I made one big mistake….
A few weeks ago I had one of those moments….one of those, “darn! I wish I would’ve done that differently” moments. It’s the same feeling I get when I think back about my teenage years. When my mother would tell me, “You’re going to wish you would have done that differently in a few years (always with a knowing smile in her voice)”. And, of course I would usually chuckle and think to myself, “What does my mom know?! She’s completely out of touch.”
Now, as I near 30, I realize that what I’ve heard so many people tell me in the past is coming to fruition in my own life. You know. I’m sure the majority of you have heard it or maybe you have even experienced it for yourself. And….here it is…..when you reach 30 the weight just doesn’t come off the way it used to.
I’ve never been an “athletic person”. I didn’t play sports as a child, I wasn’t involved in competitive sports in high school and I was never involved in dance or gymnastics. In fact, I’m a complete klutz so that wouldn’t have worked out very well for me anyways.
Fortunately, I was blessed with good genes. As an adult, I’ve been able to skate by with infrequent workouts and a lax diet. I did however begin working out more regularly and paying more attention to my health about 3 years ago. Still, I’ll admit….it was half-hearted; with the exception of the two months leading up to my wedding. During this time, I turned “it” up and reached my peak physical condition. Otherwise, what was the need? I could control my weight and my energy level was consistently good. Why should I spend time working out when I could be doing more important things? Ha!
More recently, however, I’ve noticed that those extra couple of pounds aren’t coming off the way they used to….instead, they are settling right around my mid-section. I’ve tried for the last several months to justify this extra weight…..I’m busy at work, I’m taking care of a family, I’m traveling quite a bit and it’s difficult to eat right….
Now, don’t hate me. I have friends that say, “What are you complaining about? You look great.” But the bottom line is this; I just don’t look, or more importantly, feel the way I want to. I know what my body can and SHOULD look like, and I’m just not okay with settling.
So, I broke my cardinal rule last week……(insert evil music here)……I stepped onto a scale at the gym. I weighed in at 140.6 pounds. Now, at the age of 28 I am weighing more than I ever have in my life. Granted, I’m closer to 5’9” than I am 5’8”, and I have a naturally muscular build. But again, these are not excuses. “Wearing my weight well”, is not a phrase I like to hear. Now, as a woman, I know better than to weigh myself, which is why it’s my “cardinal rule”. I also know, It’s only accurate to weigh on a specific day every month, based on my cycle. Which is why I have always judged my weight by how my jeans fit, it seems to be the best way for me.
Enough is enough is enough…..this is what I told myself last week when I decided to make a decision!!!
I hate the vicious cycle and I won’t be a victim to it…..feel fat, say I’m going to make a change, eat right for a couple of days, then back to my old ways, feel guilt……and it starts over again.
So, what am I doing differently this time? THIS is what I’m excited to share. I began researching how food is naturally intended to interact with the human body and ran into some very interesting articles. I also have a couple of really great friends who encouraged me to look into what they are calling a “lifestyle”, not a diet. It’s called Paleo, or the “Caveman Diet”. Basically, you can eat when you’re hungry from a list of approved foods and you stop when you’re full. The general rules are, no processed foods, no grains, no legumes, no dairy. Pretty much….if you can kill it or grow it, you can eat it. But you can’t eat it if you grow it and it requires cooking or processing.
According to wikipedia, “Paleolithic nutrition is based on the premise that modern humans are genetically adapted to the diet of their Paleolithic ancestors and that human genetics have scarcely changed since the dawn of agriculture, and therefore that an ideal diet for human health and well-being is one that resembles this ancestral diet”.
So, I’m going to give this “Paleo lifestyle” a shot. I’ve done quite a bit of research and don’t see any reason NOT to give it a shot. I’ve never cut grains completely out of my diet (because I love bread, noodles, rice, and everything else that isn’t on the plan), so this will be pretty interesting. I’ve heard really positive feedback from several people and am really excited to get started!!
Week 1…..I’m on my way!
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