1Maryann

I'm sorry you don't think the mods are treating you kindly enough. Please go back and read your original post. I read it, and immediately thought "Who does this person think she is?" You saw something on the list you didn't agree with, and instead of respectfully asking for clarification, you got all in-your-face, you-people-are-a-bunch-of-jerks, I'm-digging-in-my-heels-and-not-budging. I'm glad to see you wanted to be talked to like a two year old, because that is how you came across. Your original post was highly combative. On top of that, you used a put-down that NOBODY uses in polite conversation, nor should they. And then when somebody very gently chided you on it, you got offended. How many of us that read your initial post do you think you might have offended? You seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot here. I'm sorry for that, there is a lot of valuable information and support on this site. But we are not like most online forums. I know there are a lot of places out there where people can't disagree without belittling or being argumentative. We are not one of them. Name calling, derogatory terms, temper tantrums and hissy fits are not well tolerated. Perhaps we can all start over?

I set my whole Pinterest account up like a recipe file. Each board is a separate category--poultry, pork, meat, sides, soups, etc. Feel free to join me. http://www.pinterest.com/paleomaryann

I don't mind lemon if I'm making tuna salad or salmon salad, but I don't like it on a turkey wrap or in potato salad. I normally use ACV.

I now find nuts extremely irritating to my gut. I never did before I started eating this way, but I'm sure I had a mucous layer 5 miles thick lining my intestines because of all the crap I ate. Now that I've been eating clean and the inflammation is gone, I no longer have that protective layer and even small amounts of certain foods, like wheat, give me those kinds of stomach pains and bloating.

Costco has a Kirkland organic chicken broth that is compliant--at least my Costco does. I still read all the labels. Everyone was raving about the avocado oil at Costco a few months back, but my store carries a different brand and it's terrible. It may take you a little while to build up a "stock of stocks", but it's well worth it. I save all the ends of my carrots, celery, and onions. I keep a zip lock bag of them in the freezer and just add to it as I use stuff. Then when I have enough, I put a big pot of water on the stove, put my vegetable steamer in the bottom (makes it easier to fish out the big pieces when you're done) and dump the veggies in. I simmer for a couple of hours, enough to reduce at least by half, then I remove the steamer basket, strain the rest and pour into ice cube trays, freeze, and store in zip locks. Just be careful which veggies you use. Cruciferous ones like broccoli don't do well. The stock has a weird and bitter taste.

I left Costco for Sam's at one point and switched back when my membership ended. There are no grass-fed meats or organic chicken at Sam's, and the only organic veggie is carrots. I try to eat as organic as my budget will allow, and Sam's just wasn't cutting it. They are great if you eat a lot of frozen, pre-packaged stuff, but they are quite lacking on real food.

I buy ground pork at Whole Foods and make my own using this recipe: http://cupcakesomg.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-years-resolutions-are-stupid-paleo.html I make a batch every week to have with my sweet potato hash and eggs. Edited to add: i don't make patties, I just saute it up in crumbles. Much easier to mix with the hash.

I have done W30s off and on for the past few years. I also really liked to drink. The first couple of times, I was planning my Day 31 drink a week in advance. Every few months I would do another W30, and each time the draw of alcohol was less when it was over. It just became less important to me, and I started liking the way I felt without alcohol more than I liked the way I felt with it. But mostly because it is so woven into our social fabric, I always started again. A year and a half ago, I joined a group of people doing a W100. The one thing that almost stopped me was the fact that I had never gone 100 days in my life without a drink. I didn't know if I could. But for some reason, those 100 days made the difference. After more than 3 months without alcohol, I found I no longer missed it, and I had no desire to pick it up again. I haven't to this day. I'm not saying I'll never have another drink. I didn't "quit drinking" or go "on the wagon". I just made a choice that I prefer the way I feel without booze and so far, the thought of how I would feel the next day makes any fleeting idea of drinking just not worth it. It's no different than discovering on this journey that wheat and dairy make you feel terrible. You may still decide to splurge on that pizza once in a while, but each time the contrast between the you-with and the you-without gets starker. Eventually you look at that pizza and decide it just isn't worth it. That's how it wound up for me with alcohol.

The other trick is not to keep moving the meat. People want to fuss with it, or turn it too early. Put the meat in the pan and leave it be for a few minutes. At first it sticks, but that's how you know when it's time to turn it over--when it releases from the bottom of the pan on its own.

I am single, and for me it would be the opposite. LOL! I would be afraid that my family would not want to be on board and it would be too hard to stick to while everybody else was eating "forbidden" foods. I like not having to justify my choices to anyone else.

Read some of the more "boutique" labels on the shelf. I have found several compliant brands in both Walmart and Publix. The giant conglomerate stuff almost always has less-than-optimal stuff in it, but the smaller labels seem to stick closer to homemade.

I don't do much formal exercise. I tend my yard and garden and lug heavy feed sacks at work. Even without much exercise I have always eaten a half to a whole sweet potato a day, sometimes more. Listen to your body. For no apparent reason, some days you will want more and some you will want less. We have conditioned ourselves to eat to a 'diet' with rigid guidelines. Go with the flow. If you aren't full until the next mealtime, eat a bit more. If you are feeling stuffed, cut back. I have always eaten on the high end of the spectrum of protein, fat, and starchy veggies and still have lost weight on every W30. A lot of this is relearning how to listen to your body instead of the 'junk food devil' whispering in your ear. Let us know how it goes.

Wow! This looks like a minefield. I just checked their menu online and it appears to be only a soup and salad bar with pasta dishes and desserts. I'm not sure what you can do for protein. Even their soups all appear to contain either legumes, grain, or dairy. You may need to bring something from home. I'd call and ask if they are doing something special for Easter, and if not, if they mind you bringing a cooked chicken breast along.

I was recently at a trade show for several days, where the only options were "stadium food". I brought some homemade chicken salad, some cut up celery, and some thickly sliced red and green peppers. I brought my little cooler (soft-sided sandwich size, with a small reusable blue ice) and used the veggies as scoops for the chicken salad. Several people eating things like nachos with runny cheese sauce, or overly-thick doughy pizza slices looked longingly at my lunch and said they'd wished they'd thought ahead. Mine looked much more appealing than anything available at the walk-up counters. Be prepared. I have learned to bring a lot more than I planned to eat myself. Without fail, someone will ask if they can share your lunch. It's hard to say no, and even harder to be hungry later because you didn't eat enough. They don't understand that while they may have no problem grabbing some chips or a package of cookies, those are not options for you. It's easier to bring extra food.

Costco has 54 oz jars of coconut oil for $16.99 I use coconut oil constantly, and that big jar lasts me a long time.