The Paleo Experiment -- COMPLETED!!

Hey all!

So, I had originally planned to write weekly updates about my Paleo Challenge, however, everytime I sat down to think about how I felt the end of week 1, I kept reminding myself of all that I was giving up, and how much I was missing my staples, (*it is LITERALLY like tweaking after a high) did not know the crazy Oatmeal addiction I had! Not to mention my cravings from the first 3 days were like a Gourmet Chef's pregnancy. Plan B - a retrospective week-by-week Paleo Recap, including my post-Paleo week (*this week) in which I re-added Oats back into my diet.

Week 1 :: Cravings GALORE
The first THREE days, felt like the Tasmanian Devil of CRAVINGS was living & causing ruckus in my belly! It was CRAY. I wanted EVERYTHING that wasn't on the "allowed" list, as well as things I don't even LIKE, and things I NEVER EAT; everything from Chocolate ice cream, which I love, to Roast Pork with Cherries & Hennesey Glaze, which is rediculous, as I was off Pork, prior to Paleo & cherries are typically crazy expensive here in Jamaica, I hadn't had them in MONTHS, and I don't drink Hennesey! Worse still, since September 1st kind of snuck up on me, I hadn't shopped BEFORE starting & I was still stocked-up on a TON of my usual go-tos which, although clean/healthy, weren't Paleo!

Take Home Message - remember to shop first & clean out the cupboards!

Week 2 :: Getting Used to It.
After the first three days had passed, and I did Paleo-friendly shopping & cleaned out my cupboards, it became WAY Easier to eat the Primal way and was actually REALLY Fun to think up recipes that were creative, quick & DELICIOUS! Loved that Sweet potatos, pumpkin/squash & Yams were allowed, as they made the recovery days less painful. I typically eat a TON of veg as is, and I had no problem eating more fruit. I miss my beans, but roasted/unsalted nuts weren't a hard sell!

Take Home Message - Don't think of what you CAN'T have, focus on how much you CAN!

Week 3 :: I Miss my Oats!
Cardio refeeding without Oats, is ROUGH. An Apple & Spinach, are full of fibre and good carbs, but its really just NOT the same as a warm & soothing bowl of Steel-Cuts! That all being said, I was DEF seeing new muscle growths & some strength improvements (*to be fair, that could be attributed to my change in program cycle as well, but I am still making mention.) I was NOT pleased with the Weight gain, from the additional Red/ Pork meats. Even though the Primal eaters guidelines said I could have ANY grassfed / prime cuts, I def should have stuck with leaner choices.

Take Home Message - Change is GOOD, different, but GOOD!

Week 4 :: Switched to Fish & Eggs, Lean chicken
Making the swap from fatty & carenot to Lean & clean meats, definitely had me leaned out a bit, and fairly quickly - saw the change within the week!
Sidenote - I also Upped my water in week 4 to 3Gallons (*up from 1.5Gallons) since I was trying out Xpel (*an herbal diuretic)

Take Home Message - Stick to what you're used to, even if you change up the habits!

Week 5 :: Post-Paleo (this week)
YAY! I get a week to Re-add oats & I'm sooo excited! Love it! I'm limiting myself to my 5am bowl, not going HAM over the freedom. I had RICE in Sushi, & 3 mini danishes (*size of dominoes) at a fam dinner & the day after I looked like I had stuffed myself with cotton balls (*clarify the SUSHI was AMAZING! But the aftermath was PUFFY No Bueno!) Added my HOT iced tea to speed up the gears, kicked up my cardio (since I had the additional carbo-load) & 2days later, was right as rain!
Next week I'm off Carbs again, and testing out Dairy (Low-Fat cheese & fat-free Greek Yogurt, specifically). And the week after I will try out Beans/Pulses again, without dairy/grains. Will post an addendum after they're done!

Take Home Message - OATS are GOOD, but Rice & Flour are NOT FRIENDLY!

Over View :: Because I did what I am going to call "Paleo-Lite" (*I allowed myself to use canned tuna & pineapple, and Almond butter & almond milk), I didn't find it THAT hard to transition.  Other than the no Oats, Beans & Yogurt... Clean Eating (my usual 90/10 lifestyle) and Paleo really aren't TOO far off since I try to avoid processed "Lite" & modified foods to begin with.
My 2 main changes were NOT relying on Beans & Oats, and not allowing myself Ice Cream as my cheat. I liked that I could have (natural) juices, frozen as snacks too! Mmmm Tamarind slushies *swoooon* - I am def goin to keep up with this Paelo-Lite lifestyle, except I will allow myself Oats in my cardio heavy parts of my cycle, and Depending on how the beans week goes, the occasional blackbeans or chickpeas in my dishes, some hummus or some blackbean chips *drools* ...hmmm maybe I'll do beans NEXT week & dairy AFTER... :D

FOUR tips if you are Curious about trying out the 30day Paleo Experiment ::
1) READ ABOUT IT FIRST!
Make sure you are prepared to commit to a BIG (for most people) dietary change. If you are coming from "traditional eating habits", try going CLEAN for a month first.
2) SHOP & CLEAR before DAY 1!
Remove your No-No's & temptations, and stock the fridge, freezer & cupboards with some simple go-to's and prep your meal kits (*e.g. grill your meat, clean&chop your veg, group them together in the fridge!
3) THINK AHEAD & PLAN ACCORDINGLY!
Just like with Clean Eating or Competition prep, or if you have a typically HECTIC lifestyle - First, planning & prepping meals for the week, on the weekend saves you a TON of stress, because it takes the thinking and scavenging out of meals. Second, it saves you a TON of time when you get home & just want to collapse & instead of "creating" dinner its 3/4 of the way done!
4) IT'S A LIFESTYLE NOT A DIET
If you take on Paleo, you WILL need to workout! And think about it as a 30day COLD TURKEY transition into a different LIFESTYLE. New habits, new thinking. Even if you don't STICK to a full Paleo lifestyle AFTER your system WILL have changed (if you do this properly), so it's not an"I'm going to do it for 30days lose a bunch of weight & go back to my old ways & just BE skinnier" kinda "30day challenge"

Take Home Message :: YOU MUST COMMIT TO CHANGE IF YOU WANT TO SEE CHANGES! YOU MUST BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE!

- Mia xo