Living Paleo – My 30 Day Reset Experience
For the last 30 days I have been living a completely new
lifestyle. Not so new to my gorgeous man, but very much different for me, and
it all revolves around getting healthy and how we eat.
I haven’t embraced the latest fad, I haven’t chosen a quick
fat loss path or anything that requires me to count calories, measure portions
or weigh myself continually. What I have done is plenty of research. I’ve also
been seeing the results of people I know move from being tired, overweight (on
various levels from a few kilos to a lot) and always getting ill transition to
being happy, healthy energised people who all have less body fat. (whether as a
happy by-product or by design).
We also have family that a few years ago went down this same
path and had experienced fabulous benefits of this new lifestyle, and one of
those people was my man, who had been eating this way before we met.
We both have health issues and being overweight certainly
doesn’t help it for either of us. We also are planning a big trip middle of
next year and we want to be feeling as fit and healthy as we can when we go
away so we have the energy to cram in all things we want to do. So after a lot
of discussion on my part, and no persuading on his (he was always keen!) we
decided that it was now or never to get started on a healthier lifestyle.
I think the big catalyst for me though to make a change was
when we had no lifts at work for a week after a burst pipe caused electrical
faults in 2 out of 3 lifts and we had to traverse the stairs. Whilst I only had
99 stairs each way (which was less than half for the people up on Level 11) it
highlighted just how goddamn unfit I was – and how embarrassing it was for our
lovely security guard and receptionist to notice that and hence ferry me in the
lift back up wherever possible with the other injured/disabled/fat arses like
me. If they didn’t spot me I would sneak up the stairs, even though every
muscle ached and I could barely breathe, just so people wouldn’t take pity on
the fat chick. At this point I knew I
had to stop saying I will do
something about it soon and actually get
off said fat arse and make a change. Walking down the stairs during this
time was not yet a lifestyle change!
So what I have been doing is living Paleo – eliminating all processed foods from my life and eating
naturally grown organic produce, meats, seeds and nuts and not eating things
that are man-made or processed, contain chemicals etc– including dairy, legumes
and grains.
Here is a pretty good definition I found online:
The paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a modern nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various hominid species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic era—a period of about 2.5 million years which ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture and grain-based diets. In common usage, such terms as "paleolithic diet" also refer to the actual ancestral human diet.[1][2]
Centered on
commonly available modern foods, the "contemporary" Paleolithic diet
consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables,
fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy
products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed
oils.
Now whilst at first I was sceptical about eliminating some
of these things - the dairy especially, I was amazed at how quickly my body
began to respond to not having any chemicals in it. Now I won’t lie, it was not
all a bed of roses – the most effective way to do it properly is start out with
what is called the ’30 Day Reset’ –
which is a really strict following
of the basic principles of Paleo to allow your body time to detox from all the processed foods and chemicals that we eat, even the chemicals from
the ‘healthy’ stuff like pesticides on non organically grown fruit and veggies
and of course all the processes involved in creating the grains we use to make
bread, cereals etc. You also have to do a fair amount of prep each day in
ensuring you have all your food covered – (Paleo, especially until you’ve done
your reset and are confident with how to chose the right foods when you aren’t
the one cooking) means you need to be preparing all 3 meals each day. When you
are tired and going through the detox phase this can be taxing – but I’m glad
that I managed to hang in there, I am so happy that I did because of how I now
feel.
Now this 30 days, depending on how ‘healthy’ you were before
will be different for everyone. For those people like me who were big fans of
‘junk’ then I can tell you that at the beginning of it , it was anything but
pretty. But the upside is that even though I did experience the worst of some
of the side effects, doing it properly, I also started to get the positive effects
at the same time.
With all the research I did, everyone suggested keeping a
journal of how they felt, what they experienced etc so you can look back over
it and see how far you have come. Loving to write as I do, I decided to do just
that in the form of a blog, and then kind of got bored with it when the bad
stuff stopped and the good stuff really started!
So below is just a snippet of the first few days, then I’ll
get into the really good stuff J
For anyone that has read my blogs before, you know I will be brutally
honest about what I tell you. So if you are squeamish about bodily functions or
too much honesty, then look away now! If you can handle it, and want to know
more that isn’t from a text book but a real experience, read on J
Day 1 and 1/3
We actually started day 1 with a Paleo meal at dinner. We
had to go do our shopping and thought why wait and start it on Monday when we
can get straight into it? So we put on the slow cooker and added some grass fed
lamb pieces, sweet potato, carrots, mushrooms, onions and tomato and let it
cook for about 5hrs. I then added a tin of organic tomatoes and some organic
tomato paste and an hour or so later we had the yummiest lamb and veggie stew.
The only thing missing of course was the crusty bread to soak it up, but to be
honest, it was really filling and we didn’t need the bread.
Our first shopping experience was expensive as we stocked
the cupboard with some of the Paleo ‘essentials’ that would allow us to cook
with variety as well as being as compliant as possible – Organic Ghee and
Coconut Oil for cooking in, Macadamia Oil to supplement for Olive when we are
wanting to change the flavours in our salad dressings, Coconut Flour, Almond
Meal, Nut Butter and Coconut flakes and Coconut Milk. But of course, we won’t
be eating / using all of this at once, so things will run out as oil and butter
and flour do in a SAD diet. Now I love this term SAD – it actually stands for ‘Standard
American Diet’ and I had a few giggles the first time I heard it, but as an
acronym it kind of makes sense when you think of all the Maccas, KFC, Hungry
Jacks, other fast food and tinned/processed foods we all consume – even the
alleged healthy ones like ‘Lean Cuisine’ and ‘Healthy Choice’ – especially when you understand how
chemically enhanced those foods are – and believe me, I could confidently say
my previous way of eating absolutely was SAD.
So the real Day 1 started on Monday. Here is my ‘diary’ from those
first 5 days J
AM: OK it’s day 1
and I’m feeling really optimistic. I am tired, my sleep has been off kilter for
a few weeks so I am absolutely feeling sluggish even after a good meal last night,
I could happily have stayed in bed today. BUT, I am looking forward to eating
the new foods and seeing how we will go, especially as I have prepared our
breakfast for today (which I did last night)
and I’m really happy with how it tasted!
It’s now lunch time and having had a nice protein hit for
breakfast, I’m not really all that hungry. Although, I am feeling a little
nauseous and this could be because I missed my daily skim mocha mudslide
chiller from Gloria Jeans. It was my staple caffeine and dairy hit, which had
started out as a treat and quickly moved to a daily occurrence. So instead of
the chiller I had a cup of black tea and it was quite alright, but not the same
L
OMG lunch was just an absolute epic fail.
Last night I had roasted a gorgeous organic free range
chicken and made a great asian inspired salad. I decided to try something
different with the dressing however and used the wrong olive oil. I poured it
over my salad (thankfully not my chicken) and then took the first mouthful. It
was so revolting I nearly threw up. So in the end my lunch ended up being the
chicken, a banana and raw nuts that I had brought with me for a snack!
PM: By the time I
got home I was feeling a little hungry so I snacked on a hard-boiled egg, which
helped as I had a few hours cooking ahead of me preparing more meals for the
week.
Right now I have a raging headache and terrible nausea.
There is no doubt my body is beginning to detox. Somehow I managed to cook us
dinner, but I barely ate any of it before finding myself throwing up and
feeling really terrible. Fortunately, by the time I did throw up I had digested
the little I had managed to eat, so it was more the dry retching than anything
but the nausea refused to go anywhere. I am now more than ready for bed and the
hope I will wake up and it will all be over in the morning. Oh and that salad
dressing was so bad I just dry retched as I disposed of Darrin’s in the bin! –
I am almost doing it now typing this, the memory is so strong!
The positive to how I am feeling – there is no way I am
going to cheat and have to go through any of this again!
Day 2
AM: Amazingly I slept a bit better last night and when I
woke up, I still had the headache, but the nausea seemed to be gone. I am
however feeling a bit upset in the stomach. The good news however is that I’m
not feeling anywhere near as bloated as I normally do, and although tired, I
feel like I have a bit more energy.
PM: I ended up working from home today as I felt I needed to
be close to the bathroom – although that ended up being a false alarm, and
although still surrounded by some Non-Paleo foods that we are getting rid of on
the weekend, I wasn’t tempted to cheat at all.
I also found that between meals I wasn’t as hungry and my
portions were definitely smaller than a few days ago.
Oh the nausea decided to return this afternoon – so much for
thinking it was done and dusted, but it’s nowhere near to the extent it was on
Monday night thank God.
Day 3
Day 3 will affectionately from now on be known as ‘fart
day’. I woke up with the craziest case of wind you can imagine. Poor Darrin had
to deal with some very un-lady-like behaviour before I went to work, and I
spent the day ‘popping off’ to the bathroom to ‘pop off’! I didn’t sleep as
well last night, but again, although I’m terribly tired and my head is still
fuzzy – pretty sure this is the ‘carb flu’ I was told to expect with the detox,
but again, I’ve got more energy and feeling way less bloated. I know it’s only
fluid in the first few days but already I’m feeling like I’ve lost kilos. The
headache is still present and a little bit of the nausea, but I know it’s not
long to go and these will disappear. The peppermint tea first thing certainly
helped and of course water, water and more water!
Day 4
Finally the fog has started to clear! Today I woke up
without the headache – that was a huge bonus I can tell you. The nausea is just
this faint twinge, I’m feeling like it is almost gone and if I eat it will
disappear. Once I had breakfast, I was feeling really good. I ate less than
what I cooked and felt really full. I’m a bit slack on the veggies still, they
aren’t going down as well as I’d liked, but I think my taste buds are just
readjusting –they are used to a lot of sweetness, and aren’t getting any other
than from fruit. I’ve also been a bit constipated too these last couple of days
and I know that is because I really haven’t been eating much in the way of
volume, and it’s been mainly protein. I did finally manage to go this morning
and felt way better for it, in fact the nausea seemed to go completely after a
good brekkie and a good poo!
We went to Burwood to buy a couple more staples and although
we were surrounded by amazing smells and cakes and sausage rolls and the things
we would normally want to eat, I wasn’t tempted in the slightest. When Darrin
said he wanted a chocolate milkshake I happily went off and bought us both
sparkling mineral waters and tried to convince him he was drinking a shake!
Amazingly, although we are both really tired and drained still, we both seemed
to have more energy as we moved through the shops which was surprising to both
of us.
We also took some time out to go sit by the water and watch
the world go buy whilst we ate fresh fruit and raw nuts, instead of cakes and
donuts. And I’m feeling really GOOD for it. The Jazz apple I had was the best
apple EVER – so crunchy and juicy and it was delicious. Not sure what has
happened to the Danielle of old but I’m actually starting to enjoy these foods
now I’m feeling better.
Pleasingly no more headache today at all – things are
looking up!
Day 5
Worst night sleep last night – I tossed and turned and when
I wasn’t doing that I was dreaming. One of the websites I’ve been following
gave us a timeline of potential things to expect like weird cravings and things
we may get as well as how we would probably have food dreams that will be
really vivid and that don’t help the cravings in the daylight hours! We had a
good giggle when we read it, but then last night they started for both of us.
And vivid is was! I dreamed that I was drinking a diet coke and I swear I could
taste it! Man it was good! BUT, I did manage to have just a couple of sips and
then threw the can against a wall! Darrin’s dream was about roast pork rolls he
loves. In his dream he wasn’t so happy about being rid of his, he dropped his
roll on the road, a truck ran over it and he picked it up and finished eating
it! Got to love how our mind wants to trick us into eating and drinking those
things! Obviously my body is missing the artificial sweetener as much as the
real deal sugar. Darrin is obviously missing the bread! Will be interesting to
see how long these dreams go on for and what else we dream about.
So with crap sleep I’m really tired today and feeling a bit
achy and my sinuses are going nuts, but that is the worst of it – standard cold
like symptoms, so definitely just my carb flu. The good thing though is
definitely no sign of headache or nausea so for me that is ‘winning’! Oh and OK
I know I’m not supposed to be weighing myself til the end of the 30 days, but
because I am feeling lighter and less bloated, and was able to comfortably do
up a pair of jeans I haven’t been able to wear in months I wanted to see how I
was going on the scale. With any new regime, especially when I haven’t been
eating healthily before-hand I can often lose a couple of kilos in the first
week, so imagine my surprise when a couple is actually 5.2kgs! I know this is a
one off level of that many kilos in a week and next week I will stabilise, but
still, it’s a nice boost J
Onwards and upwards
So to be honest, you really don’t want to hear anymore about
how I was feeling and by this point I was bored in writing it all down! For me
the nausea came back again on and off for a few days but by the end of the
first 10 days I was feeling brilliant. Because my body isn’t bloating from
wheat, gluten or dairy, my stomach is pretty much ‘flat’ each day, even after a
decent sized meal. “OK what are you on about- you’ve got a huge stomach still”
I hear you say, and yes there are many kilos to lose yet, but if you’ve ever
suffered from bloating of any description, you’ll understand what I mean when
that bloated feeling goes away. Well now, I don’t get that bloated feeling at
all.
What I also never really put 2 and 2 together with was how
some of things I was eating and drinking made me retain fluid. Although I’ve
been very lucky to be a fat chick without cankles, I’ve noticed that all my
skin is firming up and I’m not looking like I’m filled with fluid anymore, granted
I have lost fat and I’ll get to that shortly, but there is a definite puffiness
to people who do retain water and I notice it so much more not only in myself
but other people as well now.
My taste buds have totally changed. Where once my taste buds
craved chocolate and everything sweet, I can actually look at things and not be
anywhere near as tempted as I would normally be, because they don’t taste the
same. I’m finding that I don’t need the sweetness I always craved. In the
beginning of our journey I really struggled with homemade mayonnaise. I’m not a
salad lover by any standard and I always got through them by eating really
creamy aoli’s and dressings. When I made mayo and it had nothing artificial and
definitely no sugar in it I couldn’t stand the taste. Now when I make it, it
tastes just right.
I also had something I shouldn’t. I hadn’t planned on
cheating in my 30 days but I made a silly decision and decided to have some
chocolate. We had a charity box at work for someone’s kids day care and I
bought a Giant Fredo. Now earlier in the year when we had a similar drive I
think I ate half of the damn box, I always seemed to be there purchasing them,
so I felt bad they had lost their sponsor! So I spent my $1 and wasn’t actually
going to eat it when I caved. And you know what? It wasn’t half as delicious as
I remembered them to be. In fact I was really, really disappointed in how it
tasted. As guilty as I felt for having cheated so close to the end of the
reset, I was glad to have done it too, because it showed me I’m really NOT
missing out on stuff!
My colleague Nicole has recently come back from Corporate
Centre in Switzerland and before she went (which was pre Paleo) I told her she
wasn’t to return without Lindt chocolate from Switzerland. Of course by the
time she returned I was only 7 days in, so the chocolates have been sitting on
my desk not to be touched til the reset is finished. This is them here J
The freaky dreams continued for a couple of days, my
favourites would have to be when Mum wouldn’t let me eat a cupcake, which was
in fact Paleo because it was the size of my head and the best one was about
watching Pantera on stage eating scones during a gig! WTF???!!!
My actual weight stagnated for a week or so before kicking
off again, but during that time my circumference was decreasing, so I wasn’t
concerned.
We Managed to very successfully eat out 3 times and each
time we were 100% Paleo – you should have seen the look on the guys face at the
local club when I asked for both steaks with no chips, no sauce and steamed
veggies, I think he thought the fat chick had lost her mind! We’ve been at work
and family events and whilst tempted, not enough to consume the chips, cakes,
sausage rolls etc that once would have had me consuming my weight in. Instead
we’ve taken our own snacks of nuts or veggie or kale chips. Whilst that might
sound like we are really boring, my family couldn’t get over the taste of the
totally dairy, gluten and sugar free banana bread I made them, and they even
joined us in eating the parsnip, sweet potato and beetroot chips J
So physically I obviously still have a long way to go – I’m
realistic enough to know that whilst the first kilos have fallen off fast, the
rest will slow to a reasonable rate, but that is ok, I’m prepared for that. I’m
not dieting, I don’t feel deprived, allI feel is really, really well and
engergised.
I’ve had two small panic attacks, where in the months
leading up to it they were pretty much a daily occurrence. My anxiety just
before we started was the worst it had ever been. I sleep better, deeper, I’m
more refreshed and less tired when I wake. Water no longer gets boring.You know
how when you’re drinking other things as well you have a couple of glasses of
water and then you are over the taste? Well that doesn’t happen to me anymore.
My allergies which should right now be incapacitating with
my sinuses going crazy are barely reacting to the cooler weather.
My hair is healthier, shinier. My skin is a bit dry, but
that is the season, take that out of it, it has never looked so clear. My
wrinkles in my forehead are less pronounced.
I still have zero patience with the commuters of City Rail
and people of Ashfield in general, but nothing was going to change my disposition
that much! I do however feel less stressed in general.
At work we have a wellbeing program and 3 weeks in I had a
general health check. In the past this would have scared me as although they
have never medicated me for it, my cholesterol was always fairly questionable
and in need of coming down. Doctors are also amazed that with a life long
history of my weight that I’m not diabetic or pre-diabetic, but my sugars are
always normal with every type of glucose and insulin test they have done. This
time was no different, sugar was perfect, but even better was that my
cholesterol was in the normal ranges- even the bad stuff! So that was incredibly
pleasing.
So as of today, the 30th day I am officially
8.9kg lighter. I have lost 10cm off both my waist and hips and 2.5 from my
under-bust. I’ve also lost around 4cm off my neck and possibly lost a chin!
Although this lifestyle might be from our ancestors, our
modern world means there are so many great resources to find out about Paleo in
general and food blogs galore! OMG Paleo Food Porn is rife – on facebook and
the net in general.
For me though, the most valuable resource and the deciding
factor was the ‘Paleo for Dummies’ book. I think it cost us $30 from Dymocks
but it did what I needed, it took all the really scientific reasons for doing
this and made it simple for an idiot like me to understand how to do it and
why.
The other was an ebook called “The Paleo Miracle” – it was
compiled by a man who had his own Paleo breakthrough when he was looking for something
to help him medically. He then compiled 49 other stories – some people like me
looking to lose a fair amount of weight, some looking for a remedy to assist
their celiac disease and others with behavioural problems that thought diet
might help. If you are considering this journey, especially to see if diet can
help you to get well, then I definitely recommend purchasing that ebook, I read
it during my darkest first couple of days and it was what I needed to show me I
made the right choice. I found it via the facebook page “Just Eat Real Food” –
they often showcase some of the people from the book and the links are there to
purchase it.
So that is me right now, this is the journey I am currently
on to get well. As a bonus I’m also losing weight as is my man and we are both
planning on being around for a very long time and continuing to get
ridiculously healthy J
Me - at my Cousin Andy's wedding in October, about 2kg lighter than when I started this 30 days ago and today down 8.9kg. Check my instagram - thefabulousmsnoir for a clearer version :)
