I Tried the Paleo Diet for 3 Weeks and Here’s What Happened…

Well actually I did more like a month on the Paleo Diet with a few cheat days in between…It’s hard to resist my favorite peanut butter chocolate chip cookies! I also did this diet a few months ago, but figured the start of the New Year would be a good time to share it. For those of you that know me, you know that I eat a lot and I have a tendency to eat things that are bad for me. While I love eating this way I could feel my body was needing a bit of a detox. I decided to give the paleo diet a shot and by no means do I consider myself an expert nutritionist, but I thought I’d share my experience with you guys!

I did my research first by reading a few books. Since there are many different versions of the paleo diet out there I formed my own set of rules to follow during this diet. I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to make it but somehow I got it done and the results were actually incredible! Read more about my paleo diet rules and experience below…

My Paleo Diet Rules:

• Cut out all dairy. This was EXTREMELY hard for me. I would often pour myself a cold glass of milk or eat alll the cheese in the world and I had no idea that this was actually bad for me. My face had been breaking out and I was constantly bloated. A lot of what I researched told me how much dairy had to do with this so as hard as it was I cut it out completely.
• Cut out refined sugar. You guys already know this was the hardest thing for me to do. I would get cravings like no other and force myself to chug a glass of water instead of baking those cookies or eating that deliciously amazing looking donut. Even though I couldn’t have my usual sugary treats I did treat myself to some sweet paleo recipes that did the trick. I made some paleo chocolate chip muffins that I swear were better than any regular muffin I’ve ever made.
• Cut out carbs. Even though I eat a lot of carbs I was surprised at how easy it was to cut out things like pasta, rice and bread. Of course you also have to watch out how many carbs you’re eating in vegetables and other things as well.
• Add more vegetables to each meal. This meant eating more salads which is something that I rarely do. I found a salmon salad at Tender Greens that I fell in love with though and it made this part so easy. Also smoothies became a big part of this diet for me. I would load up my smoothies with spinach and blueberries and lots of protein powder. So convenient and super tasty!
• Snack throughout the day. This made the diet way easier. I would be eating something every 2 hours or so which would curb my cravings quite a bit. Whether it was a handful of almonds, a hard boiled egg, or vegetables with hummus I made sure to always have a healthy energy boost nearby.
• Add healthy fats. Avocados gave me life during this diet. I would eat them with almost every meal. Just added a little pink salt and olive oil and voila! Delicious! I would also add MCT oil to my coffee almost every day for some extra healthy fats.

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My Paleo Diet Experience

• Cutting out dairy and sugar were definitely the hardest for me, but after the first few days it became easy. I was having some serious sugar withdrawals around day two and three though, with constant headaches and fatigue. Once I got over the hump though it was easy to ignore the cravings and reach for a healthier snack instead. After the first week I noticed my energy levels were through the roof. I was even able to skip my afternoon coffee most days or substitute it with green tea!
• Not only did I have more energy, but I noticed huge improvements in my skin. It was clear for the first time in a long time and it was hydrated and bright. I also felt way less bloated than when I first started the diet which I think had a lot to do with the amount of water I’d been drinking every time I had a sugar craving!

Even though I love my sweets and this diet definitely isn’t gunna stick for me, it has opened my eyes to living a healthier lifestyle. I will absolutely be incorporating a lot of this into my every day life, but I’m still going to treat myself to a donut every once in while. Anyways, this post was a long one so thanks for sticking around! Be sure to comment if you have any questions or are thinking about giving it a try!

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