One more thing... the other reason I want to make my own mayo is that commercial mayo has SUGAR in it. Bad. Just about all packaged food has sugar in it. It's like the cigarette companies adding more nicotine to cigarettes so they're more addictive.

Meanwhile, the kale is sitting on top of my air conditioner (outside the window, five floors up) because there is no room in the refrigerator. It's 48 degrees outside - good temp for kale. I attached it to the window with blue painter's tape. Hope it holds!

I'm guilty of still using store bought mayo. One of these days I'll learn how to make my own.

Meanwhile, not only does store-bought mayo usually contain sugar, it usually also has soybean oil too. Ah well, not perfect over here, that's for sure.

It's really easy if you have one of those little Cuisinart mini-prep machines. There's hole to drizzle in the oil. It takes all of 30 seconds - no skill required. If you make it yourself, you can use omega-3 eggs and walnut oil - way better for health, and tastes better, too. The only reason I used store-bought is because I had some left over from before my colonoscopy (when my fear-factor about omega-3s and carbs went up). I'm not in a position to throw out food!

I use the mini-prep for grinding spices, too - brings out the flavor. When I made the chicken with tumeric last time, I ground up tumeric and garlic root in the mini-prep then added it to the chicken and cauliflower saute. The mini-prep is very useful.

Meanwhile, I also have no place in the refrigerator for the apples I just bought, which are currently sitting on the floor. Maybe if I reorganize the refrigerator I can fit more in it. It's tough having a half-size refrigerator!

Just checking in...

I've been doing pretty well in staying paleo (paleo with grassfed dairy). One exception, however. When I was at the Farmer's Market buying grassfed meat and cageless eggs, I also bought some biscotti. They were really good, but it was not what I should have been eating, I know (white flour and honey). But it was just that one time.

I'm doing better monitoring my paleo-ness and omega-6 to omega-3 ratio than my carbs. Just cutting out grain (except that one day) has got to lower my carbs in general, but I've been eating a fair amount of winter squash (generally for breakfast). Also, when I want dessert, I have some peanut butter mixed with honey. Peanut butter isn't really paleo (it's a bean), and honey is paleo but obviously not low-carb. Still, it's better than an oatmeal cookie.

I haven't felt deprived at all, and (my main goal), my gut has been better. I actually see some improvement. It's not hugely dramatic, but definitely better. That encourages me to keep trying.

I think this is really excellent, to be honest. You can't do it all, all at once - well, maybe some can - but I know I can't.

This whole thing comes in stages.

And you're on the right track. Doing quite well, actually.

In the meantime, don't focus on the 'exceptions' - pay attention to the good foods that you're eating, and how much better you're feeling - instead of giving yourself a hard time for not being perfect.

Keep it up

Thanks, Citruskiss. I notice from your stats that you have done great with this - lost over 100 pounds. Wow - that's impressive. How long did it take you to be able to adhere to a low-carb diet?

Thanks

I started out with standard Atkins. After awhile, I gave up dairy. Then, later on - I discovered I was gluten intolerant, so I gave that up too. Now granted, there wasn't a ton of gluten in my Atkins-ish diet, but it was still lurking in things like my salad dressings and such.

Meanwhile, I never did really add in peanut butter or what have you to my so-called Atkins diet, and by the time it was ok to add nuts and nut-butters to my "low carb diet", I'd already gone into a kind of Paleo-ish plan. This isn't to say I didn't get into the peanut butter - I did - but then realized it had a rather 'more-ish' quality to it (ie. somewhat addictive, and craving-inducing), and so switched to almond butter instead. The almond butter is tasty, but not nearly as addictive as peanut butter - so the jar of almond butter is still sitting in the fridge. It's there if I want it, but it just doesn't have that addictive quality that the peanut butter did.

Long story short - started out on regular "low carb" (ie. Atkins), but over time ditched the dairy, the gluten and the artificial sweeteners and such. I have occasionally had some hummus (legumes), but not very often.

I went 'low carb' first, and then became more Paleo-ish over time.

editing to add: I went from Atkins to Protein Power Life Plan's "Purist" version, which is also a Paleo style plan. If you get wanting to read something - you might want to read Protein Power Life Plan - excellent book!

I've had that book for quite a while. I'm not actually new to paleo or low-carb or any of these ideas. I'm just "periodic" - or should I say, non-compliant. I know what is healthy, I just don't always do it.

I'm impressed that you can stay compliant with diets from books for long periods of time. I am incapable of that.

I've been trying to improve my cooking skills, and I made something very simple and tasty tonight for dinner: pan-fried steak with a sauce made of browned onions and reduced balsamic vinegar (grassfed steak, of course). I had steak a couple nights ago just broiled and it was very boring, so this time I did a quick google and found the sauce idea. It actually called for beef broth but I didn't have any and this was quite good as-is. Also, it was super quick and simple to cook.

I like peanut butter and don't eat it addictively. Often for lunch I have just an apple with peanut butter (yes, I know that's high carb). I'm trying - some days are more carby than others. With no grain, it's got to be lower than it was.

I'm eating only meat and dairy from grass-fed animals now. It helps that I found a good source. Also, the milk tastes much better than standard.

Sounds like you're doing pretty good there! I think the apple with peanut butter isn't that bad. Not super low carb but not a stack of pancakes with maple syrup either.

Thanks for the encouragement.

I'm doing pretty well most of the time, but I'm not perfect. A muffin found it's way into my mouth two mornings this week. But after the second time my gut told me that was a bad habit to get into, so I'm not inclined to repeat this - especially since my gut has been better with high omega-3s and no grain.

At least if I go off the deep end with a muffin for breakfast (I only did it twice), I don't eat anything else carby (or any other grain) the rest of the day. Perhaps I'm rationalizing. I should not eat muffins. Period. Well, maybe once in a month, but not twice in a week.

On the plus side, I am cooking more, and enjoying my own cooking more.

Excellent news! I think it's mostly about 'progress, not perfection' and I can see that you're really on a roll here.

You're not 'rationalizing' - you're making significant progress. Hardly anyone can just dive in and master something perfectly right off the bat. New challenges are usually filled with all kinds of little 'mini failures'. It's just part of the challenge, and you are well on your way. Keep it up. You're actually doing extremely well.

Citruskiss - sounds like you did better than I am at "jumping in", if you were following those diets to the letter, right off the bat. When was the last time you had any type of grain? I'm just not that disciplined - or maybe it's a rebellious streak.

This morning I had an omelet with cheddar cheese and scallions, and coffee with milk. The milk in the omelet and my coffee is from grassfed cows and the eggs are from happy chickens. (The cheese and butter are organic, but not good omega-3s - this is harder to find.) I'm not feeling completely satisfied, though. I'd have enjoyed a muffin. But I have to think about my bowel health (and not wanting to die). I don't know why I always like carbs in the morning. Winter squash and apples for breakfast satisfies me more than an omelet.

I went to the Farmer's Market today and managed to not come back with any cookies, biscotti, or pies. I walked right by that booth - didn't even look. I'm thinking about it a little longingly now, but that's just an addictive craving for a sugar hit. When I remember how crappy I felt last week after eating the biscotti, I don't want it.

I had another cheese omelet for lunch because I was squeezed for time - this time I put some leftover veggies in it. One-egg omelets for breakfast and lunch.

I had a good dinner - a piece of fish, some steamed broccoli with butter, and some raw carrot pieces. I made some dessert - an apple with lemon, honey, cinnamon, and walnuts (microwaved). It was sort of like the inside of an apple pie - quite yummy. I know - carby.

I'm still not totally low carb, but no grain today and that is good. I'm moderately low carb, mostly paleo (except dairy), and very good on the omega-3s. Not bad, overall. My gut was worse today - possibly because of the muffins earlier this week, or maybe just "because". Colitis doesn't need a reason.

It's pretty easy to stay off grains when you know they're harming you. Gluten grains I have no issue staying away from, rice however... I have a hard time not eating it if someone puts it in front of me.

And sticky rice with mango... oy vey.