Lard

What's the view from my seat today? Lard

No. Not that kind of lard.
Well, kind of, but not really. Hmmm.. could that be confusing?
The kind of lard that I have thinking of is really this kind: good ol' fashioned lard butt. Made fashionable by Queen, but unfortunately, not fashionable by the standards of most of the world. And, for me...not healthy. 



What's a girl to do?
Especially a 50+ year-old "girl'".
Who is post-menopausal.

It is a little known fact that menopause is really an old greco-roman-hispanola-slovakian term from the foundation "meno" which means "burn calories like a man", and "pause" which means "never again, hahaha". Therefore, I like many post-menopausal women, have a new found problem gift talent: the highly efficient ability to save fat. For me, I have found that my posterior seems to be a great storage site. Some women choose their thighs, some become more boobalicious (spoiler alert: gravity), I believe in sitting on my assets.

So, handsome husband (HH) and I decided to launch ourselves into 2014 trying to elude the "Sugar Monster" - the Sugar Monster, of course, being one of the staunchest supporters of my lard issue. We decided to take on a month long challenge called the "Whole 30"

I mean...how can you resist this sales pitch?

And, I'm pretty sure that means that in 30 days, we are going to look a lot like this:

Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, Whole 9 Founders



OK...maybe not.

But, I am trying to persevere. While adopting an eating plan that is in opposition to my usual tastes. Contrary to what I'd previously heard, the Whole 30 and other paleo type eating plans are not about "eating like a cave man". I mean HH is mucho manly and all that, but if he needed to bring home a mastodon so that we didn't starve, well.... I might just have to be thankful for my lard butt savings plan. No, the Whole 30 is about getting back to real foods, that are unprocessed and nutritionally dense. Healthy fats, low sugar, and a vegetable heavy plate template.

So, what's the problem? Despite growing up in the great state of Nebraska, Mary K. isn't a meat girl (small shudder). Love me some veggies, yum yum to some taters, show me the beans, but hold the meat and milk (another Nebraska product). A natural taste profile which favors the post-menopausal fat hoarding syndrome...well, not the veggies - but what gets put on top of the veggies (my love affair with Mr. Butter is another topic altogether).

So, much  like heading to boot camp, I'm doing my best to toughen up and become military fit.

I hope that at the conclusion of 30 days, I'll have learned some new habits to carry on, given Mr. Sugar the big heave-ho, and still be able to bring back some of the Whole 30 "no-no's" back, in order to create a palatable, cleaner, leaner, lifetime way to eat. One that HH and I both can live with.

So, where do you come in?
After struggling mightily since Monday (Jan 6), I've decided that some accountability might help. I'm going to be accountable right here. I'll post some photos and commentary on what goes onto the plate through the Whole 30. And, with any luck, some typically twisted insights into the Whole 30 life. And, since this is Kentucky and that means that on January 11 spring is right around the corner, I'm hoping to be back on the bicycle before the Whole 30 is done. Ergo.... report on how the Whole 30 effects energy for cycling (frankly...I think popsicles are the ultimate bicycling food, so there may be a battle ahead :-))

Without further ado, here's a glimpse into today.
Late breakfast:
Black coffee, blood orange, organic sausage "Apple Bumpkin Bake"

And supper:
Regrettably a very-brown meal, but yummo-tasty!
Grilled organic steak, garlic mashed cauliflower (recipe from nomnompaleo.com), roasted brussels sprouts with bacon (recipe from nomnompaleo.com) and sautéed garlic shrooms.

 

See you tomorrow!