I've lost 34lbs, 12.9% of fat. But it's more than the weight that is gone. I am no longer addicted to sugar or carbs. I eat sustaining meals that are not processed; they are wholesome, planned, and cooked. This way of living took quite a bit of getting used to after having spent half my life eating quick easy meals. We've been duped by companies into thinking that something in a package that says "healthy" is actually healthy. We've been duped by companies in thinking that grains, HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), dairy, and GMO laden soy products are not harming our bodies.
Before these changes in my diet I slept terribly if at all. I snored, I had acne, I had PCOS, I had high blood glucose, and I felt tired and miserable all the time. The loss of weight is a nice bonus but all of these things correcting themselves is more than worth the change. It hasn't been all peaches and cream along the way... in fact it's been challenging. First trying to plan and cook for a family after not really having to worry about it before presented challenges...I had to actually think about what I'd cook...like in advance and stuff. I sought out produce and meat that wasn't full of GMOs, hormones, steroids, etc. But once I got the hang of it this way actually turned out to be easier. I got to be experimental in the kitchen and just make stuff up and yeah we probably ate more egg scrambles the first month than I'd like to admit ;) But the point is I stuck to my guns. If I made some veggies and meat and my mom insisted on still having bread or potatoes I resisted temptation from eating it. If there is one thing I wish though it would be for my mom to stop eating the grains and sugar. She is a diabetic and get famished between meals, she also battles yeast infections and she doesn't believe that her sugar/grain addiction is the cause of it. :(
Along the way I have learned some things about myself too. In the early days I felt like I had stringent rules to follow. But then I discovered that this way of thinking is what caused me to quit countless other diets in the past. I now instead view this truly as a lifestyle change and do not just say that because it's catchy. The thing is once I kicked the addictions it wasn't hard to eat right. And yes, I say addictions because that is exactly what it was. Shaking and dreaming about sugar and bread is not exactly clean living, but that's what I experienced. If I went too long without sugar I would start thinking about it, start craving it, my body wanted it. Those first days of kicking the habit were the most enlightening in this journey. I know that I never want to be there again. I also learned that I sounded like a purist bitch in the early days preaching what you can and can't have. As more people have approached me about the paleo diet and what I do I've taken a more relaxed approach and try to explain that you don't have to this 100%....just cutting out grains, avoiding GMOs, soy, and refined sugar and upping your veggie content will bring you to 80% and you're going to feel much better. The other 20% is doing it 7x24x365 and eating grass fed meat and organic veggies. This just isn't always possible so it's important to realize that not being perfect isn't the end of the world.
My journey has just started, I have many more pounds to lose but I have a life ahead that I want to look forward to one that is without preventable disease. :)
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