Paleo is essentially a high protein, low carb, clean eating lifestyle. I guess it is similar to The Zone, but less structured.
Now for the "But" section. I am not 100% Paleo, I still eat and drink dairy, I use commercial salad dressings and some condiments, I do not consume grass fed beef, Omega-3 eggs, and I eat lots and lots of bacon. I do however try to reduce as much as possible, my intake of processed sugars (no more Coffee Mate), whole sugars, and grain carbs (bread, pasta, rice).
By far the easiest thing to lose was the grain carbs, because they are obvious, and easy to avoid. Sugars however are another thing all together. High Fructose Corn Syrup is The Devil, and as you know, The Devil is in the details. Why is there HFCS in my sausage?????
Anyway, serious changes are afoot in my body! The Husband claims I am calmer, easier to get along with, and generally in a better mood. What the heck? Was I some kind of crazy harpy last year? My clothing is getting loose, I have muscle definition where there once was none, and I now look better in a size medium, than a size large.
Starting at the beginning of this month The Husband decded he would get serious about his diet as well. Here it is, only 23 days in and he has already lost 10 lbs, and is at his target weight, that bas***d!
Starting this week, Kidlet is now eating 2 Paleo-ish meals a day, and regular kid foods for lunch and snacks. She's only 8 and pretty active, I also try to never refer to it as a diet when talking to her, to her, it's just what we eat.
Here is an example of two of our meals for the day.
Breakfast:
Baby bear:
1 scrambled egg with a bit of milk, salt, pepper, and cheese and fresh fruit.
I am curious to know if Kidlet's teacher notices any changes in her as a result of her new breakfast. Does she seem to have more energy, is she less hyper (due to not eating a bowl of Fruit Loops before going to school), is she in general better behaved? Not that these were issues, but I am wondering. Kidlet herself says she feels better, but maybe she knows that's what I want to hear.
Momma Bear:
2 scrambled eggs with pulled pork, leftover roasted bell peppers, and fresh fruit.
I usually drink about 20oz. of water with this meal and take my mulitvitamin, blood pressure medication (which I hope to lose soon!), and fish oil.
Pappa Bear:
3 scrambled eggs with milk, bacon, mushrooms, asparagus, and fresh fruit.
His is in a take out container because I drop it off at his office on my way to the gym. People complain that I'm spoiling him, but honestly it saves us money (a similar breakfast is about $7), and I can make sure he is not cheating on me with toast or pancakes.
Her is a sample of our dinner from the same day.
Baby Bear:
Pulled pork, buffalo mozzarella balls, green salad.
She gets some ranch dressing on her salad, I'm not a monster! Though I've found that if I crumble some Fetta cheese on it, she does not want the dressing. She will either drink a glass of water, milk, or OJ. She used to have a popsicle for dessert, but we talked about how a dessert should be something special, and really not for every night. In the end we compromised, and now I buy frozen berries and keep them in a tuperware in the freezer, and she has a bowlfull after she finishes her dinner.
Momma Bear:
Pulled pork, roasted sweet potatos, tomato mozarella salad, and green salad.
I'll drink a big glass of whole milk with my dinner. People gross out when I tell them I only drink whole milk, I like it, it's kind of a treat.
Pappa Bear:
Roast beef (he does not eat pork), roasted sweet potatos, asparagus & Portobello mushrooms, mozarella & tomato salad, and green salad.
He will usually have a glass of milk too. I try to give him more good fats, and protein in his meal since now he is at a good weight, but trying to build muscle.
Also note that I did not cook two dinners this night, the roast and pork were cooked on the same night, and we ate most of the roast that night. I like to make pulled pork because I like it in my eggs, and on salads, and Kidlet will eat it too.
So there is a sample of my meals. Is it easy to stick to? Yes, after you get over your cravings for sugars and carbs, it's so easy. Do I cheat? Of course!!! Just not every day. We allow ourselves up to 5 "treats" per week, I guess you could treat a whole meal, but I rather treat only one item. For example, if I'm going to Lenae's house for dinner, I call ahead and ask if she is making her awesome salsa, because if she is, I'm going to hold out on my treat until then. But even with this treat, I'm not going to eat a half a bag of tortilla chips like I used to, just a handful. When I get a craving for something sweet, and fruit is not cutting it, I get a 70% or higher cocoa content chocolate bar. Yeah that thing is bitter, but it satisfies my chocolate craving, and I will only want to eat one small square, not the whole bar.
Is this the best diet out there? Who knows, but it is the best diet for me. I think it works because I'm not ever very hungry, and if I am, I have so many things I like that I can eat. Luckily I'm more of a savory person, and not that hung up on sweets.
Up side, I feel like a total winner when I'm at the grocery store. The last time I did my weekly shop, the only things in my cart that were not fruit, veg, meat, or dairy, were garbage bags, laundry detergent, and dryer sheets.
Yes, I was disproportionaly proud of myself.
