Family Paleo Trial Days 10-17

Day 10
I cheated today. I had a very small slice of key lime pie. I ate it in less than four bites. It was delicious, and, contrary to my normal habits, I did not feel the desire to gobble up the rest of the pie. To me, this indicates great success. My weight nor my measurements have changed.

Day 11
The kids are still begging for cereal. I researched online for Paleo cereal recipes, but all I could find were what I would call fruit salad. Someone should tell those Paleo enthusiasts that just because you put a bunch of ingredients in a bowl doesn't make it cereal. So I invented my own recipe for Paleo Cereal. I chopped a bunch of cashews, pecans, almonds, and walnuts in the food processor. Then I mixed in several tablespoons of cinnamon, some all spice, and a drizzle of honey, roasted it for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees, and added dried blueberries and dried cherries. We used almond milk today, and the kids loved it. After I mixed it, I realized it would be just as delicious (and much healthier) to use fresh fruit. Next time, I will.

Day 12
My bowels finally feel normal again. Perhaps the additional fat, perhaps the massive amounts of coconut, or perhaps simply a virus caused significant discomfort over the last two weeks. I fear changing my diet back to a "normal" diet will have similar results.

We took an overnight camping trip with the kids and managed to stick to the diet! We consumed massive amounts of beef jerky, trail mix, and hot dogs. I am so sick of beef jerky (and it's not even strictly Paleo, being marinated in sugar and soy! Don't tell Rob Wolfe.)

Day 13
I started using Splenda and cream in my coffee again. For a girl who drinks coffee like dessert, mixing in coconut milk alone was a huge stretch. My brother, Mr. Paleo, winced when I told him this, and blamed my packet-a-day habit for my lack of weight loss. Puh-lease. I fear I may actually have a lactose intolerance, so I may try to wean myself onto almond milk or coconut milk for the long haul. But the Splenda stays.

Day 14
I have been so fatigued lately. My kitchen is always a mess. My kids are cheating every chance they get. My house is a mess for the time I neglect it for grocery shopping and cooking. In comparison, I typically cook (or prepare) three meals a day, but I'm unaccustomed to actually preparing snacks, too. We usually grab a granola bar or a yogurt cup for snack time. I try to keep boiled eggs and fruit on hand for snacks, but even those take time to prepare when young children need help peeling or cutting.

I exercised today for an hour with a hard aerobic video, Slim-in-6. I have used this program many times to lose my pregnancy pounds.

Day 15
I cheated again. It was a choice, though, at a birthday party. I had a small piece of carrot cake and a few bites of Moose Tracks brownie ice cream. Now, before Paleo, I could eat an entire carton of Moose Tracks by myself in one sitting. (My metabolism got a great workout in those days!) I expressed concern that too much sugar might cause a great stomachache, but I found that I had lost my taste for ice cream. Sure, it was tasty, but I simply did not want more than a few bites. I even left some on my plate. I mean, talk about uncharacteristic! I'm the mom that goes around finishing up everyone else's dessert before cleaning the dishes. So I call that a success!

I also spent $500 at Sam's Club today on items like nuts, meat, and produce. Sigh.

Day 16
I managed to work out today, too! I committed to exercise every other day for the sake of this Paleo experiment, but I have allowed things like volleyball or hiking to substitute for focused workouts. I have always emphasized healthy eating and exercise, but let's face it, we don't live at The Ranch. I have to live life, too, and if one of my kids is sick, or makes a time-consuming mess, or needs some attention for behavior  issues, I have to change my schedule. Usually, workouts are the first to go. Actually, truthfully, doing the dishes is the first to go. We live life and do the best we can do, and if it's killing us, then something has to change.

I fixed spaghetti squash for dinner after church, but I didn't make the kids eat it since they had pizza at church. They always groan when I say "spaghetti squash." When my youngest son asked what I was eating, I responded, "Salmon fun-noodles!" He eagerly consumed more than half my bowl. I call that good marketing!


Day 17
I don't know if I'll push to continue the Paleo diet past our trial period. The children have ample opportunity at all our social activities to enjoy candy, cookies, donuts, and pizza, and they exercise no restraint whatsoever. I happened upon my daughter today in the act of receiving candy after church. When I suggested she save it for our cheat day, the teacher pulled out a bag of non-candy treats, and my daughter happily chose two fun-bands instead. Why can't we just start with the fun-bands?

I see great benefits in reducing our sugar intake and cutting out the processed snack foods. Perhaps I'll continue the Paleo diet at home without ever referring to it as the Paleo diet. Mr. Paleo informed me today that by continuing to consume fruits, we did not, in fact, cut out sugar. He says your body reacts to all sugar the same--whether processed or natural--by producing insulin and storing away the energy as fat. But I have seen a great improvement in our children's overall emotional stability and health by removing the intake of processed sugar alone.

Mr. Paleo taught me how to cook bacon in the oven today. If I can find a wire rack for my half-sheet cookie sheet, I can cook enough bacon at once for our whole family without babysitting a skillet for half an hour. I cooked 3 pounds today, and my kids still wanted more. Bacon may well be the very best part of the Paleo diet.
 
Paleo Pros:
1.  Freedom from counting calories and portion sizes.
2. Loss of gluttonous desires in my weakest point--dessert!
3. Freedom to eat until I'm full.
4. BACON!

Paleo Cons:
1. Socially inhibitive. We either feel rude for rejecting the food others prepared for a party, for church, or for dinner, or we have to cheat. Chances are very slim that you will just happen upon Paleo food at a party. It's even difficult to stay on diet eating out. (Not that we eat out much with our family of 8. We did go to Sonic once and strip the hot dogs of their buns before handing them over. It's a lot harder to pay $2 for a bare hot dog than for the whole shebang.)
2. Cost prohibitive. This diet is expensive. Mr. Paleo shook his head when I complained about this. He responded, "Then you're doing it wrong." Um, no, I'm not, smartie-pants. Do you know I can feed my whole family on mac-n-cheese for $5, but to dress up spaghetti squash for them all costs $10 or so? Did you know Sam's Club sells granola bars for 20 cents each, but kiwi for 50 cents each? Maybe no one told you rice and beans are a cheap way to fill up your belly. Oatmeal, grits, pasta--the list goes on and on. Too bad the government doesn't subsidize, oh, I don't know, almonds, perhaps, instead of wheat flour!
3. Time prohibitive. Let's face it. If you want your family to eat well, you are going to have to take the time to prepare their food. Convenience foods aren't healthy, even without the Paleo restriction.
4. So far, no weight loss for me. I mean, I call that a con, because on a low-cal, low-fat diet, I could have lost at least 5 pounds by now with all this dedication and motivation. Though my true goal is not a number on the scale, I have not reached my pre-pregnancy size and delved into my wonderful bucket of clothing awaiting me in the attic!

Next: Days 18-20