The Paleo Experiment

How I Got Here

day one and two

The year 2013 was my gap year health wise.  I did not diet, I did not obsess.  I just lived my life. It was FINE.  I had been crazed for 10 years about my weight. My weight shifted very little no matter what exercise, diet, eating plan I tried.  It was depressing and debilitating.  Plus every health care person looked at me like I was a lazy, eat-all-day person and ordered me to lose weight.  No one bothered to figure out why I did not lose weight or my strategies that failed. Well, the word dietitian was tossed about but I had an aversion.

Early in 2014 that all came to screeching halt. I rolled over into diabetes from insulin resistance.  My BP scared folks. Cholesterol numbers were not good.  I had chest pains and ended up in the hospital having tests, on a Sunday!  So I gathered up my resolve, and went to the GP and thence to the diabetes clinic like a good girl.  The GP gave me medicine.  The Diabetes Clinician gave me comfort. (Amazing how one kind and caring person can shift your world view.)

Since she didn't just look at me like a fat bag of bones, I finally got over my hesitation and went to the Dietitian.  My first assignment before I went was to track my intake for a week or so.  With my lovely SweetPea for support, off we went to the first appointment.  It did not take long for the result. At 1000 to 1200 calories per day my metabolism was stalled.  I have a medically controlled low functioning thyroid anyway; not enough calories felt to my brain like the Eight Years of Famine.  I skip breakfast and sometimes lunch. I graze at night.  I probably don't drink enough water.  I was instructed to eat breakfast, eat more and come back.

The Dietitian gave me a normal person's food chart, which to me as a diabetic looked very heavy on starches, so with some advice from other diabetic friends, I started to eat. ( Those food group based diet plans felt like eating for an army every meal.)  And I lost 10 kilos with no effort at all. I am convinced that taking Metformine helped.  I was able to go without support hose for the first time in ages;  I even made it through hot, humid weather without swollen legs. I said goodbye and thank you to the Dietitian. I felt so great!   The worst part was : because I felt better, I moved around more, and it aggravated my Fibromyalgia.  Even so, I started dreaming about taking up Zumba.... BUT Then....

Suddenly my weight  loss stalled. The Diabetes Clinician was again a comfort. Since all my numbers were great and I had lost a good fair amount of weight, she said my body had to find balance. Not to worry.

Some months passed. No weight shift. My fear of eating returned. Bad eating habits returned.  The scale registered a small creep upwards. Then Mother died. 

When I saw my beloved family's reaction to death, I realized that I had better stay alive and healthy for at least a decade. There is diabetes in the family. It has killed us early. There is heart and vascular disease. My family has wonky thyroids. I have a cousin with Hashimoto's Disease. She has had success with the Paleo Diet.   Since this country's  health care system is not assertive about testing, I decided to act as if I had Hashimoto's since about 90 % of low functioning victims could be so diagnosed.  In my research I found a 30 day challenge using Paleo with meal plans designed by a diabetic.  It was immediately attractive since it is starchless, and low fruit. Two things which resonate with me. I determined to get serious about eating again. Not dieting, but eating.

 I went out and procured supplies.  I liked the grocery list because it has no name brand or produced food that I can't access from this country.  Careful shopping cost me just under 100 euros for a week.  This included staples which were expensive but will last for weeks.  I also have meat in the freezer.  I think the recipes are generous so the food is not just for one me.

So it began yesterday:  eggs, nuts and berries for breakfast,  Fahita salad for lunch, The salmon crusted with pecans, rosemary and sea salt for dinner was delicious, even cold for breakfast this morning.  I haven't felt like I was "needing to eat"at all.   I didn't realize how far I had fallen back into really poor habits. I have to remind myself to drink.

99 .9 kilos.