Jenny and Optimus Primal's Journal page 4

[Optimus Primal]

Hi there! Yes, I am enjoying the focus. And I do intend to be in good shape at the six week mark.

[Optimus Primal]

This is OPTIMUS PRIMAL’S PRIMAL LEAP POST 2:

Week 1:
Lifestyle Action Item 1: Introduce the Five Primal Blueprint Lifestyle Laws:

Getting Adequate Sleep:
Ha! I have a three-week old baby and a toddler. This one is impossible at the moment. Pert of the problem is that the baby keeps waking up at night, and there’s no preventing that for the next few weeks. The other challenge is that we basically have from 7:00 pm to maybe 10:00 pm of free non-toddler time to do chores, relax, play, hang out with our brother-in-law, and prepare for the next day (kid’s lunch, etc.

Later, when both kids are sleeping through the night, we can sleep from 10:00 or 10:30 pm to 6:00 am and get eight hours sleep. For now, I can do the following:
While I do like watching TV/movies in the evening, or watching stuff with my brother-in-law, I can ensure that, when I do, it’s worth my time. Otherwise, we can talk or read to settle down. I can reduce chore time at night by preparing several days of lunches at once. My wife and I can schedule things so that we each get half a night’s sleep without interruption (take shifts). I can also avoid digital stimulation (iPhone use) in the bedroom. We have made it a rule that bedrooms in our house will not have TVs.

Play:
We do not do enough of this, since we’ve been tired from pregnancy and having a baby. Also, I do not like the cold. When it warms up I’ll be forcing everyone to take daily walks, and I do tend to take my toddler to the park and goof off in the yard a lot. Also, we do hang out with my brother-in-law and other friends, but these visits tend to be inside and not very physically active.

For now, I try to play with my daughter, chasing her around the house, etc. Lately, I must admit, we’ve been much more lazy, since our sleep is messed up. That’s temporary though. My goal is to get enough energy so that my kids are begging me to stop chasing them around so that they can get some rest.

Also, I like skating and hiking, and jumping around in the woods with Vibram shoes. So I’ll be making time for that as it gets warmer.

Sunlight:
We are not spending enough time outside right now because of our schedule and the cold. We do go for some walks. As it gets warmer, this will increase. I’m not worried here.

Avoiding Stupid Mistakes:
I don’t make stupid mistakes.
Just kidding, but I trey not to. When I drive, I WATCH what’s around me. Use turn signals, check mirrors, even when not changing lanes (It’s good to know what’s going on around you). Having kids has made me more aware of surroundings in general, and I want to teach my kids to think about where they are, what they are doing, and what’s going on around them.

Using My Brain:
I have gotten a little lazy here, although I do regularly attend seminars to keep my counseling license up. I could spend a bit less time on TV and more on games or reading. To that end, I have a list of books I want to read. I could dig into that. My wife and I sometimes have a game night with friends as well. This can include card games, board games, or video games.

That’s it for now. I’ll discuss exercise shortly!

[iniQuity]

Optimus Primal: Are you looking to gain some muscle/weight? at 5'5 125lbs I feel like taking your lunch money. I'm 5'7' 150lb for the record. Though in all fairness my "shredded" weight is probably somewhere in the mid 130s, my lowest weight whilst following the PB has been 143lbs after finishing whole30 just last month.

[me2]

Hey optimus: There is a PB coconut ice cream recipe & hot chocolate recipe in the PB cookbook. Maybe that will help? Grok on you two!

[Aila]

Hi Jenny, Hi Optimus!

Weird, I posted to your thread yesterday, but it seems to have disappeared...?

Anyway, congrats to both of you for supporting each other on the journey! I think that one of the most hopeful parts of your story is your ability to steer your little ones clear of the carb tsunami. Since mine are a little older, I can guarantee you that almost the *only* food that gets offered to kids is gross, usually overly processed, carbs (crackers, pretzels, goldfish, cookies, fruit strips, etc etc). I'm having to sloooowly turn that ship around with my own kids, and think it is really great that yours will be set on the right path so early!

[Optimus Primal]

Hi there!
IniQuity: I don't care too much how I look, but I'd like to have more strength, endurance and energy, so I'll probably end up gaining some weight.

Me2: I do have the cook book. So, I'll check those out. Thanks!

Aila: Thanks for the encouragement. Regarding the kids, we're not being too strict, but we are setting some limits on grains, etc. It amazes me (did before PB as well) how quickly kids are introduced to candy and total junk food., the stuff that EVERYONE agrees is unhealthy. Eventually, our kids will become aware of all sorts of junk food from their friends. We'll have to decide how much to limit/allow. Whether we allow canady and junk and non-primal foods, we'll certainly encourage primal alternatives. I was offered candy, donuts, junk food, chips, AND fruits and veggies. I liked all of it. i wonder how different my tastes would have been if I were not introduced as much of the junk...

The attitude I'm taking now, for myself, is that the bad treats, if I keep them at all, can remain rare treats.

[Tawny]

Jenny - that blue knife immediately caught my attention - I love colored kitchen stuff too!
I have a jar of green olives in the fridge from Halloween (eyeballs for my kids) - I wonder if they are still good...would love to try them on top of tuna, as your picture looks so delicious!

[Mog]

PS - oooh, Zombies. If Optimus is on a zombie kick, and he hasn't already, you have to read Max Brooks - World War Z and Zombie Survival Guide. the best...

[Optimus Primal]

Read it! It's really really good! Have you read the Walking Dead comic? It's very different from the TV show that is based on it (also good). There's also Feed. Good books all.

[Optimus Primal]

PRIMAL LEAP POST 3

Week 1:
Diet Action Item 4: Go Primal!
NOTE: I have no weight loss goal, so I won’t bother with some of the exercises.

Primal Day 1 (Jan 6):
Water to drink
Fage full fat (with fruit stuff) yogurt cups x 7 (I’ll have to cut down...expensive)
Half cup of grape tomatoes
2 chicken wings (Bane’s recipe!)
1 cup pistachio nuts
A big ass salad (celery, carrots, green pepper, spring onion)
5 oz NY strip steak
a few DARK chocolate pomegranate pieces
about 10 to 15 Doritos (LOTS less than I used to in a sitting)

Calories: 2838 Carbs: 222 grams Fat:165 grams Protein: 131 grams

Primal Day 2 (Jan 7):
Water to drink
Fage full fat (with fruit stuff) yogurt cups x 5 (There, I cut down....ran out)
Banana
1.5 cups fresh blackberries
2 cups of fresh blueberries
2 chicken wings and a drum stick (Bane’s recipe!)
1 cup pistachio nuts
32 oz beef sirloin

Calories: 3381 Carbs: 187 grams Fat: 338 grams Protein: 341 grams

Averages:
FIRST two days (Jan 1 & 2):
Calories: 5135 Carbs: 207 grams Fat: 212 grams Protein: 242 grams

LATEST two days (Jan 6 & 7):
Calories: 3109.5 Carbs: 204 grams Fat: 251 grams Protein: 241 grams

Regarding the Carb Curve: I’m still falling within the “insidious weight gain” range, but gaining no weight.

I’m sure I’ve improved some just by cutting out ice cream, soda, and pastries, etc. I allowed a few chips, but a lot less than I had. I’m eating a lot of red meat and yogurt. Typically I have a lot of veggies too, in salads.

It’s hard to rate my success because I started a while ago. Generally, I think I’m moving in the right direction, since I used to drink several soda’s daily and eat a lot of chocolate, ice cream, and breads. I also used to eat as much or more yogurt as I do now, but it was corn syrup infested Dannon. So that’s an improvement. I’m certainly getting a lot less sugar and corn syrup and a lot more fat and protein.

I could improve by adding more fruits and veggies, cutting back further on chips and soda, and maybe getting more variety in terms of meats and nuts.

What I like most about transitioning to primal eating is the increased energy, increased awareness of my body and needs, increased ability to get excited about preparing fresh food, being given permission to eat a lot of meat, and increased appreciation for both primal foods and non-primal allowances I have made. But honestly, I enjoy the meats, salads and yogurts more than the chips and sodas (usually).

The most difficult thing about the transition has been limiting ice cream, Sarsaparilla soda, and at first, cereals. At this point, I don’t even want cereals, but I’ll make occasional allowances for the other three.

Exercise Action Item 1: Introduce Law 3--Move Frequently at a Slow Pace:
Between work, taking care of kids, etc, I did not get to creating structured aerobic workouts. I do move frequently at a slow pace in every day life, however. I take walks between our home and my in-laws frequently. I tend to pace or walk around while talking on the phone, socially or for work. I also am constantly moving around the house, up and down stairs, doing anything from laundry to cooking, to reorganizing our home for guests to use the play room, to running around with my older child, to transporting my baby around. So, while I did not structure my exercise, I think I’m getting a good bit each day.

Exercise Action Item 2: Introduce Law 4--Lift Heavy Things:
Again, I did not get to this in a structured and measured way. However, I do have a Total Gym for pull up and other arm/back exercises, and I think I’ll start using that again. Also, I have spent a LOT of time lifting and carrying my daughter around, and she is pretty heavy. A couple of times I used her as a barbell and also spun her around and did various other lifting games using her. Also, i left the stroller in the trunk when we took our daughter to the doctor. I instead walked into the office weight-lifting with each arm, using my baby in her car carrier seat as a barbell. I think that counts.

Lifestyle Action 1: an additional note:
Avoid Stupid Mistakes: Fail.
A while ago, our bank changed owners and the online banking situation changed. I lost my password and found that resolving it was a hassle. I put it off, resulting in being unable to transfer money for our bills. It caused some strain, and has since been resolved. However, this was not very hyper-vigilant of me, and could have lead to additional problems.

Okay. On to week two!