Many of my pictures reflect the change my family has made to PaleoPlus eating. There are pictures of meals, plates, ingredients, me cooking, my kids cooking and a variety of shopping trips. That is to be expected when you experience such a big change in something as everyday as what you eat.
But beyond those pictures - I'm a mom and have a phone full of pictures of my kids. The change in their body composition is extraordinary. My daughter makes a grunting sound every time she looks at an older picture of herself...she has always been an athlete and very active, so we never thought of her as heavy. But Paleo changes your body composition - it make you lean! My son has been able to develop muscle tone that he couldn't accomplish before changing his eating habits. Also an athlete and pretty religious in the weight room - it's still shocking to see what a difference cutting out certain foods can make in a teenager.
And then there's me. The most significant change hasn't been in the way I look ... although that's pretty significant. It's that there are actually pictures OF me out there. I used to avoid the camera like the plague. I could ignore my weight in a mirror or by putting on sweats, but in a picture - it was right there! And it hurt my soul.
And now, when someone points a camera my way, I just smile!
This morning I took an "after" picture - in the same place as my "before" picture - taken the morning I decided to change the way I ate for 30 days. My initial goal was to lose weight - and I did - just over 17 pounds in the first month (70 pounds total!). Then the other benefits came - sleeping through the night, no more aches and pains in my knees, feet and hips, no more bloat, tons of energy, clear skin, great hair & nails and an overall improved mood and outlook on life. I could run with my kids again. Walk my dogs. Wear "regular-sized" clothes. Walk in heels. Go places I'd been avoiding. Walk all day at a fair or shopping excursion. Swim a mile every day. And let my picture be taken!
It's rare when something so powerful happens to you that you want to build a life on it - but that's what Paleo has done for me. I want to help as many others as possible experience the life-changing benefits of eating real, whole, natural foods instead of the stuff we've been eating. That's why I started Wildflower Kitchen. That's why I write this blog. That's why I coach and cook and share as much information as I can. It's too important not to tell the world!!!!
It's been a pretty incredible year - I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store for us! Happy Almost New Year!
Interested in signing up for a 30-day Clean Eating Kick Start? Check out my New Year's Clean Eating Kick Start page. Experience PaleoPlus for yourself!
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