The big mystery….How to Lose Weight, Not be Hungry, and See Immediate Results. I certainly have the answer for what works best for me. PALEO and EXERCISE. This is going to be a long post so put your feet up, grab a healthy snack and settle in.
I have always walked my dog 6 miles a day and would stay the same size. I wasn’t skinny by any stretch of the word but I was comfortable in my own skin and didn’t feel like I had tooooo many rolls to hide. Well this winter I had a nasty fall and did horrible damage to my knees, I was nearly 6 months before I could walk again, so that being said; I gained 20 pounds. I didn’t change my eating but with no exercise the pounds piled on. It has only been about that last 2 months that I can walk without pain, so that meant it was time to hit the track again.
I gathered up some good friends and enlisted them in our daily walk. We do 5 miles every day and keep each other accountable. The five miles go so fast with the 4 of us gabbing and solving the worlds problems, it’s great mental therapy to chat with good friends every day.
Soon we all noticed each other looking thinner, so at that point I decided to step on the scales even though I knew I would be horrified by the number. I closed my eyes, stepped on and held my breath. Well that was an awful shocker so I decided I would have to incorporate different eating habits if I wanted the weight to come off quickly and by quickly I mean my lifetime. Boy the packing the pounds on sure goes faster than taking them off.
That’s where PALEO came in. I have eaten this way in the past and I know it works so into the cupboard I went and dug up my PALEO COOKBOOKS. The first step was to detox from all the sugar and flour products, and once I got them out of my system things moved along much faster and the weight dropped off at a rate of 1/2 pound per day. I love seeing that kind of progress π
Here are some must products that aid in making my weight loss a success. First you can’t exercise if your feet are killing you; I am partial to Asics Gel Shoes with Dr. Scholls Custom Fit Orthotic inserts. Believe me your feet will thank you if you invest in these two things. My next best thing in my workout arsenal is my Fitbit, it’s a bracelet that during the day, tracks steps, distance, and calories burned. At night, it tracks your sleep quality and wakes you silently in the morning, and syncs with your computer or smartphone. And now you can sync your Fitbit with your Walgreens Balance Rewards and earn $$$ Money for exercising. What could be better than getting paid to exercise, right? Below is a pic of what the fitbit looks like on the iphone app you can see how many steps I took that day, how many miles, and how many calories I burned. It’s great motivation and keeps me on track. If I do less than 4 in a day I’m disappointed with myself.
It Starts With Food is a must read, it describes paleo eating as well as outlines a clear, balanced, sustainable plan to change the way you eat forever and transform your life in profound and unexpected ways.
These are my favorite Paleo recipe book, they are easy to follow with no strange unheard of ingredients.
Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook
And the last thing on my list is my Chill-Its Cooling Towel all you do is wet it and wear it around your neck. It reduces the effects of heat stress, fights fatigue, and you can wear it for hours of cooling relief. This product can make all the difference on a hot, muggy day.
The best part of eating Paleo is I’m never hungry, nor do I feel food deprived. When I’m eating the right food my body tells me when I’m full. When I’m loaded with sugar and white products my brain doesn’t know when to tell my stomach to stop eating. I eat as much as I want and still continue to drop the pounds. The hardest part for me is my baking habits for my kids. I make goodies for their lunch pails every few day and have to make myself walk away. I know what I should eat and what I shouldn’t but I think I sometimes hear those fudge brownies call out to me……”eat me”. I am determined to keep this up and shed those unwanted pounds and since writing this post (it has been waiting to go live) I have dropped another 5 pounds in one week, and I am now jogging in the morning and walking in the evening. I may just be a skinny gal after all.
So there you have it, this is what works for me every time. Calorie counting has never worked for me. I like to eat and I can eat all I want on the Paleo plan. Do you have a weight loss success story?
Good for you, Dawn. What I eat is very close to the Paleo diet and the weight does just fall off. My doctor hugged me the other day at my check up. I haven’t even started walking yet, but will soon. May have to try out the shoes you recommend.
Kim, good for you π Yes make sure you get good shoes they make all the difference.
Congratulations Dawn, that is awesome!! WOW! You do a lot of walking! Please post some of your Paleo recipes that you cook. Would love to see them. Keep up the great work! π -Bev
Thank you so much Bev for the encouragement it all helps keep me motivated π
Congrats on the weight loss…my hubby follows the Paleo, not so much for weight loss, but a lifestyle and I “try too” also…I need to order another cookbook, so thanks for the recommendations today!…
Shirley, good for you and hubby following this diet. I bet you both have lot’s of energy because of it. Yes, I love all the cookbooks I mentioned.
Dawn,
Good for you! You go girl. I think it is so great that you are losing weight but even better that you are feeling better. That is what it is all about. Feeling better. So happy your knees are better and allowing you to get out and walk again.
Kris
Kris, wow it was a long winter with bad knees. I still feel the pain but’s it’s bearable now.
Good job, Dawn!! Not sure I can go down the Paleo path (I need meat!) but if I eliminate most of the sugar and baked goods, I more successfully lose. I, too, gained 10 lbs this past year due to not exercising mainly (and a bit too much wine(. Back on track and lost 5 lbs in the past week. Lifetime skills, huh?
Barb, Paleo is lots of meat π Good for you getting rid of 5 lbs. Yes it’s a lifetime of eating different but must be done.
So sorry I posted without getting my facts straight!! I actually dislike that very much when I see someone else do so, heh. Please forgive my ignorance, okay? I will check out your sources and books. (Now I know Paleo isn’t Vegan as in no meat).
OMG Barb that doesn’t bother me at all. I know not everyone knows what Paleo is π Have a wonderful night!!
That sounds great Dawn, hope it continues to work for you and the pounds stay off.
About a year ago we started a watch your food and get more exercise program using My Fitness Pal on the iPhone and iPad. My hubby has lost about 70 pounds and I’ve lost about 30. We don’t do without food just eat in moderation but we do cut out certain foods … sugars mainly. I had knee replacement surgery 3 years ago and can now walk much, much further than I could before the surgery. Keep up the good work.
Linda I hope so too. I tried MFP for a while but calorie restriction just doesn’t work for me. I do a lot of physical exercise and need to eat when I’m hungry. I mainly need protein for a full feeling. I’m so proud of you and your hubby. Wow between the two of you it’s 100 pounds. Way to go:)
CONGRATULATIONS DAWN!!! I’m sold on Paleo and Lo-Carb and exercise! I need to get back in the pool! So proud of you!!!!
Thank you Yvonne, I had no idea you followed Paleo also, we should exchange recipes.
Good girl! I knoW I could NOT do paleo, but I aim to get a fit bit and start walking! Soon as it cools down here!!
xo Kris
Kris, You will love the fitbit π Me and all my walking partners have one and it keeps us on track.
Congrats Dawn! I will have to check out some of the cookbooks you recommended. Leo and I try to watch our carb intake and I’ve lost about 10 pounds without really trying very hard. I’ve started making smoothies this summer with some of our fresh fruit but I have to add protein powder to them to get that full feeling. Will have to read more about eating Paleo.
Jane, I love smoothies try adding vegetable protein powder to them π Congrats on you weight loss.
Great read, Dawn.
I gained 6 lbs that I just can’t lose.
I’ve got to try this!
Kim, Darn it, I can’t believe how hard it is to lose as I get older. I guess I just have to take it off and be very careful from now on.
I cα§uld not resist commentΡng. Very well written!