To Paleo or Not Paleo, That IS the Question

I AM one of those people.  I have tried every diet on the market.  You name it, I have done it.  Obviously without success! lol

Weight issues are really annoying to me because we really don't eat that bad.  You can come into my home on any given day and you will not find ice cream, chips, or cokes.  There are no cookies or cakes hidden away.  We eat a pretty healthy diet so why don't we lose weight?  I think there are many answers to that question but this blog is about Paleo so that's where I will go.

I have several friends that lead a Paleo lifestyle.  I will admit...I was skeptical about it when I began to read up on it.  I mean, how can you survive without grains, beans, sugar, and dairy?  What is left?  Well, I will tell you what's left.  REAL FOOD.  Meat, vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats.

I decided to put Paleo to the test last October.  I decided I would follow all of the rules, strictly, for one month and then decide from there.  I was excited the first week.  I lost about 6 lbs and was beginning to come out of the sugar and carb withdrawals. The second week was much easier but I did not lose any weight.  By the third week, I had energy that I hadn't seen for a while and I had no desire to eat any of the things that I was not supposed to but I still didn't lose any weight.  I think my body was confused! When the fourth week rolled around I felt better than I had in a long time and the number on the scale began to move.  By the end of my little experiment I lost 12 lbs but for the first time in my life, that was not the most important thing.  The best part was how great I felt!

You would think that I would stick with it since I was feeling so good and losing weight BUT the old excuses came back.  I made it through Thanksgiving without much trouble but by the time Christmas rolled around I was ready for a break.  I thought it would be ok to eat our traditional Christmas foods and then get right back on plan but I forgot about the leftovers. And then, my body had a taste of sugar and carbs again so it was screaming for more!  It took me 3 weeks to get my mind made up that it was back to Paleo and this time, I'm taking the whole family with me!

The family agreed that they would join me in this new lifestyle.  It has been an adjustment in the way we think but overall, it's been an easy transition.  It has been hard this past week because I have been sick so there has been very little home cooked meals and, lets face it, you can't eat healthy on fast food.  I am on the mend now and I'm looking forward to preparing our meals again.

I think this is something we can do.  I hope it is.  I'll keep you posted. :)