I am becoming a hippie- but not a smelly one! :P

Today is a wonderful day.
I am somewhere around 145 lbs, with 180 being my heaviest a few years ago, and 170s being my usual before I went Primal.

I had a wonderful, excellent holiday!

I continue to work to incorporate strength training and eventually sprints, and try and make the goal of 3-5 hours of 55-75% heartrate movement a week.

Eating is wonderful. Everything is wonderful :P
Over the break I had an incredible buffalo steak that my dad cooked to perfection. I absolutely love the taste of buttery meat. I continue to cook new and now common things, sharing them with family and friends. I made Mark's sweet and salty trail mix as gifts, and they went over very well.

Although staying clear of grains is easy, refined sugar is certainly possible, but I strive for 80% and likely achieve somewhere in the 90s, minimizing sugar in my diet is still a daily challenge. I have conditioned my mind and mouth to want sweet. I want it as a snack, as an instant gratification, and after meals. The fact that I want it when I am completely full and satiated assures me that is is conditioning. I am working to use hot tea as a flavorful alternative, as well as squares of very dark chocolate. Some dear friends made us a batch of incredible salted macadamia dark chocolate bark that is so scrumptious and going fast :)

I read MDA regularly, watch Paleo Digest and other blogs. I gather and experiment with recipes. I am no longer tracking on Fit Day- I am getting more intuitive about my habits and weekly averages, but it remains a great tool in my toolbox.

I have always preferred curvy and voluptuous to athletic and lean, and so I am working to adjust my preferences so that I maintain a positive self-image. I can see my breastbone, and a good amount of ribs when I raise my arms, but I don't think I look gaunt or skeletal, which is what I really dislike. I look forward to gaining more muscle like a friend of mine named Erica, as I find that an excellent and very attractive balance of lean and athletic.

I am disappointed that I have lost weight in my breasts, leaving them saggy and much less magnificent than before, but now I see the use of well-fitted push-up bras.

My newest adventure is reading about the No 'Poo movement, where people stop using shampoo. It is based on the idea that slathering our bodies daily with chemicals to give the impression of cleanliness through corporate additives such as lather and artificial fragrance is not equivalent to cleanliness and health and hygiene. I am reading about athletic women who do not use shampoo and their hair is more manageable, grows faster, and is healthier and more beautiful than it ever was with shampoo. They tend to use a formula of baking soda and water for shampoo and apple cider vinegar for conditioner. There are some formulas for the transition from shampoo, as your scalp will need time to adjust. Eventually, I will mostly clean with scrubbing and massaging, and soap on my body- but I am going to get organic soap from Sprouts/TJs.
I will condition with the ACV as my hair is thick and usually needs some help smoothing out. I have read plenty of tips for brown sugar, vanilla, baby powder, etc to help with the adjustment period.

How to Quit Shampoo Without Becoming Disgusting | The Hairpin
Letters to the editor - Info: Shampoo Free

It's one of those things that just didn't occur to me. Think of how much money you have spent on shampoo. Your skin is your body's biggest organ and you cover it with chemicals on a daily basis without thinking twice about it. I have read articles from people who have gone soapless/shampoo-less etc and do not have complaints of dread-locks or stinkiness (even confirmed by their spouses). So yesterday I used no shampoo and very little conditioner and my hair is fine today. I have heard it also helps with itchy, dry, oily and dandruff as well. I look forward to the results and will keep you updated. As a note, I don't use any other product in my hair, and this would doubtlessly throw things off/increase the need for more thorough washing. You don't generally put your head in the dirt, so generally you need to rinse your hair and wash your scalp. I have heard the water and rubbing does a great job cleaning on its own, but I was very skeptical to this at first, so I am researching. :)

So I started all of this because it made sense to me, scientifically and logically. I have the desire to live better and longer and take better care of myself. I find that the more I open my mind and read about how you body can take care of itself naturally, the more I want to let it do that. And so, without meaning to, I am becoming a hippie- but I would really rather not become a stinky one. I still bank with BofA (dun dun duunnnn), and use chemicals in my house, but change doesn't have to happen overnight :)