For those of you who follow the blog, you know that I have been making many efforts to test my diet.  I’ve cut things out, added things in…all to see what is actually making me feel good, and what makes me feel like crap.

After Spencer’s HUGE success I wrote about last week, and he is still dropping–5 more ponds–I started thinking, why not just go for it?  I’ve never gone fully paleo for more then 2 weeks, and its time.  September is my month of dedication.

My reasons?  I am feeling more and more bloated after the slightest bit of cheese, I am gagging after drinking my coffee with cream (which makes me want to cry), and I generally notice the different instantly when I eat any wheat products.  It’s a sad  truth, but my body just doesn’t like this stuff anymore.  The less I eat (when I cheat) the more I notice.

The thing is, as much as it sucks thinking about what I can’t have, I truly like eating paleo anyway.  Meat, veges, fruit, nuts, are all delicious.  And, I feel great when I eat them.

The challenges?  I am back in school, working two jobs, volunteering, running programs, while also trying to train and have a life–its safe to say I eat out of grocery stores.  I will try to prepare more from home, but this will not always be easy.

My plan:

Journal every day what goes in my mouth–whether it be food or drink.  Jot notes about how I feel (bloated, tired, hungry, low energy, high energy, etc).  Take weekly pictures and measurements.

Allow 2 cheats each week (I am saying this now just in case–meals not days).

Use the rest of my blog posts for the month to update you all of my progress.

It’s pretty simple I think, though I may be calling on you all for help.  Eat right and record it.  September here I come!  Care to join me? 

You know what I hate…?  I hate it when you are trying to lose that last five pounds, or you’re busting your butt to squeeze into your hot pants and you just cant seem to do it.  You suffer, you try, to have food guilt.  And sometimes it feels like you gain weight.  But when Spencer changes his diet for one week, yeah that’s right, one week, he loses 10 pounds.  10 pounds!  That doesn’t include the 2.5 inches that disappeared from his waist.  Seriously!?!

Now despite my jealously, I am so proud of my brother Spencer.  Many of you know him.  He comes in and out of the gym.  Never super consistent.  The guy is a natural ox.  He is so strong, and really quite fast.  I’d be scared to see him consistent.  He’d be a beast.

That’s the thing about Spencer, though–when he is consistent with working out, sure it helps with weight loss, but its not what makes the pounds shed.  It’s all about diet.  Diet for him is so important.  It’s number one.  Exercise just puts the batteries in the energizer bunny to keep the pounds shedding.

I think a lot of us overlook nutrition.  I personally am really making a lot of changes (not just week by week).  It’s a lifestyle change.  Since our February Nutrition Challenge, I have stayed away from wheat and gluten.  I cheat every once in a while, but I pay for it.  It’s clear to me that my body doesn’t like wheat.  I bloat.  A lot!   You’ve heard about it.

So Spencer sees huge success in his new diet.  He has been working very closely with my dear friend, Anne Peguero (formally known as Anne Leone–who used to train with us).  Spencer is eating six meals a day.  Not paleo, but clean.   He is supposed to do two workouts a day (5 days of the week), one being 30 minutes of moderate cardio, and the other being a strength set (this week he has just done the cardio).  And at this point, since we now know that this plan works for him, he is to choose one day a week for his cheat (inwhich Spencer is allowed 45 minutes to cheat–in replacement of meals 4 and 5 of the day).

Now of course there is something to be said for the first week of a diet.  Generally, one sees a large amount of water weight lost.  Did I mention he is drinking a gallon of water a day?

So the wheels are spinning in my brain.  I am thinking of doing something drastic.  I’ve cut out the wheat.  I only consume dairy when it goes in my coffee, or some cheese every once in a while.  I am considering more…stay tuned for next week.

Keep up the good work Spencer!