i also feel slightly bad because i've been terrible about chronicling my journey and posting photos and whatnot. i mean, come on, who doesn't love to see a good before and after story?! i know i can't stop staring at those weight watchers commercials with j.hud in heavy rotation! sorry to break it to ya, but in my case you'll just have to settle for what i tell you.
but yeah, i lost the weight without going to the gym or doing any planned exercise. not even once. and i'm not totally proud of that fact, but it's worth noting that even lazy-ass people like me can lose weight without tremendous effort! i eat out more than a few times a week. also not awesome, but still made it! i have not counted one calorie. also, i have a weakness for mac-n-cheese and gummi bears. haribo, i just can't quit you. oh, and i like to party (read: drink booze). but the good things i consumed have won over the bad, and here i am! all 150 pounds of me. i just want to throw these things out there, so you know that i'm NOT perfect, i am human, i have weaknesses.
there is so much i want to say about how things have gone and what i've learned, but in this post i think it's most important to talk about a few important points...
(1) people should be willing to enrich themselves with the information available to them. with the intertubes, it's easier than ever to educate yourself about the subject of your choosing nowadays. yeah, a there is a lot of noise out there, too. but in general, there is so much to be gained by taking the initiative to educate yourself. case and point....look at the republican party.
i'm not not to soapbox too much on this, but my transition into the paleo lifestyle started with wanting to learn more about how my body worked, and how there HAD to be a better way than going to the gym all day everyday. i've since learned not only about alternative eating habits, but many other amazing things and met some incredible people who have not only transformed the way i think about what i eat, but the world!
(2) cutting out shitty foods is not as hard as you think! especially when you are eating things that are natural and rich in fat! now, note my statement a few paragraphs up: i loves my mac-n-cheese. there's no way around it, that's a paleo failio. but one of my paleo life principles is not being overly-righteous about the rules, but instead learning about what is in what you eat, knowing what goal you want to achieve and how what you are eating will help get you closer or further away from that goal. so, while cheesy noodles have no place in the primal eating world, i know that having it once in a while will bring me joy (and a nap afterwards). so when i eat it, it's because i want to and i don't feel guilty afterward. yet at the same time, i'm not eating mac and gummi's everyday. bonus: limiting the things that you so enjoyed at one time makes it THAT much better when you allow yourself to eat it. or you may realize that it's no longer worth eating and you scrap it all together. either way, a win.
(3) exercise IS important. it's true, i have decided to stop trying convince myself that i like working out. clearly i don't because i can find a million excuses in the world to be doing something else that is not going to the gym or popping in a jillian michaels dvd when i have spare time. but i do know that it's essential for health, and also that my pound dropping was not 100% fat, but also some muscle that i doubt i had an awful lot of to begin with. one of the things that i promised myself was if and when i hit 150 on the scale, i would start exercising. and so i will. but i'm coming at it in a new way. no more cardio-rich workouts when i run for miles or fight with the treadmill. i'm planning to focus on resistance and strength and some high-intensity interval training. if you have some info you'd like to share on this, please send away. right now, i'm looking at mark sisson's primal blueprint fitness guide for starters.
(4) :::brace yourself, i'm about to say some real hippie shit now::: food isn't the only way bad things get into your body. take a minute to think about the other stuff you put in or on your body that may not be so awesome. things like shampoo, deodorant, lotion, prescription meds....my family and friends back on the east coast like to take jabs at me for being "real california" after less than a year in san francisco, but it's true -- you have to think beyond what advertisements tell about what is good for you.
deodorant has ingredients like aluminum and triclosan that some believe can cause cancer or alzheimer's. whether that is true or not, you have the choice to NOT put something of which you don't know the long-term biochemical effects in your blood stream.
same goes for chemicals often absorbed into your scalp. there are all kinds of interesting synthetic ingredients they put into shampoos and conditioners and other treatments to help you achieve various hair looks and effects. take the time to google some of the ingredients on the back of the bottle or box. find out what they are and what kind of effect they can have on your body's ecosystem.
if you want to achieve a healthy lifestyle, you really have to take a look at the all of the elements contributing to it. not just food, but all the factors you encounter everyday. there are going to be some things that you cannot control, but there will be many that you can. and if you decide you want to keep using secret to tame your pits because it's strong enough for a man and you feel you need that kind of coverage, that's okay as long as you think about it and make that decision for yourself. i just encourage you to empower yourself to do that, and not abdicate the privilege to people who are trying to get your money.
soooo, yeah. that's my brain dump for now. please ask me questions about any or all of this. i'd love to hear people's thoughts!
