I’ve started reading the Paleo Solution and decided to ease into the diet today. I’m not even sure what’s allowed yet, which is why I say “ease in”…Here is a run down of my day:
Breakfast: Apple, raisins, water
Thoughts/Feelings/Observations:Â I felt pretty full for a while but was starving by noon. I know most Paleo eaters have a meat for breakfast to keep them full longer. I’ll get to that when I get more organized! Most mornings I just grab whatever I can on my way to preschool or the sitter.
Lunch: Thickburger from Hardees with light mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. No cheese or bun. Small french fry. Unsweet tea with lemon (which was surprisingly good for this sweet tea addict). The key was adding the lemon. It sweetened things up nicely and because I love lemon juice, I have a feeling it’s going to help me a lot on this diet!
Thoughts/Feelings/Observations: I have never been good at self-control when it comes to food and eating out is one of my favorite things to do. I don’t want to miss out on any fun because of this diet, so when my hubby and his parents invited me to lunch, of course I couldn’t turn it down. Living in a very small town, our immediate choices for lunch unless we want to drive 20 minutes include McDonalds, Wendy’s, Hardee’s, Burger King, a pizza place, and a rib place. When we’re in a hurry we normally hit McDonalds, but today was Hardees.
I was surprisingly satisfied with my meal, but must admit that the mayo soaked bun was calling my name! I think I already realize that carbs have always been a comfort food for me. I ate the french fries instead. Who knows if they are allowed on this diet? I am going to guess, NO, but I haven’t gotten that far, and potatoes are a veggie, right? 😉
In other news, I have not yawned at all today! This is so abnormal for me. I normally yawn constantly. I felt a little nauseous after lunch…maybe that’s the sugar withdraw. Unsweet tea is sooo not me!
Snack: Raisins. (Luckily I like raisins a lot).
Dinner:Â Chicken Cacciatore (Ooops!)
Thoughts/Feelings/Observations: Okay, so I already had a weak moment. I ordered takeout. It’s Friday night, my hubby had a basketball game, I was home by myself with the girls and I was STARVING. Like, dizzy, irritable, cranky starving (or what some people like to call HANGRY–see picture below). Luckily (or unluckily) we have a pizza place within 1 mile of our house which delivers. Hmmm. I tried to think of something I could order that wouldn’t hurt my stomach. I immediately thought of Chicken Cacciatore for some reason. When I ordered it I imagined a big chicken breast with grilled vegetables and maybe some noodles on the side (which I would give to my daughter, who loves “sketti’s”). What came was actually grilled strips of chicken on a bed of spaghetti, covered in tomato sauce and smothered in melted cheese. Hence the “ooops.” I tried to just eat the chicken but I am really picky with chicken and it left a lot to be desired. In my ravenous state I gobbled up half the spaghetti drenched in cheese (and gave the other half to my daughter). In my mind this was a “last supper” of sorts, but…
The Result—>Pain. Cramps. Running to the bathroom within 10 minutes. FOR REAL. This stuff is for real, people! I’m still sitting here in pain as I type….and also re-considering what I feed my daughter BIG TIME (who at the ripe old age of 2.5 has already had her fair share of stomach problems).
All I can say is tonight I’m going to do some more reading and tomorrow I’m going to try harder…for the sake of my stomach…and my sanity!
“Feel Goods” of the Day: Feeling good is the whole point of this journey, so these are the things I’m doing daily to help me achieve this goal.Â
-As part of my “Operation Feel Good” I got a facial and a manicure today. I want to feel good on the inside and out, so a little sprucing up was in order. I’ve been having some issues with my skin and was ready to do something about it. The facial was amazing and helped get rid of all of my clogged pores and yuckiness. I just threw in the manicure for good measure!
-Hanging with my girls. This always makes me feel good!
Thanks to those that’ve tweeted, texted, emailed and commented with words of encouragement! It’s so awesome to see that I’m not the only one on this “quest”!
*I’m looking for a good mobile app to use when I’m out and about as a quick reference guide. Let me know if you know of a good one!*
12 thoughts on “Paleo Diet, Day 1: Lemon is Key and Spaghetti Hurts”
so happy when you blog! I hope this diet helps. I’m interested to see what works for you. This summer we are gonna hook you up with some fresh veggies. Let me know if you need some fresh eggs and I will bring some over this weekend. Also–have you ever taken a probiotic? I don’t know much about them but I am taking them now for some womanly issues, but supposedly they help with the stomach too?
Thanks, Val! We are fresh out of eggs and would LOVE some, of course! And, I can’t wait for farm fresh veggies this summer. We do the basic ones in our garden, but I’m always open for more. I really want you guys to start doing meats, too! I actually got probiotics for Annalee and Hattie’s stomach issues so maybe I should try them, too (duh!)!!
Good luck! I was really intrigued by Paleo in relation to autoimmune diseases when I had to go off my rheumatoid arthritis medications before getting pregnant. I had read a lot about possible links between gluten and inflammation and definitely think there is something to it. I’m trying to work my way back to that lifestyle again…weaning off of sugar is always my weakness! I hope it helps you!
Hey Jenn, I didn’t realize you have rheumatoid arthritis. I wonder if a diet like this would help you? That would be amazing if it did. I’ll keep you updated on my progress!
Hi Jenn, I don’t know you but wanted to reply. My mom has arthritis and first cut dairy and has now cut gluten. They are both known for causing trouble with inflammation. She has been on meds for years and this diet change is the only thing that has really made a difference. Her doctor is amazed. She doesn’t follow the paleo diet but pretty close. So, I just wanted to say give it a try, you might really get some relief!
Have you been tested for Celiac disease? That was a pretty intense reaction, no fun! You did great for a first day! The processed stuff on your burger, and fries of course, would be a no no on Paleo but it’s not like you always have to 100% adhere to the “rules”. Most people who Paleo and don’t have real health issues with certain foods (paleo is really popular for those with food allergies) have cheats when they go out etc. Today I had a granola bar! Ok, 3. I was in the car and it was all I had. You will also learn to make some of your favorite comfort foods. Last night my hubby made a meat sauce and we ate it over spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti. It is our favorite comfort meal and because everything is made fresh in our home I feel confident in calling it healthy!
I think I was tested for it a while ago and it came back negative. I think my new doctor will probably test for it again. Either way, I’m pretty sure it upsets my stomach! I’m sure I will find my own happy medium over time! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Hey! Probiotics would probably do wonders for you! They put back all the healthy bacteria that your gut needs and that is taken away by preservatives/processed foods. You can find probiotics naturally in a lot of foods like yogurt and kefir because the live strains live well in dairy, but you have to make sure it says: live and active cultures. Although, if you’re removing dairy, the pill form may be your best bet. I just read an article about pre and probiotics and how people need them so much now because fresh, organic fruits and veggies just aren’t a huge part of people’s diets anymore. Therefore, our guts are so messed up and need to be “restored” by adding back in the good bacteria. Ryan had a 180* turn when he went vegan and a lot of it had to do with eliminating dairy (which wrecked his stomach) and refined sugar, and adding in, basically a whole food, whole grain diet. He feels like a different person and attributes it completely to his diet change. I hope the Paleo diet helps you start feeling better soon!!
Wow, that sounds awesome. I have some little probiotic packed (culturelle)–wonder if I can just sprinkle those in my food? I think dairy may be hurting my tummy, too, and I hate yogurt so I may have to go with the pill or the packets!
Hey Priscilla,
I started having stomach issues about 5 years ago. After 3 doctors and lots of tests (some very invasive), I was told it was IBS-a broad catchall term when the can’t find anything else wrong. Since they didn’t offer any solutions, and my problems were really disruptive to my life, I decided to work on my diet. I feel your pain, it is so hard to cut out certain foods, especially when eating out, at family functions, etc. I started doing an elimination diet. For the first 2 weeks I ate a really simple diet to clear my symptoms. Each week after that you add in a food category (Lactose-milk; Fructose-in everything-like jelly, dried fruit, sauces, wine; Fructans-like bread, pasta, crackers, but also things like onions, garlic, beer, artichokes, squash; Galactans-beans, cabbage; Polyols-the nasty stuff with -itol and -ose ending in products). From my understanding these are all forms of carbohydrates. Between testing each category you go back to the simple diet for a week. This helped me figure out some of my trigger foods. Unfortunatley, a lot of them are healthy foods, like garlic and onions. Even though my original tests didn’t show celiacs, I think I have a sensitivity to gluten. I couldn’t finish the diet (it takes many weeks and makes cooking difficult) because I became pregnant. I was so sick from pregnancy that I ate whatever helped me survive! I would be interested in knowing where your doctor practices. I really like that she is doing tests to check your hormones, etc. My doctor basically said “figure out your diet” and there has been very little follow-up. If you are interested I can dig up the book and let you know the title and author.