Six weeks later, 10 pounds lighter, I'm working full-force incorporating this into my lifestyle. There is an overall note of clarity in my everyday thoughts. I am cleaning out "hot spots" in my house that went unnoticed before. There have been a few glitches, but nothing that hasn't been rectified.
Having an easily excited nervous system, i can tell you, my body was on high alert the first week. Any type of change placed into my daily routine sends my system racing, wondering what the hell is happening. I found myself including more carbohydrates into my meal plans which fixed any blow back. Paleo is not necessarily a LOW CARB diet. It mainly restricts grains and legumes and limits dairy. I found myself grabbing my oatmeal bars several times the first week. Not because I was hungry, but because i felt this super surge of energy that just didn't sit right. As time went on, I noticed less and less desire of such carbs and fell into eating sweet potatoes and an occasional white potato as the week wore on.
Another component I added was black out curtains. I am always waking up earlier than planned due to sunlight streaming through my window. This is due southern exposure. One of my first orders when beginning the diet was to ensure your room is COMPLETELY DARK. So, I purchased a couple of black out panels and taped over lights on appliances and computers with duck tape. Now, my room is completely dark and invites a productive sleep.
In fact, lately, I am sleeping quite a bit this last week. Not sure what is going on with my body, but I get to work, have a pretty productive day and come home and sleep. Then I sleep again when retiring for the night. When I wake in the morning there is more energy than I've had previously from a deeper sleep each night. I am used to waking up a few times, not any longer. As the weeks wear on, my system is becoming quieter, not as easily excited.
Here are a few more tips to help you during your first few weeks from Robb Wolf's site:
Get Started
The Paleo diet is built from the healthiest, most delicious, and most nutritious foods available.
Clean Out The Pantry
We do not have self-control. PLAN AHEAD! Don’t have tempting foods in the house. Remove the bread, rice, pasta, cookies, crackers, puddings, ice cream, waffles, juice, sodas, cereals, oatmeal, artificial sweeteners, yogurt, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, canned soups, apple sauce, noodles…all refined, packaged foods. Bag it all up, take it to a food bank or homeless shelter. No, the kids do NOT need crackers and Goldfish. They might actually be healthier if YOU are healthier!
Sleep & Stress
Black out your room. No, REALLY black out your room. No LED lights from alarm clocks, fire alarms, TV’s etc. Do not watch TV or check email for at least 1 hour before bed. Go to bed early, get at least 8- 9 hrs of sleep. You should wake up without an alarm, feeling refreshed.
Exercise
The foraging lifestyle of our hunter-gatherer ancestors left them lean, strong, and healthy. Those who lived into advanced age did not lose muscle mass or gain body fat as they aged. It appears the default mode for our species is a balanced physique . Lean, muscled, and prepared for anything nature wished to unleash. By emulating the amounts and types of activities of our Paleolithic ancestors, we can affect remarkable changes in our physique, mental outlook, hormonal state, and overall health.
Throw Your Scale Away
While we are on this “weight topic” please just throw your scale away. Or smash it (wear safety glasses and go wild). But for the love of all that’s holy, do NOT rely on it as a significant marker of whether this process is working or not.
The fact is that you may not lose a ton of weight (read: pounds) on this plan. Why? Because you’re increasing muscle mass and losing fat . Increasing your muscle mass is good for controlling your blood sugar, helping your body to naturally regulate appetite, and has anti-aging properties. Muscles make you look good naked! So, don’t focus on scale weight.
Click on curtains below to check out pricing:
Having an easily excited nervous system, i can tell you, my body was on high alert the first week. Any type of change placed into my daily routine sends my system racing, wondering what the hell is happening. I found myself including more carbohydrates into my meal plans which fixed any blow back. Paleo is not necessarily a LOW CARB diet. It mainly restricts grains and legumes and limits dairy. I found myself grabbing my oatmeal bars several times the first week. Not because I was hungry, but because i felt this super surge of energy that just didn't sit right. As time went on, I noticed less and less desire of such carbs and fell into eating sweet potatoes and an occasional white potato as the week wore on.
Another component I added was black out curtains. I am always waking up earlier than planned due to sunlight streaming through my window. This is due southern exposure. One of my first orders when beginning the diet was to ensure your room is COMPLETELY DARK. So, I purchased a couple of black out panels and taped over lights on appliances and computers with duck tape. Now, my room is completely dark and invites a productive sleep.
In fact, lately, I am sleeping quite a bit this last week. Not sure what is going on with my body, but I get to work, have a pretty productive day and come home and sleep. Then I sleep again when retiring for the night. When I wake in the morning there is more energy than I've had previously from a deeper sleep each night. I am used to waking up a few times, not any longer. As the weeks wear on, my system is becoming quieter, not as easily excited.
Here are a few more tips to help you during your first few weeks from Robb Wolf's site:
Get Started
The Paleo diet is built from the healthiest, most delicious, and most nutritious foods available.
Clean Out The Pantry
We do not have self-control. PLAN AHEAD! Don’t have tempting foods in the house. Remove the bread, rice, pasta, cookies, crackers, puddings, ice cream, waffles, juice, sodas, cereals, oatmeal, artificial sweeteners, yogurt, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, canned soups, apple sauce, noodles…all refined, packaged foods. Bag it all up, take it to a food bank or homeless shelter. No, the kids do NOT need crackers and Goldfish. They might actually be healthier if YOU are healthier!
Sleep & Stress
Black out your room. No, REALLY black out your room. No LED lights from alarm clocks, fire alarms, TV’s etc. Do not watch TV or check email for at least 1 hour before bed. Go to bed early, get at least 8- 9 hrs of sleep. You should wake up without an alarm, feeling refreshed.
Exercise
The foraging lifestyle of our hunter-gatherer ancestors left them lean, strong, and healthy. Those who lived into advanced age did not lose muscle mass or gain body fat as they aged. It appears the default mode for our species is a balanced physique . Lean, muscled, and prepared for anything nature wished to unleash. By emulating the amounts and types of activities of our Paleolithic ancestors, we can affect remarkable changes in our physique, mental outlook, hormonal state, and overall health.
Throw Your Scale Away
While we are on this “weight topic” please just throw your scale away. Or smash it (wear safety glasses and go wild). But for the love of all that’s holy, do NOT rely on it as a significant marker of whether this process is working or not.
The fact is that you may not lose a ton of weight (read: pounds) on this plan. Why? Because you’re increasing muscle mass and losing fat . Increasing your muscle mass is good for controlling your blood sugar, helping your body to naturally regulate appetite, and has anti-aging properties. Muscles make you look good naked! So, don’t focus on scale weight.
Click on curtains below to check out pricing:
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