I’m so over these recaps. I’m sure most of you are too. But this is it! DAY 21!!! WOOT!!!

What I Ate

I can hardly remember what I ate Saturday. I remember it was a tough day because I was home most of the day, and all afternoon I just wanted to snack. We worked hard in the yard all morning planting mums and spreading mulch, and afterwards it started to rain so we all hunkered down with books for a leisurely afternoon. It’s a really good thing there was no wine or allowable crackers in the house. I do much better when I’m busy. It wasn’t that I was craving sweets necessarily, I just wanted the Saturday afternoon experience of snacking and reading and taking it easy. Plus if you recall, I sorta fell off the wagon the night before (Friday) so I was DETERMINED to stick to the program on Saturday if it killed me. And I did. So yay me.

(For breakfast I had an omelette, and for lunch I had beet salad. Dinner was roasted chicken with carrots and sautéed swiss chard. Snacks were tea, coffee, and those seasoned roasted seaweed snacks.)

Sunday was easier. I made those apple muffins for breakfast and had 3 along with 2 cups of coffee.

Then we went out to eat after church, and I ordered steak and broccoli and a glass of red wine. The steak tasted horrible. We were eating at a place where you really should not order steak, but it was the plainest thing on the menu and I felt like it was a wise choice. I did sneak about 5 of my husband’s french fries. So sue me.

I didn’t eat much else the rest of the day. I had some tea in the afternoon. I read my book and napped and then watched TV with my husband. I woke up this morning to happily discover that the scale finally budged. I plateaued around Day 12 and was getting a bit annoyed. I lost so much so fast in the beginning, I knew it couldn’t continue and yet it was exhilarating and kept me committed to the program, so having it stop so suddenly was a bit of a discouragement.

Of course, that’s also when I started making exceptions to the program, so there is no mystery there. And knowing that I can maintain and make some exceptions is encouraging because I will need to find my new normal this week once the detox is over.

All that to say, this morning I am officially down exactly 10 pounds from the start of my detox. That was my goal so I’m feeling quite victorious. I will take my measurements again tonight and report tomorrow on the total loss of inches.

So What Now?

As far as where to go from here, I’m all in for the Primal lifestyle. I know, it sounds so horribly trendy, but it’s a lot easier to give my diet a label than to rail off a detailed list of dos and don’ts. Of course, if you like those lists, Mark Sisson of Mark’s Daily Apple pretty much coined the phrase “primal” and defined the lifestyle. This is from his site:

Is it Primal?

You know the basics: Lean meats and vegetables are healthy, grains and sugars should be avoided. But what about everything else?

• Eggs – Yes (even raw eggs? Why not.)
• Nuts – Yes (Almonds, Walnuts, Soaking Seeds & Nuts)
• Seeds – Yes
• Coconut – Yes, in every way, shape, and form
• Coffee/Tea – Yes
• Whole Grains, Oatmeal – No
• Beans & Legumes – No
• Dark Chocolate – Occasionally
• Red Wine – Occasionally
• Artificial Sweeteners – Not really, but not terrible
• Cheese – Not officially, but…
• Soy and Whey and Protein Powders – Depends
• Chewing Gum – Depends
• Yams and Sweet Potatoes – Occasionally
• Potatoes (and Potatoes Part 2) – Not really, but…
• Rice – It’s a grain, but…
• Bone Marrow – Most definitely

Dairy – Dairy isn’t strictly Primal. After all, Grok didn’t start his day off with milk – at least not after infancy. But some forms of dairy, like yogurt, provide probiotics that help with digestion and even to some degree, nutrient absorption. Additionally, butter and heavy cream offer a high source of healthy fats. I consider cheese a “sensible indulgence,” fine in moderation. And if you do drink milk, I would suggest milk with higher fat content like whole milk rather than skim or 2%. The bottom line is dairy, for those that can tolerate it, can be enjoyed in moderation on the Primal Blueprint diet.

Read more: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/#ixzz3CiP2z2mC

Extreme? Probably. But I love his attitude about the exceptions in moderation. It makes living this way much more sustainable. And I am here to tell you that after 3 weeks of eating like this, my head is clearer, I’m calmer, my moods are more stable, I’m thinner, less bloated, and I have more energy than I’ve had since I started bearing children. I continue to wake at 4:00 or 4:30 raring to go, and while I continue my habit of going to bed as early as 8:30 or 9:00 sometimes, I usually read or peruse Facebook/Pinterest until at least 10PM. I used to sleep easily from 9pm to or 6am. Now it’s more like 10pm to 4:30am. I also having been getting that mid-afternoon slump or that longing for my bed as soon as dinner is cleaned up.

I love good quality meat and cheese and veggies, so eating this way doesn’t feel like I’m depriving myself. On the contrary, I feel like I’m eating like a king. Our current food system is so skewed, I have to laugh when people act like they feel sorry for me. I know I will be tempted by processed foods and sweets as time goes on. I just hope that I can have a taste from time to time (like the fries yesterday) and then continue on with this primal lifestyle without getting derailed. We shall see how long it lasts.

The biggest deterrent to continuing this lifestyle is the time and planning involved. THAT will be my biggest challenge.

In an attempt to make food prep as easy as possible, I went through my cookbook binder a few days ago and pulled out all the recipes that do not fit into a primal diet. I saved a few my favorites in a tab in the back and tossed the rest.

I was surprised how many dinner recipes I already have that will work for a primal diet. I guess that’s because I was already gluten-free and I tend to eat a lot of meat dishes with veggie sides, rather than casseroles and one-pot meals. I can easily sub a 2nd veggie for rice/pasta/white potatoes. It’s been fairly do-able while on this detox, although I definitely find myself spending more time in the kitchen than usual. It’s a lot of work to eat this way, but I think as I get used to it, I can find a core group of easy go-to recipes so that I won’t feel like very night requires over an hour of dinner prep. I am very fortunate to have a team of 4 cleaner-uppers so when I’m done eating dinner, I can usually call it a night. My husband and I have always had a deal. I cook, and he cleans up. Now that we have 3 strapping young’uns, he gets them helping too. So while dinner is usually all on me, I can make a glorious mess and walk away. Bwahahaaaa!!!

I filled in my cookbook binder with some new paleo/primal recipes I want to try. I’ll be sharing them as I make them. I already have a stash of food photos on my computer just waiting for me to find the time to write up the recipes. I’m constantly perusing Pinterest and adding to my Paleo-Friendly board. Feel free to follow along!

Follow Jo-Lynne Shane’s board Paleo-Friendly Recipes on Pinterest.

And I just created a Primal board this morning. I know there’s not much of a difference between the two, but Primal does allow dairy so I can’t put those recipes on the Paleo board. I’ve already been corrected a couple of times with my Broccoli Cheddar Egg Cups. Oooops!

So yes. Day 21. WOOT!!