30 Day Paleo Trial: 1 week down.
sooo I really did it. today marks one week since I started eating strictly Paleo. for those who don’t know what exactly Paleo means, here’s the deal in short:
DO EAT – meat, eggs – fish, seafood – veggies – fruit – nuts – healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, etc)
DO NOT EAT – grains – refined sugar – processed food – dairy – legumes (incl. peanuts)
why would I do that? simple: from 2014 to 2016 I was in a relationship which left me with so much anxiety and stress that I barely ate. I lost 30lbs in 1.5 years and was 90lbs by the end of it. after the relationship was over I started eating normally again. fairly healthy and not too much at all. but my body has been so out of whack from barely eating for so long that it just wouldn’t stop putting on fat. fast forward 2 years and I am at my heaviest ever (140lbs) despite eating a fairly healthy diet. it just doesn’t make any sense and it’s frankly quite unfair, so I’ve been trying to find ways to make my body realize I’m all good and healthy now so it can stop putting on every calorie I eat.
I first heard of the Paleo diet about a year ago. back then I was like “okaaay just another food craze, that seems complicated and expensive” etc, in short, I was super skeptic. the past couple months though I’ve heard from more and more people how eating (mostly) Paleo has helped them with things like: – gut problems – depression, anxiety – energy – food cravings – weight loss
this caught my attention because those were all things I’ve been struggling with for years and years. I’ve taken medication most my life, trying to get my depression, anxiety and chronic stomach inflammation under control but nothing has helped. so in a last and final attempt I’ve decided to give Paleo a try. it makes sense to me that I would be able to cure my body (and mind) by eating a healthy diet. it’s no secret that our western eating habits are making us sick and fat. so I’ve decided to give this a try.
how have I been feeling this past week? honestly it’s SO hard to make an accurate statement because the thing is, I started 2 days after getting back from Toronto, and I swear I’ve never been so jetlagged in my whole life. since I’m not working at the moment I’ve had a lot of trouble getting back into my timezone, meaning I barely slept at all, and if, it was during the day. so as far as energy levels etc goes, I can literally not tell if it was Paleo or the jetlag that’s been causing me to be super tired and groggy. so I guess I’ll leave this question for after week 2.
what about exercise? I’ve been so groggy this past week, I haven’t even thought about working out. I also wanna give my body enough time to transition from getting energy from carbs to getting energy from fat. I try to walk a lot every day, and after week 2 I wanna start going to the gym again (or go for runs at least).
have I been feeling super hungry all the time? the first 3–4 days, yes! I tried my best to eat enough protein with my veggies but I realized how hard it is not to undereat on Paleo! I’ve always been someone who eats small portions, both because I didn’t wanna gain weight by overeating, but I also just kinda have a small stomach and feel stuffed pretty fast. so I continued eating the portion sizes I was used to with a lot less calorie-dense food. the result: I was raaaavenous all day and didn’t know why. my stomach was full, but the hungry feeling wouldn’t go away. after a few days my body not only got used to the new food (and the absence of simple carbs), but I also learned how to adjust the portion sizes. I eat huge salads now, and I snack in between meals (a boiled egg here, some bacon there). I try to always eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m full. so far I haven’t even come close to overeating in terms of calories.
what about food cravings? hmm. surprisingly enough I’ve been doing really well in that department. I’m a chocoholic and have an incredibly strong sweet tooth. so I actually thought I’d die from sugar withdrawals. but alas, I didn’t. I don’t know why. like, obviously when I see chocolate or cake or pizza or chips, I’m like “oh my god I’d do anything to have a bite”. but unless it is literally right in front of me, I don’t even think about it. the food I eat is very satisfying, and since it’s also nutritious my mind and body are happy and leave me alone until it’s time for my next healthy meal. the funny thing is: the thing I’m missing more is not pizza or chocolate, but cheese… I have no idea why.
what’s the biggest problem? honestly the biggest struggle is eating on the go. I’m unemployed at the moment so I don’t leave my house often but when I do it’s hard to find something to eat when I get hungry. I usually just get a banana and maybe a few almonds. most pre-packaged food has a ton of chemicals and/or sugar in it which makes it a no-no on Paleo. also, when food cravings do happen, it’s very frustrating to not be able to give in. I like it though, because it’s a test for my willpower, and once I loosen it up a bit I can decide when I wanna indulge and when I will let a craving pass. another problem is money. it’s very expensive to eat Paleo. not only are vegetables and meat more expensive than bread and pasta in general, you also need way more to meet your caloric needs and feel full. that’s probably the biggest disadvantage of this lifestyle.
will I keep eating like this after the 30 days? this is highly dependent on how I will feel after the month has passed. it’s way too early to tell if this benefits me and if I could actually keep this up forever. if it ends up changing my life for the better I will definitely try and keep it up, but will probably loosen it up a little and go for the 80/20 approach, which basically means you eat healthy (or in my case Paleo) 80% of the time, which still gives you room for a piece of cake or a slice of pizza every once in a while. but since I will be able to control my cravings, I can decide when and if I’m gonna indulge which is awesome.
so yeah. first week has been a success. :)
