my paleo-ness.

For the past two months (officially on September 14), I have been doing the Paleo diet. I like to call it the ''I'm never hungry diet''. And I feel the need to share this secret wonder with the world! (fair warning: i'm not a pro on this diet, i'm more at the ''paleo diet for dummies'' level but here is the general idea!)

DIET MEANS STARVATION = NOT TRUE!
You see, when people hear the word diet in a sentence, they tend to automatically assume that they could never do it! Then, when I try and explain how cleansing it is, they cut me off about 3 times exclaiming, yet again, that they could never do it! Well, hear me out people! You will never go back! Or at the least, you will want to implement a few ideas into your regular routine!

MY STORY
About a year ago this month I had realized that I gained a big 15 pounds. Can you say comfort food?  Yup. Well I started working out, eating healthier, cut out pop, the whole nine yard. By February 2012, I had already lost the 15 pounds. I was back to what I was prior to the weight gain but I was looking to lose a little bit more. I had hit a plateau, which means that your body has gotten used to your routine and won't lose additional weight. After gaining around 4 pounds while I was in Europe in May, I set out to try something new. I knew that have a whole weekend of cheating and having Subway everyday was not going to cut it anymore. (I only recently realized that Subway isn’t as healthy as everyone thinks) In comes the Paleo Diet.

THE BASICS OF PALEO
The Paleo Diet is known as the caveman diet. In a nutshell, you don't eat any carbs, any dairy, no gluten, no artificial ANYTHING! It sounds really really dull does it not? Well here's the thing. Let's say you eat a whole plate of fettuccini alfredo with a side of garlic bread and salad. You stand up; feel like you weigh a ton. Now, do you feel like you can go out and run a 5k? Probably not. The thing with the Paleo is that it cuts out most food that your body has a hard time breaking down = no bloating! HELLO! I said no bloating. Now I'm sure you want to keep reading.

When I say the caveman diet, I literally mean it. You stock up on protein, veggies, nuts and fruits. Anything that would have been accessible back then. It goes back to the basics of nutrition, which makes so much sense. What is so great about it is that you get to eat as much as you want and you will simply feel full. Not gross, or bloated. To be completely honest, I told myself I would do it for a week. If I could survive that, I would do a month. If I could survive that, I would just do the 90-day challenge (which is what they suggest).

I'm not going to lie, day 1-3 was hard. How do you get your body used to no bread or dairy? My regular routine consisted of toast and Activia in the morning. How could I cut that out, let alone cut out the rest of my usual carbs for the rest of the day? It's a matter of getting your body used to change. Technically speaking, we are the only species that drinks milk in their adult life. We are all lactose intolerant, but our body’s has adjusted to it over the years. Cutting out dairy alone is cutting out so much fat, it's incredible! As for bread and pasta, gluten is generally not good for you! It is one of the main reasons for bloating and I can guarantee that cutting out those carbs will help your appearance within a week.

It is amazing what this diet can do for your mind, body and soul in just one week. Can you imagine 3 months?

Now, I know what you're wondering. What do you eat? Well here's a sample of my typical day!

BREAKFAST: 2 eggs, orange juice, and banana with peanut butter

SNACK: apple and almonds

LUNCH: salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and chicken bits

SNACK (cause you will need it): carrots and humus

SUPPER: beef strips, mini salad, and a huge fruit salad (loaded with kiwi, strawberrys, blueberries, grapes, anything really!)

LATE NIGHT: green tea (antioxidant galore!!!)

AND LOTS OF WATER THROUGHOUT THE DAY (fun fact: sometimes the feeling you get for hunger can be confused for thirst! It's the same part of your brain that is working to signal the need for either hunger or thirst, so drink water first, just in case! if you were actually hunger, then you just filled up a bit with water and won't eat as much!)

Now, combining this with at least 3-4 days of workout will give you amazing results! Allow yourself one cheat day a week! Mine is Friday! It truly does give a whole new meaning to TGIF! But you will notice that you will stop craving the bad stuff. I go all week looking forward to my cheat day, but when I'm in it, I'm just counting down the hours until I go to sleep and it's a new day! It's almost like you body rejects the bad after a while. It's funny how it works, eh? But trust me, that cheat day will not spoil the diet. You need to indulge and not binge from depriving yourself.

After being on the Paleo for 2 months, I have lost 9 pounds, 2 pant sizes, and I have toned up so much! It is a 90 day challenge, but you're body will get used to the low carb routine. Once you're off the diet you will have a hard time going back! It's not a diet, it's a healthy and clean lifestyle. DO IT! And let me know what you think.

DD