As I sit sipping my hot lemon water, I feel like a lifetime has passed in the two weeks that I had begun starting my paleo reboot. Sure, I am allowed one cheat meal per week, but after two weeks of doing this I have realized two things: 1) cheat meals now have greater consequences and 2) I used to “cheat” on my healthy eating a lot more than I originally thought I did. Here are more learnings two weeks in:
I did a fair amount of research before I decided to reboot the stone age way, and the articles I read did inform me of all the benefits of paleo (which was 90% of the reason that I decided to do this in the first place), but not many cited how your body would react to such a dramatic change in diet.
I DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD BE A DRAMATIC CHANGE BECAUSE I THOUGHT I ATE “HEALTHY” ENOUGH OF THE TIME, BUT I WAS WRONG.
Okay, that sounds pretty ominous, and it shouldn’t be. Yes, there were changes, although, I don’t think that they are necessarily bad changes. You can determine what they mean for you:
- Experienced the “paleo flu” days 1-3
- I am generally hungrier than I was before starting paleo
- I require more sleep (not sure if this is 100% because of paleo, but a difference I shall note nonetheless)
- My grocery bill skyrocketed
- My perception and appreciation of food has increased
- I pay close attention to nutrition labels
- I have an actual desire to not put foods with 5 or more ingredients in it in my body
- I think about carbs more so now than I have ever done in my entire life
- After the two cheat meals I have had since I started, I have felt terrible after consumption of both
- You have a lot more free time on your hands (because you’re not hanging out at bars, hitting up happy hour, going out to eat 2x a week, doing social things that involve eating and drinking)
- I have lost 5lbs
- I feel healthier
- I feel more accountable to my body
- I am proud of what I am putting in my body
After years of enviously admiring food bloggers/photographers work, I started to document my paleo food journey through photos. It wasn’t because I wanted to shout from the rooftops that I had eliminated carbs, processed foods, legumes and sugar from my diet, it is because I felt proud about doing it. There’s a sense of pride that you experience when you do something that is actively challenging every single day and you’re doing it well. I did not feel that way about food before paleo.
So, if you’re on the fence about whether you should try it, ask yourself these questions:
- Am I proud of what I put in my body?
- Do I often feel sluggish and foggy?
- Do I want to lose weight and have a hard time doing so?
That’s it. It’s really not all that complicated. If you are a commitment-phobe, integrate paleo a few days a week and see how you feel. Remember, this is about you, your health and your body— treat yourself well.
