What works best for you?

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
Yesterday was my son's semi-final game for the State Cup soccer tournament.  He put up a good fight, but they lost, 3-0.  While standing on the sidelines, making small talk with the other parents, I found myself in a conversation about gluten-free/paleo/high protein diets.  Imagine that?  This mom I was talking to is hilarious, and gluten-free!  We laughed and admitted to our judgement of "those sensitive people" that can't just eat everything like we could, prior to experiencing life without grains/gluten.  And how much better we feel since removing those items ourselves. 

Paleo is everywhere, even on the soccer sidelines.

It's not like I think everyone should stop eating grains today.  I can only say how surprised I am at how much better my body feels without them.  And how easy it is to not eat any grains.  I also find that it helps curb my emotional eating.  Without the quick carbs to stuff my face with, I tend to not stuff my face with anything.  I will turn to the foods I can eat, but how much meat and veggies can one eat at a sitting.  These foods just don't have that same effect when it comes to emotional eating.

I get stuck between trying to figure out the science of why this diet might feel better, and just taking the inherent cues from my body and believing that.  There's all the paleo websites and books, there's the new Abascal Way -TQI diet (To Quiet Inflammation) that seems to be the rage on Vashon Island and beyond, the Diet Cure book I bought...so many resources out there that claim high protein/low carb diets are the way to go.  But I bet there's just as many that say eating a vegan diet or eating no meat is best, and that you need carbs to be healthy. 

That's the thing, right?  Find what works best for you.  Why not try different ways of eating to see what works best for your body and your lifestyle, so you feel your best?

Paleo Cheat? Or not?

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
I bought a pint of Luna and Larry's Dark Chocolate Coconut Bliss Ice Cream from the co-op yesterday.  I don't even really go for ice cream usually, but I like dark chocolate, and I was feeling down.  I wanted something.  Anything.

I looked all over the internet for an idea as to whether this is "paleo" or not.  Which actually brings up a whole other part of the paleo thing for me.  I don't get paleo pancakes, paleo bread, paleo cake.  I just don't get it...it still seems processed and even though you're using "paleo" ingredients because they're allowed (like almond flour), it doesn't fit the mold for me.  But that's just me.  If you search paleo recipes on Tastespotting, you'll see I must be in the minority on this one.

Then there I was in the co-op ready to pummel the next toddler that almost rammed into me with those tiny carts, all crabby and desperate for some food to save me and everyone else from myself, and I bought it.  Agave Syrup and all.  23 grams of carbohydrates per serving.  And I ate it.

It was satisfying and I felt a little better when I was eating it.  But I have to say, I didn't feel any better afterwards.  I didn't feel worse either, just not better.

So, paleo cheat or not, it's still just something to consume.  It's not some magical antidote for ridding yourself of emotions.  Actually, I would assert that most things we look to for that kind of relief only eventually make the problem worse.

Sometimes growing up sucks.

Why am I doing this?

Posted by Melissa Baumgart

I said no to this twice this month.  Why?

 I had to get on the scale today.  I had a doctor's appointment because I need to get vaccinations to be in a clinic with pregnant women. (I start clinic tomorrow!!!!)  I stepped onto my scale this morning, because I didn't want to be caught off guard in public when I stepped onto the doctor's scale. 


My last weigh in for Weight Watchers was on 3/22, so nearly a month ago, and after paleo for three weeks.  I was kinda excited, for once, to step on the scale.  It felt strange to pull it off of the shelf where it had been sitting, dead silent for weeks.  Then the familiar steps of setting it down, making sure it wasn't sitting too close to the moulding between the floor and the wall so as not to mess up the reading, making sure the the towel wasn't hanging in my way form the rack above, sucking in my stomach (as if that helps) and slowly stepping on.

Waiting.

I lost 2 pounds since that last weigh in.  TWO POUNDS!

I don't even know what to say.  I wasn't necessarily in the paleo for weight loss.  Or was I?  Either way, I was hopeful that I had lost weight.  And I was clearly devastated by the low number I have lost. 

I wonder if it ever truly goes away?  This desire for the magic number on the scale?  Or if the time it takes to process the emotions around it just gets shorter?

I'll still do paleo, because I feel better eating this way.  And that's all that matters.  Right?