Thoughts on playing paleo

My Cfit Box is partaking in the LuRong Paleo challenge. Because I'm a competitive bastard and, frankly, enjoy trying things "just to see if I can," I opted in. Hell, I figured I eat fairly clean anyhow, wouldn't mind a forced jumpstart, and it'd be awesome if  I lost a few pounds over the 9 week challenge.

Famous last words! I'm sure part of it is the mind-game of "you can't eat x" that is screwing with me a little, but it's hard. It's harder eating Paleo than it was to be vegan for a year. I'm not sure if it's because my usual diet followed Michael Pollan's "eat food, not too much, mostly plants" concept, where I'd definitely eat bacon, but as a small side with breakfast or using a piece or two to crisp up a head of broccoli (side-note: hella delicious!). But, a head of broccoli and a piece of bacon do not a meal make.  I'm eating way more meat than I'm used to, which weirds me out for whatever odd reason. Eating nuts and seeds have also helped, but it's not the same.

I found my energy levels a lot more variable, three-ish weeks into Paleo, my weight is up a bit (ugh), and I'm back to using caffeine as a serious crutch. It sucks, frankly. On the bright side, my skin is much clearer than it's been in a long, I've effortlessly kicked my long-standing Coke Zero/carbonated water of any sort problem and, before my weight jumped by a pound or four (very recently), my clothes were fitting better.  AND I've done some things as a part of the challenge I didn't think I could do -- II unders (very few, but it got my ass in gear and hyped!), and some power snatches (snatches terrify me [TWSS! Haha]).

I'm not sure if part of my problem is related to how I'm making pancakes with almond meal (and pumpkin! Fall! Yum!) which I eat with almond butter and dried apricots as part of my breakfast. Is this pseudo-pancake mentally screwing with me?! I don't know. But I do know that my morning is hectic enough without adding an additional problem with packing breakfast.  I'm going to consciously cut back on the amount of fruit I eat (especially after dinner, when there isn't any real need to binge on fruit) to see if that will help with the weight a bit, and add in some additional greens, consumption of which have dropped during this new meaty-meat diet. Meat is expensive! And meat and fresh greens?  

I'm hoping things get better, though.

Some shit I am looking forward to putting back into my meal rotation:
1) Oatmeal.
I miss you a lot, oatmeal. You are delicious as a quick and easy and warm breakfast with dried or fresh fruit or eggs whipped in and topped with nut butter and have staying power. I miss you a LOT. A lot. I look forward to hopefully reintroducing you in a few weeks, especially as it becomes more deliciously chilly in Arkansas.

2) Cocoa powder.
WTF? Why is this not Paleo?! Unsweetened cocoa powder? My usual shake of frozen banana, strawberries, spinach, and cocoa powder is sorely missed.  Plus, puffed millet cereal and granola to be put upon said shake to make it a lunch or dinner shake? I miss you.

I initially had more things I missed on this list, including "real" pancakes (but only from Brandywine, in East Grand Rapids), Coffeemate hazelnut creamer, yogurt, and chili with cornbread, but I don't think I really miss those things quite as much as the aforementioned two.  I mean, I'm definitely going to hit up Brandywine for those sweet potato pecan pancakes when I go home for a holiday (Thanksgiving? Christmas? who knows!), but I'm not raving for them.