30-day challenge results!

So, after 30 days of following a 95% paleo diet, giving up alcohol, sugar, grains, dairy and processed foods, here are my results:

Start weight: 85kgs, now: 80kgs: a loss of approx. 5kgs
Start waist: 97cm, now: 91cm, a loss of approx. 6cms
Start hips: 117cm, now: 112cm, a loss of approx. 5cms

When I say 95%, I mean that I ate popcorn at the movies twice, ate out at restaurants 4 times (tried my best but cannot control restaurant food too much) and at Lori's baby shower I ate a small slice of rocky road and half a cupcake :)

Very happy with the results, and I will keep going. I will introduce back a few things that I miss, such as Paul Newman's Own Ranch Dressing on my salads (I can only eat balsamic and olive oil so much!). I dilute the dressing with balsamic anyway. I don't really miss eating bread, I just miss the convenience of bread, like toast, or a quick sandwich. But I am also cooking some great food and loving the end of the 3:00pm slump. I don't actually miss sugar at all, or things like hot chips, which is surprising.

The first week was when the most drastic results were gained in terms of weight loss, but I have gone down 1-2 clothing sizes and i can see the difference, even if the photos don't really show it. And now that I read food labels A LOT, it is amazing how sugar is in EVERYTHING!! Wow. I have discovered kelp noodles, which are fantastic, and I am in the process of cooking some of my favorite things (chicken schnitzel) in a paleo friendly way. so Hooray for paleo! bring on the next 30 days!

Embrace leftovers!

I'm not a huge leftovers fan but lately i'm learning to embrace them. they are so quick to heat up in the microwave, not a lot of thinking or planning required either. And the gas ran out on Saturday so I can't cook on the stove top at the moment! This morning I'm having leftover almond crusted chicken, sweet potato and pumpkin, and i chopped up a few cherry tomatoes and lebanese cucumber to have as well. Squeezed some fresh lime juice all over everything, yummy!

Bacon&chicken lettuce wraps

I could not face eggs this morning...instead I cooked up some streaky bacon and made lettuce wraps with bacon, cold roast chicken, cherry tomatoes, parsley from my herb garden, and a smear of mayo (i found some nice mayo with all natural ingredients that are paleo friendly). Delicious!

Day 27 breakfast

Well I'm not that hungry!! I boiled a few eggs for breakfast, with some zucchini and carrot, and I could only eat half of what's in the picture... what's going on!?

I'm 3 days away from the end of my 30-day paleo challenge....stay tuned to read my thoughts on the whole paleo thing, and my weight and measurement comparisons, and even maybe a photo of me!

Chicken & roasted slivered almond stirfry

I chucked a small handful of slivered almonds into the frypan and dry roasted them, then removed from pan. Next went in shredded cabbage, zucchini, carrots, kelp noodles and shredded BBQ chicken and a dash of wheat-free soy sauce. Mixed it all up and threw on top some fresh herbs from my garden (chives, coriander and parsley) and then threw the almonds back in. Nothing like a delicious lunch prepared in 5 minutes!

Banana&blueberry almond milk smoothie

Day 26: I found this week at crossfit incredibly tough for some reason, i felt like i had no strength, my shins feel like they are being stabbed with glass shards, you know. After crossfit this morning I could not even eat, i felt that horrible. So instead of my usual veggie and protein breakfast I had a yummy smoothie: almond milk, a small frozen banana, some ice cubes, and a handful of frozen blueberries. It really hit the spot. I almost forgot to take a picture, that's why the glass is only half full :)

BBQ garlic prawns

Last night I marinated some prawns in olive oil, crushed fresh garlic and parsley. My man BBQd them and with it I had some steamed cauliflower, pureed pumpkin, and a few panfried sweet potatoes...mmmm. I love sweet potatoes but try not to eat them that often. A squeeze of lime juice on the prawns made them just that little bit yummier!