Living Paleo: Week Two Report

Today is day 18 of our 30 day Paleo challenge. 18 days of living dairy-, carb-, gluten- and sugar-free! I never thought I would make it past week one, but here I am on day 18 and I am able to fit into my pre-Val jeans! Now, pre-M jeans, that is another story, but hopefully I will get there soon.

I was fully prepared for week 2 to be hell (much like the second week on Biggest Loser). I heard rumors that you get really tired after a week of eating like this, and that your cravings come back in full-force and it gets even harder to eat a clean primal diet. And to those rumors I say pish posh!! Week two came and my husband and I kicked it's ass. I was able to get a little yoga in a few times and I am starting to feel like my old self again.

I had a couple of challenging moments this week. One being my first dinner out since starting this, but I was able to successfully eat a Paleo dinner - a huge accomplishment for me, the food lover. I passed on the bread (of course we went to an Italian restaurant in the North End) before dinner, and didn't even look twice at the dessert that was being shared by the rest of my girls at the table. It was the first night I was able to fit into my regular jeans, and I think I was so high on the fact that this shit is actually working I had no desire to fall back to my old ways.

I do have to complain (again) that this Paleo gig is pretty time consuming. Here I am at dinner and I have already cleaned the kitchen twice today - once for a big breakfast and once for my dynamite lunch of crabcakes, broiled squash and kale chips. The thought of dirtying up the kitchen a third time makes me want to puke (pukes a funny word - anyone actually get that reference besides my husband?)

Ok, enough about me, now on to the good stuff...the food! We have had some KILLER meals this week and I need to share the recipes with you, because they were so freaking easy to make. Again, I am obsessed with Nomnompaleo.com so most of the recipes come from her kick ass site.

- Crab Patties (holy shite these were delicious)

image courtesy of Nomnompaleo

- Slow Cooker Thai Yellow Curry beef

image courtesy of Nomnompaleo

- Slow Cooker Kalua Pig (which we made for the second time in two weeks)

image courtesy of Nomnompaleo

And on nights like tonight, where I don't feel like making a colossal mess I make my own stir-fry type dish. I cook chunks of chicken in coconut oil, use all my remaining veg in the kitchen (this time carrots, peppers, mushrooms and scallions) and fry that up in a skillet with coconut oil as well. I combine the chicken and veg, add coconut milk, a spoonful of roasted red chili paste, a couple splashes of fish sauce and lots of salt and pepper. Holy bejesus was it tasty. 

image courtesy of me and my mad
cooking skills