WIAW: Paleo Habits
Happy Wednesday everyone! I woke up this morning thinking it was Friday, and thinking the week was almost over. My mind plays cruel tricks on me every now and then.
I decided to take part in this WIAW because yesterday I really tried to change my eating habits. Lately I’ve been grabbing whatever’s convenient and just eating it, and a lot of that has included eating out. If you read any sort of healthy living blogs, you’ll know that Paleo is all the rage these days. I’m going to be honest, I hated the idea of Paleo when I first saw it. I honestly thought that the Paleo diet went against everything a healthy balance stands for. It includes restriction and exclusion of food groups, and reminded me of the Atkins fad that went around a couple of years ago.
Plus, I’ve always been a firm believer in a healthy balance, and any “eating style” that makes you restrict a food group has always rubbed me the wrong way. Everything in moderation y’all – it works.
That being said, I do think Paleo has some great qualities about it. I’ve been a little bit of a carb-a-whore all of my life, so I can definitely go without all the carbs I eat in my day to day diet (AHHH BUT I LOVE IT). So yesterday I tried a new theory I’m testing out. I tried to make (most) of my meals 70-80% Paleo. Now, I didn’t follow it exactly and I wasn’t strict about it at all, but it definitely made me more aware of what I was eating and how to make healthy decisions.
Breakfast
Two egg omelet with ham, cheese, peppers, and onions.
Lunch
Mixed green salad with hard-boiled egg whites, grilled chicken, red peppers and balsamic dressing.
When I got home from work around 5:30, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that both of these meals had kept me full throughout the entire day. I never once craved a snack, or a bag of chips, or something to quench my sweet tooth. Was it the 80% Paleo eating? Maybe. Was it the healthier choices I made while trying to stick to Paleo? Definitely.
I was starting to get hungry, but I wanted to hit the gym before I made dinner for the night. I quickly hardboiled two eggs (and failed to make sure the yolk was cooked all the way throug…fail) and ate the egg whites.
This clearly wasn’t enough to fuel me through a workout, so I grabbed a chocolate peanut butter 90 calorie bar we had sitting in the pantry. It definitely did the trick, and I had plenty of energy while at the gym that night.
I haven’t gone grocery shopping in weeks so I’ve been using up the last of my resources for meals. I’m running really low – so I decided to make some pasta with marinara sauce and broccoli. It was delicious!
All in all, my views on Paleo haven’t changed. I think doing Paleo 100% of the time and being 100% strict isn’t for everyone, and it’s definitely not for me. I don’t have the time, energy, money, or desire to do that. But, by trying to eat 80% Paleo each day it’s led me to make healthier choices. Whether or not they were “Paleo-friendly”, who knows? But they were healthy and good choices for me, and that’s what counts!
Let’s Talk – Have you tried Paleo? What are your thoughts on the Paleo lifestyle?
I'm a twenty something with restless feet and a wanderlust filled heart. I currently live in Boston, but that doesn't stop me from traveling the world. I'm a lover of spontaneity, smiling, adventure, and beer. Follow along on my journey on living a life full of laughter. 
i agree with your thoughts 1000000% sticking to a “strict diet” or having “restrictions” does not work for me, AT ALL. I just get angry, especially when they don’t work. Lately, I’ve just been more purposeful and thoughtful about the foods I eat. I also think I have engraved some Paleo components into my diet. I try to stay away carbs and starchy foods. I don’t even buy them or have them around in the house, I find that works so great for me! When I went home for Christmas, I found that when my parents fixed french fries or potatoes as a side dish, i was skipping out on them and just eating more veggies, I wasn’t even missing them. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still have cravings for carbs and I let myself have them just in moderation, like once a week or something! I’ve been eating this way since around August – and I not only feel better but look better and have more energy! It has truly become a “lifestyle change” and not a “diet”. I still eat sweets, just I’m more thoughtful on those too – instead of buying reeses, I’ll buy a 85% dark chocolate. One small cube is enough to satisfy my craving and yet it’s not so sweet that it becomes addicting and i eat the whole bar. Also, I found that incorporating beans into meals – black beans, white beans, refried beans, are GREAT substitutions for the carbs/starchy “normal sides” they provide you with GREAT energy and are very filling!
- sorry for the novel, but I just found it so interesting and nice to see someone else who is against these “strict” rules and more about listening to your body & just being more active in thought when choosing meals.
Ahh I love the novel! I love discussions and seeing what other people think. When I restrict myself of a food group, I want it more than ANYTHING! It may work for some people, but it’s never been the way I can live. Now, portion control, on the other hand, definitely works for me as well. I still enjoy pasta, and rice, and the other carbs that I used to crave constantly, but I do so with smaller portions of that and larger portions of veggies, proteins, etc. I fill up on everything else that I don’t WANT more of the carbs by the time I’m done with my meal because I’m full!
I don’t really agree with the concept of paleo at all for serious runners just because science shows that they are important for exercise. That being said, I think if you follow it loosely it can be a really good way to stay in check with your diet. I know I am a person who indulges in too many carbs often and I could stand to cut some out, but I will never be someone that stops eating them entirely. I know I need them and my body is extremely sensitive to not getting a balanced amount of nutrients. The pasta dish you had was the perfect way to balance it, in my opinion.
You put it perfectly, if you follow it loosely it can be a really good wya to stay in check with your diet. I think it’s a good way to be aware of what you should really be fueling your body with but without completely restricting something from your diet that you enjoy. And I’m the same way with carbs. I had a low carb breakfast and lunch, but dinner I slightly indulged but balanced it out with a cup of broccoli mixed in. Everything in moderation!
Ah paleo… So there is literature out there both ways say it is great for serious athletes and not. The crossfit community is definitely the driver behind it and those people are jack nasty. That being said… I am not jack nasty nor am I going to restrict myself from something all the time. I eat paleo pretty much all the time but feel zero guilt eating something non paleo. I love movie theater popcorn and I eat it every time I go to the movies, which is probably every / every other week. I also LOVE chips and salsa so I do that about every other week. Oh and chocolate… currently I’m finding that almost every day but I go in phases in general of loving and not loving sweets. What I have found though is that since I stopped eating dairy and grains my belly is a lot flatter all day, aka no bloating or that beer belly feeling. For that I flipping LOVE paleo. I can also see my body changing as a combined effort of paleo and running / lifting.
Every one just needs to find their happy place with consumption. Our bodies and activity levels are all different and require different things. For what I am doing right now, paleo with occasional benefits fits the bill : )
Ever since reading your posts about Paleo, it’s made me want to try it. However, I know I can’t commit 100%. I won’t shop specifically for Paleo and I will indulge every now and then. But just by having the Paleo diet on the brain it’s led me to make SO many better choices. And honestly, I’ve heard awesome stories about how Paleo helps a flatter stomach, which is my problem area and the place I gain weight first (especially after those Panera bread bowls
). I agree that everyone needs to find what works for them and although I’m not necessarily doing the Paleo diet, I’m looking to the Paleo lifestyle to help me make better choices!
I take offense to being called “jack nasty”….ouch. I do CrossFit and I eat a Paleo diet. I felt the same way at first, not being happy about restricting food groups or eating a ton of meat, but you know what? It works.
I have never had a flatter stomach, more energy or better strength as when I have combined these two fantastic things.
Something about gluten was effing up my life pretty bad (I had some serious hair falling out issues that had been going on for almost two years) and they COMPLETELY disappeared when I went paleo.
So just like it is not cool put people down for being vegan or being runners, it is not cool to lump all us paleo crossfitters into the same bandwagon. We are not all the same.
Hey Elizabeth, I honestly think Megan meant the term “jack nasty” as a compliment. I know I’ve used the word nasty in a complimentary phrase (ex: that touchdown was nasty, etc.). I think people who do CrossFit are hands down AWESOME and have some of the best bodies I’ve seen! I’ve actually been wanting to try CrossFit, but my biggest fear is that I wouldn’t be able to keep up and I really don’t want to embarass myself by my lack of endurance and/or strength
I have heard so many great things about the Paleo diet, and as much as I would love to want to do it I know I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it. The restriction would cause me to binge eat eventually, but by keeping Paleo in my thoughts I’ve found that I made such better choices on a day to day basis! I wish I could completely cross over though, I could use a flatter stomach
I completely agree with you regarding lumping CrossFitters or runners or vegans into the same category, and I hope that you didn’t get that from my post! The main thing I wanted people to take from this was that different meal plans or diets or foods work better for each individual person BECAUSE of the fact that each of our bodies are all different. I don’t think anyone’s eating style is “right” or “wrong” and I don’t think anyone should criticize something if it works for them!
P.S. I think it’s super awesome that you’re a Paleo crossfitter. I’m dying to grow the balls to join a box!
I am with you Sara! I can’t restrict something a lot because it makes me want it more. What you’ve done seems to be a happy medium and something I should look into introducing to my own life.
It’s definitely easier said than done. I struggle with it constantly!
I totally agree with you! I believe you can eat anything you desire as long as it’s in moderation, if you want that piece of cheesecake have it but just don’t eat the whole cheesecake. And I find that the more you tell yourself “no” to eating something the more you want it. But I do have a couple friends who are 95-100% Paleo and love it. One of my friends from highschool has lost close to 160 pounds in a year being Paleo so I guess it works for some and it isn’t the right thing for others. I do love your idea of eating paleo style meals and making healthier decisions! You go girl!
I have found that everyone who is actually DOING Paleo loves it! It’s crazy – and I wish I had that kind of discipline but I will never, ever give up carbs. End of story.
Oh no!! Sorry about your failed HB eggs
Oh it’s fine! I really don’t like the yolk anyways, so it worked out perfectly
Until bread is considered paleo, I will NOT be trying it.
Seriously. I LOVE CARBS