I know it may be boring, and sometimes downright obsessive, but right now my main focus is getting my insulin response in check. In order to regulate my body's insulin, and find its 'normal' I have undergone what some may consider a drastic change in diet. Due to the many weird looks I get from friends when they see what I'm eating, or they read my blog and want to know more, I talk about my plan and what I eat a lot. The most common thing I hear is "wow, I could never do that, that's so restrictive!"
At first it bothered me that people were so quick to dismiss it, and immediately apply it to themselves (um, this isn't about you!). I'm not telling anyone about my diet because I want them to do it also, I tell people because its the best thing I've ever done for myself. I continue to be shocked and amazed by my body, and what eating the right foods (or the wrong foods) for me can do.
Now, it bothers me because its simply not true. My diet is not restrictive. Imagine a smoker saying to a person that quit to be more healthy: yeah, I would do that, but its just too restrictive! Ok, extreme and unlikely comparison, since cigarettes are not necessary to live, but it's along the same lines. I was partaking in the consumption of foods that were over the top horrible for me, and to some extent addictive. I cut them out because of the effect they had on ME. But really, I only see it as ONE thing that I cut out of my life...the foods that have adverse insulin effects on me. Cutting one thing out of my life is not restrictive, by my standards at least. There are people that can have an occasional cigarette and not get addicted. There are people who are addicted after their first cigarette. That is the beauty of human nature! 6.7 billion of us, and we are all different.
The same theme applies for how someone decides to apply the 'paleo' lifestyle. My boyfriend saw me sprinkle some sea-salt onto my veggies. He looked at me with those "is that paleo?" eyes and I said, "this is my paleo. I went for a run, a sweated a shit ton, and now I need salt." I think its normal to want rules, and blanket stuff under what's right and what's wrong, but the problem with that is that its different for each person.
As Tony, the Anti-Jared said in his post today: "What works for you will not work for me. What works for me will not work for you."
So, what works for you?
I read an article that suggests talking about everything you can have with paleo. I find that goes a long way to overcoming the "you can't have that??" comments.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason people respond to whatever any of us on a weight loss plan with “I could/couldn’t do that” is because people tend to relate to each other by trying to put themselves in someone else's shoes. I say that because every time I read about Paleo I almost immediately think of the things I don’t want to give up. That’s not to say I’m making it about me, rather I’m thinking that I’m impressed by your resolve. You say that you’re only cutting out one thing, foods that are bad for you – but that’s not something I have been able to do at all, so that’s why I see it as something admirable.
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