Try Harder

I woke up this morning at 7am and made a cup of tea. Today's breakfast was Tip Steak and macadamia nuts. Since there wasn't any tip steak leftover from last night's dinner I only had the macadamia nuts. After breakfast I raked leaves in my back yard for about 1 hour...you can certainly work up a sweat doing this. After all the fun of raking leaves, I hopped on my bike and went for a ride(unless otherwise specified my usual ride is a 9-mile loop). I was on the road most of the day and prepared my lunch before I took off and had turkey and Indian-Style Slaw. It was actually chicken for lunch today but turkey was all I had. I was driving home and I knew I wouldn't be able to get home in time to make Pork Curry. I stopped on the way home at Wendy's and ate a burger, fries and a coke...but I only ate half the bun. So much for this day.

Paleo what?

We went to a late breakfast this morning. The paleo menu called for a slice of ham, 1 cup unsweetened applesauce w/cinnamon and 1 oz walnuts. Instead, I ate 2 poached eggs, Canadian bacon, sliced tomatoes and avocado. I also enjoyed half a cinnamon roll which of course is not part of the plan. This does not mean that I am no longer on the plan. I just felt like having something sweet. I wasn't even craving sugar but it was very enjoyable. There I admitted it. I didn't eat lunch today although it should have been a large salad with chicken strips, lettuce, olives, tomato, chopped almonds and carrot strips. Add olive oil and vinegar of your choice. I did eat 2 oz of walnuts. Dinner tonight calls for Tip Steak and Steamed Vegetables. I had tip steak with sauteed onions, green and red bell peppers and spinach, plus 2 oz macadamia nuts. I'm done for the day. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Weigh to Go!

Happy Birthday Eddie! Today is my son's birthday! He's the tallest one in the photo. It has now been one week that I have followed the paleo plan. I weighed myself this morning and have lost 6.5 lbs. Please don't ask me how much of that is actual fat loss because I couldn't venture a guess. But it is a great incentive to continue. Nothing feels better than getting results.

Christmas 2010
In the photo from left to right: Diana (daughter), Eddie (son), Kelli (future daughter-in-law), Carlos (son engaged to Kelli), Dora (Mom), Eduardo (Dad).

Sunday Sunday

To the left is Sunday's breakfast which was very tasty indeed! Western Omelet and Sweet Potato Hash (I completely forgot the hash). On the right is a picture of my daughter and I.
I kept postponing introducing myself but I guess it's time for the inevitable. My name is Dora and next to me is my lovely daughter Diana. Diana is 29 years old and half my age. My daughter and I have taken a 30-day challenge to improve our eating habits and thereby improving our health. Today's lunch was Lamb Patties, tomato, lettuce, and strawberries. Since tomorrow is my son Eddie's birthday we went out to lunch/dinner at an Italian restaurant. It wasn't possible to follow the given menu but I did have a protein and veggies, which is the basic plan. Also, I don't eat lamb so I ate chicken instead and an antipasto salad - no cheese, no dressing. Again we deviated from the menu...but we are trying our best to stay within the paleo parameters. Dinner was supposed to be halibut, roasted asparagus and berries with balsamic vinegar. We had lunch so late that lunch became my dinner. I also managed to fit in a 9-mile bike ride.

I'm Still Running Behind

It's Sunday morning and I'm still running behind. I'm talking about yesterday. Christmas breakfast was Chicken Apple Hash: 6 oz leftover chicken cooked in 2 tsp olive oil with 1 grated apple plus 2 tsp cinnamon or allspice. Again, very tasty. Lunch consisted of 5-6 oz deli turkey and 1/2 lb steamed broccoli drizzled with olive oil. Instead of the turkey I had ham and no oil on the broccoli. I did not find drizzling oil on broccoli appetizing. There you go...my first deviation from the paleo plan. I guess it had to happen (I'm only human after all). But I feel great and I'm moving forward. Saturday's dinner was Indian Style Slaw, leftover pork loin, side salad with olive oil. I didn't have dinner. Instead I had jerky and 2 oz macadamia nuts (this was actually a snack from another day). No dinner for me tonight. This now marks my 2nd deviation. I don't think I should eat dinner if I'm not hungry. Tomorrow is another day!

Merry Christmas To All!

Wow! It's Saturday, ...Merry Christmas! I completely forgot about Friday. I must have been having a lot of fun because time just flew by! Let me just back up a moment. Pictured to your left is Friday's breakfast: Sausage Stir-Fry. It was so delicious! It was simple to prepare: diced onion sauteed in olive oil with nitrate-free sausage and 4 cups of spinach. Lunch: Easy Ceviche. And it really is easy: 10 oz. precooked shrimp, 2 cups low-sugar marinara sauce combined with 2 T. olive oil, 2 T. lemon juice and sprinkled with 1 tsp. basil. Incredibly simple to prepare and incredible taste! And finally dinner: Spaghetti Squash or Kelp Noodle Spaghetti cooked with ground meat in a marinara sauce. I chose the spaghetti squash. It too was amazing! Some of the recipes in the Paleo Solution are not ones that I would have come up with but they are filling and outrageously tasty. Who knew?

Rain Rain Go Away

After that amazing breakfast I had to run several errands. After I got home I immediately went for a bike ride. After 4 non-stop days of rain and 2 overcast, foggy and threatening to rain days...I actually saw the sun. Wow! I thought it never rained in Southern California! Who came up with that song? Oh, I remember now...it pours, man, it pours. I guess they got it right after all! But I digress...I'm supposed to be talking paleo. But you can only say so much. It's Day 4 and I haven't felt hungry. The portions are beyond generous. It's been another "NSR" day...yes! I haven't had the desire to snack or cheat or eat any of the "forbidden foods". Again, it's only Day 4. Oh, I almost forgot to mention tonight's dinner: Stir-fry Beef Salad...pretty much self-explanatory. And with the holidays upon us: the last minute shopping, not only for gifts but for groceries too! Don't want to have any excuses why I didn't have all the fixins on hand. Until tomorrow...ciao!

Have you heard the News?

My daughter, Diana, texted me earlier today and was very excited that she has lost 5 lbs! 5 lbs in 3 days...not bad but, as we know some of it will be water weight. But the better question is ....who cares! Well, we really do, but it's a great incentive to continue on our mission. Do I dare? Get on that scale? No, I've decided to only weigh myself once a week. That means I'm waiting till Monday to report the results.

Above is today's breakfast...um um good! And I'm not even having Campbell's soups! It consisted of 2-3 scrambled eggs, a slice of ham and fruit. Easy prep and lunch will be even easier...leftover pork loin from last night's dinner.

Is Pepe Le Pew Nearby?

Lunch was so simple, it's hard to believe it could be so tasty. Tuna, chopped cabbage drizzled with toasted sesame oil. I could hear the sizzle of the oil as I poured it over the cabbage. For some reason, sesame oil always reminds me of a skunk after it has sprayed that oh so aromatic scent. But I really enjoyed the oriental flavor it gave the meal. The day has pretty much been uneventful but again the rain subsided for a bit and I was out on my bike ...yippee! Let me say....OMG! Dinner was yum and a half. Who would have thought that pork loin slow-cooking with cauliflower, zucchini and basil could be so tasty! And did you notice I didn't mention salt? I've never been a heavy salt user but from some salt to no salt, it's just incredible. I'm glad there's plenty left over for future use.

Stone Soup Anyone?

I woke up really late today after having a fitful night's sleep. Normally I sleep soundly and wake up refreshed...not so last night. Like I mentioned before going to bed last night I went to sleep well beyond my norm, it was past midnight. And to make matters worse I was still awake at 3am. But finally I did sleep or at least I think I did. When I woke up it was 10am. I prepared a cup of green tea and off I went. I drove into town to run a few errands and it took much longer than I had thought. When I got home it was almost 1pm. By the time I ate breakfast, I was sooo hungry even "stone soup" would have been delicious. Then I put the roast to simmer for tonight's dinner. I haven't been tempted to eat junk food...I guess because the food is sooo foody. I don't know what other word to use. It's very dense. Today's breakfast consisted of leftover chicken (from last night's dinner) with salsa and half an avocado. Seconds? No thanks.

End of Day 2

I enjoyed rotisserie chicken and steamed broccoli for dinner. A side salad was part of the menu but I had no desire to have salad. And this turned out to be another "No Snacks Required" (NSR) day. It's way past my bedtime and I'm still up. But I want to end the day on a positive note. This is a very economical way to eat. Not only is the food tasty but each meal leaves enough for more than one meal..sometimes it's what's for breakfast the next day or somewhere down the road. If you don't like eating leftovers then this is not for you. But shouldn't you at least try it before you poo poo it? Omitting dairy, grains and legumes hasn't been difficult so far. But again this is only day 2. The basic plan is as follows: 1)Protein every meal 2) 3-4 meals per day 3) Limit fruit to 1 serving if fat loss is a goal 4) Limit nuts to 1-2 oz if fat loss is a goal 5) Beverages are coffee, tea, mineral water unsweetened. So simple! And add a little exercise to the formula and voila! Can't get much easier than that. Nighty night!

It's All in the Presentation

It's all in the presentation...at least that's what they say. And judging by the photo, I believe it's true. This was lunch: turkey or beef patties, (I had turkey just so I won't be eating an inordinate amount of beef) lettuce, tomato and onion, plus an ounce of almonds. It was tasty indeed! I didn't even use any spices or condiments even though you are allowed condiments. I had to put the plate on a chair so I could take the picture..and there are my feet trying to get in the picture. At least my feet aren't fat! As you might have noticed I didn't mention breakfast...what can you say about leftover salmon and walnuts? It would never have been my 1st choice to eat salmon for breakfast...not even 2nd or 3rd for that matter. But between eating nothing and having salmon, the salmon wasn't so bad afterall.

9 Mile Loop

Day 2 started with a bike ride first thing this morning. What a nice way to start the day. After several days of constant rain, I finally had the chance to get out to enjoy the fresh air and to do what I like to do best. And, here are 2 reasons I enjoy bike riding so much: not only is it a great way to get a good workout but I love to take in the beautiful surroundings. Don't you agree? The photo on the far right is the hill I just climbed. It is a long, long uphill ride...the perfect way to get your heart pumping!

Dinner please!

On the menu for tonight is Grilled Salmon, Roasted Green Beans and a Side Salad. Well, as you can see there is plenty of roughage. I've made it through the first day and 29 to go! I haven't felt hungry as I usually do. I guess when you eat quality foods it tames the hunger so much better. I didn't even have the urge to snack and we are allowed one snack per day. Not that this means I will never snack but today was a "No Snacks Required" day.

Well, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts it's been raining non-stop! And riding my bike is out of the question so I did one of the kettlebell workouts. Even though I prefer to be outdoors, it's one way to get some exercise and quite a strenuous one at that! So here's looking forward to Day 2 and having leftover salmon for breakfast!

Ummmm....delish!

This is today's lunch - Chicken Fajita Salad...easy to prepare and very easy to enjoy! The ingredients are 1-tablespoon olive oil, 3/4 cup sliced onions, 1 lb skinless chicken breast, 1/2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp oregano, 1 cup chopped bell peppers, red leaf lettuce, 1-2 tomatoes (I only had yellow on hand) and 1- avocado. This is a recipe for two. I think I can do this! I've heard it takes 21 days to form a new habit. So, this means that at the end of 30 days this eating plan will become second nature...and a lifestyle change has occurred. There are "eating plans" by the dozens to choose from and I eschew using the word "diet" because (although it means food and drink that we normally consume) I'm looking for something that I'll be able to stick with not just for a few fleeting days or weeks and then return to my usual unhealthful way of eating. And by the time the new year rings in we will be almost at the halfway point...woohoo!

The Challenge Begins!

I woke up this morning, weighed myself and had the following breakfast - 2 poached eggs, 1 oz almonds, and a small apple. So far, so good. It's always easy in the beginning. And by the way, how did I know it was an ounce of almonds? I bought an inexpensive kitchen scale ($10 at Kmart) to keep me honest. I'm keeping my weight to myself for now, although I will let you know of my progress on a weekly basis. And hopefully it will be a true weight loss not just water weight. I intend to continue my usual exercise routine which includes any of the following: bicycle riding, walking, and I recently started using kettlebells. Oh, and also line-dancing. I never imagined what a great workout this would turn out to be and it's so much fun! What a great way to lose the pounds!

Cut to the Chase

So, I've been reading the Paleo Solution for a good part of my day...and it's been the perfect day to do so because it rained all day and it's still raining as I write. As Robb notes in his book you can skip reading the majority of his book and go straight to Chapter 10 - Implementing the Paleo Solution: It's Easy, Really. But if you're like me, I like to have information that will help me understand why things work the way they do. And it's been a hoot reading this book because if you were here with me, you could hear me laughing to myself every so often. I've enjoyed his sense of humor (SOH), having an SOH makes life much more enjoyable! Then I printed out the shopping list available on: robbwolf.com, drove to the grocery store in the pouring rain and bought the 1st week's food supplies. Tomorrow morning my daughter and I start our 30 day challenge. Be sure to check out my daughter's blog: http://www.apaleoapproach.blogspot.com. You can access it from my blog at the top right corner: My Daughter's Blog: A Paleo Approach. Welcome to our experience!

A Gift...to Myself

I recently heard about a book titled The Paleo Solution and subtitled The Original Human DIET by Robb Wolf. Originally I was going to put it on my Christmas "wish list" but I couldn't wait...so I decided to do myself a favor and bought it...Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas to me! And to let you know how motivated I am, I drove 50 miles to buy it. I picked up 2 copies - one for myself and one for my daughter, not that she needs to lose weight (although you couldn't convince her of that). I, on the other hand, could stand to lose numerous pounds. But the best part of this journey (besides having the encouragement of my daughter and doing something together) is that it improves overall health. What could be better than that! I'm well aware that most if not all degenerative diseases that affect the majority of seniors can be attributed to our diet. So, here we go!