I Eat Real Food

I've had quite a few people ask "What diet are you on?"  "How did you get so 'skinny'?"  First of all, it's not a "diet", it's a lifestyle. Second, I'm not "skinny", I'm fit!  Come lift weights with me and you'll see. 

The secret is... I EAT REAL FOOD!  What do I mean by "real food"?  Well, let me tell you.

When I started my healthy journey, I knew exercise was not going to be enough.  How I fuel my body is so very important and its what keeps me going.  Simple as that.  So once I had my first month of CrossFit under my belt, I took the next step.  I set-up a meeting with Coach & Nutritionist, Bill Pain.

Our first discussion was probably exactly what you would expect.  "What are your goals?"  My goals were to get healthy and if I just happened to drop the annoying 10lbs I put on over the winter, then BONUS!

We talked about my history with foods, a typical day in my life, any medical issues, etc.  From that point, Bill started to talk to me about "leaky gut", "paleo", "Whole30", "clean eating", and much more.  I was completely intrigued. 

What is "leaky gut"?  Leaky Gut happens when the lining of the small instine breaks down.  When food enters the bloodstream it is pretty much completely broken down (digested).  When you experience Leaky Gut, the food gets into the bloodstream as more or less complete compounds.  Doesn't sound good, does it?  This can stimulate allergies and many other problems throughout the body.

What is "paleo"?  It's also known as the Caveman Diet or Hunter-Gatherer.  When I say any of these terms, people immediately think of the Fred Flinstone rack of ribs meal.  Well, it's not.  It's not just about eating meat.  It's also about eating fish, tree nuts, plants, vegetables, and fruit.  There is a balance that needs to be maintained.  It's about not eating processed foods, grains, legumes, potatoes, dairy, and sugar.  A good rule of thumb is look at the ingredients.  First, if you can't pronounce them, don't buy them.  If there are more than 4 ingredients, don't buy it.  Lastly, buy as much fresh produce and grass-fed meat/wild fish as possible.

By the time I left, we had a game plan.  Cut out all dairy and grains.  The dairy would be simple, I'm lactose intolerant.  The grains were another story.  My go to snack, bread.  My favourite meal, anything with pasta.

Also, read through the Whole30 and eat more.  What?  That's right, eat more!  This was simply a concept I wasn't used to.  I thought I ate plenty and if I ate more, I'd put more than 10lbs on.  Boy was I wrong.

So I went home and immediately read through the Whole30.  What is Whole30?  It is a program developed by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig.  The program is designed "as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food." - (www.whole9life.com)  Although the program is a little more intense than I was ready for, I definitely took away some great information and began my journey to healthy eating.

I sent Bill my first journal.  I was asked to write down what I ate, when I ate, and how I felt.  This was very helpful as I started to see patterns.  One in particular was that around 2:30pm/3pm I get the yawns and watery eyes and reach for chocolate or sugar of any kind. 

After that we met again and reviewed.  Overall wasn't too bad but definitely still needed some work.  Still needed to eat more!

It was after about the third or fourth week that I really started to feel and look different.  The pounds were dropping away quickly.  I felt amazing.  I had more energy.  I was getting some great results at the gym.  Overall, everything was really good.  I can even say I felt "younger".  Was I eating more?  Yep, almost as much as my 6'4" boyfriend eats!

I no longer had the cravings for certain foods and I associate that back to sugar.  My body was so programmed to feed it sugar that it was causing many health issues.  Once I started eating vegetables, fruits, and protein, my body began to reprogram itself.  It's very scary when you read ingredients on the label.  I think you would be very surprised at what foods contain some form of added sugar.  It's everywhere!  And it has many names.

My results are my results.  Everyone will have different results.  By the end of June, my body stopped losing weight.  I still felt great and have managed to stay that weight ever since.  Since it's part of my lifestyle, healthy eating and active, I have not had to even worry about adjusting meals.  My body is happy where it's at and it seems to intend to stay there. 

Since I enjoyed reading the Whole30, I decided to buy the Hartwig's "It Starts With Food" book the minute it was released this past summer.  WOW, did I ever learn how eating the wrong foods could be causing damage that you didn't even realize.  The foods we eat can influence allergies, something that I have suffered from for a very long time.  I have, or should I say 'had', allergies to everything environmental (trees, grass, flowers, moulds, dust).  Weekly I would take a trip to the doctor's office for an allergy shot.  Sometimes 2 depending on the season.  I can honestly say that since I started eating clean or real food, I haven't even taken an allergy pill!!

You can read many success stories on Melissas and Dallas' website.  It is truly amazing how eating the right foods can transform your life.

I've been "Paleo" or eating real food since May 2012.  Sure I have my cheats (I like to call them "treats") but it isn't often and it usually has to do with some sort of social event.  I can feel the effect of eating process food.  My stomach is not interested in it and my performance in the gym is, well, tough to say the least.

So, am I on a diet?  Heck no!  I eat REAL FOOD!!