As a CrossFitter, I am constantly bombarded by stories of people living a strict Paleo lifestyle. There's a wealth of information out there for us to learn from, and most of it is very well-intentioned. But am I all alone in the feeling that sometimes it feels like there is so much pressure out there to be 100% Paleo 100% of the time? Like if you cheat you've totally fallen off the wagon and it will take months to get back to normal. Heaven forbid you would out one night or have a piece of bread with your dinner, right? Yes, there are some websites out there that take it too far, as well as the very well-intentioned parenting blogs that lead me to have mommy guilt for my daughter not being Paleo as well. However, I try to keep it in perspective and remember that they mean well and I'm just entirely too sensitive to anything having to do with the kinds of food I put into my body. Which is now my new struggle that I'm trying to figure out.
It was not until after I joined CFX that I began to learn exactly why certain types of food are bad for you, and what effects it can have on your weight loss efforts. I've always known that nutrition and exercise go hand-in-hand but if you asked me how I know that or why I believe it I could not give you a straight answer. I yo-yo-dieted for my entire life until CrossFit. Once I began CrossFit I was forced to realize where my weaknesses are, and what my triggers are for my dieting issues. You can't run from things in CrossFit because they will always come back eventually (lovely how that works, huh?). Although it has taken me a while because I'm stubborn, I'm trying to learn more about how the Paleo lifestyle can actually help me find a way out of this perpetual cycle of fatigue I am experiencing. Why have I not been hard core Paleo this entire time? Because it's hard! It's not easy giving up things that i used to use for comfort. Food was my comfort when I was sad/happy/anxious/worried/stressed/etc. If you take that away then what is my coping mechanism now? Well - that's what I have been trying to figure out. I shouldn't have to turn to food for these things, and neither should you. We need to figure out why food is always our drug of choice and the first step for me has been reading the book "It Starts With Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. If you're at all involved in the Paleo-sphere of life then you have heard of this book. They go into all the sciency information and help you understand what foods in the Standard American Diet do to your body. You know that food pyramid you were told to follow as a kid? That thing is a joke. I'm now learning that the reason I felt so good on our first Paleo Challenge last year was because it really was cleaning out my system of the junk - it wasn't all in my head. There's things happening inside your body every time you put something into your mouth, and it will either have a good or bad consequence. I'm tired of the bad consequences, but I have to turn off my cravings for these things. That's not easy to do.
Our next Paleo Challenge begins next week, and I've decided to follow a stricter version which is the Whole 30 (www.whole9life.com). The reason for this is because I am tired of the ups and downs during my day and constantly relying on caffeine to stay sane. I am Paleo about 80% of the time, but that also includes Paleo "treats" because I miss my junk food sometimes. On Whole 30 I will not be allowed to have any added sugar, including Paleo-approved sweeteners such as raw honey or agave. I also must limit my caffeine intake which is the big kicker. I decided to start this Paleo Challenge early because I want to prove to myself that I can make it this long. So I am officially starting my Whole 30 tomorrow. Today was full of massive caffeine headaches, so I am not looking forward to that ( I decided to ditch the caffeine today). There's one part of the caffeine I am not ready to give up yet though, and that is my pre-workout supplement. Yes, I use a pre-workout supplement. I'm not really happy that I have to, but I can't make myself perform how I need to without it just yet - not at 5:30am on limited sleep.
I've kinda gone off on rabbit trails here, but what I really wanted to point out is that I should look at this with the vision I had about 3 years ago. I dealt with very severe PPD/PPA after my daughter was born because she was very sick her first year. I also dealt with depression for many years prior to her birth, but weaned myself off of my medication prior to try to become pregnant. Getting off of medication I was dependent on to feel normal was one of the hardest struggles I've gone through. But I took each day one at a time and each day I didn't have to take medication was a huge victory. Soon those victories were strung together into an entire week, 2 weeks, a month, and longer. My emotions were all over the place for a while during the withdrawlPaleo Challenge, and not taking no for an answer. I'll never get past it if I give up. I don't give up any more.
I know many of you reading this are part of our Paleo Challenge these next 35 days. I challenge you to give up something that is Paleo but comforting to you. Find something that will push you until the end so you can truly feel accomplished when it's over. AND - if you fall off the wagon during this challenge please do not beat yourself up....and I better not find you at a restaurant bingeing out because you "failed". There is no failing if you keep trying again, so never stop trying again! Got it? I am here for you, let us all help each other find a way to get through this and enjoy it. This should not be torture - if it is then you're not ready for it yet. It should be uncomfortable, but not torture.
I'm anxious and nervous about this, because I honestly feel like it will be a daily struggle to not give in when I'm tired but I also know if I don't go cold-turkey I can't get accurate lab readings either. I need to know if there is something outside of food that is wrong inside. the only way to find out for sure is to clean it out and get the tests run.
Hang in there, it's only 35 days!!
