The best-laid plans, redux

So what I was going to tell you about today, that thing I was going to do yesterday, didn't happen. So I shall leave you in suspense until it does. And who the hell knows when that will be? I love a mystery, don't you?

Life has gotten a little complicated, as life does, but despite being hungry a lot yesterday and not having anything handy and being waaaaaay tempted to hit a vending machine or eat a loaf of bread … I didn't.

And despite it being gloomy and grey and raining lightly, I still walked outside. Only 2.5 miles, though, so I'll have to make up for it every day this week if I want to do 25 intentional miles. I'm going to be obsessive about this, I can feel it in my artificial joint. Heh. But obsessing is how I get things done.

I see lots of shiny new planners out there, this being the first of the year and everyone resolving to GET ORGANIZED once and for all. Many of the pages have a big space at the top to record a goal, and then the area below is divided into sections where you can enumerate all the things you need to do to reach the goal.

My to-do would be pretty short: Just. Do. It. (Thanks, Nike!)

Part of the amazing pantry
that came with this house.

Switching to paleo (and starting out with a Whole 30) meant making sure I had appropriate food in the house, but since this isn't my first paleo rodeo, I didn't need to break it down into steps. I just made sure my grocery run included vegetables, bananas, and sliced turkey.

[It's kind of funny (not ha-ha funny but ironic-funny) that I recently stocked the pantry with decidedly non-paleo non-perishables, getting ready for the Trumpocalypse or maybe just making sure we won't starve should he plunge the country into a major Depression. Stop by any time if you need pasta or beans.]

Day 3 coming up. One and two went well, and I'm encouraged to keep going. Life will surely get in the way today, but knowing I got through yesterday gives me hope that today will work out.

Because, really. What's the alternative?

The best-laid plans …

Very little knitting was accomplished yesterday. Mostly because my ass was not parked in a chair watching football all day, but was instead outside walking or inside, reclining and resting from walking.

Another of my 2017 goals is to log 25 walking miles each week. I haven't yet decided if these miles will be total steps for the day calculated by the FitBit or the intentional miles I log using the MapMyRun app. (Ahhh, running, how I miss you.)

So far, because the year is new and I'm feeling optimistic, I'm leaning toward intentional miles. And so far, because the year is new and the weather has been cooperative, I'm averaging four intentional miles per day.

Because my hip pain was so bad in 2015 and because surgery and recovery took a good quarter of 2016, I used total steps to calculate my mileage for those years. It feels like a Big Deal to go back to counting just the MapMyRun mileage. We'll see what happens. (For the record, total FitBit miles this year = 12.) (And also for the record, who calculates their mileage year after year after year?)

I don't know about you, but when I'm well above my ideal weight (or even well above my almost-to-goal-at-least-I-can-wear-nice-clothes weight) – which is where I've been for almost two years – I don't pay much attention to the little things. I get my hair cut and eyebrows waxed regularly, but I don't wear makeup, rarely wear jewelry, and I don't do my nails.

Until now. My husband's cousin introduced me to these nail stickers called Jamberry.

And. I. Love. Them.

She hosted a Facebook party (remember Tupperware home parties? So old-school.), I placed an order, and did my first manicure December 21. That's it on the left:

The application is supposed to last two weeks, and I'm sure it would, but I'm easily bored and also easily amused, so I've been doing mine about once a week. Second application, in the center, was December 27, and I did the one on the right yesterday.

Do I feel better about myself with fancy fingernails? I don't know, maybe a little. Does that even matter? Yes, it probably does. If I feel good about myself, I'll be more likely to stick with my eating plan (so far very good) and because I know that works, I'll feel way better by summer.

Or so the theory goes.

Total hip replacement has resulted in more limitations than I'd imagined it would. I knew I would have to give up running, but other activities have turned out to be either uncomfortable or impossible. I alwaysalwaysalways have to have someone handy when I climb a ladder. Because someone is not always handy, I haven't finished the big painting project I started a couple years ago.

I completely refuse to go out the front door when there's ice on the porch. Fear of falling is a thing. A real thing.

I can't get down on my hands and knees. While I still use my steam mop to clean my floors, the corners and baseboards are bugging me A LOT. Losing weight and getting back in shape will help me be more mobile. I don't want to head into old age (okay, I'm 65 so I guess I'm already there) feeling so limited.

I have a dentist's appointment late this morning and then … well, I'll tell you about it tomorrow. Let's just say that having a Medicare Advantage plan has its advantages.

Kickoff!

No, not football, although there's plenty of that to look forward to today. [Actually, watching football for me really means dedicated knitting time more than rah-rah-rah-sis-boom-bah.] I only watch three regular programs on television – Jeopardy, House of Cards, and Grace and Frankie. The latter two won't be back until spring, so my knitting time has been limited to half an hour daily. But with games all day, I should be able to finish two more Pussyhats.

The kickoff in today's title is for a Whole 30, which is a good way to plunge back into paleo. I've been collecting meal ideas on Pinterest and printing out recipes. The idea behind a Whole 30, though, is to keep things uncomplicated – wholesome foods, simply cooked.

Breakfasts [for me] usually are eggs, and when I visited my son last month he had a super-cool frying pan for omelets. I bought this model and it works perfectly for Whole 30-compliant, cheese-free egg dishes. Three whisked eggs covers the bottom of the pan nicely. Fill with a bit of cooked sausage or bacon and whatever vegetables are handy – tomatoes/onions/sweet peppers/mushrooms – and serve.

So Whole 30, Day 1, has commenced, and I'm actually kind of looking forward to eating cleanly and well for the next month. The last week of the project will be our week at the beach. I may or may not be really strict about it then. One thing's for sure: I'm not worrying about it now.

I logged 3.5 miles of outdoor walking yesterday. It was probably around 45° and I was sweating before I was halfway finished. Thank you, climate change. I wonder what the lasting effects of too many too-warm Januarys will be? It's always best, when considering anything, to think things through to their logical conclusion. Since I'm not a scientist, I'll take their word for it that the effects will definitely have an impact. Oh, and that there is such a thing.

Thanks for reading, as always. It was nice to see so many "likes" on Facebook yesterday. It only takes another minute to leave a comment. Bloggers love comments, hint, hint. Ask me anything … or tell me I'm crazy. Your choice! HAH!

Here we go again

Last time we met, I was full of hope and confidence and optimism. Hillary Clinton had secured the Democratic nomination for President and we were going to elect a woman to the highest office in the land, damn it.

Didn't quite work out that way. Sadly.

Sadly for women, sadly for the country, sadly for the world, in all likelihood. Because the guy who got elected just isn't good for any of us.

IN MY OPINION.

I'm going to do what I can to #resist, but I won't be marching in Washington, D.C. the day after the inauguration. My husband and I had already planned a little winter getaway. Instead of showing up there, I'm knitting hats for the Pussyhat Project. Three done, at least three to go. I've promised six, but hope to get a couple more done. We'll see whether that happens.

As always, when I start blogging at the beginning of the year, it's about my weight. Blogging has helped me lose weight in the past – that old accountability factor – and I'm hoping it will help again in 2017. Other actions which have had a positive effect in the past are:

• Keeping a food log (I'll use the LoseIt app)
• Taking progress pictures (not sure if I'll do this)
• Following a paleo eating template (will begin tomorrow)

I've been counting my steps every day for two years now, using a FitBit One (the little clip-on model), and I'm happy to report that even though I had hip surgery last year, I still walked an average of 4 miles a day in 2016. Total miles = 1,465 and total steps topped out at 3,607,004. Those are TOTAL steps/miles, not intentional ones. I've been using MapMyRun to measure walking distance. 2015 sucked (due to hip pain), but I improved a little bit last year and hope to do much better in 2017. (And you'll note the change in the blog's title – there is no running with artificial hips, but I can certainly improve my walking pace, which is currently a glacial 23-minute mile.)

Why am I not starting back on paleo today, the first of the year, new beginnings and all that? Because we're going to eat Hoppin' John, for dinner and for luck. Legumes are restricted on a paleo plan, but I think we're going to need all the luck we can muster this year.

Besides, diets are supposed to begin on Monday, amirite?

You can help me help myself this year, by leaving an occasional comment, suggesting recipes, and sharing your own struggles and successes. I'm determined, and I know you are, as well. Let's do it.

I cheated

No, it's not what you're probably thinking. My marriage is fine. Heh.

And no, I didn't sneak a forbidden almond-flour muffin or skip my walk.

Yes, indeedy, there is such a thing as
a paleo lemon bar.

For the past couple days, my Pinterest "Paleo-friendly" board has been filling up with treats. Lemon bars, anyone? Chocolate caramels? SNICKERDOODLES?!?!? I could tell I was getting kinda bored with the same old-same old paleo template.

So I weighed myself. Which you're only supposed to do twice during a Whole 30 – once at the start and once at the finish.

And while doing a Whole 30 is much more than weight loss, it is most definitely part of it for me. The only way I've been able to drop any pounds since I hit my 60s is by eschewing grains, legumes, dairy and sugar. Probably since I hit my mid-50s.

The feeling good part has been, for the most part, exactly what I expected. My right hip hurts much, much less while I'm walking, and I rarely have any pain at all otherwise. (I did have one of those intense muscle cramps yesterday while I was on the riding lawnmower. WOW do those hurt.)

But in order to continue the boring food part, I needed MORE. (More has always been my drug of choice.)

I've lost – are you ready? – seven pounds in 12 days.

Pass the bacon.

Day 12, DONE.

A third of the way … Day Ten DONE!

Ten days into this Whole 30, and I'm finding it much easier than the last one I did. Perhaps because it's been a while. Perhaps because I'd gotten so off the rails. Or, maybe, just maybe, because I feel so good!

Notwithstanding Thursday's restathon, of course.

I could have turned back much
earlier, but instead I walked
right into it. And got soaked!

This week's mileage is down from last week, but I'm still walking daily. I thought yesterday I'd miss the rain that was clearly in the distance, but I was soaked by the time I finished four miles. At one time I would have talked myself out of walking at all, considering the ominous clouds in the distance. But I've gotten soaked a couple times lately – it is April, after all – and I haven't melted yet.

The last day I missed a walk was March 28, and I'm up to 46 miles already for April. I'd like to be at 400 for the year by May 1. If I can keep up the four-mile-a-day habit, I'll achieve that mini-goal for sure.

Our door order arrives today and the carpenter comes Monday to install them. Three more interior doors will complete that project and we've needed a replacement for the front slider for far too long. New flooring in our TV room is also happening next week and then the painting project begins.

I'm the painter.

The challenge for me will be to continue taking that daily walk when I want to get all the painting done. I expect, if you happen to run into me strolling down my road later this month, I'll be wearing a paint-smeared t-shirt.

But. I'll. Be. Walking.

This post makes it sound like a Whole 30 is all about activity. It's really not at all. It Starts With Food is the title of the book that launched this movement. And it really does. Start with food, that is. Eliminating grains, legumes, dairy and sugar is a good way to detox and learn how good you can feel. After 30 days, you can add things back, one at a time and slowly, to determine which (if any) food group causes discomfort. You'll be able to tell rather quickly, or at least I can.

As with my first Whole 30, I probably won't be adding any of those food groups back into my diet. I'm looking forward to being able to make muffins or banana bread (with almond and/or coconut flour), though. One of the most restrictive parts of a Whole 30 is that you can't "paleofy" foods which might be considered treats. So no paleo ice cream or baked goods.

Only 20 days to go. I've GOT THIS!

Day Five DONE

As my friend and fellow blogger Gingerzingi noted this morning, Easter is candy-centric, despite its religious meaning. Because nothing says He Is Risen like a chocolate cross, right? I knew Easter would be part of my Whole 30 challenge, and while I was tempted by the candy displays every time I went to the market, I resisted.

Gingerzingi went the extra mile, coloring hard-cooked eggs. I merely deviled mine. My children are grown and creating their own Easter traditions with their youngsters. So I was the Easter Grinch, and didn't do anything except send cards. WITH MONEY!

(Sometimes – most of the time, actually – I reallyreally hate being the long-distance Grandma. And Easter, being more of a hands-on holiday, is one of those times. Sending a gift of colored eggs? I don't think so.)

At any rate … another Whole 30 day done, and done pretty darned perfectly. I volunteered to cook dinner here and take it to my mother-in-law's to devour. My husband is very active in his church so while he attended morning services, I put a pork tenderloin in the oven and took a morning walk.

Which turned into A MORNING JOG! Of those three miles on the road, half of them were at a picked-up pace. Felt really good to be doing more than plodding along.

Got home, threw a couple sweet potatoes into the oven, showered and dressed for dinner and finished up the meal. Here's what we ate:

• Roast Pork Tenderloin
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Steamed Fresh Asparagus
• Hollandaise Sauce
• Deviled Eggs
• Green and Ripe Olives
• Sliced Fresh Strawberries

We didn't need much more, and there were only three of us, so I didn't go all-out, as I might have if the guest list were longer. Been there, done that, and I always end up throwing food away after a couple of days.

Notice anything about the menu?

It's perfectly paleo! Perfectly Whole 30, as well. And I'm no longer a Hollandaise sauce virgin. My, my, my, was it ever yummy.

My husband and I took another walk later in the afternoon – I did two more miles, while he did four. I'm now at 25 miles for the month, and beginning to get obsessed with the idea of averaging five miles a day for April. That was never my plan, but that's how it's working out so far.

My obsession is being fueled by a FitBit friend – you know who you are – who is just as committed (or commitable?) as I am. We check the leaderboard frequently and text each other to SIT DOWN! and STOP WALKING! when one or the other surges ahead.

Right now, that would be me.

However, the 10-day forecast promises a lot o'rain. A weather slowdown might be just the slap-in-the-face I need to get back to more reasonable walking expectations.

Thanks, again, for reading. I'm glad you're here.

I'm glad I'm here.

Countdown

It's the ...

6th day of the month.

5th day I've returned to a paleo food plan.

And I'm down ...

4 pounds.

Booyah!

I'm not saying paleo is right for you, but it sure is good for me. The hip pain I've been dealing with during the holidays? Gone. I credit that to abstaining from refined sugar and grains.

Oh, and I've walked every day this year, too. Getting ready to head out now. Have a good one!

A great perspective

And one I needed. So thank you, Debi.

In case you missed it, a reader left a comment on Saturday's post. Part of her comment was this:

None of this "back on track" business, because that feels like dietspeak to me. You are resuming the eating habits that really changed your life this last year and a half. 

And she's absolutely right.

My little break wasn't going "off the diet." It was an experiment, of sorts, a test. And I proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that, just as a diabetic needs to shun sugar, for me to enjoy my best possible life I need to avoid grains, dairy, sugar and legumes.

(Although I've not actually tested the legumes. I think I've had a couple small tastes of hummus in the last 17 months, but have not tucked into a bowl of bean soup or a peanut butter sandwich.)

It would be great if I could have used the paleo plan to restore my health and then been able to eat like a "normal" person, whoever that is. The truth is, the Standard American Diet (it's known as SAD for a reason!) made me sick, tired and fat. The paleo plan helped me regain my energy, got rid of allergies and helped me lose 40 pounds.

Also in case you missed it – and believe me, my Facebook friends made sure I didn't – is this article, supporting the reversal of the low-fat trend and disproving the theory that dietary fat causes heart disease.

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know I frequently say I'm going to #StickwithNick, my incumbent Congressman who is running for re-election. Well I'm going to #StickwithPaleo, as well.

As we say in AA, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Staying on track is better than getting back on track

Yes, it is.

I was tempted by a tiny little piece of [insert food porn here] yesterday, but I resisted. I wasn't hungry. I just wanted the taste of it. And I felt better after I brushed my teeth and found something else to do than I would have had I had that tiny little piece of [insert food porn here].

One thing I forgot to write about yesterday was a bit of mental gymnastics I went through on Wednesday and Thursday.

I had been way off plan, eating whatever I felt like, whatever sounded good, whatever was handy. I felt like an unruly child, turning my nose up at good-for-me options and going instead for, basically, anything with sugar and flour in it.

If I ever had any doubts about the addictive qualities of sugar and flour for me, I'm over them. I cannot be trusted to leave them alone.

Because I also wasn't food journaling during that period of, um, indiscretion, I can't say what set me off. I remember making rice one night, a couple weeks ago, which was delicious. I hadn't had rice in more than a year. It was an experiment – some folks following a paleo/primal plan can handle an occasional serving of rice.

I'm not saying my otherwise-paleo stir-fry with rice was the tipping point. But I'm not saying it wasn't, either.

ANYHOO. On Wednesday, when I finally decided enough was enough and I had to get back to what worked for me, I toyed with the idea of fasting on Thursday. I even said it aloud to my husband, who said he would support anything I felt I needed to do.

When I woke up Thursday morning, I was hungry. Hunger pangs are a sign of health, and I nearly always wake up hungry. I usually delay breakfast for a couple hours, because I wake up insanely early. So I decided to wait it out, to see if I could get through the hunger and stick with the fast.

After obsessing about it for far too long, I made a paleo pumpkin mug muffin (this new recipe is easier than the one I'd been using and tastes terrific) and the fast was over. And it was over because fasting felt like punishing myself for going off the rails. When, in fact, going off the rails was the punishment. I decided the best thing I could do for my physical and mental health as I began anew on Thursday, September 4, is nourish myself.

If and when I'm hungry, I'll eat. If and when I'm restless, I'll distract myself with a book, a walk, a knitting session. I've been doing a lot of graphic design work lately, and I find that hours can go by without any thought of food. That can be both good and bad. Eating paleo means I have to plan ahead and have suitable food ready. Working for hours and then suddenly feeling hungry means I. Want. Food. NOW.

As in most things, it's a balancing act, but one worth working on. I love being busy and creative.

But I love slipping into those size 10 jeans, too.

(And there's a pair of size 8s waiting in the wings.)

One day down … done and DUSTED!

Yesterday was perfect!

Four-mile walk? Check.
Three clean meals? Check.
No snacking? Check.
LIFTING TINY DUMBBELLS? CHECK!

I hadn't even planned to lift my little (3-pound) dumbbells yesterday, but they were right there in plain sight as I was tying my shoes to go walk and I thought, "Why not?"

I'm so awesome.

It's really amazing how much better I feel this morning, not just physically, but emotionally. I'm not a loser! I can and DID do what I said I would do.

And I will do it again today.

I made my all-time favorite paleo meal for dinner last night. I didn't have chicken tenders, so I cut four chicken breasts into three long pieces each (which is probably how Tyson creates chicken tenders, eh?). I then dusted the pieces with chili and garlic powder, wrapped each one in a strip of bacon and baked them in a 350° oven.

An hour later we were eating half of them, along with sautéed zucchini/peppers/onions/carrots. The remaining pieces will be sliced to top a big salad for tonight's dinner.

Planning is KEY when you're following a paleo diet. Making twice as much last night as I needed was easy, although my husband would have eaten all of them if I'd let him.

Yes, he likes them that much.

Having those dumbbells in plain sight was good planning.
Walking earlier, rather than later, was good planning.
Eating when I was hungry, not just because it was "time to eat," was good planning.

And good planning led to a very good day.

(An aside: It feels kind of weird to have started over on a Thursday, and the 4th of the month. Okay, it feels really weird. But, as the young folk say, it is what it is and IT WORKED!)

Now it's time to do it all over again.

How was your Thursday?

Paying the piper

My plan to walk eight miles yesterday fell through. I managed it Saturday, but in order to finish the week at 35 miles I would have had to repeat the feat yesterday. Did. Not. Happen. (Actually I ended the week at 31 miles, so I "only" would have had to go seven. Hah!)

My husband and I met some of the family on their way out of town at the Dairy Queen, where absolutely nothing on the menu is paleo-friendly and I absolutely didn't even try. It was my birthday, after all, and I'd decided ahead of time to have ice cream. Real ice cream, not that fake banana soft-serve we paleo folks pretend is ice cream. (Although it is a fine substitute!)

I also had a hot dog. With the bun. And onion rings. That's about as crazy as I get, lemme tell ya.

I paid the price with general fatigue for the remainder of the afternoon. I walked two very slow miles after I rested. A lot.

You know what, though? It's fine. I enjoyed that ice cream cone. A LOT!

I just hope I remember how lethargic and sluggish I felt the next time I decide to have one. It's okay (with me) to stray from the plan as long as I'm willing to pay the price. And it's good information to have, reinforcing my belief that this way of eating is the best possible one for me.

I weighed a lot more at the last reunion two years ago, and thus had to answer a lot of questions about how I'd managed to shed the extra poundage. I was careful to say that it's more than just weight loss – and yesterday was an excellent reminder that it truly is. My energy levels plummeted after just one off-plan meal. I was stuffy and uncomfortable during the night, waking frequently.

I was also careful to say that going full-on paleo is very restrictive, but that I was able to adapt and stick with it because the rewards are so worth it.

And with that … I'm going to begin my 64th trip around the sun with a plate of bacon and eggs.

Making progress …

at least with the mileage goal. Still no weight change.

Last Friday I calculated I'd need to walk 4.58 miles per day, every day, the rest of the year, to hit 1500 on New Year's Eve.

Today it's down to …

So there's that.

I've really been getting into the walking groove lately. Five miles has been the minimum for many, many days now. I skipped April 7, probably weather-related, and the last missed day was in March.

Time to step up the pace, I think, at least a couple times a week. Not hard to do … just need to make  it a priority. The little arrows above the 7-miler this past Monday indicates that was the longest and fastest workout in the previous 30 days. Even then, the average was just 4mph. I can do better.

Will it make a difference? Who knows? After three weeks of another strict Whole30 and no weight loss, I'm beginning to think I have the slowest metabolism on the planet. I feel great, though. Eating primally most definitely works for me. I don't feel deprived, I don't have cravings, and this eating plan has solved a number of baggy little health issues.

I'm sticking with it for the long haul.

By request

I thought for sure I'd shared my recipe for bacon-wrapped chicken tenders, but I can't ever find where I did. And it's not in the recipe tab. But it will be, today.

I first ate these at my daughter's home, probably more than a year ago. She's a busy working mom who's also going to law school and low-carbs, so easy-peasy high-protein dinners and snacks are high on her priority list. She had a full container of these tasty morsels chilling in the fridge and said, "Help yourself."

I had a hard time staying out of them!

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders (2 servings)

• Six chicken tenderloins (or 2 large chicken breasts, cut lengthwise in thirds)
• Six slices uncooked sugar-free bacon
• 1 Tblsp. chili powder (or to taste)
• 1 Tblsp. garlic powder (or to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat casserole dish with cooking spray (to keep it paleo I use coconut oil spray). Place chicken in large zip-lock bag and sprinkle with chili powder and garlic powder. Close the bag and shake it to coat each piece. Wrap each piece of chicken with a piece of bacon and place in baking dish. Grind pepper over all piece. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes.

You can also grill these, but mine get too dried out on the grill. Adjust the seasoning to your taste, or try a marinade instead of dry seasonings. You can get very creative with this dish and you almost can't ruin it. Because … bacon!

For yesterday's salad, I simply sliced four or five leftover pieces (because I nearly always double or triple this recipe) crosswise and warmed them in a skillet, then threw them on top of a bowl of mixed greens + black olives + pico de gallo. Serious yum.

The best dinner salad EVER

Yesterday was a busy, busy day. I walked in the morning while it was still warmish, even thought it was spitting rain. The freezing rain, sleet and snow came later, as I was driving to and from the hairdresser's.

I got a call a couple miles into the walk from our Amish neighbor, Simon, who said he had visitors from Pennsylvania – the family I stayed with when I drove Simon and his wife there in 2012! So I kept walking another half-mile and stopped to visit for a bit.

That put me a bit off schedule, but I made it work. Got home and showered, then headed back out to pick up a few groceries and mail the Easter cards before my hair appointment.

In order to make it work, I had to skip a proper lunch and just grabbed a banana on my way out the door. Not a good plan, but I had no choice. And you know what? I haven't died of hunger yet!

What to have for dinner though?

Torn lettuce drizzled with a little olive oil, topped with black
olives, pico de gallo, sliced chicken tenders wrapped in bacon
and freshly ground pink sea salt. The best salad in a long time.

I'd fixed a large pan of my favorite seasoned chicken tenders wrapped in bacon the night before, and there were several pieces left over. So I made some pico de gallo with some need-to-use-or-throw-away tomatoes, peppers and cilantro, threw it on a bowl of torn lettuce and topped it with sliced leftover chicken tenders.

Oh. My. YUM!

We watched it snow as we ate our summer salads, but it didn't matter. The sun is back out today and even though it's going to be chilly, I think (hope!) that was winter's last last gasp.

I may have hoped that before.

And I tried to get a selfie of the new haircut but they all looked horrible and self-conscious, so it'll have to wait. I asked for a little bit of an Ellen look and she nailed it! I really like it – never could have pulled it off 50 pounds ago, though. Thanks, paleo!

Spring health hazard

If you've had enough of winter, as I have, but spring weather has still not made it to your neck of the woods (I'm lookin' at YOU, northern Ohio and Canada and upstate New York and Minnesota and … well, you know who you are), may I offer a tip?

Do NOT be tempted – because the sun is shining, the temperature is moderate and the ground's not muddy – to spend an entire day DOING YARD WORK.

The yard's not going anywhere. I promise.

To be honest, I didn't weed and seed and mulch from sunup to sundown. I also took an hour-and-a-half walk, with a half hour of 60:60 intervals thrown in.

(Which, by the way, pushed the miles for the past week to more than 40. WOO HOO!)

By the end of the day I'd spread grass seed over half the former garden space, pulled a bunch of dead plants from the herb bed and completed weeding and mulching the asparagus.

I finished up my farmer chores at around 7 p.m. I am, possibly, too old to work outside from 9 in the morning until 7 in the evening. I was so sore last night. I took an Aleve and went to sleep early, which OF COURSE meant I woke up around 4 this morning, aching but well-rested.

So here I am, listening to the rain and trying to remember if anything else of significance happened yesterday.

OH! RIGHT! I started another strict Whole 3031, a day ahead of Gingerzingi, because last year's first foray into the World of Paleo began on … April 6. I'm not going to post a report every day, but I will share yesterday's kickoff report, just FYI. (Report is from LoseIt, and I haven't yet decided if I'll keep it up on a daily basis. I'm leaning toward "yes," only because keeping a food journal has been shown to aid in weight loss, and that's one of my primary reasons for repeating a strict Whole 30. It's not my only reason, however. Also, I only recorded an hour of yard work, even though I know I did way more than that. The calorie count for one hour of weeding seemed excessive to me.)

There will be no intentional activity today, because the forecast is for constant precipitation (good for that grass seed!) and because I'm going shopping. I need to be home by mid-afternoon to prepare for a 4 p.m. meeting and then there's a Meet the Candidates event at 7 this evening.

I absolutely can't imagine being this busy and actually getting this much stuff done a year ago. Increased energy + elimination of joint pain = 1 happy Debbi!

Just like starting over

Okay this morning's weigh-in did not go well. At all. But rather than cry over spilt coconut milk, I'd rather learn from my mistakes and move the hell on.

I now need to lose 19.5 pounds – arghhhh! – to reach the magic BMI. That's seven pounds more than the lowest weight I was able to get to last year. If I'm to accomplish this goal in the next 61 days (which would be on my birthday), I need to buckle down.

There aren't many minefields on my calendar for the next couple months. A banquet April 4 and another one later in May are really the only events at which I won't have any choice about the food.

I'm going to pretend that 20 pounds have crept up on me over this horrid, brutal winter, rather than seven. Spring truly is in the offing – even though the roads this morning are snow-covered black ice – and soonsoonsoon I'll be able to get a long walk in every day. Food choices have been all over the map, but there's absolutely no reason not to get back on the Whole 30 horse for a couple of months.

The combination of clean eating and increased activity worked for me beginning last April. No reason history can't or won't repeat itself. I've been far too liberal with all four paleo forbidden fruits. I'm not just seeing those results on the scale, I'm feeling the telltale achy joints.

But … my jeans still fit. My wedding ring is still loose. I don't look like I've gained seven pounds and I don't look like I need to lose 20. And there's the dilemma. For all those who say BMI isn't accurate or doesn't matter, I say – for me – it has to. Otherwise I'm pretty comfortable right where I am, and right where I am is 20 pounds too much.

Pretending that I've always been at a normal BMI and, over the course of three months, have seen an increase is a head game I'm willing to play. My hope is that once I get there I'll feel and look SO terrific that staying there will be more important than eating birthday cake.

And anyway, my birthday falls during strawberry season, not cake season. Heh.

A darned good day

Six miles.

Clean eating.

A call from a state Senator.

Couldn't ask for a much better yesterday than that, right?

The meeting I thought I would be traveling to today has been canceled again because West Virginia is under a Winter Storm Warning. We could get six to nine inches of snow overnight.

Right now it's 45° and the high this afternoon will be 60°. Crazy weather makes me crazy.

My husband and I have barreled through eight episodes of House of Cards in two days. It's really hard for me to get him to sit down and watch a program, let alone a series, as he's glued to the news most of the time. But he's as hooked on this as I am. Sorry I'm so late to the party, but we're catching up quickly. And enjoying it immensely.

My biggest worry, prior to the cancellation, was whether I'd miss much of the Oscars.

I so shallow.

Unless we have a power outage, it looks like game on. We could probably watch some of the nominated movies before the program begins.

But I'm betting we finish up Season 1 of HoC.

Have a good Sunday y'all. Hope the storm is much ado about nothing, wherever you are.

Good day for a reboot

The first day of any month is a good day to start over, yes? And so today's the day for me. Enough nibbling, enough poking around the edges of paleo, time to get back on board and work it, baby!

Because it really does work. FOR ME.

Jen's comment about a plan being defined by what isn't has a ring of truth to it. When I describe paleo, I don't say enthusiastically that you can eat all the vegetables you want. Maybe I should, as that frames it in a more user-friendly way.

Maybe.

No, I say paleo means no, no, no, no: no sugar, no grains, no legumes and no dairy. But honestly? I don't miss it much at all. Especially when I stay away from it. Just one Hershey's Kiss has been enough to make me want more.

Jen also says it must be hard to climb back on, and she's oh-so-right about that. Which proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that grains and sugar, especially, are like crack for me. (Strangely, I've not missed peanuts or beans at all, and I'm able to tolerate dairy in limited amounts.)

The other thing I'm really missing is that daily walk. I got five miles in yesterday, and am hoping for four/five/six today. Rain is approaching and my walking date is at 1 p.m., so we'll see what happens.

I still have the elliptical. Maybe THAT will happen. That's how committed I am.

Or maybe I need to be committed? Heh.

Anyway … taking a break from daily writing has been a good thing for both of us, probably. The 20-week abortion ban bill is still working its way through the legislature and that's all I can think about. Instead of railing about it here, I've been writing to Delegates and Senators and TV station managers and anyone else who has a say in the issue. Some of our Delegates have been real champions for women's rights.

Mine? Not so much.

I'm going to try my darndest not to bring it up here again until it's resolved – either killed in committee (which is what I hope happens) or voted on (which almost certainly means it will pass). Film at 11 on Tuesday (that's when Health and Human Services is taking it up).

In other news: If you appreciate good writing and satire (in a Jonathan Swift-esque style), do not waste any more time. Go read this.

Mañana!

Moving backwards

I guess I've officially taken a paleo break. I'm not happy about it. Paleo worked for me in so many ways. And it will work again, I'm sure of it.

This horrible winter and the dead refrigerator have conspired against me, sending me to the easiest and most comforting sustenance available: saltines and either butter or peanut butter.

Pretty much the opposite of a clean diet.

I'm dizzy this morning, lightheaded and shaky. I've had a banana and the aforementioned crackers. And, probably, too much coffee.

I'm back up a pound this week. At the beginning of the year I needed to lose 12 pounds to reach that magical "normal" BMI. Now it's 17. And that's definitely discouraging.

I'm the only one who can turn it around, though. And I will. I'm confident that lack of daily exercise + not-so-clean eating = crappy mood, extra pounds and, yes, a return of that nagging hip pain.

ALSO moving backwards: the state of West Virginia, where a bill passed the House of Delegates last night that would make it a felony to perform an abortion after 20 weeks. The bill now goes to the state Senate. I've written my Senators, urging them to keep the government out of women's health care.

It's not going to have a big impact on the number of procedures performed here in the Mountain State. It's pretty hard to have an abortion at any time, since we have just two clinics and West Virginia isn't the easiest state in which to get from place to place.

More importantly, women who learn at 20 weeks that there is something wrong with their health or the health of the fetus need to have the option. Women who's carried a fetus that long WANT that baby. They and their families are looking forward to the new addition to the family. They are making a heartbreaking and agonizing decision. It's not the state's business to interfere.

Imagine learning, on the 20th week plus third day, that the child you're carrying has died in utero. Should this bill become law, you would be required to deliver your stillborn child at term.

I've said all this before. I think. Sorry to repeat myself.

Today the House of Delegates will be voting on a bill that will allow security personnel in schools to carry weapons.

Gun rights: AYE!

Women's rights: NAY!