My paleo story
I don't think I've ever actually posted my paleo story on here, so here goes...
My husband was the first person in our family to discover the paleo/primal diet. He started following it as best he could (I wasn't yet cooking for it) and I noticed that he lost his belly fat. He didn't really have any fat anywhere else on his body to lose, but they always say that the belly fat is the most difficult to get rid of...so noticing that that was the specific place where he lost intrigued me. So...shortly after giving birth to our third child (and realizing that I'd never lost the last 15 lbs. I'd put on during the past pregnancies with my "everything in moderation" food approach while running and exercising 3-5 times/week that I'd tried before), I decided I'd try to wean myself off of bread. At first, I wasn't expecting to go full paleo (no grains at all)...I was just hoping that I'd be able to severely limit myself (and hopefully lose weight that way).
Well...by January of this year, I was down from 135 lbs. to about 127...still just 7 lbs. shy of my weight before ever getting pregnant with my first...and eating only 2 pieces of bread/day, but still having daily headaches and aches and pains and still sporting a not-so-attractive mommy muffin top...so I decided that it was time to go pretty much full paleo (I say pretty much because we still eat dairy). I figured I'd try it for a month and see how things went.
By the end of the month, (without any exercise mind you) I was down to 121.8 lbs. (my weight before ever getting pregnant at all was 121 lbs.) and just generally felt better. My daily headaches were gone, I noticed I was overall in a better mood, I no longer got cramps when PMS came, etc. It was amazing. I had also kept measurements of myself since I didn't have much weight to lose and, in that first month, I lost 1/2" off my hips; 3" off my waist; 1" off my thighs, arms, and butt; and 1-1/2" off of my chest. I was slimming up and you could tell that what I was doing was working...so...I kept going.
Now, 7 months later, I'm down to about 117 lbs. and have lost a total of 2-1/2" off my hips, 6-1/2" off my waist, 2" off my thighs, 1" off my arms and calf muscles, and 2" off my butt. ...and I'm in a size 2 jeans. A SIZE 2!!!! I've never been a size 2 in my life...not even before having children. Here's a picture to show my progress over the past year...
In the first picture, I'm about 135 lbs., in the middle, about 121 lbs., and in the last, 117 lbs.
I fully realize that I "wasn't that big to begin with"...but I did have a muffin top that drove me nuts and hadn't lost a single pound after the initial weight loss from giving birth to any of my 3 children with any other methods I tried (consistent exercise, eating what most people consider to be "healthy"). Before getting pregnant with my third, I had been running every other day for about 4 months (distances ranging from 1-6 miles) and did not lose ONE SINGLE POUND even though I was eating what most people consider to be healthy (little to no sweets and all homemade, fresh meals...the only real difference between my meals then and now was bread/grains). My muscles toned up, but I still didn't lose any weight. It was maddening. Then I tried eating paleo...and the weight fell off without even exercising. To me, it was shocking.
I've since added some exercise (though, admittedly, not much) just to tone my muscles some. Every few days, I lift hand weights and do pushups/crunches/squats/butt lifts. About once or twice a week, I go running. I usually do anywhere from 1-3 miles. I have no desire to be a long distance runner. I just do it because I actually enjoy it...and usually the days that I do it are days where I wake up not feeling so well...then I go for a run and feel much better when I get back. It's a kind of release. Frees my mind and body and resets everything for me. For the month of February, I did Jazzercise...which was okay...but I don't feel that long term cardio is all that great for you...plus it made me feel rundown when I was done instead of making me feel energized when I'm finished like running does. I can run at my own pace and don't have to follow any particular routine...and I love that.
Also, my son was diagnosed with Celiac's disease in April (my daughter's tTG levels were abnormal as well, but for some reason they didn't want to do an endoscopy on her to verify Celiac's)...so there really is no going back to bread now...not that I'd want to anyway. I love not having the horrid mommy muffin top. I love not having daily headaches that last all day long. I love sleeping better at night and having the energy to make it through the day the next day. ...and, perhaps most of all, I love knowing that what my kids are eating is no longer going to hurt them and that they won't continually be complaining of tummy aches and have diarrhea/nausea. Plus, eating paleo/primal is absolutely, hands down the most satisfying and deliciously sumptuous diet you could ever be on. Eggs and bacon every morning for breakfast? Yes please. Roast chicken slathered with butter for dinner? I think I'll take another helping.
It's delicious AND it works. I'm living proof.
My husband was the first person in our family to discover the paleo/primal diet. He started following it as best he could (I wasn't yet cooking for it) and I noticed that he lost his belly fat. He didn't really have any fat anywhere else on his body to lose, but they always say that the belly fat is the most difficult to get rid of...so noticing that that was the specific place where he lost intrigued me. So...shortly after giving birth to our third child (and realizing that I'd never lost the last 15 lbs. I'd put on during the past pregnancies with my "everything in moderation" food approach while running and exercising 3-5 times/week that I'd tried before), I decided I'd try to wean myself off of bread. At first, I wasn't expecting to go full paleo (no grains at all)...I was just hoping that I'd be able to severely limit myself (and hopefully lose weight that way).
Well...by January of this year, I was down from 135 lbs. to about 127...still just 7 lbs. shy of my weight before ever getting pregnant with my first...and eating only 2 pieces of bread/day, but still having daily headaches and aches and pains and still sporting a not-so-attractive mommy muffin top...so I decided that it was time to go pretty much full paleo (I say pretty much because we still eat dairy). I figured I'd try it for a month and see how things went.
By the end of the month, (without any exercise mind you) I was down to 121.8 lbs. (my weight before ever getting pregnant at all was 121 lbs.) and just generally felt better. My daily headaches were gone, I noticed I was overall in a better mood, I no longer got cramps when PMS came, etc. It was amazing. I had also kept measurements of myself since I didn't have much weight to lose and, in that first month, I lost 1/2" off my hips; 3" off my waist; 1" off my thighs, arms, and butt; and 1-1/2" off of my chest. I was slimming up and you could tell that what I was doing was working...so...I kept going.
Now, 7 months later, I'm down to about 117 lbs. and have lost a total of 2-1/2" off my hips, 6-1/2" off my waist, 2" off my thighs, 1" off my arms and calf muscles, and 2" off my butt. ...and I'm in a size 2 jeans. A SIZE 2!!!! I've never been a size 2 in my life...not even before having children. Here's a picture to show my progress over the past year...
I fully realize that I "wasn't that big to begin with"...but I did have a muffin top that drove me nuts and hadn't lost a single pound after the initial weight loss from giving birth to any of my 3 children with any other methods I tried (consistent exercise, eating what most people consider to be "healthy"). Before getting pregnant with my third, I had been running every other day for about 4 months (distances ranging from 1-6 miles) and did not lose ONE SINGLE POUND even though I was eating what most people consider to be healthy (little to no sweets and all homemade, fresh meals...the only real difference between my meals then and now was bread/grains). My muscles toned up, but I still didn't lose any weight. It was maddening. Then I tried eating paleo...and the weight fell off without even exercising. To me, it was shocking.
I've since added some exercise (though, admittedly, not much) just to tone my muscles some. Every few days, I lift hand weights and do pushups/crunches/squats/butt lifts. About once or twice a week, I go running. I usually do anywhere from 1-3 miles. I have no desire to be a long distance runner. I just do it because I actually enjoy it...and usually the days that I do it are days where I wake up not feeling so well...then I go for a run and feel much better when I get back. It's a kind of release. Frees my mind and body and resets everything for me. For the month of February, I did Jazzercise...which was okay...but I don't feel that long term cardio is all that great for you...plus it made me feel rundown when I was done instead of making me feel energized when I'm finished like running does. I can run at my own pace and don't have to follow any particular routine...and I love that.
Also, my son was diagnosed with Celiac's disease in April (my daughter's tTG levels were abnormal as well, but for some reason they didn't want to do an endoscopy on her to verify Celiac's)...so there really is no going back to bread now...not that I'd want to anyway. I love not having the horrid mommy muffin top. I love not having daily headaches that last all day long. I love sleeping better at night and having the energy to make it through the day the next day. ...and, perhaps most of all, I love knowing that what my kids are eating is no longer going to hurt them and that they won't continually be complaining of tummy aches and have diarrhea/nausea. Plus, eating paleo/primal is absolutely, hands down the most satisfying and deliciously sumptuous diet you could ever be on. Eggs and bacon every morning for breakfast? Yes please. Roast chicken slathered with butter for dinner? I think I'll take another helping.
It's delicious AND it works. I'm living proof.
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