Why I Eat Paleo

Welcome to my new readers! Thank you, Katie's blog, for sending people my way.

In case you were wondering, and to keep you from reading a bunch of blog posts to figure it out, the following is a list of why I decided to change to a Paleo/caveman/dino-food way of eating. Okay, I'm really doing this list for me, but you're welcome to read along!

  1. I am tired of measuring/weighing/counting my food intake. After a half-lifetime of dealing with calories or WW points, I'm just over it.
  2. It's a challenge. When I first learned about it, I was all "I can't give up...[fill in the blank]!!! Turns out, I can. I can pretty much do whatever I decide to do.
  3. But it's not particularly difficult. "In" and "out" foods are pretty straightforward. Once I wrapped my head around the fact that peanuts are legumes and not nuts, it was all easy from there. When I read a menu or a recipe, I immediately know whether it's Paleo friendly or not. And I can make my choice from there.
  4. My definition of a "treat" has already changed. I really wanted some dry cereal a couple of weeks ago. I grabbed a handful, expecting to be transported to some higher plane of enjoyment. Meh, not so much. It was okay, but I didn't need the handful. My expectations of anything I eat are extremely high -- that better be an ah-mazing cookie before I'm going to be tempted. I think maybe wedding cake could qualify, but I haven't had the opportunity lately.
  5. It doesn't stop me from social situations. I will plan ahead, or make suggestions that I know I can live with, but just two months in, I'm already okay with avoiding the cheese and crackers on the snack table. People may look at me funny, but that's pretty normal.
  6. I'm seldom hungry. Paleo isn't specifically designed for weight loss, but there's a huge help in being satisfied by the foods you eat. I don't go to bed hungry, I don't skip meals, I don't really feel the urge to snack much. I don't have to measure out 3 ounces of a protein and force myself to stop. If I want 5 ounces, I eat it. I eat more vegetables than I ever have in my life. I finish a meal full but not stuffed, and I'll still be satisfied two hours later. This is very different from those thousands of meals where I'd fill up on some carb, be miserable leaving the table, and yet look for something to nibble on in a couple of hours.
  7. I feel better. I don't have heartburn or digestive issues. I sleep well. I have energy to work out.

That in a nutshell is why, at this moment, two months in, Paleo is working for me. I know it is not for everyone. But if you're tired of whatever you've been doing, or it's not working, or you can't maintain it, maybe a little research is what you need. There are some excellent websites that give guidelines and recipes. Nerd Fitness, The Clothes Make the Girl, Whole9/Whole30, and Health-Bent are my favorites.

I wondered how many reasons I'd come up with. This may be one of those constantly updated posts!

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