Month: December 2017

The Eatpocalypse. That’s what I’m calling my trip to NYC this past week where I ate and drank so much I gained 11 lbs in 5 days. It was a great time, and I ate a lot of delicious food and I had a blast drinking with my wife and daughter, but the weight gain afterward made me take a long, hard look at the price I paid for that fun. In the end, it was worth it. Every minute, every bite, and every gulp of Pimm’s Cups I downed was absolutely, 100% worth the pain, consternation, and grumpiness that the weight gain brought me.

With that said, in the two days since my return from NYC and my return to eating Paleo food, I’ve lost a solid 7 lbs. You read that right: 7 lbs in 2 days. How is that possible? Easy: it’s water weight. My body was bloated from the increased sugar intake from the cheesecake, breads, and alcoholic beverages. Now that those are all absent from my diet, my body is getting back to it’s normal, and I can actually feel the improvements.

Just 4 lbs more to lose before I get back to my pre-trip weight. I think I can do that by this time next week. Of course, there is a Christmas meal or two in between now and then, but since my amazing wife makes Paleo food for us for Christmas, I should be able to weather it just fine as long as I can keep my serving sizes under control. That’s the real key for me now that I’m back to my Paleo foods.

It’s a good lesson in how much better for our bodies the Paleo Diet is. I’m seeing right now why so many people can lose upwards of 20 lbs their first month on Paleo or doing a Whole30. Half the weight you lose immediately is water weight due to sugar intake. Once you take the sugar out of your diet, your body no longer holds on to all that water. The rest of the weight loss is legit body weight being lost.

Oh, and the most interesting aside: I haven’t run since last week. I either haven’t had the opportunity, or I’ve been nursing some minor injuries that has kept me from running for nearly 2 weeks. So, none of this weight loss has been aided by exercise or fitness. Like I always say: weight loss is 90% diet. I should be able to get back to running tomorrow, so perhaps that will help propel me past that last 4 lbs I need to lose.

Good question! Some of the things I wish I knew on my first Whole30 were:

• That there are TONS of recipes out there that are Whole30 compliant and many of them are very easy to make, tasty, and filling!
• That with an easy mind-hack, it could make getting past temptations easier. Once I discovered the concept of sabotage vs cheating, temptation became much easier to deal with. The concept goes like this: people consider eating things not on a diet cheating, but cheating is defined as gaining an unfair advantage over an opponent or competitor. Cheating on a diet doesn’t give you any advantage, but actually sabotages your willpower, progress, and all the hard work you’ve put in to get where you are. I don’t call eating off-plan cheating, I call it sabotage.
• That at the end of the Whole30, going Paleo is like staying on Whole30 but with SWYPO options. Don’t know what SWYPO is? Look it up on whole30.com or on Google.
• That I should be focusing on how I feel versus my weight. I know, Whole30 tells you that up-front, but I ignored it. At the end of my Whole30, I lost 20 lbs, but I was more focused on the weight loss than anything else.

Fortunately, I read up quite a bit about Whole30 before we started, and my wife did as well. Between the two of us, we had a pretty good understanding of what we were in for. Some examples include the flu-like symptoms, the first day of hell breaking free of the sugar addiction, and reducing our portion sizes.

There are many great journals written by previous Whole30 participants, and I encourage you to seek and read them before starting your first Whole30 so that there are no surprises for you. With that said, we’re all different, and your experience may vary quite a bit from mine. That’s okay and normal; just roll with it, and keep keepin’ on!

I weighed myself this morning as I always do, and I found that I’ve lost 4 lbs since yesterday morning. I was unable to run after work as I’d originally planned due to pain in my shins and my right ankle, but somehow I still managed to drop some weight. I know it’s all water weight, but in the past, it’s typically been easiest to lose water weight by sweating it out. I can only guess how much more I’d have lost if I’d have been able to run.

Regardless, I’m making the immediate progress I was counting on from past experience. This is important for a few reasons. First, because I am grumpy when my weight is up as high as it was, and second, because it shows that if I follow the rules that I used to lose the weight in the first place, it will work again.

That second point is super-important to me because it is what I preach on this blog. It’s the information I spread to everyone here and anyone who asks me in person: Whole30 and the Paleo Diet both work to make you healthy, and ultimately, to lose weight.

I know that sometimes it takes longer to see results. Heck, I ate perfectly for months without losing any weight when I was at or near my lowest weight because I had reached an equilibrium between the amount of food I was eating and the calories my activities were expending. Right now, as I’m back to eating as I should, my body is shedding the excess water and hopefully some of the honest weight I surely put on in the past week.

The lesson here is if you do the work, your body will respond. Not always immediately, and not always in ways we want to see (lbs lost), but there is always a response. I already feel my belt not feeling as tight due to the lost water weight. My face looks less pudgy now, too. These are all great signs, and show me that I’m doing the right thing.

12 lbs. That’s the weight gain from five days of eating anything I wanted and drinking alcoholic beverages every night. Now, mind you, I was also walking A LOT: between 7 and 10 miles a day. That is a lot of walking, and yet, I gained a lot of weight. Let’s break it down.

Most of this weight gain is water weight due to alcohol and sugar intake. I’m guessing that between 7 and 9 lbs of it will be gone within a week. The last 3-5 lbs will take an additional week to lose. I know this from past experience on my trip to Spain where I gained roughly the same amount over 10 days.

How did I gain so much so quickly? Well, I usually try to mitigate weight gain by making the healthiest choices I can. This time, I decided on an experiment: eat what I would normally eat before I went Paleo. The result is pretty much what I expected; gross weight gain.

I’m not happy with the amount of weight I gained. I was rather cranky this morning when I weighed myself because my weight gain exceeded what I was expecting even at the outside. However, as I thought about it on my drive in to work, I’ve been here before. I’ve gained weight after a holiday of fun, and I know what it takes to get rid of it. I know how long it takes, how to eat, and how to exercise. These are all known quantities to me, and it’s just a matter of time before I’m back in my comfortable 160’s.

Until then, I’m on my strict Paleo diet. And by strict, I mean STRICT. I will not eat snacks, even Paleo ones. I will limit my serving sizes to what I should be eating, not what I want to be eating (I still struggle with increasing portion sizes).

Paying the piper sucks. I hate it every time. But I have to keep reminding myself that this is okay; I’m able to lose the weight by just eating right. I’ve done it time and time again, and I will do it again this time. It was a good reminder of how great some of those foods taste, but in the end, no matter how delicious the food was, it just wasn’t worth how I feel now. I know Sherry would say different, but no matter how good all that stuff tasted (and yes, the pizza, hot dogs, and bread were AMAZING), I hate how I feel now. I can’t wait to get back to my happy weight, and to get back to how much better I feel when I eat good food.

This is something I thought for many, many long and painful years. It seemed that no matter what I tried or what I did, be it exercise or the latest diet my doctor turned me onto, nothing seemed to work. Oh sure, there were short-term losses of weight, but I never felt better. I always had reduced levels of energy, I felt tired and worn out, and the hunger. Oh, let’s not even talk about the hunger.

I had resigned myself to thinking that there was no way I was ever going to be thin and healthy again. There was no way I could ever lose the weight. I thought that it would take a gym membership and 5+ visits a week sweating and working hard to drop pounds, and honestly, I wasn’t going to do that. Ever. There was too much weight to lose, and there was no way I was going to be able to drop the amount of weight I needed to do with the little amount of exercise I was willing to do.

I was fortunate that my cousin Sarah showed me Whole30 and the Paleo Diet. These two diets literally saved my life. One is short-term (Whole30) while the other is meant to be a life-long diet that requires a change in how you think about food as well as your relationship with food, but they work! But why did I think I couldn’t lose weight when Whole30 and the Paleo Diet both worked so well for me?

Well, first of all, I thought weight loss was all about exercise and only marginally about diet. I had it mixed up. Weight loss is almost all about diet and marginally about exercise. Had I known that sooner, I’d have lost the weight sooner.

Second, my eating habits were atrocious. I ate the foods the American Heart Association said to eat which included whole grains and avoided foods with high fat and red meats. The result was weight gain and eventually, developing Diabetes. Thanks, AHA.

Third, I lacked the motivation and dedication to lose the weight. All my attempts started with me being motivated, but I quickly lost steam due to the hunger and sluggishness that always came with these diets. I was unaware at the time that I was often going through sugar withdrawals, and I didn’t realize that it would be such a grueling process. Had I know, once again, I could have gotten through it.

Fourth, the food I ate wasn’t actually conducive for success. Artificial sweeteners act on the brain in the same exact way as sugar does: it causes further cravings. I could never escape the cravings, even when I did cut sugar. Then there’s the issue with low-fat which is actually counterproductive and doesn’t actually help with weight loss. Also, I ate lots of processed foods, fast food, and pre-prepared foods instead of foods made with whole ingredients.

Finally, there’s the fact that I just wasn’t ready to commit to the changes necessary to improve my health, lose weight, and to finally get to a weight that I was comfortable at. Changing your lifestyle isn’t easy, and for some, it’s more difficult than it is for others, but it’s absolutely necessary if you are anything like I was: someone who was prone to binge eating, ate lots of grains and sugar-filled foods, or who just plain ate a lot.

You can lose weight even if you have failed many times before. I failed often, and I failed hard. I always gained back more weight than I’d initially lost. This is the first time I’ve been successful, and I’m into my third year of good health and being thin. I still can’t believe that I got here, and I want to help motivate everyone who wants to lose weight to do so without pills, powders, patches, products, and medical procedures. I did it; you can, too!

Don’t beat yourself up. It happens to lots of people. It happened to me on my second Whole30; I didn’t go the entire 30 days. The main reason I didn’t get past it is because I wasn’t losing any weight, I was already eating a really good diet, and I hadn’t fallen back into bad habits like my wife did. She NEEDED it. I did it to support her, but I had also started running at the time, and I needed more carbs in the form of Paleo friendly foods that weren’t Whole30 compliant, so I slipped off of it.

Others who are doing their first, second, or even third attempts often fail. It’s not easy to get away from the cravings, and to get away from sugar. For some people, meal prep is difficult, and they struggle with eating healthy Whole30 compliant foods for all three meals.

I get it. It’s not easy. But it’s worth it. You’re worth it. Your health is worth it. Doing it for the kids, for your spouse, for the grandchildren, and most importantly, for YOU is worth it. If you fail, figure out what happened, and why you weren’t able to finish, and then do some research on strategies to get past it, and then try again. There’s nothing that says you only get one, two, three, or even only five attempts. You can fail and try as many times as you want!

Try not to repeat the same mistakes, and if willpower is your main failing, you need to analyze what really matters to you. For me, it was a matter of delayed gratification and the bigger picture. Eating candy or bread or pizza is something I used to love to do, but I had come to realize that it was a short-term gratification. Once the food was eaten, I was overcome with guilt. Keeping my eyes on the long-term gratification of losing weight and getting healthy became far more important to me than any short-term gratification, so it became easier and easier to avoid the temptations.

Another thing I considered was that eating non-Whole30 compliant foods was not cheating but sabotage. Cheating is defined as getting an unfair advantage over a competitor or adversary. Cheating on a diet doesn’t gain anything but short-term gratification, and in fact actually sabotages all the hard work and progress made to that point. The last thing I want to do is make anything more difficult on myself. Why would I allow myself to sabotage my Whole30?

Whatever your issue is, identify it, solve it, and try again. Don’t give up! You can totally do this!

This is a subject I’ve only touched on before, but never fully talked about. I feel that it’s time.

It’s hard for people to hear, but many of us who struggle with weight are suffering from eating disorders. Most people think that the only eating disorders are anorexia or bulimia and fail to recognize the other eating disorders that exist that cause people to gain weight. Binge Eating Disorder is most likely what I had. Here is an official definition:

Some people who overeat have a clinical disorder called binge eating disorder (BED). People with BED compulsively eat large amounts of food in a short amount of time and feel guilt or shame afterward. And they do so often: at least once a week over a period of at least 3 months. Not everyone who overeats is a binger.

I was never diagnosed with it, but as I read about it, it describes the way I often ate. I’ve said before on my blog that I enjoyed eating large quantities of food. The eating of these large amounts of food in a short period of time actually brought me a sense of joy, and when I look back at it, I did feel a sense of guilt about it. I just ate, ate, and ate. The more I ate, the happier I felt. Then, I would look at myself in the mirror and see the result: a morbidly obese former active duty Marine who looked nothing like himself anymore

I am fortunate that I didn’t get heavier than I was, or that I didn’t die from this eating disorder. I am fortunate that I was able to adopt a diet that allows me to stay sated by eating healthy, natural, and delicious foods. I am fortunate that I have a wife who supports me in this, and friends who are accommodating and understanding of my dietary needs.

I don’t use BED as a crutch. If anything, I use it as a target to ensure I never go back to that life again. I do find myself wanting to eat a lot of any food I really enjoy which is why portion control is so important for me. I don’t consider myself a victim. I’m just a guy who used to eat too much, has the propensity towards overeating and who has to keep the volume of food eaten under control at all times. Fortunately, I feel like I’m winning the battle.

Not everyone who is obese like I was has BED. Not everyone is a binge eater. But if you are, or if you were, know that you’re not alone, and that you can conquer it. It takes work and daily vigilance, but it can be overcome.

I’m in New York City with my wife visiting my daughter for her birthday and for Christmas, and that means eating foods that are non-Paleo to experience the culture and culinary delights that only NYC can afford: deep dish pizza, New York cheesecake, and Pink’s and Grays Papaya hot dogs! I’m sure there will be others, as well, but those are what we’re starting with.

When my wife and I travel, we do our best to stay Paleo, but we allow ourselves to enjoy the local cuisine and specialties, even if they’re not Paleo. We strive to mitigate the damage as much as we can by eating bacon and eggs for breakfast or eating smaller portions of the non-Paleo foods, and it does help to minimize the weight gain. There’s also the fact that my stomach has shrunk a lot since I was at my heaviest, so I can become satisfied with much smaller portions than I was able to be before I lost all the weight.

Will I gain some weight during this trip? Certainly. Will I have to do some strict Paleo eating when I get back home to lose it? For sure. Will I enjoy everything while I can in NYC and deal with the consequences when I get back? Absolutely. And I won’t regret a thing.

I am known as the PaleoMarine, and yes, I have adopted and adhere to the Paleo Diet. I have done three Whole30’s, and I will be doing another one in January 2018. With that said, these diets work well for me, and have been sustainable and easy for me. Now, it’s just the way I eat.

Some people have difficulty sticking to any diet that has a name. Others don’t agree with the historical implications of certain diets or they don’t agree with ancestral eating. That’s okay. I suggest find something that makes sense to you, helps you attain your goals of being healthy, and stick with it. Regardless of the diet you decide upon, starting it with a Whole30 will teach you how your body reacts to different foods as you reintroduce them into your diet, and will teach you a lot about portion control, help you kick the sugar dragon, and allow you to start off with the best chance you can possibly have with a dietary clean slate.

My eating habits work for me. I have been documenting my journey with weight loss and health since I started over two years ago, and I have gained a very good knowledge about what works well for me. My wife, fortunately, responds the same way to the same foods, so the two of us can share a diet that works for both of us which makes our lives simpler. I recommend finding what works for you, and stick with it. It may be what I’m doing, or it may not. I don’t pretend to have all the answers for you. However, if what I do works for you, then cool!

I went to a holiday party this past weekend, and fortunately, our hosts had a few Paleo options available for us: Paleo crackers, and baked ham that had no sugar in it. The rest? Mostly other meats and cheeses, but I wasn’t sure of how the other meats were prepared, so I avoided them. Puffed pastry and cup cakes? I skipped those, too! I also limited my consumption to just one plate, and while I wasn’t quite as satisfied as I would have been with a standard dinner, I did feel filled up after a bit, and was able to avoid grazing at the hor d’oeuvres table. I also was able to avoid drinking alcohol, and people seemed to be understanding of that, as well.

While at the party, I observed the people and watched their eating habits. I noticed that the heavier folks tended to linger a lot longer at the table than those who were fit or thin. This is not being mean or shaming, nor is it intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable; it’s just an observation I made. I spoke to a few of the people who were avoiding the table, and I asked them what their favorite meat or cheese was as a way of asking why they weren’t imbibing like many others. The overwhelming response: they had eaten dinner because they knew they would linger at the table and end up over-eating.

Wow.

I never had that kind of discipline before, and I never thought to just have a dinner prior to coming to a party with an hors d’oeuvres table. It made too much sense, and will definitely be a strategy I employ moving forward as I continue to attend holiday events and parties this holiday season.

The big win for me at this party, however, was in limiting not only my intake, but in making choices that were healthy and fit into my Paleo lifestyle. It felt good to not feel bloated and heavy the next morning!