Well damn.

I tell everybody that I lost twenty pounds in two weeks by going paleo. [Correction: twenty pounds in two months. Typo of the mind.]

What I'm less proud of is that I fell off the wagon over the holidays, and put five pounds back on. Since then I've been wishy-washy about paleo, saying "ah, the hell with it--let's get pizza" far too often, and have hovered at the same weight since late November.

This week, I decided to go back strictly onto paleo and see what happened.

I've lost three and a half pounds since Sunday.

Jesus Haploid Christ.

Monday paleo update

Eight weeks in now, and as expected, the wedding weekend has wrought havoc with my progress. The unpaleo feasting has resulted in a gain of four pounds since last Monday.

As of today, I'm back on the paleo horse, where I expect to be permanently. With any luck, I'll be back on track soon.

Monday paleo update

A day late, but measurement taken yesterday.

Well, I've learned that Mark Sisson's 80-20 rule does not work for me. Last week was a bit of an inadvertent experiment with adding more non-paleo food to my diet. I was still comfortably in the 80% paleo guideline, but managed to halt all weight loss and put one pound back on.

This weekend will be a bit of a paleo killer, as we'd already planned some extensively unpaleo meals for the wedding. But after that, it's right back on the wagon. I've gotten used to being pleased when I look at the scale.

Monday paleo update

Six weeks in, down another three pounds for a total of 19.

"Monday" paleo update.

Was away from home yesterday, so "Monday" paleo update today.

Down one pound, for a total of 16 pounds in five weeks.

The much lower loss was expected, as the end of the week was highly unpaleo. Pizza for dinner on Friday; leftover pizza for breakfast and Afghan food with pita and rice [edit: plus Brazilian rodizio for dinner which, paleo or not, ain't gonna lose you no weight] on Saturday; with a cheeseburger, fries, and beer on Sunday.

So a bunch of cheating all at once equals _less_ weight loss. I can live with that.

Monday paleo update

Down another four pounds, making fifteen pounds in the first month. Still haven't done any exercise to speak of.

Paleo update

Down another four pounds.

That's a total of eleven pounds so far, from a week of halfassed transition, and two weeks of paleo diet.

In that time my total exercise has been stagehanding for three burlesque shows last weekend, and two half-hour walks. I've done no portion control whatsoever, eating when I'm hungry until I'm not hungry any more. This is also allowing for small quantities of non-paleo foods, so I haven't completely abandoned cheeseburgers.

It's way, way too early to decide that this is a miracle that will keep working forever. This may just be my body adjusting to a dramatically different diet. And even if it keeps working--nutritional science being so fundamentally complicated--that doesn't necessarily vindicate the hypothesis paleo is based on. Maybe I owe these results just to cutting out sugar.

But right now? It feels like a miracle.

Quick health update

Have begun paleo diet. Am intrigued by principle, but am maintaining healthy skepticism. At worst, is handy way to increase food-mindfulness.

In one week of transition and one week of strict paleo, have lost seven pounds and feel subjectively healthier.

Time will tell if changes are consistent and without side effects.