I am starting the new year by losing the weight I gained last year. All of the food festivals, travel, and holidays in the second half of the year resulted in a 10+ pound weight gain. Two years ago I had great success with the paleo diet, and it has become my go-to method for managing my diet if I am trying to lose weight.
The Paleo Diet is very strict. No sugar, no carbs, no dairy, no legumes, and no alcohol. It's tough, but effective. If you try it, I strongly recommend easing your way in. If you suddenly cut out sugar and carbs you will likely get headaches. For the first couple of days I will eat some crackers and a little sugar.
This year I made some modifications to the paleo diet so that I could stay on it longer. My goal is to incorporate healthier Paleo-ish meals into my diet year-round. Here are my rules:
No sugar
No carbs
1 ounce of cheese per day is allowed, otherwise no dairy
Legumes are ok
No alcohol, but 2 glasses of wine per week is ok
Drink lots of water
Eat 3 meals a day, and 1 snack
Breakfast:
I eat 1 or 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast
I might make pancakes on weekends
Snacks:
Apple with peanut butter
Hummus with celery and carrots
Guacamole with celery and carrots
Avocado Pine Nut Puree with Sweet Potato Chips
Lunch & Dinner:
Quinoa Bowls
Chili
Salad Bowls
Soups
Spaghetti Squash
There are some Chicago restaurants with paleo friendly menus. I recommend Protein Bar, Snap Kitchen, and Kitchfix.
Some of my favorite paleo (and modified paleo) recipes are pictured throughout this post: Avocado Pine Nut Puree with Sweet Potato Chips, Southwest Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad, Herb Roasted Tomato Soup, Paleo Pancakes, Sweet and Salty Hasselback Sweet Potatoes, Balsamic Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad. You can find even more Paleo recipes on my Yummly Board.
Just a reminder, I am not a nutritionist and I completely made this modified paleo diet up. I am pairing this diet with 5-7 workouts per week. I signed up for Class Pass and am doing a mix of spinning, yoga, barre, and trx workouts.
