Transformation of the Day: Staci lost 56 pounds by going Paleo. She wanted to be fit and fabulous on her 40th birthday. She also wanted to be the healthiest mom she could be for her Autistic son. She put in the work and it shows. Check out her awesome story.
My name is Staci and this is my story. My motivation was losing weight for my 40th birthday (April 2016). I did not want to be “Fat at 40”. What inspired me when I wanted to give up was my 9 year old son who has Autism. I wanted to be healthier for him as well as myself. He inspires me everyday.
I changed my eating habits by embracing the Paleo lifestyle. I started by eliminating white sugar from my diet. I then started eating Paleo acceptable foods only. It wasn’t easy but I found a way to make the process easier… I substituted everything! If I wanted chocolate chip cookies, I googled Paleo chocolate chip cookies and made those instead. For example, I cook with coconut oil only and I bake with almond flour, coconut flour and coconut milk/almond milk. When I have a salty craving, I eat Terra Sweet Potato Chips. Making substitutions makes me feel like I’m not giving up the foods that I used to love. I only drink water, protein shakes, lemon water, lime water and homemade Paleo real fruit juice. I eat Kelp noodles and make my own homemade Paleo Naan Bread. I use great e-book of recipes called “Paleo Grubs.” Paleo changed my life completely!
My workouts have varied in the past 7 months. I started doing Turbo Fire DVDs for about 14 weeks and then switched to 22 minute Hard Corps DVDs for about 4 weeks. Right now, I am doing ChaLEAN Extreme DVDs and I am almost finished the 3 month program. I’ve seen amazing results! I am also doing HIIT workouts 3 times a week, training my abdominals 3 times a week and I do 30 day Squat Challenges every other month. I never thought I would love working out everyday, but I do. I workout 6 days a week. My rest day is always on Sunday and I allow myself only 1 cheat meal a week.
My starting weight in 2015 was 200 pounds. My current weight is 144 pounds. My height is 5 foot 5 inches. I officially started my journey in January 2016 and it’s taken me 7 months to go from XL to a S.
The advice I would give to others is that it takes a lot of HARD WORK to lose weight. You have to give 100 percent every day. You have to be consistent. You may not be able to complete a workout or have the energy to do that last rep but it is important that you do not give up. If you keep trying and doing your best every day, you will eventually see results. When I put that blue dress on, I was shocked! I had no idea how far I had come. I inspire myself to keep going.
That brings me to another important point: You have to be strong mentally. Believe that you can do it, even when others try to put you down or doubt you. If you think you can, you can and you will!
Instagram: @simplepaleolady
Break it down! Set yourself up on a clean counter top or cutting board. If you see any dark spots on the outside of your cauliflower, remove them first with a sharp knife. Next, you want to remove the leaves and stem.
Egg Muffins are awesome for breakfast! If you are focused on Keto, Paleo, Grain-free, Clean or Low Carb eating, you definitely want to try making these. They can be made pretty cheaply with a variety of ingredients. Left over protein or veggies from yesterday’s dinner or lunch are perfect for egg muffins. I love using spinach, mozzarella, herbs, mushrooms, onion, broccoli, low sodium sliced turkey, bacon, chicken breast and turkey sausage. My family loves them. Whip up your own recipes and make them to fit your taste. Alter the calories by using lean meat, egg whites and lots of veggies. Add fresh herbs, dried herbs/spices, salt, etc for more flavor. (Full recipe at the end of this post)
The aluminum cups worked OK…but I think I’ll keep looking for a better solution. The muffins stuck to the inner paper liner, so it was only a little bit better. However, the foil helped the mixture to cook very well, especially the bacon. That was a plus. If you have silicone baking cups, I’m pretty sure they would work very well. I’m going to try porcelain ramekins next.
This is the first recipe of many as we commit to bring you more recipes this year. Personally, I love simple recipes that don’t make you jump through hoops and this one is very straight forward. It will work for folks who are eating clean, eating Paleo, eating low carb, etc. You’ll find all the ingredients and directions below.
