First I just want to say that I did keep a journal of every day, well almost everyday of this challenge but I went back and read it and I really can't put all that on this post. I got bored reading it and boring readers isn't really a good game plan for a guy that likes to write. So this is the abridged version with some highlights and notes. But there are pictures and that makes it way more fun. If you want to judge my pictures...I'm cool with that.
For any change or challenge I have taken on, the beginning is always the easiest while enthusiasm is high. Its later that things get tough. Like a week ago when I really wanted a fucking Blizzard.
So here we are Day 00-
"Day 00- 1/17/2015
I just finished the book today. I think I got the point but
I think I will skip all the expensive blood tests he suggests. I had some pizza
today and will most likely get some more junk food in my system tomorrow too.
30 Days without a cheat day will be hard, I have to say my goodbyes. Even
though I am not sold just yet, I have to say I am kind of excited to see what
happens. I am hopeful it really does what is promised in the book. I guess the
only thing there is to do at this point is get started and stick with it.
I just went grocery shopping. Mother of pearl. Money was
spent. Basically I had to clear the cupboards and I didn’t realize how much I
was eating that was not allowed or riddled with gluten. I had a lot of things
that are not with this program and what I perceived to be healthy. I did
realize that it is a lot easier to shop when not buying any kind of bread or
processed food. You don’t have the read the label on a cucumber. I dig that.
But it was basically like starting over. I just spent about $200 on food.
Granted that was a heavy load of meat (That’s what she said) and will probably
last me most of the 30 Days. I don’t expect the following trips to be quite
that bad. But we will see.
Tomorrow I will take my before photos and measurements."
The Day Before- 1/18/2015
Healthy breakfast just because that was easiest to prepare.
Some coffee with sugar though. I’ll have to learn to forgo the sweetener and
cut back on the coffee definitely. A lot of research shows that coffee causes
huge hormonal issues especially with Cortisol and that is a weight loss show
stopper. But as long as you moderate
your BLACK coffee intake it seems to be fine. First challenge I am dreading
really. Healthy lunch again because it was easiest to prepare. I will probably
bid junk food a farewell with some What-A-Burger later though. The war starts
tomorrow, I should get the best of my freedom to sin while I can. Honestly that
is not the norm for me over the past year, but fuck it, I am doing right now
because I can. I also want to start where most people would be starting from. I
think that is more fare than going from healthy to healthier.
Day 1- Weigh In
Weight- 226.8 ( My goal was to lose 25 pounds)
Waist - 46 Inches
Hips- 41 Inches
So taking progress pictures is awkward but I promised I would so here they are. This at least gives you an idea of where I started. Party On...
This first week went pretty smooth with no slips and I was extra careful with everything I ate. I will point out that DAY 1 was a day that my friends and I had planned on going out to eat a super feast. I point this out because people always put off starting something because of "plans". You can still start something if you want it more than you want to stick to your "plans". I hated watching them eat cake and Baudouin Balls in front of me though. Bastards.
So Day 7 Measurements-
223lbs – 3.8lbs down from last week
Waist- 45 inches – 1 inch lost
Hips- 40.5
inches- half an inch lost
So starting out and losing nearly 4 pounds and an inch off my waist the first week was awesome. The first week, I also didn't get a lot of workouts in. Partly because I was really busy with work and partly because I let being busy be an excuse. So without working out, those are pretty good results. I attribute all of that to preparation. I made all of my meals in advance and they were ready to go. At work they kept ordering in fast food and I was oh so tempted, but I held out and it was worth it. Life keeps going even when you have your own agenda and people rarely give a shit about what you are trying to do. If you are thinking of doing this, or anything like it, be prepared for that. Also, it took a couple days before that happened due to my junk food binge before starting. Lastly, I really hadn't seen any other "benefits" of my new eating habits. Sleep didn't really improve and everything else seemed about the same. But, one week is way to early to start seeing all those results right?
Day 15 Measurements
Weight 220.6 Lost 2.4
pounds
Waist – 43.5 down 1.5 inches
Hips – 40.5 Same as last week
My first cheat happened on Day 12. I didn't take a picture of it because well as my journal entry below will explain...I really didn't give a fuck.
Day 12 Journal Entry-
"Day 12- 1/30/2015
I am getting caught up here. Friday was a crazy and stupid
day. I was getting ready to go work out and blew my nose. Then my nose started
to bleed. And bleed and bleed and bleed. It wouldn’t stop and it was a lot of
blood. I get nose bleeds from time to time but never this bad. So I had to
shove some toilet paper in the snout and drive up to the Urgent Care place in
my hood. I walked in with bloody toilet paper hanging out of my nose and they
politely asked “What can we help you with today?” I just pointed to my face and
she handed me a clipboard. Long story short, they couldn’t get the bleeding to
stop by any normal means so they had to install a Rhino Rocket. Basically they
take a tampon like balloon thing and shove it up your nose all the way into the
back of your brain. This was probably one of the most painful things I have had
to experience. I almost fainted. For real. Then they inflate the tampon…almost
fainted again. That day I did not work out or eat after breakfast. After my
little fainting spell, the doctor insisted I drink a little bottle of Gatorade
and eat some Goldfish. Then, I didn’t feel like doing anything. Kim was on her
way home from Dallas so I asked her to get me some food. By this time I was in
pain, starving, and in a general, I DON’T GIVE A FUCK kind of mood. Being that
is it was midnight, she got me taco bell. So that was my first slip up.
Honestly, I don’t care. Given the situation, it is what it is. After I ate
that, I took a hydrocodone and some melatonin and slept in 45 minute increments
throughout the night. It was the worst. My face hurt. I really hope that never
happens again because knowing how bad the Rhino Rocket hurts, I don’t think I
could do it again and I may just have to bleed out and die."
So there it is, pain will make you do what you have to do.
Week 2 I really didn't see any of the miracle health benefits promised either. But...ONWARD!
Day 21 Weigh in
Day 21- 2/8/2015
Weight- 218.8 Pounds -Almost 2 pounds lost. Pretty disappointing for the amount of effort.
Waist- 43 - I wont complain about a half inch.
Hips- 40
I forgot to take pictures of the measurements this week...But you didn't miss much.
The third week was pretty mundane. I was in a groove and even when I didn't prepare my meals, I was pretty good about sticking with the program.
We also found a Paleo food truck check it out Picnik
Day 30 2/17/2015
Weight- 215.6 Grand Total of poundage dropped- 11.2 pounds
Waist- 41 Inches Total loss of 5 Fucking Inches!
Hips- 40 Inches Total loss of 1 inch. I guess my hips don't have a lot of fat or I was measuring wrong.
So the whole point of this was for me to explore the practicality of this "really easy" way of eating. Like I said, a couple of days ago I was cursing the whole thing because I didn't hit the miracle weight loss goal I was looking for and I certainly didn't feel like my whole life was different because of it.
In "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolff, he challenges you to do this diet for 30 days and watch how your life will dramatically improve over time. I know that 30 days isn't long enough to mean a lot but the book promised it as long as I would try. And try I did.
So lets look at the reality of it. I lost 11 solid pounds and it got me over the hump I was at. I was lingering around 225 and 226 for awhile and couldn't seem to shake it. This did the trick. But as I suspected, this wasn't the cure all that its proponents would have you believe. Here's what I saw...
1. I didn't follow his recipe and meal plan perfectly because it was hella expensive to do that and I didn't like some of the things on the menu. But I stuck to the principles. No wheat, grains, refined sugar, oats, dairy or any other enemies of the Paleo Kingdom. I did look up more practical recipes and learn to use my Crock-Pot.
2. Maybe I didn't take in the right amount of nutrients at the right time under the right circumstances while my body was aligned with the sun and I was ovulating. But the idea was supposed to be that this wasn't so hard. I know people that eat like that but I haven't reached that level of dedication to education on the subject. However, as long as I was prepared, it really wasn't that bad. I my cravings were mostly mental and this really did curb how hungry I got and how easily I could satiate that hunger.
3. The biggest excuse people have for not eating healthy is that it is too expensive. And yeah, if you go all hardcore you will end up spending $7 on a dozen eggs. But if you can just shop better than you had been, like don't buy things that are frozen or in boxes, and find some free range chicken eggs on the cheap, you will be fine. There is one Paleo eatery in the whole city of Austin and I would guess outside of Austin they are few and far between, so you will be saving a ton on eating out. Eating out also just puts too much shit in your face that probably need to avoid anyway. I had fajitas more times in the last month than I did all of last year. That shit got old. But go shopping, load up on spices and bulk items. The first time might be expensive, but after that it really isn't bad. Try to follow a books suggestions and you will go broke. The internet will be your best friend beyond all the free porn. I also realized that health food from places like Picnik is a lot of times unnecessarily expensive. So just get used to doing it yourself if you are on a budget.
4. Be prepared to change the narrative in your mind about food and eating. Eat for fuel, don't eat for fun. Or as my ex used to say when she would beg me to lose weight "You eat to live, not live to eat". You can't start something like this and expect all your dreams to come true in the 30 Days those gimmick artists say it will happen. But I see the benefits of this diet and will probably continue this way of eating. While it was hard for me to get the right amount of calories in for my active lifestyle, I was taking in more naturally nutritious food. I need to get squared away on my meal prep and macro-nutrient planning though. I also won't ever say "Cheat Meal" again because I realized that concept is stupid. I may partake in some indulgence now and again because trying to lose weight is no excuse to stop living.
5. While I didn't feel huge changes in my well being I did see improvements. Enough improvement for me to buy into the gluten-free idea. I was eating well before I tried this but I would still get stuck and I did have my episodes with depression and lethargy despite my efforts. This past month, my episodes were few and far between and when they did happen, they were far more manageable.
So in conclusion, was it worth it? Yeah. Definitely. I entered it expecting a little too much, but after looking at it practically and with a little reason, I can see that it has it's benefits. One benefit is that it is easy to follow. I will say it again, you don't have to read the label on a cucumber to make sure it's healthy.
So here is my before and after picture.
If you want a copy of my journal, message me and I will be happy to email it to you.
So there it is. 30 Days of Paleo living from a real guys point of view. Also I took the last picture in my new pants because I am so happy to have gone and bought a nice pair of jeans, and for once not been afraid I would get too fat for them.
When I lose the remaining 15.6 pounds and hit 200, I will post a pretty crazy before and after. I have my before picture from when I was 270, no shirt, it's scary. haha
Thanks for reading. Hit me up if you have questions!
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