Well…I did it. I survived an entire month of eating completely clean. With a couple mishaps and a few more energy drinks than I should have, my stomach has not been in contact with any gluten, dairy, legumes, or processed foods for quite some time now.
And despite not having had any Ben & Jerry’s for the last month (which everyone knows is happiness in a container), I feel fantastic. I never realized how much my diet affected the way I feel. I had more energy, it was easier to wake up in the morning, and I no longer had “food comas” or post-sugar mood swings.
Plus, my skin is like…glowing. I always thought glowing skin was some weird pregnancy myth, but now that my skin’s especially clear and healthy looking, I can see it’s a real thing! Not to mention, I’ve noticed a lot more strength and endurance at the gym. And my clothes look better because I somehow managed to lose weight eating nothing but fat and protein. Craziness.
Eating Paleo also opened my eyes to the fact that I really like to cook. I was always too lazy to cook before, but since it was a contest between laziness and filling my grumbly stomach, food always won. And I realized I didn’t mind putting in a few extra minutes to make sure I was eating healthy. That said, having to cook the majority of my meals was really time-consuming and inconvenient sometimes, like if I was in a hurry or too hungry to cook (such a vicious cycle).
It paid off in the aspect that my appetite mostly went away, though. I can now go for up to five or six hours without eating and not turn into a low-blood-sugared, grumpy, lethargic zombie. And if I was craving something, it was what my body needed. I’ll never forget the first time I actually craved (wait for it)….green beans. I felt like the healthiest eater in the universe. I also found healthy alternatives to satisfy my cravings. If I was craving sugar, then I would eat fruit, and the (healthier) sugar from the fruit would take care of those Cake Batter ice cream yearnings with fewer side effects — calorie guilt, dairy stomachaches — than actually eating the ice cream.
I’m going to continue with this diet, but not quite as strictly as I was this last month. I’m really bad at wanting the things I can’t have, so knowing that I couldn’t have a lot of things was torturous for my poor brain…and taste buds. I got random cravings for soda, which I haven’t drank in years…but now that it was off limits, hellllloo Dr. Pepper!
That being said, I learned that willpower really is a muscle — the more you use it, the easier things get. I surprised myself by saying no to foods I could never previously turn down, and the more I did it, the more it became a habit, until ordering dessert at dinner was barely even tempting. (Note that I said barely, and not “not completely tempting at all”–my sweet tooth’s got roots that will take more than a month to clear away!)
I also discovered a lot of new healthy things to snack on that I really enjoy eating (and making!). With those healthy additions, and a lot less sugar than I had in my diet previously, my new eating habits should still have the benefits I know and love without the occasional crazy cravings and strict control.
So basically: if I want pizza, I’m having some, dammit. But with a side order of broccoli, please.
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