Member Blog of the Week - A new way to eat for me By Dunetraveller

paleo.jpg

Member Blog of the Week
A new way to eat for me
By Dunetraveller

12/30/10


I decided earlier this week to do it. I went primal. I was going through the posts by people here in the forum and came across references to primal blueprint. Funny how I have never heard of that before, since it is exactly the sort of thing that would have me reading for hours on end. I am still reading about the diet, but doing it is rather easy and so I cut out all dairy and grains. I used to be a big fan of the low carb six dollar burger while on the road for lunch, but today was the first time I ever ordered one sans cheese and ketchup. I love, love, love cheese, but alas, Grok didn't eat cheese. Poor guy. Still a good lunch item, but different.


Today I had a revelation, but first some background: I have trouble hearing. Well, it's like I hear, but speech recognition is hmmm... fuzzy? I like to read lips to be sure I know for certain what someone said. I also use closed captioning when I sit alone for the same reason. I can hear the talking just fine, but sorting out what was said is not always an easy thing.


I hate having to turn to my wife or a friend and ask what was just said. Most of the time, all you get is "I don't know" because they weren't paying that much attention or didn't know there was going to be a pop quiz. I could listen to a song 50 zillion times and never have a clue what some lyrics are unless I read them online at some point and train myself to "hear" the words. It's kind of like how most people have no idea what the full lyrics to Wooly Bully are, but I have a few more songs on my list


Anyway, today I was listening to one of these songs. There are no lyrics online for this particular song, so I have had to just go with it and make do with understanding only 99% of it. Until now, which is my revelation. Today, it was clearer to me somehow. I could finally understand some of the words he was singing that I wasn't sure about.
CavemanDiet.png



UPDATE - 01/07/10


Just a few words. I am still going strong on my paleo diet. Still no slip ups, not that I was expecting to since I have fairly strong will power and lots of experience with ignoring such things. Not that I haven't had any. In truth, I just dealt with one for some hot cereal this morning. Rather than break out a box of malt-o-meal or irish oatmeal, I popped a can of pumpkin puree and spiced it and warmed it up to satisfy the craving. I love pumpkin so it was like a treat.


I have yet to have a cuppa joe. I used to make it so sweet, it was a dessert! I am waiting for my newly ordered supply of organic concentrated cream of coconut to arrive before I begin training my tastebuds to accept unsweetened/undairyed coffee.


I tried to go a whole month before weighing myself, but I couldn't help myself.... the scale was right there and...


Not much changed. About 10 pounds, which was probably just water weight. However, not all is bleak! I has lost the gas bloat! This is what I am calling it anyway. I had some experience of it my last vacay. I overdid it on tequilla. Nothing new there, but I got so sick I was unable to eat for a while, and I shrank...a LOT! Once I recovered and started eating again, I got bad gas, and my belly swelled up to pre-vacation size. Once I went paleo, I shrank again. Now I am back in my skinnier shirts I refused to toss out just in case I lost weight or got in shape. My wife likes this development, as do I. This is a revelation. I hope it's not a dairy problem, since I was hoping to incorporate yogurt or cheese into my diet again someday. We'll find out once I finish the Whole30 program.


I have energy to spare these days. Not really a frothing at the mouth kind of energy but more like a feeling more than capable kind of energy that carries me through all my activities no matter how much physical effort has been needed. Even my wife has noticed the change and has made me something of a hero around the house. The running helps too.


I have tried to walk with a forefoot step every time I remember to do it to improve my arch strength even more. This tires my calf muscles after a while even more than running, but no TMTS issues so far. I am even beginning to look like I'm walking with a normal gait, instead of tiptoeing like I almost did at the beginning. Although it's not strictly a TMTS issue, I do notice I have to bend my legs more to do this right. If I don't I can begin to feel tightness in what I think is my ITB. I feel a tightness going up the side of my leg around to the back of my hamstrings up to my glutes. Once I bend more at the knees it goes away in short order. Trying to find a nice borderline, so I keep a normal looking posture and pace while I walk. I am going for a hike this weekend after work and will go the whole way forefoot stepping if I can. Looking forward to it.