Sunday, September 23, 2012

Day 1: Because I have to.

I'm overweight - wait, let me start over.

I'm Taylor.  I'm a writer/teacher/actor/stand-up/baker/wife/sister/daughter/friend/cat lover and usually, an all around nice gal who loves lattes, movies and long walks on the beach.  I also happen to be overweight, and I've been so, in varying degrees, for over twenty years.  Every year I go into the fall season thinking that I will lose twenty pounds.  A few weeks later I'm crossing my fingers and changing my goal to ten pounds.  By November, my hope is to "just" maintain my weight through the end of the year, and come December I have my eyes set on whatever sugar laden, starchy goodness is in front of me, and my hopes set on the salvation that is January 1st.  Not this year people. I'm on a mission to take on the holidays with energy and good choices.  I'm on a mission to be one hundred times healthier than I am today in one hundred days, and I have at least one hundred good reasons why I need to change. Who's coming with me?

...like a moth to a flame...
Yesterday was the very first day of autumn.  I love the fall, mostly because here in Los Angeles, the weather is about as dreamy as dreamy can get this time of year.  The skies are crisp and blue in the morning.  The air is fresh and bright.  And by the time evening rolls around a few wispy clouds have painted the sky just in time to make pink and purple cotton candy-like ribbons running north and south above the ocean.  It's magical.  But the thing I love most about the fall is that everywhere you turn there's something delicious and sweet made out from pumpkin... or gingerbread... or peppermint chocolate.

Vanilla Cupcake: Not Paleo.
It's already begun.  Starbucks, Peet's and the Coffee Bean all have pumpkin lattes.  In grocery stores I'm beginning to see things like 'Spiced Biscuit' ice cream and peppermint chocolate frosted pretzels.  Thankfully, the majority of the junk that bombards us during the holidays is indeed junk.  And yet, I can't help but to pause in front of every themed treat I see and wonder if I should get it - not because I want it, but because 'tis the season.  I need a plan.  I've thought long and hard in anticipation for these coming months, and this is what I've come up with.

Coconut Curry with Shrimp and Veggies: Paleo
For the next one hundred days I will eat Paleo.  Paleo is paleolithic, pre-agricultural farming, whole, natural "caveman eating".  I've done Paleo in the past for just a few weeks at a time. Each time I lost weight, gained energy, had clearer and less itchy skin (I have eczema), and had an all around feeling of hopefulness that I can't explain.  Now, if you've ever really looked into Paleo eating you know that there are several definitive food lists out there from different doctors, scientists and health gurus that, in very small but important ways, contradict each other.  Some allow organic, raw dairy, some don't.  Some say that white potatoes are forbidden but sweet potatoes are okay, while others believe a peeled white potato has more nutritional value than a sweet potato.  Some are concerned with the amounts of saturated fats in a traditional Paleo diet, while others tout their healing qualities.  And don't even get me started on the soy thing - I'll save that for another post.  I don't get too caught up in the details. If I did, my brain would explode and I'd be forced to fix myself with the healing powers of ice cream.  Instead, I keep it simple.  If my oldest ancestors could hunt or gather it, I'm gonna eat it.  The best advice I ever read was to consider Paleo a template and not a diet.  Meats, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds.  That is what Paleo is to me.  The four major no-no's are dairy, grains, sugar and beans.  Easy, peasy, lemon, squeezy. Lemon, for example is Paleo.

Over the next few months I'll go into all of the exciting and controversial details surrounding Paleo, like it's so-called ability to ruin mother earth and all of her inhabitants.  And over the next few days I'll cry, and bitch and moan and whine about how incredibly difficult it is to give up sugar.  I need you, dear reader, to help me through it.

Here I go!

3 comments:

  1. My sweet sweet Taylor - Good luck! Whatever you do make sure it does not effect your hilarious and insightful writing...and as I tell my students (when I do get work)be kind - be kind to yourself and be kind to others.

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  2. Yipee! I am so excited you are doing this. This is a hard time for me also. Dunkin Donuts started Pumpkin everything beginning in September back here. (I love their pumpkin muffins) Anyway, I look forward to following you on your 100 day journey, reading your postings and watching those numbers go down.

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  3. Go Girl! You got this. Mind over matter (so simple...to umm...say anyway). ;) I will be following you and supporting you along the way, Taylor. Hooray to new, positive changes and good health.

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