Messed up, then balanced and now finding a new way

I have not been blogging. Last weekend went for a little day hiking trip with my family to Point Reyes. Beautiful nature and ocean. I realized I get an appetite when outdoors and walking. Probably all the fresh air .....

I brought good food with me. Beef Jerky (Sophia's Survival Food, I really like the Original flavor, just grass fed beef and salt), quest bars, cucumbers, canned tuna, hard boiled eggs, nuts, even had flax muffins with me!

I did not limit myself with food and didn't stress about it. But then in the evening we stopped in San Francisco for dinner. I went to a sushi place with my daughter. I sneaked 2 seaweed rolls and couldn't avoid the white rice. I also had cucumber salad and grilled chicken bowl. I am sure the soy and other sauces were not great for me. I did not feel full/satisfied after I ate and I was,having increased appetite for few days after. 

Problem is two days later we went again to Asian buffet and I couldn't resist buy try some dessers. I am sure I wouldn't have even contemplate trying them if I hadn't slipped with the sushi two,days before. 

In any case, I didn't dwell on it, I just returned to my eating and training. Two days later my weight is same as before. I am a bit disappointed I am not down but happy I am not up. 

My husband has been sick with flu since Tuesday. He's moping at home. Kids were off school and I have been shuffling them around all week. I only trained once,this whole week. It wasn't super hard. I think I am ready for week 3 day 1 do c25k. Really want to be moving but am just worn out from having kids 24/7 AND a sick DH who keeps moaning about how sick he is. I cannot help but think, if it was the other way I would still be driving kids around and arranging activities for them. He doesn't have to do it. He can just rest. I guess it is what it is. He didn't have to carry them, give birth or nurse them either.... :-)

I asked on the Ketogenic Dieters FB group about losing the last 10-15lbs and someone pointed me to a fabulous new blog My Zero Carb Life. It totally threw me into curiosity mode. I have been reading and joined the FB group Zeroing In On Health. I started reading about Vilhjalmur Stefansson experience with the Eskimo and got really intrigued. 

Since I don't have any success with the low carb and it doesn't seem like the 20g net carbs are making any difference for me I will go into 30 day zero carb. Just meat and water. It seems easier in many ways. From what I have read so far, it kind of let's body regulate everything by itself. Appetite and body composition.

I haven't gone zero carb just yet. For the past couple days I have reduced my veggies to just a bit of cabbage, spinach and some homemade Paleo bbq sauce. I only had shredded chicken breast in fridge but I understand it is lean meat and thus not suitable for this way of eating as you need to eat meat with fat. Not that you need added fat, you just need meat with its own natural fat. I will need to add some fat for cooking but not vegetable fat. 

So far, I seem to be doing well. My clothes feel loose. I have energy and so far no problem with #2, but I read that if I do happen to have problems just up the fat.

I am going to make Grinbenes/schmaltz it seems really nutritious, yummy, fulfilling and a really good snack. 

Will keep reporting on a more regular basis.

New Habits and eliminating snacking

I have established a new habit. I drink all the time between meals. Coffee, tea, water. At any given moment I have something to drink.
My best new habit is in the evening and it's already become a reflex. I put hot water on a little after 8 when girls start to get ready for bed.  I make a huge mug of herbal tea and sip it for the next hour.
Works well for me. I am glad I managed to establish this new habit. It is much better than my previous Quest bar in afternoon around 4:30pm.. .

Got this article on Ketogenic Dieters FB group I am on. http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/0503/eating-for-pleasure-not-hunger-activates-the-brain.aspx

Really resonates with me.

Week 1 Day 2 C25K behind me

I did not make any excuses. Even though I got home after 9:30 (late school start day) and had a ton of things to do, I popped the chicken breasts in the crock pot with all ingredients and ran out of the house for my week 1 day 2 couch-to-5-K training. 

I really really enjoy it. 

I am also a little motivated by this friendly competition with my husband. 
He said that if i run he will run, so my excuse to actually do it is to either be better than him or just keep him healthy (he has really difficult sleep and stress issues and this running is actually very helpful for him). 

It is amazing how good I feel with this training. I don't know why I stopped. 
I think i just let myself get bored, or just let myself tell myself that I am bored. I kept doing the same streets but who cares! I am feeling so great! I have flexibility with my time and as long as I don't make excuses and just make it a priority I "Just Do It". 

My sleep has improved tremendously, well more like waking up improved, I have never had sleep problems. I wake up not tired and much earlier, without the alarm.

Something Dr. B. said in her blog or book (or both) really touched me. She said that she is 60 (or something near that age) now and it seems like just 2 weeks ago she was 45. So she has no illusions, she will be 80 in no time. I look at both our parents (my husband's and mine), they all have health problems, they can barely walk (they are 83/84). They didn't exercise until they retired and even then it was just walking. Our moms never drove a car so they always walked to work and/or store, bus etc. 
I watch other people near that age at our Synagogue, they are active, they actually exercise, they have vitality! I know I cannot plan that far ahead but I want to give myself a fair chance.