December 2, 2008
In Which I've Gone All Kinds of Crazy
Do you guys remember back before I went to Hawaii, when I said I might have to give up Coke for a year if I didn't lose a lot of weight before Christmas? I bet you thought I forgot about that, eh? But no! I did not. And my rear is still much, much larger than I would like it to be. OK, actually it's my belly- I think I would have to weigh 84 tons before my flat little rear gained any weight. It's a sad, sad story. But I digress...

While thinking about how fat I am, I of course had to consider how I wanted to lose some weight. Work out? Of course. Count calories, WW points, carbs, fats, widgets and thingamabobs? No thanks...I have time, but not particularly inclination. Gasp.

At the same time, I've been reading a zany little book called Nourishing Traditions. And I warn you, don't pick this up unless you really want to despise your french fries, soda and milk. Yes! Milk. The premise of this little gem is that until approximately 60 years or so ago, there weren't many degenerative diseases, people weren't fat, and the world was a happy and good place. I may have made up that last point, but it's my blog, so get over it. Anyway, this dentist (Weston A. Price) did a bunch of studies looking at people groups all over the world and what made them healthy- and they all ate butter, lard, raw milk and grains. But our American diet of unsaturated oils and margarine, pasteurized milk and cheese, and refined carbs was making us more unhealthy, rather than making us more healthy like people thought it should. So, you guessed it, the book is full of ways and recipes to return to a more healthy, wholesome diet. Are you still with me?

I've actually been working on our diet for years now. I switched us over to whole grains, organic butter and eggs, and lots of fruits and veggies, organic if I can find and/or afford them. And have you noticed that organic berries stay good and firm for days, while commercial berries are smooshy and half gross the day you get them? Why is that? Also, have you noticed how hard it is to crack an organic egg, while regular eggs often break in the carton? I find this interesting. By the way, I'm sorry I'm so rambly these days. If it makes you feel any better, this is what it is like inside my head all of the time. I can't imagine why that would make you feel better. So, I've been working on our diet, and now I'm taking it to the next step. Some would call it the "off the deep end" step, which is what L told me the other day when I asked him if I could keep a milk cow if we moved to the country. Then I remembered that I'm scared of cows, and L was off the hook. It all stems back to the time my grandpa let me ride with him into town to deliver a cow named Hamburger to a special place. Hamburger got wind of what was about to go down and jumped out of the back of the truck, and the whole town was involved in the containment and catching of said cow. It was a small town, and this may have been the decade's highlight. I was scared and emotionally scarred and full of cow issues. So, not much different from today.

I already make all of our bread. In fact, I have some hamburger and hot dog buns rising right now. Mmmm.... I'm going to the hippy store for organic hot dogs later this week. I love me some organic hot dogs. Now I'm also trying to soak our grains before using them (and thinking about starting to grind my own once I work my way through the 50 lb bag of flour in my pantry), making my own stocks (wow, was I ever surprised that you could make your own stock and get a free chicken out of the deal! I had no idea chicken stock had such a mark-up on it!) and other zany things like that. I currently have some yogurt tied up in a towel in the fridge so I can collect the whey from it, and supposedly the yogurt will magically turn into cream cheese. Who knew? And tomorrow, I'm going to pickle some garlic, because apparently lacto-fermented vegetables are important, but most of them looked kind of gross so I'm starting with garlic, which is always good in my book. I've been making our own salad dressings too, which are cheap and healthy and super duper easy to make (though I will warn you, they are no Hidden Valley Ranch. But they are pretty good!). I even have a guy's number where I can buy some raw milk, and I just might do it if it isn't too cost prohibitive.

Lately, my diet has looked something like this: Steel cut oats with ground flax seed, some fruit, and honey on it for breakfast. I can't believe how much of this Hatchling can eat. The boy's a maniac. H2 just has some of mine while he runs around screaming "Choo! Choo!" It's his new thing. Then we have black bean burritos (from my own soaked and simmered beans) for lunch, and a healthy dinner usually consisting of a salad, some vegetable, and a then something else. Last night we had baked halibut and roasted asparagus. Tonight we are having the last of the hamburgers I froze over the summer.

As for Coke, well, I've almost completely weaned myself off of carbonated beverages. I've been having a cup of tea in the morning when I get up, and some days that is all I have that isn't water. Don't get me wrong- when it's Friday Date Night at Sam's, I will absolutely be getting my two cups of Mr. Pibb, and boy will I be relishing it. But at home, I've got nadda. I've decided to focus on healthy choices, rather than being 130 pounds by Christmas (you know, except for the whole Mr. Pibb thing...). And I'm feeling pretty good about it. Except only my fat jeans fit right now, but life is never perfect, right?

In addition, I started a new weight lifting program at the gym today and my legs are already so sore that I want to cry every time I have to stand or sit. That's never a good sign. But I'm sure I'll be strong and buff in no time. Or something like that...
3 Comments:
Blogger ~cjoy said...
I may have to check out that book! I already do some organic (great fun in today's economic times!), and with all our food allergies in our home, my info-digging has shown that the more they bio-engineer (and no doubt, chemicalize, vaccinate, etc, etc, etc) the foods and animals, the MORE PEOPLE ARE DEVELOPING FOOD ALLERGIES. HELLO OUT THERE!! (Let's not even talk about what happens when you feed cows and chickens corn and soy and how THAT can affect people...) I have not yet gotten the - gumption, shall we say - to start baking our bread, etc, but think about it more and more. Plus, I have a 2nd grader who feels cheated if his desserts are not somewhat comparable to his peers. Ah, the important things in life.

If you want to hit 130 fast - pretend your allergic to all the main allergens for a few weeks. You'll shed weight like a snake skin. (I hope it won't come back that fast!) hahahaha...

Blogger SlushTurtle said...
I should admit that I bake all of our own bread in a bread machine. :) If you need a recommendation, I love the Zojirushi with two paddles. That seems to make a big diffrence!

Blogger Jessica said...
I LOVE the story about hamburger. Reminds me of when my dad would take our fall cow to the butcher, then around dinner I'd say, "Now, who are we eating?" And mom would say the name and the image of that firmilar cow would come into view. Yeah, us southerners and our beef...mmmmmgooooodddd. I felt so much better after I went mostly raw (sounds strikinly similar to your diet) you may have just inspired me to head that direction. You're a hoot and I love reading your mind exactly as it works ;-)