For today’s post I am sharing one of my client’s experiences on his paleo journey. To say the least, I am impressed. Well done Shanan! I have also made some comments for Shanan and others to consider.

Please paint a picture of who you are:
Shanan – I’m an active male, aged 28 that enjoys running, cycling and swimming -I occasionally compete in cycling and triathlon events. I’ve always led a fairly active lifestyle with the exception of when I lived in England for 4 years, did do some cycling there but mainly only to commute into work. I work as an IT support/implementation consultant so this does involve sitting at a desk for the good part of a week and also means I’m in the car a bit also. Find me on twitter for more info @shanan_g

What inspired you want to do Paleo?
Shanan – I’m always watching what I eat and I am up for trying new things -I didn’t see Paleo as a diet or being hard to do, I was more interested to see what benefits came from it. So I guess that’s what made me want to do it. I’d also heard successful professional athletes were attributing their success to Paleo, such as tennis player Novak Djokovic.

Kelly – I could not agree with you more Shanan. It sounds like a tough task but in reality it is not that hard and the benefits are felt within a short time, i.e. more energy, better sleep, better performance, etc. I am also pleased that athletes are talking about how they are doing paleo. I hope their media attention around this diet inspires other active people to overlook the myth of having to “carb load” and fuel their activities off carbs.

What are your goals for eating Paleo? Have you met any of them thus far?
Shanan – Feeling less bloated and having my energy levels spread more evenly over the course of the day were my main goals. I hate that feeling of coming down after eating heavy carbs or something high in sugar! I have already achieved these goals with Paleo after just two weeks. There was some concern I would not have enough energy for my physical activities but so far I haven’t noticed any change here… although I have yet to do any extreme distances on the bike -that will be a test! Also, another goal is to stop shopping at supermarkets and just buy produce from markets and more local retailers -I did start doing this before Paleo but I’m even more motivated for this now!

Kelly – These are great goals, especially the one in regards to shopping at markets more. That is something outside of the box thinking that many others would not put down. As for feeling less bloated and more even energy throughout the day – I am not surprised you have met them in this short of time. If you were to say you have not felt a difference, I would challenge you or anyone else in a similar situation to scrutinize everything they are eating and to ensure there are no sneaky ingredients creeping into their snacks/meals. Let us know how it goes after your long-distance bike ride.

How long have you been doing a strict Paleo diet? What are the challenges? Any other surprises worth mentioning?
Shanan – I’ve been doing strict Paleo for two weeks. I think the biggest challenge that arises is in social situations, for example, work lunch on Friday at the pub there were limited options for Paleo so I had to improvise, not a big issue but could be tricky for some. I’ve heard breakfast is a big issue for many starting Paleo but for myself this hasn’t been an issue as I’m very fond of eggs. I think the surprises that come from Paleo is how any meal basically can be shaped into a Paleo meal. After reading through the Primal Cookbook I was surprised to see how many easy changes you can make to incorporate great eating Paleo style -I love cooking with fresh produce so Paleo has been easy to integrate into my daily routine.

How long do you intend doing Paleo, if not for a lifetime?
Shanan – I’d like to continue with Paleo as a lifestyle change. I admit there will be times it will be impossible to do it 100% but I hope to do it, say 90%. I am enjoying the benefits thus far and look forward to seeing the benefits as time goes on.

Kelly – I love the motivation and inspiration with your answer. I myself love food; all types of food, and strive to be 100% paleo and accept only making it 90%. Ironically too, many people will find an extreme difference when they have a non paleo food and naturally lose their old cravings. I look forward to hearing of your future positive results from the lifestyle.

Any advise for those thinking about trialing this lifestyle?
Shanan – My advise for people thinking about giving Paleo a go is simple: Be prepared! By that I mean make sure you have lots of fresh produce available and to have your fridge well stocked. Other advice I would say is if you have a partner, ask them if they’re interested in joining you -this will definitely make the initial stages much easier. I share my house with one other who isn’t currently doing Paleo -one thing I’ve done to make things easier for myself is I’ve divided up the pantry into accepted Paleo foods and non-Paleo foods -this makes things much easier come food prep time.

Kelly – Could not agree more with your tips.

Any additional comments?
Shanan – I’ve only been doing Paleo a short time but in this short time I’ve definitely noticed the benefits – I’m feeling motivated, energised and alert! My mum is also trialling Paleo at the moment, her goals are different from mine in that she is trying to help fix her sinuses and lose weight. Like myself, she too is feeling the benefits already. I’d definitely recommend anyone giving Paleo a go as I’m truly amazed by how fantastic I’m feeling already by simply eliminated things out of my daily food intake. Good luck for anyone starting out and enjoy what will come to you!

What does an average day of Paleo eating look like for you?

Friday 6th of January
Breakfast Eggs, tomato, spinach
Morning snack Mixed nuts
Lunch Chicken stir-fry (leftover dinner)
Afternoon snack n/a
Dinner Roast lamb with sweet potatoes
Exercise (morning) 30 min run with dog
Exercise (lunch) 20 minute walk
Exercise (evening) n/a