Paleo Update 3 – Breaking Habits.
Week 3 of releasing my inner caveman complete! I feel the need for rice has virtually gone… not quite the need for cookies, but it’s a start. This week I will return more to the topic of gut health as performance is going well and it is a tough few weeks of training so I am naturally struggling as my strength phase continues. This is as well as going through my first Crossfit open. I will touch on aesthetics and cover further into how my overall energy and Paleo life is going. Hope this continues to be useful and an interesting use of a blog!
This week has shown another jump forward in body composition and aesthetics as my body fat percentage continues to drop and yet my weight again raised slightly from 76.7kg to 77.2kg. I feel my body is starting to find a stable weight whilst losing excess body fat. I am personally feeling more comfortable in my own skin than I ever have due to partly the aesthetic side and massively due to the changes to my energy and gut health.
This leads me nicely into a bit on my energy level changes. I have had a difficult week of sleep due to where I live currently as well as the heat being crazy at night. I know sleep is number one and have been very on point with it so far on this Paleo outlook. This week due to these external factors my sleep took a bit of a hiding and although I have felt the difference including having had my first nap in weeks, I have coped so much better than I used to on minimal sleep. The temp has dropped today and hoping other external factors will be sorted soon to get the most out of my new lifestyle. Those that are fairly new to research into sleep and why it is brought up in most Paleo blogs and sites is due to a/ energy level increases from good sleep b/ better hormonal balance c/ improved fat loss. Due to my nutrition having kept up I have still maintained my level in training and at work, another win for Paleo!
The tummy section! Not the size of it but it’s health. This being my main reason for starting this trial means I need to spend some time expressing my immense results as well as feelings. In as blunt a terms as needs be, I have cut down the time I spend needing to go to the loo (not for a wee!) by over 50 percent! This has firstly made me feel a lot more like a normal human being having suffered with IBS my whole life but also frees up some more time! On a serious note, the lack of bloating post meal, the lack of pain in my stomach throughout the day and at night is making me feel like a new person. I have nearly, after 3 weeks, begun to forget what has been the norm for me my whole life.
I mentioned last week that this week I would think further and give my thoughts on what I believe I will do post month long Paleo trial. I have given this a lot of consideration throughout the week and feel I am near a decision. Assuming I don’t have any groundbreaking discoveries in the next week, I have fully decided to keep strict Paleo 5-6 days per week moving forward. The way my body feels has shown I would be crazy not too. The reason for the slight leeway isn’t to have a manic carb crazed day of sugar loading but to give me the flexibility in my social life to enjoy eating out as a foodie and to include the occasional alcoholic drink if I want one. I am no longer a big drinker but accept that it is a social event and it is nice to be able to join in from time to time. I will do an update i’m thinking monthly to see if the one day a week is worth it and if I have stuck to my what will be a ‘Paleo based’ diet.
Another week ticked off. As it is just over a month my trial I will have an update blog next week and the one after that will be results and analysis of the month. I am still enjoying myself but confess I would love any sort of biscuit about now! On the flipside I have improved my own cooking skills, finding new ways of making food taste great as well as Melbourne offering the best Paleo restaurants the world has to offer i’m sure!
Hope you find some inspiration from this to make a positive change to your lifestyle and remember it isn’t a race you can make small steps to a big change!
Signing out for another week.
JoeHulinPT
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