is the time it takes to do everything. I'm not used to making 3 solid meals a day. Maybe I should be used to it but there you have it. I'm also concerned because of Keith's schedule. He works a mid-shift (noonish-9pm) so he's here for breakfast but not really lunch and dinner. Do I make lunch ahead and pack his and then eat the rest at a normal lunch time for me? Do I shift our schedules so that we are eating breakfast earlier and then eat lunch at 11 before Keith goes to work? If I do that then we will have a LONG break between lunch and dinner...do I just snack? We usually get up around 8-8:30... maybe I should get up, take my medicine (thyroid and blood pressure--yay for 31 years old and pcos/overweight!) I have to wait an hour after taking those before I can eat...so maybe I should get up, take the meds, then cook us breakfast to EAT around 8-8:30, then do lunch at noon (Keith takes his to work)...the dilemma there is do I make Keith's dinner ahead and just reheat for my dinner??? Or do I have him snack on things until he gets home and HE reheats the dinner and eats late? SIGH...I just don't know. He won't be eating until 9pm... and what are good paleo snacks?! UGH


So yeah...I'm excited and nervous to say the least. I really want this to work but I'm very confused on how to do it.


Help!

Short but sweet

Nothing major to report on our end. We are finally getting over our colds but it's still lingering. Keith is starting an 11 day vacation on Friday and the days are moving slowly. We don't have many plans although we were supposed to stay at Disney for a few nights--I think that might be a bust due to good 'ol finances. It's ok though. It will be good to just have him around. He's been working so hard and hasn't really had 2 consecutive days off in a few weeks. His last vacation was in August... of 2012!!!


Friday we are officially starting to live the paleo lifestyle. I'm really excited because some studies have suggested that it can benefit women with PCOS. Even if it doesn't help me lose weight or regulate my cycle, eating fresh fruits, veggies, and meat can't be that bad. I have dozens upon dozens of recipes to try out so we should be able to change things up a bit. The plan is to continue to post recipes and hopefully my progress on paleo.


Last but not least, my facebook hiatus is going really well. I think I mentioned in the last post that I got on Keith's Friday night but since then I haven't even wanted to get on to be honest. I really don't have the desire anymore. I hope it stays that way. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit...I wonder if it takes 21 days to break one...

I'm not very good at..

I'm not very good at a lot of things. Just sitting here thinking about it the last few days...I don't have any one exceptional talent. I could take the cop-out route and say I'm talented at being a mother and wife, but to be honest, I'm not very good at those things either. Don't get me wrong. I don't think I am necessarily bad at those things, and I've actually had random people stop me and say that I'm a great mom (I guess judging by my interactions with Bryce)...but I really don't envision that there are people in my life and in my surroundings that are saying 'oh wow, Jennie is this amazing example of a wife and mother'...


My house is a mess. Check! Dinner is not cooked from scratch every night. Check. My bath tub has a ring in it. Check. Bills go unpaid or forgotten until those phone calls. Check. The car is low on gas. Check. There is dried goo on the wall from where my son threw food and I keep forgetting to wipe it up because every time I look at it and think 'oh I need to clean that' you hear me saying 'Bryce don't lick the window!'...and then that spot stays there. Check. Oh the list goes on and on. I guess I had this idea that entering motherhood would help me be more organized (insert general guffawing and belly laughs). I thought that having a baby would HELP the situation...that I would find a need to clean more and cook more...It didn't happen.


So in other news I had an endometrial biopsy about a week ago. I got permission from a lactation consultant to take a xanax (halleluiah) and also took ibuprofen beforehand to help with the cramping. The worst part was the speculum to be honest...it always is for me. Anyhow, the procedure caused a sharp cramp and it was over. No big deal. Results took a week and it was a long tiring week. I was pretty scared because I'd been having some symptoms of uterine cancer (irregular bleeding mostly)...but the Doctor was pretty sure it's just related to hormones...anyhow so the biopsy came back free and clear so no cancer here! I'm always so afraid of something being terribly wrong with me but I was pretty calm that whole week of waiting if I do say so myself. There were a couple days where I would envision the 'abnormal' results on the patient portal...and a few days where I thought 'Jennie you're being silly, you're fine'. Anyhow, I have another appointment in a week to try and get the PCOS under control... then who knows???? ;-) ;-) ;-)


Today marks a little over 24 hours since I've deactivated facebook. Seeing as how I can't post this link on my page any longer, I doubt this will reach any of you...but I hope that in the 24 hours I have been gone that facebook hasn't crumbled with my absence. I have the 30 day mark marked on the calendar. So far so good. Haven't peeked (except once when I made Keith check a farmers market facebook information page for the farmers market this morning, but I only looked at the business page not friends pages) however, I want to be accountable for it...so yes, I've seen facebook in the last 24 hours...but no posts etc. It feels refreshing to be off of there. I realized that I was caring more about what was going on in everyone's lives but my own. My child would want to play with me and I'd put it down for a moment but then pick it right back up. That's not how I want to live my life. I do care about you all...but I can't care about you more than I care about myself! There were mornings when we wouldn't make it out of the house in time because I was scrolling on my phone. No more :-) This morning we had time to wake up, chat, nurse the baby, get dressed, go to a farmer's market, run by target, and come home to cook a yummy breakfast....I'll take that over facebook any day :) I DO miss seeing all your cute babies and updates though. See ya soon!