Paleo Progress Report - 2 Months In

The day after we arrived in Brazil, I went Paleo. That was two months ago (March 29th, 2013 to be exact).

So how's it going?

Remarkably well! Considering that I was making most of my food out of a microwave and mini-fridge for most of that time, I think I did alright. I'd say I was about 85% on track. It wasn't really possible to go 100% right off the bat, partially because I'm still learning about how to even do this, and partially because caipirinhas have so much damn sugar! I don't drink much, but maybe every week or ten days I'll have one or two.

Also... sushi.

We've had sushi four times in the last two months, and I think that's totally acceptable. White rice be damned.

Now that we're in the apartment I'm cooking more. I have a stove, an oven, a wok and yes, a microwave. My kitchen tools are still limited until I can get some more decent cookware, but I have most of what I need. I'd say we're now 95% paleo and that's a pretty comfortable place for me.

So how do we feel? Really good. I've dropped somewhere between eight and fifteen pounds. I don't know for sure because I was too discouraged to weigh myself for the past six months, especially when my jeans were all way too tight. Now, those same jeans are loose and I've moved one to two belt notches smaller. I don't have to tell you how good that feels! I'd say I'm half way to my goal, which is to lose another ten to fifteen.

I usually get some acne along my jaw line and chin, and that has nearly disappeared.

So far, those are the only changes I've noticed. I have a couple of other issues I'm keeping an eye on, but it's too soon to know if those have been affected. Maybe in a month or two I'll have more info.

As I sit here eating my breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon with pineapple salsa, I'm feeling really good about this decision. It's not really difficult, I'm not hungry, I don't miss bread and sweets like I thought I would, and Brian is on board which makes things very easy for me.

And an added bonus? My cooking is really improving! I've been able to figure out some really easy recipes that we both like, and I'm looking forward to finding more.

Things to work on:

Do more yoga. Ideally I'd like to practice four to five times a week for 45 minutes. Right now I've been doing two or three times a week for 30 minutes.

Find reliable food sources. We've made progress by finding the mercadao and the farmers market. I need to talk to the butcher next. I'm afraid finding grass fed butter might be a lost cause unless I can find a local dairy farmer. I don't see that happening any time soon.

Stock up the freezer. Once I find the best meat source, I'll portion it out and freeze it up so I'm ready to make anything at home.