Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Paleo-itis, drinking the Paleo juice.

It seems like I have been hearing a lot about the Paleo Diet lately.  I downloaded some podcasts to listen to about it a couple months ago and have been listening to them a little at a time. My husband did some work for a couple that eat Paleo and love it.  They had nothing but good things to say to him about it.  We talked about it on and off for a while and then I did it.  I challenged him to eat Paleo with me for awhile just to try it out.

We started last Friday night.  and I think I have ate a lot "cleaner" than he has. He has had a few sandwiches I think. I did eat some chocolate and two Skittles but better than that I have felt strong enough to turn down cake and cookies at work.  Practically unheard of! I also made my kids mac and cheese and didn't even lick the spoon.

Thoughts about it so far 12 days in.
  • Requires a lot more planning
  • Requires a lot more prep work
  • I feel good (besides the whole cold thing I have going on right now)
  • No bloating feeling after a meal
  • I don't feel like I need to take a nap after lunch
  • Almond flour and coconut flours are freaking pricey!
  • I hate cutting out dairy entirely so I haven't I guess that makes me more Primal than Paleo.  I have used super minimal cheese and switched to full fat greek yogurt (super yum btw)
  • There are an amazing amount of Paleo blogs out there.
  • So far I don't miss the sugar and processed foods.
  • I'm going through a lot of eggs
I have tried out some really great recipes including a ketchup one that I found on Eat, Run, Sail  (thanks Elle).  My favorites so far have been the stuffed squash and stuffed green peppers.  I guess I like to eat stuffed things.

how is it jiving with my running? 

I have had two really great runs and two runs with really lackluster energy.  I am not sure how much to blame on my cold and how much on the lower carb diet.  I have been getting in quite a few carbs in the form of sweet potatoes, squash and fruit though.  I don't think I will have a clearer picture for a another week or two.

How long do I plan to do it?

At this point I don't know.  I just know, I like how I feel (no bloating) and I have lost a pound or two.  My husband claims the same. Although I am sure he won't stick with the Paleo diet.  He claims to be bored with it already.  I am not.

Am I making my kids do it?

No.  They get to eat what I cook, but I still make them toast for breakfast and let them eat cereal etc.

Have I lost weight/am I trying to lose weight?

Hmmm, I think I have lost a pound or two and I wouldn't want to lose more than 5. I really don't focus on weight only on how my pants feel and they feel better than they did three weeks ago I know that.

Those are my thoughts on it for now.  Got any questions for me that I didn't ask or thoughts, advice etc?  Feel free to comment!

16 comments:

  1. Glad to hear you are feeling good eating this way and thanks for the shout out in your post.

    I know I am feeling great - other than this darned cold - which my husband also has and he is not eating Paleo!

    I know it's not for everyone and I think that we all have to find what suits us best.

    I haven't run much since I have had this cold, but last night I dreamed I was running faster than EVER so that must count for something. HAHA

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  2. I haven't caught the Paleo bug yet. I don't have enough self control to do any kind of diet, even if it's a good one. Maybe one of these days I'll give it a go, especially if I hear it does wonders for your running!

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  3. Hmm I think i might catch this bug soon. I have seen so many people do it...I kind of want to see what the buzz is about!

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  4. I definitely caught Paleo bug...gotta live pinterest for easy recipes. I was Floored by how expensive almond flour was (didn't purchase coconut flour)

    So glad you've had positive results thus far, bye bye bloating

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  5. I've done paleo on and off (sometimes I'm weak!). I like it... I feel clean and my workouts are better. Granted, the first week or two of workouts SUCK. But then your body adjusts and all is well.

    I thought it was "hard" at first but really it's easy to know "what" to buy. Yeah, food prep is more involved than cereals, pastas, etc but I like to put something in the crockpot on Sunday and eat that for lunch all week.

    I think some people get a lot more detailed on their paleo breakdown but to me it's just protein, veggies, fruits and sweet potatoes! Coconut flour near me is actually cheaper at whole foods believe it or not... Obviously that could vary on location.

    Anyway good luck! Hope you enjoy it and notice some changes (for the better of course).

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  6. We haven't done paleo but we've been eating cleaner for about 6 months. We don't eat any carbs with dinner and my breakfast, lunch and snacks are all balanced carbs-protein. Lots of fruits and veggies. We both feel so much better and I think it has to do with eliminating processed junk. When we eat carbs, they are whole grains. I love toast, but it's Ezekiel for me. We also don't eat sugar. We had some tough times over Xmas with Xmas cookies. I definitely noticed how crappy I felt after eating sugar!

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  7. I can't really get on board with a diet that gets rid of dairy and grain carbs no matter how amazing it might make me feel. I feel like my life would have no color without those amazingly delicious foods. :)

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  8. I started a week ago and you're right...there is a butt load of stuff out there! I spent an hour on Pinterest!! I made a stuffed kambocha squash the other night for dinner...hubby was very leery but he loved it! Score one for the Paleo!!

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  9. When my husband went through his crossfit phase back in late 2009 I tried too cook paleo for him. It was hard because I was not interested in it and had just started training fro Boston, but I did my best to cook everything paleo and eat with him. Of course after I spent a ton of $ switching stuff out, he quit crossfit. I had also caught him cheating which irritated me because I didn't even want anything to do with paleo, but had made the change with him. I have thought about trying it again more recently just because it would help me eat cleaner and because I think that there are even better recipes out there for it now. I also hate the bloated feeling I have after I eat and if I could eliminate it with paleo I would!

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  10. I enjoy reading about people like you and Elle who are giving it a go along with your running. I am somewhat tempted to try it, but admit there are things I just don't want to part with (dairy!). I'm going to keep stalking your experiment in the meantime!

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  11. I LOVE Paleo and low carb! It's what gives me the most fuel. When we cheat, it brings me down and I can't perform well at all. I'm so happy you are loving it! My number one advice on cutting down time on cooking... keep it simple. We frequent large hunks of meat in the oven or smoker. Keep with it girl!

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  12. I would definitely like to cut down on the processed carbs and eat more cleanly, but I'm with Kari -- I love grains and dairy, so I think I would feel pretty unhappy going Paleo. I'm glad to hear, though, that you feel like it's working for you.

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  13. Thanks for sharing BOTH sides of the diet with us!!! Look forward to hearing more about it :)

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  14. I love that you are experimenting with it. It is all very interesting to me but giving up dairy and cake would probably kill me :-)
    I can't wait to see how it works out for you, I might be inspired to give it a try Lord knows it couldn't hurt to cut out a little cake. *gasp*

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  15. I've gone more in the Paleo direction, but by no means am I following it strictly. I've found I feel better focusing more on fats and protein in my diet. I already eat gluten-free b/c it causes migraines for me. I feel lighter and less bloated and find that when I go way off that eating style, I usually get a stomach ache. The only problem with going more Paleo is how terrible you feel when you don't eat that way--which just shows how much some of the stuff we eat doesn't agree with us :)

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  16. I read up on the paleo diet recently and honestly there were too many adjustments for me! I can't give up my dairy! But I am in awe of everyone that can commit to this diet.
    Good luck!

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