I have been following this paleo diet plan now for about 6 weeks. As I have said before, it was not very difficult for me to follow since I had already eliminated most of the foods from my diet. I tweaked it a little more, getting rid of all dairy and grains: no whole wheat (no wheat at all), no beans (except green beans and green peas) and no peanuts. I started working out at Genesis with my trainer, Karol, and then waited (rather impatiently, I must admit) to see something positive happen.
I'm not going to lie...the work-out part has been hard; harder than anything I have ever done. However, I am not a quitter and although I have hurt where I didn't know muscles even existed, I have stuck with the work-out. My theory was that perhaps these lifestyle changes would help my hypothyroidism symptoms.
Almost immediately I noticed one thing: my hot flashes were gone. I didn't mention it at first because I thought that the minute I did, they would return (I know...crazy but call me superstitious). Then one day I told Karol about the absence of my hot flashes. She got this big smile on her face as she said, "I'm glad you said that!" She is really good about allowing me to "discover" things myself. She then told me about the horrible hot flashes she had before beginning the paleo lifestyle, even the fact that since she had a hysterectomy she was on hormones. Then she told me that after starting to eat paleo she also quit having hot flashes and no longer had to take hormones. OK...she had my attention now! I felt validated in thinking that this diet had gotten rid of one of the most annoying aspects of menopause. If nothing else changed in my life I would be happy simply because my hot flashes were gone.
The next thing I was told was to get LOTS of sleep because that would help with the transformation I was attempting to make. Well, that was easier said than done. I woke up several times each night and my sleep was just restless in general. It took a while (probably a month) but FINALLY I can say I am getting a good nights sleep and feeling so much more refreshed in the mornings.
So, getting rid of hot flashes AND sleeping well, those were wonderful effects of the paleo lifestyle but what about the weight issue? Remember I told you that I have an obsession with weighing myself? Also remember that Karol did my measurements and told me NOT to weigh? Well, for the first week I continued to weigh myself and saw the loss of a few pounds. Then I decided to follow Karol's instructions and just STOP GETTING ON THAT SCALE! How do I know if I've made progress or not? Well, my clothes are getting looser. Oh, I will remeasure myself soon but the best thing is..I'm just not obsessed or worried about it much any more.
So, the question is: Do I think there is anything to all this paleo hoopla? I sure do! I am now into my second month and going strong. Since I have already seen positive results, I expect to continue to see them. I have finally gotten through the terrible muscle soreness (Oh, I still have some but not nearly as severe) and am in a good work-out routine for me, I am eating clean and most importantly I am feeling pretty darn good (which must mean my thyroid is functioning well again; I will have my TSH tested again soon). There is no time like the present to get started, yourself. If you are serious about getting your health back and ridding your body of all those toxins that keep you feeling sluggish research the Paleo lifestyle today. HEY...WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
EAT GOOD FOOD!!!
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