Weight Loss and Paleo, Revisited

I fell off the Paleo Wagon for a few days. But, I enjoyed it. Better, I figure, than doing so mindlessly and not enjoying it. Even so, for most meals, I still ate Paleo because I really wanted to. That huge white flour bun with the hamburger was not the least bit tempting. But the Chimichanga with cheese sauce? Now that's another story.

Interestingly enough, I definitely had what Dr. Sears calls "Yuck Tummy" after every foray into my former grain-based diet. In reality, I didn't even eat that much grain, but given the way I felt afterwards, it will probably be a while before I "cheat" again.

In other news, despite my venturing off path for a few days, my weight loss is steady. In about a month, I'm down at least 10 pounds. My jeans are beginning to be uncomfortable because THEY'RE TOO LOOSE. Oh, yeah, baby. My kind of discomfort. I'm not saying I'm busting out the "Skinny Clothes" box that's packed in the closet, maybe not even my "Medium Skinny Clothes" box, but I'm well on my way and enjoying nearly every moment of it.

I am tired of eggs in the morning. And find it impossible to eat salad greens with breakfast, though that was so intriguing my first couple weeks. It's not that I want bread (though oatmeal does sound nice); I just don't want eggs. Need to browse a bit and be creative. Here's to hoping "Part 3" of my Favorite Paleo Recipes will be breakfast related.

Converting the Family to Paleo (Without Convincing Them)

As the Primary Preparer of Meals around here, I've been making changes in what I cook for everyone. As planned, I did not convert the family to Paleo cold-turkey (though I did myself). Even so, I'm thrilled with the changes I've made so far. For example....

• Everyone is eating A LOT less sugar. Dessert is generally of a healthy variety (ie. pumpkin custard or a piece of dark chocolate) and at most once a day. In the past, my love language was baking decadently, so this is significant change.

• Everyone is eating A LOT less grain. With the exception of a couple requests for oatmeal, I've prepared no grain-centered meals. This is HUGE progress for me, the former bakery owner, lover of bread, maker of homemade tortillas with nearly every meal!

• Everyone is eating A LOT more protein from meat and fish and eggs. And, of course, they're thrilled about this.

So, we still have a ways to go, and I'm not even sure what my end-goal is for the family regarding paleo, but I know the changes I've made with/for them are several steps in the right direction. The best part? Not a single protest. Kind of like a great hair-cut. The best kind is the one no one notices.

2 Paleo Surprises

So, I've been logging my food in on Daily Burn. I switched to that site so I could input on-the-go with my iPhone, only to find that the app is for iPhone 4. Bummer. I've used FitDay off and on for years and certainly would have gone that route had I known the app would be useless to me. That said, the user shared database of Daily Burn is incredible and it really is much, much faster to use, though less detailed than Fit Day unless you upgrade. I don't really want to log every day; I tend to be a little to anal and I worry too much about the numbers. Not really the Paleo mindset. However, I did find a few surprises.

First of all, it's been really tough for me to get in enough protein. I'm aiming for 91-130 grams based on Robb Wolf's recommendation and my ideal (not current) weight. I am eating MUCH more meat than I used to, but I still have to really try hard to make that range on a daily basis. Though it seems "unnatural" I've started adding egg whites to my omelets to help. I think my frugal grocery ways have probably sabotaged my health (and worse, probably that of my darling, auto-immunilogically challenged daughter). I cooked 2 1/2 pound of chicken breasts last night. We had left overs, but in the past I would have stretched that bag of chicken over several meals for a family of five with beans, rice and tortillas. I'm not quite sure how I'll balance the numbers, but I am sure that what I always considered "healthy and frugal" in the past was really unintentional carbohydrate loading in the name of saving money.

Secondly, I've been shocked at how easy it is to stay within the an ideal calorie range when grains, sugars and legumes are out of the picture. That may seem obvious to some. I was surprised. Being as full as I am after meals (though, lately quite hungry between them), I was shocked to see my calorie numbers hover under 1200. Without limiting my food intake at all. 3 squares and snacks when hungry. This is nice.

I'm going to back off of weighing everyday and food journaling for a while and enjoy the ride. Wild Salmon, cole slaw and green salad for dinner. Still loving Paleo.

I'm Not a Caveman (And Neither are You)

I want to "go" paleo. But I don't believe in cavemen. Or in millions of years of evolution. Nor do I believe the Bible-thumpers who say milk and honey were negatives or that Adam and Eve weren't vegetarians. I also think it's safe to assume that it's stretching exegesis to the breaking point to say that the reason God wasn't happy with Cain's offering was because it was grain.

However, from the little research I've done so far on the subject, it is very believable to me that bread was a very different animal than it is now. (Food Inc. anyone?) And our lives are certainly very different. So, I'm past the point where I feel I can't be anti-bread in practice and still pro Jesus the Bread of Life. Maybe He's the only Bread we need! ;)

So what else could I call it? "Meat and Veggies and Fruit and Eggs with a Smidgen of Dairy" isn't very catchy. Besides, my blog title's already too long. Maybe an acronym is in order? Umm....better not.

Maybe the catchphrase "Paleo" isn't so bad after all. Minus the stuff about the evolving cave dwellers.