We're gonna need a bigger lunchbox... page

[pitbullmamaliz]

Hello! Today is my day 1 of trying Primal, so I'm a bit nervous. Definitely goes against all the CW that's always been pounded into my head, that's for sure! But I need a change, and I need structure, but reasonable structure. Not structure in the form of a certain number of points or calories per day, but more as "eat this when you're hungry, don't eat this."

I'm 33, 5'9" and weighed in this morning at 227.2. I'm a size 18/20 on the bottom, though in dresses I can often get away with a 14/16 if they're A-lines. I'm very much an hourglass shape, which I love, I just wish there were less hours to me! LOL My body seems very comfortable at this weight - my heaviest was about 245, my lowest so far has been 196 (thank you Weight Watchers!), but I always seem to come back to around this weight/size. But even though my body is comfortable with it, I am not. I'm single and wouldn't mind dating, but am too self-conscious to do so. I keep saying, "when I get skinny." Well, that's never gonna happen at this rate and though I joke about dying a spinster, it's not really high on my bucket list. :-)

I'm a new runner and thoroughly enjoying it, which still seems odd to say. I'm doing the Couch to 5K program which is blowing my mind on a regular basis. Just a couple months ago I had trouble running for 60 seconds straight, and this past Saturday I did a 20 minute nonstop run, which was also my first mile run since, I don't know, high school??? It was really exciting for me. I'm signed up for my first 5K on 9/15 so I can't wait!

Last night I emptied my cupboards, fridge and freezer of all grains and non-Primal stuff. I went grocery shopping and filled my freezer with some meat, and my fridge with lots of produce. My cupboards are still bare though - I guess I have room to buy some spices now? I've never been a very good cook, so this is going to be difficult for me, but I have to do it.

So yeah, that's me in a nutshell.

Food for today:
B: 3 eggs, 2 slices bacon, touch of ranch dressing, half an avocado
S: Protein smoothie with protein powder, orange juice, pineapple and strawberries
L: Skillet (cooked with olive oil) with cabbage, red pepper, asparagus, onions, spinach, ground beef, sprinkle of cheese on top
S: Yellow peppers, cucumbers, touch of ranch dressing
D: Small filet wrapped in bacon, veggies with butter
Dessert: Blueberries with a small drizzle of heavy whipping cream (had it last night and OMG I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!)

I'm using MyFitnessPal to enter food, and right now, without dinner and dessert entered, my calories and fat are frighteningly high but my carbs are at 99 grams. I'm aiming for less than 150, so that's okay so far.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Alright, so I've severely overestimated how hungry I'd be. It's 2, and all I had for lunch was my peppers and cucumbers. The thought of eating a major meat and veggies meal is painful. Maybe the calorie/fat intake on this won't be as bad as I thought if I'm going to be able to eat "normal" portions of food instead of my "oh my god my blood sugar is dropping, shovel everything into my mouth possible" amounts...

[perennialpam]

Don't forget your meat and fat. Normal portions should work just fine. Stay with it. You'll be glad you did.

[pitbullmamaliz]

I ended up eating my ground beef/cheese at least.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Alright, end of day 1 approximate totals:
Calories 2177
Fat 126 grams
Protein 139 grams
Carbs 130

Good, bad???

[honeybuns]

Really, if this is your first day at this, get comfortable with the foods you are eating and don't worry so much right now about tracking everything. Some people will tell you the carbs are high, others will focus on caloric count. The more comfortable you become with what you are eating you will reach satiety and naturally not eat as much as you are initially.

Baby steps. You have things to learn. Do not try to learn them all at once!

Positive mental attitude
Believe in yourself.
Like who you are
Never say quit.

[tfarny]

Sounds like a good start. Once you are into the groove (a couple of weeks or more) you might want to stop the snacktime completely and try to get all your calories in two or three sittings at the most, without grazing. No rush, though. I know it sounds nuts now but it's not at all. Good start and welcome.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Thank you all for the feedback! Today I'm planning on not doing my protein smoothie - I really didn't need it yesterday and it added a lot of carbs.

Went for my run this morning, day 2, week 6 of the Couch to 5K. I should have walked 5 to warm up, run 10, walked 3, run 10 and then walked 5 to cool down. I made it through the first 10 minutes in actually a really good time, but only made it about a minute and a half into my 2nd ten minutes. The humidity out there was crazy and just sucked my will to live. Really disappointed in myself, but if I get sick while running I'm not going to continue loving it. So I quit and walked home. *sigh*

[Owly]

Sometimes if it's not a good run, it can be better to let it go. You don't want to make a habit of it, but if you're really struggling and feeling sick, that's probably your body telling you to take it easy. Summer is a tough time for running, I find. Temperatures that are fine to walk around in can feel a lot higher once you get moving. Maybe give it another go tomorrow?

[pitbullmamaliz]

Hey Owly! This is the first run I've had to quit on, so I really shouldn't be disappointed in myself. And yeah, with as hot and humid as it's been this summer it's just been an ugly time to learn to run. But I figure fall should be a breeze, which is when my 5K is. This morning though, at 4:45 am, it was upper 70's (downright chilly compared to how it has been!) but the humidity was already 87%. Bleh. Humidity and I are not friends. I will try again tomorrow, most definitely.

Not feeling real good this morning in general. I assume it's sleep issues (sleeping fine, but dreaming all night is leaving me exhausted - posted in the Odds & Ends section) coupled with the major humidity, coupled with (tripled with?) no air conditioning in my office, so it's just HOT.

I had to choke down my breakfast (3 eggs, 3 slices bacon, half an avocado) and the only reason I did so was because I was actually hungry. Just the thought of eating made me nauseous. But I powered through. I'm still so new to primal that I worry about my blood sugar plummeting like it used to if I don't eat regularly. I'm chugging lots of fresh-brewed iced tea (still put a splenda packet in - not ready for unsweetened yet) so hopefully staying hydrated will help.

Bleh. Just bleh today. I'm ready for fall.