Wooo hoooooo!!!!!  I am 2 lbs below my goal weight!  I am so excited!!!   I have been doing "Paleo" for almost a year now and I feel so so so much better!  I have Paleo in quotes because I do have sugar sometimes and I do eat a lot less meat than Paleo typically emphasises, I focus mainly on eating veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and eggs;)  It is such a relief to be off all the thongs I was allergic to!  Hooray!!!

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I am in love with THIS ARTICLE. Be sure to read part one as well! This is pretty much what I have been going through. I have so much energy not eating all the things I was allergic to, plus I am much thinner than I was! I still want to get thinner but I am not worried, that will come! The thing is, I havn't really lost any weight! No one ever believes that - but it is true!!! It was getting really frustrating so I am so glad to read this and realise I am not alone!!!

For Alisa

Ok - these pics are pretty terrible but I took them myself when I had a few seconds and thought of it.... This is how I look currently - I do still have a bit more I want to lose, but things are going good!!!!




This one was an accident - but I thought it showed my weight loss pretty good;)

Nearly there!

I wish that before I had started working out I had had my hubby help me measure myself! I think it would be a really great reality check! I am going to still do that and as I continue I can see better how things are going! I am not just 2 lbs from my original goal weight!!!! Woo hooooooo!!! I set that weight because I thought it was more realistic as a Mom of 4 kids than the rock bottom of my weight range - and now I am ALMOST there!!!! (although, my goal weight now IS my rock bottom healthy weight....) Yay! I am just excited, more because I like to feel a sense of accomplishment than anything else, because my self image has really improved lately. Why? That is kind of weird... I eat so healthy that I simply have no guilt about that, and I just have learned that I have more self control and am stronger than I ever realised - and it is a good feeling! I feel that I have forged some great friendships and I am grateful for those, it is amazing how strong friends can help you feel. I also am just in such a great place right now with my husband and kids... life is great! Not without problems and issues, but still - great!

Celebration time!!!

Woo hooooooo!!!! I am back into my favorite (and smallest that I saved) pair of pants! I am so stinkin excited!!! The funny thing is that even though I have been getting smaller, I havn't lost much weight yet. But I look smaller, and feel better - so all is well! Hooray!

I am in LOVE with THIS!

Healthy recipes = Happy Momma!

Here are a couple yummy recipes I have been enjoying! Super healthy too so I thought you might like 'em!

Mexican Chicken and Veggie Soup

Beef 'n Cabbage

The whole family loved them both! Hope you do too!~K

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It has been almost 2 weeks since I went off of grains and dairy (and a few other things) due to allergies and I already feel like a new person! It is incredible! My husband told his parents in a letter yesterday (they are in Germany serving a mission for our Church) that I am back to the same girl he dated! YAY! It is true though, I have energy and am just generally happier again! HOOOOOORAY!!!! As far as weight loss I have already lost about 6 pounds but I have mostly been losing inches and fat, I can see muscle tone better already! It is amazing what a shift in eating will do when you have been shoving "healthy" things in your body that for you are simply NOT healthy! I am so excited about this! I think I will eventually start missing all the foods I used to eat but right now I just feel so much better that I can't even think about those kinds of foods without cringing inside!
My pain is NOT all gone, although I have only been on this for about 2 weeks and it takes months for gluten to completely leave your system. My pain is so improved though that I can workout harder than I have in years! What a blessing! I don't expect to have all my pain gone though, I know that a lot of it will be a lifelong thing - but I feel as though it will be much more manageable with this lifestyle!

Banana Pancakes

I posted this on my food blog but like it so much I thought I would share it here too!

While my hubby made vanilla french toast for he and the kids, I made Banana Pancakes... and was suprised that they were pretty good! I will be eating them again!

Banana Pancakes

1 banana
1 egg

Beat together and fry in a non stick pan (lightly sprayed) till golden brown on both sides. Drizzle lightly with honey if desired.

Note - next time I will probably also sprinkle these with cinnamon. I ate this with a thin slice of Turkey ham and it was a great meal!

Oh boy!

So, I am writing this in hopes of some help! I thought it would be easier than it has been... and it has only been about 6 hours since I found out about my new lifestyle! I have been feeling REALLY awful as you know, and some of the reason is my diet. My diet has been really healthy - it is just that healthy is NOT good enough. I am severely allergic to ALL grains and am going on a total grain free (which includes rice) diet. Also, severely allergic to dairy - though the Dr is hopeful that eventually I might tolerate yogurt occasionally. I can't have anything with yeast or brewers yeast so no vinegar (and consequently no salad dressings - though salads are one of the only things I can think of to eat)! I am sensitive to broccoli, cabbage, spinach, celery etc (it is a long list) but am still allowed to have those for now. I also have a strong sensitivity to citrus but the Dr said I could still have that for now - because for goodness sake what else will I eat? ;)
I have ordered a Paleo diet cookbook at the suggestion of my Dr - as it will have a lot of recipes I can use, though I can have beans which the Paleo diet does not encourage. The book is not going to be here for more than a MONTH though - grrrrr.... so I may starve in the meantime!
I am actually pretty excited about this (along with nervous, sad, bitter, angry, etc) if I can feel better, and be able to be there for my kids it will be sooooo worth it! It is also good to know that part of the problem with weight loss is that my body isn't tolerating a lot of the "healthy" foods I have been using!
I went through my healthy cookbook today and filed away (who knows what will happen) all my recipes for healthy food that I simply cannot have. I am left with VERY VERY few things to eat - almost everything had grains (and yogurt!), though on some recipes I kept them to try using different methods.... so we will see how it goes!
I am also going on meds for a few other problems that were figured out (hooooray) and I am thrilled (and nervous) about that as well! I also found out that my body has almost 0 of some key things - such as zinc, magnesium, calcium.... so I have lots of awesome supplements (plus supplements to help those absorb) and I just pray it will all work out and that I will feel better!!! Wish me luck! (Oh and please send recipes or tips if you have any, this is something I feel I will need a LOT of support and help with!!!!)