Here’s a blanket statement that I feel extremely confident making, right here, right now, in a public setting. You need to eat more vegetables. Yes, you. ALL of you. Today’s post is all about going green – green, leafy vegetables, that is.
The “CrossFit dietary prescription“, Dr. Loren Cordain’s Paleo Diet and Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint all have one thing in common… after the number one recommendation – “eat meat” – comes the second most important edict – “eat vegetables“. Everyone knows vegetables are good for you – but why, across the board, is there so much focus on the green leafy stuff? Here’s a short (obligatory, if not boring) list, to reinforce what we already know. Nothing here should be a surprise, and it’s all taken from Dr. Cordain’s FAQ.
- Nutrition. Fresh vegetables are high in beneficial nutrients, such as soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals, and low-glycemic carbohydrates.
- Insulin sensitivity. Most veggies are of a low-glycemic index, meaning that they cause slow and limited rises in your blood sugar and insulin levels. (An we all know how important it is to get your insulin situation in check.)
- Health. The nutrients in vegetables not only promote good health, but exclude all of the “traditional” carb ingredients (refined sugars, grains, salt, and processed additives) that frequently cause weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and numerous other health problems. In addition, the high soluble-fiber content of vegetables will improve most diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Alkalinity. Because vegetables are alkaline in nature, they promote a healthy acid/base balance. Diets too heavy in acidic foods can contribute to a host of health issues, including inflammation, osteoporosis, kidney stones, hypertension, stroke, asthma, and insomnia.
So assuming we’re all on board with the Science-y reasons you should eat copious amounts of vegetables every day, the obvious question is… why aren’t you? The excuses I am given are endless, but can be summed up in a few categories:
- I don’t like them
- I don’t know how to cook/prepare/eat them
- Fruit is both easier AND tastes better
Let’s tackle these one at a time. First, I don’t care that you don’t like them. Sometimes, grown-ups have to do things we don’t like because it’s for our own good. Eating vegetables is one such thing. Do you think I’d rather eat a bag of spinach with my eggs instead of fresh berries covered in coconut milk? No contest. But I eat the spinach because it’s the best choice, and contributes more positively to how I look, feel and perform. Suck it up, people. You are no longer allowed to tell me you don’t like (fill in vegetable here), because for every vegetable that you don’t enjoy eating, there are 17 more out there that would do you just as good. Which brings me to point #2…
Learn how to shop for, prepare and cook vegetables properly. There are probably a whole HOST of vegetables out there that you do, in fact, like… if you only took the time to seek them out and learn how to cook them. So do your homework. Talk to your local Farmers’ Market vendors, call that friend of yours who would know exactly what to do with all that rutabaga or surf the web and let Emeril, Oprah or that hot Italian lady from the Food Network show you what’s what in the produce section. Experiment. Try new things. Put the effort in, because if you’re going to comply with point #1 (eat them, even if you don’t like them), wouldn’t it be easier if you DID, in fact, like them?
And finally… fine. I can’t argue with the fact that fruit DOES, in general, taste better. Who wouldn’t take a fresh mango over, say, mashed cauliflower? But… if you refer back to point #1, end of discussion. So let’s address the “fruit is easier” part. Sure, fruit can be eaten raw and on the go, but so can vegetables. Carrots, snow peas, sugar snap peas, red/yellow/green pepper, cucumber and celery are just as portable and crunch-able as fruit. Try swapping out that side of fruit with your lunch with carrots or a red pepper… same crunch, same sweet taste – it’s like sneaking in your vegetables when your taste buds weren’t looking.
Please understand, I do have some sympathy. For those of you who are REALLY having a hard time getting your vegetables in, I’m willing to make some concessions. If you MUST dip your veggies in hummus, salad dressing or some other non-compliant dressing, I’m okay with that. In this case, the benefits (you eating your vegetables) outweighs the potential negative consequences of the dressing. Just be smart about it, and use as little as possible to satisfy your taste buds. I’m also okay if there isn’t as much variety here as there should be. If you’re like my friend Brandon, and I can get you to go from NO vegetables at all to carrots and green beans every day… I’ll take it. I’d prefer that he branches out a bit more, but for now, I’m just happy he’s eating SOMETHING green.
And for those of you about to blast me for recommending snow peas and sugar snap peas (technically legumes, and not okay on a strict Paleo diet)… if you try to tell me “Grok wouldn’t eat those”, I will literally come to your house and kick you in the shins for missing the bus. As Dallas says, “Green beans, sugar snap peas and snow peas are far more ‘pod’ than ‘bean’.” And, again, if those are the only vegetables you’ll eat, then I am more than happy to give you my blessing. They’re VEGETABLES, people. How bad can they be for you?
Finally, in a last ditch effort to get you to eat your greens, I’m busting out my secret weapon… Melicious’ Sunshine Sauce. This spicy Thai dressing is 100% Paleo compliant, easy to make, doesn’t need to be refrigerated and one of the Top Three Most Delicious Things To Ever Come Out of My Kitchen. Mix up a batch – it’s easy to scale the recipe – and slather it over every one of your vegetables. I guarantee it will make even the most hard-core veggie hater fall in love.
Now I’m off to Google “rutabaga”, because while it’s a really fun word to say, I’m not entirely sure what to do with it now that it’s sitting in my refrigerator.
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Wow! Do I get to be first? Hi Moxy Boss. Been following the blog for about 5 weeks and I need to say 2 things to you: First an apology because I said to myself, "yea right, She's going to change my life". Well you did. This is day 31 of my new wife's and my new way of eating. So the other thing I have to say is Thank You!
Hey, I thought sugar snap peas were no bueno on Paleo?
Also good – getting your vegetable goodness through smart meat choices! If you do your research and find organic, grass-fed cattle and sheep, and as much wild game as you can, you can get all of the good veg stuff the way nature intended us to (before we started breeding anti-nutrients out of our plants just so humans could eat them, let alone get any benefit from them since our ability to do so directly is limited). Plus, it is more sustainable to raise pastured livestock than rip up entire eco-systems in order to plant fields of vegetation (if this idea is new to you guys, check out Lierre Keith's The Vegetarian Myth).
If all you have access to is crappy conventional corn/soy-fed meats, then you're definitely better off tackling a plate of organic greens. But the more you can support sustainable farming, the better we will all be, in terms of both environments and health.
a) rutabaga IS a fun word to say. less fun to eat in my opinion.
b) do you think beets are missing the bus?
c) braised cabbage is AMAZING
I'm by no means a vegan (in fact I disagree with just about everything they stand for) but if you're looking for great veggie recipes vegan cookbooks are the place to go. All they seem to eat is veggies so they have no choice but to get creative. A great one my wife found is called "Rawvolution" by Matt Amsden. It's full of great ideas. Hopefully that helps to cover all 3 excuses. Happy fueling!
Day 4. Still doing pretty good. I did not cook nearly enough food over the weekend, so my mornings are a little hectic but I am making it work.
I am lucky that I really enjoy just about any food, and I look at cooking as more of a hobby than a chore. But, I was in a rut when it comes to making my grocery list. When I went shopping to stock up for the start of my first 30 days of Paleo, I blindly picked up one of just about anything in the produce aisle. I always buy yellow onions never red onions, but I did this time for the variety. (No corn and no banana just because I have always relied so much on them I wanted to know if I would miss them – not yet) I had never eated a yam/sweet potatoe any way other than the Thanksgiving candied casserole mess or done up with cinnamon and butter after baking it… Neither had really impressed me before. Last night I thought I would give it a try again, paleo stye.
Cut a sweet potatoe into cubes and boil it to soften it a bit. Drain off most of the remaining liquid. Toss with some olive oil and carmelized red onion (I had some left over from another evening this week). Once the potatoe cubes have gotten some color toss in some fresh parsley and spices you like. Quick, easy, and it turned out pretty on my plate and tasted pretty good too. That and some tilapia and I had my dinner ready in 30 min last night and I made extra for my lunch today.
Getting good rest is an amazing thing! I am really sore from the WODs this week, but I am recovering from their initial devastation quicker. I did fall asleep faster last night with no TV again. Still a little sleepy, but my headache went away. I was able to workout last night sans the chewing gum, and I did just fine! :)
CrossFit 180 is getting ready to do 30 days of Paleo!! Whooo hoooo!! In case any of my fellow 180s are lurking here and considering Brad's challenge – Giddy up y'all – you wont believe the results others have already gotten out of the experience! 'Cindy on Crack' was hard. Paleo is not!
@JD: You are extremely enthusiastic, which I appreciate. But either you didn't read the whole post, or you WANT me to come to your house and kick you in the shins. Huh. ;)
@Jezwyn: Two thumbs up. I'm right in the middle of the Omnivore's Dilemma, and am entirely on board with your rationale. Although given some of the reading I've been doing, the word "organic" is starting to lose it's luster for me. But that's another post entirely. Thanks for your contribution.
@Renee: Beets do contain a lot of sugar. However the sugar is physically connected to insoluble fiber, water, high amounts of vitamins A and C, potassium and digestive enzymes which our bodies use to break down this food. The beet has to be chewed to get to all the sugars, and in the process these other things are made usable to our bodies. If the beet greens are included, you have an excellent carbohydrate package. Two thumbs up!
@CrossFit Brio: Nice! Good recommendation, thanks for the suggestion.
jamie, try throwing some cut up apples and cinnamon in that sweet potato/onion thing.
AMAZING
(Thumbs Up)
I'm still working on the veggies thing… I am still def overpowered by Fruit =)
Working on it, working on it, working on it hahaha
I def have to experiment with MORE veggies, a variety, and different ways of cooking etc…
I also need 48 hr days, with a 10 day week, of which i still work 5 =)
Day 4 – holy crap, yesterday was HARD halfway through. I don't know what I did or didn't do but I just crashed into an invisible energy-sapping wall. I suspect I might not have gotten enough protein at lunch so I upped my protein by one block this morning and am planning on doing the same at lunch.
I'm hurting here, though. :( My body isn't hungry, but my head feels like it's a balloon. There's no headache or pain, but I'm finding it hard to focus and I'm sort of dizzy. Is this normal? What do I need to tweak to feel normal again? It's like I've got a head cold without the cold.
Not fun, but I'm still a cavewoman. Hope this passes soon. Ook ook!
Good post. I'd say I'm doing alright with this. I generally have a large bowl of salad with my last meal of the day. I also 'hide' a lot of vegetables in omlettes, which is a habit from when I was 18 and it was the only way I'd eat them. I'm not much more mature now at 20, but I'll eat vegetables on their own at least.
I get that people like fruit more, myself included, but to me it's about balance. Variety and balance have become more important to me over time.
Oh yeah, I saw in another post you commented that you think protein powder will make people fat. What makes you think that? I'm genuinely interested, because in my experience protein powder is a great tool for doing the exact opposite; getting extremely lean. I use it after every training session and am currently at 5.5%bf @185. I take it mainly because I find seperating egg whites to be a waste of an egg and the powder goes down way easier post training and tastes pretty decent.
I think she was referring to excessive amounts…not so much a shake Post Workout. Granted, i know the shake isnt Paleo, and she is not promoting drinking shakes here etc..
but i think the comment about being puffy and bloated was referring to people who tend to replace whole foods with Protein Shakes etc…
just my .02
i am still a sucker for a Shake PWO…
@Schway: It's not based on anything but my own experience, and the experience of those around me. (And what Robb Wolf says.) It's not real food, and I've found that everyone, no personal exception, does better on real food. I've had a few clients that get that bloated, puffy thing going on from whey. Ick.
At twenty years old, your body will forgive you for a LOT of things. Don't discount that factor in your experience.
what about 26 Melis? :-) :-)
Dude, your age and activity level will forgive you ANYTHING right now. However, in ten years, you will be single-handedly funding my house in the Keys if you don't get your stuff in line NOW. Which is why I tough-love you so much. Not that I don't love the Keys…
<3 <3 <3
I know, I know…
I am already feeling 50+ each AM…so in 10 years, If i can walk without assistance; i will be very happy! =)
Rutabagas are awesome! They have a unique sort of sharp/sweetness to them. I usually throw them in the roast pan with some beef. Just make sure they're cooked until really tender or they taste kind of bitter!
I've jumped on the bandwagon and am on day 3! I've been toying with paleo and the 80/20 rule, but somewhere along the line, 80/20 turned into 60/40 :( I'm feeling ok so far- just a little stabby, but am pushing through. I'm reading through the old posts and Melicious's blog(Hey! I'm an aspiring roller girl!) when craving strikes.
Jill
The Moxy-Boss has been tough-loving me with veggie goodness for about a week or so now… and I'm fighting to keep fruit consumption low and veggie consumption high.
My best advice: Arm yourself with cut up cucumbers, carrots, peppers (red and green), snap peas, radishes, and celery. Keep 'em on your desk and nibble like a bunny. (this is my favorite bunny: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/images/giant-rabbit1.jpg … does that not look like a paleo, man-eating bunny?!?!)
Also… I have lots of veggie recipes on my site, so as the Moxy-Boss says, no excuses for not finding something you like:
http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/search/label/vegetables
Some of them include cheese because I posted them before I saw the light. Just skip the cheese. It will all be fine!
And later today, I'll share a cauliflower recipe that will make you weep with joy. Promise.
Hey, Jill! If you're an "aspiring" rollergirl, you're 90% there. It's all about believin', sister. It doesn't take skates to kickass like a Rollergirl — just bring the swagger ;-)
Hey Melissa! First time dropping some props. LOVE the blog BTW. My questions are:
1. Is there a limit to the amount of veggies you eat?
2. Should veggies always be paired with protein?
Thanks!
Jilly-
Awesome! Which league are you with/aspiring to be with? Do you have a skate name yet? Judging from your profile you're close to Philly…are you going to Nat'ls in November? I've already got my hotel and plane ticket booked! :D
-Mer
@Melicious: Can't wait for your cauliflower recipe. I've been mixing up batches of your Sunshine Sauce every day this week. It's ridiculous, and you are a culinary genius.
@Abby: Welcome! As for veggies… no limit, with a few exceptions. If you're monitoring your carb count, be careful about some of the more dense and starchy vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato or butternut squash. As for the rest of the green, leafy stuff like spinach, broccoli, asparagus, eggplant, artichokes, cauliflower, carrots, peppers, onions, garlic, etc… eat as much as you want. Literally – I've never seen ANYONE overdose on broccoli.
And no – they don't need to be paired with anything. Most vegetables pack such little GI/GL punch that you'd be hard pressed to get an insulin spike from, say, spinach.
That helps a ton, thanks!!
@ Melissa DOH! How did I miss that?
OK! The Cauliflower Fouscous Pilaf recipe is posted on my blog. Enjoy, fellow dino-chowers!
http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/2009/09/eat-your-vegetables-cauliflower.html
I'm all over that sunshine sauce for my cottage getaway this weekend. I've had an extremely stressful week, so I like to have a one bowl no fuss meal on hand to make it easy. I came up with this..honestly it looks and tastes like hamburger helper(comfort food) and has my co-workers leaning over and taking a hard look.
One Bowl Wonder
3/4 head savoy cabbage-chopped
2 medium cans tomato paste(nothing added)
4 cloves garlic minced
2 pounds ground beef or ground sirloin or any ground meat.
2 onions
1 1/2 cups hot water
pepper, oregano, chili pow and if you're feeling dangerous,sea salt to taste(I did use 1/2 teaspoon, not alot considering the big batch)
Brown the meat, then throw it all in the pot on low-med heat for 40min, stir often.
Been eating this twice daily for three days, still loving it. My two year old loves it hard!
Good additions are peppers, carrots or spinach. Let me know if you try it!!
Robbie, you rule! I was just whining to my husband Dave that one of the drawbacks of dino-chow is that there's no equivalent to "order a pizza, lie on the bed, and watch a movie," i.e., the comfort food factor is missing. Which is A-OK most of the time, but sometimes, I just WANT to be a sloth.
And how here you are with your super easy recipe with minimal chopping and maximum comfort. AWESOME.
Spaghetti squash is delish with paleo toppings of your choice.
Swiss chard with garlic and ginger stir fry in sesame oil is yummy too.
Thanks for the cauliflower recipe Mel ;) Can't wait to cook me some of that.
BTW Robbie I think I just found my new favourite….need to try that one too.
MoxyBoss – Rutabagas are great mashed, I also like to add them to a curry/ stew.
Robbie – Throw some coconut milk in there!
ohhhh, pizza, i have a friend at CFTO who is crazy for trying anything
Check out his paleo pizza…
http://gregcarver.com/blog/2009/ways-to-make-no-grain-paleo-pizza/
and make sure you read his homemade med ball adventure.
Now Im all about the veggies (love 'em!) and people should get their fare share, but Im going to go absolutely apoplectic if I go to one more seminar, cert, gathering, etc. and some crossfitter is just eating a bag of spinach, eating a cucumber like its a popsicle, or some ridiculous nonsense. Melissa nailed it on the head. We are adults, so yes we need to do somethings like adults, and that includes eating meals like adults.
Melicious- Thanks! I'm still working on that last 10%. I can do the whole kicking butt thing, but put skates on me and I'm a hot mess.
Mer- I'm in Philly. I'm not associated with a team yet. I haven't even tried out yet!
Day four is off to an awesome start!
Day 5 here.
I felt really snacky last night. I bought a new grill and was going to put it together. Normally I would have grabbed a beer and went to work. But, I was just 'off' and so darn grumpy. Instead I went for the grilled chicken some roasted veggies and a piece of fruit with a tall glass of cold water, unpacked a couple of boxes and went to bed. I got in 8 hours of sleep last night. I did not fight to fall asleep last night! And, I did not wake up hungry today. Whoo hooo, I feel like I am settling in to my cave. But, I am not kidding myself – this is going to get harder before it is over. The shiney ball has not lost its glimmer yet…
@ Mer – I have not had the dizzy thing… Hang in there. Those who went before us seemed to feel much better during week 2. When do you leave for the wedding shower weekend?
What did you guys find helped with a 'crunchy snacky' craving? I will troll the previous Comments, but in case some one has something they did not post, I would appreciate the input!
Melissa,
Love your blog… tough love about veggies is near and dear to every mom's heart.
Big echo on the comments about Swiss Chard – braised lightly in a little low sodium chicken stock. I really love the red variety… even raw.
Jamie,
Woohoo! You go!
Day 5 is a lot better than the last couple of days. I don't know what that was, but it's over and I'm a full-on cavewoman now complete with foraging for food in the produce section. ;) Still feeling weird in the head…my body is functioning better, but my head feels funny. It's really similar to what I went through when I first started Zoning – out with the bad and in with the new!
Margarita Madness is tomorrow night – I've got my Paleokit and am planning on eating a little something before I head over – maybe bringing some sparkling water with me. It'll be a snap.
Success story today: Someone left donuts in the break room today that had a note saying that they were "Magic donuts!" I snickered a little, grabbed my baby carrots out of the fridge and muttered "More like 'tragic donuts'" and went back to my desk.
The smugness is what gets me through the temptations. ;)
Keep on, Jamie! We're almost 1/4 of the way there!
Mer, that's so funny! Smugness and self-riteousness — all kept inside of course ;-) — have helped me tremendously around the corporate overlords' lair.
Someone brought in cupcakes yesterday, and I cut off a tiny, tiny bite to try. LAME! Dry cake, waxy icing. Huge disappointment.
Tonight: lamb kibbeh and cauliflower frouscous. WOOT!
Another way I love cauliflower is to cook a head in a little water, then puree it in the food processer until smooth. Add salt and olive oil, garlic perhaps… it tastes like mashed potatoes :).
Favorite beet salad is to steam beets in a shallow pan of water, covered in foil at 400, cook till tender (45 min?) peel and chop.
Toss with walnut oil, walnuts and chives.
Oh Moxyboss, this post made me laugh so hard. :) I cooked dinner for Brandon a few weeks back and I wish you could have seen the pain and agony on his face when I told him he had to finish his veggies. He reverted back to five years old and I think I probably could have scored a twenty off him if I had let him stop eating…. he finished! Just took me sitting next to him for twenty minutes to make sure he didn't give it to my dog.
Got to love tough love and I need it for the workouts!
Go steam some spinach Brandon :)
So when it comes to eating veggies, I LOVE my grater…I grate up a big pile of zucchini or cauliflower, steam them lightly with some chopped greens, and then toss whatever sauce I'm making for my meat on top. It totally fills the hole in my life that once was rice.
Day 23 and I am doing great and I feel better than I have for years. Only seven days to complete this Challenge. I can't believe it only seven short days and I am in no hurry for it to end.
Day 9 here and still doing great. I had a few tummy rumbles over the weekend, but nothing that kept me out of the gym. My friends and family have noticed that I am eating differently and most have been curious and supportive. I am sold on the Sleep! I always knew I needed more, but life provided too many excuses. Picking priorities is the key.
@ Nadia – Love that grater idea!
@ Mer – Tragic Donuts – Awesome! Hope you enjoyed the weekend with the girls and enjoyed your Dino Chow too!
I used to think the only thing that I liked lime for was Gin and Tonic. But this weekend I found out that I do like citrus fruit! I had been putting clementine halves in my water to spruce it up a bit, and I found myself nibbling on a piece of clementine and actually reaching for the other half. I did try apple with sweet potatoe and I liked that, too!
Nice Steve – glad the 30 days are starting to feel less like a challenge and more like a platform to build on.
Since we're going back and forth on recipes we've tried recently, I gave the Quick Paleo Pancakes from Performance Menu a try (http://www.cathletics.com/recipes/index.php?action=recipe&recipeID=27). It worked out great! I even replaced the unsweetened applesauce with mashed banana (they needed to go) and used crunchy almond butter–still fantastic. I would serve these to anyone in place of the old favorite pancakes anytime.
Also, almond meal replaces breadcrumbs really well (like in a fantastic Eggplant Parmesan).
Now that I'm home from Iraq and my weeklong holiday has ended, it's time to get the family educated and working more good stuff into their diet. Yes, that's the real work. Yesterday we bought a whole tuna right from the boat and butchered it in the kitchen. Talk about Dino-chow! And never has fish tasted so good, so fresh.
And the kids learned the food on their plate doesn't just come from the market.
@nadia: What a great idea! I can't stand squash or zucchini but this method might make me take another stab at them. Thanks for the tip!
@Steve: Woohoo! Home stretch! You're almost ready for your victory lap!
@Jamie: I can't believe it's day 9 for us already! Keep up the great work!
@Karl: Paleo pancakes are my next culinary endeavour. Thanks for the tip about mashed bananas in place of applesauce. I can never eat the last one or two in a bunch and this is a great way to get use out of them!
Success story for the weekend: Thanks to all of your support, I chowed down on grilled chicken and beef fajita meat and drank water at my friends' wedding shower on Saturday. On Monday, I hosted an old school video game party at my place and ordered pizza for my friends….tempting, right? Nope! I made an organic angus beef patty and gnawed on raw broccoli, baby carrots, cucumber slices (they're my replacement for chips) and almonds. Super tasty!
I weighed myself this morning and am down to 172 from about 178-180 when I started. The fat is dropping off my face, my upper arms and (gasp!) even my spare tire! Hooray! :D
Mer! That is so. awesome. Congratulations! Esp. sticking to your guns this weekend with the parties. GREAT job, girl!
Thanks, Mel! That means a lot! :D
I'm planning on making Paleo-style pizza next time I host a party. :) I need to go find some almond flour to experiment with – >insert mad scientist cackle here<
Alright folks. I know the blog has kind of moved past this focus, but I'm signing myself up for another 30 days of Paleo. My eating habits have slid back almost to where they were before the first 30 days.
Unfortunately, this time it's going to be harder; I'm at college, and not in charge of my own food preparation, so I don't know what might potentially be "contaminated". In a few days my mini-fridge should arrive, so I'll be able to hoard good foods for those nights when the only protein in the dining hall is deli meat, cottage cheese, and popcorn shrimp (I shit you not, this happened on Saturday).
Even so I think there might be some things I really can't avoid, like eggs cooked with butter (the only protein source at breakfast). All I can do is entrust myself to your support that worked so well last time and do the best I can.
Gooooo Jake! You can do it! :D
Well done for focusing on staying healthy even while you're in college. I'm trying to lose the 20 pounds I packed on since starting college – stay strong now, you'll be thankful later! :D
PS – you should look into Paleokits. They'd be great to take with you during classes. They're really yummy!
Day 12 here and still doing fine.
@ Steve, your initial 30 days are about up – Finish Strong!
@ Jake – You are right; just do the best ya can with the options you have. I bet others following along (like Karl) would have some insight on working your way through cafeteria style food. I love the Paleo Kits idea and I am getting some for my days that include Grad School classes.
@ Mer – You go girl! I am loving this process so far, it is great to see you getting so much out of it too. :)
Jamie – I can't believe it's already been 12 days! I think I'm fully adjusted to this way of eating now. Even though I've only gotten about 6-7 hours of sleep every night this week, I still have loads of energy. Can't wait to see what I feel like with 8-9! I've lost my chin pouch and am down a total of 7 pounds since the very beginning of this. :) Keep up the great work!
OMG, Mer. "Chin pouch."
That made me laugh out loud. And for the record, I never, EVER looked at you and thought, "Chin pouch."
It was more, like, "She's badass. I like her!"
Thanks Mer, and Jamie for your support. You two are doing great too.
I am away from home and will not return until my 30 Day Challenge is over on this Tuesday. But it is no longer a challenge rather it is a way of life for me now. So my first chance for a legal cheat is this Tuesday and I am not really looking forward to cheating this Tuesday. Nothing is special about Tuesday just another day in my life. In fact the first day I see a reason to cheat is not until the following Saturday when I go to a social event. My cheat will be some wine. I mean some really good wine. I meant to say some great wine.
I have no desire to eat beard, rice, potatoes, candy or any other junk food. This lifestyle is allowing me to lose inches off my waist without going hungry. This lifestyle is saving my life. For about 25 years I have been getting fatter and fatter. I joined weight watchers and I was able to starve myself down 40 pounds, but the weight slowly came back. Before I found the 30 day challenge my weight peaked to 305.
I stood looking at the scale in disbelief. How I did I allow myself to reach 305? I tried eating less but I didn’t lose a pound until I got a really bad stomach virus that didn’t allow me to eat for three weeks and my weight during this illness dropped to 285. I thought to myself this is the jump start I needed to get my weight under control, but three weeks later in spite of starving myself I was back up to 292 and rising. So I brought a subscription to the CF Journal and started to read the nutrition articles. One of the articles I read was Melissa Byers article “Zone Gone Bad”. I thought to myself here is interesting person.
Then I searched the CF boards and I found out Melissa had her own blog and I decided to check out her blog. At the top of her blog as everyone reading this knows is a linked called “Change your life in 30 Days.” I knew I needed to change my life in order to save my life. With the direction of my weight I had serious doubts that would live another ten years. I am only 50 and I doubted I would make to sixty or live long enough to see my Grandchildren or see my son get married. So I took the challenge and it saved my life. At my last weighing I was down to 279. To many that may sound awful to weight 279, but I haven’t been that light for over five years. I am down to 279 without being hungry. Each day I feel better, have more energy and become leaner. Why would I want to trade that for potatoes, corn, pasta or any the other junk I used to believe was healthy food?
Melissa Byers and her “30 Day Challenge” not only changed my life, it saved my life. I was on a path to an early death and now I am going live long enough to see my son get married and to see my Grandchildren. I can’t thank Melissa enough for saving my life.
So I will end this long post by just saying Thank You Melissa for saving my life and I really do mean it when I say “Saving.”
Congrats Steve – it sounds like you are well on your way to an amazing transformation. Just think – the best is yet to come! :)
Day 15. I did just fine at the wedding reception. They actually ran out of food – not many people got to indulge no matter what their food plan is (or is not)…
Steve,
I am humbled by your comments. I didn't make any of this stuff up – I'm just passing it along, in the hopes of inspiring others to give it a try. I can't tell you what it means to hear your story. Thank you for sharing, and congratulations on your hard work and progress. You've got such great momentum – I can't wait to see where you are in another month, three months, a year!
Melissa
@Jamie
Thanks
@Melissa
I know you didn't invented it but you are the one who educated me and educated me for free.
My doctor (who I paid a lot of money) was the one who was telling me to eat low fat and more whole grain and beans. Well that didn't work and I was always hungry.
I been away on a business trip during the last 7 days and I started to IF because my time as been so limited and I haven't been hungry. I didn't plan to IF it just happen to be too easy to IF with my busy schedule. It just made life easy this week.
Yes I am looking forward to the next month, three months and years. I can't wait until I am the skinny guy and everyone asks How I did it and I will tell them that Byer's 30 Day Challenge Saved my Life.
BTW today is day 30.
Mel, I'm so glad I made you laugh! The "chin pouch" def existed and is one of the first places to indicate weight loss/gain for me. All signs point to loss! Hooray! Thanks for calling me a badass! I def need to get into that mindset if I'm going to rock at TXRG tryouts in a month (eep!).
Steve: OMG, what an inspiration! Well done, you and keep up the great work! I know you will. :)
Jamie: Holy crap, it's already been two weeks! I forgot to tell Austin Diner yesterday to leave the cheese off of my omelet and the establishment was closed for more tables after I got it…didn't have the heart to send it back (insert more stupid excuses here) so I ate the omelet with the cheese. I did ask them not to cook it in butter, but it was kind of a moot point. Back to strict Paleo! :)
Mer, lemme know if you want to get together for a pre-TXRG tryouts coffee/pow-wow. I can help you get psyched up!
Steve–> Your post made my eyes well up. LOVE that. Many congratulations. I'm super excited for you.
@Mer thanks and good job to you too.
@ Melicious thanks and when I think how this challenge changed me my eyes well up too. Powerful Stuff this challenge.
I published some new veg recipes today… in case someone needs some inspiration…
Unusual roasted veg – http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/2009/11/roasted-vegetables-perfect-for-lazy.html
All my veg recipes – http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/search/label/vegetables
Sunshine Sauce – http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/2009/07/sunshine-sauce.html
Enjoy! Be happy, eat healthy.