THE DAYS ARE GETTING SHORTER!

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/30-ways-stay-healthy-fall-autumn/
Check this out. He has embedded directions for all kinds of wonderful things.
How is everyone?
Love, Gin

MUST TRY!

Please!  PLEASE try this recipe: Bacon Beef Butternut Squash

It is incredible.  Mom and I noted that you want to make sure you cook the squash long enough for it to get tender, make sure you have enough onions (don't skimp), and add as much (or even a pinch more) of the cinnamon as is recommended.  You will NOT regret it!

This weekend's project...

More pumpkin yumminess!

Getting properly geared up for the season :)

PIZZA!!!!

Mmmmmmm....piiiiiizza.....

It sounds SO weird, but it is fantastic!!  I topped with fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, mushrooms, green onion, and pepperoni.  It was so so so so yummy.  Glad I have leftovers :)

Recipes!

Here's the first recipe that I insist you all try IMMEDIATELY!!!!

Pumpkin Pucks

FABULOUS "muffin-type" pumpkin yummy-ness.

I also recommend getting some of the condensed organic soups at Trader Joe's or a place like that and thinning it with equal parts water and COCONUT or ALMOND milk instead of cow's milk...then add fun ingredients (whatever you have laying around).  I thinned some cream of chicken soup with water and coconut milk and then added pieces of bacon, rotisserie chicken, and green onion (as a garnish).  It was great!  AND EASY!  Easy is key :)

What now?

Well, even though the challenge is over (officially anyway), I think we're all just at the beginning.  I've seen tremendous results and I feel comfortable adapting certain things about the Primal lifestyle to fit my needs/wants/desires...and obligations.  I am very anxious to complete the chapter of my life that includes my ridiculous commute and sitting behind a desk for several hours each day.  I am looking forward to traveling and spending lots of time playing outside with my family next year!  I will try to make the most of the little time I do have off until then...163 days left!

So, I think we ought to use this blog to primarily share recipes and any other advice we have for one another along the way.  What do you all think?  I'm going to try out some pumpkin recipes tomorrow -- so I'll be sure to share with you the results (and I'll include pictures if they're pretty).  I'd like to try to use fresh pumpkin at some point...but I'm not sure I'm ready for that at this point...not that it's hard, but just that it requires a little more attention than a can of pumpkin does and I have very little extra attention to give at this point ;)

Well, I hope you all are having a good weekend.  I love you all heaps!

Day 28!

Can't believe it!  Only two days left!  I guess it doesn't really matter, because I'm no where near done with this challenge...hope I'm never "done."  I've spent a great deal of time today salivating over recipes I've found by becoming a Facebook Fan of several Primal/Paleo pages.  I recommend you do the same.  It's exciting to look at all the yumminess that is out there.  I know we're all just scraping the surface at this point.  I'm inspired to be able to contribute recipes of my own one day...maybe sooner than later...

I had a great weekend with my little man.  He had a rough day yesterday with very little quality naptime...but we had fun nonetheless.  He let me ride Cora for an hour or so.  My trainer thinks we are both getting so much better.  We might be able to compete in shows next year and do pretty well :)  I am so excited!  Today, we ran errands (picked up some things to send to Kev) and spent the day watching football and playing.  We took a nice long walk together around the property and then Riley obliged me and sat quietly to let me do some lifting :)  Good boy!

Well, I've just finished off a salad and I'm going to dig into the pot roast I have had cooking all day.  I got one of the preseasoned/marinated roasts from Trader Joe's.  If it turns out well, I'll recommend it to you.  Certainly makes an easy meal option...and you know how I love those!

Well, I hope you're all well.  I love you!

Routine is the name of the game...

Well, I can't believe this 30 day challenge is nearly over!  Let's do it again!  I've lost probably close to 10 lbs since we started.  Pretty amazing since I wasn't really trying to lose weight.  I've been able to do this with lots of help from my Momma (who feeds me amazing primal meals and provides good primal snacks when I'm at her house) and a pretty fail-safe routine.

I've found that my routine is my saving grace.  I try and set myself up for success each week by preparing meals on the weekend which will provide plenty of leftovers throughout the week (I'm cooking pot roast tomorrow).  I hard boil a bunch of eggs.  I make myself lunch each morning.  I have old standbys for times when I just don't want/have time to cook -- Primal Fuel shakes, Greek Yogurt (not the fat free crap), Quest Bars.  When I really have my sh*t together, I prepare salad fixin's in little tupperware containers so I can just throw it on some lettuce for a quick salad during the week.

Especially with my circumstances now (single parent mode), the routine has saved me and kept me on track.

What have you all figured out that works for you?

Day 26

Still going strong.  I'm really enjoying myself too!  I love feeling this good about what I'm eating with NO guilt!

Thank you all for making my birthday so nice!  My mom made me an incredible PRIMAL meal -- it was truly a feast.  I loved all the leftovers too!  They made taking lunch the next few days no-brainers when I was getting ready in the morning.  She left the recipes too, so I'm anxious to try these out on Kev when he gets home -- I think he'll love them.

So, my major vice right now is dark chocolate.  I just can't completely kick the sweet tooth.  Now I am very cautious about the ingredients -- no added crap (soy lechtin, blah, and stuff like that) and very high quality chocolate.  I only have a piece or two a day -- but still more than I probably should.  Oh well. 80/20 right?

I'm glad to see you are back, Aunt Libby!  And it's great that your heartburn is gone!!!! wooo!!

Love you all!!

I confess. I have been AWOL. I'm a stress eater and a birthday celebrator. Too much cake and whatever, has been too handy. Plus, we did an M&M math activity and I had M&Ms left over. Guess where they went. Well, now that that's out of the way, I have discovered that the good break from grains and sugar that I had given myself has paid off. My heartburn is non-existant after two weeks on the Primal journey. That is reason enough to continue. I'm back.

Day 23

Can you believe the challenge is almost over?  I can't.  But I also am not giving up any of this when the 30 days comes to an end...

Right now I just wanted to share that I am THRILLED that my friends at Quest have come out with bars that are made with STEVIA instead of Splenda or whatever they were using before.  Their first flavor was Cinnamon Roll (SOOOOOO GOOD!!!) and the second was Chocolate Peanut Butter (boo, legumes, but I got some anyway).  You all should try them if you're looking for quick meal solutions.  Plus they satisfy the sweet tooth superbly!  Hooray for Quest Bars!

Well, I'm off to tend to Riley.  He has good timing with his little stomach bugs and eye goopies...I got to stay home with him on my birthday!!  Woo hoo!  Best birthday gift ever!

Love you guys!

P.S.  I meant to tell you all that the pumpkin pancake recipe makes about 4 medium sized pancakes...

October 4 is a very good day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ASHLEY LU!!!!

End of Week 3!

Lemme start by saying sorry for not updating in a few days...life.

Riley and I have been hanging in there pretty well...but we sure do miss Daddy.  I'm doing my workouts primarily during the week (sometimes at home, sometimes at work).  I focus on making weekends about playtime.  Although, horseback riding is a workout, stress relief, and playtime all in one :)  I had a great ride on Saturday and only had to get off twice to pop the pacifier back into Riley's mouth (otherwise he was content to just sit in his stroller).

I've been silly and I continue to weigh myself.  I've lost about 6 lbs since we started the challenge...I'm down to the same weight I was as a Senior in HS.  Crazy.  But I need to gain muscle.  That's my major battle right now.  I know I'm fueling my body and getting a lot of the elements of the Primal Blueprint Fitness plan into my routine, but I'm not lifting enough.  Gotta get that back!

This morning, Riley and I hung out for awhile.  I made a yummy Costa Rican coffee that I bought at Trader Joe's yesterday and then I made PUMPKIN PANCAKES!  SOOOOO GOOD!  Here's how I did it.

2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/3 Cup Almond Butter
1/4 Cup Almond Meal/Flour
1 T Pure Vanilla Extract
2 T Agave Nectar
1 t Cinnamon
1/4 t Nutmeg

I think that's it.  You can adjust it however you want...You probably don't even need all that Agave Nectar (I didn't actually use the full 2 Ts).  They were delicious!  Just cook them like you would any other pancakes...but be careful not to let them burn.  They are actually pretty easy to flip too and you'll probably have to flip them while they're still pretty runny on top to keep them from burning.  They were quick and delicious.  Try them.  You won't regret it!

Off to grocery shop at Target w/Riley before FOOTBALL!  Love you guys!

Steady on

Other than wild Maine blueberry pancakes this morning, it has been another steady day. We tend to eat two meals per day up here. The pancakes didn't hold me - duh - so I made an enormous salad, added a hard-boiled egg, and ate that on the way to the restaurant for dinner!!! At the restaurant, I finished my meal with beets and a bunless hamburger. I am very satisfied and I'm happy that little "cheats" are not able to derail me. That is a new concept for me. In the past, I'd be more likely to say, "screw it" and decide to start again tomorrow. Now I feel so much more in control. I think it has to be because I understand what I am trying to do and it makes sense in the LONG run. I want to be healthy and to provide my body with the appropriate fuel for feeling energized and strong.
Have a great rest of your weekend! Lib, I hope your birthday was wonderful and Dave, I hope yours is, too!!
Love, Gin

Primal in Maine!

Am feeling pretty cocky that I have managed to stay on track so easily in Maine. I ate beef for dinner last night - a ribeye from Papa J's Belted Galloway. It was delicious and satisfying along with the salad, carrots, and yummy mussels. I enjoyed a "rolless" lobster roll this afternoon and I'm looking forward to dinner at the Arborvine restaurant with dear Adelia! Have a great weekend!
Love you all!

Day 17

Well, we're past the half-way point.  Has anyone lost momentum?  I feel like I'm just gaining more at this point.  It helps that I have the freedom to throw out a bunch of crap in our fridge and pantry (that would go bad anyway) while Kev is gone.  Hopefully when he comes home, I will have mastered some awesome Primal recipes that I can try out on him.

I had a good food day and a good sprint workout.  I think I'll try and do a lift workout tomorrow and maybe a metcon on Friday.  We will see. 

If anyone is seriously interested in this, please let me know.  I'm considering it...and maybe combine it with a trip to visit Kev's family.  Hmmm.

Well, I'm going to follow Riley's lead and hit the sack.  I love you guys.

Day 16

Well, I'm hunkering down into "single parent mode."  We just got home from dropping Kev off at the airport.  I know Kev and I will be able to handle these 60 days (+/- a few) fine...but the hardest part are going to be the major changes in Riley while Kev is gone.  At the same time, the major changes that Kevin will get to see while he's home for 60 days (+/- a few) will be amazing!  We are really looking forward to the quality family time we're going to be able to have after each rotation -- it will make the time apart worth it for sure.

So, I'm extra motivated to keep up with the Primal stuff while Kev is gone (I'm going to clean out the pantry) and I hope that he is impressed with the progress that I hope I'll make.  I just have to make sure I don't get bogged down and I keep fueling my body.  It's going to take a lot of energy to keep up with all the chores around the house -- Kev leaves A LOT of slack for me to pick up.  I think this lifestyle is the perfect thing to keep me going though!

I'm going to get back into the fitness routine tomorrow.  I've been taking it easy the last few days to help get over this nagging cold.  I think we are past the worst of it, so I feel comfortable doing some heavy lifting and/or sprinting tomorrow.  Eating has been great (steak twice in the last three days for me!!).  And I have plenty of hard boiled eggs to last the rest of the week.

I hope you all are doing well.  Keep me posted on your progress...I feel like I'm talking to myself on here sometimes.  I love you all and please keep Kev in your thoughts (I'll make sure I keep you posted on what he's up to).

Day 15!

It's the beginning of week 3!  I hope you all are starting to see results.  I've been getting a lot of compliments from folks at work (who all saw me when I was ginormously pregnant with Riley).  I am very pleased with how my body looks these days...but it needs to get back in FUNCTIONAL shape now.  I want to be able to lift heavy weights and run fast again.  Right now, I have limited strength and very little wind.  I'll get there, I know, it's just a little slower going than I'd like.

I made a bundle of hard boiled eggs for the week and subsequently ate very well today.  I plan on doing the same tomorrow.  Might make steak for lunch (since I'll be home prior to taking Kev to the airport in the afternoon). 

By the way, I did some research on the new Quest Bars that they revealed today -- NO SUCRALOSE!  WOOOOO!  They use Stevia as the sweetener instead.  While it IS a sugar alcohol, it's erythritol and it is a big fat ZERO on the glycemic index.  Check them out.  They sold out of the "Cinnamon Roll" flavor prototype they revealed today.  But they are going to reveal a new flavor for the next four weeks (on Monday mornings).  So, like them on Facebook if you're interested in keeping track of this new PRIMAL FRIENDLY development.  I'm thrilled.  I'll let you know how they taste when I get mine (hopefully by the end of this week).

Well, it's time to feed the little man (the most Primal of us all).  I love you guys.  I'll keep you posted on Kev's travels tomorrow and let you know when he gets to Afghanistan safe and sound.

Sigh...I love weekends...

It's been a great weekend so far (despite the weather)!  Kev and I went to the barn yesterday morning and I had a great lesson.  I rode a well trained reining horse (Pistol) and was able to experience what it's SUPPOSED to feel like and how the horse is SUPPOSED to react to my cues.  Then I had a great ride on Cora to finish off the lesson.  She and I are getting more and more in tune as we spend more time together.  It's fantastic!

Then Grandma & Grandpa babysat while Kevin and I went to see Dracula at the IRT.  What fun!  We ate at the Indianapolis Colts Grill -- it was very good.  Deep Fried Parmesan and Sausage Crusted Hardboiled Farm Eggs, anyone?  YUM!  Deep frying isn't exactly Primal, but there wasn't much else wrong with that dish.  I also had a burger (sans bun) and sweet potato fries.  I'm going overboard a little with the sweet potatoes recently...so I'm going to chill out on those a bit.

I think I'm finally kicking this cold.  I'll try and do a workout tonight, if I feel up to it.  Yesterday was a "rest day" (if you don't count the riding -- which is definitely a workout). 

Well, I'm off to run errands with the family.  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and don't forget to hard boil some eggs for the week!!

Ready for Week 3

I ate pizza yesterday.....
I was ready to beat myself up about it but then I considered what I had really eaten. It was a super thin and crispy crust and the crust was the only really "off the challenge" part of the meal. Lots of meat (too much salt), a bit of cheese, and not nearly enough vegetables. So the worst part of the cheat was that I didn't get enough good food. I was famished and lazy. The best part of yesterday was that after having eaten the pizza, I had the carton of cookie dough ice cream in my hand but I put it back in the freezer without opening it.

Today is a new day. The cold is just a mild annoyance at this point. I had a protein shake for breakfast and will follow that with a hard-boiled egg when I finish my post and I'll munch on veggies while I do USO work. Dan and I will have a late lunch of prime filet before the game, so I shouldn't have any problem staying true while at the stadium. I may bring a Quest Bar....

Good day to my Primal Journey buddies and prepare for a GREAT week ahead!
Love you all!

New Day!

I'm making my exercise deposits but I have been on a sugar kick. No real reason except it has been handy. Today is a new day. I'm doing okay.

Day 12

It's AWESOME to get to come home early!  And even better that my little man is so giggly!  We are having a great time playing on the floor of the family room.

Well, today has been another good food day.  I'm actually eating a bowl of Greek yogurt with some almond slivers, Primal Fuel, and a few cacao nibs...call it an early dessert ; )  I'm not sure what I'm going to have for dinner tonight.  Perhaps bacon and eggs.  I bought a bag of grapefruit for weekend breakfasts.  I sometimes have trouble getting a meal when Kev and I are on the go on weekends, so I thought grapefruit would be a perfect option.  I bought a box of Stevia "In The Raw" as well, so I'll sweeten it very slightly with that if it's too tart for me.  I've actually gotten to the point where I don't need to sweeten things all that much -- if any.  I don't even use sugar or any type of sweetener in my coffee now.  Still use cream, but that's it.

I'm going to take the young man on a walk with the doggies later.  I'm looking forward to that.  I just hope it doesn't cool off too much in the meantime.  I'm also going to get a good heavy lift in. 

I hope you all had a good week and that your weekend shapes up well too!  Love you all!

Day 11

I don't know about you guys, but I feel like time is flying!  I had a fantastic lunch today -- ginormous salad with chicken on top.  The rest of my food was pretty much par for the course (Primal Fuel shake, quest bar, Greek yogurt w/blueberries, apple, leftover chili, sweet potato chips, and a bit of dark chocolate). 

I am hoping today was my worst day of the cold -- which really hasn't been that bad, just nagging really.  I'm heading to bed pretty early tonight, so we'll hope the kiddo lets me get some solid chunks of sleep in.

This weekend is our last one as a family for a few months.  Kev heads to Afghanistan via Dubai on Tuesday evening.  I'm going to leave early from work on Monday and stay home on Tuesday to spend as much time as I can with him before he goes.  We're going to have prime filets and crab cakes (a worthy splurge) this weekend to make sure Kev gets some great eating in before he goes back to the world of military dining facilities.  Blah.

I'll send you guys my story that I sent in to MDA the other day so you can read it, if you're interested.  Probably do that tomorrow.  Well, I hope you all had a good one today.  Get ready for the weekend!  Make the most of it and prep your stuff for next week.  It makes life a lot easier.  Love you guys!

Some recipes for your consideration

I have been looking for some ideas for my contribution to Book Club tonight and decided to add some of what I found to my folder of recipes. I figured I might as well share them with you, too!
These are from MDA website and Primal Blueprint Cookbook.
I don't know if this will work, but try pasting this link or just get to it via the email I sent. I don't know how to make the link the way Ashley does..... Computer/internet wins again.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mKxmlnybBB_sTAuJOSL_TbFXmoxYk15Q2P_d7Sjjqbw/edit?hl=en_US

Day 10

Well, I just sent in my Primal story to Mark's Daily Apple. It will be interesting to see if he selects it as one of the ones that he posts on his site...I had a great meal day and a great workout day!  Not so great for sleep or play though.  I did have a wonderful meal with my folks tonight (to celebrate my Daddio's birthday!).

My menu throughout the day was: A primal fuel shake, cafe americano w/cream, quest bar, berries, greek yogurt, leftover chili, a chunk of dark chocolate, a couple raw oysters, steamed mussels, broccolini, and prosciutto crusted steelhead trout.  YUM!

I did a quick CrossFit workout this morning (front squats and handstand pushups) and followed that up with 10 sprints.

It was a good day!  How was yours?

So tomorrow...

So, today I was commiserating with a colleague whose mother-in-law is going into assisted living. We're all headed there. We mused aloud, "Were we doing the things that would allow us to age in a way we could enjoy our later years without losing our balance, our minds and our independence?" I told her my favorite quote from Covert Bailey who said something like, "There is a pill you can take for exercise. You take it twice a day but you must allow 15 minutes each time to swallow it."

Today it dawned on me. Why do I even think about not exercising? Setting aside money for retirement is a given. Setting aside time now, to exercise each day, is like building up an account of time --- lifetime --- I can tap into later! I would like to feel like I am alive and lively as I age. I don't want to be sleeping the days away on prescriptions wondering sadly why I am still here. You know?

So tomorrow...

Teacher Lunch Envy

Today I amazed even myself! I cooked aspargus and mushrooms at breakfast for my lunch. Added those to three kinds of salad greens and an avocado -- plus the bacon I cooked. Other teachers were complimenting me on how good my lunch looked. Need to get to the store though because I'm out of everything.

Day 9

Well, it's day 2 of battling the cold bug.  The sleep disruption is the worst so far.  I hope tonight will be better.

I ate really well again today...though I still have a bunch of eggs that need hard boiling and a rotisserie chicken that needs stripping.  I ate chili again today for lunch.  So so yummy!  I feel very well fueled and I am looking forward to salad tonight with some chicken on top!

I had a great workout this morning.  It was a good pick-me-up after a rough morning getting out of bed.  I did 8 sets of 1 minute sprints (with 1 minute rest in between).  I was hoping to go for a walk with the little man tonight, but I don't want him to get chilled and aggravate the cold.

I'm busy writing up my story for one of the challenge contests.  I'll either publish it here or I'll send you all an email after I come up with the final product.  I hope you all had a good day!  Lots of love!

Day 8

Today was pretty typical...although, I did not get a good night's sleep last night due to a sick little man.  He has a bit of a cold, though I think he's kicking it to the curb fairly quickly.  We were up every 2-3 hours last night.  So, I'm pretty tired today.

I did make a kick ass dinner though!  Chili!  I made the recipe I found on MDA and didn't add the beer or the chipotle peppers (not because I'm a pansy, but because I couldn't find any).  I also just added a little bit of cheese on top (it was actually part of the recipe).  It turned out SO well...if I do say so myself.  It's definitely going to be on my list of recipes to repeat this winter when I have company (perhaps some of my Primal family?).

Well, little man is asleep upstairs and I'm going to go join him.  I'm going to do a workout tomorrow morning to start my day off right!  And I hope we have nice enough weather that I can take Riley for a walk.  Cross your fingers!  I love you guys!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Emily and Ashley keep me on my toes. I find myself researching food choices to see if I'm on target or not. Mark's Daily Apple is an easy source for information and has led me to new menu ideas and recipes as I research my questions.
Tonight my questions involved the brown rice flour pasta I purchased. I thought it must be better than pasta made with wheat flour or even the gluten-free corn flour pasta I've seen. For the record, it was delicious and I wouldn't have known it was anything other than the usual pasta I eat. However, it is not perfect -- high carbs to protein so not so much bang for the buck. I have now learned a bit more about brown rice. If I were a rat, it would be really good for me, but alas, my human digestive system isn't really able to get to the nutrients contained in brown rice. I won't ban it from my diet, but I will eat it in moderation. I'll switch back to squash with my wonderfully delicious and nutritious fresh tomato and meat sauces.
Breakfast was a protein shake on the run after hitting a new PR in the deadlift -- 225 lbs! I was off to the Indianapolis Colts Women's Organization annual luncheon where i had tomato basil soup and then ate some terrific Korean bbq beef on a salad. Had a hard-boiled egg and a Quest Bar as snacks and I'm drinking more water as I write this.
The best part of my day was giving Riley his first piano lesson. He likes to bounce when he stands on a lap, so I let him bounce so his bum landed on the piano keys. He has great potential!
I hope you all had a good day!

Day 7 -- One Week Down!

Yesterday was awesome!  I had such a great time with my family.  It definitely made me excited for things to come.  I ended up doing a pretty brutal workout last night from the MDA site that made me really sore today.  But a good sore.  Needless to say, I will use today as a "rest day" to recover so I can attack another challenge tomorrow.

I've eaten really well today!  Woke up and made bacon, eggs, and coffee!  I love breakfast, but I rarely get up in time to actually make it.  I ate really well at the Colts game (mostly because I was in the suite and they have a great primal-friendly selection.  I had a plate of berries, shrimp, cooked squash and zucchini, raw squash and zuchinni, red peppers, and guacamole!  I used the guac as "dip" for the raw squash, zucchini, and peppers.  I also drank a couple bottles of water.

Kevin and I are having steak tonight.  Kev is going to have a traditional potato and I'm going to "indulge" a bit with a sweet potato.  Sweet potatoes are good for an occasional indulgence...like greek yogurt, you can't go overboard with them though.  I might have a glass of wine as well.  It's putting me to sleep just thinking about it ;)

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!  Get ready to hit it hard in week 2!

Day 6

What a gorgeous day! Have been doing yard work and had the most satisfying lunch. Since I am such a newbie at this I confess my meals lack self-love and beauty. But today was better. Lots of squash, beans, scallions and red pepper stir fried with chicken. I don't even know if stir frying is legal but it tasted great and looked appetizing. Back to the yard.

Day 5 (...was yesterday)

Sorry I didn't manage to post last night.  The excitement of having Kevin come home for the weekend just got the best of me and I ended up crashing right after I fed the little man.  I had a great day though, good meal choices and a nice long walk with the doggies (all three!).

I definitely want to tell you about the yummy dinner I made last night though.  I bought a Trader Joe's soup last weekend that I'd originally planned to just eat plain, but then I got to thinking...I have some organic chicken and organic ground beef in the fridge that I really need to use soon...So, I used the soup as a base (Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup), added a half can of diced tomatoes to the soup, and let that warm up/simmer. I then cooked the chicken and beef in a bit of olive oil and garlic (seasoned with salt, ground pepper, and red pepper flakes) and then combined it all in the sauce pan.  I chopped up some green onion and sprinkled it on top after I dished the soup into bowls.  It was DELICIOUS!  I have never been a huge fan of tomatoes, but I'm definitely warming up to them these days.  Kevin even liked it!!!

I'll also go ahead and fill you in on today, so far.  Kevin, Riley, and I went out to the barn and spent about 3 hours enjoying our horses and the folks that own/run the barn.  Cora and Gus are both doing amazingly well; we are SO impressed.  I rode Cora for an hour or so as well...I'm learning to do reining and I love it.  If you're curious, check out our trainer (Alyssa Boender) on youtube.  Best of all, today we were able to watch Alyssa ride Gus for the first time!  Kevin posted the videos of him walking and trotting on Facebook.  We were very proud of how calm he was...like an old pro.

I've been OK with eating today...not enough, but I'll make up for it.  I had a quest bar and coffee for breakfast and then I had a late lunch (finished off the rotisserie chicken and had a giant bowl of berries, spoonful of greek yogurt, and half a scoop of Primal Fuel on top).  Not sure yet what I'm going to do for dinner.

Hope you all finished off the week strong!  Love you!

Oh, and THIS is how you do greek yogurt...

M and M's - Maintaining Momentum

Reading your blog posts has really helped, family of mine. I was thinking about tomorrow and thought, oh, it is so much work when I read your food descriptions. Yum! Your photos were great, too, Ash.

I have noticed more energy since we started. I have lost some weight and that's pretty motivating, too. Now that I'm on I'll be checking and posting more often. Thanks, Ash for getting this started. Glad Riley is in on it, too. He always makes me smile.

Day 4 ends!

This is gonna be a quick one...Well, I woke up late this morning, but still managed to pack a good lunch (quest bar, 2 hard boiled eggs, and a big salad with lots of chicken) and had my normal breakfast (primal fuel shake and a cafe Americano).  I need to start making my primal fuel shakes like you, Momma!  That sounds outstanding.

Because I woke up so late, I didn't get a shower, so I threw on some workout clothes and went to the office for a quick bit and then to the gym to knock out a hill sprint workout and then went back to the office to shower.  I am blessed to be that flexible with my work routine (as far as when I go to the gym).  So, the late start actually ended up working out well.  I researched workouts on marksdailyapple.com today and also found a personal training studio that I am going to check out (I found it on marksdailyapple.com as well).  Conclusion:  I need to do more sprints and more heavy lifting.

I made myself a few burgers (in a frying pan with seasoning, butter, and olive oil) with organic beef for dinner.  Yum.  I topped them with salsa...no cheese (obviously no buns).  I ate a few sweet potato chips with the salsa as well.  I LOVE the way I'm eating right now.  I never feel like I'm compromising. 

Hope you all have a great Friday!  Love you!

I'm ready for our walk, Mom!

Day 4 Laughs

I hardboiled eggs last night and Stan put them away. I have to tell you that my sweet husband packed my lunch today. I had carrots, a banana, turkey wrapped in cheese, and Greek yogurt that had mold on it when I opened it - needless to say, I didn't eat it. No worries. I still had the egg == except it turned out to be raw!

Have to drink more water though. Had one drink from the school water fountain all day. Now to bed.

Day 4 begins!

I am psyched! Good (heavy and awful) workout early this morning and now I'm enjoying a delicious protein shake made with about 1/3 cup each of frozen blueberries and frozen strawberries, about 6 oz of unsweetened almond milk and another 8 oz water plus my vanilla shake mix. Yum.
I find myself thinking about the stuff I'm not eating anymore. I'm not longing for it but rather wondering why I seemed to have to have it in the past. It was crap!
I'm up for (read, "terrified about") the measuring and photos. The exercise should be good for the added motivation or laughs I'm certain it will bring . I have decided not to weigh myself until the end of the 30 days. I'm trying to focus on the changes in my health and energy level that good nutrition will bring rather than the scale.
I hope you're all feeling good and are ready to stay strong through the weekend! Take your vitamins!
Love y'all!

Day 3

VICTORY!  Another night of dinner before 9pm!  I'm on a roll!

I had another pretty darn good day -- still struggling with the water consumption.  I don't know why it's so hard for me.  I drink about a bottle throughout the night too when I'm up tending to Riley...so that helps, but I really need to get better about keeping myself consistently hydrated throughout the day.

I had a good workout this evening, though it was interrupted by a needy little man.  So, I ended up finishing my workout using him as additional weight.  I held him in front of me and did squats (which he enjoyed) and then held him up toward my knees with his feet kind of resting on my stomach and did sit ups (which he REALLY enjoyed).  It was a lot of fun actually :)  I am hoping to get a good sprint workout in tomorrow and a walk in the evening if it's nice (which it's supposed to be).

I'm continuing to steadily lose fat and gain muscle (I can tell by how I fit in my clothes).  I plan to have Kevin measure me this weekend so I can see how many inches I gain/lose (believe it or not, I kind of want to gain inches in my thighs because I think they are weak and need more muscle) over the next few months.  I'm also going to take some pictures as comparison.  It'd be great if you all did the same thing so that we can have a family before and after summary to show off (heck, it might even end up on Mark's Daily Apple if everyone is OK with that).  I'm really not worried about my weight with this whole thing...I am well under the "Army standard" for my height, so I just want to be healthy and fit!

I'm going to join my little boy in sweet slumber here shortly.  Before I sign off for the night (by the way, this evening computer time is NOT part of the Primal Blueprint lifestyle), I wanted to mention today's contest...I plan on writing a story and sending it in to Mark.  I'd actually been considering writing one for awhile, and now that he's offered a pair of Vibram FiveFingers as a prize, I am sufficiently motivated to do it!  I'm definitely going to mention you all in my story :)  I'm thrilled that we're doing this together! 

I love you guys!  Hope you all are well and satisfied with your efforts today!

Yo mama weighs in

My day 2 went amazingly well. I feel as though I must have made good food choices just because I was able to maintain a pretty steady and very productive level of energy all day. Hard boiled egg, chicken, apple, some raspberries in a protein shake made with about 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk, water and crushed ice, a couple of handfuls of almonds, and dinner of seared tuna, big salad, and one ear of corn (I will NOT let late summer corn on the cob go to waste!) The water intake was better than yesterday and the early morning workout was all I managed beyond walking the Dunkster and with my buddy Peggy. I have packed my food for tomorrow and will make good choices when Dan and I have dinner before the show tomorrow.
I hope my family is off to an enthusiastic start! Love y'all!

Day 2

How's everybody doing so far?  My day was a lot better than yesterday, but still flawed.  I need to remind myself to drink water throughout the day and not just chug a bottle when I realize it's been 6 hours since I consumed a single drop.  I only drank about 42 oz of water in all today.  I also need to make sure I can get a good workout in other than my daily walk with Riley and a dog.

Today I started off with a Primal Fuel shake with 10 oz of water.  I had my usual Cafe Americano with cream, but this time I added my own raw sugar to it.  I found that I enjoyed it a lot more with the sugar than the syrup and I didn't make it nearly as sweet.  Who knows, by the end of this challenge, I may not be adding sugar at all.  When I got to work, I had two hard boiled eggs, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, one of my left over salmon filets, an apple, and a generous handful of plain almonds and walnuts.  I was afraid I didn't take enough food, but it seemed to be about the right amount.

Riley kind of dictates my schedule in the evening, so I wasn't able to get a good lift workout in like I'd planned...if he cooperates in the morning, I'll do it before I leave for work.  We played for awhile when we got home and did some FaceTime with Daddy.  Then we went for another quick 30 minute walk and chatted with a neighbor.  Tucker was the lucky dog again, and he joined us.  I pulled all the meat off the bones of my rotisserie chicken -- I did it with my hands, it was actually kind of enjoyable.  I gave Riley man a bath, fed him from my boobs (what's more primal than that?), and put him to bed.  I'm happy that I was able to prep my salad fixins, because I threw a great big salad together, added some of the chicken on top, dressed it, and I was able to eat dinner prior to 9pm!  It's the small victories.

My goals for tomorrow are to drink A LOT more water, cut out even more diary (I had some traditional full-fat feta cheese on my salad and the cream in my coffee today), and try to get either a sprint or a heavy workout in.

P.S.  If you guys don't start commenting on here pretty soon, I am going to start stalking you.

Night night.

Primal Blueprint 30-Day Challenge: Day 1

Hello, Family!  I really am so excited to be sharing this experience with you all.  I hope we can use this forum to keep each other motivated, encouraged, and mostly to share yummy recipes!

I'm going to just document my day...It wasn't exactly an auspicious start for me.  I've been terrible about eating enough recently.  Not having Kevin around is already taking a toll.  Today I DID manage to eat: 2 Quest Bars (boo for the sucralose - 1 for breakfast and 1 late tonight because I have not eaten nearly enough today), some sweet potato chips (I plan to make this an OCCASIONAL indulgence), a yummy steelhead trout filet (lightly seasoned and baked for 20 min in butter), and a couple pieces of dark chocolate.  I've had a liter of water, an Iced Cafe Americano, and a small glass of wine.  I definitely need to increase my water intake.

The good things I did today included: Going grocery shopping for lots of primal friendly foods (check out the Grocery List  on Mark's Daily Apple if you're having trouble getting started).  Laughed and played a lot with Riley.  He was a trooper even though he got three shots at the doc's today.  Went for a quick 25 minute walk with Riley and Tucker.  I prepped meals for the rest of the week -- cut up veggies for quick assembly in salads, hard boiled 8 eggs, and saved three leftover filets (it was a whole side of a steelhead trout) for future meals.  I felt rather accomplished at the end of the night...except I'm under-fueled and tired right now.

I hope you all had a good start to the challenge.  Share your questions, techniques, recipes, and anything else that you think the rest of the group might be interested in.  Looking forward to the rest of the week.  I think it will go more smoothly for me than today did.

My dinner.  Mmmmm.

 View behind me at the end of my walk.

 My playmate!

I love you guys!  Can't wait to see your comments!