Paleo Diet weight loss and MS symptoms

The Paleo Diet and Weight Loss!

I realise I haven't said much about it for a while, but yes I'm still doing the Paleo Diet as I've said firstly to lose weight and also to see if it has any positive effect on my Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. Let's concentrate on the weight loss first, now I must say when I first started this time, I only had an old set of Analogue scales, cheap ones at that, of course they're good enough, but the old eyesight isn't as good as it once was and hey when you weigh yourself it pays to have no extraneous weight hanging off one's body, eg. clothing, eye glasses, mobile phone etc. The weight graduations are difficult to read even with glasses on.

So I invested in some digital scales to get a more accurate and more easily sighted idea of my weight. The old scales still had "stones and pounds and kilograms" (in faint red text and graduations) but damn they are hard to read. With the old analogue set I was bouncing at the end of the dial when I first started, if it's at the end is it all that accurate, I'm not so sure, so realistically I can't give a definitive "start weight" but I reckon I was about 18.5 stone after having a think about it, a guess, which is about 117 Kilograms and about 257 lbs. The new digital scales show me now at about 104.5 Kilograms or about 230 pounds.

With drinking heaps of water and eating quite a bit on the Paleo diet your weight does vary about one kilogram over the day, I've found the very best time to weigh myself is in the morning when I wake up after a good nights sleep, seriously for some reason on the mornings after a good sleep you really seem to lose the most weight, no science in that just my experience. I started back on Paleo on the 19-10-2014 so let's say I've been eating this way for about a month and a half, I'm losing weight quicker than the last time, much quicker, the only difference, I've been walking a lot more, everyday I try and walk around the block at least once and even though it's hard for me to believe, I do get a bit antsy if I miss a day, so I really try to make sure I do it and have been! Oh I've also been doing a bit of leg strengthening exercises as well, though not as much as the walking, so I can only surmise that the walking has helped to accelerate the weight loss.

A really nifty new app by Google on Android phones is "Fit" so that is keeping a log of my walking, from memory it's only about 800 metres around my block so not even a kilometre, some days I do it twice when I have the energy, but as long as I do one lap of the block I'm happy that I've at least done something in the way of exercise each day.

104.5 Kilograms!

The Paleo Diet and Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms!

Now this as I say, will be the bonus if it proves to be correct, although obviously losing the weight is of course a great thing as far as health, mobility and general well being goes, I just hope that I also get some symptom relief as well, that will be the icing on the cake (don't think about damn cake Darin) lol. So here's what I think is happening as far as symptom alleviation goes:

I'm going to put the word "think" before two of the points below as I really don't know, it's just the feeling I get, it's the Vibe!

I think my old shrinking brain has become a little clearer as I'm finding it a little easier to write and pull those words out of the filing system that is the brain, words are flowing a little more easier, pity I don't have much of a life and actually have something to write about lol.

I think I have had moments of clearer eyesight in my foggy peasoupesque left eye's vision, but that really is a hard one, it really does vary because of fatigue days and just eyestrain days from reading to much or staring at the computer monitor all day, so it's quite difficult to get a true idea if it's improving or not, but I'm somewhat hopeful, time will tell...

I definitely know my energy has improved, though there is still the MS fatigue days that make you wonder sometimes, but as I'm doing more walking, that may be the main reason why, but of course the weight loss has to help with the energy levels as well no doubt.

I definitely know my walking has improved from well, walking more lol, though I really need to get a good nights sleep, if I don't it's definitely worse the next day, all to do with fatigue of course so hopefully with more walking and exercise things will improve even more.

None of these points have been tested so it may all be just wishful thinking and my mind playing tricks on me, though I'm fairly sure of the last two points of course, also they say to really get an idea of any positives from the Paleo Diet you really need to stay on it for three months at the very least so I have another month and a half to go before that happens, now remember you do not need to exercise when on the Paleo diet to lose weight, you will indeed lose weight and quite a bit if you stick to the the diet and you'll lose it quite quickly, certainly quick enough to stay motivated to keep going if weight loss is your goal.

I want the readers to know that yes I have had a few dietary indiscretions here and there, but when I say "a few" (not many) I mean that, the main one, occasionally I get a Chicken Schnitzel and lettuce sandwich from the local service station, overpriced and quite nice, but let's face it, not like a proper bursting out the sides healthy sandwich you get from a "proper sandwich shop" but still essentially healthier than the crap I used to shovel into the pie hole on a daily basis, as they say the only person you are lying to is yourself if you don't come clean on your indiscretions when dieting. In a month and a half I have probably had five of said "servo sandwiches" and may even have a few more if the cravings hit hard, but still I will continue to try and eliminate them from my diet regardless as they are not Paleo approved.

Right now I'm concentrating on cracking the 100 kilogram mark, that will be a good day, hopefully that will happen in the next couple of weeks if all goes to plan. Oh scales are great for tracking weight loss, but ya know what's even better? Watching your clothes become too big for you and having to put more holes in your belts so they might hold your pants up lol, some clothes I haven't worn for years and years are starting to fit well again!

So tally ho and on we go!

Week Two - Paleo Diet

I'm into the second week of the Paleo diet, as far as weight goes, I have lost between one and two kilograms, I can't be too exact as my scales are a basic unit and analogue so will need to weigh myself on some decent scales at some stage, preferably hospital scales, they are usually spot on. I wonder if Chemist stores have scales anymore, most of them used to when I was growing up, don't think I've noticed them for a long time now though.

26-10-2014 to 1-11-2014

After the first week withdrawal symptoms from the carbs, sugar and coffee, the start of this week has been a breeze to handle, though there is a little fatigue still, but considering I have MS, it's pretty normal, the last time though, I was definitely less fatigued so I am hoping the same thing will occur by the end of the month at least, to stay positive you need a few "wins" along the way, so far the weight loss is on track. I think my brain might be coming just that wee bit clearer, I've felt like writing more lately and the words are coming a little easier, but it's too early to know whether it's from the Paleo Diet or just the way MS works, you do have some good days occasionally where you can take on the world, not often, but now and then.

I will need to do another grocery order this week at some stage, I am down to the last of my meat, that's a bit scary lol. I even had to buy some Bacon from the Servo/Coles mini mart, I love all bacon, but I am enjoying the streaky bacon a bit more since eating the Paleo way, more yummy fat in the streaky bacon, Coles mini mart only has the usual bacon we seem to prefer in Australia, I like it as well, but Paleo does like more fat to burn!

"You don't win friends with salad", though it is a quick and easy supplement to your meat, it's important to eat the veggies/salads, the Paleo diet is not about eating meat only.

I think my eyesight might be just a little clearer, in my "looking through fog left eye", that might just be wishful thinking as well, though things like this are what happened last time, a lessening of symptom severity overall! It's like the fog is starting to clear, with holes in the fog that make it a little easier to see through.

I'm drinking between one and two litres of water a day.

Ketosis and Ketone Test Strips

These strips are not needed, though I am going to get some to test my urine to see if I am in ketosis, more of an interest than anything else, I just want to know lol.

http://www.lowcarb.ca/tips/tips011.html

Got the ketosis test strips, yippee I'm in ketosis, expected that, but just had to know for sure lol

I tested my urine with the strips and I'm definitely in Ketosis, I've been in "Moyen" (third one from top) going by the scale and colour of the test strip, it's all very interesting!

I have also started walking, baby steps (literally), around the block, haven't measured the exact distance, but it is a somewhat hilly sloping block I am on, not sure what's worse, going down the slope or going back up lol.

I've lost two Kilograms in weight, I find the best time to weigh myself is the morning, during the day your weight goes up and down like a yoyo, I guess when your drinking litres of water it will tend to add weight as will the food of course, but after a good nights sleep letting the body do it's thing I'm always losing weight after a sleep each day, just a bit but it's happening!

Paleo Diet Lose thirty kilograms in six months - Week One

I started back on the Paleo Diet about a eight days ago, although I have been eating the Paleo way for a lot longer, I have also been eating a lot of junk and drinking a lot of flavoured milk. So one very minute good thing is that I am quite used to eating Paleo when I actually cook, I try and stick to the Paleo Diet list of foods.

The first week has been fine, went through the coffee and sugar withdrawal headaches, extreme lack of energy and general tiredness you get when you cut out all sugar and carbs. I am pushing on and each day is becoming easier, at least the headaches have gone, bonus!

I've been eating lots of meat and veg, pork chops, rump steak, chicken and of course bacon, on the vegetable front I have been eating lots of kale, broccoli, carrots, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, spinach and mushrooms. Oh and eggs, lots of eggs. Fairly simple basic choices at the moment, no doubt boredom of eating the same things will encourage me to become a little more creative.

For cooking I have been using my Barbecue, I only use the hot plate side, for frying meat and eggs, I steam all vegetables and always have a plate of veggies ready to be warmed up for meals, usually I eat one to two meals a day, since starting the Paleo Diet again I have been eating three decent sized meals a day.

At the end of the week I am doing well and sticking to the diet, hopefully I can keep it up and reach my goal of losing thirty kilograms in six months!

I am going to try my best, but I want feel to guilty if I fail, I have a feeling I can get back into it now, let's hope so!

I try and eat a fair bit of salmon while on the Paleo Diet!