We interrupt your regularly scheduled post for this announcement.

I have had such a long week. I just spent the last two hours catching up on three days worth of internet stuff and now I still need to update two days on here. I feel so behind.

There's one thing I want to comment on first though, because it's kind of huge at the moment. I decided to have ice cream (which you already know if I got around to the update before you got around to reading this), and then I decided to hop off the train for a little while. For me, there's no "cheating" or "falling off the wagon" in regard to being Primal. It's just not how the lifestyle works for me. I made the conscious decision to eat what I wanted and I take full responsibility for that.

I do have a list of things I will absolutely not consume, as well as a list of "I need huge reason to ingest this, but if it's worth it, then maybe." I won't have high fructose corn syrup. I won't have partially hydrogenated oils. I won't have artificial sweeteners. If I choose, I won't have natural flavoring or coloring, but sometimes there isn't a good way to get around that.

Tonight I really wanted cookies. I saw Keebler Elf cookies and had talked myself into getting them, until I remembered about my "absolutely not list" and saw that they have hydrogenated oil. No go.

I did get some rice cracker/chip things, which I've had multiple times in the past and usually scarf down a bag. They are great chips for Mexican. They already come salsa flavored. The bag even says "guilt-free indulgence"! Ha ha.

So I had maybe a dozen of these small Dorito look-alikes. I melted mozzarella cheese on them and added organic sour cream (so good) and some fresh (although it's store bought) salsa. I decided it would be worth it.

Honestly, there were so. freaking. good.

Within ten minutes, I was hugely bloated—to the point of impressiveness. It wasn't until an hour or so later though that I started feeling really sick. (The jury is still out on whether or not this was from the pumpkin pie I made tonight. ...yeah...I know...I made another pie. It happens.) So now, four hours later, I'm so sick.

So. Sick.

So unbelievably ill. All I want to do is go sleep it off, but I need to remember this moment.

I've read stories and comments about food reactions, but I, for some reason, thought I'd be this weird exception. Even the ice cream I had last night didn't have any huge effect on me. This rice flour, or whatever ingredient it was, really freaking hates me though. I feel awful. I'm bloated and my chest is tight and...gosh, did this always used to happen and I never noticed?

I need to sleep. I have—for the most part—still been documenting my food intake. I have pictures of my meals (with a few exceptions) or notes here and there that I took down. The last two days have been crazy with my garage sale and real life just got in the way of blog life. Tomorrow I am taking a schedule day off from the blog. After tonight, I will probably be as 100% tomorrow as possible. If I fall into the 80/20, it will still be 100% grain-free.

I wonder how long I'll have to endure this. I guess I had to learn sometime.

I'll be back on Monday with a three day weekend update and maybe a new recipe. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Day 22

Meal #1 8:30am
tuna with mayo
two slices of bacon
peppers and avocado slices
glass of orange juice



Comments:
I remembered this morning as I plated my food that I said I'd only take two pieces of bacon today. So I did. I'm glad too because I'm contently full as is.

I didn't feel like having eggs this morning.

Snack #1 11:30am
smoothie with nuts



Comments:
I already know that I'm asking for trouble eating this snack. I made noodles with butter and garlic for my son and all I can smell is the amazing garlic and now I want some. I can't waste this smoothie though, so I'm going to suck it up and make something garlicy and yummy later...like in 30 minutes...

Meal #2 2:15pm
egg salad (2 eggs)
two slices bison
pepper and apple slices



Comments:
I'm actually eating because I'm lightheaded, and not so much because I'm hungry.

Also, this is the end of the organic hard boiled eggs and now I only have delicious pastured eggs left.

Meal #3 6:30pm
sirloin
sauteed cauliflower and carrots, in bacon fat and coconut oil, seasoned with basil, garlic and pepper



Comments:
Have I mentioned how I love this sirloin? Mmm. So good.

Tonight's vegetables are interesting. They were cooked in the same pan as the sirloin, and I added some bacon fat and garlic and carrots and they were so freaking good. I'm not really one for bacon fat. It still kind of freaks me out—the whole "added fats" thing, but I cannot deny how flavorful it makes things.

eta:
Oh! I forgot. As though the cauliflower wasn't flavored and full of fat as it was, for some reason I really craved butter (which normally repulses me), so I put some of that in mine, along with some extra garlic.

Snack #2 7:30pm
banana and almond butter sandwiches
1/2 of a nectarine



Comments:
Last night's snack seemed to work really well and I wasn't very hungry again, so I figured I'd try it again tonight. Nothing beats these little sandwiches as a snack, especially if you're ever craving an actual peanut butter and banana sandwich. Not that that has happened yet...but if it does.

EotD Comments:
It's interesting. I've been thinking about it today and I really don't crave grains. At all. I'm sure at some point I will, but it just hasn't happened yet. I keep thinking about the physiological effects of grains and how they would probably wreak havoc on my system and it's just not worth the trouble. I'm finally at a place where food isn't driving my body crazy and I'd like to continue that for longer than a week this time.

It is a tough sacrifice to not have any tomatoes. It's harder to eliminate tomatoes than it was to eliminate grains, but I do what I have to do. I have no choice if I intend on being as healthy as I possibly can. And I'm good with that. In fact, I'm great with that!

I still don't know for sure that the tomatoes were the culprit, but I have had issues off and on with tomatoes for years and always just chocked it up to tomatoes being acidic and "it's the price you pay" and blah blah blah. I've decided to no longer pay that price now and I'm reaping the benefits of that.

I'm still ingesting dairy, as I have kefir every day, but I've limited it to only that for now. Maybe later next week, I'll try the Greek yogurt again. Maybe if that's good, I'll try cheese again. My problem with dairy is that I go overboard with it. I don't have any at all, and then I can't get enough of it. Moderation is key and I've just been incapable of moderating it. That will change this time.