Two Weeks Primal!

See if you can spot the differences;) Feb. 11th

Today

The next time I compare pics won't be for about a month, hope to see some real drama at the end of march!

Ahhh Winter;)

Remember this fence?............

Same fence today.

Ahhh winter! Someday this will all be gone, no really, it will.

Primal Benefits

Going Primal means a lot more than losing weight and changing the way you look, it also means changing the way you feel and think. You can't think of this as a temporary diet or a fad. because it is really an entire way of life and involves all aspects of your physical and mental health. Loaded Salad,,,yummmmm!

In addition to the fat-burning and muscle building, you also get the benefits of better mental health and great overall health. For me, the immediate changes have been to my sleep patterns and acid reflux. I used to have a mild case of heartburn several times a week and more severe acid reflux once or twice a week to the point that I couldn't sleep at night. This is all completely gone, in it's place is a satisfied feeling between meals.

I used to suffer from sugar fluctuations, you know the one's, you skip a meal or get delayed and you get that dizzy, light-headed feeling that says you need to eat now or crash. All gone. Now I can fast on occasion and the only thing I feel is a low burn in my belly that says, yeah I could eat, but I'm pretty happy.

Sleep has evolved, I'm an early to bed, early to rise girl now. I used to be a late to bed, late to drag about in a snit kind of madwoman. My kids are all happy, they love waking up to the smell of bacon in the morning. I'm still working on my sleeping patterns. I sleep very lightly and hop up every time I hear something, but the fact that I can get up early every morning ready to go is a huge improvement.

My nails are healing. Last month I was having trouble with brittle nails. They were a mess and had to be cut down, this was sad for me since I've always had such long, pretty nails. In the past week or so I've noticed they are much stronger and flexible again. Now maybe they will grow back out and stay strong, cause I miss my nails.

My hair is no longer so dry and yucky. It needs cut again, but I can see it finally regaining some luster that has been missing for so long. A new haircut always helps too:)

I'm energetic. Even though I can't get outside much right now, I'm practically jumping up and down all day with energy. I can't sit for long and movies bore me to tears, I'd rather be doing something! Can't wait for spring, or just some low 20's in the forecast, anything to allow me to take the tots outside and walk or play. In the meantime, I'll practice my push-ups and work on doing a pull-up, something I have never done!

Yes, my main motivator for going Primal is that I want to look good naked, but the other benefits are awesome too and if your struggling with any of those same issues, I say go for it! Go Primal!

One Week

Well it's officially been one week since going Primal, actually one week + a day but who's counting;) It's been interesting to say the least. I'm happy and really enjoy the foods and new energy, but the kids are still struggling to adjust to no toast or cookies. I think they hate me right now.

There have been some interesting changes in my habits since going primal. For one, I've discovered a love for wine, just one glass and take the bottle and hide it from me or I'm going to drink it all and that's bad! My sleep cycle has changed dramatically, I can barely function past 9pm and now I'm up raring to go a 5:45am every day. I used to drag out of bed much later and grump all morning. My libido has changed , 'nuf said. However, the biggest thing for me this week....down another 3 pounds! Yay! I feel great and I owe it all to bacon. lol (Love and happiness:) 227/219/135

Primal Fitness

Lift Heavy Things - Check!

Oh it felt so good to toss that torture device and the room I now have in my dining room, priceless! One of the best things about the new Primal life I've adopted, other than bacon, is the fitness recommendations. I can now easily get my exercise in every week by doing things I love. No more hours on the elliptical, sweating and groaning while watching that clock and wishing it was all over. No more running when I feel down and all I want to do is collapse in a heap and cry. It's very liberating to know I don't need the machines or hours of misery to find the healthier me.

Yoga and walks with my kids are the new foundation with a day or two of short but intense whole body, weight based exercises designed to strengthen and mold my body. No more getting down if I skip a day or two, after all, feeling miserable does nothing for a sound mind.

Grok on!

227/221/135

Going Primal

Well, after 4 days of restrictive recipes and tiring exercise I did manage to lose 5 pounds. Unfortunately I felt tired, hungry, and irritated the entire time and ended up having that Pepsi in the evenings. I knew I wouldn't be able to maintain such a program for long, so I took some advice from a friend(thanks Robin:) and checked out Mark's Daily Apple. It didn't take me long to decide that this was something I could manage, so there it is, I'm going Primal and I'm dragging the whole family along! With that in mind, I got up this morning and burned a pan of bacon, fried some eggs with sauteed onions and mushrooms and enjoyed a very tasty meal. Man that felt great! Next I headed off to the store. I loaded up the shopping cart with lots of fresh veggies, fruits, and choice cuts of meat. No processed crap, no bread, pasta, or potatoes and I didn't even wince when the total rang up. I'm so proud. And like my picture shows, I may be in for a long haul, but I feel much better right now than I did two days ago:)

227/222/135

Breakfast Battle

Breakfast is a big stumbling block for me. I'm not a fan of cooking in the morning so cold cereal and toaster waffles are a staple in our house. Obviously these are not good choices and I need to change my habits. On that note I believe I got off to a good start this morning. Scrambled eggs with green peppers and onions, sauteed in a little beef broth(made by me). I would have tossed in some red peppers but those are long gone until the next growing season or until I can bring myself to buy the over-priced anemic ones at the market.

After that I was still hungry, so I made a quick strawberry/blueberry smoothie. No dairy, just berries, whey powder, and cran-water. It's easy and tastes really good, the kids even had some after they picked at their eggs and left the table in disgust. This is going to be hard.

Fair Warning

This blog is about to descend into a totally selfish weight-loss journal of sorts. I need to lose a lot of weight and I need to stay accountable, so this is my very public confessional.

This is me in March of 2010, almost a year ago at this point. I could take a pick that shows every fat roll and stretch mark, but I'd hate to make anyone sick, so this is my official 'before' pic. The shirt really glosses over things a bit.


This is me on a camping trip last summer, it may not look like it, but I was down almost 20lbs and my legs were starting to really shape up from my daily runs. I was feeling good and certain I was going to continue getting in shape and getting healthy for life.

This is me today, no bullshit, no flattering angle and boy do I look horrible. Notice the sweat under my arms? In my defence I did just get off the elliptical a few minutes prior, that should count for something! I'm tired all the time and depressed. I hate my clothes since I can't wear what I really want at my size and since my winter slide into laziness, they are starting to get tight again. Blah.......

So, this is it. Time to stop making excuses and get off my ample ass. I will lose weight, I will run again, I will stop descending into months of depression, and I will live longer!

Since deciding this all of about an hour ago, I have dumped my Pepsi, drank two glasses of cran-water, and spent 30 minutes on the elliptical. Tomorrow I will make healthy meals and make time for lots of exercise. If you read and support me let me know, it really helps a girl stay focused:)

227/227/135