Thank you all for your comments yesterday! They really helped me chill out about having ‘topics’ to post about and to just enjoy the process. Y’all are the best!
And now we are here on day 10 of the paleo challenge (also known as my amazing husband’s birthday!!). The ten days might have gone by in a blink to you, but not so much for us. I’ve been trying to think of a smooth way to report our thoughts and feelings over the challenge and concluded the simplest way is to go with a pro/con list.
Gyro Meatballs over Greek Salad with Olive Oil, Vinegar and Oregano
Let’s start with the PROS we found to eating paleo style over the past 10 days.
1. Energy is high and stable (for me). I can notice a distinct different in my energy levels when eating this way. I don’t get the 2pm crash and I feel incredibly perky all morning long (which is saying a lot when you’re spending your day with little ones).
Lemon Dijon Salmon with Roasted Potatoes
2. The focus on real foods. I love the foods included on the paleo diet. Lots of vegetables, fruits, meat, healthy fats like olives, almonds and avocados. My body responds well to these foods and I feel so much healthier/less greasy than when I used to try and do Atkins in college and chow down on hotdogs and pork rinds (ew… I’ve come a long way!)
Over Medium Eggs with Avocado, Tomatoes, Sriracha and a Banana
3. David felt caffeine hit him harder and started liking black coffee. I got a great recommendation from you about coconut milk as creamer, but I didn’t have it originally so David drank his coffee black. He said he was surprised that he’s starting to like it that way and thinks he’ll stick with it over cream and sugar.
Crockpot Salsa Chicken and Peppers with Homemade Guacamole and Homemade Baked Potato Chips
4. No bloated feeling. This was one of my favorite perks! It was crazy and wonderful to feel the same in the evening as I did in the morning. My abs/core just felt “tighter” for a lack of better explanation. I didn’t have any digestive issues and my middle just felt less flabby. I’m not doing the best job of explaining it, but it felt good!
And that sums up the pros. There are some great ones in there, but now to keep it honest, the CONS (to us).
1. Trouble feeling satisfied. David and I both had this odd sensation of being full but still hungry. Yes, it makes no sense, so the best way I can think to explain it is the meals left us unsatisfied, even if we liked the food and felt physically full. I feel over time that this dissipated for me, but it didn’t for David. Instead of that ‘mmhmm, that was good’ feeling of satisfaction, we’d both kind of just look at each other like “ok… I guess we’re done now.”
Spicy Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup (minus the cream)
2. Mood changes. David was flat out depressed some days, which is totally unlike him. I called him grumpy on more than one occasion, which I’m sure he loved. He also felt like his brain just wasn’t working as well. I felt like I was more emotional. This totally could have to do with hormones/a busy week/or unrelated, but I felt I was on a bit of a rollercoaster, which is unlike me as well.
Ginger Beef, Mushroom and Kale Stir Fry over Cauliflower Rice
3. It was challenging trying to plan and make meals for everyone. This challenge made me empathetic for people that are new to meal planning. It can feel really overwhelming! Trying to plan meals out of our norm, while also feeding the girls took a lot of effort and a lot of prep work. It definitely took planning ahead and using nap time to do some dinner prep. I’m sure it’s just because it was a new way of eating for us, and perhaps I tried to get too fancy with our meals, but it was a little stressful.
Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken
4. It was expensive. I fully admit that it may have been my novice status or my planning of too many fancy meals, but for 10 days of food we spent about $387 dollars. That’s really hard to admit. I will say that that was for all our meals (we didn’t eat out), it fed Hailey and Kaitlyn too (for as much as an 8 month old eats) and I bought mostly organic, but still. Yikes.
Pulled Pork BBQ on Sweet Potato Buns
Overall Thoughts
As whiny as I feel I’ve been about some parts of the challenge (wiiiiiiiine, I missed you!!), I’m glad we did it. Sometimes you just need to try things and form your own opinion. While we only did it for 10 days (mad props to you Whole30ers out there), I feel like I got a pretty good overall sense of the style of eating and can totally see how it works well for some people. I think paleo can be a great, healthy way to eat, but (no shocker here), it’s not the right fit for us long term simply because of the mental state of deprivation it caused. I think I will continue to eat paleo-ish about 80% of the time, which was pretty much what I was doing before, but will welcome feta cheese, Friday night pizza, spontaneous meals out with friends and wine back into my life with open arms.
Also, I would be remiss not to answer the question I’ve received a few times over the challenge- did we lose weight? Yes. I lost 2 pounds (with no negative effect to my milk supply) and David lost 4.5 pounds. Water weight? Maybe, but we both did lose, so that was interesting!
Now to decide what the reenter the norm with… a glass of wine or a slice key lime pie for David’s birthday?!
To see the full 10 day paleo meal plan I used, click here.
Liz says
Congrats! Takes a lot of dedication and prep work to get that done. I enjoyed reading this..wine or key lime pie..maybe a little of both ? Have a great day!
Brittany Dixon says
Both? I like the way you think!!
Holly says
Our eats are very similar to your family’s and my grocery bills have been ridiculous lately. (And we’re not even doing a paleo challenge.) I’m not new at this either so even though you said it’s hard to admit, just know it made me feel a little better! I spent $250 last week and didn’t even feel like it was a huge haul. Also…I’m not doing paleo but I’ve been trying to clean up the carbs I eat and your “full but still hungry” description is exactly how I’m feeling!
Karen says
I would celebrate surviving the challenge with both wine and pie……congrats.
Thanks for the honesty! Sometimes just because it seems like the “in” thing to do because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. I only hope more people read your post and see what you have discovered.
Katie says
Glad I’m not the only one who thought “both!!” was the correct answer. I loved the honesty over instagram while the challenge was going on.
Brittany Dixon says
Don’t have to twist my arm… both it is!! Thanks ladies 😉
Beks says
I think with something like Whole30 or Paleo, for prepping, there should be a lot of shopping around to get the best deal. It might be exhausting in the long-term, but just think how much money you’ll save.
That’s a great tip about the coconut milk as a creamer, though. I’ve been trying to think of ways to get cream in my coffee without all the chemicals that Coffeemate and International Delights gives. It would even have the nice, thick texture that cream should have. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your findings!
Marnie @ SuperSmartMama says
Ahhh thanks for sharing the outcome of your 10 days of Paleo. I thought Paleo was my magic diet bullet when I discovered it in early 2014, and then I got pregnant, so I relaxed the Paleo rules somewhat. I still try to follow a low-carb diet and I’ve pretty much eliminated all processed food and that happy middle ground seems to work for me. So I can’t say I eat Paleo, but trying it helped me find “my” way of eating.
Brittany Dixon says
Sounds like you and I are very much on the same eating page Marnie! It’s amazing what a difference kicking processed foods to the curb can make.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Very interesting! I will agree with you that the times I have tried Paleo, I never felt fully satisfied, which is the number one reason I cannot do it long term. I get the science, the benefits, etc. But I am a practical girl, and I just couldn’t keep it up long-term.
John J. says
Interesting experiment. Welcome back to more fun eating. Prost! Happy birthday to “grumpy” David!
Brynn says
Thank you for the recap! I have been following your 10 day Paleo journey and was curious to see your end thoughts. I like to do a reset at some points but know I could not sustain such strict guidelines without a cause (health purposes) because sometimes I do want the wine! But doing challenges like these also help to reconnect with food in their natural state, which is so easy to get away from with all of the extras we can add (coffee creamer for one). Thanks!!
Katie says
We started Whole 30 on jan 5 so we are 16 days in. I second the expensive part! I also thought I’d lose weight but snack much more than I did before and I think it’s what you mention about not being satisfied. I’m not hungry but I feel like I ‘deserve’ a snack or something. I don’t know. I can’t explain it but snacking on cashews and apples and almond butter are healthy but add up calorie wise. Losing weight is not the primary reason for this but I thought would be a side effect. Not so with the extra snacking 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
I know what you mean about the extra snacking. I think since I only bought a few snacks (boiled eggs, almonds, etc), I got bored of snacking and just lost all my zest for food haha (maybe I was a little grumpy about too ;)). Good luck finishing out your Whole30- I’m so impressed!
Courtney says
Have you seen this timeline? http://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/
It does a good job of explaining the emotional roller-coaster. I wonder if things would have leveled out for you all in this department after a few more days…
Great job on 10 days with a family a four! I am on day 17 of the whole30 and can’t imagine doing all of this cooking with a bigger family to feed. It’s hard enough with just my husband and me!
Brittany Dixon says
What an interesting timeline- thank you for linking!! I’ll bet you are right, that a little more time might have gotten us over the hump, but we are too weak to investigate further 😉
Ali says
Wow. That link to the timeline was crazy. My mind is racing with all sorts of thoughts that I can’t even get it down …… I think the biggest impact this has on me is thinking about kids. Kids. Who rely on us, as adults, told models, parents, teachers….to teach them how to eat healthy and fuel their body and MIND. How school lunches are crap. How our country needs a serious overhaul in terms of what we eat and how we teach our kids about what to eat. I don’t mean let’s all go Paleo….but I sure do mean, let’s eat more wholesome, fresh, healthy FOOD. That we make. At home. Let’s eat out less. Let’s eat smaller portions. Let’s est more veggies and fruits and nuts and meats……oh, gosh…..now I am just an emotional mess here on my soap box AKA this comment box on B’s blog!!!!
Ps – small glass of wine and small piece of dessert. You should enjoy both within reason. Just coming off of Paleo for 10 days could result in an “interesting” response from your body…..just ease back in….
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
I definitely think that had you done a whole 30 days you guys would have felt different emotionally and felt satisfied after eating. It’s insane how long it takes our bodies to cleanse. I think when you finally do, that’s when you start to feel satisfied after eating. Hey, I can’t argue with you though, I’ve added goat cheese back in (my favorite on salads!), and most definitely wine on the weekends! I think living an 80% paleo diet and letting “loose” (not going crazy!) on the weekends is the way to go. 😉 Congrats for finishing your 10 days and Happy Birthday to David. Hope he doesn’t feel too bloated today after indulging. haha
Brittany Dixon says
Yes, I’m sure you are right that more benefits would have come with sticking with it further, but David and I agreed that we won’t be doing another challenge that nixes wine or beer for as long as we are raising a three year old 😉
Kathleen Ojo @ My Ojos says
I think your cons illustrate why the program is Whole30 and not Whole10. It takes a while for the body to adjust. I committed to a Whole30 last year and felt quite wonky and unsatisfied for the first two weeks (and I was still running fairly high mileage and hitting the gym twice a week, so getting used to the new fuel sources really took it out of me) but around the two week mark something shifted. I started to feel more energized, cravings disappeared, and that feeling of “missing” something with all my meals went away. Not to say its that way for everyone, but readers shouldn’t conclude that this way of eating must mean a life of constantly feeling deprived. If you had gone with it longer, those feelings might have dissipated.
With that said, I do Whole30s here and there and eat paleo probably 80-90% of the time in between. Rigidity doesn’t appeal to me – every once in a while, a girl just needs some wine, cheese and chocolate! Thanks for documenting your journey. I LOVE experimenting on myself to figure out what works for my body and what doesn’t, and it’s always fun to see others doing the same.
Brittany Dixon says
I think you are probably right Kathleen! David and I are not strong enough for the Whole30 at this point, but I’ve heard several people say they got over the ‘hump’ after a couple weeks in. Now I’m curious, but my excitement for wine outweighs the curiosity at this point. WEAK I know. 😉 Thanks for the feedback!
Laura @FitMamaLove says
Good for you for making it through! I get what you mean about feeling full, but something’s missing. That’s how I feel a lot when I make a vegetarian meal. Like I want to keep eating. I know I would feel that way if I ate that egg and avocado breakfast with no toast or potato or anything. I need something with my eggs!
B W says
Curious if the depressed/hormonal swings were due to the changes and if they would even out over a longer duration (Friends have said normal feelings like that around days 7-10) and then they started craving paleo type foods and feeling even better? Just a thought. Also – I followed along and this REALLY hit me hard in the milk supply. My 10 month old is exclusively nursing still (refuses all foods/bottles/sippys) and I coudl REALLY tell a difference. I upped my water intake but had to crack adn eat some oatmeal in the mornings around day 7, plus some peanut butter on toast in the afternoon). I also had to stop exercising to get my supply back up to where it is supposed to be. Interesting that it affects people so differently. We will be continuing with no grains (my daughter is allergic) but adding in some dairy (greek yogurt and cheeses well an the occassional ice cream). I agree my grocery bill was huge as well and I didnt even buy anything all that different – weird!
Brittany Dixon says
Oh yikes- having a supply decrease is definitely not worth it. I just saw a lactation consultant to check on my supply and she was telling me how women are so different about what affects their supply. Interesting stuff.
I totally agree that the emotional swings probably would have evened themselves out some. Many people who have done the Whole30 have said similar things!
Christy @TheMuddyApron says
How is it fair that men can lose more weight than women and do all the same things? Annoying. Regardless of weight loss, I’ve tried paleo and it did make me feel less bloated too so that’s a bonus. 🙂 Like you, I can’t go without for long and so portion control is key for me. Happy Wednesday.
C.
Monica says
I think that not feeling bloated would be enough for me to try this type of challenge… I wonder if they have any kind of vegetarian plan? Time for research!!!
Kelly @ Kelly Runs For Food says
This was really interesting! I don’t follow any specific diets or eating plans (mainly due to the fact that they all tell me I can’t drink wine), but I love hearing about other people’s experiences.
I’ve tentatively cut back on my carb consumption over the past few months and I’ve definitely noticed a difference in the bloat factor.
Megan says
Can you share a link or recipe for the salsa chicken and homemade chips? That looks delicious!
Brittany Dixon says
I put 3 chicken breasts in the crockpot with salsa and a cut up pepper, then cooked it on low for 4-6 hours. The chicken shreds easily and is ready to be used in so many ways!
The “chips” are just russet potatoes sliced thinly, tossed in olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt and baked at 400 for 30ish minutes, flipping half way (though clearly I kind of burned mine ;))
It’s a simple and delicious meal!
Kim @ Racing Bananas says
Ah, the Atkins diet. It may have worked for awhile, but I ate way too many pork rinds too – gross! Thanks for the pro and con list – I like being able to see both sides. Your meals all look amazing!
Georgie says
All of your photos look incredible. I think you summarized the pros and cons so well and I totally know what you mean about the “satisfaction” level. I think it has to do with the emotional connection we have to certain types of foods like cheese, sugar, alcohol – it’s more than nutrition, which is hard to fulfill with all paleo foods.
Kat @ Where the Sidewalk Ends says
Thank you so much for this great recap! It was really helpful, and the recipes look totally mouthwatering.
FWIW, I did the Whole 30 about this time last year, and read so many anecdotes and accolades of people who thought it was the best thing since sliced…errr…beef tongue? I had been 75-85% paleo up until that point, and 99% gluten-free and refined sugar free (save for it sneaking into my food) for nearly 10 years, and was really excited to feel more energized, healthy, etc. I stuck to it, and guess what? At the end, I felt pretty much the same as when I started, which was healthy, energetic, and happy (most of the time). I’m still so happy I did it, because it taught me that eating “good” was good enough, even if it wasn’t the perfect paleo I wanted to be. Enjoyment of food that you connect with and have emotional ties to is equally valuable to food that is clean and healthy. I love a glass of wine, I love a lot of cheese, and gluten-free pizza is a wonderful treat. I balance it with heaps of veggies, healthy meats, and bone broth. The greatest gift I can give myself is moderation in abundance, and I have giving myself that every day.
Liv @ Healthy Liv says
I loved reading this post and all the comments. I think Paleo can be a great fit for some people, but for me, following a 100% Paleo diet takes the fun out of food.
I absolutely love sweet potatoes, huge salads, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, fresh fruit, etc… but I also get excited about baking with friends, eating bites of cookie dough, enjoying a small bowl of ice cream at night, and having the occasional handful of chips with salsa.
If I did the Whole 30 and made it past the 10 day “hump” and lost my cravings for ice cream and things like that, I’d honestly be a little sad! To me, the 80/20 balance is a lot more fun.
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
It’s awesome that you tried it! (Obviously as a vegetarian I probably couldn’t last as a paleo-er haha) but woahhh that’s expensive! Honestly, even when I went vegan for awhile, I felt like it got expensive (coconut oil isn’t cheap haha) but it wasn’t quite that bad!
Katie says
Thanks for the recap! Just wanted to say though that I hope you don’t think you and David are weak for “only” doing 10 days. Not at all! Sometimes it takes more strength to try something, realize it’s not for you for various reasons, and quit while you’re ahead.
Lyndsey says
I’ve been able to really cut down on my spending by looking at my favorite local sores sales flyer and writing down the produce and meat I was interested in. Then I built my meal plan around those foods. I keep my budget which was all three meals for me and dinner for both my husband and I to around $60 a week with minimal waste! I know your family is larger but this method could save ya some bucks
Giselle says
Yay! Good job you guys! I found my happy way of eating after doing the Whole 30 a few years ago and now eat mostly Paleo (with the exception of some cheese and wine) and love it! Although over the holiday’s I got a little out of control with my paleofied treats so I’m on day 17 of another Whole 30. Feeling great but ready for some wine!
Sarah says
Brittany, please post the recipe for Crockpot Salsa Chicken and Peppers. It looks amazing! x
Brittany Dixon says
There is no real recipe- it’s super simple! 3-4 boneless breasts in a crockpot with salsa (maybe 2 cups?) and a diced pepper. Then cook on low for 6ish hours, shred in the crockpot and mix it all up then use it on any dish you want- tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, etc 🙂
Lauren Brennan says
This was such an interesting read! I have never eaten full-on Paleo, but I do make a lot of Paleo meals for dinner. I mostly try to stay away from wheat, and that helps with digestive issues and bloating. But I love to eat dairy and I would be lost without tortilla chips. I think that “eating everything but” helps keep me feeling full.
Your meals look so delicious, but definitely on the fancier side. For a lot of our Paleo dinners, it will just be salmon and a simple salad or vegetable and we call it a day!
Courtney says
We are on day 18 of whole 30 and I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. We will probably be stopping early because we are just physically dissatisfied after meals, I have no energy for long runs and emotionally just crabby. Oh and the cost is crazy! But carbs cravings and sugar cravings are gone do that’s a plus. Thanks for posting this.
Danielle @ Eat Primal, Run Hard says
My husband and I following a primal way of eating, which is paleo + some dairy, for 9 months. We’ve recently been working to a budget for groceries, and have effectively cut our spending by £80 ($150 USD) this past month, and that’s still being somewhat liberal. When we did change to primal, our grocery bill never increased; we instead realised that we just spent too much money on groceries. We cook fancy meals some of the time, but we also have basic meat and vegetable variations every night. There is a massive assumption that paleo is expensive, but as another reader above commented, if you take the time to source cheaper alternatives elsewhere, then it’s definitely worth it. Another big assumption is that paleo people are paleo perfect: that we eat paleo 100% of the time and we don’t drink alcohol. Even the biggest names in paleo (Nom Nom Paleo, PaleOMG, the Domestic Man, Paleo Parents, Mark Sisson) all write about eating non-paleo foods. What they do, along with my husband and I, is get right back into it the next meal, the next day. Red wine is a great primal alcohol, and if my husband and I do drink, that’s what we choose.
I agree, 10 days isn’t enough time to truly see the benefits of what paleo can do for you – I don’t even think 30 days is either. Your husband was most likely suffering from the low-carb flu, which is a result eliminating grain-based carbs and sugar from one’s diet. It’s basically withdrawal, something anyone wanting to go low-carb must endure, and you do just that: you endure it because it’s your body’s way of cleansing itself from the sugar and grains, and how they affect of grains on our brains (yep, it’s true!). I don’t know the ins and outs of your meals, but one thing I see often with paleo or Whole30 meals is lack of healthy fats, and fat and protein are the two macronutrients, when combined together, that keep you feeling satisfied for longer. While your meals looked and sounded delicious, did they have plenty of healthy fats? The lack of fats also cause people to snack, which I know isn’t Whole30.
Just my two cents as a seasoned primal eater 🙂
Jen says
Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts on this. Just to throw a wrench in it, I am curious as to what is defined as a “healthy” diet. I am sure you could write a whole blog post on it! As a dietitian, I can certainly agree that eating more whole foods is healthier than processed foods. However, Paleo diets are missing a lot of key nutrients from a lot of the whole foods that are restricted from this diet, such as beans. Additionally, by default it means a lot more meat, while studies show that eating less meat, more fish and throwing in some meat-free meals during the week can result in decreased risk of chronic disease (similar to a Mediterranean diet). Just my two cents.
Brittany Dixon says
Love your two cents Jen, thank you! If there is one thing I’ve learned while blogging is that ‘healthy’ looks different to everyone. Personally, I believe focusing on whole foods and having everything is moderation is a healthy way of eating that is realistic for me to stick with for the long term. However, I’m guilty of occasionally wanting to dabble in other styles (I’ve tried vegetarian, pescatarian and paleo) just to experiment and see how I feel. Without fail, I resort back to my original focus on real food.
I really appreciate your weigh in, especially as a dietitian. Thank you!