How to go primal (without really trying) - join me?

Dotcomdolly · 27-01-2012 07:47PM

Had a good day full of yummy food. Oh brought a cake home from a bake sale in work and it held no appeal. Today is day 5 of no added sugar-was hard when my friend came around for our Friday catch up, we usually have a good feed of nice chocolate with our tea. I had a citrus herbal tea to take the edge off.

Fab dinner of baked Camembert with asparagus to dunk, followed by steak and rocket and avocado salad.

Doolee · 28-01-2012 08:49PM

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Sorry Doolee, never answered this. I only know what I do myself - I log everything on MFP, yes my fitness pal, and my goal is 1600 cals and no more than 100g of carbs (so about 25% of my total) and most imprtantly I want these carbs to come from veg & fruit, not pasta, bread, rice etc.
On MFP you can create a recipe to get the n.vs - doesn't copy over very well but you get the idea.
But you're not trying to lose weight are you? I wouldn't bother starting all this if you're not, just eat the stuff on the allowed paleo list to satiety and you'll be fine!

Calories Carbs Fat Protein
Navitas Naturals - Cacao Power Raw Chocolate Nibs Certified Organic, 1 oz (28g) 130 10 12 4
Meridian Foods Foods - Almond Butter (Organic), 20 g 126 1 11 5
Meridian - Organic Smooth Peanut Butter, 20 g 120 2 9 6
Diamond of California - Shelled Walnuts, 3 oz (30g - 1/4cup) 600 12 60 15
Generic - Almonds Raw Approximately 29 Kernels = 1 oz, 3 ounce 483 18 42 18
Mckenzie's - Fine Desiccated Coconut P/100g, 150 g 1,014 10 101 10
Louana - Pure Coconut Oil, 13 Tbsp (14g) 1,560 0 182 0 Ico_delete
Generic - Lindt Excellence - Orange Intense - Ultra Thin Dark, 6 squares 80 7 6 0 Ico_delete
Add Ingredient
Total: 4113 60 423 58
Per Serving: 91 1 9 1

Hey there, thanks a mill for this. THink I might buy one of the books and really give it a go. Every day I'm still doing it, its becoming more of a habit so must be good.

Dotcomdolly · 28-01-2012 10:40PM

Have a look at the whole9/whole30 facebook page and website if you fancy doinga 30 day hardcore induction, rather than my slowly slowly approach.
I got the mark sissons book on amazon (hb is cheaper) but have only read a bit so far.

Dotcomdolly · 29-01-2012 07:17PM

Oh man what a delicious dinner, I had roast chicken and put chunks of sweet potato and peeled shallots all around it. 1.5 hrs so they were all caramelised in the chicken juices. Nyom nyom nyom. Had the yummy m&s green veg (from the dine for 2) also.

Dotcomdolly · 30-01-2012 01:19PM

Week 5
Remove ALL processed vegetable oils (e.g. corn oil, safflower oil, soy oil, cooking spray, margarine, etc.). Replace with small portions of good fats from whole foods: whole avocados, butter, fresh coconut, extra-virgin cold-pressed coconut oil (not the hydrogenated/refined crap), fattier cuts of grassfed/pastured meats, fattier fish, olives and extra-virgin olive oil, high-fat raw dairy, raw nuts, etc. But keep your portions moderate — one or two “thumbs” of fat per meal. Many a primal eater has “mysteriously” packed on a few pounds after heeding the siren call of cashews and bacon.

Couldn't blieve the weightloss this week - 2.2lbs! - and theonly change was giving up sugar. I really don't believe it was the calories - "before" I'd have 3-4 half teaspoons of sugar in tea/coffee throughout the day, 20g of 70%+ chocolate, and desert maybe once a week. It must be down to insulin and blood sugar, yes? Which is great. It's bloody hard though, even though I'm still eating fruit, and more than they'd allow on the whole 30 too... Yesterday I put my Butlers chocolate in my handbag & saved it for my oh - how saintly!

This weeks change re the oil is an easy one for me as I only use olive oil, coconut oil and buutter anyway. Will give me more time to adjust to the lack of sweeties. The one thing I am really missing is my extra strong mints in t he car - found them a geat stress reliever...

Happy new week everyone!

LoTwan · 30-01-2012 04:21PM

How much fruit are you eating?

My weight loss held steady at 9lbs for the last 2 weeks. At the end of last week I stopped & looked at my overall calories & my carbs. Both of which were too high so I trimmed them down & stepped on the scale 0.5lbs lighter. I'm delighted as this is the first move in two weeks.

I feel I have the concept down & now have to work on implementing it with a view to weight loss. This 50lbs is not going to get up & walk off on its own. I feel capable of doing it now instead of wondering why I'm not losing weight.

It's my birthday on Sunday & the kids want me to have a party (read cake & candles). I'm not bothered & amn't overly pushed on eating cake.

I survived a fairly upsetting event on Saturday without baking a cake & eating the whole thing which is great.

I find myself unwilling to share the Whole 30 with my friends & family. It is none of their business but more than that I don't want to listen to people tell me how barbaric it is to cut out all of these things. So I'm keeping it to myself as much as possible (to the extent that I'm keeping my facebook wall clean LOL)

Dotcomdolly · 30-01-2012 05:05PM

Lotwan, I have been having berries & chopped apple with greek yogurt & nuts for breakfast and on workout days I have a banana after the gym. Sometimes my evening snack will be an apple + almond butter.
I am now only 1.1lbs away from my ultimate goal of being 8stone something

Definitely a great way to tackle those 50lbs, you have shown yourslef what determiantion you have, just gotta see it all the way now..
I will bear your clean facebook in mind

El_Dangeroso · 30-01-2012 07:06PM

Well done both of you guys! You're both a real inspiration.

DCD, 8 stone something? WOWEE, I'd have to chop off a leg to get to anywhere near that!

LoTwan · 30-01-2012 07:36PM

DCD... W30 recommends starting with 1-2 pieces of fruit and increasing it if you can tolerate it so I wouldn't say you are over their guidelines

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

DCD, 8 stone something? WOWEE, I'd have to chop off a leg to get to anywhere near that!

I'd have to lose both of mine.

My ultimate goal is to be 10 stone something for 1 day LOL but I am a good bit taller than you DCD from what I can tell and 153.5 is about the limit of what this frame will take :-)

I just had an amazing dinner. Homemade burger with lettuce, beef tomato, bacon, spring onion and avocado served with homemade mayo. It was fantastic.

Last night I had baked salmon with baked ratatouille & cauliflower mash. It was great. It was just as yummy for lunch today.

Dotcomdolly · 30-01-2012 08:39PM

That's good to hear re the fruit, thanks. I am trying to be mindful of it and have it as a planned snack rather than scarfing it when I get a sugar craving
I had burgers too last week, yum yum, no need for a yucky Stodgy bun at all. The guacamole from the paleo nom nom site is fab.
Re the weight I'm only 5'3 but I honestly never thought I'd see this weight again . When I joined ww in June 09 I was 11'7 and just wanted to lose a stone and look moderately presentable but then I got more into health & fitness and started aiming a bit higher for myself. If you'd told me then I'd be like *this* one day I would have laughed.

In other primal news I just listened to the latest episode of primal diet, modern health entitled "I'm enjoying all this butter, but how do I lose weight". Really informative about good and bad fats.

RacoonQueen · 31-01-2012 05:21AM

Just reading this thread now. Interesting and simple approach, not just for going primal but just for cleaning up your diet in general. General approach is to just make a big sudden change but that step by step approach is a good one to just cut out the crap. Going cold turkey on the junk foods, sugar etc is tough - that sorta replaces them before getting rid of them.

thehamo · 31-01-2012 08:03PM

so, 2 weeks since last weigh in and not 1 lb lost. think im going to have to re-jig a few things. Gonna start watching the cals and more protein/fat rich breakfasts

LoTwan · 31-01-2012 08:06PM

Today is the end of my 4th week & I am 10.5lbs down. Today was my highest carb day in the last few at 101g. I have been much better at healthy fats and made my own mayo last night which is yummy :-)

I bought some lamb mince in the butcher near work today and will make something with it tomorrow.

Officially Thursday is the last day of my first Whole30 and I am not interested in stopping :-)

Inky_Lady · 31-01-2012 08:17PM

LoTwan - 10.5 lbs = wowza! Fair play to you, that's amazing. I didn't embark on this journey looking to lose weight, but yesterday I noticed that my clothes are looser, so I measured my waist (I have no weighing scales) and I had lost over an inch around my waist! Down to 26inches for the first time in years O.O
I'm at 31 days today. I feel like this is an excellent, healthy way of life and will definitely be keeping up these habits

Could probably do with eating less fruit too (but I could have worse habits :P)

LoTwan · 31-01-2012 10:53PM

Thanks Inky_Lady. I usually disclaim my progress with "but I have so much more to lose" etc but tonight I feel like I deserve to just say "thanks, I'm really happy with my progress"

I saw a photo of myself at Christmas from Christmas 2009 & I was thin, not as thin as I ended up being, and it really highlighted to me how much I had let go. It is hanging on the wall in my mothers house now & it is a constant reminder :-)

SteelyDanJalapeno · 01-02-2012 01:32AM

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Week 5
Remove ALL processed vegetable oils (e.g. corn oil, safflower oil, soy oil, cooking spray, margarine, etc.). Replace with small portions of good fats from whole foods: whole avocados, butter, fresh coconut, extra-virgin cold-pressed coconut oil (not the hydrogenated/refined crap), fattier cuts of grassfed/pastured meats, fattier fish, olives and extra-virgin olive oil, high-fat raw dairy, raw nuts, etc. But keep your portions moderate — one or two “thumbs” of fat per meal. Many a primal eater has “mysteriously” packed on a few pounds after heeding the siren call of cashews and bacon.

Couldn't blieve the weightloss this week - 2.2lbs! - and theonly change was giving up sugar. I really don't believe it was the calories - "before" I'd have 3-4 half teaspoons of sugar in tea/coffee throughout the day, 20g of 70%+ chocolate, and desert maybe once a week. It must be down to insulin and blood sugar, yes? Which is great. It's bloody hard though, even though I'm still eating fruit, and more than they'd allow on the whole 30 too... Yesterday I put my Butlers chocolate in my handbag & saved it for my oh - how saintly!

This weeks change re the oil is an easy one for me as I only use olive oil, coconut oil and buutter anyway. Will give me more time to adjust to the lack of sweeties. The one thing I am really missing is my extra strong mints in t he car - found them a geat stress reliever...

Happy new week everyone!

Insulin spikes from the sugar causing your perceived plateau i'd guess? which disappeared when you cut out the sugar, could be good as a experiment to cut the higher sucrose content fruits like apples, bananas, pineapples and pears and the like for maybe a week? that could be a long while down the road thou, as your currently on a great path with your introduction to Primal.

I've been Primal /Paleo for the guts of 2 years now, I have an intolerance to wheat/gluten my entire life, but it was only diagnosed after I suggested it to my GP after countless examinations and tests on my body,

It's such a fantastical change of lifestyle, it has removed any bit of IBS that I used to have, my immune system is in top shape now, I play sports and recover from injury alot quicker than I ever did before. I put this down partly too the fact that my immune system was constantly working on the wheat or gluten based products that were going through my body daily, and it could only look after the rest of my body at half strength, I was constantly getting colds and the flu in my earlier years, and now I swear i've had 1 maybe 2 over the last 2 years which have lasted no more than 2 - 3 days. Theres less inflammation on sports injuries that I may pick up and I recover much quicker than expected which is fantastic, I could actually go on all day about how this has changed my life!

Plus I love meat, so its really a win win situation for me.

LoTwan · 01-02-2012 09:43AM

I found that huge change when I dropped dairy 4 years ago. All the things my body did because that's what my body did went away (although for the first 8 months I was pregnant so those symptoms don't count). I didn't realise all the problems were there til they were gone.

Dotcomdolly · 01-02-2012 06:48PM

Thanks tiltedbrain, that is probably it. I must get a list of the fruits in order of sucrose...

I tried two new things today

must try it myself at home as the price is a little crazy.

and coconut chips prepared like this - way too good. cannot-stop-eating:eek:

ETA - I also had my first experience of eating out & trying to adhere to the paleo way. Went to a very nice Thai place. Out of 9/10 starters - one was suitable - the chicken satay skewers. The main course I avoided all the rice & noodle dishes so went for a seafood sald - the decription said "with a touch of sweetness" so I asked was there added sugar or honey & the waiter said
No..ok..."do you have allergies??"
"No, I just don't want to eat sugar"
"So, no other allergies??"
"No"
He made me feel really on the spot

And the dressing on (the very yummy) salad was like a very thin sweet chilli sauce so it bloody did have sugar I'm sure!

LoTwan · 01-02-2012 09:38PM

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

and coconut chips prepared like this - way too good. cannot-stop-eating:eek:

Snip

And the dressing on (the very yummy) salad was like a very thin sweet chilli sauce so it bloody did have sugar I'm sure!

I have baked kale. It's yummy. D loves it too.

The coconut chips are FAB but elicited that scarfing must have more feeling in me for the first time in a month. Not good.

The sweet chilli sauce came from a bottle & the dish probably had no *added* sugar. I don't trust waiters!

Dotcomdolly · 01-02-2012 09:47PM

Oh well, what's done is done...and it was very tasty

Found this list online, thought it might be of interest

Fruits Lowest in Sugar

Small Amounts of Lemon or Lime

Rhubarb

Raspberries (more about berries on low carb diets)

Blackberries

Cranberries

Fruits Low to Medium in Sugar

Strawberries

Casaba Melon

Papaya

Watermelon

Peaches

Nectarines

Blueberries

Cantaloupes

Honeydew melons

Apples

Guavas -- Pineapple Guavas (Feijoa) and Strawberry Guavas are probably similar, but information that directly compares them is not available

Apricots

Grapefruit

Fruits Fairly High in Sugar

Plums

Oranges

Kiwifruit

Pears

Pineapple

Fruits Very High in Sugar

Tangerines

Cherries

Grapes

Pomegranates

Mangos

Figs

Bananas

Dried Fruit, such as dates, raisins, dried apricots, and prunes

Red Cortina · 02-02-2012 12:24AM

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

ETA - I also had my first experience of eating out & trying to adhere to the paleo way. Went to a very nice Thai place. Out of 9/10 starters - one was suitable - the chicken satay skewers. The main course I avoided all the rice & noodle dishes so went for a seafood sald - the decription said "with a touch of sweetness" so I asked was there added sugar or honey & the waiter said
No..ok..."do you have allergies??"
"No, I just don't want to eat sugar"
"So, no other allergies??"
"No"
He made me feel really on the spot And the dressing on (the very yummy) salad was like a very thin sweet chilli sauce so it bloody did have sugar I'm sure!

You could have got a lovely curry with a side of steamed veg?

Does that guide to going primal say anything about not eating out anymore? All restaurants, as far as I know, use veg oil...

Dotcomdolly · 02-02-2012 08:53AM

Red Cortina wrote: »

You could have got a lovely curry with a side of steamed veg?

Does that guide to going primal say anything about not eating out anymore? All restaurants, as far as I know, use veg oil...

The problem is restaurants won't give you veg instead of rice because of the price difference, so you have to pay extra (was €3.50 at a takeaway when I asked, so prob more in a restaurant)
Here's what mark Sissons has to say
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-eat-healthy-dining-out/
I'm not going to sweat it too much, I only eat out 1-2 times a month.

Pixie Girl · 02-02-2012 12:21PM

The kale and the coconut chips look and sound amazing!!
Also thanx for the list of fruits, thats very handy to have, going to print it off now

Red Cortina · 02-02-2012 12:51PM

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

The problem is restaurants won't give you veg instead of rice because of the price difference, so you have to pay extra (was €3.50 at a takeaway when I asked, so prob more in a restaurant)
Here's what mark Sissons has to say
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-eat-healthy-dining-out/
I'm not going to sweat it too much, I only eat out 1-2 times a month.

Yah if you are talking 1-2 times a month then so what. You have to have a life afterall... Was just wondering what you thought as you seem to be going pretty strict on yourself!

Stench Blossoms · 02-02-2012 01:11PM

I can't get kale anywhere. I really wanna make those chips.

Dotcomdolly · 02-02-2012 01:14PM

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

I can't get kale anywhere. I really wanna make those chips.

They sell it in bags near the cabbage in Dunnes and in Lidl.

Dotcomdolly · 02-02-2012 01:16PM

Red Cortina wrote: »

Yah if you are talking 1-2 times a month then so what. You have to have a life afterall... Was just wondering what you thought as you seem to be going pretty strict on yourself!

I rule myself with an iron fist

When eating out I'll just make the best choices possible without depriving myself, if I'm 100% compliant at home the cople of dine outs will balance to 90%

and that's good enough for me. The BIG ones I'll avoid are grains/gluten and sugar.

Stench Blossoms · 02-02-2012 01:56PM

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

They sell it in bags near the cabbage in Dunnes and in Lidl.

I've checked Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Dunnes and SuperValu. None here.

LoTwan · 02-02-2012 04:14PM

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

They sell it in bags near the cabbage in Dunnes and in Lidl.

I've checked Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Dunnes and SuperValu. None here.

I got the last bag in Lidl Mullingar today :-) looking forward to having kale chips. The ones you had DCD are dehydrated rather than baked. I have had my eye on a dehydrator for a while :-)

Dotcomdolly · 02-02-2012 04:26PM

LoTwan wrote: »

I got the last bag in Lidl Mullingar today :-) looking forward to having kale chips. The ones you had DCD are dehydrated rather than baked. I have had my eye on a dehydrator for a while :-)

Oh yeah, get one & you can make us all some jerky!

How to go primal (without really trying) - join me?

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