A week and a half in and I’m really impressed with the
results I’m seeing from Paleo! I’m down
about 4 pounds and I look thinner. Looking
better is awesome, but not really the reason why I started. I really wanted to reform
my eating habits and start feeling better.
The biggest eye opening moment came on Saturday when I ate a small piece
of pizza and some popcorn. I felt nauseous afterwards, which was not surprising
considering I hadn’t eaten those items in quite some time and was probably a
shock to my system. The surprising part for me was that I wanted MORE, despite
the fact that it made me feel awful. After I watched the documentary Hungry for
Change (visit my healthy eating page for more info) I got a better
understanding of really what goes on in our bodies and brains when we consume
processed and chemically altered food. Experts liken it to smoking cigarettes.
Often times smokers are desperate to quit but their brains are trained to want
that next cigarette because of the chemicals in them. To think that our food is
being manufactured in the same way as cigarettes is frightening.
So what am I not eating? Dairy (with the exception of a 2 or
so slices of cheese), starches (potatoes, rice, bread), diet soda or any soda
for that matter, fried food and processed foods (anything prepackaged). By
eliminating those items from my diet, I’ve really cut down quite a bit on sugar
as well.
What am I eating, you ask? Lean meat, fruits, veggies, and
some nuts.
What do I splurge on? The occasional class of wine (and by
that I mean once a week on WINESday aka Wednesday) and the occasional piece of
chocolate (usually accompanied with the glass of wine).
All in all, it’s pretty simple and easy to maintain. Like anything
worth doing, it does take a bit of preplanning. But even when I have to grab a
quick bite to eat on the run I can usually find a salad or a fruit/veggie
option that fills me up.
Two of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten since I started
and that I share in case YOU are thinking about going Paleo are:
Look at the root cause of WHY you are eating
WHAT you are eating. It is emotional? It
is ease of access? And then work to change your perspective. Paleo isn’t about
what you CAN’T eat but instead it’s about what you don’t WANT to eat. After a
while you’ll start to see certain food not as “off limits” but simply not
desirable because they make you feel/look bad.
Slipups happen. And they do any time you try to
make a big change. Yeah, so you had a piece of bread or a Poptart for breakfast
because you overslept (I don’t know who would do that) but it’s not a big deal
in the grand scheme of things. Just start over and make a better choice at your
next meal.
I’m encouraged by the results and eager to keep them up. I
think it’s time to start cooking some new Paleo foods so I don’t get tired of
eating the same things all the time. With a long weekend coming up, I’m
planning to do a bit of experimenting with new meals. More to come on that!
*M