Why You Failed Last Time You Went Paleo (It's Not What You Think)
Last time you "went Paleo" started innocently enough...you did the grocery shopping, meal prepping and planning...but somewhere around day 10 the cravings took over and you dove face first into every carb source within a 5 mile radius - "Paleo" or not.
This led to feelings of guilt for "falling off the wagon" and not being able to do it perfectly, bringing you back to square one...AGAIN.
Let me first start by saying that i've been there. I put off making changes in my nutrition for sooo long out of fear that I would never be able to "paleo perfectly" - how would I ever go a day without diet coke or fake sugar to curb my cravings?
So don't worry - the purpose of this post is NOT to tell you to just "Paleo harder" next time (I am SOOOOO not about that).
It is, however, intended to give you some insight as to why going into Paleo with a "diet mentality" is guaranteed to set you up for failure. A "diet mentality" means viewing foods as "good" or "bad", attaching morality to different food groups, and/or believing you will "fall off the wagon" if you eat some cheese.
Here are the 3 biggest reasons why you failed last time you "went Paleo" and what you can do this time, instead:
Mistake #1: Going too low carb
Removing gluten and other grains is one of the best ways to improve digestion, heal the gut, discover food sensitivities and more. However, the problem with this occurs when these grains are not replaced with something else. For example, continuing to eat a Standard American Diet (think sandwiches, burgers, etc) and simply taking away the bread component is a great start, but leaves you with much lower carbs and lower calories than you were to start.
This is likely going to result in quick weight loss initially, due to the lowered caloric intake, but it is not going to leave you feeling satisfied or energized for long. When removing gluten and other grains, make sure to replace your sources of carbohydrates with nutrient dense, whole food sources such as sweet potatoes, root vegetables, green veggies and fruit.
Mistake #2: Going too low fat
Similar to #1, going too low fat is often a result of the “diet mentality” that many of us have been plagued with for years. Eating too little fat while transiting to a Paleo diet looks something like this: egg whites, grilled chicken, and broccoli for every meal. Yes, these are all “real foods” (well, maybe not the egg whites…) but they definitely leave something to be desired in terms of flavor and nutrient density.
When eating real food, don’t fear the fat! Especially when you are eliminating inflammatory foods like grains, dairy and soy, it is important to replace these calories with nutrient dense fats like egg yolks, ghee, avocado, coconut oil, etc. As a bonus, these added fats will help nutrient absorption, skin health and vibrance, and most importantly - they make your food taste better and keep you satisfied.
Mistake # 3 You tried to do it alone
Filling up on nutrient dense foods like grass-fed meats, eggs, fish, veggies, fruits and tons of healthy fat seems easy enough, right? You already have access to the education and tools you need to make eating real food easy... (get them here!)
Unfortunately, lack of support from friends and family is the number one reason why even highly motivated people slip back into old habits of eating out, nutrient-poor food choices, caffeine, sugar, etc.
How much easier and less stressful would it be knowing that your next holiday party or family dinner would have tons of nutrient dense options, and no one would give you weird looks or question your sudden interest in health?
Until that day happens, it is extremely important to find a group of like minded women who can support, share, ask questions and understand exactly what you're going through as you navigate the world of real-food, Paleo, self-care and healing - like a boss.
This is why I created the PaleoBossBabe Facebook group - Join here!
Looking for step by step instruction to discovering your personalized paleo nutrition plan?
