Two Weeks Down!

Well, I've finished my second successful week of Primal Blueprint\Paleo! Woohoo! It's been much easier than any other eating plan that I can ever recall doing. I've had success in the past with Atkins, Fit For Life and the Sonoma Diet. Paleo seems like a great combination of all of these styles (sans grains and dairy), yet it is it's own animal (pardon the pun!) A lot of my favorite recipes from these plans can also be used for Paleo, which is great since I have my own "comfort foods" recipes from them. I'll be posting some of them soon as I break out the old recipes and start making them again.

Things I've noticed over the past two weeks:

• Much more energy (important, since I'm a working mom with an active toddler)
• Seasonal allergies don't seem nearly as bad as they usually are this time of year for me
• I don't feel bloated and swollen like I have for the past two years
• I've lost 5 pounds (it's a start!)
• I don't have the blood sugar and mood swings I used to have. I was usually either hungry, tired, crabby or all three. Not anymore!
• I can only eat about 2 meals a day. I'm just not hungry for a third. Usually it's breakfast and lunch. If I have enough protein at lunch, I'm wired with energy and don't even want to think about dinner. I'd rather have a hot cup of tea and perhaps a light snack. I can't ever remember NOT being hungry on the other plans!

I am also having trouble sleeping. Seems like I'm almost hyper at bedtime. Having a baby who doesn't sleep through the night doesn't help either. What's weird is that I've had enough energy to deal with this (usually it would wreck me with my schedule). I was also able to give up coffee cold turkey after only two days on the plan. With no headaches! Very strange but great!

I do feel a bit foggy sometimes. I know there's the dreaded carb flu that most newbies get. I'm wondering if I'm also fighting a sinus infection. My ears are ringing and there's sometimes pressure in my head. I'm not in any pain though and my nose doesn't run that much. Could just be my body adjusting to actually having some real food finally!

From a penny pinching standpoint, it's not a bad time to start this plan, since the garden is still producing and the farmer's markets are going strong. I'll be dreading the lack of fresh local produce in a few more weeks, though! I'm seriously wondering how this is all going to play out over the winter. I also walk almost every day (free fitness!), but that will come to a grinding halt when the snow and ice set in over the Midwest. Winter is definitely going to be interesting on Paleo! I think the other seasons here are wonderful. We have plenty of local farms and produce, and lots of wide open spaces for Groks and Grokettes to play.

In the meantime, fall is almost here, and there is no place on earth more beautiful than the Midwest in fall! (In my humble opinion!) I'll be exploring frugal, delicious Paleo dishes with pumpkins and other winter squashes, as well as cranberries, apples, pears, root veggies and other fun stuff. Come join the party, we're just getting started here!

 Kim :)