Guest Posting on Paleo Parents, Balanced Bites Seminar, and Overcoming Sugar

I am over-the-moon excited about my new role over at the Paleo Parents’ Blog. I get first dibs on some of the latest books coming out in the Paleo arena as well as sample new products. Best of all, I get to share my opinions and interact with the community on a larger scale. I first met Matt and Stacy at one of their Paleo Meet-ups at their house in Virginia. I was so happy to find out they were in my local area and were so in to fostering community. Despite an unfortunate incident involving me not being able to find their front door, they put first impressions aside to invite me on board along with some other fantastic women. Stay tuned for my first book reviews coming up later this month.

Another memorable event this month was last weekend’s Balanced Bites Seminar here in DC. It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of what may be Diane and Liz’s final seminar together, at least for the foreseeable future. They were both as lovely and gracious as I would have thought based on listening in each week on their podcast. I even got to snag the photo above, thanks to Stacy (of Paleo Parents) and Anne (also on the Paleo Parents’ team). I almost punked out, but they didn’t let me. True friends! It was also a treat to meet Primal Toad (I gave him a ride back to his hotel) as well as hang out with Bill and Haley from The Food Lovers. They are just adorable and their newly adopted little puppy was too cute for words. As someone who really immerses myself in all this Paleo Stuff, it was like the internet coming to life. Such a blast!

Underlying all this Paleo excitement lingers a bit of a personal tension. Since my last Whole 30, I’ve been struggling with my relationship with food in general and sugar in particular. I’ve found myself overeating to the place where I start to feel uncomfortable and even have gotten heartburn later a couple of times. I can’t really remember the last time I experienced this kind of behavior.  I also crave sweets and have turned to Paleo baking and chocolate. Although I feel calm on the surface, I think I’m dealing with some latent stress that I’m suppressing. I guess I need to spend some time with myself figuring out what that’s all about.
 

I’m also going back and forth about doing another Whole 30. I can honestly say that when I was coming towards the end of this last attempt (I made it 26 days, I think), I really felt fantastic both mentally and physically. But, obviously I was still fighting it, evidenced by my ending early and going slightly off the rails since. I both crave and rebel against the structure of it. I’m leaning towards giving it another shot, mostly because I’m simply not feeling great right now.

All this is to say that I surely do not have all this figured out. I’m not much for weighing myself lately, but I can confidently say that I’m proud to have kept off the lion’s share of the 50 lbs I initially lost going low carb, then Paleo (based on clothing). I’m in this for the long haul. My number one goal is to get myself back to feeling fabulous again. I know from experience that focusing on nourishing myself with food and working out is the way to get there. That breeds a feeling of accomplishment that spurs me on. So that’s what I’m going to do: keep up The Smarter Science of Slim workouts (these have been going great, by the way), and get back on track with my food. Whether that’s with a Whole 30, 21 Day Sugar Detox, or just my own version of strict Paleo is to be determined. I will keep you posted.

Are you struggling with any of this stuff, or is it just me? Chime in an let me know how it’s going.

 

Whole 30 Recap

Well, my Whole 30 turned out to be a Whole 25. On Day 26, I caved! The almond flour I’d ordered unexpectedly arrived incredibly fast and just sat there, taunting me. All I could think about was making chocolate chip cookies. So, last Saturday, I did. And they were delicious.

I try not to be an all or nothing person, so I definitely find value in taking on this challenge even though I didn’t make it to the bitter end. It was a great exercise in discipline and showed me what I am capable of when the commitment is there. The attention to my eating coupled with working out more has me feeling leaner and more energetic. I did not weigh myself before, during, or after this challenge because I want to get away from the scale as my barometer. What if I didn’t lose a pound this month? I think seeing that would make me feel down, even though I am registering so many other signs of better body composition, not to mention the mental and emotional benefits. On the flip side, I’m sure I’d feel like a rock star if I saw some substantial scale movement. But, I’m willing to let that go in search of “better” goals. I’m not doing this to see a certain number. I’m doing this to feel fantastic, strong, and healthy. How I judge my progress should match up with those goals. Yes, they are quite nebulous and hard to quantify. But I’m OK with that. I’m in this for life – I’m “training for life” as Relentless Roger likes to say.

So, I mentioned the chocolate chip cookies. There were also snickerdoodles and there were pancakes. And pizza. Nothing crazy and all gluten free. Pretty tame as binges go… It does give me a hint about how I react to perceived restriction, though. There is the inevitable bounce-back. And I should also mention the “last supper” type of eating that happened just prior to the Whole 30. I think it’s just basic psychology and is not necessarily even a bad thing, per se. I just need to be aware of it. That’s not to say I won’t ever do another challenge again. I think it’s helpful to nix the sugar, in particular, for a stretch to reset my taste buds from time to time. I may go with the 21 Day Sugar Detox next time for the shorter time frame and slightly less restrictive mentality. My plan for now is to go forward more moderately, including a modest amount of treats within an overall diet that is Paleo and full of healthy meat, veggies, and fats. I will continue working out – I’m going to try out the high intensity/low volume training laid out in The Smarter Science of Slim. I really think that the hormonal shift from more exercise has helped quite a bit this month as well. Decent eating + punctuated intense exercise = Healthy Amelia, or at least, that’s the plan!

How about you? Did you participate in any sort of challenge this month? How did it go/is it going? What are the big takeaways?

Whole 30: Week 1 Down!

It feels terrific knowing I have one whole week under my belt. It seems insignificant in the greater scheme of things, but for me, it is important. Despite following a Paleo lifestyle for almost two years already, I was relying on some lingering crutches that I can start to see were standing in the way of reaching my goals.

The three big changes I’ve made this week to get my eating to line up with the Whole 30 guidelines were: 1) to eat a big breakfast including protein, fat, and veggies every morning, 2) to avoid ALL sugar and sugar substitutes, and 3) to get rid of dairy 100% (except for ghee). Those three changes have led to steadier energy levels, less sinus/throat congestion, decreased urges to snack, and an absence of any headaches (which were daily or every other day). Starting the day off well fed not only sets the tone, but it gives me the right components to keep me from thinking about food until lunch time. I have to face the fact that I have a problem with sugar and sugar substitutes – they increase my appetite and induce an unhealthy psychological response. It’s also possible that even the little bits of lingering casein from butter, cheese, and heavy cream were affecting me and responsible for some of the improvement (the congestion relief, for sure).

The hardest part of doing a Whole 30, for me, is making the decision to truly commit to it. I think there was always some part of me holding back – the stubborn toddler part of my brain that resisted any more “restriction”. Why does this have to be so hard for ME when others can just cut of wheat and drop weight like a bad habit? The rational part of me knows that it doesn’t matter a bit what works for anybody else and that it’s a miracle to have found a path that can work, if I’m willing to make the effort. Getting those two sides to come together and let go of the last of that resistance has been the gift of this Whole 30 so far. I just tell that cranky little girl inside that it’s OK, that I know it’s not fair, but we’re going to get through it. So hokey, but it’s working…

The funny/ironic thing is, though, that I don’t feel restricted, not really. I feel free. Free of cravings, free of dependence on foods and habits that weren’t helping me reach my goals. I know I won’t be able to live in a Whole 30 bubble forever, but I’m sure enjoying it for now. It’s so much less stressful to just say “no”, rather than to agonize over decisions about how much is appropriate. It’s crazy how having none is easier than having a little bit. I’d learned that lesson quite well when it came to gluten, but I struggled with its application to (gluten free) sweets and dairy. I guess this truly is a process and I had to take my time and make peace with letting those things go.

On a related note, I got the best inadvertent compliment this morning from Cute Man. While talking about his food choices at an upcoming gathering he said he was going to “do an Amelia” (or something similar). When asked what he meant, he said he was going to stick to his guns and only eat what he knows he should/planned. It warms my heart to know that the person who knows me best thinks of me this way. It truly made my day :)

How’s the first week of the year treating you?

Whole 30: In the Kitchen

Tangy Tomato Sliders, Caramelized Onion Topped Puréed Cauliflower, and Apple Pecan Salad

Tonight's dinner came together organically so I thought I'd deconstruct the process.

I started with the idea of cooking up a couple packages of beef sliders - some for tonight and the rest for lunches. I seasoned them up with my go to blend from Trader Joes and browned them in cast iron pan Cute Man got me for the Holidays.

While those were cooking, I decided that puréed cauliflower would go well so in went a couple bags of the frozen stuff with 1/2 cup of my homemade beef broth into my new enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

Next up, I brainstormed an idea for a sauce for my sliders since store bought BBQ and ketchup are out for a Whole 30. I adapted my go to Catalina Dressing recipe to be sweetener free - 1/3 cup each of balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, olive oil, and water plus a tsp each of garlic salt, chili powder, and paprika blended. I decided to not only top my sliders with this, but to mix up a quick salad and garnish it with diced apples and pecans.

Turning back to my cauliflower, I added a couple tbs of ghee and garlic salt before going at it with the stick blender. Once it was nice and creamy, I envisioned it smothered in caramelized onions so I took the cooked sliders out of the cast iron and added sliced yellow onions from two ginormous onions from Costco. Stirring often, they slowly developed into a vat of deliciousness in the yumminess left behind from cooking the meat.

Finally, I put it all together on a plate that balanced out to be 3/4 veggies, 1/4 protein, with a healthy dose of fat. I feel really great eating this way and find it so fun to pull together a meal that is not only good for me, but tasty and full of flavor.

So what are you cooking up in your kitchen to keep things fun and fresh?

Whole 30 - Day 2

The Whole 30 has started well so far. I’ve already made two batches of Nom Nom’s fried “rice” (I made the first in preparation). I meant to make tons to have leftovers but they don’t seem to last. Even the Cute Man ate the cauliflower version instead of his regular brown rice. Color me IMPRESSED. And weirdly territorial. I mean, I just want to shout: “Step away from the ghee and nobody will get hurt!” It seems the secret to getting him to eat my weird food is to tell him it’s MINE. It’s like Paleo-ninja reverse psychology. Well, whatever works :) The bottom line is we’re both set on the road to getting healthier this year and that is a wonderful thing.

And tonight, we eat STEAK. I mean, you’ve got to live a little, people. I think it’ll be steak with a big salad with strawberries, pecans, and fancy balsamic vinegar Cute Man got me. Who said good food had to be boring? I can’t wait to cook those babies up with some ghee in my new cast iron pan (also courtesy of Cute Man).

The key to this for me is to focus on the positive. What cool creations can I come up with? What do I GET to eat tonight? Sounds silly but it really helps. That and lots of herbal tea. I mean lots. I should buy stock in Tazo. I’m hooked on their Passion and Sweet Cinnamon Spice varieties. And I’ve just ordered six boxes of this Good Earth Tea online. The key is for the tea to taste good on its own without any sort of sweetener or milk. These all fit the bill and help me get through the day during all those times I just want something. Oh, and the amazing from-the-farmer eggs (pictured) that I get via Washingtonsgreengocer.com in the morning really get the day going right!

I may still be in the honeymoon phase, but at the risk of jinxing myself, so far, so good. Any other reports from the trenches? How are the first days of January treating you?

Perfect Health Diet Update and Why I’m Transitioning to The Whole 30

The Perfect Health Diet experiment was a bust. I think my approach to it was all wrong and I was really just indulging some cravings for starchy foods. I have no doubt that many people find success with it, but from where I’m coming from (low carb Paleo), it was just too difficult a transition.

Things I noticed in the short time I was eating more starch:

 - Bloating

- Increased appetite, especially for starchy food
- Wild energy fluctuations
- Sugar crashes resulting in extreme hunger
- Caffeine cravings returned
- PMS came back with a VENGENCE
- Menstrual cramps returned
- More frequent headaches
- Evil/tired wife of my previous life returned (Cute Man bears the brunt of my carb-induced moodiness).

And all this in less than 2 weeks of adding more starch to my diet. Message received, body! It is sad to think that I am so broken that even a “low-moderate” amount of carbs can make me feel so poorly so quickly. But it is what it is and I choose to look at it in a more positive light – thank goodness I do know what does work for ME. I just need to tighten things up and get back on my merry way.

Enter: The Whole 30. I’ve done this (or should I say, attempted) this before, more than once. I do have trouble with hard and fast rules but I’m actually really looking forward to it at this point. I guess if you feel crappy enough, the thought of doing something to improve the situation is appealing, not restrictive. A bit of structure without the need for calorie counting sounds really good right now. I’m taking the next few days to ease into it – mostly following the guidelines but getting whatever cravings for chocolate or whatever out of my system now without going crazy about it. My official start will be January 1st.

I’m excited to see that Holly is doing the program as well! I plan to follow along with her for an added layer of support. Make sure to pop on by if you’re curious about The Whole 30, want some good info about it, or just want to get a bit of encouragement. Also, let me know if you're giving it a shot as well - the more support, the better!

Time to Reboot

I need to work on my follow-through these days. After my last post about jumping into the Whole 30 program, I decided to go in a completely different direction. I think I was just feeling a bit burnt out and low energy. As a result, I did a couple weeks of what was basically the second step of the Metabolism Miracle (using Paleo carbs like fruit/sweet potatoes). It felt nice to just eat a few more carbs for awhile, you know? But, the cravings started to creep back, my appetite was primed, and I found myself snacking a lot. So, it’s time for another reboot.

Since I already follow a Paleo Diet, doing The Whole 30 is about being more mindful of my choices and tightening up on the “iffy” parts of my diet. How this will look for me includes focusing on eating 3 good-size meals a day, each of which will leave me satisfied until the next one and thereby eliminating all the snacking. I’m also going to limit fruit and starchy veggies to once or twice a day with a meal, only if I want it and have room after the protein, fat, and non-starchy veggies. I have bone broth and herbal tea for in between meals or right before or after them and a bag of nuts for “emergencies” (times when a normal meal is unexpectedly delayed or I’m in a place where there aren’t any good choices).

Another biggie for me is the darn coffee. It’s just not working for me, sadly. I can’t seem to do it without any sweetener (I’ve been making my Bulletproof Coffee with a bit of maple syrup), and my energy levels have been decidedly lower lately. I find myself craving the caffeine jolt, which is not something I want to be dependent upon.

Lastly, there are a few borderline items that I’ll be nixing this month as well: grocery store salami, the aforementioned maple syrup, Kerrygold butter (I’ll use ghee only), heavy cream (I’d been splurging occasionally on ice coffees at Starbucks), my dark chocolate, and the coconut milk ice cream I’ve been buying (intended as an occasional splurge, but was turning into a nightly ritual – I AM proud that I was able to keep it to the actual serving size, having a pint last 4 days – progress!) I must admit to a bit of “last supper eating” last night, though. I ate the final 3 servings in my current pint all at once, knowing there would be no more after that. I haven’t done anything like that in awhile and refuse to feel bad about it.

Today is off to a great start. I’m feeling good despite no coffee and I enjoyed my bacon and eggs breakfast. My next goal for breakfast is to start incorporating vegetables into that meal, not just lunch and dinner. I like how the It Starts with Food book (by the Whole 30 people), talks about Meals 1, 2, and 3. There is no law that the first meal of the day has to be “breakfast food”.

I think my goals are pretty manageable and I am super excited to see how this month goes. I’m ready to start feeling better and kicking these lingering cravings to the curb. I’m working on shifting my focus away from losing weight as a gage of success, so how I’m feeling will be the ultimate barometer by which I judge this experiment.

P.S. This is such as great book. Check it out!

Food Addiction

While listening to an Underground Wellness podcast this morning about Food Addiction, much of what they talked about really hit home. I mean, that’s really what I’ve been working on, isn’t it? Yes, there are forces beyond my control pushing me to indulge that addiction but blaming everything from the fact that fast food is everywhere, treats are constantly around at work or even that you can’t even sit down to watch TV without being bombarded by the food industry gets me nowhere. It has to start with me and with taking responsibility for myself.


I have made great strides and accomplished a great deal over the past year. Shedding 50 lbs. and maintaining that loss for over four months is a huge accomplishment. I am very proud of that. At the same time, I know I have more work to do. I have a pretty good handle on the most obvious outside pressures. I’m pretty strong in the face of junk food and wheat based products – those choices are clearly black and white to me. I know it’s just not worth it and that there are better options. Where I’m struggling is in the gray area – the things that are a problem for me, but are not seen as an issue to most. Those trigger foods include coffee (caffeine in general), heavy cream (in coffee), artificial sweeteners (xylitol and stevia), chocolate, and even nuts.

The problem is that all of the above have actually been recommended or justified by many of the respected voices in the low carb and/or Paleo community which I follow. I started up with coffee again to try Bulletproof Fasting – many people see metabolic advantages from this type of approach and I thought I’d try it. I did like it a lot and I’m not ruling it out completely. But, I know for me, dependence on caffeine is counterproductive to evening out my natural energy levels. It doesn’t matter how high quality the coffee. Even putting aside the caffeine issue, I find myself craving a stop at Starbucks for a decaf Americano with heavy cream. It probably has some caffeine, but no sugar. Still, I crave the creaminess… There is definitely something there. Even high fat dairy with very little casein or lactose has a pull on me. Many people can handle this just fine (it’s a “maybe” food in the Primal world); I am not one of them, sadly.

I’ve also let a good deal of stevia and xylitol in to my diet lately in things like Bulletproof Ice Cream and baked items from Maria Emmerich’s site. I think a lot of people can do just fine with these types of things but I’m starting to realize they are holding me back. Using them is keeping the search for the sweet taste alive and is starting to dominate my thoughts again. That has led to me eating more chocolate, pretty much on a daily basis. I was sticking to 85% for a while, but relented to 72% most recently because the former is really just too bitter. I’ve always noticed that I get a really mild background kind of headache after eating even a tiny square of chocolate. Once I eliminate all the other triggers, usually I’m OK with sticking to a small square. But I think I need to get to a place of a clean slate once more before allowing that in…

Nuts are a pretty ubiquitous low carb sanctioned snack and have always been my saving grace. I don’t think I need to give them up completely, but I have to face the fact that they are not an unlimited indulgence.

Rereading what I’ve written so far, I can already see the little back doors I am unconsciously leaving for myself. I’m not changing it, just to show the thought process. My brain is rebelling at the thought of giving up the last of my unproductive habits. I didn’t even mention my dependence on whey protein shakes for a sweet, creamy fix. Because I don’t want to give it up. I am holding on to it for dear life. I need to make peace with the decision to stop these things. I tried a couple times with The Whole 30 and 21 Day Sugar Detox attempts, but it hasn’t stuck. I think I never really let go of my attachments. There is always something out there to help me justify these indulgences and make me feel like they are still OK for me. But I know myself best and I need to face the cold hard facts.

The Whole 30 program is probably the best option for me. I need to go bare bones, at least for awhile [there’s that back door again], to get myself back on the track to losing unneeded fat and getting to the healthiest place I can be for me, both mentally and physically. I have always chafed against their strict mentality – something about the hard core nature of their program rubbed me the wrong way. But now I think I understand it better – when you think of this from a food addiction perspective, it all starts to make more sense. As someone who struggled with substance abuse, I think Mellissa of The Whole 9 (amazing post, by the way) brought that experience to bear on their approach to food. There is no half-way when you’re dealing with addictive behaviors. It’s no different when it’s cocaine or it’s sugar. It’s a problem and abstinence is really the only path to kicking it for good.

At the same time, I live in the realm of reality and know that life will continue to be full of temptations and it’s scary to use words like “never” when talking about some of your favorite foods. That brings up all kinds of defense mechanisms that I’d rather not have to battle. So… my plan is to embark on another Whole 30 – I know I can do this for that amount of time. 30 days of nixing all my trigger foods and concentrating on meat and veggies – satisfying meals without all the snacking. To help me on this path, I’m enlisting the help of Well Fed – it’s a cookbook that is almost 100% Whole 30 compliant and full of amazing recipes and cooking ideas that are super helpful. I love the idea of the weekly cook-up – I spent a few hours over the weekend prepping things like burger patties, ground beef, chicken salad, and veggies for quick use throughout the week. It’s been great having “fast food” on hand. It makes good choices a no-brainer. I’ve also been taking an antipasto snack pack each day for lunch – it’s a baggie with various lunch meats, hard boiled eggs, cut veggies/tomatoes, pickles, etc. All types of yummy food that can be eaten right out of the fridge. Another great steal from Well Fed. Another strategy is to eat more veggies. I think I’ve been skimping on them of late, and will benefit from their filling affect.

Part of this journey is letting go of the resistance. When I expect something to be hard, it is. When I expect that I can do something, I accomplish it with ease. That is the attitude and intention I need to bring to this stage of the game. My plan is to set myself up for success. Over the next week, I’m going to phase out the trigger foods above, and start the official Whole 30 on June 1st. That will allow me to use up all the trail mix I made for myself and get breakfast taken care of with the protein powder until my budget can accommodate buying more of the whole foods I’ll use to replace those crutches. We’re also going out of town for the weekend, so starting after that is probably a good idea. I will report back again on June 1st, to officially set my intention and get this going. I’m very much looking forward to it!