paleo :: 1 year

it's been 1 year since i started eating "paleo" and i thought i'd do a little summary of my journey thus far.

it was a HUGE change a year ago. no more bread, chips, sugar, dairy. TONS more veggies. and more meat and fruit than my previous diet of gummy bears and diet coke had room for. big change.

over the last year, i've gone "off" and back on numerous times.

{this is not an example of "off"...this is an example of "on" during a date night at home...five guys burger with lettuce for the bun :-)}

this is going to be a long journey. i'm still figuring things out. but i am slowly getting to a place that is MY paleo "code" (reading a book about that right now...and it's good!) i'm not really interested in being 100% "paleo." i'm interested in feeding my body foods that make me feel good and have enough energy to live the life God has given me. {and right now, that's eating a piece of dark chocolate at the end of EVERY day, and enjoying it immensely!} thankfully, i'm not high-maintenance about food...i can eat the same thing for meals day after day after day. i've chosen not to do the "paleo" baked goods, etc.

i just stick to meat, fruit, veggies and eggs. if i REALLY want frozen yogurt, or french fries, i just plan for it. i have found that i can splurge with things like that and still feel fine...but if i splurge meal after meal, then my stomach starts to hurt.

God has been working on my heart big-time through this whole process, too. He is showing me that i have huge body image issues. have as long as i can remember. i hate it and desperately want to live in such a way that shows my girls that i am satisfied with the body God has given me...

all of this is just an outward expression of a deep, deep part of my heart that, for some reason, doesn't think it's worth the love of the God that loves me so. intellectually, i know it. i can even "preach" it to others. but for myself?? i can't seem to fully accept it...He and i are working on that ;-) and i'm feeling such joy and peace in the process and journey that He has me on.

paleo has changed my life. it truly has. it could be something else for someone else. i'm not saying that it's PALEO necessarily...but for me, it has shown me how to feel good and not sick all the time, and it has given me freedom in eating that i've never felt and it has started to peel back layers of my heart that i didn't even know needed to be peeled back.

i'm so thankful. and look forward to seeing where i am a year from now!