You might be thinking you’re reading a repeat post and good news-- you’re not! After enjoying myself (probably a little too much) from Memorial Day to the 4th of July, I have strayed from the Paleo lifestyle a little more than planned. Fro yo and wine have made multiple appearances into my every’day life and so it’s time for me to hit the reset button for a 30-day strict Paleo challenge.

I am careful about when I choose to do these 30 day ‘resets’ for a few reasons:

• Social Gatherings are hard!

           You quickly learn who is supportive of your lifestyle choice, and who thinks Paleo is an ugly 4-letter word. You will soon     
           realize who is ‘in your camp’ and who is not. They will tell you it’s deprivation, they will try to derail you in the process of 
           completing the 30 days clean, they will food push on you. For me, it’s best if I can plow through without a wedding
            to attend, a vacation planned, or major event to explain my way through. All of those things can lead to me 
           finding reasons to cheat and break the 30 day streak

• Eating out becomes an adventure

          The BF and I have select restaurants where we know we can eat fully Paleo. Brazillian steak house? Yes! Sushi? No! 
          This time around, it also means getting a little friendly with the wait staff so when I drill them with  20 questions
           about how the meal is prepared, the whole ordeal seems less obnoxious. 

•  Planning is crucial
  The 30 day Paleo challenge puts will-power and inner-strength to the test. My forethought for the next 30 days will be what I’m eating next and is it truly Paleo? This also means more cooking, more passing up food and more finding other ways to cope when I want to snack on junk (aka find other ways to NOT eat out of the candy bowl at work). If my schedule becomes packed with items, my lack of attention to what I eat becomes heightened therefore detracting from the whole experience
  
  

Before starting this yourself, it’s important to realize I have baby-stepped my way into this strict 30 day journey. I have not eaten a sandwich (full of grains) in about 5 months. (The Paleo bread does not count as that does follow Paleo guidelines). This was not an overnight flip of the switch and truthfully, I’d be way crankier and stressed out if it were. Your body goes through noticeable withdrawal when you take away all of the items, and it’s important for you to recognize it, and learn how to push through it.

I suggest reading up on a true Paleo lifestyle before embarking on this lifestyle choice. Sources I turned to were Mark’s Daily Apple, Robb Wolf’s blog, my local CrossFit box, and more great blogs such as Paleoista, and The Paleo Plan.

I encourage you to follow me for the next 30 days here and on twitter. Ask questions, drill me about my food choices and I promise to be completely forthcoming about the experience. The Whole30 challenge starts now!