Fresh mangoes (literally, they are right off my friend’s tree), organic tomatoes, organic avocado, red onion, organic lime juice, and fresh cilantro.
Served over organic, grass-fed beef meatballs (beef, tapioca flour, egg, onion powder, garlic, salt, and pepper) and steamed broccoli.
Delicious!
Bon appetit,
-Tori
OK, so I realize that this is NOT a Paleo-approved breakfast, but I happened to find this oatmeal on clearance at Whole Foods one day last week [it wasn’t old; I think the manufacturer changed their box design and Whole Foods HATES to be behind the times, you know], so I decided to pick up a box to try it out.
This stuff is AMAZING.
Not too sweet, extremely hearty, and packing only 160 calories per package. For the last two mornings, I’ve made myself two packets [320 calorie breakfast – nice and hearty] and had a cup of tea with it. I’m shocked to say it keeps me full for HOURS. I’m not exaggerating: HOURS.
Yesterday, I had my oatmeal around 10am and didn’t feel my first pang of hunger until almost 3:30pm. And I wasn’t trying to skip lunch – I was just that satisfied that I didn’t even notice the passing of the time.
This hot cereal boasts sweet blueberries, crunchy flax seeds, and the perfect balance of cinnamon and brown sugar. It’ll please the kids and the health nuts alike.
You know, one of my only gripes about the Paleo diet is the lack of breakfast options – you have to be PREPARED for breakfast with Paleo baked goods or time to spare to fry up some eggs – so this is the meal I most often find myself cheating.
If you’re going to cheat… might as well try to make it a healthy cheat and I think Nature’s Path Blueberry Cinnamon Flax oatmeal is the way to do it!
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
It dawned on me today that I’ve gone almost seven weeks without a severe binge/breakdown.
Yes, I’ve had several “bad days” where I’ve consumed FAR more than I should, but I haven’t totally lost control.
[I’m ashamed to say I’ve done that before. It’s RIDICULOUSLY painful. And God forbid you sneeze.]
While I’m still upset on a daily basis regarding my weight, my size, my shape, and my overall fitness, I haven’t succumbed to the monster inside me that begs for my weakness.
But I’ve thought about it.
I imagine what would happen if I did it. I play through the steps in my mind.
Pop all of them, back to back, and chase it with as much water as I can hold. Fight the gag reflex as my body responds in a Pavlovian fashion, always aware of the pain I’m trying to induce and fighting against me. Body versus mind, mind versus body.
The memory of pain isn’t enough to convince the mind that it isn’t worth it.
You don’t have to be a pharmacist to know the concoction above is horrible, if not potentially fatal, and yet I will admit I’ve done it before and will likely do it again.
Today, though, is a mini success. I’ve made it at least seven weeks. I pray for seven more, then seven more after that, and seven, and seven, and seven again for all eternity.
But for now, I’ll accept today. Today is a good day.
~ Tori
Seriously, just look at this salad.
It’s sexy.
Ripe avocado. Red, luscious bites of tomato.
Tangy crumbles of feta.
Foodgasm is imminent.
Bon appetit!
~Tori
Two days in a row, I’ve skipped the gym.
Two days in a row, I made really bad food choices. I skipped lunch, then gorged when I got home. The day before, I pretty much polished off a box of Kix cereal all on my own.
Last week, I had the will power of a saint. This week, I’m like a flailing infant, unable to keep my arms and legs in check. I’m eating everything, letting my laziness overpower my desire to workout, and I’m starting to feel like I’m going to be forever stuck in the 140-141 plateau.
I’ve faced some criticism lately, where people tell me that I AM at a healthy weight and I need to stop being obsessive.
What people don’t seem to realize is that I’m 5’2″. I’m very petite, so 140 on my frame is different than 140 on the frame of an average [5’5-5’7″] woman. For me, 140 means thick thighs, squishy tummy, and arms that wiggle and shimmy like leaves on the breeze.
For my frame and height, I should probably be between 120-125.
Of course, I wouldn’t know for a fact what my true ideal weight is because I’ve NEVER been there.
I was in the 140s-150s in elementary school, the 150s-170s in middle school, and the 170s-214 range in High School. I’ve never been my ideal weight, so I’m basically guessing as to where it should be.
If I keep up with my current habits, my ideal weight will remain that: a guess and not a reality.
I really need to get myself into gear and stop making excuses. I’m still signed up for GymPact and I have to get 3 more workouts in during the next 4 days or I lose $10/session. At the minimum, that should get me moving!
Enough bemoaning the past. Today is a new day. I will make better decisions. I have kickball tonight, so that should be fun. 🙂
As always, my friends, bon appetit –
~ Tori
Since I do NOT want to talk about my eating habits this weekend [not good, people, not good], I thought I’d use this morning’s post to talk about a DELICIOUS new treat I discovered for those on Paleo diets like myself:
Simple package, decadent contents.
These little 90 calorie treats are just short of spectacular. A blend of organic pear, organic white grape juice, organic vanilla extract, and organic cocoa, these pouches taste like sweet chocolate ice cream that has been blended by the gods themselves into a perfect, portable package – no refrigeration necessary! They taste great at any temperature, in fact, and they feature a resealable cap, which is a unique option for this type of snack option. Probably because this particular brand caters to a younger audience [I admit it: I’m eating baby food, people] that likely won’t finish an entire pouch in one sitting.
Oh, I don’t have that problem. I have to force myself to slow down and savor these little babies because they taste THAT GOOD.
I’ve gotten into the habit of freezing them and enjoying them as an alternative to coconut ice cream for when I need a sweet snack before bed. In addition, when they are frozen they serve a dual purpose if you pack lunch: an ice pack AND dessert! BAM! That’s a win:win in my book.
This “TREAT” [that’s it’s actual name!] is the perfect serving size, a petite 3.5 oz, which is just enough to satisfy a craving, even on a full stomach.
In researching them on Amazon.com, I discovered that they come in a variety of flavors [OMG, they have Caramel Apple!] and they average about $1-$1.75 per pouch.
Can I let you in on a little secret?
……
…..
…
Alright… here’s the scoop:
So, before you order these delectable delicacies online, check your local Big Lots to see if they have them in stock. The store near my house carries a surprising variety of organic and Paleo-friendly snack foods [organic beef jerky, even!], so I always stock up when I see a new item there that I can eat. For just 50 cents a package, I bought DOZENS of these TREATS for later consumption.
Bon appetit, my friends – and happy bargain hunting along the way!
~ Tori
Brace yourselves, everyone, I think the second coming of Christ is imminent.
Why, do you ask?
In my usual sleepy stupor I hopped on the scale, anticipating a small drop [I’ve been sticking to my diet 100%] but also not getting my hopes up, as I’ve steadily lost 0.2 to 1.4 pounds every day since Monday.
Here’s a little summary of my weigh-ins this week:
So, want to know Friday’s weight?
….drum roll….
…….
I literally dropped 3 lbs overnight.
No, I didn’t take a diuretic. No laxatives. No supplements of any kind, other than my normal morning regime of a multivitamin and a vitamin D tablet.
I hopped off the scale, reset it to zero, and hopped on again to verify the number. Yup. 137.8.
This guy is my new best friend.
I’m not complaining at all, of course. I’m THRILLED to be back in the 130 range, but how in the world did I go from 143.6 on Monday to 137.8 on Friday? That’s a loss of just under 6 lbs!
Did my mitochondria go into overdrive last night and decide to metabolize at three times the normal rate?
Did a mystical liposuction fairy come in the dead of my sleep and slurp out some hidden fat cells?
I have no idea what caused the sudden drop in weight other than the fact that I’ve hit the gym consistently this week and stuck solid to my Paleo diet. I’m going to maintain this pattern through the weekend and pray to the Gods of Ketosis/Metabolism for their continued grace and blessings.
With that note, I wish all of you a happy weekend and, as usual, bon appetit!
~ Tori
So for the past four days, I’ve been sticking religiously to the Paleo diet.
Basically, I’ve only been eating things that came straight out of the earth or had been consuming the earth just a few days prior.
I still can never understand why I strayed from this diet in the first place. When I was first introduced to it in August 2012, I immediately picked it up and lost almost 25 lbs with little to no effort. I exercised less, ate MORE food [both volume and in quality], and never felt deprived.
With the holidays came laziness, pecan pie, ripe cheeses, and lots of bad decisions. Yeahhhh. I had been on a downward spiral in my dietary habits pretty much from December until this past weekend. It was bad.
Each morning my weight has gone down on the scale. Monday morning I was 143.2 [ouch!] and this morning I was back down to 140.2. Not back to the 134.4 I was last October/November, but I’m steadily working my way back to it.
Every day I’ve eaten until I was full with no feelings of regret, deprivation, or otherwise dissatisfaction.
Every day I’ve prepared all of my own food. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ve made sure to follow the Paleo diet to the T. Today was the first major challenge which involved eating out.
Could I do it?
Baja Burrito Kitchen = Paleo Heaven on Earth
You know, most people think that dining out is challenging, but the Paleo diet is easy. Keep it fresh, keep it clean, and don’t eat anything that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. As you can see in the above picture, that’s not hard to do at most restaurants.
At Baja Burrito Kitchen, I just ordered the “Baja Burrito Kitchen Combo” and asked them to sub the rice and beans for onions and peppers and to double my guacamole instead of the sour cream and cheese. It was DELICIOUS. A few squeezes of lime, some fresh salsa, and lots of cilantro. LOVED IT.
So, this proved that dining out on Paleo is not only possible, it’s EASY. And I don’t see this being hard at pretty much all restaurants: seafood, steakhouse, Mexican. Really, the only challenge would be Italian [no noodles? sauce over veggies? hmmm] or Chinese [um, steamed veggies and seafood, no soy sauce?]
So, theoretically, I have no reason to cheat on Paleo. I can cook for myself or pick food up. I have a collection of healthy snack food options and I also know what I can safely pick up at a gas station if I’m in a rut.
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
I just wanted to take a quick moment to share some life lessons I’ve picked up in the last 24 hours.
Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.
That being said, I skipped my workout on Monday but went today, primarily because I didn’t want to lose money on GymPact and I needed to hit 5 workouts by Sunday at midnight. With Monday a wash, I couldn’t skip a second day.
What did I tell you? I’m motivated when I have a goal – especially a financial one – on the line!
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
That means I’m in the deep, dark trenches of remorse. Remorse for a weekend weeks of bad eating, weeks of sub par workouts, and weeks of mistreatment to my body as a whole.
My postings on here have been minimal the last few weeks, primarily because my commitment to any diet/exercise regime, despite solid inspiration, was basically non-existent.
As a result, the scale is reporting a number so high, it’s too painful for me to post. A number that I haven’t seen in almost a year. An increase of almost 12 pounds since October 2012, which is horrifying to me.
In the course of a few weeks, I undid the hard work of nearly eight months of intense dieting and exercise.
I’ve decided it’s time to put my money where my mouth is. Since setting goals only works for me when financial loss is on the line, this seems to be the only reasonable option for me. Don’t believe me? The ONLY reason I stuck with my diet through April was because I didn’t want to purchase a second bridesmaid’s dress if I couldn’t fit into the first one.
The same went for my girlfriend’s wedding the year before. I always manage to follow through on my goals when it involves the purchase of another $200 dress.
I’ve committed to 5 workouts per week. I’ve set the stakes at $2.50 earned for workouts completed, $5 per workout missed. So I have the potential to make $12.50 per week or lose up to $25. If these stakes aren’t enough to keep me going, I’ll up the ante to $10 per missed workout. Whatever it takes.
The next few days, I’m going to try and cleanse, especially from this weekend, and focus on just fresh veggies and lean meat – no sugars, no processed foods, minimal salt. I hope to post a weight update by midweek – assuming I’ll have flushed the superfluous weight – and just praying that it’s not as painful as it was this evening. Yikes.
Wish me luck!
~ Tori
The Memoirs of a Yo-Yo Dieter 