"You look tough!" Anonymous 11:33 PM

As I've stated previously, I work in a grocery store. It's a smaller, privately owned grocery that gets a fair amount of traffic through it for its size. I often have customers who come through my line who remark about the "Low Carb" sticker I wear on my name tag. There are also a fair share of male customers who are none too shy about making flirtatious overtures to me. Today a customer (a middle aged man a bit older than myself) was the first to remark about my physique, and not in a way that was a come-on.

I was scanning his groceries, lifting some heavier items out of his cart and on to the conveyor belt when he said, "Wow, your arms look...do you lift weights? They look like you lift weights..." To which I responded, "Uhm, no...not really...but I do a lot of heavy lifting while I'm working. It's really the only workout I do." And he said, "Well, you look tough!"

"Thanks," I said, sort of blushing by now, "I eat a low carb type of diet, and that has a lot to do with it."

"It's working well for you, that's for sure!" and I finished scanning his groceries and he departed. I thought it was interesting since I was wearing a form fitting long sleeved hoodie (it was a bit cold here in my part of the Midwest today), and I wondered how he could really tell what my arms looked like. It's probably a good thing they weren't bare. I'm not sure he would be so impressed, as I am not really that defined. There's definitely muscle there, though.

I had my daughter snap a quick shot of my arm this evening. It has me wondering about how they might look if I seriously started lifting.

I'm thinking about it. Obviously it's not the arm of a bodybuilder, but it's not too bad for a little 45 year old woman, huh? Those 40 pound bags of rock salt, cases of beer, and 20 to 30 pound bags of dog food that I lift all day are doing some good, I guess. But really, it's a wonderful thing that eating in an inherently low carb manner, such as eating Primal, is very sparing of muscle.

I am kind of stoked that someone noticed the guns. ;-)

So, what do you think...should I start pumping some iron, or is that overkill?

Soon... Anonymous 7:52 AM

I've been wanting to get a few new posts up but I have been working a lot of hours and dealing with my mother being in the hospital since before the first of the year (heart attack, multiple bypasses, atherosclerosis, e. coli infection in her incision...not a great prognosis here, folks). I am also having some problems with my computer that I am trying to sort out in my "spare" time. So, hopefully I can find a few minutes in the next day or two, barring anything unforeseen, to knock out a post or two. This all work and no play stuff sure is making Lisa a dull girl. *Sigh* Here's to brighter days ahead...

Barefooting Update Anonymous 10:15 AM

UPDATE at bottom!

I wore my VFF's to work yesterday. I was sure that one of my co-workers would notice and comment first, as she is very observant, and I was right. "What in the hell is on your feet??" was the statement that came out of her mouth first, which roused the curiosity of several other co-workers. One co-worker knew what they were, and I explained to the others all about VFF's.

Several customers noticed, though not quite as many as I thought would. Maybe a handful of people through my checkout commented (BTW, I am a grocery store cashier/trainer). One young couple who came through my line were staring at my feet and smiling as I was helping the customer ahead of them. When it was finally their turn I greeted them, smiled and asked, "Are you staring at my monkey shoes?" They laughed and said yes, they were, and that they had a friend who ran track for our state university who wore VFF's. I thought that was cool.

One customer asked if they were socks or sandals, and I said, "Oh, no, they are shoes," and lifted up my foot to show him the sole. He just shook his head. Another customer chided me about them and said he was going to get a pair himself. He wasn't serious, though...he thought they looked ridiculous.

None of the managers noticed. The true test of that will come today, as the main manager wasn't there yesterday. He will be today, however, and will get to work about the same time I will. I am considering not wearing them today, not because I am afraid of the managers reaction, but because it is rather chilly today, and I didn't buy any toe socks and my feet might freeze. Eh, I may still go for it...they were comfortable and my back thanked me after being on my feet for nearly 8 straight hours.

The only time I noticed a little discomfort was when I took the VFF's off. They seemed to have been a bit tight and compressed my foot enough to make some marks in my feet that didn't go away for quite some time. They sort of pinched my skin in spots. I don't know if this is a typical experience or not. Obviously they are made to fit ones foot like a glove. Mine are definitely the right size for me toe-wise, but maybe they are a bit too form fitting? I don't know, maybe they loosen up a bit after a while? We shall see.

I am not one to relish drawing attention to myself, but these VFF's are an attention magnet. I also don't care much what other people think, even if they tease me about my choice of footwear. I just don't want to be told I can't wear these if I choose...I really don't like not having a choice. So, more updates after I wear them to work today.

UPDATE: We had a meeting at work last night. After the meeting I asked the boss about wearing the shoes at work, since he made comments about attire and footwear but never directly told me I couldn't wear the VFF's. The answer is NO, I can't wear them at work. I'm bummed, but I'll deal with it. I am definitely going to have to find some more comfortable shoes than the ones I have and am able to wear at work. I'll keep you posted...

Finally Barefooting! Anonymous 4:15 PM

I needed new shoes and finally bit the bullet and invested in a pair of Vibram Five Fingers KSO's this morning! This is my first pair, but I've coveted these shoes for a long time. Okay, well really, this is my second pair of VFF's...second pair in one day - - the first pair had some stitching missing from the heel pull, and I took them back to exchange them for a perfect pair. I was fortunate they had another pair in my size, as I was informed that if they had to be ordered they could take two months to come in. The store where I bought them is the only one who carries them within a 50 mile radius of where I live.

The instructions that come with the shoes say to put them on and wear them for a couple of hours a day at a time to grow accustomed to them. I wore them out of the store and have not taken them off since. I am not having any problem becoming accustomed to them. Probably because my favorite thing has always been going barefoot. I was fortunate that while I was growing up that my guardians never made a big deal out of my not wanting to wear shoes. I had my share of bee stings (and I am allergic), but never had any other major issues going barefoot until I was older. Yes, of course I wore shoes to school and if I was in a public place, but at all other times my shoes were off.

I remember an interesting day my 6th grade year in Phys Ed. I attended a small private school in Florida, and our Phys Ed instructor was also the football coach, Coach Luker (I can't believe I remember his name after all these years, lol). Typically we would do things like play kickball, or basketball, but this day we were going to run some relays and sprints, and do some other activities outside. Before the start of the first race I asked the coach if I could take off my shoes to run. He looked at me and said, "Sure, I guess. Don't get hurt now." I told him I wouldn't, it was just how I felt best running. The first sprint I ran was up against a boy who was pretty fast, and I beat him, handily. The second and third races were the same result, and now my classmates were getting ticked because they couldn't out-sprint me. Several asked if they could take off their shoes, as well. The class was turning into a "let's see if anyone can beat Lisa" class. I raced every single one of my classmates, several times each, and no one ever beat me. That was all we got done in class that day. I ended up with an award at the end of the year in Phys Ed from Coach Luker. All he could do was smile and shake his head that day during class, and when I was running he was cheering me on. Oh, and I remember him recounting a story about some football player who kicked barefoot. He was duly impressed.

I don't know if I could have ran as fast with shoes on or not, but I knew barefoot just felt better to me. It still does. I still shun shoes when I am able. Tomorrow I am going to wear my Vibram's to work. I am taking a backup pair of regular shoes just in case my boss flips out, even though our handbook merely states that we are not allowed to wear open toed, open heeled shoes, or sandals, none of which the VFF's are...but they are not very traditional looking, to say the least! So far I love them. They will be the next best thing to being able to go barefoot at work, if I can pull it off without protest from the upper management! I'll update and let you know after I get home tomorrow.

Low Carb Home Economics Anonymous 12:19 PM

I was at the hospital while my mother was having surgery and was people watching, which prompted me to post this status update on my Facebook that said,

"So many obese people, all around...wish I could tell each and every one of them that there is a good and healthy way to remedy their situation...but I know most wouldn't listen, too afraid to go against conventional wisdom."

I had a couple of friends respond that, while they agreed low carb eating was good, it was very difficult, and too expensive. One responder was a single lady who has older, independent children living outside the home, and the other is a mom of kids still too young to leave the nest; but both with necessary budget constraints.

As a mother myself, of three splendid children (one of whom has flown the coop), I know all about eating low carb and healthy on a budget, so I thought I'd share what I do to keep food on the table for the family. Keep in mind, too, that I also work outside the home, and have the same unexpected things come up that make one deviate from the set routine, just like everybody else. Sometimes things flow splendidly, sometimes I have to get more creative to get things done, but somehow we all survive...thrive, even!

So, in no particular order of importance, here are the things that help me do low carb on an extremely limited budget:

Eliminate all processed and packaged foods from your grocery list.

Yes, even if you have kids who think it is their right to have a bag of chips or lunch-quick packaged junk. That frozen "lean meal" box of chemicals isn't low carb, and it has a lot of additives that are detrimental to everyone's health, no matter if "Heart Healthy" is printed on the package. It's not heart healthy, it'll kill you - - and it's expensive. If convenience and time is an issue when you are making the decision to buy these items, then set aside an hour or two one evening and make a few meals ahead. Freeze some things in portion sizes that you can reheat when you really don't have the time to cook, or to take to work for lunch (another money saver). Freeze leftovers from dinner instead of letting them rot until you can finally get around to cleaning out the fridge.

For good protein buys, look at the grocery store sale fliers, and buy the cheapest cuts of meat.

I believe, ideally, that we should all be eating grass fed beef for optimal health, and to not support government subsidized farming. However, it is too expensive for me to do with what money I have coming in and the mouths I have to feed. At some point I hope to be able to buy and eat all grass fed, but until then I buy what is in my grocery meat case. I like the fatty cuts of meat with all its flavor and good saturated fat, and it seems like the leaner cuts are more expensive, tough, and flavorless. I usually get whole chickens, sometimes for less than a dollar a pound, and cut them into pieces myself if I want them that way. I buy bone in chicken, with the skin on, if I ever do buy the pre-cut pieces. I typically buy dark meat pieces, which I find are more moist and juicy than the breasts, and they are usually much less expensive. I love finding a good pork butt on sale and throwing it in the crock pot before I head to work. Sometimes I'll do the same with chicken. Cheap meat, virtually cooking by itself = little time and money invested, and ready to eat when you get home. WIN!

Eggs, lots of eggs.

The incredible edible egg. Ignoring the faulty science behind the whole "don't eat too many eggs because they contain a lot of cholesterol," is wise. Eggs are good for you, and packed with a lot of nutritional bang for your buck, and they are so versatile. I eat eggs daily, and happily. I've heard complaints that eating eggs all the time gets boring, but it doesn't have to be. There are plenty of low carb egg recipes out there. Besides frying some up for breakfast in some bacon grease (which I save in a Mason jar in my refrigerator every time I make some bacon), my favorite things to make with eggs are omelets, crustless quiche, and deviled eggs (made with homemade mayo), just to name a few. And you don't really have to save eggs for breakfast time...having eggs for lunch or dinner is really quite satisfying and delicious!

Shop the perimeter.

Where is all the real food located in the grocery? The perimeter of the store, that's where. Produce, meat, dairy (well, certain dairy items that some low carbers eat). Whole foods, good foods, not the packaged stuff in the center aisles of the store. You'd be surprised at how low the grocery bill is when this one simple rule is applied.

There are certain foods I will not compromise on, and some things I do to supplement and enhance the food I am eating.

Because I eat grain fed meats I supplement, and try to adjust my Omega 6 and Omega 3 ratio, with a couple of teaspoons of Cod Liver Oil each day. Cod Liver Oil isn't that expensive, and I don't feel as bad about not being able to eat grass fed beef.

I don't eat industrial oils (no vegetable, bean, or seed oils), and do not use them for cooking. I do, as I mentioned above, save bacon grease to cook some things in, and sometimes cook with coconut oil, which is rather expensive, but worth it. I use olive oil for low heat or no heat recipes, and to make homemade mayo. I don't eat mayo off the shelf because it contains industrial oils and is usually soybean oil based, even the kind that says it's made with olive oil. Also, I am careful now to read labels on canned and packaged fish (tuna, salmon, sardines) now, as I've noticed that sometimes soybean oil is what they are canned or packaged in. I tend to buy water packed cans, and not the pouches, which tend to be a little more expensive than the oil packed variety.

I buy butter made from grass fed cows milk. Kerrygold butter, to be exact. The flavor is unmatched, and it is very nutritionally dense. Definitely more expensive than butter in the grocery store dairy cooler, but oh so worth it!

I take Vitamin D3 daily. It makes me feel good and seems to even boost my energy and mood.

In a nutshell, those are the things I do to save some bucks low carb food-wise. If I can think of anything else, I'll post.

Do you do anything else to save money on your low carb food bill? Comment and let me know!

Another Trip Down The Primrose Path Anonymous 7:07 AM

 

I was perusing my local TV station website this morning and came upon an interesting headline,  Can Aspirin Blur Line Between Fat, Healthy?  Seems the NIH is testing a "cousin" of aspirin to see if it can reduce inflammation in obese and Type II diabetics, thereby creating healthier, non-inflamed fat people.

Typical of modern science these days - - find some drug to treat some symptoms while ignoring the cause completely.

You, too, can be as fat as you want and still be healthy! Here, just take these...Ha.

Carbohydrates (especially the processed crap in every packaged food on the shelves) cause inflammation, folks...as does the overabundance of Omega-6 fatty acids in our government suggested (and subsidized) "healthy" diet.

This is my favorite part of the article (emphasis mine):

"If fat cells functioned perfectly, you could be as obese as you want and not have heart disease," says Dr. Carey Lumeng of the University of Michigan. "It's something we don't understand, why some people are more susceptible and others are not so susceptible."

Solving that mystery could point to more targeted treatments for obesity's threats than today's effective but hard-to-follow advice to lose weight.

Effective? I'm laughing out loud! Hard to follow? You betcha!

The story was a complete roll of the eyes for me, but it is frightening to think that a lot of people are going to follow the suggestions born of this study. More prescriptions to be written, more money for Big Pharma, more health care costs for the average fat Joe...I see it in my crystal ball. Yes, I do.