A former classmate of mine (and a good friend) recently posted on Facebook that she has been sticking to the Paleo diet (which I introduced her to) religiously for two weeks and dropped 16 lbs.

SIXTEEN POUNDS!

Mind you, she was not large to begin with, and I honestly thought she looked fantastic, but I could relate to her desire to lose weight and tone up.

She took my advice and tried Paleo, committing to it 100% (I typically cheat with trace amounts of soy/peanuts and lots of cheese/dairy) and had tremendous results.

In just two weeks of eating clean, she shed 16 lbs and has more energy, clearer skin, and is overjoyed with her success.

Looking back, when I first learned about Paleo in August 2013, I went all-in for 90 days and dropped almost 22 lbs. I didn’t count a single calorie, and ate as much as I wanted. I used Paleo alternatives for bread, candies, etc and never once felt deprived. It took a lot of planning, but for 90 days I completely lost my taste for grains (I honestly can’t tell you the last time I had real bread or pasta) and learned to really enjoy cashew and almond milk.

To be honest, I’m not sure why I went back to non-Paleo foods. I know the holidays were a temptation, but I could have prepared Paleo alternatives to everything I craved. I think I just got tired of the pre-planning required, and eventually let all of my good habits fall to the side.

I have no idea why I did that.

Sticking with a Paleo diet honestly didn’t require much more energy than any other lifestyle. I had to plan meals, yes, but shouldn’t we do that anyhow to avoid living on vending machine junk throughout the work day? Yes, I had to seek out specialty foods, but haven’t I driven 30 miles out of my way to get a gourmet treat now and then? Yes, Paleo foods were a bit more expensive, but won’t I spend more in the long run treating diabetes, hypertension, and other health issues from lack of a nutritious diet in the future?

Seeing my friend’s success and how energized it has made her as urged me to recommit to the Paleo lifestyle, and invest more energy and time into nurturing my body and my spirit.

Recognizing that I’m human, I’m aiming for a 90-95% commitment to Paleo: it’s nearly impossible to avoid ALL soy/dairy influences, but I’m going to go out of my way to purchase Paleo wraps and do some baking this weekend of my favorite Paleo desserts, muffins, and breads.

I do have a bit of an obsession with Rockstars (or “death juice,” as I call them), so I know I can’t make myself give them up entirely. I’ve weaned myself down to 1-2 per week, and I’ll set a cap of 1/week moving forward.

I already have a fridge full or almond milk, cashew milk, lean meats, and veggies, so this transition shouldn’t be too difficult… really, I just need to control myself around candy (there are so many fun Paleo alternatives!) and CHEESE (seriously, why isn’t there a Paleo brie yet??)!

Wish me luck, dear friends! On that note …bon appetit!

~ Tori