So tomorrow is the big day. The day I say goodbye to sugar, gluten, dairy and processed foods and move into a fresh foods, whole foods, Paleo inspired diet. This is huge and scary and exciting and crazy for me... and hopefully life changing.
So here's the run down in the who, what, when, why and how fashion:
WHO: Me and maybe Omar. He is going to be forced to eat Paleo anytime he is with me on weekends, but I'm hoping he will one day to convert as well. Time will tell!
WHAT: I'm following the Practical Paleo book by Diane Sanfilippo. This book is an excellent resource that provides information on the lifestyle, how to shop, what to buy and explains why you should change your lifestyle. It's incredibly interesting, even if you think Paleo isn't the way to go.
I'm going to borrow some language from her book to explain the lifestyle to you in the easiest way possible.
"The Paleo way of life is simple: Mimic our ancestors, who suffered from fewer chronic diseases than modern populations (pg 22)." So this means eating meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fats and oils and avoiding refined grains, whole grains, packaged snacks, dairy products, certain beverages that are sweetened (no beer or wine for the first 30 days) and any types of sweeteners (Pg. 27).
WHEN: Starting Monday, January 7, 2013, I will do 30 days of strict Paleo style eating; February 5th will be my last day. After those 30 days I will assess where I stand, how I feel about the diet and if I want to continue. It's silly to continue with a diet or lifestyle change if you are miserable or it is ineffective. My goal is to maintain this lifestyle, but I won't push something if it's not work for me. You have to do a diet that works for you, one that you an sustain. If you can't sustain it, you're wasting your time, right? Continuing the diet will mean moving more towards an 80/20 lifestyle. 80% of the time I eat Paleo and 20% of the time I am allowed items that are not Paleo. This should make the lifestyle more sustainable. I'll eventually be able to factor in a few gluten-free beers and glasses of red wine per week, just not right away.
WHY: Pfff this is an easy one... because I am a CARBOHOLIC, with a cheese eating problem. I definitely do not eat nearly enough fresh fruits and vegetables. My diet is lacking serious nutrition. "When you eat foods as provided by nature, it actually promotes health, healing, and immunity against future ailments (pg. 23). I suffer from chronic headaches, I lack energy, I have a weak constitution. I'm definitely not giving my body the nutrition it needs and I'm hoping this change in lifestyle will be exactly what I need to be a happier, healthier, leaner, stronger me.
HOW:
Here are the 5 rules to follow (pg 23-24):
1. Eat whole foods.
2. Avoid modern, processed and refined foods.
These include grains, pasteurized dairy products, industrial seed oils, and artificial or refined sugar and sweeteners.
3. Eat to maintain proper digestive functions
You must determine which foods your body cannot tolerate and stop eating them.
4. Eat to maintain proper blood sugar regulation
5. Follow a plan that will help you reach your own personal health goals.
I will be follow the 30 day meal plan for those interested in fat loss. I will be making the meals as dictated by the book. I will be prepping as much as possible later today (cutting veggies and meats) and making breakfast and lunch for Monday. I think it will take me a while to figure out the best way to approach meal prep for the week, but I know getting as much done in advance will be the key.
Although the initial start up costs were incredibly high (Like YIKES I'M GOING TO FAINT AT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I SPENT AT TRADER JOE'S, WHOLE FOODS, and TARGET this weekend) I do believe this will end of being a cheaper lifestyle for me. I had to buy almost every single spice and nut and seed and cooking oil that I will be using for the next month, along with various cooking tools and gadgets and containers. I will not be going out to eat at all this month (hopefully) and every lunch for work will be prepared. I'll be grocery shopping for the fresh foods and meats needed weekly and spending Sunday afternoon prepping. I'm excited to be forced to cook new recipes and new foods. I tend to fall back on the same things every week, so this will be great for exposing myself to new cooking styles and new delicious eats. Not to mention the fact that with this diet I don't have to count calories, track what I'm eating or worry about fat. I can eat each meal until I'm full! And umm, bacon... I get to eat BACON and not turkey bacon, real delish fattening bacon. HELL YES.
So that's it fronds. It's time to make some serious changes towards being a healthier, happier me. I'm going to be taking before photos and measurements today. I won't be posting them on the site (yet), but I will be doing weekly weigh-ins listing the total weight lost. After the end of the 30 days, I will provide a complete breakdown of my results and assess where I stand. Wish me luck on this
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