So I'm back after a fairly self-reflective couple of weeks. I mentioned earlier that M is going to be away for most of the summer...In addition to that, he is starting school in August (on the other side of the state) and on my birthday no less :(
For now, due to the sad state of the economy, and the fact that our only real income is what I make atm, I cannot go with him. So, I am faced with new challenges: How to make our already thinly-stretched budget encompass two households, how to still eat healthy and paleo, and how to make it without M for months on end, while searching for a new job in Eastern Washington. Needless to say, my stress levels are a little high at the moment...
I don't mind being alone. I spent 18 months alone in Germany while M was in Iraq, and yes, I missed him, but I survived, and so did he, and so this separation won't kill us.
I want to take this as an opportunity. I have a lot more time to myself right now, I am very limited in what I can spend money on, and I need to get my stress levels under control before they kill me.
Summer is a time for especially bountiful fruit and vegetable markets. It is also a wonderful chance to get some sunshine, something I do not take for granted here in Seattle...
I love to cook, I can walk every day without distractions, and spend more time cooking and creating recipes. I do need to take a little time each week to apply for jobs, but still...no M means more time for me. Much less cleaning and laundry too :)
This seems like the perfect time to re-assess and re-create my Paleo life.
So here are the facts:
Sadly, my Paleo Whole30 Challenge didn't go so well. I gained weight, and have ended up heavier than when I began. Perhaps it is a calorie thing, I'm not sure. I think that I need to come up with some low calorie, low budget, filling Paleo meals. This is my first priority.
Right now, I am walking on average 4 miles a day--I expect to up this to 6 within the next few weeks as I am in training for a cross-country walk with M in 2013--we are walking Offa's Dyke South-North (along the border of Wales and England) in (hopefully) April of 2013. We have been planning this trip since our wedding in 2003, and sadly, vacation time in the US is very limited with most employers in Academia, so if I have to give up my job and start over somewhere that means I will be cut back most likely to only 12 days a year for the first 3-5 years typically. So it looks like we may only have about two weeks to do it. That is quite a lot of walking each day--and I need to be in shape and ready for that. So walking is going to be my exercise of choice and my second major priority.
Walking is also a weight-bearing exercise, which is very good for a woman my age. (42 in case you were wondering).
I need to post more on my blog--I feel that I have neglected this journaling, and I think it is important to get my thoughts down, and have some sort of creative outlet for myself. So, posting at least once per week is my third priority.
I will come up with some sort of recipe to post each week that is low calorie, low budget, and paleo.
So there we are! A good plan, and new day, a new beginning...
Good luck Sara,
ReplyDeleteI am rooting for you.
I hear you on the life challenges. Never a dull moment!
ReplyDeleteI have recently lost 10 pounds (since early June) after years of not being able to drop any at all. I'm not sure low-calorie is as important as appropriate-calorie is. I used an online calculator to determine approx how many I should be consuming to maintain my weight, subtracted a few hundred, and set that as my goal. Then I spent a couple weeks recording what I ate and staying within my daily limit. That helped me train myself to recognize, more or less, what I can eat to stay on track. Also, with walking only, I quickly plateaued. But when I added other activities (including even a few minutes a day on my kids' wii fit) it really jump-started the weight loss. Now I'm more or less on auto-pilot and progressing well. FWIW.
I'm recently leaning a lot more towards Cordain's original plan - more protein, less fat and no fear of fruit.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to work better for me anyway.
Sara, I admire your attitude, regarding this upcoming separation as an opportunity and a challenge, rather than bemoaning your lot. Good for you. With your cooking skills and having more time for yourself, you will be able to come up with some creative ways to stretch your budget. Keep up with your posting, keep journaling, I'll be cheering you on!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your comments!
ReplyDeleteI just want to clarify that for the last month (30 days) I followed the Whole30 guidelines at approximately 1800 calories a day and gained weight. (Not very much, but still...) 1800 calories is certainly appropriate calories for me. According to Lyle MacDonald's recommendations for sedentary women, I am spot on...That is why I mentioned maybe lower calories...I'm struggling with this, but I really have no problems staying within my limit. I'm thinking IFing might help, and maybe more of a pure paleo approach.
I am trying to stick closer to Cordain's Paleo Guidelines, my only real exception is to use grass fed butter as a fat, and I intend to continue that route over the summer. As for the exercise, I only have about two hours a day to exercise, and the walking has to be a priority for the reasons I mentioned before--I am not really doing it to lose weight, but rather so I can do this hike that we desperately want to do in the next couple of years. I probably won't go out of my way to do any other type of exercise due to the fact that I just don't have the time...
Today, I am IF-ing until lunch--tomorrow I am going to try all day...I guess we will see what happens.
Well, good luck. I used to IF regularly but I have got a bit slack about it of late. Maybe I should start it again. Walking is good, try to get a bit of uphill walking in there to help strengthen your legs. Keep us posted!
ReplyDelete