Closet Paleo Eater

Free Paleo books from Amazon! Diet, recipes and more. Changes daily but always free!

Ok, I admit it. I have had issues with weight control most of my adult life. Blame it on genetics, self control or just plain gluttony, but what's true is true. I've stared at the weight scales in my bathroom every day for years "playing the game". Am I up, down, or the same? It's demoralizing and a hard habit to break. 

Hmmm, let's see..... 

weight watchers- yeah it worked for a while but expensive and time consuming and at the time, had a family with small children so dropped out.

Adkins low carb- worked all right but too restrictive and I worried about my nutritional needs. I missed and wanted fruit!!

Carboholics- definitely made sense but again was too much like Adkins. However it was nice to know that there were thousands if not millions of Americans who also dependent on carbs and processed foods. I didn't feel alone.

Calorie counting- boring and way too easy to eat just one thing to put me over the top!

 Last year I was curious and looked up Paleo thinking that No Way could I eat like a caveman or cavewoman. Afterall early man didn't get to eat three squares a day or even guaranteed a meal at all that day! That ain't happening, lol

However, I discovered that Paleo eating is basically about not eating processed products, agricultural foods and dairy to make it simple. Hmmm, eliminate, grains, legumes, processed sugars and boxed products, and diary. Well OK, I am good with most of that. I can go without with most of that but do reserve the right to some dairy such as full fat plain yogurt and cheeses. I don't care for drinkable milks, even nut milks. I think it's a taste and texture thing. But I do love plain yogurt with just a touch of maple syrup mixed into any kind of fruits I like for a yummy almost dessert like meal and the probiotics are good for my intestinal tract. And cheese, well, its just a food group of it's own in my opinion.

Oh, btw, I do eat one grain on a regular basis-- Oatmeal. Gluten free oatmeal is a Godsend and full of healthy fiber plus keeps you regular. I cooked up a quantity and keep in my fridge so "instant" oatmeal. I also add it to my dog's meals too. For a cereal type breakfast, I have a very small amount (1/4 to 1/3 cup cooked with a few nuts broken up and some berries in it. I add about one teaspoon of butter and maple syrup, mix and consume. Delicious!). Occasionally, I will spoon out a tablespoon of precooked oatmeal and mix into some plain yogurt with a little maple syrup and a touch of vanilla. To me, it's reminiscent of tapioca pudding, yummy!

 If I want a "bread", I have nut flours in my fridge and in about five minutes, I can have a muffin hot and yummy right out of my microwave. So I'm not lacking for "carbs".  And I have fruit!

 So basically my "Paleo Lite" way of eating includes, some dairy, and oatmeal. Not too bad of a deviation of the hard core Paleo plan and it works for me. Compromise is the key here for me. 

Let me point you to a website with a one page article that can better explain this dietary way better than I can: https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/

After adopting this way of eating over the past few months, I can honestly say I have dropped some significant weight, enough that people notice and comment. Sweet! However, as being a mere mortal I have slipped up this month and been eating some foods that are totally bad (seriously, Pringles? thank goodness that itch is out of my system now) and have bumped back up a couple of pounds but more importantly that damn round belly fat is back. And it's true, I feel bloated and gassy, not two feelings that I enjoy. So, it just goes to prove that my system just plain does better eliminating the non Paleo foods. 

 So, yeah, I'm a believer and I'm coming out of the closet. 

Lots of recipes and sites can be found on Pinterest and just by Googling. 

Springtime and time to start some seeds

It's mid March and it's time to get some seeds going. This year I am trying out a "new to me" black tomato called Japanese Black Trifele. I've grown Russian black tomatoes in the past and yes, they were ugly, but oh so juicy and full of flavor. Hoping these will measure up. These are a smaller tomato (around 2-3 inches on average) but that's good. I should get some fully ripened fruit. The plant is indeterminate which means it will vine and continue to set and ripen fruit up to killing frosts in October.
 Apparently the parent genetics comes from the Russian black so I am hoping for great results.
 I think I will look into getting some red mulch plastic to cover the bed with. With our shorter and cooler summers than what we had in southern Oregon, any way I can get fruit to produce and ripen, then I'm going there.

Also I planted some flower seeds for my hanging baskets at the same time. Got two different varieties of nasturtiums to try out. With the cost of store bought flowers starts and baskets, thought I would grow my own this year.

So last night I dug out an old Aero Garden set up that I had from years past. Viola! the lights still work, so got a 45 cell container out of the greenhouse, some rockwool cubes I found, potting soil and planted seeds today. Word to wise...... be sure to make a list/diagram of what seeds are in each pod! I have the cell container sitting on a cookie sheet under lights, so hopefully should see some seeds pop in a week or two.

It sure is nice to see spring again!

What's wrong with this picture?

Seriously, can fake diet pics get much worse? The article states that she lost the weight (37 pounds) in one month with their miracle diet (pills and vinegar). Sounds too incredible to be true?

Before pic: notice the length of her hair first of all. Now look at the after picture. Hair grows an average of 1/2 inch a month. I would say there is a good 3 to 4 inches difference so at best, six to eight months later.

Now look at the shorts: They want you to focus on the waist of course. But look at the legs. Why is the one (right) leg so much larger than on her left side which appears to fit her leg properly?

Now, I'm not saying that she didn't lose the weight but certainly not in a month. And the "fake" shorts are just too obvious.

So, if indeed these photos are six months apart, then yes, she could lose the 37 pounds in that length of time although that's a bit over six pounds a month, but doable.

Of course, we will never know if she dieted using their formula or not, but just goes to prove, "Don't believe everything you see on the internet"!