Trying to make it all happen...

I don't know about anybody else, but mornings are REALLY nutso around here.  Between getting myself ready (and looking at least a LITTLE bit presentable), getting the girls situated, and getting my shiz together for the gym, my lunch, and whatever other items I am taking to school with me that day, the last thing I need to concern myself with is my breakfast.  Now... I need to divulge fully here... I RARELY make my own breakfast in the morning.  For a long time, pretty much since forever, my hubs makes my breakfast.  He also will pack my lunch (pre-paleo) and he packs the girls' lunches.  I'm sure most people would stop here and say, "Well then what the hell are you worried about?"  My answer is:  I DON'T KNOW!!!!  But for whatever reason, I struggle in the mornings and doing paleo has thrown a kink into the system because poor Jojo just doesn't know what to make for me!  Enter the breakfast casserole.  Last week we used all our DUH-LISH fresh produce and some fantastic breakfast meat and mixed it up with some eggs.  VOILA... breakfast for the week.  This week, from Farmer's Market, we got some fresh country sausage and lots of veggies.  This week the ingredients were as follows:

• onion
• pepper
• zucchini
• spinach
• country sausage
• salt & pepper (and some cayenne)
• eggs (18)

Brown the meat, remove from pan, saute the veggies, wilt the spinach, replace the meat.  In a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray (which I know the cavemen didn't have... but it makes everything so much more simple), spread and even out the meat and veggies.  Then pour the beaten eggs over the top and stir it around and make sure everything is pretty evenly distributed.  Throw it in a 350 degree oven until it's set (I just squish on the top after a while and see if it's runny or not!).  It feeds both myself and my husband all week and it's SUPER good.  I like to eat it with avocado and tomato on top.  SO GOOD and it makes breakfast so much more doable!

Farmer's Market Day!

Today did not start terribly well.  First of all, we had a VERY unfortunate wake-up call at 4:25 this morning from my 4-year-old (and 2-year-old shortly thereafter) and I was one grumpy-ass byotch.  I had some snuggle time in my bed watching Care Bears and got my big girl pants on, took a shower, and got ready for the day.  I'm SO GLAD that I did because we got ourselves organized to head out to the Farmer's Market.  I was going with a real purpose.  My former self's purpose would have been to get an omelet with chicken, cheese, veggies, tortilla, and extra sour cream.  Actually, all things considered, that wasn't so bad... but then I would proceed to eat a few little mini donuts with powdered sugar, and probably, no... not probably... definitely a cookie or three.  Molasses... that's my fave.  THIS TIME, however... I really wanted to stock up on produce, and sister... let me tell you, produce I got.  We got beets the size of Lucy's (said 2-year-old that woke up at the ass-crack of dawn) head, cauliflower that weighs more than my purse, and some pretty duh-lish looking ground pork and breakfast sausage.  I'm so completely in love with my farmer's market.  I will try to get down next weekend and take pictures this time, but what we find there is truly drool-worthy.  I am completely geeked out over my veggies right now.  Roasted beets are topping my list right now, I seriously can't take them they are so freaking good.  Anyhooo... my big treat this time was this peach that was OVER THE TOP and a pluot that if I knew the actual name of I would name my next born after.  I love fruit that much.  I know eating TOO MUCH fruit isn't necessarily kosher with the paleo folks, but compared to tortillas with extra cheese, sour cream, and 16 cookies, I think a peach and a pluot could probably be acceptable.  I think if I could eat ALL the fruit I wanted with no sugar spikes, I would be able to confirm right here and right now that I could be paleo for the rest of my life with very few "cheats."  A current favorite "dessert" for me is banana slices with almond butter and blueberries.  It's like an ooey gooey PB&J.  Anyway, I digress... the market.   I found a fella that could possibly hook me up with some grass-fed beef for a pretty damn good price.  I left there feeling pretty fantastic because not only did I NOT eat all the stuff that I would normally pop in my face without even thinking about it, but I left there with GIANT, heavy bags full of delicious stuff that I am genuinely learning to LOVE to eat.

After the market, we went to the other end of the universe and made our WEEKLY Costco trip.  Milk for the girls, eggs, paper towels, the usual suspects.  But for all the things that we can't find at the market, or just plainly can't afford other places, Costco is a PERFECT solution.  My most recent find was a bag of Organic baby kales that are prewashed and really delicious.  We roasted that with some beets and garlic last week and it was SERIOUSLY awesome as well.  We finished Costco and headed home where I made a great salad and then took down a honeycrisp apple in record time.  Like I said, today was a heavy fruit day.  As I'm typing, I'm thinking about what fruit is in the kitchen for me to eat.  I know some may say I'm just replacing my bad habits and doing "substitute" eating, but I just can't see how eating some more fruit on some days could be a terribly awful thing. Plus, at the risk of divulging far too much, it's that "time" that I normally would be raiding the fridge, freezer, and pantry for anything and everything sweet, chocolatey, buttery, crunchy, etc. etc.  So a pluot?  I'm rollin' with it...

When both girls BLISSFULLY went down for naps, the hubs and I went out in the hard and pulled out some plants that we decided we didn't like and prepped a hole for the rose bush his Mom was bringing down for us.  (She is QUITE the gardener and is SUPER helpful and enthusiastic that I want to listen to what she has to say.)  It was so nice outside I just soaked up as much sun as possible.  We got the rose bush planted, enjoyed the sun, and got dinner ready.

I'm also trying to figure out how to plan a dinner party next weekend and stay "true" to my 30 day challenge.  I know I need to be respectful that other people aren't eating paleo, but I also don't want to have to prep and prepare a bunch of food that I'm not going to "be able" to eat.  It's officially been a week and tomorrow is my one-week weigh-in.  I'm anxious and excited to see how things are going and I'll tell ya', I feel really good.  I am not necessarily "wanting" any other food because I'm loving how I feel.  I am also really proud that I've been as "hard core" as I've been.  Just feels good to feel like I'm accomplishing something good for me.  I haven't been working out QUITE as much as I normally do, but when I do I am trying to make it out.  Anyway, Sarah Nelly Out...

What went in my belly today?
Breakfast:  2 fried eggs inside rings of sweet red pepper with tomato and avocado on top.  (CHOMP)
Snack:  Peach and pluot (the namesake of my next not planned for baby if it were ever to happen).
Lunch:  Green salad with tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, sunflower seeds, cold roast chicken, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette.  Oh, and a honeycrisp apple with walnuts.
Dinner:  Burger patty (Trader Joes has grass fed, bonus!) with mushrooms and roasted broccolette (I'm not sure I spelled that right).  Also we made a side salad with more vinaigrette.

Side-note:  After having an awesome experience with the burger, Jojo (the hubs) and I decided that not this week, but the following was going to be "The Week of Burgers."  I'm seeing an around the world in burger form coming to fruition, but I haven't ironed out the details yet, when I do, you'll be the first to know.

Paleo Resources...

So here are some places that I've been that have a CRAPLOAD of information regarding the 'Paleo lifestyle'.  I don't think I would venture to say that I have made a LIFESTYLE change in doing paleo.  My lifestyle change happened when I started my freaking trek from 296.  However, my family is NOT paleo, my husband eats what I make for dinner (paleo), and my kids still have an abundance of goldfish and Pirate Booty.  However, their exposure to more veggies and fruits have them inherently eating more of it.  I'm no saint, I know it would be good, but for now the only battle I'm willing to wage is with myself.  Anyhooo...I have needed some guidance in knowing what I can and can't eat and here's what I've looked to!

Great, easy list of to eat and not to eat:  Practical Paleo Living Food List
The guru of Paleo Lifestyle stuff:  Robb Wolf

That's just a start... seriously there is SO MUCH stuff out there.  Also, there's lots of variance.  I say pick the pieces that feel right.  For me, I've cut alcohol completely for the first 30 days.  Also, I have chosen no honey or sweeteners whatsoever (at least for the 30 days).  I'm also limiting dried fruits because of the high sugar because I DO want to lose weight.

I'll post "recipes" and pictures when I make something worthwhile, but I'll also do my best to at least post what I DID have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so it helps with some meal ideas!  I'm not a fancy cook, but I can cook.  I don't like to buy crazy ingredients so chances are good I'm not going out for 'coconut crystals' and crap like that.  I'm just gonna' eat easy food that's easy to prepare.  Also, it has to taste GOOD!!!!

What goes in Sarah Nelly's Belly...

So this whole 'Paleo' craze is taking CrossFit folks by storm and I was one of those people about a year ago.  I got into it for the first time a year ago and I did the 30-day challenge.  Whoa... I guess I should back-track a bit.

I got married in 2006 to the greatest fella a girl could dream of.  He keeps me on my toes and makes me laugh incessantly.  He's witty and clever and wonderfully thoughtful.  He also ALWAYS want to make me happy.  He's a gift.  I was quintessentially 'fat and happy.'  About a year after Joel and I got married we got pregnant and had our first little girl, Anna.  She was my reason for being, my everything, my purpose.  She was also my scapegoat for PACKING IT ON.  I have been overweight my entire life.  I have never been one of those people that say, "I wish I could get to my high school weight."  Granted, my high school weight was better than it was after I had Anna, but still nothing to be terribly proud of.  I was gifted with confidence beyond belief, but for some reason (I'm sure this will come up again later), I turned to food to fill ANYTHING.  Not depression, not a void, EVERYTHING.  I stayed home for 6 months with Anna and that was TOO long for ME.  I admire stay-at-home mothers with every ounce of my being, but for ME, it was too long.  I lost touch with reality and didn't get out and DO stuff much.  I ballooned up to 296 pounds.  It took this picture from a 4th of July trip to realize it was time for a change.  I didn't even KNOW that person.  I honestly had no idea until I saw it in print that I had gotten that big. 

I remember going directly to the gym the day after we got back.  I weighed in at 296 and knew I had a HELL of a long road ahead of me, but for whatever reason, I was ready for it.  Then I got pregnant... again.  HA!  I managed to get through the pregnancy and weigh LESS than I did when I got pregnant and just kept the ball rolling.  I kept working out as soon as I could, watched what I was eating, and according to my trainer the first time around, kept track of every single thing I ate.  I really believe that was the key for me.  I needed to start understanding the numbers to help me get control.  I'm a BIT of a control freak and if I can make it in to a puzzle, I kick it's ass, because I don't want to fail.  

Anyhoooo... I stayed with it, watched what I ate (again... I'm sure there's more to come here) and got to where I was feeling pretty spectacular looking at pictures!  Three years later at 4th of July, I had gotten to where I knew I was in the home stretch. 

There are times that I am still completely BLOWN AWAY that I let myself be that person in the first photo, even for a little bit... but I did, and I still pay the price because it's hard work, every day.  It takes conscious effort and now I have discovered and re-discovered the 'Paleo' way of eating.  I started getting in to CrossFit over the course of the last year or so and doing so gave me muscles and definition that would have been LAUGHABLE when I first started this process.  My trainer encouraged me to try it and the first time around, I just don't think my heart was in it.  But now I'm it to win it, man.  I've become a TOTAL nerd doing article research, reading studies, studying the science of it all... it makes sense, and I'll tell ya' what, just 6 days into it, I'm singing its praises in a new way.  A big reason I decided to do it is because I was TOTALLY sugar binging.  I would literally stand in the pantry and take down like three Fiber One brownies.  They're only 90 calories, right?  HA!!!  Those add up fast, especially if you decided to smear peanut butter on them, just a hypothetical.  Oh, and maybe dip them in Cool Whip.  But like I said, that's just IF someone chose to do that.  WHICH I TOTALLY DID!!!  FREAKING CRAZY-VILLE!  At least I knew I was out of control, right??

So here is where I'm at.  My first day on Paleo I weighed in at 178.6.  That was on Monday, September 24th.  I will keep track of my weight because let's face it, that's a tangible number evidence that something is doing some good.  Otherwise, I'll also keep track of how I'm feeling, what's going on, the trials, the tribulations, and the triumphs.  I will also keep track of the food because let's face it... it's all about the food.  I LOVE to eat.  I need to be able to enjoy what I eat and it had to taste DUH-lish.  If it doesn't, it's not gonna' work for me.  I still love ice cream, I still WANT ice cream... but I made a choice, and this is place where I can rant and rave and help me stick to something I know is good for me to make a change from the inside-out.