18: Tips, Tricks and the Truth

A few people have recently asked if I have any tips on how to do Paleo on the cheap. A couple of people flat out put down my diet not because of the restrictions, but because of what they perceive to be the cost of the food I'm eating.

As I often overshare, I will give you the flat-out truth.... It's really not that much more expensive!! However, I will not sugar-coat. In all honesty, if you're avoiding processed foods and switching to higher quality meats and veggies (fats, too - whoa they are a pretty penny!) you will spend more. You should expect to spend more if you're getting "better" food. But, to me, it's not *that* much more.


Here is how my budget breaks out round-about...


When I shopped exclusively at Giant Eagle, I would lump my diapers/wipes, paper products, shampoo - basically everything together and would spend about $180.00 every week on grocery trips. That amount of money is spent to feed and wash 5 people, 7 days a week and keep one of those 5 butts diapered up. :)


Now, I spend $180.00 a week at Whole Foods for 5 people. However, I do not buy my diapers, wipes or shampoo/detergent/etc. there. I did make a separate trip for all of that jazz at one time and spend about $90 a month. So, what I count as MY total "grocery" trip spending went up by about $90, 0r appx. $25 a week.

So, what is a family on a budget to do? Well, when I started worrying more about my lifestyle (working out/eating right and so on) I shut off my cable. BLASPHEMY, I know. But that's what I did. You might find a way to drive less or stay in more or eat out 2 less times per month. Whatever it is, if you want to make it work, you'll tighten up your belt somewhere else. I'm of the mindset now that I spend my $5 a month on my Armour Thyroid to help me get through the day and the $800 extra on my "preventative medicine" that's going to keep me alive to meet my Grandkids. Small price when you think of it that way... it's kind of like investing, right? ;)


I will say that there are some "staples" or bigger ticket items that you will need to buy periodically. When I buy those (coconut butter, good olive oil, large quantities of nuts) I will buy cheaper cuts of meats or more eggs to make sure my bill is still sitting around that $180 mark. Remember, even though you're not buying juice and candy and frozen crap, that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch your coupons or ads. You can stock up on a shit-ton of Steamfresh veggies or organic frozen fruit when they go on sale. Often, you can find roasts, bulk chicken breast or bulk chops BOGO at the "big box" stores. (Go ahead and take advantage of those deals in the beginning so you can swing it - wean yourself over to the markets and Whole Food type stores as you get in a routine.) You might also consider coughing up a bit of cash upfront and go in with someone on a side of cow or a pig. Watch prices on fruits & veggies... You will learn VERY fast what is in season/not in season. You can buy all different sorts of apples, for example... but one type (honeycrisp) can be $3.49 a pound and another (pink lady) can be $2.29 a pound. All of those things can save you money.

Also keep in mind, I have a curiosity for Raw Foodism. This is actually making life easy on me. I'm still eating protein at every meal right now. But, what I do is put together a salad or a whole food juice (using the Vitamix, juicing the WHOLE veggie/fruit - not discarding the fiber/flesh) and I grab a hunk of meat or a couple of eggs on the side. I have not officially been weighing and measuring, but if you stay in your "Zone RX" of meat portions, you're not going to be spending as much money on meat - which tends to be the expensive part of the bill. I am eating about 3-4 oz of meat at a sitting (or so my eyeball tells me). Also, all 3 philosophies (zone, paleo, raw) will tell you - eat VEGGIES and chill on the fruit. Typically, fruit is more expensive. Sticking to the plan as it was intended within itself will save you money.

I would say, until you have a system down and you make it your lifestyle, you'll feel the pinch (a little one). But, you'll establish habits and start networking to find the deals you need to get by and make it work sooner than you know it!

In all honesty, I was a stop/start Paleo Adventurer here for quite some time. I think it realistically took me a couple of months (all together) to get my routine nailed down.

Another question I get a lot is "how do you feel?" Simply: GREAT!

On a more specific level: I have more energy. I don't get the 2:30PM slump anymore. I am starting to get to a point where I have some sort of endurance. (I might not call it that yet - it's more like a get-up-and-go that I didn't have there for a while.)

Some unexpected "side effects" of this diet? First and foremost - libido. Holy smokes & I'll spare you the details. Secondly, clear skin. A few others I didn't expect? Sometimes I actually feel like I have to make myself eat! I'm on day 18 and have lost about 8 pounds already. I know I've restricted calories quite a bit by default of the types of food I'm eating and I feel satisfied. What I crave is changing as well as the way food tastes. Last and best of all - I can get up in the morning! When I rest, I REST. There are a lot of times that I don't even dream.

Other questions asked - more specifically about Whole 30. I love it. You can find the "rules" for the challenge on the Whole 9 website. There are a few resources out there that you can reference for free. I think the "big 3" for me are Whole 9, Robb Wolf and Mark's Daily Apple. They all share the same basic idea of what Paleo is to them, but Whole 9 takes the strict, no non-sense, no cheats approach to beginning changing over to Paleo. I think that's what would work best for me, so I went by "their" rules.

As far as nutrition for the athlete and increasing carbs/fats/etc., I don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction. I am by no means an endurance athlete or a nutritionist. I will say, when I feel a combination of feelings of: A) I'm GASSED! and B) I just can't chew anymore!! I increase my fats. I would direct you to Robb Wolfs page & podcasts for more in-depth information. There's also lots to dig into on the Journal (CrossFit Journal) if you subscribe. Additionally, I think I remember Robb getting into it more in his nutrition series (articles). Those you can find on Performance Menu.Com.

Whew! That was long. Hopefully I didn't bore anyone to death.

Main points:
-If you're going to fork out money, skimp somewhere else - not on your health.
-You pay more to get more.
-The health benefits are FREE! No meds!
-Savvy comes with time.
-Combine ideas that work for you - there's lots out there for free.