So...

NON PALEO THINGS:



There, now that that is out of the way...

PALEO THINGS:
Things have gotten a bit harder. No, I haven't slipped, but a weaker man might have. The first week went swimmingly, but once Mr F jumped on the Paleo bandwagon we were blowing through the food much faster... and I was getting frustrated with how much cooking and prep work I have to do to keep us both fed. Also, I started getting hungry. Really hungry. Really, really, hungry. And while I'm not calorie restricting (on purpose), eliminating so many foods does mean, that you kind of run out of choices. So, that's the real deal on that. It's a lot of work to do this. Keep that in mind. And you'll want to really think through what things you can ALWAYS have on hand for a little variety and ease of food to face for those times.

Also, it's expensive. You need to eat a LOT more vegetables and protein to equal the same satiety that you'd get from a typical grain based diet. We're also going to the grocery store nearly everyday. Yesterday, I had to go twice. Hopefully, there is a learning curve here and I'll get better and planning, but also, there is the reality that your fridge can only hold so many heads of cabbage, etc., at once. At the end of the day, I think eating this way is worth the expense... also you won't be going out to eat so there is a saving on that end.

On the plus side, we are both eating more healthfully than EVER before. It's mind blowing. I can't believe Mr. F's sticking to it, to be honest. I think it's because Dr. Oz convinced him he's one step away from a heart attack (truth). Also, my digestion literally changed over night. Period. So, clearly, there is something in my regular diet that was tearing my insides apart. Mr F. also *thinks* his digestion is better ... so who knows what that means. As a result of our major vegetable focus (our plates are about 2/3 vegetable 1/4 protein 1/12 fat) the girls are also eating TONS more as well. As I predicted, Kid often eats the Paleo version, and loves the new coconut smoothies and Paleo muffins (weird but true). So it's a definite win for overall health.

On the weight loss front, I am losing, but (damn I really wish I'd weighed first... and why didn't I write down my weight last week?... I thought I'd remember... I don't!) I'm not breaking any records. My best guess is 1-2 pounds a week. For the amount of trouble (and recent hunger) I would like to see something bigger, but, truthfully, that's a fairly good consistent loss for someone in my condition. I am also down 1% body fat, which has been nearly impossible for me budge this whole past year, even with a bigger weight loss. So I think that is a positive, and speaks to a slower, but real, fat loss (I hope). Mr F weighs in on Saturday. I expect him to have better numbers because he is a man. What I can say is, for a fact, I have lost tummy fat. P.S. I'm also getting 4+ hours of cardio & about an hour of pilates each week.

What am I eating?
breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with turkey, tomatoes, peppers & spinach
or 2 sausage links & a Paleo Muffin
or 2 Paleo Muffins (recipe to follow)
hot tea (note I was able to give up coffee with no side effects... that has never happened before)

1st snack: smoothie (1.5 C coconut milk & 1 frozen banana & various frozen fruits or berries), this makes enough for 2 smoothies

lunch: dinner leftovers

2nd snack : hot tea & a Paleo Muffin (really struggling to find another fast snack... this is it for now)

dinner: spaghetti squash w/ tomato meat sauce & garlic sauteed broccoli
pork carnitas served over black beans w/ salsa & quacamole
curried butternut squash soup w/ bacon garnish & cabbage rolls (stuffed with seasoned ground beef)
thin cut pork chops w/braised cabbage, onion, apple and bacon & peas
BBQ pulled chicken w/ coleslaw
chili
cajun seasoned chicken, shrimp, zucchini, peppers & tomato stoup
sesame ginger chicken & broccoli saute over spaghetti squash
you get the picture!
(Most dinners I make along with rice or pasta to serve to the girls)

dessert: coconut milk tapioca pudding,
you can buy So Delicious coconut or almond milk frozen desserts but they have more sugar in them

If I'm still hungry later I might eat some pistachios, a piece of fruit, or another freaking muffin if I haven't had more than 2 already.


Paleo Muffins


preheat oven to 350

1.75 C almond meal (Trader Joe's has pretty cheap almond meal)
1/3 C sweetener (I'm using 1/4 C coconut palm sugar & 1-2 T molasses)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
spices if using (for pumpkin muffins I use ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & clove... just shake 'em in there go light on the clove!)
blend together
add 2 beaten eggs
1 C pumpkin puree (can use mashed banana instead)
1/2 t vanilla
Stir together
add coconut milk until you reach desired muffin consistency (1/2 C or more usually)
Stir in dried cranberries or raisins if you wish

Bake for 20-25 mins until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from pan and cool.

These will be very moist and will not dry out. They are even better after they've set for a bit.

2 muffins is a little more than 1 oz of nuts, so if you are going nut crazy in your other meals you might not want to eat a ton of muffins, too. Made with pumpkin these are a pretty good nutritional powerhouse. They satisfy that grain based carb vibe without having any in them. I have mine at about 130 cal a piece depending on what I put in them that time... if you stick to the dry ingredient measurements you can really experiment around with these. You can add more or less sweetener (less if using banana... 1/4C should do it), spices, stir ins, you could take out the puree and add more liquid, etc. Once you get a feel for them you'll be comfortable with how to change them around. Most Paleo muffin recipes I found had 3-4 eggs which was kind of gross and very eggy, mine have a much better and more traditional muffin tooth to them. If these are too moist you can drop it down to one egg and the recipe will still work, you'll just need to add a little more liquid to your batter.