I’ve officially given up on the Paleo eating altogether. It just wasn’t working for me, as I’ve stated a few times.
I found that I was thinking in a disordered way while on Paleo. It scared me and I didn’t want to have restrictions on what I ate. However it did change my mind-set for the better. I am making smarter choices for meals and snacks, without all the sugar. I’m actually packing healthy meals to eat besides nuking a microwaveable dinner or having a bag of chips and a mars bar for a snack.
Paleo made me focus on the negative “I’m not allowed to have this/that“. I do feel guilty when I go to CrossFit and people ask me how the paleo is going, or look at my body thinking “She’s not paleo anymore” because I did gain 6 of the 9lbs I lost, back — quickly. Who knows if people really notice that much of a difference, but I certainly do. I hate having love-handles.
I spoke to two of the owners at CrossFit within the past 2 weeks and let them in on my stomach issues. One of them told me it’s okay to not be on paleo. He said “Do what works for you. What we’re really trying to do is clean up everyone’s diets and eat more clean.” That right there made me feel at ease. It’s what I really needed to hear. I don’t have to be all paleo, all the time. I can mix in some dairy, or grains and still feel guilt free.
Being on paleo? My gut wasn’t feeling it. It was all leaky and just uncomfortable for four months (too much information for the blog?). Quitting the unhealthy eating habits cold turkey definitely took a toll on my body, but also helped me lose 7.25 inches and 9 pounds in 30 days off my already small frame. Prior to Paleo, I never ate breakfast, and at work I was snacking on chocolate bars and pop. Going sugar-free cold turkey and starting paleo definitely screwed up something in my body. It was a shocker to it.
I tried to adapt Paleo in my lifestyle but I needed to listen to my body. Even if my love handles were disappearing on Paleo. Who knows, maybe I’ll do a 30 day challenge of Paleo on my own if I feel like I’m sliding on the clean eating. The results I got were kinda crazy good.
I’ve incorporated dairy (probiotic yogurt) back into my ‘diet’ but not so much cheese and milk yet (I used to have a glass of skim milk every night with supper). Also? I hear all this talk about “Complex Carbs” on blogs, and have no idea what they mean. When I google the term, all that shows up are regular carbs (pasta, potatoes, bread, rice..). So I don’t know what that entails. But what I am doing, is limiting processed foods, and incorporating wheat back. I have sandwiches for lunch, and quinoa whenever I have the urge to eat grains. I don’t often make pasta (not the biggest fan of it anyway) but still continue to make it for my endurance athlete of a boyfriend from time to time.
I noticed that I gave up on taking my daily vitamins when I started Paleo. The past 3 weeks I’ve started taking them nightly again. Iron, B12, Vitamin D, and a multivitamin (which I take twice a day). I’ve been noticing my gut is feeling better and back to normal. If that’s how my body feels happy, then that’s the way I’m going to feed it.
I am quite interested in all sorts of healthy meals, so I’ll continue to post about the foods I eat.
Take care of your body.
Tomorrow I’ll be back with a post about what I’ve been eating this long weekend. Some of it’s clean, yeah — some of it is indulging in a little McDonalds.
16 Comments
It’s good that you recognized this mindset in yourself! I have noticed that about myself before, too….like when entering calories and exercise on My Fitness Pal. Sometimes it’s good, other times I’m like “omg. I ate too much so I have to work out again”
Jill recently posted..Things I’m Loving Lately
Paleo or not, i think the most important thing is that you really care about your health.
@Jill: Thanks, I got scared being in that mind set and I knew it would only go downhill. So I had to stop it!
Nancy recently posted..Why I gave up Paleo
@Aline: Exactly. I couldn’t live the way I was living without compromising happiness or health. So I decided to change what I knew was wrong! :)
Nancy recently posted..Why I gave up Paleo
Good to realize what works for you… and stay with it. What works for one body is not good for another… makes the world go round!
Elle recently posted..Realizing and Defining My Priorities
I’m happy you figured out what works, and doesn’t work, for you! I don’t have any interest in paleo because similar to you I don’t like where my thought process goes when I’m told I can’t eat certain foods and/or food groups.
Jenny @ simply be me recently posted..Extreme Summer Shred Results
@Elle: Exactly! That’s what I say :)
Nancy recently posted..Why I gave up Paleo
@Jenny @ simply be me: Thank you, I appreciate it.
Nancy recently posted..Why I gave up Paleo
I think it’s great that you are following a diet that works for YOU!!! :) It doesn’t matter if it’s cool with the Crossfit kids or not — leaky gut and being uncomfortable is just not worth it lol! I also have added back in my yogurt since trying the Paleo diet. My stomach does so much better with it.
I loved Ezekiel Whole Grain Toast & English muffins,and they are complex carbs. It just means they digest slower (usually you can tell because it’s not processed, unenriched, and has a good amount of fiber). My body does better without grains though for some reason.
Kalee recently posted..25 Things You May Not Know About Me – What I’ve Learned Since Turning 20
every MIND and BODY works differently, way to listen to yours!
Kudos to you! I started the clean and lean project specifically because of things like this…people need to feel ok listening to their body rather than a label. :) Complex carbs are sweet potatoes, potatoes, veggies, fruits. SO yup like you said still not needing processed foods, but just feeling ok with eating all of the things from the Earth.
amanda – RTTF recently posted..Run Faster. Is the plan working? : Accountability Monday
It’s great that you realized that this was not a good plan for you. I tend to rebel against plans that forbid certain foods too.
Coco recently posted..September Goal Setting For A Fantastic Fall
@amanda – RTTF: Thank you for explaining! Didn’t know veggies were considered complex (or reg)carbs.
Nancy recently posted..Why I gave up Paleo
@Kalee: It’s so funny. I feel like I need everything I do to be okay with everyone else. Like you said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s cool with the Crossfit kids or not” — I found it SO hard to be okay with them knowing I wasn’t with the “cool paleo group” for months. Now? Now that my body is feeling better I’m becoming more okay with it.
Nancy recently posted..Why I gave up Paleo
It’s so refreshing to hear you decide how to eat based on how you feel for YOU and not how people say you should eat. Enjoy your food and how it makes you feel. I try to eat to feel well in my body and my head, it’s a balancing act but the sense of freedom is worth it and it’s interesting to see what does/doesn’t work for my system!
@Aisling @ Sunny Side: Thanks. It took me a while to realize that I need to eat for me, and not how people say I should eat. I’m eating more clean than I was my whole life, even if I’m not on Paleo. :)
Nancy recently posted..OOTWW