Mandolin's Primammalian Cave Wall page

[Mandolin]

I don't know what made me pick up a copy of the Primal Blueprint that Monday after Thanksgiving 2010, but 2 months later, and 15lbs lighter, I'm glad I did!

The Obligatory Intro:
Name: Mandolin (aka: Amanda)
Age: 30 (31 in 24 more days)
Location: Ohio
I share my cave with: Husband, 2 kids, a dog, a cat, fishies, and about 80000 bees (outside, of course)
Favorite pastimes: Cooking, hiking, gardening, having dance parties w/ the kids , camping, photography, going to the beach, chillin' with the fam.
People think I'm weird because I: Eat like Grok, home school my kids, don't have cable/satellite TV, don't text on my phone, believe diet can cure almost anything, don't go to the doctor, don't have a microwave, read...a lot.

The Writing on the Wall
Most of my life, I've had what some might call "a bit of a weight problem." I would fluctuate anywhere from a little overweight, to very overweight, to pregnant (or very, VERY overweight). I've tried starvation (it worked for a little while, then I got a little hungry, and a lot sick). I've tried low-fat (yuck). I've tried vegetarian (meh), vegan (never again), and the good ol' college "I'm broke" diet (seriously, when my husband first met me, all that was in my fridge were condiments, and all that was in my cupboards were jolly ranchers and pixie stix) . Skip ahead to Thanksgiving 2010. Location: My place. Menu: The Usual Suspects (turkey, gravy, mashed taters, sweet taters, corn casserole, green beans 'n bacon, rolls, pies, stuffing, wild rice...you get the idea. I stuffed myself. We ate all the leftovers. Then I read the book...you know the one! If I were on Oprah, I would say it was my Aha! moment. Since then, I've been Primal~I would say 85-90%. In 66 days, yes I counted, I've lost 15lbs. I bought a pull-up bar (and try to do pull-ups on it!). I've re-read the book, and recommended it to countless people. I got my family on board~including the kids !!! All-in-all, I'd say not a bad way to start 2011, and the rest of our lives.

The Goals:

• 1 un-assisted pull-up...actually 5, but 1 for now
• I want to see my abs~is that so wrong?
• Drop another clothing size (lost two already)~can I actually pull off a 6?
• Inspire others to join our little Primal cult

Favorite new (or rediscovered) foods since turning Primal:

• Almond flour pizza crust
• Coconut Oil, flour, milk...anything coconutty
• Dinner for breakfast
• Whole Roasted Crispy-skinned Chickens
• Homemade salad dressing
• Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Omelets
• Bacon (with No guilt)

I am thankful for:

• A freezer full of grass-fed beef & venison
• My new-found health
• My amazing husband & kids for accepting and loving this new lifestyle
• And butter

Until next time...

The Numbers:
Height: 5'4"
Start Weight: 155
Current Weight: 140

[Mandolin]

It's Good to Sleep In
Woke up this morning (at 9:30) to a nice tall glass of homemade kombucha, followed by a giant plate of nothing...until lunch.

The Menu
L: Green Beans 'n garlic butter; carrot sticks & pepper jack (now that I look at it, what a random lunch...oh well.

S: 1/4 of my husband's 3 egg, sausage, and cheese omelet. I knew he'd never finish it

D: Almond crusted baked cod w/ lemon butter; BAS w/ onion, kalamata olives, red peppers, & feta; cauliflower smothered in bacon fat.

The Workout
It seems weird to me to post workouts, b/c I don't yet have a real schedule/regimen that I follow. For instance, today I did some deadlifts, my daily push-ups, practiced my pull-ups (throughout the day, whenever I passed the bar), and my planks. I also vacuumed and steamed all my floors. That counts, right? As time progresses, I'm sure I'll fall into some sort of routine. I'm really looking forward to Spring and moving this stuff outdoors. I'm a fair-weather runner Oh, and speaking of pull-ups, I still cannot do one...BUT, I can do some good negatives, AND once I'm about 3/4 the way up, I can pull my chin up over the bar (chin-up style). Not to mention, all the practice has made my abs super sore. Good kind of sore, though. Love that feeling!

~Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!~

[Hedonist]

Love your title

[Paleobird]

Hi Amanda and welcome,

Would you like to join the Worldwide Pull Up Challenge of 2011? There is a thread about it on the Odds and Ends section if you are interested. A lot of us have decided that this is the year we quit making excuses and crack this barrier. It sounds like you are already at work on it.

I like the random way you cook.

Robin

[Dragonfly]

Love your title, too---but your colors are really hard to read. Can you aim for something darker?

[Mandolin]

Hi Amanda and welcome,

Would you like to join the Worldwide Pull Up Challenge of 2011? There is a thread about it on the Odds and Ends section if you are interested. A lot of us have decided that this is the year we quit making excuses and crack this barrier. It sounds like you are already at work on it.

I like the random way you cook.

Robin

Thank you~I'll definitely check out the challenge! I think I can, I think I can And I used to be quite careful with meal planning, but now I just eat whatever sounds good. To hell with proper combinations~now pass me the eggs and guacamole.

your colors are really hard to read. Can you aim for something darker?

Yes, sorry. I'll stick with the darker stuff. Just playing around with it~that orange, especially, is difficult :/

[Soil To Sustenance]

How long have you been keeping bees? I have had about 5 hives for a few years, but last fall I took over 20 hives from my uncle (whew).

My wife and twin boys will be headed your way in June/July for their annual Cedar Point adventure.

[Mandolin]

How long have you been keeping bees? I have had about 5 hives for a few years, but last fall I took over 20 hives from my uncle (whew).

My wife and twin boys will be headed your way in June/July for their annual Cedar Point adventure.

We've had bees for 3 years now~just 1 hive, but we're setting up another this spring! We <3 our bees

How awesome is Cedar Point? We're only 5 minutes from the gate Lucky us!

[Mandolin]

7" of Wha?
So, I'm at the library today, when this uber-friendly lady walks up and starts chatting me up like we were long lost friends.
Woman: "Giiirrrrllll, you know we supposed to be gettin' 7" today?"
Me: Looked to the left, looked to the right...looked for Ashton (in case I was getting punk'd). "Uh, really? Huh, didn't know that."
Woman: "Mmmm, hmmmmm. 7". Can you believe it?"

Anyways, all this talk about 7" made me laugh, because I had sausage for breakfast...and my mind wanders I digress, we did indeed get around 6-7" more snow today. Apparently our city no longer has the use of snow plows, because the snow in my unshoveled driveway was as deep as the snow in the streets. I am thankful the idiots kept to the streets instead of my driveway, however.

Geesh, what point am I trying to make? Well, I had to go to the store today, because I'm making a cheesecake for my hubby tomorrow (birthday--wahoo!). I've decided to try to sweeten it with stevia, which may turn out to be a disaster. Until today, I had never tried stevia, and I must say...I'm not impressed. Blech We shall see.

The Menu:
B: Kombucha, eggs 'n cheese w/ salsa, sausage
L: none~shopping (successfully avoided free samples of shit at grocery store)
D: tacos in egg wrappers (may not try these again...meh)

It seems like I haven't been eating enough lately, but I'm just not hungry. I'm sure cheesecake will even me out for the week

OH, and let me preface this by saying I can't stand Walmart, BUT I found a bargain too good to pass up. I buy almond butter...it's a splurge I allow myself once in a while. At my usual store, it's $7.59. At Walmart, it's $3.54 (same brand, same size)! Holy crap~I will drive the extra mile to save $4. The also have the giant wild caught frozen salmons for $7. Cheap. For now, Walmart and I will coexist in the name of frugality.

Goal for tomorrow~take some yummy pics of my food. I will also try to find a good before pic (not easy, since I almost NEVER allowed myself to be photographed full length.)

Cheers, all!

[Dragonfly]

My mind wanders like that, too...

Stevia sucks. I don't even bother any more--have tried several different types. Would rather blow my carbs for the week with a bit of honey.

OMG! Cedar Point! We used to go there as kids. I grew up in Massillon.