January 9, 2014
Yesterday, I think I encountered what I have heard referred to as the "carb flu". I started experiencing a queasy, not quite nauseous, feeling that intensified through the evening. I didn't really feel sick, just out of sorts. This feeling continued a little this morning. I did swim for 30 minutes at lunch yesterday and that was out of the ordinary. I felt pretty drained afterward and that has been my experience with swimming over the last several years. I get quite a different cardio workout when I swim. The feeling may have been due to the workout or my body adjusting to the lack of grains and legumes in my diet. I can't know for sure but will see how things go from here. I am feeling great right now.
This morning was the first time that I went to work in the office this year instead of out of my home office. This required me to rise at 5:15 AM and get into the gym for my cardio workout. I managed to pack a paleo lunch and snacks of a 1/2 grilled chicken breast, grapefruit, Granny Smith apple, carrots, and some leftover crockpot chicken. Tonights dinner will be some leftover paleo chili from last night. The paleo chili started out as paleo sloppy joes but I had to substitute for the tomato paste. The result was delicious but was too soupy for sandwiches. That was OK for me since I wouldn't have eaten it over bread anyway. The recipe suggested serving it over baked sweet potato but I just ate it in a bowl. The recipe can be found at Paleo Newbie http://www.paleonewbie.com/paleo-sweet-potato-sloppy-joes-recipe/. Thanks Trina!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Day 3: Paleo diet ranks last
January 8, 2014
Today's news reveals that a U.S. News & World Report survey ranked the Paleo diet last (tied for 31st) in a review of major diets. Bad news for someone thinking about trying the diet? A reading of the article indicated that the ranking was due to restrictions of foods (carbs, processed foods), ease of following, and benefits to adherents. To quote the article: "Regardless of the goal—weight loss, heart health, or finding a diet that’s easy to follow—most experts concluded that it would be better for dieters to look elsewhere." Not all that encouraging for someone embarking on this diet. The points about not being easy to follow are valid. This way of eating does take planning. The other points that they make may or not be valid. I am committed to this for 30 days so the report does not impact what I am doing. I will have my own experience at that point to guide my future.
My eating yesterday was excellent with no slips. I did make some salad dressing of 3-1 ratio of olive oil to Balsamic vinegar. The vinegar is not necessarily Paleo but I am finding it difficult to handle salads without a dressing. I find I enjoy raw vegetables such as peppers, carrots and celery very much. I also had a couple of stalks of celery with almond butter which was quite delicious. I put in 30 minutes on a elliptical type machine at the YMCA for my exercise yesterday and I am planning on swimming for 30 minutes today. I feel great physically with no negative side effects so far. Today's breakfast was a ham steak and a banana. I had a snack of 2 scrambled eggs later this morning. I have added 1000 mg of fish oil and 2000 IUs of vitamin D supplements to my day to compensate for any deficiencies that may arise.
Today's news reveals that a U.S. News & World Report survey ranked the Paleo diet last (tied for 31st) in a review of major diets. Bad news for someone thinking about trying the diet? A reading of the article indicated that the ranking was due to restrictions of foods (carbs, processed foods), ease of following, and benefits to adherents. To quote the article: "Regardless of the goal—weight loss, heart health, or finding a diet that’s easy to follow—most experts concluded that it would be better for dieters to look elsewhere." Not all that encouraging for someone embarking on this diet. The points about not being easy to follow are valid. This way of eating does take planning. The other points that they make may or not be valid. I am committed to this for 30 days so the report does not impact what I am doing. I will have my own experience at that point to guide my future.
My eating yesterday was excellent with no slips. I did make some salad dressing of 3-1 ratio of olive oil to Balsamic vinegar. The vinegar is not necessarily Paleo but I am finding it difficult to handle salads without a dressing. I find I enjoy raw vegetables such as peppers, carrots and celery very much. I also had a couple of stalks of celery with almond butter which was quite delicious. I put in 30 minutes on a elliptical type machine at the YMCA for my exercise yesterday and I am planning on swimming for 30 minutes today. I feel great physically with no negative side effects so far. Today's breakfast was a ham steak and a banana. I had a snack of 2 scrambled eggs later this morning. I have added 1000 mg of fish oil and 2000 IUs of vitamin D supplements to my day to compensate for any deficiencies that may arise.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Day 2: I'm still alive!
Tuesday January 7, 2014
No big revelations from my first day of eating paleolithic. There were a couple of minor infractions of the paleo code. I did eat a sweet potato for dinner and there was some butter and sea salt on the Brussel sprouts. The sweet potato was consumed without butter, sugar or cinnamon, though. Sweet potatoes are included on the diet in moderation and I do like them! I am realizing that it will be more of a challenge to get in adequate amounts of protein. I have always had a high intake of protein since doing the "Body for Life" program. The eating plan in that program calls for 6 meals per day of one protein and one carb with as many vegetables as you want. It was fairly easy to get the protein in on that program via meal replacement shakes and bars. Neither of those sources fit the paleo diet since they are mainly whey or soy proteins. More planning is going to be required until new habits are developed.
I hit a period of tiredness in the afternoon about 4 PM. This was nothing entirely unusual but thought it was worth mentioning. A small snack of almonds and a cup of coffee helped me get over the hump. I am sure my caveman ancestors did not brew coffee to start their days however there are limits to what I am willing to do away with! I will not be trying to give up my caffeine addiction anytime soon.
Another opportunity for growth, will be living in a household of up to 6 other people that are not eating in the stone age. My family, while supportive, have no intentions of cleaning out the pantry or fridge for paleo only food. My difficulty will come in not succumbing to the temptations of sourdough pretzels, pizza and ice cream. Oh, and not driving others to thoughts of homicide due to my paleo diet obssession.
No big revelations from my first day of eating paleolithic. There were a couple of minor infractions of the paleo code. I did eat a sweet potato for dinner and there was some butter and sea salt on the Brussel sprouts. The sweet potato was consumed without butter, sugar or cinnamon, though. Sweet potatoes are included on the diet in moderation and I do like them! I am realizing that it will be more of a challenge to get in adequate amounts of protein. I have always had a high intake of protein since doing the "Body for Life" program. The eating plan in that program calls for 6 meals per day of one protein and one carb with as many vegetables as you want. It was fairly easy to get the protein in on that program via meal replacement shakes and bars. Neither of those sources fit the paleo diet since they are mainly whey or soy proteins. More planning is going to be required until new habits are developed.
I hit a period of tiredness in the afternoon about 4 PM. This was nothing entirely unusual but thought it was worth mentioning. A small snack of almonds and a cup of coffee helped me get over the hump. I am sure my caveman ancestors did not brew coffee to start their days however there are limits to what I am willing to do away with! I will not be trying to give up my caffeine addiction anytime soon.
Another opportunity for growth, will be living in a household of up to 6 other people that are not eating in the stone age. My family, while supportive, have no intentions of cleaning out the pantry or fridge for paleo only food. My difficulty will come in not succumbing to the temptations of sourdough pretzels, pizza and ice cream. Oh, and not driving others to thoughts of homicide due to my paleo diet obssession.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Day 1
January 6, 2014 Day 1
Today I embark on a new dietary practice for at least the next 30 days. I will be adhering to the eating principles outlined in the book "The Paleo Diet" by Loren Cordain, Ph.D. The premise, based on scientific facts, is that our human bodies have been accustomed to eating a diet high in protein, fruits, vegetables, and nuts with almost no grains or legumes (beans). It surmises that by switching back to a diet that our human ancestors have eaten for all but the last 10,000 years of our 2.5 million year existence, we can lose weight and be healthier. I will leave the reader to explore the data and draw their own conclusions as to the validity of these claims. This journal is to chronicle my trials, tribulations and hopefully triumphs in implementing this change in eating habits. I am hoping that this journey will allow me to become more disciplined in my eating and reverse a trend in weight gain that is not out of control but not where I want to be going.
I am a 50 year old male, about 5' 8'' tall (with a strong tail wind) and currently 174 pounds. Many people indicate that I do not need to lose weight but this is heavier than I have been in many years. I think a healthy, feel good weight for me is between 155-160 pounds. The weight has been increasing over the last 3 years. I work out regularly, normally strength training 3 days a week and doing some sort of cardio exercise 2-3 days per week. My Body Mass Index, BMI, is 26.5. A BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight and a BMI over 30 is considered obese. I need to be at 164 pounds to have a BMI of 24.9. So, I am not doing all that poorly according to the BMI numbers and I am in pretty good physical condition for my age. I just don't feel all that great where I am and would like to get my eating under control. I felt I needed to shake things up and try something different and out of my comfort zone.
For the next 30 days at least I will eat like a caveman. I am also changing my workout routine to 2 days of strength training (full body workout) and 3-4 days of cardio. One of the cardio days will be a 45-60 minute swimming workout. I am blogging this undertaking to relate my experiences with the paleo dietary practice for myself and others. I also want to see if I can journal for 30 days. That, I think, will be the real challenge in this endeavor!
Today I embark on a new dietary practice for at least the next 30 days. I will be adhering to the eating principles outlined in the book "The Paleo Diet" by Loren Cordain, Ph.D. The premise, based on scientific facts, is that our human bodies have been accustomed to eating a diet high in protein, fruits, vegetables, and nuts with almost no grains or legumes (beans). It surmises that by switching back to a diet that our human ancestors have eaten for all but the last 10,000 years of our 2.5 million year existence, we can lose weight and be healthier. I will leave the reader to explore the data and draw their own conclusions as to the validity of these claims. This journal is to chronicle my trials, tribulations and hopefully triumphs in implementing this change in eating habits. I am hoping that this journey will allow me to become more disciplined in my eating and reverse a trend in weight gain that is not out of control but not where I want to be going.
I am a 50 year old male, about 5' 8'' tall (with a strong tail wind) and currently 174 pounds. Many people indicate that I do not need to lose weight but this is heavier than I have been in many years. I think a healthy, feel good weight for me is between 155-160 pounds. The weight has been increasing over the last 3 years. I work out regularly, normally strength training 3 days a week and doing some sort of cardio exercise 2-3 days per week. My Body Mass Index, BMI, is 26.5. A BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight and a BMI over 30 is considered obese. I need to be at 164 pounds to have a BMI of 24.9. So, I am not doing all that poorly according to the BMI numbers and I am in pretty good physical condition for my age. I just don't feel all that great where I am and would like to get my eating under control. I felt I needed to shake things up and try something different and out of my comfort zone.
For the next 30 days at least I will eat like a caveman. I am also changing my workout routine to 2 days of strength training (full body workout) and 3-4 days of cardio. One of the cardio days will be a 45-60 minute swimming workout. I am blogging this undertaking to relate my experiences with the paleo dietary practice for myself and others. I also want to see if I can journal for 30 days. That, I think, will be the real challenge in this endeavor!
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