Making the Change!

Feeling Tired?

In 2011 I was feeling pretty lethargic and it's no wonder why. I had 3 kids, 3 and under- that in itself is draining. I had been a pretty regular exerciser since my teens and hit the gym a few times a week but would leave shaking, hungry and cranky because my blood sugar would drop drastically. I also had a decent body, was pretty fit, but couldn't really get my self toned like I used to be before pregnancy. I was introduced to the Paleo style of eating in late 2011 and started implementing it then. I cut out grains and even most fruit but apples, berries, avocados and bananas. I had to be creative as my paleo diet is different from the typical since I don't eat pork or red meat. I had to look for new ways of cooking fish, chicken, turkey and eggs so that they didn't get boring, which can very easily happen. Thank God for nuts, I did eat plenty of them, which is nice since on a calorie restricted diet they were limited to about an ounce a day. I started seeing drastic results in the way my body looked and felt. I had dropped those pesky last 10-15 lbs that I just couldn't shake before and I had so much energy I took up kettle bell training and running, covering long distances without feeling shaky or cranky afterward. The change in diet is drastic and after a while doesn't feel hard at all to maintain. The biggest problem I ran into was peer pressure. Yes I said it, it is peer pressure. People will try and sabotage your new lifestyle: say you are a pain in the ass, invite you over for dinner and make nothing you can eat, flaunt your favorite dessert in your face. It is tough because mostly this type of sabotaging is inadvertent and comes from those that love you the most. The next type of sabotage comes from inside our own heads. With all the advertisements, birthday parties, and holidays it is easy to give into your surroundings and eat what is convenient, because lets face it life is fast paced and as a busy mom or employee or student we find ourselves scattered somewhere in our day's agenda. At the end of the day my brain is stuck somewhere processing a teacher parent meeting and my stomach is all of the sudden in charge of deciding what to shovel into my mouth as fast as I possibly can. This is how my paleo success degenerated into a paleo fail. Slowly I was tempted by my husband and then after I 'gave in' it was on. I was back to croissants, bread and my beloved Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I have put on about 15 lbs. since I stopped eating paleo putting me back to where I was when I started.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

I plan on doing my paleo diet change different this time by menu planning and doing whatever meal prepping I can ahead of time. I know the key to changing one's eating habits longterm is being consistent and prepared. The goal is to get healthy and in shape but it is also about eliminating processed foods, artificial colors, sweeteners (a serious challenge for my Diet Dr Pepper loving self) and dyes. I should be careful about using the word eliminate. I do think it is important not to be too rigid. Some people may benefit both physically and mentally from a cheat day. Others like me won't be able to do this, as we may have compulsive behaviors or an all or nothing type of relationship with food. You have to be honest with yourself and decide what works best for you. Lots of people would ask me things like, "what type of workout do you do?" or "How do you eat?" when they saw the progress I had made in 2011 and 2012. I would love sharing with them this new way of eating and exercising that had me looking better than ever, while I didn't have to buy any expensive products or even belong to a gym! This blog will chronicle everything. This blog will be written in the style and with the openness of a best friend divulging her fitness secrets and stats. I plan on posting my workouts from the day, my menus, pictures of my progress (with actual measurements and stats)pictures of food I make, and reviews of paleo recipes I find online. I wanted to make a website that caters to those like me. Those who eat limited meat and are looking for healthy paleo style grain-free recipes, those who enjoy challenging workouts, and those who want to see it ALL laid out. The exact diet, the exact workouts, and the exact RESULTS.

Here's me pre-paleo 2011

(helping my daughter Lily across the balance beam at the park.)

Here I am just 2 months later 

( Sorry all I didn't take any bathing suit pics so it may be hard to see what a huge difference it made.)

I'd like to get back to my trimmed and toned self.