A long time ago, I shared my pregnancy journey. In that honest explanation of my pregnancy, I told you guys that I had gained 60 whole pounds carrying my sweet baby girl. Let me just remind you that I'm 5' 2" and have the shortest torso ever. Most of the weight gain was due to swelling (obviously not all 60 pounds was from swelling, but it was bad. Not dramatic at all. Ha.). I didn't watch what I ate, and it was basically a free for all. After I had Charlotte, all 60 extra pounds stuck around for about month. I left the hospital with zero pounds lost because swelling. Then all of a sudden, the pounds started dropping like flies. I was nursing, and I couldn't eat enough to keep up. I was always hungry, always eating, always nursing, and always losing weight. It was great. The weight came off slowly but surely, but then it stalled. I didn't worry too much about it, because at this point (about 9 months postpartum), I was fitting into most of my clothes again. It wasn't until after Charlotte turned one that I decided it was time to lose the last 10 pounds.
I nursed Char until she was 14 months old, and I had always told myself that after I finished nursing, I would do what I needed to do to lose those last pesky pounds. Not for vanity, but to feel healthy. I wanted to feel comfortable in my clothes that I had missed for almost two years. I loved my pre-maternity closet, and my old friends hanging on for dear life to their hangers missed me dearly. Enter Paleo.
The hubs had started Paleo way before I did, and I just watched him and supported his efforts for a long time prior to me joining the Paleo party. I thought there was no way possible that I could give up bread, pasta, cheese, dairy, and all things good. But then it was Lent 2014. I figured that giving up foods I loved to focus on discipline would be a perfect Lenten sacrifice, and it was. I lost the last 10 pounds just like that, kept it off, and learned that eating clean wasn't so bad after all. Fast forward almost a year later, and I've grown lax with my diet. Here's how it went down.
I was pretty strict in the beginning of taking the Paleo leap. I would have one cheat meal during the weekend, then eat clean the rest of the week. I did that all throughout Lent of 2014. This routine was going great for a while, and I would fluctuate a pound or two throughout the week, but then one cheat meal turned into one cheat day, and one cheat day turned into three cheat days or four. Now I've gained back five pounds and I'd like to tell them sayonara. I'd like to return to the days of my more disciplined eating habits.
Before I get into the details, let me just preface this by saying that I am in no way an expert on the matter. I'm not a doctor, especially one specializing in weight loss. I'm not a nutritionist, dietician, or anything of the sort. I'm just a mom who ate healthily, using Paleo standards as my guide. Here's what I know and what worked for me.
HOW THIS MOM DOES PALEO...
1. Your diet will consist primarily of meat, vegetables, and fruits. Focus on what you can eat, not what you can't. Just keep everything as natural as possible. Organics are a plus, and grass-fed, pasture-raised meats are preferable.
Source & full, original PDF file
2. You won't be eating dairy, grains (including corn), legumes (especially soy), refined sugar, sugar substitutes, or vegetable seeds oils. If you can't do without dairy, take a look at Paleo 2.0. I learned to love coconut milk and almond milk.
3. Some pluses: You can have butter, sweet potatoes, and yams, and you can bend the rules occasionally. For instance, I add soy sauce to some of my dishes, and I still lose weight. I also cook with olive oil. Although I could easily use lard.
4. Get creative. Replace peanut butter with almond butter. It can also be substituted with sunflower seed butter. Make cauliflower "rice." Steam cauliflower, then pulse it in a food processor. Make "spaghetti" dishes with spaghetti squash.
5. Drink tons of water throughout the day.
6. Don't overkill the exercise regimen. Stay active, but trust your gut. Literally. And get plenty of rest!
7. If it's in a box, it's probably not good to eat. The exception for grocery shopping (for me): broths (I buy organic) and canned vegetables.
8. Try to steer clear from alcohol, but the occasional glass (not glasses) of wine won't hurt you. Same goes for dark chocolate.
9. Don't count your calories. Eat when you're hungry and eat plenty.
10. Paleo is all about trying to emulate the caveman's diet. If a caveman would have eaten it, it's probably a go for the diet. When you question a food, just keep this in mind.
WHAT MEALS LOOK LIKE...
chicken "tacos" without the tortillas, "beef tips stroganoff" without the noodles
Breakfast: for me, usually looks like scrambled eggs, apples with almond butter, green tea with honey or coffee with almond milk & coconut palm sugar.
Lunch: primarily chicken thighs and a fruit. I'll add in a vegetable if I'm feeling festive.
Dinner: always a meat and lots of veggies.
Snacks: fruits, almonds, plantain chips, coconut chips, or coconut milk yogurt (a stretch maybe, but works for me)
This week's dinner meal plan (as seen above) consists of three of my favorite recipes:
Spaghetti squash with shrimp (I add fresh oregano & roasted cherry tomatoes)
Chicken "tacos" (just lose the tortillas)
Beef tips stroganoff
I'll most likely do a separate post with all of my favorite Paleo recipes soon. In the meantime, you can see some more of my favorites from my Pinterest board here.
SOME EXTRA RESOURCES TO HELP US OUT...
Paleo Diet 101 is where I started when I was first learning about the Paleo lifestyle. The entire Paleo Leap site is full of great information. They also have some of my favorite Paleo recipes.
I've been a fan of Jennifer Green from Life in the Greenhouse, and she has been doing Whole 30, a diet very similar to Paleo. (You can find her eating plan for a week with all three meals per day here.) On Instagram, she has created a separate Insta account (@jenngdoeswhole30) devoted to her Whole 30 diet plan. While perusing that account, I found this awesome account, @amazon_ashley. I found this awesome chart below.
+ Download the PDF from here. You'll receive four pages of goodness, this chart and its explanation written by Amazon Ashley. At Amazon Ashley's shop, just fill out the info with your name and email, don't fill in the credit card info, and click purchase. The PDF chart and explanation of how the chart works will be sent to your inbox.
+ For a meal plan chart & grocery list planner, click here. Two pages are in this PDF. All compliments of Amazon Ashley.
Just like anything, the first part is always hard. You might be cranky for a few days as you detox from processed foods and some old favorites, but you'll get past it. Just hop on the scale for motivation because you'll be sure to see the number dropping. You'll also start to feel more comfortable in your clothes pretty quickly. Your taste buds will change and you'll crave the good foods, the healthy foods. The thing about Paleo is getting creative when things start to get boring. Scour the internet for new ideas and fresh recipes. Have an accountability partner. I'll be one if you need it. But the bottom line is, don't give up. If you get off track for a little while, just hop right back on. Consistency is important, but so is grace. You can do it! Now I'm excited to get healthy again, too.
This post is part of the New Mama 101 series. Be sure to check here for previous posts in the series and to see what else is in store.
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