Paleo Marine

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been unable to run due to a knee injury. During those few weeks, I also ate a bit more than normal, and as a result, my weight crept up about 5 lbs. It’s not much, but it’s enough that I noticed it in the way my pants and shirts fit. After starting back up with my running coupled with eating correctly sized portions of strict Paleo food, my weight is already down 3 lbs with just 2 more to go until I’m back in my happy zone.

The thing I love about being so closely aware of my health is knowing the impact diet and exercise has on my health and my weight. When my weight crept up, I knew exactly what to do to get it back down, and just like clockwork, the weight came back off. This is not the first time I’ve done this; after nearly very vacation my wife and I have taken over the past two years, I’ve gained some weight (between 7-10 lbs), and each time, I was able to get ALL of the weight off within a week of returning (and without suffering, too!).

The formula is easy: strict Paleo Diet and some exercise.

What do I mean by strict? Well, first, I eat foods that consist of Paleo ingredients without any cheats or without cutting corners. Second, portion sizes are as recommended; I don’t gorge at meals. Third, I don’t eat desserts. Well, aside from the ONE Paleo cookie I allow myself after dinner, but I calculate that into my portion sizes and I cut those a bit smaller to allow for a cookie. It’s more psychological than anything, but it’s a great cap to a day of healthy eating. It makes me happy to get that tiny bit of chocolate.

The best part? It works. It’s been working every single time.

2 more lbs and I’m back to the ~165 lbs club, and that’s where I feel the healthiest and look the healthiest. I can’t wait to be there again.

Every time I think I’ve heard it all, I hear something new.

“You can’t really be enjoying all that Paleo stuff without bread, rice, and beans!”

Ugh. Yes, I can.

The food I eat is not only better for me and my body, but oftentimes is more flavorful and filling than their non-Paleo counterparts. The misconceptions people have about Paleo stems from bad information, misinformation, and a fear of change coupled with the inability to separate themselves mentally from certain foods while embracing new ones in their place. I’ve stated many times before my love for pasta, bread, pizza, and all things grain-based. Don’t even get me started on a good chocolate cake! But I recognized that these foods are not good for me, and I either eat Paleo-friendly analogues to these foods, or I don’t eat them at all. One thing I definitely miss: croissants. There is no Paleo alternative to a good, flaky, tender croissant.

Other than the croissant, I’ve found that nearly everything I’ve eaten that is a Paleo alternative has been not only as-good, but oftentimes better. Some of the Paleo foods are very easy to make, while admittedly others are very time consuming. But I justify it by reasoning that my health is worth the extra effort. Fortunately, Sherry agrees.

Changing my relationship with food was key to accepting the Paleo Diet. Not only did I eat too much, I ate for fun. I ate the wrong foods, and in large amounts. I needed to distance myself from these bad foods. I also had to refocus my taste to things I could eat instead of fixating on the things I could no longer eat. Case in point: bread. I still love bread, but I put it out of my mind and instead allowed myself to think about the foods I can still have that I’ve always loved: steak, brisket, sausage, pulled pork, lobster, crab, fish, shrimp, BBQ chicken, chicken wings, etc. The list of foods that I can still eat on the Paleo Diet is pretty darned huge. So big, in fact, that I no longer miss the “Bad foods.”

I can eat at nearly any restaurant unless is a Panera or a boulangerie. I have been on the Paleo Diet for over two years, and I’ve lost over 150 lbs. I haven’t had any difficulty with adhering to the Paleo Diet, and as diets go, it’s pretty darned simple. Do the work and find out what Paleo is about before you dismiss it out of hand.

Over the past two weeks when I wasn’t able to run, I compounded effects of a lack of activity by over eating. I didn’t eat much non-Paleo food, but I did eat a lot of food in volume. The net result was a gain of about 5 lbs that I need to get rid of now. Fortunately, I’ve been doing two things to that end: I resumed my running on Monday, and I’ve been sticking very strictly to my Paleo Diet and not eating second servings or extra helpings.

The irony of this diet is that the food is so delicious, I want to keep eating. People are afraid of the Paleo Diet because they think the food is bland or somehow not filling. This is not true! The food I’ve had since going Paleo has been among the most flavorful and satisfying foods I’ve ever eaten. The issue lies in my own behavior and actually enjoying eating. It’s this behavioral issue I constantly fight against now that I’ve tackled the poor diet. It’s a life-long issue, and I’m certain I’ll struggle with it for the rest of my life. Fortunately, I will never give up fighting it, and I will win against over-eating.

This week, I’m back. I’m eating according to plan, and I’m back out on the road burning some calories, but more importantly, rebuilding my stamina and leg muscles for speed. It’s good to be back.

What is this exactly? Is it counting calories? Eating in moderation? A Paleo diet? Vegetarian? It all depends on who you ask. Mindful means something different to everyone. To me, it’s (big surprise) eating in accordance with the Paleo Diet. The interesting part to me is, however, that those who eat mindfully tend to see improvements in their health and a reduction in their weight regardless of the path they take. Some routes may be faster than others, and in my opinion, even easier than others, but the end result is usually very similar.

I don’t care what you do or how you do it as long as it’s mindful. Like I said in an earlier post about the path you choose, as long as you believe in it and it makes sense, then do it. Just please don’t buy into marketing of pills, powders, patches, supplements, products, or surgical procedures. You can do this through mindful eating and some light exercise.

The path I chose to go down to get healthy was the Whole30 and Paleo paths. There are many others out there, but what made the most sense to me and what worked best for me has been Paleo.

I thought about it this morning, about how each different method we use to lose weight and get healthy is like a different path in the wilderness. I think back to my vacation in 2016 with Sherry to Vancouver. We went into a few different parks there and did some light hiking to view some amazing waterfalls. I had a great time and didn’t have any trouble with the trails, though I watched some other people struggle. It’s only natural; we’re not all equipped the same to tackle challenges.

I also thought about how the sights, sounds, and experiences along each path can be similar while also quite different. Each path has it’s own ups and downs, with its own unique challenges. Some of these challenges may be similar to other paths, while other challenges may be of different difficulty as compared to the others. Then, there’s also strengths and weaknesses; the same path can be easy for one person while very challenging for another.

Diets are exactly the same. For me, Paleo has been easy. It’s a simple plan that, for me, is easy to follow. I’m not challenged by temptation very often, and when I do decide to go off-plan, I do so deliberately and knowing full well the consequences. I prepare for them by adjusting my diet along the way to be able to mitigate any impact a non-Paleo element of my daily intake may have. It’s worked for me so far, and I find it works very well with my lifestyle and personality.

Others have been far more challenged with the Paleo Diet, and that’s okay. One size doesn’t fit all in clothing, music, taste, or even ability to follow a certain diet. The same could be said for following a path in a park. We need to find the way that works best for us, and then stick with it.

I am on the Paleo Diet, and it’s worked wonders for me, but I don’t believe it’s the best method for 100% of the people out there. It’s necessary for each person to find their path, the way that works best for them, and then commit to it fully to achieve their goals. Your health is important. We get one life to live. Make it the best, healthiest, and most fulfilled you can.

My wife had a major birthday milestone in August, but we were unable to hold her scheduled surprise party due to Hurricane Harvey. We decided that this birthday was too important to miss, so we rescheduled it for a month later. We were able to pull off the classic surprise party for her, and she had no clue it was coming. It turned out great.

The exceptional part to me was that all our friends went out of their way to accept the Paleo snacks and food. The best part is that everyone who was at the party either eats Paleo or very close to it, so it wasn’t too much of an imposition for them. For me, however, it meant that I could graze on the foods and snacks all day without too much guilt. Did I eat too much? Most certainly! But knowing that this food wasn’t going to throw my body off too much was some much-needed ease of mind that I typically don’t get at other parties or gatherings.

The only non-Paleo things we had was cheeses. Sherry loves cheese curds, feta, and cream cheese spreads, so I bought a couple of those to have on-hand. She enjoyed them, but we both paid for eating them with some digestion issues that people who follow the Paleo Diet are all too familiar with when they eat dairy.

In the end, I feel good about the party. We had fun, we had lots of great food, and it was mostly Paleo. I didn’t weigh myself the following morning on purpose because I also had a bunch of cider which, while it had no added sugar and no grains, still had alcohol in it and as such, causes me to retain water. I look forward to starting off the week right by eating 100% Paleo and getting back to a weight I’m comfortable with. Thankfully, this birthday party didn’t take me too far off the Paleo path.

I’ve been running since last September, and for over a year, I’ve enjoyed getting out on the road and running my 3+ miles. I had to stop that two weeks ago due to some pain I’ve been having in my left knee. Not in the knee itself, but behind the knee. It was weird, and what’s worse is that I didn’t injure it while running. I injured it getting up from a table in a restaurant after a run.

I decided to take a three week break to allow it to heal properly, but it’s felt perfect for the past week, so I’m going to start running on it again after two weeks. I’m looking forward to tomorrow; finally getting out there and running again.

The other troubling injury I’m working against right now is a bit more serious. It’s a tendon in my left elbow. It gets aggravated when I do my push ups. For that reason, I’m going to forego push ups for at least another two weeks, despite my wishes. I love how my arms looked, and I know it helps my core (abs) look great, but I need to let it heal. So, I will run without doing push ups for the first time since I’ve begun running. It’s going to be weird, and just knowing that I’m losing progress/strength in my arms troubles me to no end, but I have to take care of this body; it’s the only one I have.

Sherry has injured herself running in the past, and I always gave her advice to take it easy, take a break, and let it heal. It’s time I take my own advice in this regard and let my arm heal so that I can get back into things in January to prepare for my next APFT. I have to do my 80 push ups. I won’t accept any fewer from myself.

It’s easy to get lost when trying to find information about health, diet, and exercise. It’s daunting, with so much information available, many of it contradicting each other or things you’ve been taught in the past. We want to find the easiest way possible to lose weight or get healthy, and trust me, there are more companies out there willing to take advantage of those of us who want to drop some pounds to get healthier. The trick is to find something that makes sense, that is sustainable long-term, and doesn’t cost more than normal food.

I looked everywhere for information about losing weight in a healthy, safe, and sustainable manner. I also wanted to find something that allowed me to eat normal food that tasted good. The last thing I wanted was to try to take on a diet that had me eating salad and baked chicken breast meal after meal. I just couldn’t sign on for something like that.

My criteria for a diet plan was:

• It has to make sense scientifically and take our natural body processes into account
• It has to allow for foods that can be bought in the store and made at home
• It has to include delicious food that I actually can enjoy eating
• It has to include foods that can be found at the majority of restaurants
• It has to be something I can do forever
• It has to be simple

That was a lot to ask for, and I used that list while looking up every diet I could find. I settled on three.

• Whole30
• Paleo
• Keto

Whole30 was a great start, and I eventually started with it, but it wasn’t designed for long-term use. There are some who have adapted Whole30 into long-term diets, but I felt it was more restrictive than I was happy with, so I transitioned into the winner: The Paleo Diet. While the Keto diet was an early contender, and people on keto show amazing weight loss progress in very short amounts of time, I didn’t want to have to manage my macronutrients so closely and it’s so easy to pop out of keto while it’s pretty tough to kick into it. The Paleo Diet allowed me a lot more flexibility in the types of foods I could eat, the number of recipes available are astounding, and of the foods I’ve tried, I found Paleo foods are right in line with what I like and what tastes great to me.

To be able to change my diet from eating everything and anything to Paleo took a lot of dedication, motivation, perseverance, and a lot of believing in myself. I had to have faith in myself that this was a change I could make, that it was something I could stick with, and even when I fell off the wagon from time to time, I would get back on and keep at it. I believed in myself, and looking back on the past 25 months, I am still as dedicated and excited today as I was back then. Only now, I know that it actually works, and that I can keep the weight off as long as I just keep doing what I’ve been doing for the past two years.

Believe in yourself. Believe in your judgment. Believe in your ability to make a good decision based on the data presented to you. Most of all, believe that you can do this, because you can. Only you hold the keys to your success.

People call it falling off the wagon. Others call it failing a diet. I call it going off-plan. That moment when people give up on a diet.

The reasons for people giving up are many, but include:

• Not seeing the results they wanted in the time they expected
• The diet being too restrictive
• Always feeling hungry
• The plan/powders/pills/patches/products are too expensive to continue indefinitely
• …and many more

I’ll address these individually.

Not seeing the results they wanted in the time they expected. Everyone wants to lose a lot of weight quickly and with little effort. This is the billion-dollar question: how can I lose 100 lbs in 10 days with no effort? The short answer is you can’t. The long answer begins with the fact that you didn’t pack on the weight quickly; losing it will take some serious effort. Now, that effort doesn’t have to mean exercise for hours a day, weeks and months on-end. I lost 110 lbs in 12 months with no exercise at all. It’s doable with diet alone. You just have to be patient and trust the process. Did I wish I could lose more than 10 lbs a month after the first five months? Yes! But when I realized that 10 lbs a month is pretty solid progress, I was happy to see the scale showing me smaller number after smaller number, and before I knew it, I was 150 lighter than I was when I started.

The diet being too restrictive. This is something I’m asked about a lot when people find out I ascribe to the Paleo Diet. They ask about the restrictions, ask me how can I live without bread, pizza and pasta, and wonder aloud if they could ever undertake something “So restrictive.” The truth is that the Paleo Diet includes many foods people already enjoy and eat as part of their normal diet and only removes foods with added sugar, grains, soy, beans, and dairy. Sure, that’s a lot of food, but if you really look at what foods containing those items are, they are mostly filler or additions to meals that consist of meat and vegetables. That’s because meat and vegetables are what we need to survive. All the other stuff? Not so much. The Paleo Diet is not restrictive of good food. Meat and vegetables and fruits are allowed, and I no longer miss any of the filler foods. There’s simply too many good foods that I have to choose from.

Always feeling hungry. This is something people who count calories, points, or are on restrictive diets have to deal with. I don’t count calories, so I eat until I’m full. I don’t eat until I’m gorged or stuffed, but until I’m satisfied. The body does a good job of letting us know when we’ve had enough. The hard part is learning to listen to the body and to stop eating when you reach that point. I don’t feel hungry unless I didn’t eat enough at a previous meal, or it’s time for my next meal. It’s so liberating to be free of cravings!

The plan/powders/pills/patches/products are too expensive to continue indefinitely. I’m not a fan of products designed to help you lose weight. I don’t believe in their efficacy, and to be honest, I see them as disingenuous and taking advantage of a group of people who desperately cling to anything they can to try to get healthy and lose weight. The fact of the matter is that all you need to do to be healthy and lose weight is to eat right and get some exercise. People who do lots of exercise but don’t eat right remain heavier. People who eat right and don’t exercise tend to be thinner. See a correlation there? I certainly do, and I lived it. In my first year of losing weight, I did no exercise at all and lost 110 lbs. Since starting running, I’ve only lost an additional 40 lbs. I’m now maintaining, and due to injuries, not running, but my weight is holding steady. All I’m doing is eating right.

Falling off the wagon or going off-plan starts small when someone makes the decision to allow non-compliant foods into a meal. That turns into making justifications like, “Well, it’s just this one time,” or, “I’ve been good all day or all week.” The problem is that once you make these allowances, it becomes easier and easier to make them. I was so successful in the beginning of my journey because I allowed no non-compliant foods into my meal plans at all. It wasn’t until I was almost two years in that I allowed them every now and then. Now, I see how I am more easily able to justify non-Paleo foods, and it’s something I wrestle with as I work to rein in my eating habits out of fear of letting it get out of control.

Do yourself a favor and stick to your guns. Respect your decision to eat right, respect yourself and don’t cheat or sabotage your progress, and respect the process and allow it to work without sabotage. Failure starts when a single link in a chain breaks. Don’t break that first link.