Ch-ch-Ch CHANGES....

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes.... Man can I hear that song in my head when I write that.  Whoa how they came fast and furious in the 2nd half of 2011.  People that I keep in touch with often say that I have “so much going on”... well as of July and on...even I couldn’t keep up with the pace that life brought to me.  So I started 2012 with a new hair color and a sign of the changes I would choose to bring into 2012.  

One of the largest transitions was losing my job in July of last year.  I was ever so grateful to find a new one by September but I didn’t even slow down to understand some of the new habits that needed to come with it.  I was moving from 4+ years of working out of my home and I went to a 1hr+ daily commute to the office.  WHOA!!!  I lost being able to do laundry during the week, my middle of the day workout time, my ability to work in sweats, my lunch hour to do twitter and blog... AND I COULD GO ON AND ON!!  LOTS of other change news in the youtube video below ;) So now that I have got use to some of these changes, I am looking forward at how to make it a great 2012.  

First one I am concentrating on this week is food planning.... tomorrow is list writing and meal and snack planning.  Jump back next week and hold me accountable to how I do :)

Lifestyle vs. Diet

I have been a cooking fool this week as I got through the sugar headaches and am HUNGRY. :)  I feel like all I did this week was eat as I was looking to find things to fit cravings without jumping off the ledge.  I talk in my vlog about the cookie and bars I made.  The only down side is all treats start with a nut base so it’s hard to get a different flavor.  I am going to try a hint of vanilla extract on my next ones or add dried fruit.  I must say the winner of the week was turning cauliflower into something more tasty.  I made a rice out of it with garlic, onion, and celery.

I shot this vlog last night and you can see - by the end of this week I was wondering how am I happy on this diet.  All the blogs I read that are paleo are lifestyle blogs where the person is not “dieting” they just live paleo.  That is the thing I am missing.  Every positive change that I have kept has always been a lifestyle change, not a diet.  So last night I ate a tortilla and beans.  CRAZY I know.  I was so happy that I furthered my binge to ice cream with a little chocolate syrup.  

AND 

THEN

BLAH!!!  Sickness.  I felt miserable.  I was burping and felt like my stomach was going to blow up.  I went to bed and was feeling rather reflective on what is the happy medium for me?

So this morning, I made these paleo pancakes from Everyday Paleo.  I couldn't believe it but they even got the kid approval!  

They aren’t sweet again but the blueberries with the almond meal base made me think of like a cobbler taste/feel.  A gift that those 10 days have brought me is learning what my body likes and doesn’t.   So over the next week, I am going to listen to my body a little more and stop feeling so restricted and when I want something take a few bites and leave it.  I think alot of the paleo elements will fit into my lifestyle but I am ready to choose for them to be there.  So this morning, I chose not to have sugar in my coffee and for some reason... it tasted so much sweeter.....

Maybe it's back to the basics of just reducing junk while creating good habits?  For every craving... say ok to one and no to the other and build a foundation for a lifestyle.