The Fat Files: The Case of the Incredible Shrinking Neck

Today, I weighed myself, and surprise, I am down to 196 pounds on the button.  That's 35 official pounds down since I started LCHF/primal last year...  Yikes.  So I did some measurements and discovered that my neck has shrunk down to less than 14.5". 

 

<--- Check me out.

 

Maybe I'm finally over my weight loss plateau.  

 

I also noticed that I have not updated my Numbers Do Not Lie page in, oh, 17 weeks.  Striking.  That's embarassment at plateau-ing, for ya. 

 

Here's what I am up to these days.  The theme is "back on track".

 

Fitness: I am back at the gym, trying to get some challenging workouts in.  I have contacted a local health and fitness coach, who I am going to meet up with on March 10th, to see about getting some training.  The good things are (1) he was recommended to me by someone I know who is in the business (but who is not local and thus cannot train me himself); and (2) he advocates primal nutrition for optimal health, and seems to be into the "lift heavy things" and "chronic cardio is bad" school of thought.  So, that meshes with what I've learned, in theory, about primal nutrition and fitness from Mark Sisson.  I say "in theory" because I am not doing so hot with the primal fitness aspect of this lifestyle.  I am still a little intimidated by the fitness world, and I loathe trying new things in front of a gym full of strangers.  That's why I sought out this trainer.  I am hoping that this will change some things for me and get me back on track with my weight loss.

 

Diet: I hate to admit it, but I have been slackin'.  I'm not completely non-compliant, but I am being a little too lenient with my food choices.  I have been eating out quite a bit, which is a no-no due to the presence of hidden carbs and quality questions regarding the source of the food that comes out on the plate.  I do better (we all do better) when we eat at home.  This is easier said than done when you are a busy mamasita.  Like me.  Also, I have to admit that I have been nibbling on forbidden things.  A bit of rice here, a little spoonful of pasta there, and just a dollop of "do you mind if I have a bite of that" all adds up to a slippery slope back to fat.  I don't want to go there.

 

Let's do this!!

A Success Story in the Making!

My favorite paleo/primal website, Mark's Daily Apple, has added a new page, called "Success Stories in the Making".  Check it out!

You can participate too, along with hundreds of other people who are setting goals and working to achieve them. 

Just submit a dated "before" picture of yourself, together with your name, your age, and the health goals that you wish to achieve through your paleo/primal way of life.  Instructions are on Mark's website. 

I am submitting my information this evening.  Once it is up, I will post a link on this blog so that you can see for yourself.

Best of health!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

I have made some slight additions to my diet and exercise regimens in this New Year. 

First and foremost, I started supplementing with MCT oil this week - one tablespoon twice daily.  I will be posting on the purported benefits of MCT oil supplementation as well as the results of my n=1 MCT oil experiment in the near future.

Secondly, I have upped my gym attendance, and tonight, I am attending an orientation at a nearby martial arts facility, which is doing a "Biggest Winner" contest. 

For $50, you sign up for the "Biggest Winner" 8 week program, which begins on January 16th.  They weigh you before the start of the program and at its completion; the person who has lost the most weight in the interim wins some cash.  I'm not doing it for the cash - I am doing it for the highly discounted "cage fitness", "brazilian jujitsu" and "applied self defense" classes that you can take for no additional charge during that 8 week period.  Assuming that I go twice each week, that is 16 fitness classes for $50.  I am trying something new and interesting, and I am excited.  I fell asleep last night, with the "Kung Fu Fighting" song in my head...

I weighed myself this morning, to get an official 2012 starting weight. 

Here are my stats:

198 pounds; 14.5" neck circumference; 6" wrist circumference; 43" bust; 37.5" waist; 46" hips. 

I lost 33.5 pounds last year, and several dress sizes.  I feel better and look better.  I am three pounds away from being at my high school graduation weight.  2011 was a really trying year.  I wasn't able to focus on my own health goals the way I aspired to at the beginning of the year, when I started LCHF.  Given all of the crazy stuff that we dealt with, I am happy to have lost this weight, and I look forward to becoming healthier and trimmer in 2012.

This year, my goal is to lose 40 pounds , and to get myself toned up.  My weight has not changed much since I squeaked in under 200 pounds in October 2011.  It is time to shake things up a bit. 

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS NEW YEAR?

Get thee to the doctor!

I've been doing a lot of research on PCOS and "estrogen dominance" and "progesterone deficiency".  Turns out having PCOS causes you to have a lot of estrogen running around in your body.  Too much estrogen and not enough progesterone tends to make you fat around the midsection, hairy, moody, headachey, etc.  As if these symptoms weren't bad enough, having such an estrogen imbalance can apparently increase your likelihood of heart disease and breast cancer.  (And, let me be the first to tell you, having PCOS can make you infertile).  If these symptoms sound familiar, consider getting yourself to your MD for a check up, and have them run some blood tests on you. 

Hey - I'm not a doctor, but I believe that if you feel like crap you should get yourself to the MD and find out what's going on. 

I know a lot of people who prefer to stick their heads in the sand and just live with their symptoms.  An example: I have an Aunt Pam.  She is one of my mother's sisters.  After my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer (for the second time) in 2008, she had genetic testing performed to determine whether she had a gene abnormality on BRCA1 or BRCA2 (these are human tumor suppressor genes - women and MEN who have an abnormality in these genes are much more likely to get breast, ovarian, and other types of cancer than the general population).  Mom had a deletion on her BRCA 2 gene - she had hereditary breast cancer.  With the exception of my Aunt Pam, my mom's children and her brothers and sisters all were tested.  We were all negative, thank God.  My Aunt Pam didn't show up for her appointment, she didn't reschedule, and she has never been tested, to this day.  Aunt Pam has two biological children, each of whom would also have benefitted from knowing whether their mom carried such a gene abnormality (because that would mean they have a 50% chance of having the same gene abnormality...the same elevated risks). 

My mom died last August, at age 54.  If she had had the benefit of a "heads up" ten years earlier, maybe she would still be alive today.  (Case in point: Christina Applegate).  To squander the opportunity to learn more about your own health, when it could provoke action that could save, extend and/or improve your life (and the lives of your loved ones), is tragic!

We only have this one life and this one body.  We should take care of them the best we can.  You're never too old to start taking care of yourself for the first time in your life.  Hey, I'm 31.  I'm obese and not that healthy at the moment.  But, I'm working on it, and my life is improving as a result.  There is no shame in being a work in progress.  There is no shame in investing in YOU!

2/23/11, Day 32, exhaustion

My body does not want to get up at 6 a.m.  I fought an internal battle of wills this morning to get out of bed - really, it was more my will v. my desire to sleep in.  I made it, though.  I was at work for 7:30.  It was a close thing.  I am trying to keep foremost in my mind that I can do anything, and that, if I want to make up the billables I missed when I was taking care of my dad, I need to put in an extra 1.5 hours 3-4 days per week, or lose every weekend for the next 6 months.  Plus, two of my bosses (yes, I have several bosses - I think 7 of them) went office to office yesterday to discuss billables and revenues with each attorney.  Pressure! 

I have to push myself, but I know that I have to also take care of myself.  For example, Tuesday was a good work day - up at 6, in by 7:30, billed 8+ good hours before I left early for a City meeting.  But... the meeting went on forever.  I didn't get home for dinner until 7:30 p.m.  Then, I just had no juice left to do anything but relax.  I had no gym in me.  On days like these, something has to give.  I can't have a City meeting, work a 9 hour day, go to the gym and be supermom all in one day.  Something has to give!  Schedule: bend to my will!!  Ugh.  See, I'm totally bonkers.

The diet is going well.  I am in ketosis - I have been in ketosis for 8 straight days.  I don't have any hunger issues, but I'm noticing that I'm starting to have some carby cravings.  There is a mental element to it, too.  I caught myself thinking "I can never eat this again".  Yes, I was talking about fried chicken, and yes, it happened last night when I was exhausted and succeptible.  So, I got myself a low carb cookbook and I'm going to see what I can do about making some fried chicken - there is a recipe in there, but it looks like I will have to get on the internet to buy the stuff I need.  Where do you even get vital wheat gluten flour??!!

2/22/11, Day 31, "working it"

Working on a new me!  This diet has helped me to regain some of the confidence and sense of responsibility that I have been missing.  I realize that I’ve been drifting for a while.

So, today I was up at 6 a.m. and in to work by 7:30.  That adds an hour and a half on to my workday.  This should help my billables.  I hate getting up in the morning.  But this morning, it wasn’t so bad.  I actually woke up about 5 minutes before the alarm went off.  And, I packed my gym bag and threw it in the car in case I had some extra time after my city meeting this evening. 

I’m working on self discipline.  This week, I’m a success.  I’ve been in ketosis for the past 7 days; yesterday I went to the gym and did some good fat burning exercise for 45 minutes, plus cool down.  Today, I’m at work early, and maybe back to the gym this evening if I can. 

If I keep this up, I may not recognize myself for much longer!!

Weigh In - Week 4 - 1 Month in 2/20/11

Well, it has been a crazy week.  Look at the stats page, and you'll see that I lost only 1 pound from last Sunday.  What the heck happened, you ask?  What about being in ketosis from Tuesday to present day, you demand!!??  Here's the break down.  This has been a MANIC week for weight loss:

• On 2/13/11, I weighed in at 223.5 pounds, reflecting a weight gain of 2 pounds.
• Then, 2/14/11 was Valentine's Day and I carelessly imbibed a ton of champagne.
• The next day, on 2/15/11, I weighed myself in the morning and found out that I had gained 5 pounds since Sunday, arriving at a weight of 228.5 pounds.  Needless to say, I nearly fainted with shock.
• On 2/16/10, I noticed, for the first time, a persistent and slight metallic taste in my mouth, which I believed to be a sign of ketosis (fat metabolism). 
• On 2/17/11, I began testing the level of ketones in my urine with ketostix to determine whether I was actually in ketosis.  I was.
• From 2/17/11 through the present day, 2/20/11, I have checked my ketone level twice daily, and have been in ketosis the entire period.

So, I was up 2 pounds up on weigh in day, up 5 more pounds on day 2 of the week (gain of 7 pounds), and then, down 8 pounds by day 7 of the week.  Totally bizarre.  +7 -8 = -1.  Nuts!!

Lesson learned: ketosis appears to work, being careless with carbs is dangerous; you can't succeed on this diet if you do not perform due diligence on the food that you are putting into your mouth because even little things add up. 

Can I also say that I am so so so SO glad that I measured myself on the past two weigh in days.  I couldn't believe the loss in size in one week, even though my net weight loss from the prior week was only 1 pound. 
I lost:

• 1/4" around my neck;
• 2" around my bust;
• 2" around my waist; and
• 1.5" around my hips.

Freaking fantastic!

My energy is way way WAY up.  Yesterday, we had my daughter's birthday at an activity center, and I ran around having fun with the kids for more than an hour without any discomfort at all.  I worked up a light sweat and increased my heartrate as well.  Plus, my daughter had a ball playing with mommy.  It was awesome, and I learned something very important about getting involved in your children's exercise time.  I felt like a healthy mom, and feel that I am achieving my goals and improving my child's life in addition to my own.  Yay!  Success!

I would also like to mention that the low carb cheese cake recipe that is contained in the recipe section of this blog is very, very good, and totally hit the spot.  I enjoyed it yesterday while everyone else was munching down on high carb chocolate cake.  The recipe makes 12 x 3.5 oz. servings, and I've only eaten 3 this week.  But, I think that the addition of chocolate and either orange zest or 1/4 tsp. cinnamon (in place of lemon zest) will be my next attempt to tweak this recipe, once I've eaten my way through the cheesecake chilling out in my freezer. 

In related news, I would also like to say that I am very proud of myself for not eating the pizza or cupcakes at Anna's kids party, and for not eating any bread, cake, or cupcakes at Anna's family party yesterday.  I did eat the cheese off of three pieces of pizza yesterday (leaving the crust behind).  It was good.  I only missed the crust a little.

Not quite super, but pretty good, poop this morning.  Despite the fact that I had a large salad with dinner last night, I think that I need to get more veggies in when I'm on the go.  Veggie intake is not a problem during a regular week, but when I'm in a rush, it is really a challenge to eat as much as I should.  I am going to have to pre-prep some veggie items so that I have them at hand when I'm in a rush.  Wonder what I can prepare then freeze for later usage?  Sounds like an experiment to me :)

On that note, signing off.  Time to do some work. 

So far so good, 2/16, day 25

I am sitting in my office all day, listening to a phone deposition.  The effects of this lifestyle are somewhat inconvenient at the moment, as I have had to make a desparate bathroom break every 45 minutes to an hour to pee.  This means that I'm bugging one of my friends at work to cover my phone for the few minutes I'm away, running off to the restroom.  I think that this friend of mine is starting to think that my water consumption is a little neurotic.  I would tend to agree a bit.  I bought a 1 liter poland spring water today, and I've only refilled it once... that's two liters of water since I've been at work (10 a.m.).  I just did the calculations, and that is 67.62 ounces of water, or 8.45 cups of water - in four hours.  Add to that the water I had this morning when I took my vitamins and I'm probably up to about 10.5 cups of water.  No wonder its all Niagara Falls up in here.  I'm a little embarassed to bug her again.  I'm going to try to hold it for a bit. 

I have been very good with food today.  This morning, I was not feeling hungry at all, so I swallowed a spoonful of organic peanut butter (about 2.5 carbs).  For lunch, I had a big turkey cobb salad from Au Bon Pain with blue cheese dressing (I removed the croutons and carrots).  So far so good.  Assuming that I make it home for dinner tonight, we are supposed to have roasted chicken and creamed spinach.  If not, I'll have to do some low-carb dining out option.  Luckily, I have not yet had my fill of buffalo wings, which are definitely low carb, and are available at most places.

I am excited to get my ketostix in the mail, because I really think that I'm in ketosis.  So, I'm hoping for some good weight loss this week.  I just got notice from Amazon that they shipped today.  Maybe they'll be in on Friday.

I need to pick up some nuts to snack on when I'm in the office.  If I get hungry, and the cafeteria is closed, I'm really screwed because there is nothing but carbs around here.  Right now, I feel fine.  However, I hate to get caught hungry with nothing to eat.  That's when I start drinking coffee with cream in it.

I feel very good physically (despite the need to pee at the moment).  My gastro system seems to love this diet - I have been without IBS symptoms for the first time in 4 years.  As I mentioned previously, I haven't had any issues with gas or heartburn in over three weeks (from the very first day I started the diet).  I never get the post-lunch 3 p.m. crash that I used to suffer from.  My energy level is great.  My back feels good and strong.  I am very happy - a lot of this is due to the fact that I am taking control of my diet...my health... my LIFE.  I've been bounced about a lot in the past couple of years, and things have happened to me.  That passive mindset was a way to not take responsibility for the irresponsible way that I've been eating, which has endangered my health.  I'm not passive any more.  (Frankly, few people who know me, even my closest, would ever call me passive - but I have been when it comes to controlling my food intake).  I am so proud of myself for sticking to this diet - it makes me happy.  I have told a few people that I am on low-carb, they each sympathized and told me how hard it is.  No one believes me when I say that I am not suffering, and that it is not hard at all once you get past the initial roadbumps in Week 1 (cravings, learning to prep your fresh food ahead of time, flu-ish headachy feeling).  So, I just smile and let them think that I'm the willpower goddess. 

2/15/11 - day 24 - v day massacre!

Last night was Valentine’s Day, and my husband and I had a very nice dinner in – and it was completely on the diet.  We split a bottle of champagne – so I had three small glasses.  Hey, it was V Day and I haven’t had any alcohol in more than a month!  Plus, I&N say that in Phase II (which I am entitled to be on if I wanted to because I’ve been on this diet for 3+ weeks), it is okay to have a glass or two of champagne.  So I did.  This morning, I woke up and weighed myself (I know, daily weighing… slap my wrist), and I gained 5 lbs since yesterday morning.  I also did not have a super poop this morning, and I woke up feeling cotton mouthed (read: dehydrated).

I looked up champagne nutrition, and although carbs in champagne can vary by maker, it is safe to assume that the extra brut we consumed last night had about 5 grams of carbs per glass, times three glasses = 15 carbs.

Oh God.  The chili that I made….  I have rethought my recipe and realize that I inadvertently made some carby chili and then ate about 2 servings worth of it.  It was basically made up of turkey Italian sausage, peppers, onions, garlic, a container of simply enjoy vodka sauce (which is 12 g of carbs), and ½ pack each of mccormick sloppy joe seasoning mix (8 g carbs) and mccormick chili seasoning mix (6 g carbs).  Total 26 grams of carbs, not including the veggies, and I probably ate about 1/3 of it.  Oh no.  8+ grams of carbs, not including the carbs that came from the veggies I added. 

The horror!  At least 23 grams of carbs from those two items alone.  Okay.  Time to be a very good girl!

Days 10-12 // 2/1/11 - 2/3/11

It has been another long week, once again, dominated by poor winter weather conditions and a sick toddler.  So, here’s my update for the week.  Days 10-12 passed in a blur.  So far so good.  I have stuck to this diet pretty well. 

I have made a minor (but permitted) deviation – I was absolutely craving some chocolate, so I went to the store to buy some unsweeted baking chocolate and some Truvia (erithrytol).  You’re not supposed to have chocolate yet, but I&N allow a small bit if you can’t help yourself, so long as you keep it as low carb as possible.  They recommend melting a small amount of chocolate, sweetening it with artificial stuff, then adding in heavy cream and whipping it to make a sort of chocolate mousse.  This is basically what I did, although I didn’t whip mine, and I added some more spices, and kept it the consistency of a chocolate sauce.  It was very satisfying, and only a few tablespoons were enough to take care of my craving.  I’ll post the recipe.  It was really enjoyable, and only 2 net carbs.

Water Retention

I want to explain my weight gain and quick loss between Days 10-12 this week.  The weight gain was due to water retention.  I ran out of my BP meds, and couldn’t get to the pharmacy to refill (our roads were treacherous).  So, I racked up some serious water weight over about 3 days.  I was finally able to get the meds on the afternoon of Day 11, and then I peed away about 2 pounds of water or so by the morning of Day 12.  I know this wasn’t a good thing, so don’t chide me.  I won’t do it again.  Just goes to show that I really need to be healthier and lose weight  so I can get my BP under control.

State of Mind

I am treating low-carb like it is just the way that I eat.  I’m not sure when I stopped thinking about “being on a diet”.  But, somehow, amazingly (and for now), I’m just going with it and it is not a struggle.  I think it is going to be key to keep myself out of the “starvation” and “suffering” mindset by being positive minded, keeping myself full and indulging in the stuff we’re allowed to eat on this diet plan. 

Day 9 - Week 2 - Phase 1

Day 9 – Week 2

I woke up feeling…better, different, not bloated.  Hopefully I’ve passed the flu-ish period I&N discuss happening sometime during Week 1.  It has been a good day.  I didn’t have any trouble at all getting down my vitamins and supplements.  I had a chunk of fresh mozz and some almonds for breakfast, lots of water, and a satisfying lunch of left-over chicken and broccoli stir fry for lunch.  I feel so positive and motivated.  I’m happy, and I am in this for the long haul.

As for number 2... Who does it work for?  Me.  (Austin Powers reference, ugh).  Thank God, its like all the stuff that I had in me yesterday is gone.  No bloated feeling and that's what it is attributable to.

I did go back last night and go through “the book” again, only to discover that I&N did Phase 1 for 6 or 7 months, and recommend that dieters who have more than 25 pounds to lose should stay on Phase 2 for a while.  I suddenly realized that…I had only read the Phase 1 part of the book, and never gone past it.  So, I’m a little bummed about the Phase 1 thing, because I was looking forward to champagne and low carb chocolate truffles.  Now it looks like that might have to wait a while.  On the positive side, the good thing about going through I&N’s book again is that they are so encouraging, and some of the new text that I read really pumped me up, and helped to reaffirm my commitment to being healthy.  I like that they almost expect you to have cheated during Phase 1.  I feel good that I haven’t so far (and I don’t count sick day number 5 because I had no choice and I was still pretty freaking good).  I feel like an above-average dieter with a good chance of success (for the first time ever). 

My energy is up…like way up.  I feel in control.  I am not having any cravings, even though there was a big open package of chips ahoy sitting on the lunch table only 3 feet away from me today.  It didn’t phase me at all. 

I didn’t weigh myself this morning.  My sister (weight loss guru who has lost 120+ pounds since November 2009) cautioned me about hitting a plateau and giving myself grounds for disappointment if I weighed myself every day (as opposed to once a week, where its more likely your end of the week weight will show a more significant change).  So, I was almost afraid to weigh this morning.  I think I’ve been cured of my addiction to daily weighing.  Its almost like, last week, it was miraculous and, this week, I’m just hoping that the miraculous continues to happen and don’t want to find out that its not. 

I am still searching for a tape measure, damn it.  I keep forgetting, then when I remember, its so inconvenient to go out and buy one.  So, I’m going to put it on my shopping list for groceries, so I’ll actually get it done when I am at the store.

I was so pleased with my broccoli stir fry, I have to put the recipe in.  It is so easy.  See the recipe section.

Day 6 - 1/28/11

Well, this blog has fast forwarded to Day 6 because, between Days 2-5, the stomach bug made a horrifying appearance in my house. I, myself, was personally, uh, occupied, with the bug from Days 4-5.
Day 4, I didn’t manage to keep anything down, even water.
I went off the diet temporarily on Day 5, because all I could keep down was diluted G2 gatorade (about 10 carbs from that beverage for the day) and about 15-18 triscuits. I also skipped the vitamins and supplements on Day 5 because I could not imagine trying to swallow anything as large as my fish oil pill or co-enzyme Q10 pill.
I’m still a little skeeved out about it, so today, on Day 6, I’m going to take my vitamins and supplements this evening when I feel more settled.
Breaking the Habit of Daily Weighing
I am really into weighing myself daily – and the diet book says not to do it. I need to break the habit, because although it has been encouraging (as of Day 4 a.m., I was down 5.5 pounds), if the scale goes the other way, it might lead to discouragement and maybe some poor behavior on my part.
Sidebar
The interesting thing I learned, though, is that I didn’t lose a drop of weight after being sick and literally not consuming anything that "stuck with me" on Day 4. I weighed myself on Day 5 in the morning and was down to 223 pounds, but when I weighed myself this morning, back up to 226, which I attribute to thoroughly rehydrating myself on Day 5. Gross sickness aside, does this mean that by sticking to the diet I lose more weight than I would if I didn’t eat at all? Not that the latter is an option (I’m not the kind of girl that can go without), but just goes to show how effective the diet is and how terrible an idea it is to starve yourself.
In any event, I am feeling much better today. I am not going to give myself heck about my carb intake yesterday – I was sick, it was minor, I needed electrolytes desperately, and there was no way I would keep down dairy or protein if I tried.
My Resolve / Head Games
I told my husband, last night, that I felt really good about this diet, and I thought I could lose a lot of weight on it. I really mean it. It worked immediately, and seems to still be working. I feel like I am in control right now, and that feels even better than my initial weight loss, because I’ve always said about myself and diets that "I have no willpower".
I am realizing now that "willpower" may not be the issue, because… as India and Neris observed in their book (and I am very loosely paraphrasing), the first and most important issue is your perspective, i.e., you have to keep firm in your mind that you are not "suffering" on this diet, that you are not "denying" yourself, and focus on enjoying the delicious, fresh food in front of you and not bemoaning what you can’t have and would really enjoy. You’ve got to be firmly positive inside your own head.
When dieting in the past, I’ve always obsessed about what I can’t have, and I’ve gotten overwhelmed and cheated, then completely fallen off the wagon and never looked back.
Now, I am positive about what I’m doing and what I’m eating. I made some kick ass pork chops in a brandy-mushroom cream gravy the other night, with spicy sautéed spinach on the side, and as I ate it, I was like, "heck ya, I am not denying myself" and I really meant it. My daughter’s mac and cheese was appealing, and so was my husband’s side dish of plain white rice (see Cravings section, below), but I didn’t feel the desire to cheat, and it didn’t take much "willpower". It was an easy decision on my part, and by making it, I felt that I was doing something good for myself.
Cravings
I don’t have major cravings yet, although I have been lusting after… plain boiled white rice with butter and salt on it. Crazy, no? Maybe its because my stomach’s been off and that is about as bland as you can get. I foresee some difficulty in the future with bread, pasta, chocolate, etc., but I’m going to cross that bridge when I come to it.
Number 2
1 cup of sautéed spinach is nature’s broom. It was some scary…stuff.
I’m not sure what the deal is, but somehow, lightly sautéed spinach seems to work better for me than raw spinach. Maybe it is because sautéed spinach is more dense and compact than fresh, so you get more in 1 cup of sautéed than you do in even 2 cups of fresh (and I have a limit to how much of the fresh stuff I can eat in say, a salad). Also, I really enjoyed the sautéed spinach a lot more than the raw stuff (even dressed up).
Recipes

Porkchops with mushroom cream gravy:
4 1 inch thick, boneless pork chops
Quick Brine (4 tbsp salt, 1tsp honey, 1 cup water, shake well and put in tupperware)
Butter
8 oz mushrooms
Splash of brandy or cognac
2/3 cup cream
1/3 cup chicken stock (gluten free)
Brine porkchops for 2-4 hours, dry thoroughly. Brown porkchops in butter in frying pan over medium high heat. When browned on both sides, remove chops to plate and keep warm (don’t worry about cooking through). Add mushrooms to pan (don’t add salt) and brown thoroughly. Add splash of brandy and deglaze pan. Add cream and chicken stock. When mixture bubbles, turn heat down to medium, add pork chops, put lid on pan, and cook for about 5 minutes more or until chops are cooked through. Take off heat and allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes before consuming.
Note: you probably won’t have to add salt because your pork chops will add plenty of salt to the party. Also, I’m not worried about the honey in the brine… not much actually gets in to the chops.)
Sauteed spinach
Butter
1 garlic clove, smashed
½ cup cream
1/8 tsp Crushed red pepper flake
Fresh nutmeg, grated, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups raw baby spinach
Cook garlic in butter medium saucepan over medium heat until it softens but does not turn brown. Add everything but the spinach to the pan, infusing the cream with the other flavors, heat to simmer slowly over medium low heat. Add spinach in 2 batches, waiting until first batch wilts before adding second batch. Fold cream over spinach mixture to help spinach wilt. When greens are vibrant green but softened, remove from heat and serve.