I could be wrong, but I think next Monday will mark week 12 of GP. I thought I'd just give a summary of our journey this far.
The first week of going Primal was r-o-u-g-h. Not only the detoxing (carb flu), but the emotional ups and downs, the anger from the children, and the pressure of making good, tasty food, so that everyone (including myself) would want to stay Primal. We pressed on.
The next several weeks were spent trying to get a new routine down; shopping, cooking, clean up, feeding children, all while living life. It was quite a challenge, and, to be honest, there were times I wasn't sure I could do it. Yet, we trudged along.
After we became more comfortable with the lifestyle change, and didn't panic every time it was time to make a new meal, and we were able to spit out the rules for GP without thinking... we decided it was time to look for new recipes, so Tom ordered the Paleo Comfort Foods from Amazon, so we are hoping to go through it in the next week or two and find a few dishes we can add to our weekly menu.
Now I think we are finally settling into our new routine. (I suppose it is true what they say: it takes three months for a new behavior to become a habit.) And we're really happy we switched to the Primal lifestyle.
In addition to these benefits, I've also seen:
- My complexion has cleared up tremendously
- My skin is much more hydrated. I don't even have to use my moisturizer anymore!
- Slowly, but surely, my PMS symptoms have lessened considerably. Always a plus.
- I no longer suffer from headaches. (two chiropractors helped a lot in this area, but I still would have headaches 2-3 times a month). I haven't had a head in six-seven weeks, at least.
- My hydration level is slowly climbing. I'm at 40%!
- I still hate mornings, but I no longer feel like I need a nap in the afternoon. Well, rarely.
- My hair used to fall out in handfuls-handfuls!-everyday. And I'd shed on everything.. my clothes, the kids, the floor, you name it, it had hair. It is now dramatically lessened. It's probably down by 75%. I've suffered with this for eight years. I'm glad it's going away.
- I've lost about 20 pounds, 6% body fat, and gone down 3 points!! off my BMI.
- I don't know how many inches yet. I'm waiting another week to do measurements. But I can say I bought a size smaller, and even that is on the verge of being too big.
- I've gained muscle, which has helped me hold my chiropractic adjustments better and longer. And I can now punch out any bad guys. How could this be bad?
- We've learned so many new things about life and health. And have found many new Paleo/Primal friends.
- You start out learning about Primal eating, and it spreads to other new healthy habits.
Anyway, we're very happy we've gone through the process. I highly recommend this for families, especially if you suffer from allergies or chronic health issues.
I want to get in to the doctor soonish so I can have a blood draw. I'm really excited to see what changes have occurred inside me. Also, because my brother (who thinks he knows everything ;P ) is doing a vegetable/fruit fast, and then adding in some nuts and fish later on. Sounds pretty sad to me, but he's convinced it will lower his cholesterol and such. So being good siblings, we're in a contest (even if he doesn't know about it) to see how scores better on blood work.
I'll win.
