New Year New Me (again)

Starting the new year with a re-commitment to my diet and fitness.  See, things have been tough these last 6 months or so.  Besides completely abandoning my diet and workout routine, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Arthritis in both my big toes, a condition known as Hallux Rigidus.  That shit started in August when I got back from vacation, and my health and fitness has been on a steady decline ever since.  With both feet unable to “flex”, kind of tough to workout.

With both feet shot, I have to discover a new way to be active.  No more cleans / box jump / double under Crossfit kind of workouts.  I am having surgery on each foot, but even after, I can no longer do the kinds of activities I used to enjoy (which really sucks).  Hoping to take up swimming once my feet are healed up, but that is 4 months or so away.  In the mean-time, guess body weight movements and maybe some light rowing on the old Concept 2?  Eh, who knows.

So, New Year New Me.  I am starting to clean up my diet, as I have ballooned from 165 lbs / 32 in waist to 187 lbs / 39 in waist.  I imagine there is about 5 lbs / 1 inch of water weight on there that should come off quickly, but the rest will be all me.

I have started to get “back to Paleo”.  I have had a lot of success in the past eating Paleo, dating back 5 years or so now.  The past 3 years have not been anything that could be considered Paleo, but the prior two years I did OK.

In case you were wondering ”Why Paleo?”.  I can only answer from my own experience, and the benefits I have seen include:

• Increased energy throughout the day (no more afternoon crashes)


• Weight loss


• Improved mental focus / clearer thinking


• No crazy cravings


• Better sleep

It is amazing now-a-days how much Paleo material there is out there.  5 years or so back, it was Rob Wolff / The Paleo Solution and a few recipes on Health-bent.  I am amazed (delighted) at how much material there is out there now.  From blogs, to magazines, to cookbooks, just awesome.

I have been particularly stoked by theclothesmakethegirl The Clothes Make The Girl, a fantastic resource for recipes, Paleo living, how to cook, as well as a few recipe books.

So, given that I have tried and failed at the Paleo thing before, what is it that I can do differently this time around?  Here are somethings that I am looking at:

• Try not to replace bad food with Paleo renditions (things like Paleo bread or deserts)


• Take full ownership for what goes in my mouth.  My wife is largely responsible for feeding the family, and she does not cook Paleo.  Relying on her to make the right foods just will not work.  I have to buy my own foods and prepare my own meals.


• Be prepared.  I have long felt that if I just had something “good” on hand, already made or a few minutes away from being made, I could stick with Paleo.  In the past, I scrounged for beef jerky, nuts, or even worse, made chicken nuggets.  The really neat thing about “Melissa “Melicious” Joulwan“‘s blog is that she teaches you how to be prepared.  I am totally excited to try out her methods.


• No alcohol (say what!?).  My previous Paleo stints started with putting away the beer and pulling out the Vodka / Gin.  Well, this time around, I am abandoning all alcohol.

The plan right now is to jump right in.  I am cutting out bread, grains, legumes, dairy (including cheeses), sugars (artificial and natural) and alcohol.  I am going to put together a few prepared meals for this upcoming week to give me something I can always reach for in a pinch.

My goal is to sometime soon follow Melissa’s Week by Week Whole 30 experience.  She does a real bang up job of putting together a grocery list and instructions on cooking up for the week.

Not sure if anyone will read this other than myself.  I will be posting regular updates on my experiences, progress (or roadblocks) along the way.  If nothing else, writing things down should serve as a means to keep me motivated and to reflect on the journey.

If you do happen across this blog, feel free to drop me a message, comment, or what have you.