Hello all!
My name is Arlene and about a week ago, I decided to start the Paleo(lithic) Diet. Why? Well, I had been attending Personal Trainer sessions two times a week, substitute teaching for Zumba in four gyms, and going to the gym on my own for cardio for about 3 months...yet, I struggled to lose weight because of my eating habits. Each time I met with my personal trainer (who is awesome by the way!), I guiltily confessed the food and drinks I consumed. At the end of every session, I would leave with a renewed sense of purpose and discipline. However, due to student teaching stress and other responsibilities, I would lose my focus and eat something way too unhealthy.
You see, food is one of my loves in life. I love to cook, bake, and eat! Nothing makes me happier than having my nana's sorpotel, spending time with all my siblings and parents while relishing my dad's famous steak and basmati rice, trying out a recipe from Paula Deen or Giada De Laurentiis, or grabbing a breakfast-for-dinner at a local diner. Dieting and eating healthy becomes a huge feat when food is such a joy. Food doesn't just satiate my appetite, but it satisfies my soul (maybe that's why they call it soul food...).
Anyways, back to why I chose the Paleo Diet. First off, I decided that I needed something clear cut. I did not want any gray areas that would allow me to bend the rules and do what was convenient for me. My plan to lose weight required a more strict design that would leave no wiggle room. Secondly, I love meat. I don't think I could ever be a vegetarian or even give up meat for Lent, like my father does. The Paleo diet allows for red meat, game, poultry, and pork. The diet prefers you choose grass-fed kinds. Thirdly, the Paleo diet has a long list of foods you CAN eat. Yes, you can't have dairy, gluten, wheat, legumes, refined salt and sugar, alcohol, and processed food and oils...but it is easy to overlook this when you are allowed to have eggs, seafood, avocado, coconut milk, beef, lamb, veggies and fruit (serve as carbs), honey, olive oil; the list goes on!
Another unofficial feature of the Paleo diet is that you can customize it to your lifestyle. For example, you are allowed to have certain types of cheese (in moderation) and bacon. However, because I really want to lose weight, I have decided to cut those out. I allow myself to have something off the list every so often, but it has to be in a very small amount. This means that once in a while, I will treat myself to one Hershey's kiss or nonfat Greek yogurt.
I will admit that there are challenges. Initially, I was so excited to take a step in the right direction, that I did not fully realize what I would be cutting out of my life. I am a bread-and-butter type of gal when going out to restaurants, a wheat-toast-with-butter fan at diners, and a cream-of-mushroom advocate for casseroles. You definitely need to be creative when thinking about meals you can eat. There is one issue that I worry about: when and if I stop doing the Paleo diet once I lose enough weight, will I gain all the weight back with the consumption of carbs and dairy? Another concern...how do I maintain a budget when the diet calls for organic foods and grass-fed meats? I think this is where my customizing comes in...while I will try to look for affordable unprocessed foods, I will also consider what is feasible.
My first step in pursuing this diet was to purchase a recipe book at my favorite place: Barnes and Noble. I chose an illustrated and user-friendly book called Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield. Since then, I have made delicious (bun-less) lamb burgers with rosemary, oregano, and mint. I am planning to make Tortilla-less Soup today, hoping it will last me several days.
With a craving for meatloaf and a plan to use the food in the fridge, I created a sort of turkey bake on Saturday. I cooked ground turkey with yellow onions and red pepper flakes. Meanwhile, I baked turkey bacon with a bit of brown sugar and maple syrup. Then, I made a bbq sauce which was inspired by Food Network's Neely's. It was a mix of ketchup, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, hot sauce, mustard, onion powder, and A1 sauce. I coated the turkey and onion with this concoction and then layered the turkey bacon on top. I then baked it for 20 minutes. While I don't think I will ever get used to the potent taste of ground turkey (to me, it's very turkey-ish), the bbq sauce kind of masked the ground turkey. It made for an excellent leftover the next day.
So, through this blog, I hope to share my achievements, challenges, struggles, and recipes with you. While I hope that friends and family read this, a main motive for doing this is to keep myself accountable. I genuinely want to stick to this diet and see results. Because of the Paleo diet and exercise (spin class, elliptical, personal training), I have lost 3 pounds so far. Not a lot, but it's a start!
Wish me luck!
Sincerely,
Arlene
My name is Arlene and about a week ago, I decided to start the Paleo(lithic) Diet. Why? Well, I had been attending Personal Trainer sessions two times a week, substitute teaching for Zumba in four gyms, and going to the gym on my own for cardio for about 3 months...yet, I struggled to lose weight because of my eating habits. Each time I met with my personal trainer (who is awesome by the way!), I guiltily confessed the food and drinks I consumed. At the end of every session, I would leave with a renewed sense of purpose and discipline. However, due to student teaching stress and other responsibilities, I would lose my focus and eat something way too unhealthy.
You see, food is one of my loves in life. I love to cook, bake, and eat! Nothing makes me happier than having my nana's sorpotel, spending time with all my siblings and parents while relishing my dad's famous steak and basmati rice, trying out a recipe from Paula Deen or Giada De Laurentiis, or grabbing a breakfast-for-dinner at a local diner. Dieting and eating healthy becomes a huge feat when food is such a joy. Food doesn't just satiate my appetite, but it satisfies my soul (maybe that's why they call it soul food...).
Anyways, back to why I chose the Paleo Diet. First off, I decided that I needed something clear cut. I did not want any gray areas that would allow me to bend the rules and do what was convenient for me. My plan to lose weight required a more strict design that would leave no wiggle room. Secondly, I love meat. I don't think I could ever be a vegetarian or even give up meat for Lent, like my father does. The Paleo diet allows for red meat, game, poultry, and pork. The diet prefers you choose grass-fed kinds. Thirdly, the Paleo diet has a long list of foods you CAN eat. Yes, you can't have dairy, gluten, wheat, legumes, refined salt and sugar, alcohol, and processed food and oils...but it is easy to overlook this when you are allowed to have eggs, seafood, avocado, coconut milk, beef, lamb, veggies and fruit (serve as carbs), honey, olive oil; the list goes on!
Another unofficial feature of the Paleo diet is that you can customize it to your lifestyle. For example, you are allowed to have certain types of cheese (in moderation) and bacon. However, because I really want to lose weight, I have decided to cut those out. I allow myself to have something off the list every so often, but it has to be in a very small amount. This means that once in a while, I will treat myself to one Hershey's kiss or nonfat Greek yogurt.
I will admit that there are challenges. Initially, I was so excited to take a step in the right direction, that I did not fully realize what I would be cutting out of my life. I am a bread-and-butter type of gal when going out to restaurants, a wheat-toast-with-butter fan at diners, and a cream-of-mushroom advocate for casseroles. You definitely need to be creative when thinking about meals you can eat. There is one issue that I worry about: when and if I stop doing the Paleo diet once I lose enough weight, will I gain all the weight back with the consumption of carbs and dairy? Another concern...how do I maintain a budget when the diet calls for organic foods and grass-fed meats? I think this is where my customizing comes in...while I will try to look for affordable unprocessed foods, I will also consider what is feasible.
My first step in pursuing this diet was to purchase a recipe book at my favorite place: Barnes and Noble. I chose an illustrated and user-friendly book called Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield. Since then, I have made delicious (bun-less) lamb burgers with rosemary, oregano, and mint. I am planning to make Tortilla-less Soup today, hoping it will last me several days.
With a craving for meatloaf and a plan to use the food in the fridge, I created a sort of turkey bake on Saturday. I cooked ground turkey with yellow onions and red pepper flakes. Meanwhile, I baked turkey bacon with a bit of brown sugar and maple syrup. Then, I made a bbq sauce which was inspired by Food Network's Neely's. It was a mix of ketchup, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, hot sauce, mustard, onion powder, and A1 sauce. I coated the turkey and onion with this concoction and then layered the turkey bacon on top. I then baked it for 20 minutes. While I don't think I will ever get used to the potent taste of ground turkey (to me, it's very turkey-ish), the bbq sauce kind of masked the ground turkey. It made for an excellent leftover the next day.
So, through this blog, I hope to share my achievements, challenges, struggles, and recipes with you. While I hope that friends and family read this, a main motive for doing this is to keep myself accountable. I genuinely want to stick to this diet and see results. Because of the Paleo diet and exercise (spin class, elliptical, personal training), I have lost 3 pounds so far. Not a lot, but it's a start!
Wish me luck!
Sincerely,
Arlene
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