My Primal Challenge Journal - Nauticalnun page

[Nauticalnun]

After a year and a half of reading MDA, it's time to get serious about changing my lifestyle. I have been following a (semi) low carb / primal diet for quite some time now, but without fail, I will have the occasional weekend or week of "Oh, I can eat this lo mein or indulge in a sandwich" attitude that, although it sounds harmless, ends up detouring me for longer than expected.

A little background about myself. I have never struggled with weight, even being under 5 foot tall. I have never been 'skinny' with my weight hovering around a stable 115-120. I was a server for many years while in college and graduate school, thus I became a 'foodie' who loves to cook. The bonus: a busy lifestyle means you eat less and are always on the go. For me, this meant I easily kept off extra pounds and was never unhappy or felt unhealthy.

After graduate school, several changes occured:
1. I got a "real" job, which means I get to sit on my butt all day (yay)
2. I found myself in a committed and very happy relationship - which leads to big elaborate dinners and a sense of comfortability.
3. I turned into a consistent cocktailer. Hey, no more homework means I can justify a couple cocktails in the evenings, right?

The changes above led to substantial weight gain and my motivation to work out just wasn't there because it is something I never had to do before (on a consistent basis anyways).

It has been (a startling) 3 years since I finished grad school and moved in with my boyfriend. The last time I weighed myself I was a solid 160 pounds! OH MY!

IT"S TIME TO GO 100% PRIMAL!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's challenges include:
A birthday dinner at a Pizza Place - I think I can overcome this one! They boast gourmet salads also.
I am trying to go at least 3 weeks without drinking and this is a good test run for me tonight.

Meals today:
Breakfast:
1/4 C Egg whites with a bit of cheese
16 oz coffee with cream and sugar
Snack:
Venison Jerky
Lunch:
Organic greens with beets, olives, and local ham
Dinner:
Primal salad at Pizza joint.

Since my evening is pretty full, I think I am going to take advantage of the weather, slip on my Vibrams and head outside for an hour long walk during my lunch hour at work.

I know this thread is mainly for me - but if you happen to read it - Thanks! I appreciate all of the support I can get.

Did I tell you I have a very large organic garden here in KS? More to come tomorrow.

RS

[Nauticalnun]

Another beautiful spring day! I am extremely excited for the weekend - the weather will be perfect to continue planting the garden and cleaning up the yard.

The garden is really coming along.
Planted so far: Arugula, spinach, cauliflower, beets, radishes, lettuces, onions, sugar snap peas, brussels sprouts, and a huge variety of herbs.
There is a lot to be said for watching the seedlings grow and provide me with organic goodness! It is hard work, but so worth it. I encourage everyone to garden even if you have a small plot. You would be amazed at how much you can grow even in a 4x4 space if you plan accordingly. Good luck!

In an effort to really jump start this primal challenge, I am not only eating primal, but trying to keep the calories down at the same time. (I leave for a week in Vegas on 4-25 and must feel somewhat confident in a bathing suit by then!) So, after the first couple of weeks, you will see that my meals will change a bit, but for now, it's egg whites, lean meat only, limited dairy, and no nuts.

Breakfast:
2 egg whites with cheese
Coffee with cream and sugar - can't go without the cream and sugar.
Lunch:
Organic greens with beets, olives, and ham (again)
Organic baby carrots with homeade yogurt / fresh dill.
Snack:
1/2 Cup of yogurt.
On the Dinner menu tonight:
Pancetta wrapped (wild) prawns with cilantro
grilled vegetables (probably asparagus)

----------------------------------------------------

Going for a walk now. Tonight I plan to take the dogs to the lake and do my first sprinting exercises. More to come tomorrow.

[Nauticalnun]

Weekend in sum:

Lots of garden work. I basically stayed ~90% primal with my eating habits over the weekend. I recently joined a kickball league and our first game was last night. It was so fun!

[fotakou]

Nauticalnun

First of all good job starting the PB I hope that you can keep primal as much as you can!

How are things with your bf?I mean,what is he thinking about PB?I also have a gf,and although we dont stay together she has a sweet tooth for anything with chocolate(and I cant always carry 85% chocolates :P) and although I told her about my decision to try to stick 100% to primal eating for 1 month,I hope that she will not feel like I am looking down on her for eating like that.She is not fat or anything just I dont want the diet to mess with the relationship part

Also,sorry but the meals you posted in your last post are just anti primal!I mean it looks like a vegetarian diet,without the ham!Please try to eat whole eggs,avoid the sugar and eat a really tasty steak from time to time!