Week 16 Scorecard

I have not known what to expect for today. Changing to the Paleo eating plan has been an interesting experiment for the last week. I've not had to measure out three ounces of meat to make a serving -- and I can have a handful of almonds or a spoon of cashew butter without guilt. Of course, all that freedom for a control freak like me is not an easy transition. How will I know if I've had too much to eat if I don't count the calories?

Turns out, our bodies are smarter than we give them credit for. I really didn't overeat -- there were a few moments when I felt like I was too full, but not like in the past when it was all indulgent (Mexican) food, full of cheese and carbs....okay, I'm stopping that right now. Anyway, if I ate a little more than was comfortable, it never lasted more than an hour. Even better, any temptation to eat more was pretty rare - unlike the cavemen for whom this plan is named, my need to eat like I don't know where my next meal is coming from didn't show up.

Because of the changes, I'm measuring a few different things for the next few weeks.

• I voluntarily put mushrooms in something I was cooking. I ate one. I did not gag, I didn't spit it out. [I also didn't eat any in the leftovers, but who cares.]
• The only restaurant meal was when we were out of town and I was as careful as I could be. No cheese or croutons on the salad (*sob) and no dinner roll crossed my lips. I can't be certain there was no sugar in the marinade on the steak, but it couldn't have been much. Steamed veggies instead of a potato.
• I made new foods -- zucchini chips, chocolate pudding with -- get this -- avocados as the base. Seriously, who knew that avocados had such a neutral flavor. Cocoa powder, honey, spices, and it is an awesome spread for fruit.
• I had some pretty good workouts. And I really tried not to make excuses for stopping early or not pushing as hard.

Things I need to watch on this plan:

• Just because almonds and pistachios are "legal" doesn't mean I should eat a pound of them at a time. I cut myself some slack last week because it helped me not crave (or give in to) chips or crackers.
• I need the structure of planned meals so I always have lunch prepared -- either leftovers or the stuff for salads, etc. Sandwiches have changed shape.
• Wine is legal, too. 'Nuff said.

So my ultimate result for this morning was down .4 of a pound. A couple of days ago it was a full two pounds down, so I need to be patient.

My first explicit goal is 20 pounds by my next weigh in. That's only a pound and a half this week, and I'm determined to do it.

Oh, and here's what is REALLY cool about this week. I mentioned that a huge driver in this decision is my husband's blood sugar, which has spiked back up after years of controlling it with diet and exercise. The difference is huge -- he's not been on the high end of his good range all week. Forget the weight loss -- THAT is a reason to stay focused right there.

It's been kind of fun trying new stuff, and I'll keep doing that. Stay tuned for some new recipes that I try.