30 Day Paleo Challenge Assessment and Now What?

Today is the LAST day of my 30 day Paleo Challenge!  I did it!!  I guess tomorrow is the official weigh in, but I don't always get that done on Saturdays.  During the 30 days, I lost 6.4 pounds.  I lost all of that in the first 10 days and the pounds did not fluctuate that much after.

However...according to the fat % tracker on my scale, I did shift down over an entire percentage point on my body fat.  To me, that is very important.  My only disappointment of not losing more pounds is severely overshadowed by all the good things:

1. Losing that % of fat.
2. Sticking to something very strictly for 30 days without going of the rails at some point.
3. I had no artificial sweetener, added sugar, or dairy for 30 days.  I only had alcohol and white potatoes once and corn twice.  I have NEVER done that before.
4. My skin feels great!
5. My jeans fit again!
6. I kept working out as I focused on nutrition and my body thanks me for it.
7. I'm sleeping better.
8. I'm cooking more.
9. My meals are overwhelmingly more healthy.
10. I'm eating 2-3 servings of vegetables most days.

I decided that I deserved a reward which I will get a week from tomorrow, so I will share that with you on 02/10.  Stay tuned!

My plan going forward is to continue eating this way with just a few modifications:

• Adding back dairy, but only 1 serving per day other than a small amount for coffee.
• I will cook paleo style for myself, but if I'm served or in a restaurant, I can eat white potatoes, rice, corn or legumes if the situation calls for it (keeping that under 20% of the time.)  An example might be the rice on rolls at a sushi restaurant or corn tortillas at a Mexican place...this is not a license to go hog wild, just a small adjustment.
• I will allow myself one cheat meal a week.  Not a cheat DAY...just a meal. 

I know I should track my food, but I don't want to.  So my deal with myself is that as long as I lose pounds or fat % for the week, I do not have to track.  If I gain, then I have to start tracking.  I think that is fair.

CrossFit this morning was brutal, but awesome.  After a half mile run warm up, we did what we call a CrossFit warm up which is 3 rounds of:

• 20 second Sampson stretch each side
• 10 overhead squats
• 10 back extensions (or supermans)
• 10 sit ups
• 10 push ups
• 10 pull ups (I subbed ring rows)

After that was our WOD which was 3 rounds:

• 50 squats
• 7 muscle ups (I subbed 14 box dips)
• 10 hang power cleans (75#)

It took me 9:33 seconds which satisfying.

Today's meal plan:
Breakfast:  Black coffee.  Chicken breakfast sausage and egg beaters.
Lunch:  Dry rub wings.  What will be a challenge here is to avoid the ranch or blue cheese.
Snack:  Apple with nut butter, if needed.
Dinner:  Steam pot from Joe's Crab Shack sans potatoes and corn.

Bottom line:  I feel the best I have in quite a while.  That is worth a lot!!

Hugs!