Nice fresh garden veggies!

We were blessed with a really great garden this year! It has felt so good to eat a bounty of fabulous fruits and veggies that we grew by ourselves! I have BIG plans for next year's garden! :)

I've been reading Mother Earth News for a while now and am striving to become at least 50% self sufficient with food. I think we can do it!

I also have a TON of cucumbers- so I'm going to give a shot at making my own pickles this weekend. We shall see how that goes!

Eating primally has continued to go well- I have a renewed energy in it after re-reading Primal Blueprint and having tons of fresh foods to eat.

Our Garden!

The Whole 30 didn't go as well as expected. I had a couple of "cheat" days... but I did lose 5 pounds over all for the month.

We also have a really great garden this year... it's coming along very nicely! We have had several humongous zucchini, and some beautiful cucumbers and peppers as well! I'm really excited for the broccoli and tomatoes to come in!

This month I am going to work really hard on primal exercise. I have taken a big break from jogging- but I really enjoy it- so I'm going to get started again. I have also really loved doing Zumba- we have it for Wii and I highly recommend it- very fun!

Watermelon

Broccoli

Cucumbers

Zucchini

June 1 is a Good Day

June 1 seems like a good day to start another 30 day challenge. The past two challenges I've tried have not been successful- I've mostly stuck to the plan- but I've let little things slide in like drinking milk, eating processed salad dressings, and such. I've been so busy studying for boards I've let some things slide. But that's over- and I passed!

So today- June 1st starts a true Whole 30 Challenge- no cheats at all. Also, this past weekend, my husband and I put in our garden. I'm super excited- it's the biggest garden we've had yet (about 150 sq ft). We've planted zucchini, cukes, tomatoes, about 5 different types of peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, watermelon, cabbage, and kale. I have somewhat of a brown thumb- but hopefully this time it will stick! It feels great to get on the road to self sufficiency. Now we have chickens regularly laying eggs, and a nice big garden. Next year we want to add beehives, and within the next 5 years I'd like to have a dairy goat (or two)! It's a slow project- but I want to make sure I can master it one step at a time. Pictures of the garden to come!

Graduated from Nursing School- getting "strict" again!

I completed the hardest two years of my life and graduated from nursing school. I'm excited to be a "grown up" now! With that said, there has been a lot of celebrating and eating non primal foods the past couple of weeks- and I have definitely felt the effects! It's amazing that I used to be able and easily eat a bowl of ice cream and a couple of hot dogs and not feel a thing. Now my stomach definitely is NOT happy when I do that. I had a cookout and stayed up with heart burn and stomach cramps at night. Now that all of that stuff is done- I have decided to complete another 30 day challenge! I need to get myself back on track!

This 30 day challenge includes:

No dairy (except butter)

No sugars/grains

No high glycemic foods (I have a weakness for bananas!)

Daily scripture study

Daily piano practice

Running outdoors at least once a week

Hopefully this will help me get going in the right direction again! I also wanted to link over to Primal Toad's "Primal Cave Friday". He has a great blog - http://www.primaltoad.com/primal-cave-friday-2/#comment-10775 .

Have a great weekend! While I will not be putting up daily posts of what I eat- I will try to at least do every 3 days or so - I want to be accountable for what I put into my body!

One year today!

Today is a special day for me- I have been primal for one year! It's been one of the best years of my life and I really look forward to continued progress and health. I've lost almost 70 pounds, lowered my cholesterol and triglycerides, and actually ENJOY exercise! I am SO grateful that I was introduced to this way of life. I was feeling pretty hopeless- but now I feel like I can do anything! I hope this year brings about another 25 pounds of weight loss and continued strength and wellness. :) If any of you have doubts as to whether this can work for you- it CAN! Just stick to the plan and you will see amazing results in your health.

You can learn more about primal blueprint at the website marksdailyapple.com .

Last March:

Last week:

Birthdays are hard!

I celebrated my birthday a few days ago, and I REALLY indulged in some not so healthy treats. My grandmother knows that my favorite meal are her homemade biscuits with tomato gravy and for dessert- blackberry sauce over the same biscuits. I ate a TON of them. I also indulged in quite a bit of Ben and Jerry's oatmeal cookie ice cream. While I was enjoying all of the food at the time, afterwards, I was HURTING!

I've never really had a problem eating high carb foods, but since my body is longer used to all of the sugar, I had a REALLY bad stomach ache and couldn't sleep all night.

I definitely enjoyed my birthday dinner- but next time I'll eat a quarter as much!

Whole 30- THE RESULTS

Well, I finished my Whole 30 challenge. It wasn't too bad. The main thing I learned is that dairy is my downfall! I eat far too much dairy. So now that I'm back on a "normal" primal diet, I'm going to make sure I eat way less of it.

So total- I lost 10.5 pounds. That's a lot of weight loss for 30 days!

I also went down at least a pant size- maybe two. I haven't been shopping yet- so I'm not sure.

As a reminder- here is a picture of me from last March (the week before I went primal and 65 pounds heavier).

Now here is a picture of me from right before my "Whole 30" challenge.

BEFORE:

Here I am in the exact same clothes after my "Whole 30" challenge. Now I have to wear a belt!

AFTER:

Whole 30 Food Journal- Days 24-29

Again- I let my recordings slip. I've definitely been sticking to the plan- except for today- Valentine's Day.

I couldn't help myself and indulged in a sugar cookie. I know- bad me!

But I did go to lunch with my husband to IHOP (where we had our first date almost 9 years ago!) and enjoyed a T-bone steak and 3 eggs over easy. SUPER filling and super yummy.

I guess my 30 days are up on Wednesday. I'm not going to post any more food journals- but on Wednesday I will post my results after I weigh myself.

I'm pretty excited to see how this past 30 days has effected me!

Whole 30 Food Journal- Days 16-23

I am so so bad! I keep forgetting to put up my food for the day!

I've been strictly staying on the Whole 30 (even when surrounded by sopapillas- my favorite).

Days 16-21 - Don't remember! But I definitely stuck to it- and I'm almost to the end! I think the only thing I've really missed is heavy cream in my herbal tea. I tried coconut milk- but it's just not the same.

Day 22

Breakfast: skipped

Lunch: 2 eggs

Snacks: a fresh pineapple/coconut milk/banana smoothie. Definitely higher on the carb side- but it was SOOOO yummy.

Supper: Taco salad (seasoned ground beef, spring greens, banana peppers, hot sauce, and sauteed onions)

Day 23

Breakfast: skipped- was running late for class

Lunch: 2 eggs (I think I have 2 eggs for lunch almost every day!)

Snack: a handful of prunes, some freshly cut pineapple, a few pork rinds

Supper: Primal BBQ chicken (recipe from Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint cookbook) with a side of asparagus (w/olive oil and a squeeze of lemon).

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 15

Studying for all of my exams has made it really difficult for me to remember what I have been eating!

Breakfast: skipped

Lunch: 2 eggs

Supper: skipped

I was so busy studying I only really ate snacks. I had some raisins, a coconut milk and frozen mango smoothie, and a few pork rinds throughout the evening.

Whole 30 Food Journal- Days 11 to 14

I've been SUPER busy with school- so I haven't been the best about updating but here was my weekend:

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

I don't remember what I ate on these days, but I DID stick to the plan!

Day 14

Breakfast- a banana

Lunch- 2 eggs and a handful of almonds

Snack- 4-5 prunes

Supper- grilled pork chop, green beans, spaghetti squash "pancake" (egg and spaghetti squash fried)

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 10

Breakfast: 1 egg, 2 strips of bacon

Lunch: egg salad with home made mayo. I will NEVER buy store mayo again! The home made mayo with olive oil was super easy to make and super duper delicious.

Supper: skipped

Admittedly not a very nutritious day- but I was super busy!

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 9

Day 9 was:

Skipped breakfast

Lunch was 2 eggs

Supper was chicken liver with bacon and onions

Sides of broccoli and sweet potatoes

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 8

Yesterday I was REALLY craving sugar. I don't know why. Especially right before I went to bed- I was REALLY wanting some- so I indulged with a handful of raisins.

Breakfast:
Frozen blueberries with coconut milk (berries and cream)

Lunch:
2 eggs
1 apple

Snack:
Sunflower seeds
handful of pork rinds
raisins

Supper:
Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Recipe:
1. Cut a large spaghetti squash in half and roast in the oven cut-side up for about an hour.

2. Make your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use Italian tomatoes, Italian Seasonings, and ground beef).

3. When squash is done, shred with fork in long strips to make "noodles".

4. Serve sauce on top and enjoy!

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 7

Yesterday I had class in the morning, so I didn't have time to eat breakfast. I was starving by the time I got home at 2pm.

Lunch:
3 eggs (fresh out of the coop)
a few raisins

Supper:
I took a handful of pork rinds and crushed them up into powder. Then I dipped a chicken breast in it and fried it in coconut oil on the stove top. I put lime juice on it and had a side of green beans. It was SO good!

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 5 and 6

Day 5 was Saturday:

Skipped breakfast

Lunch: Turkey Curry (sauteed onions, leftover turkey, pineapple chunks, curry powder, and chicken broth served over cauliflower "rice")

Supper: A big salad with spring greens, eggs, broccoli, sunflower seeds, and peas with vinegar and olive oil.

Snack: Leftover turkey-curry after I got home from work


Day 6 was Sunday:

Skipped breakfast

Lunch:

2 Tuna cakes (can of tuna with an egg, dill, salt, and ground up almonds made into cakes and fried)
1/2 can of peas

Snack:
2 fried eggs with lots of hot sauce

Supper:

2 blackened Tilapia fillets with lime and a side of sauteed mushrooms

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 4

Yesterday was a snow day for my kids and my husband, but I still had classes and had to go to school.

Breakfast:
2 eggs

Lunch:
1 pork chop (George Foreman)
1 banana

Snack:
Smoothie made with 1/2 can of coconut milk, some vanilla, and a frozen banana
handful of sunflower seeds
1 apple

Supper:
We went out with friends to Applebee's. I had a 7 oz. sirloin and a side of broccoli.

Dessert:
2 dates

Too much fruit again yesterday! I'll have to really be more careful!

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 3

It's getting a little easier every day!

Breakfast:
I was in a hurry- so a banana as I was running out the door

Lunch:
1 pork chop (on the George Foreman)
1 apple

Snack:
1 smoothie made with a frozen banana, half a can of coconut milk, and a tablespoon of Dutch process cocoa powder
I also snacked on a few pork rinds throughout the day (YES- they're "primal"!)

Supper:
Shrimp stir fry (with asparagus, sugar snap peas, carrots, and bell pepper) on a bed of sauteed strips of cabbage

Dessert:
2 dates


Admittedly, the sugar content was higher than I usually do (though it was all natural fruit sugars). Today I'm making sure I keep the sugar intake down.

The other hard thing is that I usually weigh myself every Friday on Wii Fit to see my progress (they make chart that's pretty rewarding to see!), but part of the "Whole 30" is that I don't check my weight until the 30 days is up. But it is KILLING me to know if I'm making any progress!

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 2

Day 2 of my Whole 30 challenge was yummy.

Breakfast:
2 eggs in bacon fat

Lunch:
A gigantic salad with artisan lettuce, a tomato, and a can of tuna on top. Salad dressing was olive oil and lemon juice.

Snack:
banana

Supper:
Chopped liver with a side of sweet peas.

Now I've never had Chopped Liver, but I followed the recipe from Mark Sisson's Primal Cookbook and it was SOOOO yummy. After I got home from the gym I had a second helping!!

Whole 30 Food Journal- Day 1

Yesterday was the first day of my "Whole 30" challenge. By getting strict again, I realized how much junk I was letting slide these past couple of months!

For breakfast I had: 2 eggs (fried in coconut oil)
1 cup of mint herbal tea (no sweeteners or cream)

For lunch: 1 Tilapia fillet (fried in coconut oil)
a sprinkle of garlic powder and paprika
1 handful of almonds

For snack: I went outside and found two eggs in the chicken coop- so I ate them!

For supper: 1 pork chop on the George Forman grill
about 2 cups of California mixed veggies

For dessert: 2 dried mission figs


I was kind of skimpy on the veggies yesterday. I'll have to make sure to eat a huge salad for lunch today.

I also watched the documentary "Food, Inc." last night. It really sickened me! If there is any movie that can convince people to eat cleanly- that is definitely it. I recommend everyone watch it!