Primal Journal (love_and_bacon) page

[love_and_bacon]

So I officially started changing to a Primal lifestyle one week ago. A friend and I are doing our own 30-day challenge. I figured I'd start posting here for the official 30-Day Challenge.

I've been doing fairly well food-wise... pretty close to 100%. I'm coming into this as a somewhat-healthy eater, but did have whole grains and brown rice quite often. However, my vice is beer... I love a good, dark microbrew. I can say that it was very tough on the first football Sunday to sip sparkling water while friends imbibed.

My goal is not so much to lose weight, but to be more healthy and fit. My husband and I will be trying to start a family in the near future, and I want to get fit and healthy before any little ones are created.

I'm including my weight below, but the number on the scale doesn't bother me as much if I know it's not fat. Keeping to a "diet" isn't really hard for me, but I really don't like to exercise. I've never enjoyed it, but I'm trying to do more as I know it's necessary.

So here are my stats as of September 5th:

Age: 33
Gender: Female
Height: 5"1'
Starting weight: 126
Starting body fat: 26.61% -or- 33.5 pounds (estimated)

MEASUREMENTS:
Neck: 12"
Upper arm: 12.25"
Forearm: 9"
Wrist: 5.75"
Waist: 30"
Hips: 39.25"
** Waist-to-hip ratio: 0.76
Thigh: 21.75"

I wasn't very hungry yesterday, so I really didn't eat much.

Breakfast:
1 egg
1 slice bacon
2 mini chicken sausage links
handful of blueberries

Lunch:
4oz steak
1/2 C curried cauliflower

Snack:
Fruit smoothie (frozen strawberries, fresh blueberries, coconut milk, 1T coconut oil, 1T chia seeds)
** I'm ticked that I forgot to put baby spinach in this!

Dinner:
6oz baked salmon (skin on)
homemade tomato sauce (tomato, olive oil & spices)

Snack:
1T coconut butter

Exercise:
75 kettle ball swings (20lbs)

I will try to come back every day to update with my daily food intake and any exercise I do. I'm hoping this will keep me accountable... I really want to make this a permanent change.

[love_and_bacon]

Was even less hungry today... pretty much skipped dinner entirely.

Breakfast:
1 HB egg
2 slices uncured bacon
handfull of blueberries

Lunch (which was not really Primal):
1/2 falafel
2T hummus
3oz steak

Snack:
1 Gala apple
3-4 T almond butter
1 small piece of dark chocolate

Dinner (not primal either):
1/4 C split pea soup

Snack:
1T coconut

Exercise:
15 min jog on treadmill (ave: 3.7 mph HR: 120)

[love_and_bacon]

Food intake for the day...

Breakfast:
1 HB egg
2 slices uncured bacon
3 mini chicken/apple sausage links
handfull of blueberries w/ 2T coconut milk

Lunch:
4oz salmon
2/3 C split pea soup

Snack:
1 Granny Smith apple
3 T almond butter + 1T coconut butter + 1T coconut oil (OMG this is so good!)

Dinner:
4oz round steak
2 eggs, over medium
1/2 C cauliflower
glass of coconut milk

We went to the farmers market and picked up free-range organic eggs, grass-fed pub burgers, a free-range chicken and a bison steak for the next week. One of the farms actually delivers their meat, so once winter hits we still have a local source for grass-fed beef and other "better" meats.

[love_and_bacon]

Again, wasn't very hungry throughout the day. I've historically never eaten much food at a meal; I guess my stomach is small. Small, frequent "meals" work best for me.

Breakfast:
1 HB egg
1 chicken/apple sausage link
handfull of blueberries

Snack:
1 Granny Smith apple
3 T almond butter + 1T coconut butter + 1T coconut oil
1 small piece dark chocolate

Dinner:
6 shrimp fried in coconut oil
4oz lemon pepper chicken breast
2/3 C steamed broccoli w/ butter

Snack:
1T coconut butter
1/2 pear, baked w/ cinnamon + spices & coconut milk

Exercise:
10 minute walk at lunch (treadmill, 9% incline, ~2.1mph)
75 kettlebell swings
20 minute walk after dinner

[love_and_bacon]

Pretty good day, I guess. It was slow at work and my energy levels were up.

Breakfast:
1 HB egg
1 chicken/apple sausage link
1/2 pear, baked w/ cinnamon + spices & coconut milk

Lunch:
1 shrimp
3oz lemon pepper chicken breast
1/3 C steamed broccoli w/ butter

Dinner:
1 hotdog (uncured, grass-fed beef)

Snack:
1 Granny Smith apple
3 T almond butter + 1T coconut butter + 1T coconut oil
6 shrimp fried in coconut oil

We braved the cold (~40 degrees F) for an outdoor movie double-feature (Psycho, The Exorcist). The evening snack was what I ate there; I avoided the popcorn and licorice that my husband bought.

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I have to rant a bit. I know it hasn't even been two weeks yet but I'm frustrated -- I still have a big belly pooch! I'm jealous of those that see results of fat burning right away.

I tracked my food online for three days and wasn't much over my "recommended" calorie intake in order to lose weight, so I know that I'm not eating an excessive amount of (overall) calories. And I'm guessing that my protein/fat intake is at least okay for now, since I've got a decent amount of energy throughout the day, and when I exercise I have enough energy. I get between 7-9 hours of sleep a night, and will nap if I am tired.

I also know that sometimes it takes a person three or more weeks for their body to become efficient in fat burning before any progress is made, so I should be patient and not concentrate on the weight/fat aspect of this.

But it's still frustrating that the friend I'm doing this with is half-assing the diet and already needs to go buy new bras since the other ones are getting too loose. It's like... when's it gonna be my turn?!

Don't get me wrong - I'm not going to throw in the towel and go back to the SAD. I'm eating good food that's good for me. I just wish I can SEE some tangible changes already!

[love_and_bacon]

Saturday we woke up late (got to bed late the night before) and were running errands all day. Then went to a friend's house for a pizza BBQ party. I brought along my own dinner to grill.

Lunch:
Potbelly Farmhouse Salad (no bleu cheese), w/ ranch
Unsweetened ice tea

Dinner:
Kabobs - 6oz steak, 1/2 red & 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 onion

Snack:
3-4 beers (dark ale/stout)

On Sunday I was definitely feeling the effects of the beer from the previous night. I did not drink nearly as much as I used to, but I guess the past two weeks without alcohol lowered my tolerance or something (or it was just that I didn't eat a lot of food). Still, I didn't feel as bad as I usually do if I'm hungover.

Breakfast:
2 eggs, over medium
1 slice bacon
3 small gluten-free pancakes, w/ butter and maple syrup

Snack:
handfull of green grapes
few pieces of pineapple
few pieces of watermelon
"lime water" (sweetened)
** A friend and I went to an open house at a yoga studio.

Dinner:
4 oz roasted chicken
3 oz gravlax (salmon)
1/2 sweet potato w/ butter

Snack:
1/2 beer (gave me a headache so I poured the rest down the sink)

[love_and_bacon]

Food intake for Monday:

Breakfast:
1 HB egg
2 slices bacon

Lunch:
6oz chicken breast
1/2 sweet potato w/ butter

Snack:
1 gala apple
2 T almond butter
1 T coconut oil

Dinner:
8 oz beef burger
1/2 avocado
1 slice bacon
1 fried egg
1 small tomato

Snack:
1 T coconut butter

Exercise:
3 mile walk (moderate pace)

I also bought fish oil and probiotic supplements, so I'll start taking those on Tuesday.

[love_and_bacon]

Food for Tuesday:

Breakfast:
1 HB egg
2 slices bacon
2/3 C blackberries (homegrown) w/ 2T coconut milk

Lunch:
2 oz gravlux (salmon)
4 oz chicken
2 oz steak

Snack:
1/2 C pineapple chunks

Dinner:
2 "paleo" muffins w/ butter
1/2 avocado
1 sm tomato

Snack:
1 T coconut butter

Exercise:
75 kettleball swings

[love_and_bacon]

I'm getting tired of tracking my food. It's been 2-1/2 weeks and I'm used to what I should and should not eat. I've been good outside of beer last weekend. I'll come here and post if there's anything non-primal that I eat.

A little discouraged that I haven't yet started seeing any difference in my weight or body composition. Not that I've weighed or measured myself, but my clothes fit the same as they always have. Maybe I need to ramp up the exercise some more. I know this lifestyle change is more for health than weight loss, but it's still discouraging since I always see stories about how people lost so much weight in the first few weeks...

So... here are few non-weight related things I've noticed:

- My mood seems to be better. Normally right after my period I get in a depressed mood for a day or so, and I didn't this month. Plus, I seem to be less stressed/frazzled at work when things get really busy. Normally I'd freak out and get anxious, especially when my computer doesn't work I'd get all pissed off and angry.

- My body seems to be running warmer. My BBT is as low as it ever was, but I'm normally freezing all the time, especially at work. Lately I've been too warm in my usual hoodie, and going around in t-shirts.

- I don't get sleepy/tired in the afternoon. I used to have to rely on a Crystal Light energy packet to pick me up, and I haven't even thought of this since I started.

- I don't get as out of breath as I used to, even if I'm just walking fast. I'm also noticing that I'm quickly able to increase my speed/intensity of what little exercise I do.

I also started with fish oil and probiotics a few days ago.

[love_and_bacon]

Haven't been keeping up with my food journal. I have been pretty spot on though, with an occasional "cheat."

Today is Day 30 of my personal challenge (which yes I was not completely strict on). Here are today's stats:

Age: 33
Gender: Female
Height: 5"1'
Today's weight: 121
Today's body fat: 25.81% -or- 31.23 pounds (estimated)

MEASUREMENTS:
Neck: 12"
Upper arm: 10.75"
Forearm: 9"
Wrist: 5.75"
Waist: 28.25"
Hips: 36.5"
** Waist-to-hip ratio: 0.77
Thigh: 21"

The calculator I used is just an estimate ... because it says I lost 5 pounds on the scale and yet only 2.25 pounds of fat. Which means that I lost 2.75 pounds of muscle. Whatever. I lost some inches where I wanted and I can button my "skinny" jeans now. AND I feel much better