Phase one: 10 days

So for the past ten days, I have been following the LEAP plan that I briefly discussed in a previous post. My food choices have been pretty limited, and I have not been able to stick closely to Paleo eating during this time. I have so few choices I am adding rice and legumes into my diet for variety. I discovered a lot of things made out of just rice, or rice and other allowed ingredients that I can eat. There is rice pasta, rice cakes, rice cold cereal, hot rice cereal, as well as steamed rice, fried rice, and coconut rice. (The last couple of days I've gone a bit rice-crazy.) I also have eaten pinto beans and peanuts, which are both legumes, and which I haven't had in a few years...

So far, my progress is encouraging. I have begun to lose a little weight, and my skin is slowly clearing up. My LS seems a little better as well, but it is hard to tell if it is improving yet or if this is part of the normal cycle. Time will tell.

I have not been posting my menus because to be honest they are a little boring. I am having lamb or beef or pinto beans each day as my protein. I am pairing it with rice or sweet potato, or making a salad with broccoli slaw and cabbage. I throw in tomatoes and avocado regularly, and make a vinaigrette of olive oil and white distilled vinegar, a bit of dry mustard and salt and pepper--or I use mustard, honey, sesame oil and sesame seeds. I try to eat several different vegetables each day. Carrots, peas, and green beans are all on my list, so I have one of those with dinner. I usually have leftovers from dinner for lunch the next day. Snacks are pretty much fruit, or pistachios, or both. I have olives as a snack as well.

I ate clams once, but they are very expensive, so I am not incorporating them in too often. (Although, I may get some this coming weekend as a treat.) I am eating a lot of hamburger patties on top of salad, or marinated lamb or beef steak with green beans. I have become thoroughly addicted to coconut rice--which means I should really stop making it--I have been eating a lot of rice, by a lot I mean 1-2 cups a day. I have treated myself to several pinappletinis and a couple of very dry martini's with olives and extra ice. I miss my wine though. I think that as I add more foods in, I will try to concentrate on mostly paleo foods. My two big non-paleo foods so far are rice and beans. I will soon add corn to that list, and we shall see how it goes...

I will be posting some recipes (hopefully) this week and will try to update more often. Until then, I'll just carry on!