It all started with a picture. I was on vacation and used that as an excuse to eat anything and everything. I remember feeling horrible the whole trip, bloated, fat and miserable. When we got home, I looked through my pictures and saw one that just made me cry. Who was this person? This was not a healthy, happy person. I had to do something but what? I worked out everyday, I ate a "healthy standard american" diet. Why was I so bloated and miserable? One day, I came across the Paleo Diet on the internet. Meat, veggies, healthy fats, some fruits, nuts and seeds. It seemed so easy but where were the carbs? How would I have energy for my workouts if I didn't eat bread and pasta? I started eating less carbs and sugar and then Christmas came and I got lost again. You see, I am a sugar addict. For me, there is no such thing as one bite. One bite turned into months of only eating sugar and feeling sick most of the time. I finally did Diane Sanfilippo's
21 Day Sugar Detox. The first two weeks were really hard. It was almost like I had the flu, now I know I was detoxing from sugar. After the first two weeks, things changed drastically. The fog lifted. I woke up one morning and realized, I am HAPPY!
Getting off sugar and grains was so much more than losing weight. I feel like a new person and I want to shout it from the rooftops how wonderful I feel. I want to help others feel the happiness that I feel. When my 21 days were over, I continued for 90 days. After the 90 days, I did have a paleo treat or two but I don't have them very often anymore. I took my before and after 90 day pictures and I could not believe the difference. I try not to weigh very often because I don't want the scale to dictate my mood. I now workout harder than ever. I train in Taekwondo and Crossfit and love every minute. My energy soars!
Back in 2008 I decided to do the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This is a two-day, 39.3 mile walk where each walker raises $1800. A good friend had recently been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and I wanted to do something in her honor. I trained for it and had a great time. Not long after, a friend told me if I could walk 26.2 miles in one day, I could run a 1/2 marathon. It seemed like a daunting task since I was not a runner but the race was in Las Vegas so I decided to give it a go. I started my training and ran a few short races before the big day. The big day came and I had a blast! No, I did not run the whole thing but I felt good for finishing. Through my training my weight stayed the same, no loss no gain. In the next two years, I ran 4 1/2 marathons, did the Avon Walk every year and still trained in Taekwondo. What happened the next two years was... I gained 20 pounds. It crept on slow and steady. I could not figure out why. When I look back, I realize that for two years, I was always training for something. No rest for my body. I finally got sidelined with plantar fasciitis and took 4 months off from running. During those 4 months I felt better each month and the weight started to come off. During this is when I found Paleo and that really helped me learn that my body needs rest. I was pushing to hard for me. Now, I have friends who are runners and they are in great shape but I have decided to hang up my hat on the long distance running. It was just too much for my body. I do have several 5k's planned for the fall (Dirty Girl Mud Run- http://www.godirtygirl.com/ and Color Me Rad) which should be a lot of fun. I still train in Taekwondo and do Crossfit one day a week. I usually do take off 2 days each week so my body can recover. I feel rest and recovery do my body good!
