Either way, I don't mind! Even bad publicity is still publicity, right?
Anyhow.
I've decided to do a 30 day paleo challenge. For the next 30 days -- essentially the month of August minus yesterday -- my food choices will follow these guidelines*:
No dairy. This includes butter, cheese, yogurt (even Greek) and milk (including in your coffee).
No grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, oatmeal, and any grains purporting to be gluten-free.
No legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (including green beans), lentils (including peas), and peanuts.
No starches. The most common are potatoes (regular and sweet) and corn. Some do not include sweet potatoes and yams in this category; I haven't decided, so for now they are out.
No sugar. No maple syrup, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc. Honey is okay in small amounts.
No processed foods. If there are a bunch of ingredients you can not pronounce or spell, it's out.
No alcohol. Dun dun dun!!!
That's what I won't be eating. Bet you're asking, what's left? I'll tell you!
Real food. Meat, shellfish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, and oils (good oils like EVOO, coconut, avocado, and walnut). Foods with only a few pronounceable ingredients or no ingredients at all because they are real foods.
Special CilleyGirl Screw-You-It-Is-Too-Paleo Item. That would be diet soda. I'll kill people (with a club, just like my paleo ancestors) if I have to give this up. I'm not a coffee person. Yes, take away my grew-up-in-Seattle-now-live-in-Portland membership card. I like coffee fine. I just rarely drink it. Same with tea, except that I drink tea more often than I do coffee (it's less work), particularly in the winter months. But I have never been able to have something hot first thing in the morning, even if I've slept in a tent and it's 20 degrees outside. So the soda stays. I'm aiming for moderation with this, which means a max of two a day during the week, three a day on weekends.
No counting calories. Eat when you're hungry. Stop when you're not. Pairing your protein with your carbs is a good idea but not required. I tend to eat protein then about a half hour later eat carbs. Probably because I like meat best. I have fruit issues, you know.
Starting weight: I think it was 193.2 this morning.
So, if you'd like to give this a whirl with me please leave me a comment. If you are fine with where you are now but want to place your bet as to how many days I'll last before cheating and/or forgetting that I'm doing this (either one is equally likely), then leave me a comment about that. If I get a decent response, maybe I'll even have a prize for whomever comes closest. (I'd say I'll give away a prize for sure but I'm not sure what so I'm vacillating....) If you live in or around Portland, maybe you can win a treadmill! Because while it's a great treadmill I've outgrown it (training wise, not size wise) and I'd really like it out of my living room!
Cheers,
the CilleyGirl
*Inspired by the challenge guidelines posted at Whole Nine. Except for the Screw-You item. That's all me.
I'm in like Flynn.
ReplyDeleteWill go weigh myself. UGH.
Diet Coke/Pepsi/Soda is also a MUST HAVE for me too. I can't drink hot drinks. I like the taste of coffee and tea, but I have to add cold water or ice cubes to them to be able to drink them. Hey it's hot in Australia...I like COLD chilled drinks! The whole cold water/ice thing in the hot drinks is too much hassle usually. Plus I am a well known freak for it now in Coffee-Obsessed-Holland.....I can't have that hour long conversation each time. Plus I am hell on wheels without my Diet Coke. I have tried 1000's of times to give up and end up being suicidal/homicidal/regicidal within 2 days...so lets not go there. But I will count down. Scouts Honour.
UGH. procrastinating on weighing myself by waffling about Diet Coke. OK. OK. I'm going. UGH.
or "cut down" on my Diet Coke consumption...rather than COUNT them down...10,9,8,7,6....
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the dark side! I really want a Reese's right now.
ReplyDeleteI seriously doubt I will make it through with no alcohol....makes me sound like an Alcy, but this city and my life is kinda just centred on alcohol related events during summer...like this weekend is Gay Pride and we have a canal boat, all tricked out with as much as you can drink and eat....corn chips and tequila are Paleo...right???
ReplyDeleteAnd the dairy...sounds weird cos I am lactose intolerant, but I love my cheese...last night I had salad caprese (fresh mozzarella, home grown basil, EVOO, tomato and some parma ham thrown on top cos I am a dyed in the wool carnivore)...delicious and something I could eat every day...so may have to fudge a little on the cheese side of things too...
I AM BETTING ON YOU TO DO IT!! If you can pull this off it will be as big an achievement as the Eugene Marathon...and you did that, so I know you can do this too!!
Just weighed myself and I am a frightening 175 lbs (79 kgs in my money) and I have to be in Santorini in a bikini (rhyming my big ass off) by the end of this month....eeeek!!!
I am a large framed girl, so I never really get below 70 kg but I hope to be putting on more muscle and losing some of this flab by then...back to running for me...and back to the kettlebells too...
PS you don't want a Reese's...they want you...evil little buggers! Run away!!! They can't catch you when you run ;o)