Rascal, or How Diet Affects Kittehs

Here is Rascal. I took this picture yesterday. He was sitting on my desk glaring balefully at the dog.



Rascal used to be overweight. He weighed 15 pounds on a frame that should carry more like 11 or 12 pounds.

And he ate dry cat food.

Then last summer I noticed he was losing weight, drinking a lot of water (and peeing a lot), and his fur was stiff. At first I didn't pay too much attention to the drinking and peeing, after all it was summer and it was HOT.

Then one day I discovered that he'd, um, found a non-litter box area to be his new bathroom. That's when I decided he needed to go to the vet.

He was down to 10 pounds. His glucose was in the 500's.

Yeah.

The vet put him on insulin and special low-carb food.

Diabetic cats can sometimes go into remission with treatment, and Rascal went into remission very quickly. He's been off the insulin for about 3 months now, still eats the low-carb food, and his glucose has consistently been around 80 for the past several months. His fur is soft, silky and pettable. His weight is around 11 pounds and has stayed pretty stable.

Proof that cats need to eat what they're evolutionarily meant to eat.

So that got me thinking. If cats get sick on food they're not evolved to eat, and if they do well on food they are evolved to eat, shouldn't humans be the same?

One week in

One week in, and I would say the biggest challenge is revamping my cooking. And, well, actually cooking. I'd gotten pretty lazy and on too many evenings was ordering delivery, or going out to eat, or nuking crap-in-a-box. But now I'm actually back to trying to buy whole food and actually cook it.

I think it's because after 5 days I was getting tired of the same 3 things, since I really didn't know what else to eat.

Enter Paleo/Primal cookbooks and cooking blogs.

I've spent a chunk of the past few days reading Paleo Comfort Foods, Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals (I'm all about the quick and easy!), and Everyday Paleo. Today I tried the Sauteed Apples from Paleo Comfort Foods. Mmm.... Good, and easy! Tonight I make Mashed Cauliflower to go with the locally grown, certified organic, 100% grass fed pot roast I have in the crockpot...

The other thing this week has been a low energy level. I think most of that is because it's January, and early January and I do not get along.

Jeans are a bit looser, though. That is a good thing.

Today was a good day to take Daisy for a walk. Sunny, not much wind, about 40 degrees. Long walk, about an hour.

I need to finish the Calorimetry I started a week or so ago. I've only got a few rows left. Then I will have a matching Calorimetry and Malagaiter, yay! And I should have enough yarn left for a pair of fingerless mitts.

Oh, to be a cat; and, Kitchen Purge

Molly is sitting on a chair near me, looking very regal. I want to be a house cat. I want to have food served to me without my having to do anything. I want to sleep 20 hours a day. I want to be petted when I want petted.

Alas, I am a human.

Anyway, day 3 of being back to Paleo/Primal eating. Day 3 of the Primal Blueprint 21-Day Transformation. (gack) Who makes up these titles? Day 1 was the dreaded Kitchen Purge. Let's just say that the fridge is a hella lot cleaner than it was before I started the Kitchen Purge. There's still some non-Paleo/Primal stuff to get rid of, but the next Kitchen Purge will be on like day 18 or something like that.

Today, day 3, consists of such things as Avoiding Industrial Food and Doing Primal Essential Movements. I had eggs scrambled with spinach and feta cheese for breakfast. Technically, cheese isn't Paleo but I figure this week I will allow some dairy, then ease it out. Can't give everything up at once... Lunch was a grilled salmon salad. I haven't decided what to make for dinner yet.

At least red wine and dark chocolate are allowed on occasion, even if Paleolithic Woman didn't consume those (how did she survive?). I don't think I could survive without either...

Also today was day 3 of the new Les Mills Pump home program, based on the BodyPump classes. I'll linky to Les Mills Pump in a later post (right now it's only available to Team Beachbody members and Beachbody coaches).

Cats of course don't have to worry about Paleo or BodyPump or anything like that. Molly says it is time to pet her. She has moved from the chair to my lap.

Well, let's try this again.

I have neglected this for almost two years. Time to start it up again.

I restarted Primal/Paleo eating yesterday (well, actually I did the kitchen purge and some shopping Sunday). I did Primal for awhile last summer and it really worked, then fell off the wagon. Let's try this again.

I took this picture today to submit to Mark's Daily Apple's New Year challenge. Blurgh.



The next picture will be better...

I want to get back into the black jeans I haven't worn for, oh, about 3 years now...

It's not how you start, it's how you finish

Latest cool Nike commercial:



Music: "Ali in the Jungle" by the Hours

Ravelympics

My Ravelympics projects:

For Team Fast Girls Knit Left, entered in WIP Dancing: This is a cardigan in Noro Silk Garden. I started it last summer, kinda flamed out sometime in November. The fronts are done except for the button bands, the back is about 3/4 done. Have not gotten to sleeves yet.



For Team Wyoming, entered in WIP Dancing: This is a throw made in Mountain Colors, Moguls and Mohair. I started it in fall 2007?? Dang, it was shortly after I had the tonsilyanktomy in Oct 2007... I forget when I flamed out on it. It's been quite awhile however.



For Team Daughters of the Whore of Babylon, entered in the Flying Camel Spin event: These fibers are from a Spinning Loft sampler.



Check back for updates...

What a difference 8 pounds makes

That's what I've lost in the past month. I already look thinner, I don't have to fight my jeans to get them on...

I still have a ways to go, but am making good progress.

I need to get going on my knitting. I haven't been doing much lately. Been busy with work, and ultra tired when I get home. I've had way too many trials in the past few weeks. Next week looks pretty peaceful though... (and being busy is good for the bank balance... especially now that I'm being more of a hardass on getting paid...)

I have one afghan square going for the Rav go fast. knit left. Speedweeks Victory Junction project. Started it last night. That's about the only knitting I've done in the past few weeks. I'll go work on it in a little while, after dinner. I want to get another square or two done in addition to the one I cast on last night. Then the Ravelympics start in a week... WIP Dancing and Flying Camel Spin are on tap...

And NASCAR is back in action! w00t!!!

Rascal is cuddled up next to the computer. Prolly 'cuz it's warm.