So tomorrow is basically one year paleo / primal for me.
In that time period I've lost over 100 pounds, my waist went down 14", my blood pressure is stable (I no longer literally hear my heartbeat at night), my seasonal allergies are pretty much gone, i rarely get sick (i used to get sick all the damn time from a variety of things), if i get cut or bruised it heals a hell of a lot faster, my recovery time is far greater, i'm stronger, i'm faster, i have a hell of a lot more energy, i'm far more educated about food and diet and nutrition and am able to make better food choices, i went from eating every few hours to eating two meals (or less!) a day, i had these weird skin tabs which have started to clear up, and i'm probably forgetting about stuff which has normalized me.
i still need to get stronger. my exercise (especially my strength training) has flagged. I'd like to blame it on the summer and the super shit weather, but I think we all know that's bullshit. i look at strength training stuff and it's all just so overwhelming to try to figure this stuff out on my own. i found a local crossfit gym (boo hiss, yes I know) that seems to not have its head up its ass and i'm thinking of going there for a bit to at least learn some stuff. I can't seem to find a good strength gym locally that doesn't require me to travel forever or have schedules when I'm actually available (early ass morning).
my diet has slipped. I've eaten probably more sugar than is healthy. I actually had ice cream two days in a row last weekend (totally organic grass fed sourced dairy and what not but still). Last night I went to Mission Chinese (which is god tier) and actually ate some tofu and rice (i think i've eaten 3 tablespoons of rice over the past year before now). i'm not too concerned, to be honest. i still keep everything beyond these rare indulgences in check. i haven't eaten any bread or had any beer (beyond a sip of something the gf may be drinking).
i think, honestly, that my GF hasn't been paleo / primal has been the biggest challenge. she respects that i am eating this way and so if we go out she'll make sure that we go somewhere i can get something. it's changed how we eat in a huge way (basically no more Mexican, no more Asian). she will still make what i consider to be Bad Choices (tm); for example she had a cookie for lunch yesterday. i wish i could get her to just go all in with me, she's seen what it's done for me, but she has no interest.
so what now?
I think i'm going to do a 21 day sugar detox starting tomorrow as kind of an anniversary marker.
I want to hit up the Crossfit gym and at least give it a month.
Ultimately I've seen so much improvement that the thought of going "back" to the standard american way of eating is just alien to me.