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Need some support to get back to Primal

ahjenny
ahjenny Posts: 293 Member
in Social Groups
I did the leptin reset at the beginning of the year, then went Primal. I lost about 30 pounds . Some stuff happened and I fell off the wagon. I've kept off the 30 pounds, and I'm fluctuating in the same 4 pounds, which sucks (and I know it's my own fault). There are a few things I'd love some input on.

I am working nights right now. It's been hard on me, the family, everything. I've been trying to get to the gym 3 days a week. Some days, I drag my sorry butt there, even when I don't feel like it. My problem is, when I work the 12 hour overnight shift, it's a total drag and I need a pick-me-up. I've been drinking coffee with flavored creamers, but I'm sure the creamer is a hindrance but I don't like not-sweet coffee. What would be a good alternative?

Since it's summertime and there's a ton of fresh fruit available, I've been partaking. Is there any good rules to live by when it comes to fresh fruit? Should I limit by sugar amount or carbs, or some kind of math equation that deals with fiber?

I need to do a lot more reading, but what would be a good ballpark estimate for the carb amounts I should limit myself to every day?

Thanks for your support and patience... I am exhausted and not always thinking clearly.

Replies

  • SweetxCatastrophe
    SweetxCatastrophe Posts: 593 Member
    Bulletproof coffee! I have it every morning before work. Coffee, butter and MCT or coconut oil, blended for about a minute. SO good. Its creamy and a little sweet even, and sometimes I add a little coconut milk for some flavor and a little extra sweetness if I'm in the mood.


    As for fruit, I personally try to limit myself to once a day or less because I want to watch my carbs for weightloss, but today was insanely hot so I had cherries for breakfast and mango as snack. Berries are the best choice, and melon is another good choice (like cantaloupe or honeydew..not watermelon since it has a ton of sugar).

    As far as carbs, The Primal Blueprint says if you want weightloss, you should eat between 50-100 (I eat as close to 50 or less) and to maintain your weight, up to 150
  • ahjenny
    ahjenny Posts: 293 Member
    Where do you get grass-fed butter and how do you know if the beans are mold-free?

    I think I might need to start seriously tracking my foods to make sure I'm not going over in carbs, and that I am getting enough protein. Any thoughts on handy snacks, besides jerky? When I'm at work or on a play date, my options are seriously limited. :/
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    Where do you get grass-fed butter and how do you know if the beans are mold-free?


    I personally can't get grass-fed butter in my town, so I just use the unsalted local butter. I believe on the Bulletproof blog he mentions some brands of coffee that are mold-free. I look at Bulletproof Coffee the way I look at everything else -- if I can't do it perfectly, I'll just do the best I can. Replacing the sugar and creamer with butter and MCT is better, even if you can't get grass-fed butter and mold-free beans. Make positive steps, even if you can't make ALL the positive steps.
  • spirit80
    spirit80 Posts: 327 Member
    Where do you get grass-fed butter and how do you know if the beans are mold-free?


    I personally can't get grass-fed butter in my town, so I just use the unsalted local butter. I believe on the Bulletproof blog he mentions some brands of coffee that are mold-free. I look at Bulletproof Coffee the way I look at everything else -- if I can't do it perfectly, I'll just do the best I can. Replacing the sugar and creamer with butter and MCT is better, even if you can't get grass-fed butter and mold-free beans. Make positive steps, even if you can't make ALL the positive steps.

    Ask your local grocery store to bring in Kerrygold unsalted butter. They can get it for you. It is so rich and creamy...
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    I, too, like coffee that is sweet; with honey. However, I have been able to just have a quarter of a teaspoon in the occasional one for a treat. I'm thinking of trying bulletproof coffee soon. I'm hoping that I like it so that i can drop the cream, or at least reduce it; not that cream is a problem for me as long as it's full fat. Because I feel so good, eating like this, I'm pretty driven to keep my carbs low, especially sugars.

    My food ratio is 65 fat, 35 protein, and 10 protein. I love it. I often go over my carbs since many foods on MFP don't have net carbs, but I just subtract the fiber from the carb total and that gives me the info.

    I don't eat much fruit, was never a big fan, but I do like berries. I think berries are the best choice both for their health factor and low sugar. Definitely, I have to limit the fruit.

    i don't eat store bought jerky often, I don't like the chemicals. I make my own sometimes. Other snacks are veggies of course, salsa, nuts/seeds & butters, cheese (if you eat it), piece of leftover meat, can of salmon, hard boiled eggs, coconut manna, olives, avocado............ pretty much anything!

    Best wishes to you on your health journey. :flowerforyou:
  • caribougal
    caribougal Posts: 865 Member
    I agree with my friends above. and I do think you should log your foods.

    If you have a health food store near you, they might have grass-fed butter. They might also have lots of good snacks made of nuts and flax in their section that caters to gluten-free and raw vegan eaters.

    For snacks, try cheese and salami cubes. Cucumber slices. Raw carrots. A nice avocado and spoon makes a portable snack. Cocktail shrimp.

    Also, read the nomnompaleo.com blog. She's a night shift pharmacist with 2 little boys. She makes a lot of meals ahead of ahead so she can bring healthy stuff to work.
  • mrdth6686
    mrdth6686 Posts: 13 Member
    I can find grass fed butter at my local farmer's market.

    Local Harvest is a good website to help connect you to local foods :)
  • SweetxCatastrophe
    SweetxCatastrophe Posts: 593 Member
    Where do you get grass-fed butter and how do you know if the beans are mold-free?

    I think I might need to start seriously tracking my foods to make sure I'm not going over in carbs, and that I am getting enough protein. Any thoughts on handy snacks, besides jerky? When I'm at work or on a play date, my options are seriously limited. :/


    I buy decent organic coffee from my grocery store. If its decent coffee, it won't have mold. I don't believe I need to spend twice as much as I spend on really nice coffee for the "special" coffee. Check your grocery store for kerrygold butter, and if they don't have it ask to have it stocked. I'm doing a whole 30 so dairy isn't allowed but ghee/clarified butter is. I bought grass fed pastured ghee on amazon for a pretty good price.

    I would definitely track, at least until you get used to the macros you need. For snacks, I pack veggie sticks (red bell pepper strips,radishes, celery, broccoli, jicama..anything really) and a Wholly Guacamole 100cal pack. They're handy little dippable pouches you can dip the veggies in. Hard boiled eggs are good. I never really worry about keeping them cold but if it bothers you or its really hot, you can pack them in a baggie of ice. You can pack little meals as snacks also. For example, I have an offsite meeting to go to at work and I packed little snack container with bacon wrapped shrimp (uncured, nitrate free bacon) and mango slices.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    I did the leptin reset at the beginning of the year, then went Primal. I lost about 30 pounds . Some stuff happened and I fell off the wagon. I've kept off the 30 pounds, and I'm fluctuating in the same 4 pounds, which sucks (and I know it's my own fault). There are a few things I'd love some input on.

    I am working nights right now. It's been hard on me, the family, everything. I've been trying to get to the gym 3 days a week. Some days, I drag my sorry butt there, even when I don't feel like it. My problem is, when I work the 12 hour overnight shift, it's a total drag and I need a pick-me-up. I've been drinking coffee with flavored creamers, but I'm sure the creamer is a hindrance but I don't like not-sweet coffee. What would be a good alternative?

    Since it's summertime and there's a ton of fresh fruit available, I've been partaking. Is there any good rules to live by when it comes to fresh fruit? Should I limit by sugar amount or carbs, or some kind of math equation that deals with fiber?

    I need to do a lot more reading, but what would be a good ballpark estimate for the carb amounts I should limit myself to every day?

    Thanks for your support and patience... I am exhausted and not always thinking clearly.

    i drink coffee with cream, coconut oil, truvia (stevia) and sometimes torani syrup. they are flavoured sugar free syrups and so so yummy. i have hazelnut and i use it in a lot of things.. now i wish i had coconut flavoured one to go with the oil!
    i use it especially since even the sugar free coffee creamer has icky stuff in it.
    i love my coffee :)
  • SweetxCatastrophe
    SweetxCatastrophe Posts: 593 Member
    From my understanding, and anyone can correct me if I'm wrong, is that sugar free syrups shouldn't be used on paleo/primal because they're chemicals and well..can't be found in nature
  • MikeFlyMike
    MikeFlyMike Posts: 639 Member
    syrups in general should be avoided. Sugar free means bad ;)
    If you have to have to have to - and aren't trying to control your insulin for weight control, agave or pure maple syrup.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    syrups in general should be avoided. Sugar free means bad ;)
    If you have to have to have to - and aren't trying to control your insulin for weight control, agave or pure maple syrup.

    I would personally skip the agave. It's been passed off as healthy but it's highly processed and spikes the insulin according to some reports; it's probably a moderation thing too. The only sweeteners that I use, very rarely, are raw honey and natural maple syrup.

    I agree that "sugar free" usually equals bad (or toxic). My Now Foods Vita Squenchers say "sugar free" but it has stevia and xylitol. I don't have it every day.
  • kbc525
    kbc525 Posts: 149
    so if you can't or don't have MCT oil (where would I find that) - I can use coconut oil?
  • SweetxCatastrophe
    SweetxCatastrophe Posts: 593 Member
    I ordered MCT oil on Amazon and it was pretty affordable (and it's a huge bottle), but I did use coconut oil for a while. I actually liked the taste of the coconut oil, but from what I read the coconut oil isn't as concentrated in the fatty acids we're going for as the MCT oil is. You can use a smaller amount of the MCT to get the same benefit as a whole bunch of the coconut oil

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