jamie ann

After some really rough months earlier this year in the health department, I decided it was time to really get down to it. Things needed to change big time, so I started thinking about how I was going to change my lifestyle.

A few months ago I started throwing around the idea of trying Paleo. I asked my boyfriend if it was something he would be interested in doing it with me and he agreed. Here’s a pretty simple breakdown of the paleo diet. Paleo 101, if you will:

I know it seems a little harsh – no grains, no sugar and no dairy. The thought of no grains was almost laughable to my carb loving I’ll have the mac and cheese with a side of bread and more pasta, please and thank you, self. But here I am.

The other day I actually had pasta for the first time in a long time and was rather grossed out by it and couldn’t finish it. I KNOW. I definitely felt it afterward, too. Cutting out grains has been a game changer.

I’ve dropped close to 30 pounds.

And that’s only at 80% paleo.  I’m struggling with giving up my corn tortillas (for real, it’s hard being a Mexican on paleo) and pop (or soda, to some of you weirdos). I know that once I completely knock out the sugar, it will make a huge difference and probably push me over that last hurdle. But hey, I’m getting there.

Because paleo is such a protein and veggie heavy diet, I immediately looked into meat CSAs. It’s a fantastic thing. I then found a co-op that does fruit and veggie shares every week and most of the rest of my shopping is done at the farmers market every Sunday. I like knowing where my food is coming from and that there isn’t a bunch of crap going into it before it gets to me. I love that we’re eating fresh, straight from the farm foods and we are cooking so much more. It may be a bit expensive, but it’s worth it. I consider it an investment in our health.

Paleo isn’t really a diet – it’s more of a lifestyle. And this has been such a great lifestyle change for me, so I definitely plan to stick to it.

I’ll share some of my favorite blogs, resources, recipes and cookbooks soon!