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| Sorry. Sometimes cute cat photos just say it best. |
OMG I can't believe I say things like that now. When did I get so old? Pass the Metamucil, would you?
The most important lesson learned for me this week was how important planning and preparing things ahead of time are for this diet. The food restrictions leave you a fair amount of wiggle room on a day to day basis, but if you get caught without the food you need at hand, and the time to prepare it, it's hard to stay on track.
For example, breakfast. The granola recipe I'd intended to try last week didn't get made until Wednesday. On Monday and Tuesday, breakfast at work was a challenge. Can't do instant oatmeal, can't do yogurt and fruit, and it's hard to cook eggs at work. Take out options are mostly a no go- no pastries from Starbucks (obviously), no breakfast sandwiches.
It's an avoidable problem, but to stick to this diet you have to commit to the planning and time required to set yourself up for success.
I also learned that 100% fidelity to this plan isn't required- at least it wasn't for me this week- as long as you try to eat "clean" the majority of the time. My nephew Eli stayed with us this weekend, and I certainly wasn't going to pass up the chance for ice cream or farmer's market croissants. Everything in moderation, including moderation, as Ron likes to say.
Time for math facts!
Weight: -1.5 lbs (-3 lbs total)
Time for math facts!
Weight: -1.5 lbs (-3 lbs total)
Ok, slow and steady I can handle. I was less active this week, overall- much less running, both because of time constraints and the grotesque weather (thank god global warming is just a theory, though, right??). Not quite as adherent to the plan as I was in week 1. All in all, a very live-able result.
Bodyfat: -0.6% (-0.5% total)
Although I like this number better than the +0.1% result from last week, I still think it's a bit sketchy, as a data point. It's trending the right way, so I'll keep reporting it, but until it is consistently down (or up) by a larger amount, I think it's too easily impacted by hydration to be super meaningful.
Activity:
Avg calories burned/day: 2365 (-277)
Avg steps/day: 12,559 (+99/day)
Time spent sedentary: 81.2% (+1.3%)
Miles run: 3 (6 fewer than last week- wah...waaaah)
Bodyfat: -0.6% (-0.5% total)
Although I like this number better than the +0.1% result from last week, I still think it's a bit sketchy, as a data point. It's trending the right way, so I'll keep reporting it, but until it is consistently down (or up) by a larger amount, I think it's too easily impacted by hydration to be super meaningful.
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| By Yolanda Padilla |
Avg steps/day: 12,559 (+99/day)
Time spent sedentary: 81.2% (+1.3%)
Miles run: 3 (6 fewer than last week- wah...waaaah)
Overall, a bit of a mixed picture. I walked more per day than I did the week before, but ran less, burned fewer calories, and overall spent more time sedentary. That's what being chained to your desk will do for ya.
Calories:
Sort of fell down on the job here, guys, sorry. I didn't keep a food journal like I should have so can't really report this.
Livability:
I introduced my livability scale here. Here's how the Paleo Diet measured up this week.
Will Ron eat it?
I think Ron is getting a bit sick of it already. It's an easy diet to modify, if one person in the household is following it and another not- he can always add a roll to dinner, or get a sandwich for lunch at work if he's sick of the Paleo-craziness. But he's trying to stick to it, despite really preferring a little pasta with his chicken and pesto. I think he really misses his yogurt and granola breakfast the most.
Oh, and cookies.
Is it weird?
The granola recipe this week, while not weird, definitely required shopping for some things I wouldn't normally have in the house (almond meal, coconut oil). And those things aren't weird, per se, but it is a bit strange to me to be seeking out new sources of fat when I already have so many delicious ones in my arsenal.
Will it make me a pariah?
Nope. Again, pretty easy to modify. This week there weren't any social events besides eating in restaurants to contend with, and Paleo is pretty easy to negotiate, as long as you aren't tooooo strict. Having worked as a waitress, I can tell you that "please don't use butter" when you order is effective approximately 0.3% of the time.
The Big Cheat
This week, instead of saving my "cheating" for one big meal, I gave myself some more limited flexibility at a couple of different meals. For example, for brunch out with Ron's parents I had crab cakes benedict- poached eggs, crab cakes, and asparagus. I skipped the biscuit it was served on and the hash browns it came with, but the hollandaise sauce that tied it all together was well worth it.
Similarly, during a surprise dinner out with my family, I stuck to the plan through dinner- had some fabulous lamb chops and roasted green beans for dinner. But I definitely enjoyed my gelato for dessert.
Also, this week required a fair amount of wine to get through. Surely even a caveman could identify with that.
Looking Ahead
This coming week (and the following) are going to present a new challenge- traveling for work.
I am going to spend the next 2 weeks working in Zambia, which will be the biggest test of how "livable" Paleo is to date.
I actually think eating there will be pretty easy- much easier than if I were trying to follow a vegetarian diet (or god forbid, raw!).
Remember this scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding? One of my all-time favorites:
But I think eating on the plane is going to be tough. I asked some people on the Paleo blogs for suggestions of what to bring for snacks on my 18 hour flight and they suggested:
Which leads me to believe perhaps they have not flown recently. If I broke out a big old hunk of salami and hard boiled eggs I think my seat mate would have cause for aviaticide. So we'll see. I'll try to avoid the Cinnabon and the airplane food, but some flexibility will be required.
Also, as a note- I am going to test scheduling an automatic posting for tomorrow (Tuesday) when I am in transit. Although no notice will appear on Facebook, there should be a new post for your enjoyment. So please come back and check it out!
Calories:
Sort of fell down on the job here, guys, sorry. I didn't keep a food journal like I should have so can't really report this.
Livability:
I introduced my livability scale here. Here's how the Paleo Diet measured up this week.
Will Ron eat it?
I think Ron is getting a bit sick of it already. It's an easy diet to modify, if one person in the household is following it and another not- he can always add a roll to dinner, or get a sandwich for lunch at work if he's sick of the Paleo-craziness. But he's trying to stick to it, despite really preferring a little pasta with his chicken and pesto. I think he really misses his yogurt and granola breakfast the most.
Oh, and cookies.
Is it weird?
The granola recipe this week, while not weird, definitely required shopping for some things I wouldn't normally have in the house (almond meal, coconut oil). And those things aren't weird, per se, but it is a bit strange to me to be seeking out new sources of fat when I already have so many delicious ones in my arsenal.
Will it make me a pariah?
Nope. Again, pretty easy to modify. This week there weren't any social events besides eating in restaurants to contend with, and Paleo is pretty easy to negotiate, as long as you aren't tooooo strict. Having worked as a waitress, I can tell you that "please don't use butter" when you order is effective approximately 0.3% of the time.
The Big Cheat
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| From cartoonstock.com |
Similarly, during a surprise dinner out with my family, I stuck to the plan through dinner- had some fabulous lamb chops and roasted green beans for dinner. But I definitely enjoyed my gelato for dessert.
Also, this week required a fair amount of wine to get through. Surely even a caveman could identify with that.
Looking Ahead
This coming week (and the following) are going to present a new challenge- traveling for work.
I am going to spend the next 2 weeks working in Zambia, which will be the biggest test of how "livable" Paleo is to date.
I actually think eating there will be pretty easy- much easier than if I were trying to follow a vegetarian diet (or god forbid, raw!).
Remember this scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding? One of my all-time favorites:
But I think eating on the plane is going to be tough. I asked some people on the Paleo blogs for suggestions of what to bring for snacks on my 18 hour flight and they suggested:
- Hardboiled eggs
- Beef jerky
- Salami
- Olives
Which leads me to believe perhaps they have not flown recently. If I broke out a big old hunk of salami and hard boiled eggs I think my seat mate would have cause for aviaticide. So we'll see. I'll try to avoid the Cinnabon and the airplane food, but some flexibility will be required.
Also, as a note- I am going to test scheduling an automatic posting for tomorrow (Tuesday) when I am in transit. Although no notice will appear on Facebook, there should be a new post for your enjoyment. So please come back and check it out!
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