Endless options… From Atkins to the Zone, via Paleo, and everything in between

Over the years, I’ve tried many ‘diets’ and quick fixes. Some worked, some didn’t. I usually steered clear of the ones that said high protein though, because the assumption was high protein = lots of meat!

A friend of mine has been doing Paleo this week and was telling me about the super results she’s been seeing. She’s a meat eater though and I was not surprised because Paleo, like some others, bases itself on an entirely meat core. Duh… derived from Paleolithic cavemen et al :D! She said that in a matter of days she feels much better, lighter, because the bloating has gone down. And how she never actually connected bloating to the carbohydrates, usually blaming it on the stuff that went with grains like the sauces and the curries. Makes complete sense doesn’t it? Paleo, in addition to taking out grains because cooked grains weren’t eaten by cave people, also says that grains case a lot of the inflammatory digestive issues that a lot of us modern dayers have. So, I decided to do a little research on whether it was workable for a vegetarian and found this cool article.

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/paleo-vegetarian-8-weeks/

For me this was an interesting read because vegetarians, me included on occasion, do tend to go the victim route with the ‘oh but most eating plans are made for meat eaters’. And yes we may be right but there are options if you put a little elbow grease into it. As I’ve always said, anything worth having requires you to work your butt off (pun intended, hyuk hyuk).

While I’m not advocating a purely Paleo lifestyle for most vegetarians – its too restrictive in the long term, like the article says, its possible. Most ‘diets’ are super restrictive at first glance and it’s easy to dismiss them and say ‘ooops this is not for me’. In my opinion this is because they are geared for weight loss, and in the interest of accountability, can’t have the average person taking liberties and totally messing it up. But things can and WILL work in moderation because, guess what, even one half of the good trends in some of these plans is probably better than what a lot of us are doing currently. And this will show. Also, at the risk of sounding like I’m harping on about the same thing, it builds good habits. Guess what else? Most modern diets are a variation on the same theme! 40% carbs from low GI/non grain sources primarily; and the remaining 60 split somewhat equally between fats and proteins. I swear, look it up.

So here is an updated piece written by the same person. Very illuminating as well, on what she ate, recipes and how she felt etc

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/paleo-diet-vegetarian-q-and-a/

I guess what I’m saying is the options exist whether is Paleo or something else. Use some common sense. Read the millions of resources out there. Ask lots of questions when you’re unsure. Essentially, pick your ‘friend’ and stick with them through thick and ummmmm… thin (I’m full of the puns today aren’t I? J)

I would love to hear from you on what works and what doesn’t as well.

And as ever my loves, think happy thin thoughts. Kiss kiss.

Now I’ve heard it all… Excuses or genuine things can happen to derail your diet and how to overcome them

In the world of excuses, my-father-has-cancer-and-I-had-to-go-see-him-flying-halfway-across-the-world-with-my-toddler-and-stress-ate probably is a pretty rare one (he’s doing well now, thanks, having treatment and on the mend so hopefully will make a full recovery). To each of us though the things that ail us seem all encompassing. And sometimes insurmountable. So how do you stick to something seemingly inane in comparison like healthy eating? And when you don’t, how do you get back on track?

The trick is simple. One step at a time, as with all things. This is not the time to prove your super human ability to multitask. Buckle down, make a list of will-dos and do one at a time.

I’ve seen over the past 5 odd weeks my habits go to pot one at a time. I ate whatever, whenever. Literally. Not because anyone made me. But because I needed an outlet and essentially an excuse to cheat. It’s the nature of the beast. If you can cheat you will, so I try to be aware of that and work to fix it.

So what am I going to do now that I’m back and excuse free (for the minute at least, life keeps happening though, doesn’t it?)?

In my last post I’d talked about WW360 and the focus on habits. That’s where I start. Today. And my first habit is – drink water. I feel all bloated and dehydrated at the same time. My skin is a mess and I feel all kinds of symptoms of headaches and acidity and suchlike. And for me, all of this is linked to water. So water is what I give myself. When I lived in warmer climes and worked fulltime in an office I drank loads of the stuff. Now it’s not quite as easy.

So starting today, for the rest of the week I’m going to focus on building up my consumption of water to about 2-2.5 liters a day. I’ve got myself a pretty pink Tupperware bottle that’s 1.1 liters and that’s where I begin. 1 this week. And 2 from next week.

What’s your habit for the week? Pick one and keep at it. Don’t worry if you have several bad days. I’ve been trying the water thing half-heartedly the past few days and once even took the entire full bottle to the next day! Lol.

Everything starts with a few small steps. So as ever, think happy, positive and most of all, thin thoughts. Kiss kiss.