Grass Fed Girl

Christine’s Journey: Shopping and Cooking Strategies Lead to Success

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Christine and her son, Omar

This is a post from my new client Christine who is documenting her weight loss journey while receiving my training and nutritional advice.  You can read her last post here. Read down to the end to find out how much Christine has lost so far!!

I mentioned in my last post how surprised I was when Caitlin told me to eat more, particularly fat.  Now almost a month into working with her, I can testify that this strategy is working well for me.  Not only have I lost a noticeable amount of bloat, I’ve lost pounds, my skin looks better, and my body is feeling really good. I’m also out of carb-prison and my cravings are almost eliminated.  I’ve also felt really satisfied, never deprived.  I’ve had to make some adjustments to my shopping, planning, and cooking routines, but so far, it’s been smooth sailing.

Well-Planned Shopping and Cooking Strategies Save the Day! 

Since I cook for my entire family, I generally pick recipes that can work for all of us, and many of our meals are very similar to what we ate before I started this program.  One of our new family favorites is Caitlin’s recipe for Grass Fed Meatballs.  My family can eat this with pasta, while I eat mine with a side of vegetables, usually sauteed zucchini, which is delicious with this dish.  Since my cravings for pasta are now gone, I can cook and serve this dish, which is very similar to what used to be my favorite meal of spaghetti with meat sauce, without a hint of longing!
Paleo Grass Fed Meatballs
You can find the recipe here: Grass Fed Meatballs.
Many of our families favorite recipes are totally adaptable, making this “diet” truly feel like a lifestyle change because I’m eating what I always have, with a few adjustments. What I like about eating a diet focused on meats, vegetables, and good fats is that it’s really satisfying because it’s comfort food without the carbs. The difference between meatballs in tomato sauce and lasagna is that it is really difficult to overeat on meatballs, though I leave the table feeling like I ate an equally decadent meal!

I went kind of heavy on the comfort food in the beginning, but that was easily remedied with a few refreshing additions like homemade guacamole, taco salad, and tuna.  Varying my palate with cool, minimally cooked things is helping me feel balanced.

Prepare for Success by Shopping Well
I realized early on that success would start at the super market. If you have the right foods at your finger-tips, it’s much easier to make good choices. Trader Joe’s has proven to be a great place to get things like grass fed butter, almond butter, grass fed beef, and organic vegetables for good prices.
Success begins with well-planned shopping.  Here, my bounty from Trader Joe’s

Baba Ganoush and Spiced Beef is a Family Pleaser

Since I’ve started this program, I’ve fallen in love again with eggplant!  It’s also great sauteed with beef, onions, and tomatoes, or alone sauteed with butter.  This simple Middle Eastern dish of  eggplant, tahini, sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper is delicious and satisfying.  Roasting the eggplant and removing the skin is super easy, so don’t be afraid to try this recipe!  On another note, a good jar of tahini, which is needed for baba ganoush, can also be used as a dressing for salads by mixing it with warm water, lemon juice, and salt/pepper.   Mix it with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes for a simple, filling salad that goes great with beef, chicken or fish.

Eggplant roasted for about 45 minutes and took less than 1 minute to peel
This beef dish was inspired by a paleo recipe site.  I simply added a pinch of lemon juice and mixture of powered spices like chili, cumin, garlic, and paprika, and sauteed in a pinch of butter.  Towards the end, I added a half cup of water and cooked on high for 2-3 minutes to creates a simple, spiced sauce.

My son really enjoyed helping us make the baba ganoush.  Total time to make fresh, homemade baba ganoush is about 20 minutes, including clean up.
Omar Cooking!
Caitlin has a simple and delicious recipe for baba ganoush right here on Grass Fed Girl.
Caitlin’s Baba ghanoush
Double up this recipe and store some in the refrigerator for other meals or snacks.  This dish gets better with age.  It’s also a great strategy to make double or triple batches of things that store well.   It helps ensure there’s always a quick, healthy meal or snack on-hand.  I found this piece of advice from Caitlin invaluable.
 
A few other tricks that Caitlin helped me with are:
  • Make sure you eat a good breakfast.  I’ve found what and when I eat breakfast really sets the tone for how I feel all day, so eat a filling, balanced breakfast that includes good fats to keep hunger and cravings away!
  • If you buy beef in bulk and freeze it, make patties before freezing and pack so you can take one at a time.
  • Cook extra of meals that make great left-overs.  The meals I doubled up on in addition to baba ganoush were Cabbage stew (a simple combination of fresh cabbage, ground beef, onions, fresh garlic, and tomato) and Beanless Chilli.
  • Look for healthy convenience foods like canned tuna, sardines, and salmon.  These are great for a quick meal.  I eat my tuna with sliced tomato and cucumbers with lemon juice, salt and pepper.  This meal gives me so much energy and keeps me full for hours.  I love that I can get the entire dish ready in under 5 minutes, making it great for lunchtimes when I find myself hungry, standing in front of the fridge thinking “WHAT am I going to eat?”
  • If you’re really feeling a desire for carbs or sugars, try a sweet potato with butter, or a cup of tea with coconut milk.  Don’t forget last week’s tip of L-glutamine powder too!
  • Check out Grass Fed Girl and other websites with Paleo recipes for new ideas and inspiration.  If your goal is to lose weight, avoid the more “treat” like foods you find.  Paleo Pancakes or Coconut Milk Ice Cream  would both be delicious right now, but not helpful in my weight loss efforts.   I love knowing I have some “treat” options when I’m ready to explore them.
So far, this has been an exciting, and not too trying journey, and probably the best, most balanced approach to weight loss I’ve taken in my life.  I’m putting in the effort to shop, cook, plan, and eat smart, and it’s really paying off.
 
On a final note…….
Mini-Goal #1
I think it’s always motivating to have a goal in mind when starting a new eating and exercise plan.  Luckily, I have a big event on the horizon!
I’m focused on working hard for an event at the end of March.   I’m currently trying to get a gig at Art Dubai, a big art event that happens every year in the very glamorous United Arab Emirates.  With the event about 8 weeks away, my goal is to work my hardest so when I board the plane to Dubai (fingers crossed!) I know I gave it my every effort to look and feel my best for this very exciting adventure.
Hoping to drop some more lbs. before my work trip to Dubai.

Caitlin’s Comments: I am so impressed with Christine’s progress. We took her measurements on Jan 11, 2012 and then again on Feb, 1, 2012. She lost nearly 12 inches off her body in just 20 days! I am so happy for her. She said her clothes are fitting better and she is feeling less aches and pains. I always take measurements with my clients around their body because it a much better way to chart progress than the scale. We will update you soon with more!

See you next week! 


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