Monday, September 3, 2012

Your Training is Now Complete

I've officially been Paleo for one year, and I ain't never goin' back!

True, I'll cheat every now and again, 'cause it's too hard to resist a good snickerdoodle-n-frosting sandwich cookie when it's wafting its seductive scent in my face, practically pulling puppy-dog-eyes on me, begging to be consumed. But that happens maybe once, I don't know, a year... if that.
The breakdown of my first year Paleo:

Um... am I a babe? Is that what happened?
  • lost 15 pounds that will never come back because I've replaced the unneeded fat with pretty good muscle tone
  • on average, better sleep
  • better skin (acne, sun exposure, healthy tone)
  • better energy (if you had tried to get me to work out before 9:00am before going Paleo, I would have punched you. Hard.)
  • no aches or pains, specifically in joints (unless I've done something stupid)
  • able to last longer times between meals with little snacking in between
  • able to sustain IM Fasting for an average minimum of 16 hours with no discomfort
  • faster benefits with shorter and more intense workouts











And did I mention all the fabulous recipes I've found or created?! Almost every single one of them fits into the categories of:
  1. plate-licking delicious
  2. simple
  3. inexpensive
  4. high-yielding (for leftovers throughout the week)
  5. filling without feeling uncomfortable
  6. great quality of foods
  7. yummy to those that don't eat Paleo... yet...
It's certainly changed more than just how I look at food, but how I examine larger elements of my life, like my beliefs, my politics, my spirituality, and my self-esteem. And though this last year has been by no means a cakewalk, it certainly has been rewarding and ultimately worth all the garbage that I had to sift through to find the trinket I thought I'd lost a long time ago-- ME. And even though I got a little tarnished, it's nothing that some polish can't perk up.

Another year of Paleo? Don't mind if I do!