Paleo Month!
Featuring Paleo Maven @kerriolkjer
Plus, My “Sober October”
Hello everybody!
Recently I went to the Fitbloggin’ convention in Baltimore and ran into the amazing Kelly Olexa (http://www.kellyolexa.com/) who was looking totally fabulous as always. (Not hyperbole—she is a total babe.) Anyhoo, this time she seemed to have an extra sparkle in her eye so I had to ask her “what’s up?” Kelly informed me that she is a new convert to the Paleo diet and it has helped her lose inches, gain tons of energy and has put a huge smile on her face. Color me intrigued.
For the last year, my pal Kerri Olkjer of Fit Views (http://fitviews.blogspot.com/) has been blogging about going Paleo and how easy it is to follow. Kerri lives on a self-sustaining farm with her husband and children (whom she homeschools) plus a whole slew of animals. If anyone can tell me how to stick a regiment that will keep me healthy and sane—it’s Kerri!
Soooo, I decided to give the whole Paleo thing a whirl and Blog/Vlog my experience. The first thing to do was by the Paleo bible—The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. You can read all about Rob’s program here: http://robbwolf.com/ plus he has a regular podcast called, simply enough, The Paleo Solution which you can download from iTunes.
Kerri was kind enough to give the following tips to Paleo newbies. (Thanks Kerri!)
My best advice for getting started with Paleo, as with anything, is to set yourself up for success.
1. Get good information. I recommend people get good info on Paleo before starting. I've read virtually every Paleo book out there and my favorite is The Paleo Solution from Robb Wolf. His website robbwolf.com also has some great info on getting started with Paleo.
2. Commit. I encourage people to commit
to going full Paleo for 30 days. Then they can play with it from there if
they'd like. I really feel that making that first 30 day commitment is
important to seeing what Paleo can really do for you.
3. Plan. Lack of planning ahead can be a huge pitfall with Paleo. I always
suggest that people sit down and meal plan (including healthy Paleo snacks),
make a shopping list, and stock up on yummy Paleo foods. It's also very helpful
to prepare food ahead as much as you can or plan to cook too much when you do
cook meals and eat leftovers.
4. Clear out the junk. Get it out of your house. I can't stress this enough for your first 30 days (and beyond really). Don't make it easy on yourself to consume non-Paleo fare.
5. Avoid boredom. I've heard people complain about getting in a food rut with Paleo. I see no reason for this! There are so many great Paleo cookbooks out there and the internet is crawling with tasty Paleo recipes. I recommend Make it Paleo, Paleo Slow Cooking, and Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook (a must if you're a parent considering Paleo). You can also check my Paleo recipes page and my Paleo board on pinterest for more Paleo recipe fun.
Bonus tip:
Take measurements. The scale may not be the best guide here. I've heard this from many people. Definitely take measurements and track those. I was shocked at how much my inches went down my first month Paleo, yet the scale moved very little.
The diet is very heavy on “clean” foods, lean proteins and vegetables. What it doesn’t contain are grains, dairy, sugar and absolutely no alcohol so I decided to do a “two-for” and declare this month my “Sober October!” (Horns blaring!)
I have recruited my friend Cristina to join me on this and am sending out the invite to any of you who wish to join us. Let’s do this thing! For the next 31 days I will not imbibe in wine, beer, bourbon, vodka, mixed drinks, shots or “Skinny Girl” anything. (Not forever mind you but for a month—absolutely.) If this is something you want to do as well—great! We can encourage each other.
Is this diet just a new version of Atkins? Will I lose my mind or become total Paleo convert—who knows? Keep checking back with me here and I will let you know how I am doing. Check out my Instagram page “margodono” to see what I am eating every day. (Or just to check out pictures of my adorable cats!)
In the meantime, here is episode 5 of my Vlog where I talk about my Paleo month and “Sober October.” Also, I let you know about a new item I am adding to my exciting Brooklyn Fit Chick Goodie Bag Giveaway!
I will be back tomorrow with a Women’s Health October review. Thanks so much for reading my Blog. I really appreciate it!
Ox Ox,
BFC
Brooklyn Fit Chick
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