February 2017 to February 2018: What I've learned

This is just an update post. I decided back in August, when I started this diet again, that I wasn't going to keep up my blog because it wasn't helping me. All I was doing was making excuses for my cheating habits on here and never really changing anything.
With that being said, I wanted to make a post updating y'all on how I've been doing this past year. I'm so grateful to have progress pictures to show you from last year, and I really have made quite a difference.

So the first pictures were taken last year, either in January or February, I can't remember. I started off last year at 174 lbs. and by February I was down to 168. I went to New York, and ate pizza and doughnuts and spaghetti, and I came back and kept eating badly.
Around about July, my mom told me she was going Keto. I'd never really considered Keto but I supported her as much as I could while still eating all the junk I wanted to.
With a day or two left in July I made a decision to go back to Primal at the start of August. I'm so glad I did. All those reasons I had in January, the ones I wrote on this blog, still applied. I was still getting a lot of headaches and I still felt horrible all the time. I wanted to feel better again. So I started on August 1st doing Primal, but tending towards Keto stuff, just because my mom was cooking and it was easier.
I have lost 35 lbs. now and I don't plan on gaining it back. I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and I actually feel so much better now.

So what have I learned over this past year?

- For starters, pizza and cake are not as good as they seem. I forwent cake for my birthday and it was such a great idea! I didn't feel sick when I was supposed to feel good, and I didn't get a headache from all the sugar and wheat. And pizza can be easily made with Fathead dough and to me, it's so much better than Domino's or Papa John's. (Seriously, look up the recipe, it's amazing)

- I am very sensitive to the types of oils used in cooking. If it's cooked in soybean oil (usually fried stuff is) it gives me a headache. I have to be careful when getting wings because if they're fried, even without breading, I have to stay away from them. I've since found some really good wings from places like Fresh Market, and Hooters smoked wings are really good too!

- Keto stuff is amazing. It's interesting because most Keto recipes call for sweetener instead of something like honey, which would be fine with Paleo, but isn't with Keto. I've tried my fair share of sweeteners now and found my favorites. I've also baked muffins, made cheesecake, and made pizza with all Keto ingredients. It's truly amazing how good they taste.

- My collarbones and shoulders had fat apparently. Since losing weight, I've found that my collarbones are...bonier haha. My seatbelt rubs my shoulders and is actually uncomfortable now, without all that fat protecting my bones. Who knew, though? That was not one of the areas I thought I'd lose fat from.

- It's not so hard to decline stuff at parties or restaurants if you're really committed to your diet. And if that diet actually satiates you instead of those low-fat diets that everyone suggests. And when I go out with friends, what I order isn't so unusual that people start asking questions about my diet. I've heard from the Keto blogs that it's better to operate under the Fight Club rules "Don't talk about Keto". I agree whole-heartedly, although there will be people who ask.

Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy this update. I'm still chugging along and trying to get through my final two semesters at college.

Stay cool, kids
Sam