Paleo Pals - Health, Weight Loss & Support

JunieB

Good Evening Ladies,

I have been unable to check in on this thread this last week because I was in the hospital with cellulitis & sepsis. I did try to eat as many vegetables, fruit, omelets, lots of water, etc., but there was a grilled flat bread sandwich with grilled veggies, mozzarella and an herb spread that was very tasty. Considering how sick I have been, it is surprising that I had any appetite at all. Now I am back home and preparing for my trip to Rodchester, Minnesota for a consult. at the Mayo Clinic with one of their Neurosurgeons regarding the removal of my T11 vertebrae. Way too much is a short span of time.

Egads007

Morning Cave Peeps!!

DUM DUM DUMMMMMMMMM...…... IT'S MONDAY!!! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!!

Care to take a dare at the Vegas buffet table? Report in on your possible weekend indiscretion?? Remember, what happens on Monday, stays on Monday. We are, afterall, cave chickies!

I managed just fine.....having a permanent snoot full of sewer gas in your nostrils all weekend pretty much guarantees fasting )))) Our plumbing nightmare continues. I'll be kind and not relate complete *gulp gag* details. We get 'scoped' (house colonoscopy) tomorrow. The 'lake sized puddle' of 'fluid' has been drained from the garage and I got my workout by bleaching and scrubbing it all down yesterday. I want another vacation.....like NOW!! ))))

Ksusan – That cartoon looks like a perfect fit for a Paleo Cosmopolitan Mag cover LOL!!

Inna (godda davida) – Awwww sweetie, hang in, I know first hand how badly Taxol sucks. You do what you need to do in order to find comfort…..food, fun or anything to find it! Hugs!!!

TwoH – LOL!! I said the EXACT same as you did…..this whole thing could pay for a vakay or part of our planned kitchen reno (which I desperately want!!). It's all fine and dandy getting it fixed but you can't even see the results! I'm thinking of closing all the bathrooms down and installing an outhouse in the back yard )))))As for food on the run I have to agree, it's tough….everything is breaded! The carb count is astronomical and hence why us north american's are gaining by the day. I can't tell you how many times I pop into a grocery store for a premade salad only to find breaded chicken or croutons loaded into the mix (canola oil dressing yikes). When I ask if there is plain salad with roast chicken they look at me like I have 3 heads!!

Vamp – That pie looks yummy!! Recipe?? What is keto bisquick? Never heard of that….store bought? Sorry to fire all these questions at you lol, you must feel like you're under interrogation! )))) I was SO glad to hear the aspartame was the root of your probs!! Hang in on the exercise, you'll get there!

JKL - How are you doing on the recovery diet? What do they have on the menu?? How is the healing up going?? We have ways of making you talk!! ))))

JuneB – Hiya sweetie!! Great to see you post, but sad to see you're going through the cellulitis & sepsis. Agreed, you've had WAY TOO MUCH lately. I'm hoping the Mayo appointment goes well, keep us posted. You're in good hands, the Mayo Clinic is amazing!Big Hugs!! Editing to add: Just read your story on the Insomniacs page....I'm SO sorry you went through all that pain and SO glad to finally get relief.....as someone else noted, you're an awesomely strong woman and an example to us all. Bigger hugs!!!

Ok, so, where the heck are the rest of the Cavies? We need to hear from y'all…..you're missed!!

Egads007

FOOD PORN ALERT!

*warning, paleo content to follow that may cause excitement and drooling. Proceed with caution.

Paleo Peach Cobbler (gotta love summer!!) at:

https://blog.paleohacks.com/peach-cobbler/

My topping is darker than what is shown on the recipe site...I’m a cinnamon freak so I added a ton lol. Easy peasy to make! Next up....blueberries....did I mention you gotta love summer

JKL2017

I'm recovering well but I'm incredibly bored. I had no idea how much I would miss my workouts. I am walking around the house a lot but it's too hot & humid to venture outside. (And no REAL exercise allowed for at least six weeks.)

These next two weeks are decidedly non-paleo; I'm on a full liquid diet (soup, Greek yogurt, pudding, ice cream, oatmeal, etc). DH has used the Vitamix to make some paleo-friendly soups, though, so it's not all bad. What's surprising for this former sugar addict is that I have little interest in the sweets allowed. Instead, I'm craving salads & a chicken avocado burger!

I see my surgeon on Friday so hopefully she'll allow me to broaden my eating horizons a little (I'd kill for some scrambled eggs!).

Vamp, I'd love that recipe too; looks great!

JunieB, your flatbread sandwich sounds wonderful! How pathetic am I that I am envying your hospital food? I am so sorry that you're having such a rough time. But hang in there, we've got your back!

I'm looking forward to being fully mobile by the time fall arrives. In the meantime, thank goodness for FaceTime, Netflix & library books. And thanks for posting the food porn. (Peach cobbler is the perfect August treat, Egads!)

Egads007

JKL - Tanking sugar craving is such a huge benefit isn't it? Not to mention cravings like yours for healthy foods. I feel bad that you're suffering through a liquid diet for the next while. Hope this helps your avocad & chick cravings:

AVOCADO SOUPS (chicken stock base).......let's take this 'round da' world!

North America & most likely the UK and Europe:

https://www.primalpal.net/paleo-recipe-blog/97/paleo-cream-of-avocado-soup

Columbian (one of my favs)

https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/crema-de-aguacate-colombian-creamy-avocado-soup

Japanese:

https://www.alive.com/recipe/creamy-cool-avocado-wasabi-soup-with-crab-timbales/

Thai: https://www.alive.com/recipe/creamy-thai-avocado-soup-2/ Asian-ish & Chilled......perfect humidity fighter! (another one f my favs) https://www.bhg.com/recipe/chilled-avocado-soup-with-ginger-basil/For when you're sick to death of avocado soup and need sustenance move on with the mighty sweet potato!!https://perchancetocook.com/2015/01/12/creamy-sweet-potato-and-broccoli-soup-paleo-gf-dairy-free/….….and 20 more just in case!!!http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/20-gorgeous-paleo-soup-recipes/Bon Apetite!!!

JKL2017

Thanks so much, Egads! DH is getting out the ingredients for your Columbian avocado soup as I type - looks like our Vitamix is going to be busy. (And I really look forward to trying that sweet potato & broccoli soup! Don't you love a good soup in the fall?)

vampeyes

Keto Bisquick - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LvagQADNY4KlRn...

The zucchini pie is 4 eggs, 2 cups of shredded zucchini, 1 cup cheese, 1 cup Keto Bisquick, 1 medium onion chopped. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a sprayed pie plate. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Variations: Add in mushrooms, diced ham or any cooked meat. Switch the zucchini to broccoli.

If anyone has a yummy alternative to cheese let me know.

I am disappointed. I did not visit Vegas this week at all. I have been really good, counting the calories. I am not loosing like I think I should be, especially after last weeks gain! I am getting quite frustrated and ready to say "screw it" - too much work!

Egads007

JKL - let us know how the soup turns out please. Most of what I listed can be served chilled if you’re into chilled soups, otherwise yes indeed fall/winter was made for these recipes!

Vamp - Thanks for the bisquick info and recipe! I sent you a PM...don’t throw in the towel just yet...hang in with us...we need you! You’ll get there

ksusan

Yum!

JunieB, hang in there!

Pi-Xi

Hang in there, vampeyes! There's always a time lag with losing or with gaining! It takes time for the body to adjust to new habits.

JKL2017

Egads, your soup was awesome! Next time DH makes it I'm going to sprinkle bacon on it! He's going to make roasted red pepper soup tomorrow - can't wait!

Vamp, I plateaued after a strictly paleo week & then went down 3 pounds the next week! Weight loss isn't always linear. Perhaps you're replacing fat with (heavier) muscle & the numbers on the scale don't fully reflect what's happening. Don't give up! You can't leave; you're one of us!!!!

ksusan

Here's an assortment of silicone food bags (reduce plastic waste; reduce food exposure to plastic).

Egads007

JKL - so glad you enjoyed! Your Caveman is now our official Soup Nazi ))))) omg I miss Seinfeld!

ksusan

Welcome back to our studio audience and our friends playing along at home! It's time for... LOW...LOW...CARB...TUESDAY! Is it carbs keeping our lovely contestant from breaking out of the same weight week after week? Kicking her fasting blood sugar up every few days? Ladies and gentlepersons, she has NOT lost any inches and her clothing does NOT feel looser! Her macros and calories are stellar! Her keto stick is a lovely shade of medium purple! Is it the CARBS? Is it TAMOXIFEN? Is it MENOPAUSE? Or merely the MISFORTUNE IN HER STARS?

Are you with me? It's time to play LOW...LOW...CARB...TUESDAY!

Today's breakfast: BPC with T heavy cream, avocado, chicken broth with butter. Water.

Today's lunch: Avocado, egg, butter. T macadamias. Water.

Today's dinner: Chicken broth with butter. Chicharrones. Water.

Stay tuned! Follow along! Place your bets for tomorrow's FBC and weigh in!

Egads007

Ksusan - LOL!!! I like your style girlfriend!

I'm with you and picked Door #3 for a breakfast combo of 2 hardboiled eggs, a clementine and salad.....all washed down with a cup of coffee.

I spun the big wheel and landed on a salad that included shrimp from last nights dinner.

I'll be placing my bets on a grilled chicken dinner with sautéed (in bacon grease) green beans, roasted grape tomatos and field green salad.

If I advance to the winner's circle I'll be awarded half an avocado and glass of homebrewed ice tea later tonight if I'm hungry.

Carbs should def rank in well under 75 for the day and the rest of the macros in place!

I'm hoping this leads to an all expense paid vakay to somewhere.....anywhere away from my plumbing issues )))))) Hey! Maybe the grand prize will be a new sewage pipe )))

ksusan

Okay, placing my bet on Egads!

My prize will be feeling like I'm cheating if I eat salads at an upcoming conference.

The grand prize is the possibility that this decreases cancer risk and improves quality of life!

cowgal

Hi cave chicks! Sorry, I have been AWOL. Been super busy with my three patients (husband, dog and horse) in addition to work and still unable to log onto this site with by Android phone. All three patients are healing well!

Egads - I have been mostly paleo but have had a few indiscretions but at least am staying away from the biggest enemy of them all...SUGAR and for me also gluten. Since the patients are taking less time, I can work on being more strict on the paleo. I did purchase a book called Practical Paleo but have yet had time to actually read it.

JKL - Yes, I think we started the same day. I know dairy is kind of a gray area for paleo and unfortunately, I think I may have to give it up. I really think I may have an issue with it. I am down a couple of pounds, which isn't much but it is better than gaining. Glad to hear you didn't have blood clot.

Everyone - The recipes look great! Very motivating.

Egads007

Cowgirl - Thanks for checking in.....you have def been missed! Great to see your patients are improving, your caveman especially, his was a pretty nasty injury! Give him our best please! Congrats on putting sugar in its place, atta' girl!

As for Practical Paleo, awesome choice and a great book....meal plans, recipes, and easy to understand info on the how and why of Paleo. It was my first book and can't recommend it enough....even to our Paleo Unicorn!

Available on Amazon and most bookstores....check it out! Thanks for bringing it up Cowgirl! Hope to see plenty more of you here soon!

Egads007

Good morning Cave Peepers!! The day you've all eagerly anticipated, with bated breath of course, has finally arrived (stop rolling your eyes )))))

Yes kids it's...........................................WORKOUT WEDNESDAY!!!

So off that sofa, chair or Netflix fest you may be celebrating and let's get down & jiggy wit' it!!

Today's edition focuses on the mighty Plank…the cornerstone move that should be included in every workout.

Plank benefits are:

• Toned belly, stronger core (HELLO! what cave chick doesn't want that?!?!?!?)
• Flexibility
• Reduced back pain
• Balance & better posture
• Mood enhancement, stress reduction
• Toned belly, stronger core (just thought I'd put that out there again )

Not sure how to do a plank? Here's how:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynUw0YsrmSg

Planks can be done in long or short stints....try holding for 10-15 seconds in the beginning and build from there....exercise isn't a race, go at your own pace (hey! I'm a poet and didn't know it!)

Doing 2-3 a day doesn't take up much time and they can be spread out over your day. For such an important exercise I find them to be the easiest to accomplish on a regular basis.

So drop down Cavies and gimme' 3! )

Egads007

TUTORIAL THURSDAY – *singing* Hey Macro-rena!! (oh that's so bad!)

Time again for homework chickies, and today's hot topic has been inspired by many posts in our lil' ol' community…..specifically food. How much? What portions, ratios, carbs, sugars and on and on and on.

There is a nifty little method to making sure you're not only eating healthy, but getting the most from what you chow down on.

MACROS. No, not macaroni !!! Sheesh, ain't nobody Paleo got time for macaroni !

Short for "macronutrients," it refers to carbs, fats, and proteins—the three basic components necessary to any diet choice. If you get your personal macro proportions right, it makes maintaining a sensible eating style a lot more effective, especially when simple dieting fails.

HOW TO SET YOUR CUSTOMIZED MACRO LEVELS (warning, math involved, if you're like me go get the calculator now ))

The king of all macros is protein, and the first number you need to determine. Protein is necessary for a plethora of bodily functions including, but not limited to: building and repairing tissues, making enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Pretty important stuff.

To determine the grams of protein required to support your basic body composition you first must figure out your Lean Body Mass. Lean body mass is the composition of your body minus the fat. To determine your LBM Use this calculator: https://www.calculator.net/lean-body-mass-calculator.html

This will give you the number of pounds you weigh without body fat, your Lean Body Mass (LBM). The first time I did this I almost fainted at how much fat I was lugging around….seriously shocking! Now, keep in mind that most body calculators are limited to average people. The BMI or LBM of a weightlifter will state he/she is obese, so no it's not perfect. The numbers do not take into account anything other than average. You know your body so if your number seems off, feel free to PM me and we can work out a customized calculation.

Ok so now that you have an LBM on to determining your daily Macros.

PROTEIN LEVEL:

Take your LBM number multiply it by .8 (that is point 8) This will give you the grams of protein you require to fuel your daily bodily functions. (If you're very athletic and have a great deal of muscle mass you can go as far as multiplying by 1 gram per LBM). If you live a very sedentary lifestyle you can go down to .7, but NEVER less than .5, ever. The .8 fits the average gal.

So now you have your personalized daily grams of protein number to feed your body but not your body fat.

CARB LEVEL:

Your carb level is entirely up to you and dependant on what your goal is…here's a guide to help make that decision

• 0 to 50 grams – Rapid weight loss (ketosis)

• 50 to 100 grams – Effortless weight loss, 1-2 lbs per week, sometimes more

• Maintain weight 100 – 150 grams – a great level to maintain once weight goal is reached

• Default zone 150 – 300 grams- usually indicates grain based diet, leads to weight gain

• 300+ - DO NOT GO THERE!! You'll pack on pounds like it was going out of style!

Okey Dokey, so once you have chosen your carb requirements you're almost there.

FAT LEVELS (healthy fats only please!):

The balance of your macros will be in fat. Fat grams required will depend on how many calories you want to consume…diet, maintain or gain levels. Simply fill out the balance of calories per day with the fat.

EXAMPLE – based on 1500 calories per day:

Protein level: Paleo Peggy (ain't she purdy?) is a 150 lb, 5'7" moderately active woman who has 24% body fat which means the rest of her body weighs 108 lb, her lean body mass (she carries 42 lbs of fat). She therefore needs 86 grams of protein on average, per day (108 x .8). If she gets 60 or 80 some days and 110 on others, she'll still be in a healthy average range. And even if she exceeds the 110, it's no problem if she's eating low carb because the excess protein will convert to glucose, which will reduce her effective carbohydrate needs.

At 4 calories per gram, that's between 340 to 440 max calories per day in protein. (400 calories will be used for the example)

Petunia's carb level of choice is 80 grams. At 4 calories per gram that's 320 calories per day.

Petunia's fat levels would then be in the 78 grams per day range. At 9 calories per gram that's 780 calories from fat per day.

Total cals = 1500

Petunia's macros are then expressed in percentages

Protein 30% (the calculation of what percentage 400 grams protein is out of 1500 calories/day)

Carbs 20% (same calculation as above)

Fats 50% (ditto)

If Petunia raises her calories per day she can adjust the percentages.

So Paleo Petunia can proudly tell the world, "Hey, check me out, my macros are 30/20/50", and she'll look all cool and healthy.

Making use of this simple calculation (although seems complicated at first glance) can make the difference in reaching your weight/health goals.

Fact is, 80% of your body composition will be - determined by your diet. Period. If you workout like nobody's business 7 days a week, but are eating too much or in the wrong levels, paleo or otherwise, it's almost guaranteed that you'll notice your waistline expanding or your scale not budging.. Period. Not all calories are created equal, we want balanced nutrition along with weight loss and better health, so take advantage of macros, maybe just for the hell of it.

If anyone wants to determine their macros but are having probs, please feel free to PM me and I'd be very happy to help.

Whew……that was a long one wasn't it? Who am I kidding, it's always long )))))

vampeyes

I AM GOING TO VEGAS TODAY! Yup I made the decision, to go and have ice cream with the men in my life. I was going to be a good girl and stay home, but with all the weight frustration screw it I am going to enjoy this and then start again tomorrow.

Know what day diets start?...............................TOMORROW! hahahahaha

Dairy Queen is having some charity thing going on apparently so I am sacrificing myself for the greater good.

Egads - thank you for that post, lots of information to absorb. I need a list of proteins I can turn to other than eggs to up my levels. I almost had pecans, but looked at their fat and changed my mind!

Pi-Xi

vampeyes, a friend posted on FB about the Dairy Queen fundraiser and an A & W one coming up for MS. I responded with "Strange that there are no kale promotions for causes..."😂

vampeyes

Pi - I really wish restaurants would get on the healthy eating wagon. Very difficult to find something when I am out for dinner with the family. I dislike eating out for that reason! Did you see that Pizza Pizza added cauliflower crust, it's not the way we would make it. Got to feel badfour the ones who think it's healthy and not look at the ingredients.

Pi-Xi

I agree, vampeyes. Not being able to eat out easily is a real social problem. Thank goodness I have my cheat meal once a week! The "healthy" options are mostly just lip-service at restaurants. Very few places have things I can eat and I don't want to question the ingredients too thoroughly! Recently, I went to a family barbecue and brought my own meal (6 cups of salad). Apparently stressing about it can be as bad as eating poorly though.

https://blog.fitbit.com/effects-of-stress/?utm_sou...

vampeyes

That would explain my weight issue and I believe my cancer issue. I am a worrier and have tons of stress.

Don't think I am getting Dairy Queen, those line ups are huge. I guess the universe is looking out for me. 🤪

Egads007

Saved by the world Vamp LOL!! Yes, it's a lot of info to process....I know you know how to get the numbers, start with a 30/20/50....protein can come by way of meat, poultry and fish & seafood (shrimp salad for lunch yummers) eggs.

Just for fun I looked up the ingredients in Pizza Pizza's faux cauliflower crust...…

---

Non-GMO cauliflower (Nice!)

Non-GMO pizza mix ((corn starch (what the hell!)

rice flour (Seriously?!?!?)

potato starch (Carb City here we come!)

dextrose, vegetable fibers (psyllium, fructose, emulsifier (Oh sounds scrumptious!)

vegetable fibers (inulin), stabilizer (sorbitol, non-GMO yeast, (Can we all spell flatulence??)

non-GMO extra virgin olive oil, non-GMO brown cane sugar, non-GMO sea salt. (Oh thank you Pizza Pizza for pairing a healthy non-gmo oil with a wack of simple sugar and sodium.....you've made my day!!)

May contain traces of soya. ( Just to add insult to colon & stomach lining injury, literally)

---

Everyone - VAMP points out a very valid problem.....read your labels and always ask if in doubt about menu items claiming to be 'low carb' or 'paleo/keto friendly'. 9 times out of 10 it's smoke and mirrors....or as better said by PIXI, lip service.PIXI - So true about the Kale LOL! How you doing darlin? Long time no see!No idea why the bold font is stuck on this post......probably full of gluten )))))

vampeyes

Hormones 1

Vampeyes 0

I was starving! Felt like I hadn't eaten in a week. French fries and ice cream. Oh the carbs I've seen. Oh boy.

JKL2017

Vamp, I'm currently on a full liquid diet & ice cream is one of the few foods I'm permitted to eat. And, of course, now that I'm "allowed" to eat it I have no desire to! So you can have my ice cream tonight - enjoy it! Tomorrow I have a follow-up appointment with my surgeon & I'm going to beg her to let me eat some scrambled eggs. Isn't it interesting how contrary our bodies can be? I can't wait to get back to eating paleo & going to the gym!

Egads007

LOL @ Vamp's memes!!

We can play rough if you'd like....we can slap you WITH the cheat...we can call it the 'Vegas pizza slap'

)))

JKL- let us know how the appt goes...crossing fingers that eggy goodness is approved.

P.S. and there I was thinking I was the only one that liked fries with ice cream.

Egads007

Maybe it's the late hour, lack of sleep or my plumbing issues making me crabby, but I just took great umbrance at reading (on another thread) eggs being termed as 'chicken ovulation'. Where I come from, putting disparaging labels on another person's food choice is considered rude/disrespectful. I would never call (or even think) of tofu as 'bean poop'!

I might take hell for posting this, but it's not the first time I've seen such references or had them said to my face. Kinda sick of it.

Meh, I guess difference is what makes the world go round. I'll regain my patience tomorrow

Nite Cavies!!