Challenge Failure

I did not make my primal challenge. I failed. Spectacularly. Mountain Dew and a plate of different foods from a Chinese buffet. And dessert.

Ugh.

I have lots of reasons why I didn't make it. Am I making excuses? Maybe. But in the midst of moving, it is very difficult to cook. My pans were all packed except one. I had spent all afternoon packing. And I looked at that single pan and could not think what to make. So when my mom (who is helping me pack and move), suggested Chinese, I said YES!

So I lost. I plan on doing it again (maybe even the Whole30!), after my move, after I've settled in. At a time where I'm not severely limited in what and how I can cook.

I've had lots of people say outright that they couldn't stick to my primal challenge. I probably could have, if I tried harder. But I decided I didn't need to add food stress to my move and packing stress. So my food choices a going to kinda suck the next few days, because I won't be able to cook. But, you know, that's okay. Because I'm not the type to feel guilty about the food I eat. Or even the food products that I eat.

Primal Challenge: Day 8

The last two days, I've been at my parents' house for a visit. My parents who live on bread. If I said I wasn't tempted, I would be lying. However, I just revisited the one minute muffin, which I was able to use as a bread replacement for my hamburgers. I brought my pumpkin pancakes with me for breakfasts. And I had ham rolls for lunch. No problem!

I also attended a family reunion. It was definitely filled with temptation. Luckily, the main meat was pulled pork. I knew this going in, so I made a one minute muffin to take along so I could make a sandwich. Planning ahead is rather vital to success when you're eating stuff that isn't SAD fare, isn't it? I also brought watermelon as my contribution, knowing that I would have at least two things I could eat. I ended up having the pulled pork sandwich, watermelon, grapes, sautéed zucchini, and I did cheat a little and had some of my mom's baked beans (like 1/4 cup, if that).

At the reunion, I had to field a lot of questions. Why did I have weird bread in a bag? Why can't I just have a hamburger bun? Why no delicious coconut pudding dessert or cakes? Why no soda? Why no chips? What is this paleo diet thing anyway? You can't have legumes? Ugh.

To top it all off, we won a door prize. Duncan Hines dark chocolate fudge cake mix with frosting and sprinkles. Also: two pot holders (yay! I needed some more!), cute cupcake liners, and a good sized mixing bowl! On our return home, the Monkey-o-Mine really wanted some chocolate cupcakes, so I whipped together some primal-style: eggs, coconut flour, ground flax, maple syrup, cocoa. He gets "real" frosting, and I'm trying some weird mixture of almond spread and cocoa. We'll see how it tastes after dinner.

Primal Challenge: Day 6 Ponderings

Day six! Yes! Still... I would say going strong, but its really more of a defeated crawl that I'm doing. I am limping towards the finish line, with delicious not-primal dinners and desserts and drinks planned for my end-of-challenge celebration. If I can make it 24 more days.

I'm planning on spending the next two days at my parents' house. My parents, who live on bread and soda. Not to mention going to a family reunion. I know there will be at least one thing I can eat there: pulled pork. I'm planning on making one or two one minute muffins to take to use as bread so I can have pork sandwiches. Hopefully there will be veggies or fruit or something.

Yesterday, I got the bright idea of making my own Sprite. I bought carbonated water, lemons, and a lime. Found a recipe online. Followed it (substituting sugar for stevia). Took a drink... And it was nasty. Gross. Disgusting. Ew. It probably didn't help that the stevia made everything bubble up and look like I'd mixed in some soap.

This morning I woke up at 7am. I got to sleep in! Even more amazing, I didn't eat breakfast until about 8:15. Usually I'm up and I go straight to the kitchen. Maybe this challenge is helping curb my hunger cravings. I am hungry less often, which is kind of nice. Also, I've noticed Taft my weight has pretty much stabilized. I used to fluctuate +/- five pounds in the course of a day. Now my weight stays pretty steady. (And is steadily dropping. Weird. Or not.). Guess its because I don't have bread and sugar causing me to bloat or whatever.

Primal Challenge Day 3

Three days of success!

I am not happy.

Today was spent in the car, driving around a (mostly) strange city, looking for apartments.  Usually days like today (days in the car), I have a mountain dew.  Usually on days like today (stressful), I have a mountain dew.

Today, I did not have my comfort drink.  I did not have my caffeine to keep me going through the stress.

I HATED IT.  I WANTED MY MOUNTAIN DEW. WHY CAN I NOT HAVE A DELICIOUS BUBBLY BEVERAGE? SOME BODY SHOOT ME NOW, PLZ.

Ugh.  I did successfully eat lunch, which was some sliced ham and an apple and watermelon.  Despite the fact that the Monkey and the Fiance were eating sandwiches.  On delicious Hy Vee hamburger buns.

WHAT HAVE I DONE TO MYSELF?!?! WHY? WHY?!?!?

Seriously, though.  I had ample opportunities to buy a mountain dew and drink it, knowing no one would know the difference.  Except that I would.  And I knew that if I had a mountain dew, my challenge would be null, so what would the point be?  It was hard to say no.  But not impossible.

(I have found watermelon to be an acceptable alternative to soda.  Is that weird?)

Primal Challenge - Week One Meal Plan

I absolutely have to go into this with a meal plan.  I generally meal plan before shopping each week, so it wasn't that difficult for me to do.  Except that I had to buy only Primal foods.  (Okay, not true.  My 6yo Monkey loves sandwiches and can not live without them, much to my chagrin.  And the fiance is not 100% on board with trying the diet.  I'd put him at 50% on board.  Meaning he'll think about it, but he won't have any qualms about bringing home a coke and drinking it in front of me.)

I figure my breakfasts will be about the same every morning: bacon, eggs, fruit.  Maybe some sweet potato pancakes?  I didn't plan this out very well; I'm used to only planning dinners.  Will definitely plan breakfast foods for next week.  See? I'm learning already.

In no particular order:

• Grilled chicken with zucchini and cauliflower rice
• Hobo packets (chuck steak and cut up veggies wrapped in foil and baked)
• Chicken Enchiladas x2 (experimenting with coconut flour tortillas), maybe with a side of Mexican cauliflower rice
• Chicken Strips with steamed broccoli and fresh carrots
• Roast Chicken x2 (meaning it will feed us twice!)

And for random snacks I have:

• watermelon
• cantaloupe
• carrots
• cherries
• cucumbers (I do NOT like cucumbers.  Maybe I can change my mind about them?)
• raisins

30 Day Primal Challenge

I've done the primal diet before (also called the Paleo diet, etc, etc).  I've very much stopped following it, though, because, well... Cakes, cookies, Mtn. Dew, pie, cupcakes. I love junk food.  And that's a problem. Since Rhed and I have decided to try all these crazy (and not so crazy) internet challenges, we decided it was a perfect time to challenge ourselves to eat better.  She's doing the Whole30, which is a lot more strict than the challenge I've set for myself.  While we're basing this blog on fitness challenges that may or may not be realistic, I figured that the primal diet is something I want to stick with, so I want a challenge I can meet.  And since I will be A) apartment hunting in a city 1.5 hours away B) moving and C) road tripping during this challenge, I knew Whole30 was NOT for me.

Anyway, my challenge: Eat "primal diet approved" foods for 30 days.  No cakes. No cookies.  No soda. *sad face*  My diet for the next thirty days will include lots of good eats, moderate okay eats, and (hopefully!) no bad eats.  Week one's meal plan to come!

Good Eats:

Meat
Eggs
Veggies
Nuts/Seeds
Good Fats (butter, coconut oil, olive oil)
Fruits
Green beans, sugar snap peas
Water

Okay Eats:

Dairy

Dark chocolate

Tea sweetened with natural stevia

Honey

Maple Syrup

Soy sauce (gluten free)

Bad Eats:

Grains (wheat, barley, rice, etc, etc)

Legumes (beans, and peanuts; excepting the above)

Processed foods

Refined Sugar

Bad fats