Back in the "good" mode...

I haven't posted for awhile; things have been busy with travels and getting ready for the semester to start. However, with a snow day declared today, I have time to sit in my toasty warm room and write a bit.

I broke my diet some on my travels, but for the most part, especially when skiing, I followed the plans. Avocados, beef jerky, fruits, chicken, etc - only one splurge that weekend for a sushi dinner (and even then, it was only a small splurge). However, even with those few small cheats, I could tell they had taken a toll on me. I was eating whatever I had around the house for a few days when I got back, to avoid the grocery bill syndrome, but really started to feel ill again.

Can't explain it. I wish I could explain it. I just feel awful; I'm tired, I have headaches, I can't concentrate, I am listless and I just want to crawl up in a little ball and die. I just don't ever feel good when I'm like that.

So instantly, I bought some red meat and ate it all with some green pepper. I drank a lot of water, and have been eating fruit like there's no tomorrow. I feel 80% better already.

Good find, by the way: Lara-Bars. https://www.larabar.com/secure/index_.php

Amazing treats - try the Ginger Snap!

I'm hungry.

I had plenty of protein and veggies today, but I'm hungry. I want those little sour gummy candies and a cheesy enchilada.

At this point, I know that I've had enough calories today to completely sustain me - it's simply a munching thing that I want. I want carbs and sugar.

Argh. Sipping all this water sure isn't helping all that much!

Weighing in...

I weighed myself again this morning - I forget most mornings, but need to make it more of a bi-weekly habit to manage my weight. My target is to stay basically where I am. As an almost 5'10" woman, about the lowest weight that would be healthy for my frame (which is smaller than average) is about 128 lbs.

As of this morning, I have lost a bit of weight, but not much. I currently weigh 135.8 lbs. For a few splurges over the holidays, I have still racked up a net weight loss. The trick will be to stay steady in my weight WITHOUT holiday splurges (after all, I don't exactly party on Martin Luther King Jr. day in January - there's no excuse to eat holiday cookies now).

And, let's face it. I am cheap. I have nice clothes that fit me when I'm in the weight range of 132-138 lbs. When I get to the lower or upper echelons of that weight range, my clothes start to fit me strangely. I'm too cheap to buy new clothes; this is what has kept me from gaining weight in my adult life. (That and all that gosh darn running!)

I am concerned that this nutritional regime is going to compromise my weight - that I will lose too much. However, I am flexible - if my body is working properly at a lower weight, perhaps that's my true target weight and I've been a touch too heavy for the last few years.

We will have to see! I'm off to eat my avocado omelette and fresh blackberries for breakfast.

It's a new year, and I'm going strong.

After reading Dr. Cordain's book, I'm relieved that he suggests that the paleo eater have one to three open meals a week. After all, if you have 20 meals a week, if at least 17 of them are paleo, it's okay to have a "somewhat" paleo meal every now and them. Now, granted, this doesn't mean that it's allright to eat a whole pizza or a Big Mac and fries on these "open meals". Perhaps a lean ground beef hamburger and a small bag of potato chips, or a few slices of pizza.

That being in mind, I decided to stay strong throughout the week until last night, when I enjoyed an avocado and turkey sandwich on a 7 grain bread with steamed veggies. Technically, it wasn't a paleo meal, but I did skip the french fries and the 7 grain bread satisfied my bread craving. I was very happy with the meal!

Friends and I went to a party in Brooklyn after dinner in Manhattan (I went to NYC if you haven't figured it out by now). Thankfully, I had brought an all natural apple carrot and orange juice blend (my favorite!) and some soda water to make my own sparkling juice drink, so I stayed completely away from the alcohol. The gracious hosts had provided 3 yummy cheeses, hummus, veggies and other goodies. I was grateful for cucumbers and carrots to munch on, and even treated myself to a few bits of cheese and some fudge. Overall, it was a nice night (food-wise). (It was a great night non-food wise!)

I managed to enjoy my "open" night without splurging. Although I consumed a mionr amount of non-paleo food and no alcohol, I still woke up this morning feeling sort of off. I believe my body was confused as to why I gave it cheese and bread --- it hasn't had those two things in several weeks now! It didn't take me long to get back on track - I had a fantastic salmon with shrimp sauce and steamed veggies for lunch. (Lots of steamed veggies - seeing a trend here?)

I think I will stick to one or two open meals a week on this paleo plan, and I will be flexible about when they are. Dr. Cordain only says that two open meals should not be in the same day - and the more spread out they are - the better. We'll see what the weekend brings - I've been craving some Chinese lately. Perhaps I'll get some steamed chicken and veggies and indulge in a bit of fried rice one of these days. It's exciting seeing that I can have tastes of my favorite foods every now and then. Makes this whole process much more tolerable.