Elessar's Primal Journey

I deleted that post because I decided I was being overbearing.
It's at Free Calorie Counter, Diet & Exercise Journal | MyFitnessPal.com . I don't have a real good grasp of portion size to calorie, or carb counts, so it's been a lifesaver for me. In the early days when I was hungry all the time, I ran the food and realized I was way high on carbs and low on fat. You can adjust your settings in your goals to target for whatever percentage of fat/carb/protien you want. I currently have mine set on 10% carb, 65% fat, and 25% protein. You can also plug in exercise goals, and any exercise you do that day is figured into your daily totals. It's not 100% accurate... but it does give a good idea of where you're at.

 

DitchWitch: I wouldn't have minded and will add that I've used both Calorie Counter as well as Fat Secret. I like both for their intended purpose; to educate and guide the user toward more healthful and contious consumption. Most recently, I was using one to record my daily weight and bodyfat units but found that the app was unable to provide me with the numeric history and only showed the plotted graph of the data, so I quit. I do appreciate your input as I'm sure everyone else does too. Thanks for stopping by. As well, thanks to Quig for his input and participation.

The meatballs in marinara sauce was a great hit last night. I added some rotini noodles to the table and tried them on my first serving. This marks the first grain product that I've knowingly put into my body since January 3, 2014. While I haven't suffered any adverse effects of that pasta, I also didn't notice any real benefit to the disk and was reminded of a comment my co-work made yesterday while we were discussing my plans for last night; "pasta doesn't really have any taste." I feel that comment is right on and now have completely voided any desire to eat pasta again.

The meatballs and sauce were great and I went back for seconds, without the pasta. We'll be making that again and I'll probably add the spaghetti squash to the table because I love squash and that's such a fun and tasty way to get some more.

Breakfast: yogurt and 1 cup black coffee
Lunch: 1 1/2 cups chicken vegetable soup
Dinner: Spaghetti with homemade meatballs and homemade marinara sauce
Snacks: 2oz of dark chocolate, 8oz almonds

Weight: 216.4
Bodyfat: 30.1

Let's get out there and make this a great day! But watch out for the storms...

 

I read everyone's primal posts, every post. It's pretty much what keeps me going on this. I just noticed you mentioned being hungry and wanting to snack, and it looked to me like your carbs were way high compared to your fats, which I know made me way hungry in the beginning until I got it reversed. So I ran what you'd been eating and granted I was guessing the details, but it came out like 288 grams of carbs to 45 or so grams of fat, plus the sugar count (admittedly guessing, no idea what kind of yogurt you were eating) was about 125 grams or so... which to me explained why you were getting hungry.

 

Ditchwitch: Thanks for your input. That's what I thought too. I didn't do the analysis that you did but I just looked back mentally and noticed that I'd been slipping away from using the healthy fats and allowing myself to focus on the proteins. I have not been actually counting any of the carbs or stuff since I first started in January. I just felt like I was under attack from cravings so I took a moment to review what I've been doing.

Also, my wife has been supportive in my journey but she is not "in" on the PB and this has begun to cause some...heat. She is not a fan of vegetables and since we've met 20 years ago, she has been very flexible and understanding. However, she is not able to eat as much red meat as I would like to eat, so I have chosen to cook things that she can and will eat that include chicken, which we both like a lot. Grilled, pan fried, roasted, and in soups/stews. I've never been tired of chicken and it has worked well for us, until I've tried to introduce more beef. What I feel is at issue is my ability to adapt my primal menu to our normal menu. I have modified prior recipes like tacos to become a taco salad for me while she still has tacos. This modified approach has worked well so far. I just need to continue to produce things that she will eat that won't corrupt my primal journey. I believe that some of her anxiety about my primal journey is that she is not seeing the weight reduction that I am because she hasn't cut the sugars and grains completely; but that's just my wild speculation. I'm committed to the PB and she supports that so WE need to continue to work together to produce a menu that works for both of us.

Great weekend and summer is here. I know because I mowed the grass at both houses; one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. We planted flowers and trimmed the edges up and made a real spring cleaning of both places - outside. The inside is pretty much ready for showing to a prospective buyer with only a hour prep. Since we haven't moved into the new house yet, it is a little messy with paint cans and drop cloths, but how messy can you be if you're not living there? Good weekend with my first official sun burn of the summer.

Friday
Breakfast: yogurt
Lunch: Big Salad
Dinner: Taco salad
Snacks: a handful of almonds, 3oz dark chocolate, a few cocktails

Saturday
Breakfast: yogurt and a few left over meatballs (cold)
Lunch: none
Dinner: big salad
Snacks: a handful of almonds and a few cocktails
Sunday
Breakfast: 1 cup black coffee with 1 tspn coconut oil
Lunch: left over marinara sauce with 8 meatballs
Dinner: chicken stir fry with about 3oz of chow mein noodles
Snacks: 3oz dark chocolate and 3oz almonds

I remembered to try coconut oil in my coffee on Sunday based on someone's recommendation and I like it. It makes getting some healthy fat real easy and throws a fun twist into plain coffee. Thanks for stopping by; let's get out there and make this a great day!

Weight: 217.2
Bodyfat: 28.8

 

I so totally sympathize with you on the partner not 100% in on it. My husband will eat pretty much whatever I put in front of him, but if it isn't enough or what he wanted, he'll then go back to the kitchen and fix it afterwards. Sooo, I'm doing what you do. I made a lime shrimp salad, and put his into taco shells and made him some refried beans to go with it, while I just had a double helping of the shrimp salad straight. But I can't do that all the time so half the time I wind up fixing two separate dinners. Makes eating out a whole lot more attractive sometimes.

 

Boy, I hate the idea of making two separate meals. And although eating out sounds great, it's incredibly expensive when compared to eating in. I was raised to "eat what was put in front of you" but I realize that is a parenting style to ensure kids eat their vegetables and not relavant in this case. My major issue, and I own this one, is that I want to know that what I've made for dinner is appealing, appetizing, and satisfying. If I can't do that, then I feel like I've failed as a cook and a partner. Lame as that sounds, it's how I feel and my wife is getting frustrated with the "meat & vegetables" agenda. She has said, "I can't eat meat, meat, meat."

I'm sitting here struggling with ideas for dinner and all I have to draw on is meat and vegetables. Alright, there's fish and pork, but I believe those are still types of meat...feeling pretty frustrated...

 

Our exchange student didn't like to eat meat. She liked fish, followed by chicken. Not a fan of pork and would pass on a steak. In her mind, fish and chicken weren't meat, if that makes any sense. Meat meant red meat.

Lasagna Stuffed Portabellas
Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Caprice
Spring Frittatta
Spinach Mozzerella Egg Bake
Pizza Stuffed Portabellas
Soup and salad was always a good bet, like this Roasted Tomato with Broiled Cheddar soup.

The main time we do completely separate dinners is when he has a craving for hot dogs, like last night, or some gawdawful processed mess like those spaghettios he brought home a while back. The rest of the time, there's like a base meal, like pork chops or chicken legs, and then I change the sides... mashed taters for him, maybe some butter roasted carrots for me. Or if it's steak night, I just toss a baked potato in for him because all I want is the steak. Just an idea.

 

Yard Dart: I really appreciate your comments as well as the suggestions you've made. I recently tried eggplant and she wouldn't even touch it and almost not look at it. I ate it myself because I am much more adventurous but I won't be eating eggplant again. Blah! I found it very bland and pale. But then, I don't like lobster for the same reason.

I have suggested a few menu option to my wife and her frustration has terminated the conversation before we can really address other ideas. I really believe she likes the results she is feeling and seeing from the PB plan, but feeling frustrated with the amount of vegetables that are included in being primal and misses some of the easy things we used to live on from our SAD menu. Tator tots and popcorn chicken or pizza rolls were a big hit and we enjoyed a tradition of pizza and drinks on Friday nights. (We're getting ready for a pizza break out night soon. Maybe when we sell the farm and are ready to move to town.) Chicken is always welcome at our house and we both really like the versitility of chicken so we've never felt like we eat too much of chicken. I know that many other people would disagree and gag at the volume chicken that we enjoy. The other complication that we suffer with is that my wife HATES cold food, so salad and sandwiches are out.

I love to use my wok and have had it for almost 30 years. Hand hammered and well seasoned, it is one of my favororite kitchen tools. I'd like to expore more options with that but since we are in the process of selling our farm right now, I'm a little reluctant to break into an entire new arena of cooking because of the constant state of readiness that we are trying to maintain in the off chance of an unscheduled showing. I've even cut back on frying bacon because of the grease that gets into the air and hangs around until we open the windows (our range hood doesn't work and I haven't replaced it - maybe I need to). So, obviously, I copping out on some things and attempting to figure a way to be primal without making too much of a mess.

I broke the rules last night for dinner and prepared pan fried pork chops that I finished in barbeque sauce, with brocolli and corn on the side. I know there was more than a little sugar in the bbq sauce, but it felt like summer we needed a break from the normal routine. It was great!

Breakfast: yogurt, 1 black coffee with coconut oil
Lunch: big salad
Dinner: barbeque pork chop with brocolli and corn

Weight: 217.8
Bodyfat: 28.7

Let's get out there and make this a great day!

 

If it's any consolation, I used to have a friend who's boyfriend refused to eat anything but hamburgers or chicken fried steak. Every.Single.Night. He would not go to a restaurant that did not serve one or the other... and on the rare occasions they got invited out and it wasn't on the menu, he'd just sit there and glower at his plate and refuse to eat anything. I know, because I liked to invite them over for lasagna or grilled chicken just to make him mad.
I mean he would eat french fries or tater tots along with it, but nothing else. So at least you're not dealing with that.

 

I really enjoy the exchange that happens in forums and the Survival Monkey has some of the best I've experienced so far. I appreciate all of the people on here and that we can share experiences and comments.

One of the things that I understood about the PB going in was the concept that it's not a "diet" but a lifestyle change. The idea of a diet, although intrisically should be considered a lifestyle change, most people approach the concept of a diet as if it were a temporary adjustment with the objective of attaining a goal, for a short period. When I started on the PB, I understood that this was going to be a life long committment to changing how I ate and survived/existed. I didn't ask my partner if she was interested in joining me in making a committment to this change and she only commented that it would be interesting and that she supported my decision. I believe that she is enjoying the journey, for the most part, but like many, find some of the elements hard to accept. I think that's why we see people watching from the sidelines, lurking. They want to participate but are unwilling to make the decision or committment to go "all in." I believe that's also why so many people fail or quit within the first year.

All adjustments to the status quo are hard. I believe it's human nature to take the path of least resistance or follow the easy path. The Primal Blueprint is ostensibly easy and can almost be perceived as fun, until the glow wears off and then reality hits. Actually, the PB can be just as diffecult as any other lifestyle change and being flexible enough to give up some of those food items that were functioning in a "comfort food" role is difficult for many. I've struggled with many of the menu items that were "go-to" easy-quick fix" foods when we were tired of suffering from hectic schedules. However, the benefits, for me at least, out weigh the costs of adjustment. I'm looking forward to the future with anxious anticipation.

I have really enjoyed my coffee with coconut oil in it because I find it tastes really good. I'm glad I tried it but it was one of those things that when you first think about it, and then look at it as you're stiring it, that you just gotta wonder...but it's good. Yesterday was a busy day because I had errands to run over lunch and will again today. Subsequently, I didn't really eat lunch, so...

Breakfast: yogurt and a cup of black coffee with coconut
Lunch: 3.5oz beef jerky and a handful of almonds
Dinner: 1 small chicken breast baked
Snacks: 2oz dark chocolate and a handful of almonds

Weight: 215.6
Bodyfat: 28.2

Let's get out there again, and make this a great day!

 

I had another crazy day yesterday with errands at lunch and showing the house for sale last night. I spent the entire day in a flurry of activity until I sat down at 9:00 pm after the showing, that went very well, by the way. This is the first potential buyer that liked the house well enough to walk the fence line. That says a lot to me.

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and a cup of black coffee with coconut oil
Lunch: yogurt and a Clif bar
Dinner: 4oz chicken breast, 2oz mild cheddar cheese, 2oz dark chocolate
Snack: finished with one cocktail to celebrate the good showing

Weight: 215.0
Bodyfat: 26.8

Let's get out there and make this a great day!

 

Still waiting for just the right buyer for the farm. The last showing went well but we've not heard from that couple since their visit. Hoping...

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and one cup black coffee with coconut oil
Lunch: barbequed pork chop and 1.5 cups of steamed brocolli
Dinner: Tomato soup, 2oz cheddar cheese, 4oz cottage cheese
Snacks: a large number of pistachios

Weight: 215.6
Bodyfat: 28.0

Let's get out there and make this a great day!

 

Great weekend with plenty of time to get some work done on the new house and even squeezed in a morning of turkey hunting.

Friday
Breakfast: 2 hardboiled eggs and coffee
Lunch: 3.5oz beef jerky and a Clif bar
Dinner: Chicken fajita salad
Snacks: 2oz dark chocolate and a few cocktails

Saturday
Breakfast: none
Lunch: late as leftovers - Chicken-n-Sand (chicken breasts cooked in Campbells' cream of chicken soup with boxed stuffing baked on top. Definitely not primal.)
Dinner: none but we shared a entire bag of pistachios

Sunday
Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled with cheese, ham, pepperoni & jalapenos and hot sauce on top
Lunch: none because I was in the attic of the new house working to install the range hood
Dinner: three bowls of Chili con carni, also not primal but I was really hungry
Snacks: I had a few cocktails too

Weight: 215.2
Bodyfat: 28.0

Let's get out there and make this a great day!

 

Well, it's snowing, and it's April. How's that even possible!? We had warm and sunny weather on Sunday with temps in the 80's. This is crazy...

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and a cup of black coffee with coconut oil
Lunch: big salad
Dinner: left over chili and a cup of cottage chesse
Snacks: a handfull of almonds and a handfull of baby carrots

Weight: 214.4
Bodyfat: 29.1

Let's get out there and make this a great and sunshining day!

 

I normally might make some inane comment on the weather or the blood moon eclipse from this week or report that Santa Barabra Chocolates just delivered our latest shipment of dark chocolate but let's dispense with the goofiness and let me simply say that I've achieved a milestone in weight loss by hitting 212#s. That's where my weight plateaued about six years ago before I shot up to 238 at the first of this year. I don't expect it to stay at 212 and I hope I continue on my "life style change" journey, but I'm blowing my Primal horn loud and clear today!

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and one cup of black coffee with coconut oil
Lunch: big salad
Dinner: Garlig Chicken cubed in cheesy sauce with egg noodles (oops)
Snacks: 4oz almonds

Ok, so I blew my primal plan by adding noodles to my chicken recipe for dinner. I can tell you that I didn't care for the flavour of the noodles, but I doubt many will believe me. This is my second attempt to prepare dinner using some small portion of the ingredients from an old recipe and the results were less than yummy. I guess I really don't like noodles anymore. And I think that is pretty good. My wife was surprised when I told here because, as she stated, "and you were the noodle king."

Weight: 212.8
Bodyfat: 30.1

Let's get out there and make this a great day!

 

Congrats Elessar!