Paleo!!!

I went to the doctor in early 2010, and when they told me the number on the scale my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe I weighed so much! After I had my children I was pretty healthy and active, and I managed to lower my weight quite a bit. I credit that loss to the fact that for six months both of my children were taking their afternoon naps at the same time, which freed me up to listen to Dr. Laura while I logged miles on my stationary bike. I was also nursing, and eating really healthy foods.

Fast forward... heavier, less active, and totally stressed out. When the nurse gave me that number, I vowed I would change it.

Dr. Laura had a saying, "eat less, move more" and that is exactly what I did. I went on hikes, took walks, ran, went to Africa, and stopped eating gluten. My weight didn't move much, and if it did, it jumped back within a few weeks. I am NOT claiming I was a saint. NO NO NO. Anyone who knew me when I lived on campus KNEW that I gained an AVERAGE of ten lbs the last month of school, so the good things I did to lose ten were quickly countered. Four hours of sleep per night, zero exercise, and a lifestyle with a large amount of pressure and stress was not working out for me.

We moved. Taking a break from school helped me some, I was able to catch my breath. But now, instead of being a busy premed I was a mother/cook/taxi driver/nurse/friend to a small home of 6! My breather didn't last long! I was more stressed than ever! In January 2011 I was back in school and this time, also enrolled in yoga classes at a local studio. I LOVED IT. I felt connected, relaxed, and calm. However... the weight didn't move.

We moved again. Living in our own place with our own little family helped. Kurt's company really stressed him to stay as mobile as possible, so we decided to lease an apartment instead of buy a home. We found a great place- it is old, full of character, and in a really amazing part of the city. Even better- our lease comes with a membership to a local health club! It took a month to get over the nervous jitters and get myself into the gym- but it was worth it =) This place is awesome! I can understand how their prices are so high ($200 per MONTH for a family membership). The kids took swimming lessons, we enjoy the golf, and the equipment and classes are all included. Perfection! I started working out... lost a few pounds... and nothing more.

What the heck?! I was not happy. I upped my workouts. I was doing an average of an hour a day at the gym- mixing weights and cardio. I watched my heart rate (okay, the fancy shmancy machines did it for me) and stayed in the "fat burn" zone. So... what was the deal? I decided I would take more drastic measures. I started to count calories.

Counting calories is fun now. With the right iPhone ap, its a breeze and the little flashy icons and thumbs up give praise for a job well done. I tried counting calories for a few weeks... nothing really happened, except feeling tired, drained, and ready to pass out all day. I felt awful. I looked the same. I was discouraged. This is not how being "healthy" should feel...

While at a girls night out I came across Everyday Paleo. I looked at it purely as a cookbook and really wanted it. I told myself that if I wanted it the next day, I would go and buy it. I did. It changed our lives.

30 days. That is all that the book asks for. 30 days without grains, legumes, dairy, and refined sugars. Tips, recipes, encouragement, and REAL advice fill the pages. Pair that with exercises inside the book, and this is a recipe for HEALTH. This book was not written for single adults with nothing but time on their hands- nope, this book was written by a busy mom of three, and has advice on how to make paleo work for everyone in the family.

I feel amazing. I went to the doctor, I am twenty pounds lighter than I was at that appointment last year. I weighed myself before the paleo transition, and I am fifteen pounds lighter just because of it. My parents met me for lunch and both smiled and said, "You look AMAZING!" I do not spend countless hours in the gym anymore. I go two to three days a week. I find myself dancing around, walking for fun, and jumping to kid songs. I have SO MUCH ENERGY! I feel amazing, and I love it!

Weight loss will happen automatically when we decide to be healthy. I just didn't know what "healthy" was. I am thankful for picking up that book, and I am thankful that I started this journey with my family. Kurt is amazed at how wonderful he feels (he always looked good!), and I have been approached by other parents when they hear my children say, "Oh, no thank you, that has sugar in it, we don't eat sugar." I did not DEMAND my children say that! I didn't train them to respond with a no! My kids just naturally realized that sugar doesn't make them feel very great, and they save sugar for special times and places, and then they generally only wait for the best (basically, trips to Grandma's house).

We didn't even give paleo 30 days. We could feel the difference on day 4. We were sold by the end of the first week. And by week 3 we knew we would NEVER go back. Kurt is out of town, and working hard to eat as many paleo foods as he can, and trying hard to omit things he knows will make him feel like crap (Kurt NEVER thought he would happily pass on gluten - now he avoids it like a plague!).

I will keep posting on this blog, especially when I start to make recipes on my own. This blog was supposed to be an accountability project for myself. But really, I didn't need it after the first few days. Feeling good, was all I ever wanted, and looking great will just come in the process =)