The Elephant-- Part 3 (sort of)

I've started this post in my head about 40 times.  But, I just haven't been able to muster the energy to tackle it FULLY until now.  And, quite honestly, I'm still feeling pretty wobbly and am not entirely sure about what I'm going to say....

I'll start with something basic:  "the plan."

As I alluded to in my previous posts (see part 1 and part 2), I've struggled with not only LOSING weight but with even having the energy to ATTEMPT to lose weight.  I had previous successes with several plans:

• Weight Watchers (lost about 13 pounds in just a few weeks)
• Curves (not sure how much weight I lost, but I certainly felt better... much of which should probably be credited to the TANNING BED that they also offered!  Hey, as Beth Moore says, "Tan fat is ALWAYS better than white fat.")
• Atkins diet (not sure of the number, but it all came back with a vengeance!)
• Somersize diet/lifestyle (was a weird food-combining concept, but it worked!)
• The ol' fashioned, "expend more calories than you take in" diet-- you know, EXERCISE and don't EAT as much (calorie-counting)-- using My Fitness Pal-- which was also successful, but I felt like I was OBSESSING over calories, servings, etc.  It was very mentally draining....  
• And, then there was Paleo/Primal.  I could see myself eating a "mostly" Paleo/Primal diet for the rest of my life.  I think there is value in it.  But, it was hard to maintain when no one else in my family was inclined to give up their bread.  So, the bottom line is that I was discouraged and gave in to the "mockers."

While I would like to go back to Paleo/Primal eating, I have a couple concerns:

1. It's expensive.  I know that some people would disagree, but let me give you one huge example:  A small head of cauliflower (a very popular Paleo "starch") costs $2.99 and will probably last for two meals (for just ME).  A 5-lb bag of rice is $3.79 and will probably last for 10-12 meals for my ENTIRE FAMILY.  So, while I LOVE cauliflower... I can't afford to serve it more than twice a week without going broke!  Cabbage is another favorite "starch" substitute, and it DOES last longer (and is cheaper) than cauliflower, but it's still not as cheap as RICE. 
2. Eating Paleo makes it difficult to eat at restaurants and other people's homes.  Period.  Sure, you can plan ahead and bring your own food when you visit... but, it's awkward.  And, if you're a "Paleo Purist," eating at a restaurant is VERY difficult, and the wait-staff will HATE you!

So, what can a person who mostly believes in Paleo/Primal eating (except for the obvious evolutionary viewpoint behind it) but can't really DO IT do?  Well, here's what I AM doing:

• Serving my family as many "whole foods" as possible.  Now, when I say "whole foods," I mean food that hasn't been "messed with" too much-- so I consider, say, canned tomatoes  a "whole food."  [Note:  don't confuse "whole food" with "raw food."  That's something else altogether....]
• Avoiding overly-processed foods.  This may seem redundant, but I have to emphasize this to mySELF, so I'm making it a separate bullet-point here.  The allure of pre-fab foods (corndogs, frozen burritos, etc.) is SO tempting-- especially when you're raising three starving children on a very tight budget!  When my girls (now 8 and 11) get home from school, they want something to eat, and they want it NOW.  [And, I won't lie:  I have frozen burritos in my freezer right this second. We're obviously still working on this one!]  But, here's a free tip:  If something has more than 4 ingredients, we should probably skip it.
• Trying to slowly cut out wheat.  Now, this is a TOUGH ONE.  And, we are at the VERY beginning of it, as a family, but I'm encouraged by the willingness I'm seeing-- especially my husband's.  Yesterday, in fact, I cooked pulled pork to take to my sister's house to watch a football game (Go, Seahawks!), and I asked my husband if I should get TWO packages of buns (for sandwiches) or just ONE.  (There would be a total of 10 people eating, and one package of buns contains eight.)  He said, "Well, WE aren't eating buns, are we?"  Yaaaaaaay!  [Coincidentally, neither of my girls opted for the bun, even though the other kids were having them-- another "yaaaaay!" is in order!]  There are several health issues we are facing in my family-- from chronic skin ailments to chronic digestive problems-- and I'm convinced that cutting out wheat (gluten) could possibly help with some-- if not ALL-- of these things.  So, we're giving it the ol' college try....
• Leaning toward organic produce, when possible.  This was easier when we lived in the Pacific Northwest (with a Trader Joe's right around the corner).  Living in a more rural area makes this harder during WINTER, but we plan to grow our OWN FOOD, come spring, so hopefully this will become easier.
• Looking for more "responsibly-raised" meat/poultry.  This should be easier here, too, but it is also more expensive... so it's on our "when we can" list of things to do.
• Relying LESS on dairy as a source of protein/filler... and possibly buying raw dairy when we can afford it.  (There IS a dairy farm that sells raw milk around here, but I've not taken the plunge yet.) 
• Using lots and lots and lots of AMAZING Paleo-friendly recipes/resources, because there are so many awesome recipes that use clean, whole, delicious foods.  THIS is a favorite book, and THIS is a favorite website.  :)

If we were truly Paleo/Primal, we also wouldn't eat beans (legumes) or grains, but that's just not possible right now.  They're CHEAP.  I'd like to experiment with properly prepared grains and legumes and see if that helps them to digest more easily.  But, that's a whole other post....

So, back to the "weight loss competition" I've entered (and I'll wrap up this boring post):  It is through doTERRA, a company for which I've been an Independent Product Consultant for almost a year now.  The product line I am using is called, "Slim & Sassy."  I am using the Slim & Sassy Metabolic Blend essential oil (internally), as well as the Slim & Sassy TrimShake.  [Yes, this is technically a "processed food," but I'm just testing it out, for purposes of the competition.]  I will also be using another oil blend, Zendocrine, which helps to detoxify.  Along with these products, I will be incorporating exercise into my routine and will hopefully instill habits that will extend beyond the 3-month-long competition-- hence the "lifestyle change" aspect.  The competition started last Wednesday (January 15), but I'm having a slow time getting started.  I borrowed a fitness ball last night, and I'm going to begin with some fairly simple ball exercises and incorporate more "movement" in a few days.  I'll keep you posted!

Okay, I'm so bored with this post, and I'm so glad it's over.  Sorry!  I hope I've not bored YOU to tears as well!  Perhaps you can feel the angst behind it... if so, I hope you will encourage me/pray for me along this journey toward a more fit, fun, fabulous ME.  :)

Until next time....   :)