Sometimes I'm okay...
And sometimes I just want a baby. Usually I do okay with it, but every once in a while I get an ache in my soul that can only be filled with my baby. My husband wants one more and more, too. These two things are warring with my desire to lose weight.
So, remember how I lost 10 pounds? Well, I gained 5 of it back after going off the diet, which isn't really surprising. I kind of expected to gain a bit back. But I haven't lost any in a while, I don't think. Sad day(s). I think I might look into doing the Full GAPS diet with soaked/fermented grains. My body doesn't react well to grains now. I love them, but after I eat them my head and legs feel funny and I don't feel satisfied but I feel like I can't eat anything for a long time. It's not a fun feeling. But we can't afford the "just meat and veggies" stuff. Maybe the soaked/fermented grains will be better tolerated.
On a completely different note, my sister is in the hospital this very night, getting induced! She had an ultrasound this morning and the amniotic fluid was low, and Liam only scored a 6 out of 8 on the ultrasound (apparently they grade them) so the doc said, "I am going to have you induced today. Not tomorrow, not Friday, today." We all got a laugh out of that. But there you have it. Julie is 42 weeks today according to her "unofficial due date" (the one she calculated herself is different than the one the midwives calculated). So hopefully Baby Liam will be here sometime tomorrow! Yay!
What else is there to update you about? Sorry I haven't been posting much. I've been discouraged about losing weight. I can't think of anything else to tell you about... I haven't done much cooking lately (we were out of town)... So... I guess that's all, for now... sorry.
May your soda never go flat! (Unless that's how you like it, like me. I'm not a huge fan of carbonation, unless it's in Kombucha or Sparkling Juice...)
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 13
*Sigh* How to start?
So, remember how I've been telling you all that I have been really overwhelmed lately? Well, it culminated today. I got home from work at 6 with nothing to prepare for dinner and no stamina to figure it out. I had a meltdown. With both of us working and having to plan meals days in advance to make sure we have everything (namely stock, thawed meat, etc.) I just can't keep doing it. My energy level just is too low. I can't do dishes or shower without my legs shaking. I can't cope with anything. It's just not working.
So. We have decided to not do the full intro diet right now. I'm going to take what I've learned from this experience and use it to continue to eat healthily. Soaking grains and nuts, minimizing sugar and processed food intake, and eating nutrient-dense food.
Another big factor in this decision is moo-lah. Dinero. You know, money. We bought 1/4 of a cow about a month ago, and we've already consumed probably 1/4 of the meat we bought (if you include the ground meat). We have to eat a lot of meat. We anticipated that it would last us a year or so and at this rate we'll be lucky if it lasts until February. Meat and fresh veggies are expensive; grains and beans really help to stretch the dollar.
I had a hard time making this decision. I feel like I'm failing; like now I won't lose the weight; like I'm just running from difficulty, like I usually do. But Jon helped make it okay. It's hard for me to reconcile myself to this, I keep thinking of it as "giving up." I can't think like that, though. I am just not able to function on this diet. Not every diet is for every person. I can still lose the weight. And Jon and I have not noticed huge benefits from the diet, anyway.
Please don't look down on me; don't judge me too harshly for this decision. I still will be working on losing 1.5 lbs a week. My goals haven't changed, just the means. *Sigh* I'm going to bed now, so I don't have to think about this any more.
So, remember how I've been telling you all that I have been really overwhelmed lately? Well, it culminated today. I got home from work at 6 with nothing to prepare for dinner and no stamina to figure it out. I had a meltdown. With both of us working and having to plan meals days in advance to make sure we have everything (namely stock, thawed meat, etc.) I just can't keep doing it. My energy level just is too low. I can't do dishes or shower without my legs shaking. I can't cope with anything. It's just not working.
So. We have decided to not do the full intro diet right now. I'm going to take what I've learned from this experience and use it to continue to eat healthily. Soaking grains and nuts, minimizing sugar and processed food intake, and eating nutrient-dense food.
Another big factor in this decision is moo-lah. Dinero. You know, money. We bought 1/4 of a cow about a month ago, and we've already consumed probably 1/4 of the meat we bought (if you include the ground meat). We have to eat a lot of meat. We anticipated that it would last us a year or so and at this rate we'll be lucky if it lasts until February. Meat and fresh veggies are expensive; grains and beans really help to stretch the dollar.
I had a hard time making this decision. I feel like I'm failing; like now I won't lose the weight; like I'm just running from difficulty, like I usually do. But Jon helped make it okay. It's hard for me to reconcile myself to this, I keep thinking of it as "giving up." I can't think like that, though. I am just not able to function on this diet. Not every diet is for every person. I can still lose the weight. And Jon and I have not noticed huge benefits from the diet, anyway.
Please don't look down on me; don't judge me too harshly for this decision. I still will be working on losing 1.5 lbs a week. My goals haven't changed, just the means. *Sigh* I'm going to bed now, so I don't have to think about this any more.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 12
This is going to be really short, because it's late and I'm tired. But I just wanted to let ya'll know that I lost 9.6 pounds in the 12 days since we started the diet. That's incredible. My family can't believe it. They say I look like I've lost 25 lbs and it's all in my stomach. So, I'm happy about that.
Also, we may have to modify the diet some because we go through a TON of meat and that is EXPENSIVE. According to the book, you're not supposed to introduce grains for a couple of years on average, but we may have to start them sooner (like this winter). We will see.
I made pumpkin soup based off this recipe from Yammie's Noshery with some slight variations to make it GAPS friendly. It tasted so good! Wasn't very pumpkin-y... but that's okay.
Okay. I'm off to bed. Goodnight, world!
Also, we may have to modify the diet some because we go through a TON of meat and that is EXPENSIVE. According to the book, you're not supposed to introduce grains for a couple of years on average, but we may have to start them sooner (like this winter). We will see.
I made pumpkin soup based off this recipe from Yammie's Noshery with some slight variations to make it GAPS friendly. It tasted so good! Wasn't very pumpkin-y... but that's okay.
Okay. I'm off to bed. Goodnight, world!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 11
Sorry I didn't update yesterday, but there really isn't much to talk about, although we did introduce ghee (clarified butter) and tomato puree; we seem to be handling both just fine.
I went to the farmer's market again today and got lots of carrots, onions, and 3 more butternut squashes. No, we haven't finished the 5 I got last week, but I want to cut them up and freeze them so we have some for a while. Next stage we're allowed to make "pancakes" out of eggs, squash, and nut flour, so I want to make sure we have plenty. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be eating those right away, since I'm not sure I can have egg yet. I'd have to try it to see, but I'm scared to do that, since they used to make me so sick.
I've been getting "the munchies" lately, and just want to snack on popcorn or something. I haven't cheated, but those old habits are hard to break.
I'm attempting to make sour cream tonight. You have to let it ferment at just over 100* for 24 hours, so I hope it turns out.
There really isn't much to report. I will weigh myself tomorrow, so stay posted for that update.
Sleep well.
I went to the farmer's market again today and got lots of carrots, onions, and 3 more butternut squashes. No, we haven't finished the 5 I got last week, but I want to cut them up and freeze them so we have some for a while. Next stage we're allowed to make "pancakes" out of eggs, squash, and nut flour, so I want to make sure we have plenty. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be eating those right away, since I'm not sure I can have egg yet. I'd have to try it to see, but I'm scared to do that, since they used to make me so sick.
I've been getting "the munchies" lately, and just want to snack on popcorn or something. I haven't cheated, but those old habits are hard to break.
I'm attempting to make sour cream tonight. You have to let it ferment at just over 100* for 24 hours, so I hope it turns out.
There really isn't much to report. I will weigh myself tomorrow, so stay posted for that update.
Sleep well.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 9
Apparently my coping skills were somehow tied up in food, because now that I can't eat the junk I find I can't cope. Every little thing feels like the end of the world. They are doing a lot of remodeling at work, and there was a pole with a big light switch sticking out, and I backed into it. It hurt! I said, "Ouch!" fairly loud, and A, the 3 1/2 year old, goes, "Are you okay, Taya? What happened?" I'm fighting tears at this point, so I don't answer right away. He keeps asking. Like, a million times. I get fed up and said, perhaps a bit harshly, "A, just stop asking questions for a bit!" and then burst into tears and sob for a few minutes. It didn't even hurt that bad. I also kept getting the hiccups today, and thought I would end up pulling my hair out because they were annoying me so badly. So, apparently I need some new coping skills, other than ignoring the annoyance (not good when the annoyance is 18 months or 3 1/2... and HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU JUST IGNORE HICCUPS?!) Any advice?
So, besides for the whole end-of-the-world-because-A-is-asking-me-another-question thing, today was decent until this evening. I went for a [short] walk (only 10-15 minutes) when I got home while dinner cooked. Then I started feeling like I'm getting a cold: sore throat, headache, foggy head, etc., which are probably just die-off symptoms, and, though uncomfortable, not a bad thing (as long as it doesn't get too bad).
So, we are almost out of carrots; I'll have to buy a ton again this weekend at the farmer's market. Maybe eggs if I can find them. And I don't know what else...
I want a blueberry muffin... with butter... warm, fresh from the oven... *huge smile*
Anyway, I'm off to bed. I might not keep updating daily if there's nothing to report. But we'll see. Sometimes it's nice to have a place to rant.
May you always find some amount of happiness in food, if only in the thought of it.
So, besides for the whole end-of-the-world-because-A-is-asking-me-another-question thing, today was decent until this evening. I went for a [short] walk (only 10-15 minutes) when I got home while dinner cooked. Then I started feeling like I'm getting a cold: sore throat, headache, foggy head, etc., which are probably just die-off symptoms, and, though uncomfortable, not a bad thing (as long as it doesn't get too bad).
So, we are almost out of carrots; I'll have to buy a ton again this weekend at the farmer's market. Maybe eggs if I can find them. And I don't know what else...
I want a blueberry muffin... with butter... warm, fresh from the oven... *huge smile*
Anyway, I'm off to bed. I might not keep updating daily if there's nothing to report. But we'll see. Sometimes it's nice to have a place to rant.
May you always find some amount of happiness in food, if only in the thought of it.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 8
Today was a good day! I had motivation to get stuff done, but my body lacked the energy, I guess is how I'd say it. I wanted to do stuff, but I felt like I *couldn't.* I pushed through it though and got quite a bit done! I made a pot of beef stock (well, finished it... basically strained it and poured it into pitchers--we got a gallon and a half! That's awesome!), I did the dishes, went to the store and to an Asian market (awesome experience! More to come.) made a rather nice dinner of boiled beef strips, onions, and butternut squash, did more dishes, made some food for us to take to work for the next couple days, did 2 loads of laundry, and sewed a gun sleeve for Jon to use for trapping. Whew!
Okay, so I braved the grocery store for the first time since starting the diet today. It was... interesting. I felt rushed, because it was already 4 pm, so I didn't stop to gaze longingly at all the candies and cookies, but I DID see some Reece's Peanut Butter Cups staring me in the face and a little boy nomming on the packaging for some chocolate doughnut holes. I was not overcome by either, although I did find the boy's antics disgusting. I wonder how many people touched that box of doughnuts before he put it in his mouth? Ah, I need to learn to be okay with germs! I don't want to be that mom that puts disinfectant on EVERYTHING and give her kids the worst immune systems ever! I want them to be able to heal themselves... But I digress.
The Asian market was so fun! I've never really been in one before, but we needed ginger and I didn't know until the man at the checkout told me you can buy it at Wal-Mart. But he said it costs over $2 there, though, and I got mine for a whopping 92 cents. So ha! I also found macapuno, which my mother-in-law will be happy to hear. I didn't buy it, because we can't have coconut yet, but once we can, I'm totally going to try it. It has a little bit of refined sugar in it (a lot a bit?) but I think we can make an exception to try this stuff. I hear it's great! (By the way, macapuno is coconut "sport" in syrup... the "sport" looked like just short spaghetti-noodle-shaped pieces of coconut.) Honestly, I was kind of scared to go in this shop, because it was a tiny, out-of-the-way place, but it was totally awesome. They had tons of fresh herbs and different fermented things (some looked scary) and all this other stuff that I'd never seen before! I loved it.
So, as you can perhaps tell, my mood has been good today, but my energy is lacking. Hopefully tomorrow I can keep it up; I've found that work is difficult right now. The youngest (18 months) is dropping her morning nap, so she's tired most of the day (but not tired enough to sleep... go figure) and although the older boy (3 1/2) is great, he loves to be outside and it's just too cold right now to be outside all day. Thankfully they're getting to the age where they can play together without too many issues, but some days it is just a circus. Plus, I'm tired and easily irritated from this diet. So I'm praying that God will grant me grace and patience for the rest of the week.
I weighed myself again today and I was down almost 8 pounds! So happy! That will give me the motivation I need to not cheat on those long days at work. Well, that, and my pride... I don't want to have to admit that I cheated! So, between those to two things and God's help, I WILL GET THROUGH TOMORROW AND FRIDAY. Oh, and the fact that I feel so much better! I want to start finding some exercises I can do. ...Pilates, probably, since my awesome mother-in-law sent me A TON of equipment for it. Yep. Need to start working that into my day.
One more thing I want to mention: my best friend ever texted me today and said she found my blog and was so happy and supportive of me doing this diet and getting healthy; it made my day! I love to hear from her, and I love her! So here's a shout-out to you, Sara; thanks for being my greatest friend ever!
May your weeds always be wildflowers!
Okay, so I braved the grocery store for the first time since starting the diet today. It was... interesting. I felt rushed, because it was already 4 pm, so I didn't stop to gaze longingly at all the candies and cookies, but I DID see some Reece's Peanut Butter Cups staring me in the face and a little boy nomming on the packaging for some chocolate doughnut holes. I was not overcome by either, although I did find the boy's antics disgusting. I wonder how many people touched that box of doughnuts before he put it in his mouth? Ah, I need to learn to be okay with germs! I don't want to be that mom that puts disinfectant on EVERYTHING and give her kids the worst immune systems ever! I want them to be able to heal themselves... But I digress.
The Asian market was so fun! I've never really been in one before, but we needed ginger and I didn't know until the man at the checkout told me you can buy it at Wal-Mart. But he said it costs over $2 there, though, and I got mine for a whopping 92 cents. So ha! I also found macapuno, which my mother-in-law will be happy to hear. I didn't buy it, because we can't have coconut yet, but once we can, I'm totally going to try it. It has a little bit of refined sugar in it (a lot a bit?) but I think we can make an exception to try this stuff. I hear it's great! (By the way, macapuno is coconut "sport" in syrup... the "sport" looked like just short spaghetti-noodle-shaped pieces of coconut.) Honestly, I was kind of scared to go in this shop, because it was a tiny, out-of-the-way place, but it was totally awesome. They had tons of fresh herbs and different fermented things (some looked scary) and all this other stuff that I'd never seen before! I loved it.
So, as you can perhaps tell, my mood has been good today, but my energy is lacking. Hopefully tomorrow I can keep it up; I've found that work is difficult right now. The youngest (18 months) is dropping her morning nap, so she's tired most of the day (but not tired enough to sleep... go figure) and although the older boy (3 1/2) is great, he loves to be outside and it's just too cold right now to be outside all day. Thankfully they're getting to the age where they can play together without too many issues, but some days it is just a circus. Plus, I'm tired and easily irritated from this diet. So I'm praying that God will grant me grace and patience for the rest of the week.
I weighed myself again today and I was down almost 8 pounds! So happy! That will give me the motivation I need to not cheat on those long days at work. Well, that, and my pride... I don't want to have to admit that I cheated! So, between those to two things and God's help, I WILL GET THROUGH TOMORROW AND FRIDAY. Oh, and the fact that I feel so much better! I want to start finding some exercises I can do. ...Pilates, probably, since my awesome mother-in-law sent me A TON of equipment for it. Yep. Need to start working that into my day.
One more thing I want to mention: my best friend ever texted me today and said she found my blog and was so happy and supportive of me doing this diet and getting healthy; it made my day! I love to hear from her, and I love her! So here's a shout-out to you, Sara; thanks for being my greatest friend ever!
May your weeds always be wildflowers!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 7
Wow. Seven full days have come and gone since I started this diet. It's going remarkably well! I only cheated once, so far, and that was last week at work. I almost cheated again today... my boss had made cookies... there were three containers of them sitting on the counter... I opened one... smelled the cookies... grabbed a cookie... broke it in half (I was "only" going to eat half...)... looked at the cookie... put it back in the container... closed the container... and walked away. Although I don't regret that decision, I have been thinking about that cookie all day.
I think I'm not getting enough fats, and that's why my cravings are so bad. Plus, it was just always a habit to eat. Now I have to break that habit. Well, technically I don't, I just have to eat healthy stuff. But I'm still trying to reprogram my brain so that TV doesn't equal popcorn and juice from concentrate (aka sugar). Carbs and sugar... my life before. I miss them. But I am committed.
Jon moved to stage 2 today. I don't know if I'm ready yet. I might try some of the foods from stage 2 and see how my body handles them. If I do okay, I'll go forward. One of the main things from stage 2 is raw egg yolks though, and I don't think I can handle them yet. I'll do a sensitivity test this week sometime.
I weighed myself this morning (I couldn't help it!) and discovered that I lost almost 2 pounds since Sunday... that's a total weight loss of almost 7 pounds now. A pound a day... I can handle that. I just have to brace myself for when that slows down...
I can't wait to get on full gaps when we can make variations on apple pie and bread, peanut butter pie and creme caramel. Oh, I can't wait. Hopefully the next 5 stages go really quickly!!
Jon and I watched the pilot episode for Doctor Who tonight. It was interesting, to say the least. Neither of us is sure about it yet. Does it get better? More addictive? Just what I need... more addiction in my life! First junk food, now Switched at Birth.. Yikes. Yes. I'm a nerd. (I only like Switched at Birth because I'm picking up a lot of sign language... and Daphne is pretty cute.)
Oh, some things that I've noticed about this diet... I am WAY less gassy (just ask Jon... he appreciates it!) and my indigestion is GONE. I feel like I haven't gone to the bathroom very much (hence my hesitation to move to the next stage) but I don't feel bloated or crampy or anything. For the last few weeks before we started the diet I felt sick when I was hungry or right after I ate (lose, lose) and ever since we started GAPS I have had very minimal stomach upset. (Some minor nausea occasionally, but nothing major.) So those are all definitely great things. (Hope that wasn't too much info... I tried to be discreet and lady-like about it all.)
*Sigh* ...oh, that cookie...
EDITED TO ADD: I just want you all to know that my right ear is twitching like CRAZY these last few days. It used to "only" twitch if I was really relaxed and lying with my head leaning to my right or lying on my right side without pressing my ear to something (i.e. a pillow) (or when I was relaxed and pushed a certain spot on my chin... but that's just weird). Now it twitches even when I lie on my left side, even when my ear is pushed up against a pillow, and sometimes when I'm not even relaxed! It's SO ANNOYING. I'm actually hoping that this diet will clear that up... but I honestly have no idea if it will. Strange, huh?
I think I'm not getting enough fats, and that's why my cravings are so bad. Plus, it was just always a habit to eat. Now I have to break that habit. Well, technically I don't, I just have to eat healthy stuff. But I'm still trying to reprogram my brain so that TV doesn't equal popcorn and juice from concentrate (aka sugar). Carbs and sugar... my life before. I miss them. But I am committed.
Jon moved to stage 2 today. I don't know if I'm ready yet. I might try some of the foods from stage 2 and see how my body handles them. If I do okay, I'll go forward. One of the main things from stage 2 is raw egg yolks though, and I don't think I can handle them yet. I'll do a sensitivity test this week sometime.
I weighed myself this morning (I couldn't help it!) and discovered that I lost almost 2 pounds since Sunday... that's a total weight loss of almost 7 pounds now. A pound a day... I can handle that. I just have to brace myself for when that slows down...
I can't wait to get on full gaps when we can make variations on apple pie and bread, peanut butter pie and creme caramel. Oh, I can't wait. Hopefully the next 5 stages go really quickly!!
Jon and I watched the pilot episode for Doctor Who tonight. It was interesting, to say the least. Neither of us is sure about it yet. Does it get better? More addictive? Just what I need... more addiction in my life! First junk food, now Switched at Birth.. Yikes. Yes. I'm a nerd. (I only like Switched at Birth because I'm picking up a lot of sign language... and Daphne is pretty cute.)
Oh, some things that I've noticed about this diet... I am WAY less gassy (just ask Jon... he appreciates it!) and my indigestion is GONE. I feel like I haven't gone to the bathroom very much (hence my hesitation to move to the next stage) but I don't feel bloated or crampy or anything. For the last few weeks before we started the diet I felt sick when I was hungry or right after I ate (lose, lose) and ever since we started GAPS I have had very minimal stomach upset. (Some minor nausea occasionally, but nothing major.) So those are all definitely great things. (Hope that wasn't too much info... I tried to be discreet and lady-like about it all.)
*Sigh* ...oh, that cookie...
EDITED TO ADD: I just want you all to know that my right ear is twitching like CRAZY these last few days. It used to "only" twitch if I was really relaxed and lying with my head leaning to my right or lying on my right side without pressing my ear to something (i.e. a pillow) (or when I was relaxed and pushed a certain spot on my chin... but that's just weird). Now it twitches even when I lie on my left side, even when my ear is pushed up against a pillow, and sometimes when I'm not even relaxed! It's SO ANNOYING. I'm actually hoping that this diet will clear that up... but I honestly have no idea if it will. Strange, huh?
Monday, October 8, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 6
I didn't cheat today. That's about all there is to report. I was not in a good mood, the kids were tired, I was tired, I was irritable... it was a rough day. But I made it. I didn't cheat. But I didn't eat much, either; I'm getting sick of what food we can have and I didn't feel like eating. So I had some squash for breakfast, carrots for a snack, and a plain burger patty for lunch.
Hopefully we can move to the next stage soon... I want more variety. More flavors and textures. But I have no idea when that will happen.
*Sigh* Today was a victory, but it came at a cost. Don't they all?
Hopefully we can move to the next stage soon... I want more variety. More flavors and textures. But I have no idea when that will happen.
*Sigh* Today was a victory, but it came at a cost. Don't they all?
Sunday, October 7, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 5
Hello, world.
This will be a short update tonight, as there isn't much to tell. It went about the same as the previous days. I cut up 3 of the 5 butternut squashes that I bought yesterday. They are resting comfortably in my freezer, along with all the broccoli I chopped yesterday. I still have carrots and cauliflower to cut up, but I'm not too worried about it.
We went to my parent's house for our hebdomadally (there's your word of the day: it means "weekly" and it has a red squiggly line under it, but I promise it's spelled correctly) get together with the fam. Jon and I ate boiled burgers with a pureed carrot and cauliflower sauce, cooked carrots, and soup. I didn't even cheat! (By the way, I'm really proud of myself for how well I've been doing. I know God must be helping me, because I could never have done this before!)
Tomorrow (and Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) are work days... a little nervous about that... but with God's help it will be fine. I just need to bring lots of food. I mean, Lots. Of. Food. *Sigh* At least I get to eat on this diet...
So, I have amazing news for you all! As you know, I weighed myself Wednesday when we started the diet, but we usually weigh ourselves on Sunday, so I weight myself again today. I lost .2 pounds shy of 5 pounds in ~4 days. (I weighed myself this morning.) CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? FIVE POUNDS. I haven't lost weight in a long time! I'm very happy. Maybe that will help me stay on target this week! I was lying in bed last night, thinking, "I can't get my hopes up. 1.5 lbs a week is my goal, and I'll be happy if it's only that much." But wow! I blew that out of the water! So happy.
I hope you all are 1/19th as happy as me about that, because then the world would be a happier place! (Yes, I know, I'm a dork. A crazy dork. But you still love me. ...right?...)
Now go to bed, you crazy people! It's late!
This will be a short update tonight, as there isn't much to tell. It went about the same as the previous days. I cut up 3 of the 5 butternut squashes that I bought yesterday. They are resting comfortably in my freezer, along with all the broccoli I chopped yesterday. I still have carrots and cauliflower to cut up, but I'm not too worried about it.
We went to my parent's house for our hebdomadally (there's your word of the day: it means "weekly" and it has a red squiggly line under it, but I promise it's spelled correctly) get together with the fam. Jon and I ate boiled burgers with a pureed carrot and cauliflower sauce, cooked carrots, and soup. I didn't even cheat! (By the way, I'm really proud of myself for how well I've been doing. I know God must be helping me, because I could never have done this before!)
Tomorrow (and Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) are work days... a little nervous about that... but with God's help it will be fine. I just need to bring lots of food. I mean, Lots. Of. Food. *Sigh* At least I get to eat on this diet...
So, I have amazing news for you all! As you know, I weighed myself Wednesday when we started the diet, but we usually weigh ourselves on Sunday, so I weight myself again today. I lost .2 pounds shy of 5 pounds in ~4 days. (I weighed myself this morning.) CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? FIVE POUNDS. I haven't lost weight in a long time! I'm very happy. Maybe that will help me stay on target this week! I was lying in bed last night, thinking, "I can't get my hopes up. 1.5 lbs a week is my goal, and I'll be happy if it's only that much." But wow! I blew that out of the water! So happy.
I hope you all are 1/19th as happy as me about that, because then the world would be a happier place! (Yes, I know, I'm a dork. A crazy dork. But you still love me. ...right?...)
Now go to bed, you crazy people! It's late!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 4
I love a good farmer's market.
My sister and I went to our local farmer's market today and I spent 40 bucks! Do you know how much you can get for $40?
A cabbage:
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5 Butternut squashes:
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Something like 9 heads of broccoli:
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What must be close to 5lbs of carrots:
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A bunch of dill:
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Some Sage (this smells so good!):
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Some parsley:
And a pie pumpkin!:
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That's all of this! (not pictured: Pie Pumpkin):
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Can you believe it? That's a TON of food. Oh. And I didn't get a picture of the cauliflower. But you can see it there all snuggly with the broccoli and sage. I got 3 heads of cauliflower. I hope this will last us until next weekend! Haha. When that, broth, and boiled meat is all you can eat though, you go through it quick.
Today was pretty good. I was weak and tired this morning, and I didn't want to go to the farmer's market, but we needed the food. After I got back I spend several hours chopping carrots, making soup and cooking carrots, and chopping and bagging broccoli. I didn't get to the cauliflower before my friend Andrea came over for a visit. Tomorrow I'd like to get the cauliflower and squash chopped and in the freezer. I need to figure out how to eat the pumpkin... I guess we'll see what happens. The cabbage is for sauerkraut; we can't actually eat it yet. (Next stage we can have that and the herbs though.)
I did feel like this, all day today, though:
My menstrual cramps are really bad. I thought no sugar = more mild cramping, but nope... just as bad as usual. Only I don't want to take pain meds because I've been reading in my Gut and Psychology book and those wreak havoc on your gut. So, that's been fun. (Note: this picture is not mine. I found it at Agent 3Z via Pinterest.)
I haven't cheated. Even though I was offered a cheese curd and I'm craving oreos. I know if I give in I'll just crave them longer. Did you know there is no milk in them? That just is wrong, since they have the cream in the middle. But they taste ssssooooo good. Okay. Enough ranting. I can't have them, and that is that. (Where did all this self control come from?)
I have no clue when we'll be moving to the next stage... bowel movements are supposed to be your indicator, and I haven't had much of a problem in that regard, but I also don't want to move too quickly... So, we'll see.
Anyway. That's my day. Fun, huh?
My sister and I went to our local farmer's market today and I spent 40 bucks! Do you know how much you can get for $40?
A cabbage:
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Today was pretty good. I was weak and tired this morning, and I didn't want to go to the farmer's market, but we needed the food. After I got back I spend several hours chopping carrots, making soup and cooking carrots, and chopping and bagging broccoli. I didn't get to the cauliflower before my friend Andrea came over for a visit. Tomorrow I'd like to get the cauliflower and squash chopped and in the freezer. I need to figure out how to eat the pumpkin... I guess we'll see what happens. The cabbage is for sauerkraut; we can't actually eat it yet. (Next stage we can have that and the herbs though.)
I did feel like this, all day today, though:
I haven't cheated. Even though I was offered a cheese curd and I'm craving oreos. I know if I give in I'll just crave them longer. Did you know there is no milk in them? That just is wrong, since they have the cream in the middle. But they taste ssssooooo good. Okay. Enough ranting. I can't have them, and that is that. (Where did all this self control come from?)
I have no clue when we'll be moving to the next stage... bowel movements are supposed to be your indicator, and I haven't had much of a problem in that regard, but I also don't want to move too quickly... So, we'll see.
Anyway. That's my day. Fun, huh?
Friday, October 5, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 3
You know you're on the GAPS diet when you're deboning a chicken at 10 pm. I wish I had a picture.
Yes, ladies and gents, I got to debone a chicken last night. Thankfully it took all of 10 minutes. Then I was off to bed.
Apparently, mid-day is the hardest for me. I'm hungry and I get really tired and weak, and my muscles feel heavy and like I can't use them. Today I could barely stand; my legs felt like jelly and were shaky. I feel pretty good in the morning and evening, though.
Today was good! I went and bought some chickens for stock (couldn't get the feet... dang it! Who buys just chicken feet? I guess I'll have to... since I'm going to be making some calls next week about me getting some!)
I noticed that when I get really hungry is the worst for me, in terms of wanting to cheat. I did well today, though, and was able to stand fast! I know that if I cheat, it will just take longer for me to get healthy. And my cravings aren't bad at all, I just want to eat when I'm hungry. And I get hungry FAST. Like, I'll be fine one minute, the next I'm starving. So I need to come up with some snack ideas I can take with me when I go out. Mashed carrots would be good; they're delectable cold or warm. Or even some cooked, unmashed carrots could work. I'll have to think about that.
Tomorrow is officially Farmer's Market Day. I'm going to buy out every single vendor and spend all weekend figuring out where to put all that food. Our freezer is not very big.
I found out there's a farmer's market all winter long, too! And indoors, so we don't freeze our butts off! I will definitely be checking that out, too. I'm not sure what they would sell in the winter...
Jon said he felt pretty good today, to. I'm actually surprised at how good we're feeling, considering. I may need to plan some mid-day naps, though, as my body heals. I'm assuming that being unable to move is my body's way of telling me to rest and heal.
So that's it. Boring update. But I guess that's good. I'll post some recipes soon. They're all pretty straightforward, though... "Cook [squash, carrots, onion, cauliflower, broccoli or meat] in stock until very tender. Puree, mash, or leave whole as desired. Salt. Consume." Yeah. Sounds great, right? Ah, the things we do to heal our bodies! But you wait. I'm gonna be healthier than 90% of ya'll! Just you wait [Henry Higgins]!
Yes, ladies and gents, I got to debone a chicken last night. Thankfully it took all of 10 minutes. Then I was off to bed.
Apparently, mid-day is the hardest for me. I'm hungry and I get really tired and weak, and my muscles feel heavy and like I can't use them. Today I could barely stand; my legs felt like jelly and were shaky. I feel pretty good in the morning and evening, though.
Today was good! I went and bought some chickens for stock (couldn't get the feet... dang it! Who buys just chicken feet? I guess I'll have to... since I'm going to be making some calls next week about me getting some!)
I noticed that when I get really hungry is the worst for me, in terms of wanting to cheat. I did well today, though, and was able to stand fast! I know that if I cheat, it will just take longer for me to get healthy. And my cravings aren't bad at all, I just want to eat when I'm hungry. And I get hungry FAST. Like, I'll be fine one minute, the next I'm starving. So I need to come up with some snack ideas I can take with me when I go out. Mashed carrots would be good; they're delectable cold or warm. Or even some cooked, unmashed carrots could work. I'll have to think about that.
Tomorrow is officially Farmer's Market Day. I'm going to buy out every single vendor and spend all weekend figuring out where to put all that food. Our freezer is not very big.
I found out there's a farmer's market all winter long, too! And indoors, so we don't freeze our butts off! I will definitely be checking that out, too. I'm not sure what they would sell in the winter...
Jon said he felt pretty good today, to. I'm actually surprised at how good we're feeling, considering. I may need to plan some mid-day naps, though, as my body heals. I'm assuming that being unable to move is my body's way of telling me to rest and heal.
So that's it. Boring update. But I guess that's good. I'll post some recipes soon. They're all pretty straightforward, though... "Cook [squash, carrots, onion, cauliflower, broccoli or meat] in stock until very tender. Puree, mash, or leave whole as desired. Salt. Consume." Yeah. Sounds great, right? Ah, the things we do to heal our bodies! But you wait. I'm gonna be healthier than 90% of ya'll! Just you wait [Henry Higgins]!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
GAPS Update: Day 2
I'm so hungry seemed to be my mantra of the day.
Well, that and I have to pee. Because, as you should know, I always have to pee.
I worked today, so I had soup for breakfast and brought some (a lot) of mashed carrots, a cooked onion, more soup, broccoli, and broth to work today. And I was still hungry. I guess, to be fair, I couldn't eat the whole onion... something about sitting down to a bowl of an onion and broth just isn't all that appetizing. So I tried putting it in my soup. That will be better. I thought. More variety. I like onion in soup. Yeah. There was one piece of carrot, a few scraps of meat, and like two pieces of pepper in my soup. The rest was onion. Even before I added the onion. So that didn't go over so well. But I choked down as much as I could and was hungry. All. Day. Long. Planning for work is going to need some... well... work.
Also, I cheated a bit today. No, wait, no quantifiers. Cheating is cheating. Period. I had like 6 baked chips and a vanilla wafer cookie. They were sooo good. I wanted something crunchy after mush. I'm going to have to get used to mush though... that will be a large part of my diet for a while. Tonight we're having burgers, though! With a carrot-cauliflower puree on it. Sounds good to me. Speaking of which... *Goes to check on the food*
Okay, I'm back. Food is done. It looks like mustard. The puree. Tastes good, though.
So, over all today I had pretty good energy and was in a pretty good mood. I did get tired and irritable in the middle of the day, but was able to regroup while the kids were napping and had a better time in the afternoon. Jon didn't have to do a whole lot today and he said he felt really good all day. Huzzah!
I still feel really overwhelmed today. I have so much to do. The food requires quite a bit of preparation, and we go through at lot of it, because it's so easily digestible and we get hungry quickly. Then there's the cleanup and planning food for work and everything... Plus we're almost out of acceptable food already, and I was just at the farmer's market... I'm going to go to the farmer's market again this weekend and just buy them all out, then spend the next couple days chopping, freezing, and making food. Maybe that will help my stress levels. I hope so!
All in all, a good start, I think. I'm sure it will get worse before it gets better, but I can't wait to feel better!
Well, that and I have to pee. Because, as you should know, I always have to pee.
I worked today, so I had soup for breakfast and brought some (a lot) of mashed carrots, a cooked onion, more soup, broccoli, and broth to work today. And I was still hungry. I guess, to be fair, I couldn't eat the whole onion... something about sitting down to a bowl of an onion and broth just isn't all that appetizing. So I tried putting it in my soup. That will be better. I thought. More variety. I like onion in soup. Yeah. There was one piece of carrot, a few scraps of meat, and like two pieces of pepper in my soup. The rest was onion. Even before I added the onion. So that didn't go over so well. But I choked down as much as I could and was hungry. All. Day. Long. Planning for work is going to need some... well... work.
Also, I cheated a bit today. No, wait, no quantifiers. Cheating is cheating. Period. I had like 6 baked chips and a vanilla wafer cookie. They were sooo good. I wanted something crunchy after mush. I'm going to have to get used to mush though... that will be a large part of my diet for a while. Tonight we're having burgers, though! With a carrot-cauliflower puree on it. Sounds good to me. Speaking of which... *Goes to check on the food*
Okay, I'm back. Food is done. It looks like mustard. The puree. Tastes good, though.
So, over all today I had pretty good energy and was in a pretty good mood. I did get tired and irritable in the middle of the day, but was able to regroup while the kids were napping and had a better time in the afternoon. Jon didn't have to do a whole lot today and he said he felt really good all day. Huzzah!
I still feel really overwhelmed today. I have so much to do. The food requires quite a bit of preparation, and we go through at lot of it, because it's so easily digestible and we get hungry quickly. Then there's the cleanup and planning food for work and everything... Plus we're almost out of acceptable food already, and I was just at the farmer's market... I'm going to go to the farmer's market again this weekend and just buy them all out, then spend the next couple days chopping, freezing, and making food. Maybe that will help my stress levels. I hope so!
All in all, a good start, I think. I'm sure it will get worse before it gets better, but I can't wait to feel better!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Soup Recipe and GAPS Update
Earlier today I promised a soup post. I really don't want to do it. Haha. But a promise is a promise, so here goes.
I first made some beef stock that gelled marvelously! I don't have a picture of the beef, but here's a picture of venison stock:
So, then I took my filtered beef stock and added carrots, an onion, a red pepper, a bit of broccoli, and meat from the stock. Then I let it simmer until the veggies were soft and added some salt. It was really good!
I added some sauerkraut juice (probiotics) and some crushed garlic to my soup. (Jon should have, too, but I didn't realize it until later.)
(I don't know why all the pictures turned out reddish. It was night time, and I had bad lighting. But the soup was not red at all. Very nice brownish color.)
We had butternut squash soup (pureed) with boiled broccoli and a bit of venison. Pretty decent dinner. All the food has to be "well boiled" and very soft, so it's all the same texture, but flavors are varied and some are really liquidy while some are more solid.
I was doing really well this morning, feeling really good. My sister and I went to the farmer's market and got lots of broccoli, squash, onions, carrots, leeks, and an acorn squash (never had one before... wanted to give it a try). Then we went to Weaver's, a store in the area, and I got some cauliflower. We got back around 2, and by 2:30 I was feeling really tired and my muscles were heavy. I was surprised that it's already affecting me. I have no energy, I'm suddenly overwhelmed with everything I need to get done, and I'm just... tired. I still feel good about the diet as a whole, I think. The food is pretty varied and tastes good, but it is a lot of work and requires a lot of preparation. With work and other household chores, that seems daunting. Hopefully I'll find a rhythm soon.
HOLY COW DO WE GO THROUGH STOCK. Wow. I think I'll be making stock 4 or 5 nights a week for a while. Anyone want to give me some meat bones? We go through so many! I do have two chickens, and some more beef bones though, so that should make 3 more pots of stock. Then I'll have to buy more meat and bones. Maybe I should call around to a few butcher shops, see if they have any extras they want to give to me...
Please pray for me for tomorrow. I will be working all day, and they have LOTS of JUNK FOOD in their house that will be calling my name loudly and incessantly. I'll have to make sure I have a lot of good food available to eat. Which is going to be hard, because I'm going to have to make it tonight, and it's already after 7. *Sigh* Did I mention I'm tired?
Jon's had a rough day, too. He does hard physical labor, and by mid morning he was really tired, had no energy, felt weak, etc. So we'll have to figure out a way for him to get more food more often, with as many [veggie] carbs as possible. Another learning curve for us.
So, over all I'm still pretty optimistic about this whole endeavor. But I was so not ready for it--no food made in advance (except stock), I haven't been able to read much in the book, and I didn't expect it to hit me this fast. But we'll figure it out. I should have expected few rough days in the beginning. I'll be sure to do more updates and post more recipes.
There you have it. How my day went. Hope yours went well, and please try to remember to pray for us tomorrow!
I first made some beef stock that gelled marvelously! I don't have a picture of the beef, but here's a picture of venison stock:
So, then I took my filtered beef stock and added carrots, an onion, a red pepper, a bit of broccoli, and meat from the stock. Then I let it simmer until the veggies were soft and added some salt. It was really good!
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| Breakfast and lunch on Day 1 of GAPS |
(I don't know why all the pictures turned out reddish. It was night time, and I had bad lighting. But the soup was not red at all. Very nice brownish color.)
We had butternut squash soup (pureed) with boiled broccoli and a bit of venison. Pretty decent dinner. All the food has to be "well boiled" and very soft, so it's all the same texture, but flavors are varied and some are really liquidy while some are more solid.
I was doing really well this morning, feeling really good. My sister and I went to the farmer's market and got lots of broccoli, squash, onions, carrots, leeks, and an acorn squash (never had one before... wanted to give it a try). Then we went to Weaver's, a store in the area, and I got some cauliflower. We got back around 2, and by 2:30 I was feeling really tired and my muscles were heavy. I was surprised that it's already affecting me. I have no energy, I'm suddenly overwhelmed with everything I need to get done, and I'm just... tired. I still feel good about the diet as a whole, I think. The food is pretty varied and tastes good, but it is a lot of work and requires a lot of preparation. With work and other household chores, that seems daunting. Hopefully I'll find a rhythm soon.
HOLY COW DO WE GO THROUGH STOCK. Wow. I think I'll be making stock 4 or 5 nights a week for a while. Anyone want to give me some meat bones? We go through so many! I do have two chickens, and some more beef bones though, so that should make 3 more pots of stock. Then I'll have to buy more meat and bones. Maybe I should call around to a few butcher shops, see if they have any extras they want to give to me...
Please pray for me for tomorrow. I will be working all day, and they have LOTS of JUNK FOOD in their house that will be calling my name loudly and incessantly. I'll have to make sure I have a lot of good food available to eat. Which is going to be hard, because I'm going to have to make it tonight, and it's already after 7. *Sigh* Did I mention I'm tired?
Jon's had a rough day, too. He does hard physical labor, and by mid morning he was really tired, had no energy, felt weak, etc. So we'll have to figure out a way for him to get more food more often, with as many [veggie] carbs as possible. Another learning curve for us.
So, over all I'm still pretty optimistic about this whole endeavor. But I was so not ready for it--no food made in advance (except stock), I haven't been able to read much in the book, and I didn't expect it to hit me this fast. But we'll figure it out. I should have expected few rough days in the beginning. I'll be sure to do more updates and post more recipes.
There you have it. How my day went. Hope yours went well, and please try to remember to pray for us tomorrow!
Seize the Day!
Today is the day! We started GAPS this morning. Pregnancy test was negative, like I expected. And I'm actually okay with that. I made some soup last night for today. I just warmed some up and am waiting for it to cool so I can nom on it. It smells sooo good! I will do a post on GAPS foods when I make them. Soup post coming later today!
I found this website: www.mygutsy.com and she posted a like to this book What Can I Eat Now? 30 Days of Recipes and Tips and Tricks for the GAPS Intro Diet. It is $20 for the PDF, but oh-so-worth-it! I purchased and downloaded it yesterday and I am so glad I did! It has so many great recipes, that I'd try even if I wasn't on GAPS! It incredible.
So. There you are. Just a quick post.
I can't decide if I want to post my weight or just how much I've lost each week... I will have to think about that and get back to you.
Off to eat me some soup for breakfast! ...
weird...
I found this website: www.mygutsy.com and she posted a like to this book What Can I Eat Now? 30 Days of Recipes and Tips and Tricks for the GAPS Intro Diet. It is $20 for the PDF, but oh-so-worth-it! I purchased and downloaded it yesterday and I am so glad I did! It has so many great recipes, that I'd try even if I wasn't on GAPS! It incredible.
So. There you are. Just a quick post.
I can't decide if I want to post my weight or just how much I've lost each week... I will have to think about that and get back to you.
Off to eat me some soup for breakfast! ...
weird...
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
It Came, It Came!
My book came today! I'm so happy. Now I can't decide if I want to read it or take a nap. Or do the things I actually have to get done today... But apparently complaining about it online is the best way to go in terms of getting your merchandise quickly. Haha. Also, on the package, it said it was "Time sensitive material," whatever that means.
Also, sadly, last night my sister and her husband were driving at night and the car in front of them hit a very little fawn, probably this year's. Unfortunately, the poor thing didn't die on impact, but its spine was broken and couldn't use its back legs. Julie and Damon had to call the sheriff who drove out and (after 3 shots!) finally managed to kill the deer. My family was able to have the carcass and now we have fresh venison! I got some good bones and stew meat and am going to make some venison stock.(Yay! I'll take pictures this time!) So, sad the little guy was hit and suffering for a while, but glad that he didn't go to waste.
Okay, sorry for the random post, but I just wanted to update you all.
Also, sadly, last night my sister and her husband were driving at night and the car in front of them hit a very little fawn, probably this year's. Unfortunately, the poor thing didn't die on impact, but its spine was broken and couldn't use its back legs. Julie and Damon had to call the sheriff who drove out and (after 3 shots!) finally managed to kill the deer. My family was able to have the carcass and now we have fresh venison! I got some good bones and stew meat and am going to make some venison stock.(Yay! I'll take pictures this time!) So, sad the little guy was hit and suffering for a while, but glad that he didn't go to waste.
Okay, sorry for the random post, but I just wanted to update you all.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Getting Ready for GAPS
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| Pretty colors at Hoffman Hills |
We have decided to go ahead and start the GAPS diet this Wednesday, October 3rd. I plan on taking a pregnancy test that morning, and if it's negative will go ahead with the diet. Tomorrow I am going to go through our food stores and get rid of everything we can't have. EVERYTHING. We will have bare-bones cupboards. I've already been working on using up what we have already. (Plus we ran out of food money for the month... no comments on how much of a pig I am. [Except that one.])
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| My camera is zoomed in all the way here. That farm was waaay far away. |
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| Jon at the top of the tower using our binoculars. |
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| My ham of a husband, "whom I absolutely adore!" |
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| From the top of the tower on the top of the hill. |
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| You can see why I need to lose weight! |
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