I have been doing the Paleo-thing for nine days now, and wanted to give a little update. So far, it has been a successful venture! When I started the diet, I decided to try it for 21 days. At the end of the 21 days, I will decide if this whole "Caveman" lifestyle is something I want to adopt permanently. So, here is my update:
Progress: As of this morning, I am down 8 pounds. Not bad for only 9 days! I haven't measured myself, but I feel and look better. According to Mr. Duh and some other friends, you can see a difference in my middle and my face.
Sticking to It: I've done a good job of sticking to the Paleo/Primal guidelines. Mark Sisson (of The Primal Blueprint) recommends between 50-100g of carbs per day to be in the weight loss "sweet spot". I track my meals on My Fitness Pal, and have not gone over 75g of carbs per day. My fat and protein intake has increased. I'm also able to stay within my 1550 calorie/day limit.
Cheats: My main cheat is probably the small amount of dairy I eat every day. The Primal Blueprint does allow for some dairy, as long as you aren't intolerant. I put a little creamer in my morning coffee, and I sometimes have one small Babybel cheese in the afternoon. Luckily, I don't have any digestive issues with dairy.
Saturday was my official "cheat" time. I went to the Alamo Drafthouse to see a movie on Saturday, and I was a little bit of a bad girl. I ate buffalo wings (not breaded, so no completely Paleo unfriendly), and dipped them in delicious ranch dressing (not-so-paleo). I also had a glass of 1% Milk that day... but those were my only serious cheats! I'm proud of myself, because I didn't go nuts on bread, pasta or potatoes... I was able to avoid them, even when I cheated.
Favorite Recipes: I have been able to make some amazing food!! My favorites so far are the Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs, Cauliflower Rice, and Salmon Cakes (like crab cakes). My main go to for recipes is a my Practical Paleo cookbook, but there are lots of good recipes online.
What a Typical Day Looks Like:
Breakfast - Two Eggs and three slices of Nitrate-Free bacon
Lunch - Salad with home made salad dressing (usually balsamic)
Snack - Babybel cheese and some pistachios.
Dinner - Meat with a veggie side
Snack - Handful of raspberries and a couple squares of 72% Cacao dark chocolate
The Hardest Part: So far, I've notices two difficult things about this diet. First, it's an expensive diet if you are going to follow the guidelines strictly. They recommend all organic (locally grown, if possible) produce and meat. Before, I was spending $100.00 week on groceries; now I'm spending closer to $160.00. The organic meat is the real killer! I'm going to start researching what conventionally grown things I can get away with. I am eating out way less, though... so the cost might even out.
Second, I miss the convenience of the SAD (Standard American Diet). Before, if I was hungry, I could just heat up a Lean Pocket or grab some tortilla chips out of the cupboard. Now, almost everything I eat requires some kind of prep. I spend a lot of time washing, chopping, and cooking... and don't even get me started on the amount of dishes I'm doing every day!
I would have thought giving up carbs would have been the hardest, but it really hasn't been so bad. I still get to eat yummy food and I'm not starving at all!
Overall Rating: Nine days in, I give the Paleo/Primal diet an 8 out of 10. It's easier than I expected, the food is delicious, and I'm losing weight! Did I mention that Mr. Duh is loving it? He has enjoyed all of the meat, bacon and butter that has been brought back into to his world!
No comments:
Post a Comment