Primal family - Page 18

[JayGee]

I need to get back to primal eating too.  I feel SO good when I don't eat grains or sugar. 

Attila the Honey ~ I went primal last summer and ate really well until October.  Around that time, I had lost those pesky last 10 pounds and I started relaxing about things like ice cream cones with the kids.  One thing led to another and here I am 2 months later, having regained those 10 pounds (plus about 4 more) and feeling the awful bloat and fuzziness that accompanies grain eating for me.  So, for me, falling off the wagon was my thinking of primal as a "diet" rather than a lifestyle, and going back to my crappy habits as soon as I realized my goal weight.  This time, I need to embrace primal as my forever way of eating.

[Toolip]

for me, I feel good when I'm primal, but not unbelievably better than I do when I eat WAPF. I end up slipping back into grains for convenience. They are hard to me for avoid as I am the only primal person in my family, so I am surrounded and it gets old and tiring to gook myself something different every night. Also, sandwiches are hard for me! I LOVE sandwiches :-) And I also love crackers --- for topping with liver, of course!! One of my friends feels horrible when she takes even a bite of grain or sugar food, so it is easy for her to avoid. I don't start to feel crappy until I've had a few days of crappy food. Personally, I think that her gut is more damaged than mine. I don't really think that someone should have to be strictly primal to feel great, I think it's more that our bodies are so compromised due to the SAD. I like the idea of primal and I do stints of primal eating, but I really fall more into traditional food philosophy. Maybe none of this is even relevant to this thread... lol :-) Maybe I have never really even tried primal because I have NEVER given up butter

[crayfishgirl]

Originally Posted by Toolip 

for me, I feel good when I'm primal, but not unbelievably better than I do when I eat WAPF. I end up slipping back into grains for convenience. They are hard to me for avoid as I am the only primal person in my family, so I am surrounded and it gets old and tiring to gook myself something different every night. Also, sandwiches are hard for me! I LOVE sandwiches :-) And I also love crackers --- for topping with liver, of course!! One of my friends feels horrible when she takes even a bite of grain or sugar food, so it is easy for her to avoid. I don't start to feel crappy until I've had a few days of crappy food. Personally, I think that her gut is more damaged than mine. I don't really think that someone should have to be strictly primal to feel great, I think it's more that our bodies are so compromised due to the SAD. I like the idea of primal and I do stints of primal eating, but I really fall more into traditional food philosophy. Maybe none of this is even relevant to this thread... lol :-) Maybe I have never really even tried primal because I have NEVER given up butter

I've never given up butter either (although I think there are still grey areas in paleo/primal eating that allows for dairy).  Anyway, like you I don't feel super awesome eating paleo relative to eating starches.  I do, however, feel (and get) fat.  My problem is that when I fall off the wagon, I fall off huge because I get the "go big or go home" mentality so even little slips are the start of the big slippery slope.  I guess that's another issue altogether.   
 

[Attila the Honey]

Originally Posted by crayfishgirl 

I've never given up butter either (although I think there are still grey areas in paleo/primal eating that allows for dairy).  Anyway, like you I don't feel super awesome eating paleo relative to eating starches.  I do, however, feel (and get) fat.  My problem is that when I fall off the wagon, I fall off huge because I get the "go big or go home" mentality so even little slips are the start of the big slippery slope.  I guess that's another issue altogether.   
 

I can relate to this in so many aspects.  I've taken to repeating the mantra "perfect is the enemy of good" when I start to get into that "all or nothing" type of thinking.  I figure if I can aim to stick to primal 80% of the time I will be doing well.  I go out with friends once a week and usually have beans or rice or corn or more dairy than I want to have - but that's one meal out of 21/week.  That's what I keep telling myself, anyway.  lol  Anyway, just had to pipe up and let you know that I totally understand.
 

[Toolip]

Originally Posted by crayfishgirl 



I've never given up butter either (although I think there are still grey areas in paleo/primal eating that allows for dairy).  Anyway, like you I don't feel super awesome eating paleo relative to eating starches.  I do, however, feel (and get) fat.  My problem is that when I fall off the wagon, I fall off huge because I get the "go big or go home" mentality so even little slips are the start of the big slippery slope.  I guess that's another issue altogether.   

 

I understand and I have days like that but I've been able to expand my idea of what it means for me to eat traditional/primal which makes it easier for me to take a bite (or have a serving of something) that doesn't fit into my model of eating and still feel that I haven't 'failed' and so I don't just keep going... I don't know if that makes sense. But it feels really great! I think it's because I really feel comfortable with my own model and I'm not just trying to follow someone elses guidelines. IDK, but my diet is certainly a pendulum. Some days I'm really strict because that's what feels good, and some days I have liver on crackers :-) I think I also fluctuate with the seasons.

[gardenmommy]

For me, it was all good until I reached my goal weight, and then, like a PP, I got lax with the little things: an ice cream cone, sourdough bread with butter, and the like.  Then I got pregnant and everything went out the window.  I've since had another baby, and I've just never gone back.  I've been pretty good about sticking to a whole foods/TF diet, but carbs and sugars have been way too plentiful in my diet.  So, although I do want to lose all the baby weight, really, more than anything else, I want to be strong, healthy, and energetic.  I want to be able to keep up with my children, and not feel completely exhausted at the end of the day.  

So, I am going to work very hard to re-establish my good primal eating habits, and hopefully, I will be able to maintain it as a lifestyle this time.  

[willow0811]

I've never really fallen off, per se. I have had foods that weren't great for me, but I just moved on after it happened. I find if you over think it, you stress, and fall back into bad habits. You just have to do what feels right to you and your body though. :) As far as the butter goes, as long as it's raw..go for it. :) I don't, but I am not one of those people who turns their nose up to people who eat differently. :P

[gardenmommy]

Day 3 of grain- and sugar-free.  Here's what I've eaten thus far today:

Breakfast:  2 eggs fried in coconut oil and butter (I doubt I'll ever give up my raw, pastured butter.)

Apple with peanut butter (ok, that's not perfectly primal; I was hungry, and I needed something really quick, plus I forgot about my raw almond butter.)

Lunch:  BA salad with everything but the kitchen sink, celery with raw almond butter.

I'm still hungry.  And tired.  DD3 hasn't slept well for the last several nights, due to a nasty virus.  I'm hoping that she is better tonight.

How's everyone else doing?

[greenmom4]

This week has been a good week.  I'm not hungry.  At all.  And I really haven't eaten that much.

Breakfast - coffee w/ heavy cream, half an avocado and 2 pieces of bacon

Lunch - tortilla-less taco w/ flank steak, cilantro, avocado and cherry toms

Dinner - not sure.  I'm really not hungry.  I have some ground buffalo in the fridge that I might do something with if I need it.

[figmama]

Wow, I just ignored my family for two days and read all these posts! We've been mostly TF for almost two years now. I recently cut way back on grains and effortlessly lost some weight. I'm still feeling a bit low on energy so I think when we use up the grains in the house and leftover Christmas treats, I'll go all the way. Except for some organic white rice, maybe once a week. I have pinned so many awesome primal recipes, I just need to step away from the computer and start cooking-which is one of my favorite things to do. My 3yo DS loves his Ezekiel raisin bread, so that will be hard for him. Also, he is on the skinny side and I don't want him to lose any weight. 10m DS is loving his egg yolks and berries, just need to work on more meat. 

Does anyone use diatomaceous earth? I just ordered some with Bentonite. It seems like a good way to get some minerals and keep the colon nice and clean 

[JayGee]

I've done really well for the last three days.  Not perfect primal, but good enough for me.  I like the 80/20 ratio from Mark's Daily Apple (80% primal/20% not).  My 20% usually involves ice cream .  I'm also definitely primal, not paleo, in that I do eat some dairy like greek yogurt, butter and heavy cream.

Breakfast ~ greek yogurt, heavy cream, and strawberries blended into a smoothie.

Lunch ~ BAS with spinach, strawberry slices, tuna, balsamic and olive oil plus a clementine.

Dinner ~ DH is taking me out !

[mandomom]

I've been eating this way, mostly, for about 5 months, through the last trimester of pregnancy and now breastfeeding a 2 month old.  And I finally experienced being less hungry! (Less than ravenous :))  I was at my sister's house yesterday, and all she had for dinner was lots of great veggies and quinoa.  Normally I would feel like I REALLY needed protein, or hadn't eaten unless there was some meat involved. But I was totally satisfied. It was nice to have that flexibility.  Then, today I had liver for breakfast (with onion, garlic, pastured butter, red wine, bell pepper, salt and pepper) and collared greens (w/ olive oil, ginger and garlic) to make up for it. (plus coffee of course!) As for the butter thing, MDA seems to totally approve of pastured butter, for people it agrees with :)

[gardenmommy]

Whelp.  Today was not a great day.  We had birthday party fare + lots of people, and I indulged.  Not badly, but still.  Scrambled eggs for breakfast, sloppy joes, veggies and dip, and potato salad for lunch.  Smoothie and eggs fried in butter for supper.  Tea and a honey mint pattie tonight.  Highlights are that I did NOT have a root beer float (although I did sample about a TB of the ice cream yesterday when it was finished making), and we did not have any cake.   I figure that tomorrow is a new day, and we won't have all the birthday food around.  

Mandomom, I hear you on being hungry.  I'm always hungry.  I miss carbs for that filled-up feeling, but I can tell I'm almost out of the craving period.  I didn't even miss the (very yummy homemade) ice cream today.  I'm hoping my appetite will level off in the next few days as my body adjusts.

How was your day?

[berry987]

Originally Posted by Attila the Honey 

I am wondering if there is any point that it becomes more difficult.  For those who have fallen off the wagon, when did it happen and why?

I've been grain free for 8 days now and I feel so much better and it's been really easy to stick to this.  I expected to be struggling, but after the first couple of days I've just felt so good and had such an easy time of it.   Anyway, if day 8 is any indication - I think you will be sitting pretty at 60 days!

I've been off and on grain and sugar free for a couple of years now. I always start highly motivated and at some point, slowly, quietly, start adding things back in. For me, it's not because I crave carbs and sugar and just can't handle not eating them anymore - it's more unintentional than that. We eat at a friend's house and they serve lasagna and my kids gobble it up and I think "hmm, maybe I'll make a lasagna and freeze it for those desperate moments" because there are only a few things my kids gobble up (berries, eggs, bacon...are about the only primal things they devour without argument). So I make a lasagna. It's summertime and we are at the beach and the kids love to get hot dogs and ice cream on the beach. So we let them and at some point I get a hot dog and an ice cream, too. And after the vacation we are used to eating crappy food and so homemade lasagna seems super duper healthy so that hits the rotation. And then of course the holidays hit and we bake cookies and family members send us packages of "treats" and again, a cookie here and there becomes the norm.

To combat the slow, insidious creep of grains and sugars this time, I am keeping my favorite books on the subject (Why We Get Fat and Calories In, Calories Out) on my bedside table. I love just opening them up at night and reading a couple of paragraphs to remind me how very, very important it is and how right this way of eating is. 

I don't find eating grain and sugar-free very hard. When I eat this way, I'm energized, I lose weight, my skin looks great, and I'm not hungry. But it takes work and planning because our world is set up to encourage us to eat grains and sugar. So I think it's pretty easy to "fall off the wagon" more for convenience reasons than hunger or deprivation. I haven't found a lot of convenient, quick, kid friendly meals that are primal (breakfast for dinner is our one go-to) - I wish there were some easy, freeze ahead type meals that would still be grain-free. THat would make it a lot easier!

[greenmom4]

I absolutely agree with all of this - word for word. 

I think there are some meals that are good to freeze - soups, stews, etc.  You can also make big batches of meatballs or meat sauce and freeze that.  You can also freeze casseroles (lasagna, etc), subbing zucchini or mushroom for the noodles. 
 

Originally Posted by berry987 

I've been off and on grain and sugar free for a couple of years now. I always start highly motivated and at some point, slowly, quietly, start adding things back in. For me, it's not because I crave carbs and sugar and just can't handle not eating them anymore - it's more unintentional than that. We eat at a friend's house and they serve lasagna and my kids gobble it up and I think "hmm, maybe I'll make a lasagna and freeze it for those desperate moments" because there are only a few things my kids gobble up (berries, eggs, bacon...are about the only primal things they devour without argument). So I make a lasagna. It's summertime and we are at the beach and the kids love to get hot dogs and ice cream on the beach. So we let them and at some point I get a hot dog and an ice cream, too. And after the vacation we are used to eating crappy food and so homemade lasagna seems super duper healthy so that hits the rotation. And then of course the holidays hit and we bake cookies and family members send us packages of "treats" and again, a cookie here and there becomes the norm.

To combat the slow, insidious creep of grains and sugars this time, I am keeping my favorite books on the subject (Why We Get Fat and Calories In, Calories Out) on my bedside table. I love just opening them up at night and reading a couple of paragraphs to remind me how very, very important it is and how right this way of eating is. 

I don't find eating grain and sugar-free very hard. When I eat this way, I'm energized, I lose weight, my skin looks great, and I'm not hungry. But it takes work and planning because our world is set up to encourage us to eat grains and sugar. So I think it's pretty easy to "fall off the wagon" more for convenience reasons than hunger or deprivation. I haven't found a lot of convenient, quick, kid friendly meals that are primal (breakfast for dinner is our one go-to) - I wish there were some easy, freeze ahead type meals that would still be grain-free. THat would make it a lot easier!

[gardenmommy]

YES!!  I, also, could have written this word for word.  I don't find that eating G&S free is hard or depriving so much as it is just way outside the norm for our world.  *Everywhere* you go, it is the norm, expected, that you will be eating grains and sugars in one form or another.  And frankly, I don't have a problem with the occasional (and I really do mean occasional, like once a month or less) treat or grain-based meal.  It's not hard at home, but is sure is hard when you step foot out the door.  I like MDA's 80/20 rule, and it has been our rule for years as well.  However, we have definitely been in more of a 50/50 or 60/40 pattern for the last few months.  I'm glad to be getting into a better eating habit now.

Originally Posted by berry987 

I've been off and on grain and sugar free for a couple of years now. I always start highly motivated and at some point, slowly, quietly, start adding things back in. For me, it's not because I crave carbs and sugar and just can't handle not eating them anymore - it's more unintentional than that. We eat at a friend's house and they serve lasagna and my kids gobble it up and I think "hmm, maybe I'll make a lasagna and freeze it for those desperate moments" because there are only a few things my kids gobble up (berries, eggs, bacon...are about the only primal things they devour without argument). So I make a lasagna. It's summertime and we are at the beach and the kids love to get hot dogs and ice cream on the beach. So we let them and at some point I get a hot dog and an ice cream, too. And after the vacation we are used to eating crappy food and so homemade lasagna seems super duper healthy so that hits the rotation. And then of course the holidays hit and we bake cookies and family members send us packages of "treats" and again, a cookie here and there becomes the norm.

To combat the slow, insidious creep of grains and sugars this time, I am keeping my favorite books on the subject (Why We Get Fat and Calories In, Calories Out) on my bedside table. I love just opening them up at night and reading a couple of paragraphs to remind me how very, very important it is and how right this way of eating is. 

I don't find eating grain and sugar-free very hard. When I eat this way, I'm energized, I lose weight, my skin looks great, and I'm not hungry. But it takes work and planning because our world is set up to encourage us to eat grains and sugar. So I think it's pretty easy to "fall off the wagon" more for convenience reasons than hunger or deprivation. I haven't found a lot of convenient, quick, kid friendly meals that are primal (breakfast for dinner is our one go-to) - I wish there were some easy, freeze ahead type meals that would still be grain-free. THat would make it a lot easier!

[Shawnamarie]

I'm so happy I found this thread!

I thought I responded to it, but can't find my post anywhere. Anywho, I've been primal/paleo for a year now and my husband and I plan on trying beginning next month. I'm 34 and I've got to get this show on the road.

I plan on eating lots of eggs, liver, and other nutrient-dense foods so I'm wondering what y'all think of prenatal vitamins. I don't want to take them unnecessarily but I also don't want to be missing out on something that could be very valuable. I've heard so many arguments both for and against them and am wondering what you all have experienced or decided about them.

Thanks so much! I hope it's okay that I'm posting as a hopefully-soon-to-be lady!

[organicviolin]

With my 1st I took prenatals.  With my 2nd none.  I felt better with the 2nd baby overall than with the first. My diet was even better than when I was prego with number 1 and it shows as my kids are extremely strong, smart and healthy.  The only thing I took when prego with number 2 was fermented cod liver/butter oil from green pastures. best of luck and remember to have fun! ;-)

[sosurreal09]

So here we are eating wheat wheat and more wheat! DD has been having a lot of medical issues lately and turns out it's allergen related...

she is VERY dairy intolerant but surprisingly not allergic. She is allergic to eggs, tomato, strawberries, sesame, and grapes so far...Which isn't too bad except for the eggs. ALL she ate for protein was eggs! She wont touch meat except sometimes sausage! I keep giving her cereal and hash (potato) I have to follow her diet as well since we are still nursing.

I just feel like she cant eat anything anymore and this sucks! She loves veggies and bananas and that's about it besides now loving wheat products...She was not allergic to wheat.

So I feel like IDK what to do now...

[Shawnamarie]

Organicviolin, thanks! I am so interested to see how my pregnancy will go considering I've been eating this way for a year and doing crossfit for about 6 months. I am also taking the fermented cod liver and butter oil blend and plan on continuing it.