Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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Hi folks!!

I'm looking for advice on a few issues. It has been awhile since my last post, so a little update.

My family (husband, daughter, myself) moved in with my parents in January. Husband pulled his head mostly out of his ass concerning separation/divorce. Daughter turned 5 in January. Husband is on unemployment since coming off active duty in the Army. We now get food stamps ($271 per month). Now on to the issues.

When we moved in with the folks it was like walking into the aisles at Wally World. Of course I had to be polite and eat what mom cooked. Along with going out to eat 2-4 times a week. Now nearly 3 months later, I have managed to pack on 30 pounds due to my ignorance. I'm at my heaviest weight, 222 lbs. I have pitched paleo quite a few times to mom but its like talking to a brick wall. She loves her pasta, bread and 3-5 cokes a day. When I did cook, it was mostly paleo and mom didn't eat. And she complained that grain fed beef tasted better than grass fed. Basically, I seriously doubt she will ever change but I can't stand to feel or eat the way I have been. I know if I just cook for my family it will start fights and all that wonderful family drama. So there is issue number one, how do I go about feeding my family paleo in a shared house?

Next is paleo budget. Work in Fort Myers Florida is nonexistent. My husband is going to school on his GI bill just to have income at this point. $271 in FS for 3 people is what we have to work with. The farmers market down here doesn't take FS. Before all of this happened we were spending $400-600 a month at EarthFare and the farmers market, almost totally organic. I have no experience in using the less desirable parts of the animal either. Are there any good sites or any advice from personal experience?

CF. I can't afford a box right now. Which sucks because I'm missing out on the community the most. I have also managed to fracture my right ankle, develop bursitis in my right knee and have open cracks on my left heel. I feel like I'm falling apart at the seams some days. I do have the travel wods and try to scale them. Any other suggestions? And are there any alternatives than buying a $35-55 kettlebell?

Thanks for reading my wall of text.

flag	asked Mar 23 2012 at 21:50 ComplexRehvenge 225●5

Bloop · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-23 22:10:09Z UTC

I think you need to pick your battles. Some battles are easier than others, that's for sure!

Here is a list of ideas for you:

Your mom eats grain-fed meats? Well, that's not the worst thing you can eat! Maybe eat the grain-fed during this stressful time. You will be getting nutrients and keeping paleo with grain-fed beef. It may not the the ultimate optimal choice, but it's still a good choice. I've been poor, still am, and I do eat grain-fed when I can't afford grass-fed.
Can you offer to cook one meal a day for the family? Then it would be possible for you to divvy up the foods in a way that will make it easier for you to keep your diet. Perhaps you could make the meat and veggies separate, and then a grain/pasta dish for your mom.
Get to know your butcher. I have a great relationship with a few butchers, and they regularly give me free bones, offal (kidneys, hearts, etc), fat.
Talk to the produce managers at your local grocery store(s). Let them know you are willing to buy wilting produce at a highly discounted rate. I do this, and get boxes of all kinds of things for next to nothing. I got an entire case of wilting kale last week, made a ton of kale chips!
Keep positive! This is the most important thing! Your situation will not last forever! It sounds like your hubby is working hard to make a difference in your life. His schooling will allow you all to have a better lifestyle. So, just go with the flow a bit and know that this is a temporary thing.

My mom passed away last year, and I have to say that I miss her every day.She drove me nuts! I lived with her and my young kids for a while after my divorce, and it was really tough. She had all of her ideas, and she had the money, so I had to play along. I wish I could go back and appreciate her, because I sure didn't. She had a lot of wonderful qualities that I recognize in retrospect. Life is so damned short.

I'm sending you and your family a huge hug. You will make it! And you will be healthy in the end! Just do what you can for now, shrug your shoulders toward what you can't, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. I believe in you!

Jenniflower · Answer 2 · 2012-03-23 22:51:06Z UTC

I can't figure out a way to send a message if there even is one. But please email me jennifernoble 09 at gmail dot com. I hook you up with some extra kettle bells and a DVD if you want?

As for advice cook for yourself then. And explain that the stuff does more than make you fat it makes you ill. Over play a little if you have to lol. Get a tummy ache if you have to. Sit down and have a talk that she needs to respect to your choice but that's only fair if you respect her way of eating.

Lucinda · Answer 3 · 2012-03-23 22:53:34Z UTC

I agree with Twinkletoes - awesome answer and very encouraging. :-) whatever the situation maybe in our lives, its always temporary and things can change very quickly. People love to help people for the most part I believe. In my experience I,ve found that when you work with what you have to the best of your ability with a positive attitude, good things usually find their way to you. My suggestion would be to offer to share the cooking of meals with your Mom. When i ts your turn to cook, make your meals Paleo. If the meat isn't grass fed and the vegetables aren't organic, no big deal. Do the best with what you have. I,ve made Paleo meals for my family and they didn't even realize they were eating a 'paleo' meal. And your mom may also like the idea of Shari g the cooking. Sometimes with family members you must need to keep the word 'paleo' out of it. I do that with my family and they always like what I've prepared. Hope this helps you out a bit. Your situation won't last forever, so try and stay positive :-) As for your CrossFit, you can follow the main site wods. Scalings are offered at crossfitbrandx.com *

Paleo, Food stamps, In-laws…

3 Answers