Why I Chose the Paleo Lifestyle

Last year I lost 25lbs by counting calories and working out. This year, though, I struggled to get back on the wagon. I felt like it was all or nothing – I either wanted to be 500 calories below my goal or I would just all out binge. I knew something had to change.

So I started looking into the paleo diet, and since my aunt and uncle are both paleo, I took my time with them in California to test it out. I always thought it would be so hard to give up wheat, bread, grains, and dairy but I surprisingly didn’t even miss them.

So when I came home I stocked up on a bunch of fruit, veggies, and lean protein and I also started doing my own research and what I found was astounding!

Sugar and simple carbohydrates (that turn to glucose if not burned off) have both been linked to cancer! Not to mention the fact that the sugar industry paid scientists to blame fat for weight gain and health problems! At this point going paleo just made sense if I wanted to be taking the best care of my body as possible.

There’s a common misconception that the paleo template is a get-skinny-quick diet that unreasonably restricts your diet until you reach your “goal weight” and then you go right back to eating the way you did before. This could not be more wrong! Paleo is about a lifestyle change, and balance! I have not seen any dramatic weight loss since starting paleo, but I have seen:

• a decrease in cravings
• less intense cravings
• more energy
• an easier time falling asleep, and therefore
• an easier time getting up in the morning

And this is only after just a couple weeks! And I still eat grains and dairy from time to time. If I go out with my family I’m not going to say “no” to mozzarella sticks, but I’m also not going to go crazy and have mozzarella sticks and bread before having pasta for dinner! It’s all about balance and listening to your body – which is something I struggled with when I was counting calories.

So what do you think? Is paleo something you would ever try?