The Introduction - AKA Why the heck would I want to eat like a caveman?

Like most of America, I've been on and off diets most of my adult life. Okay, all of my adult life. I've found the most success with calorie counting and training for certain athletic events. However, as the weather changes so does my motivation, and I end up gaining weight back. What can I say? I have a hard time committing and changing my lifestyle for the long run. I like instant results, quick fixes and little comitment.

What's the caveman diet?
Good question. I've done a little research here and there, mostly reading what's free to me on the internet (which is a lot!), rather than buying four different books that all say the same thing. Meat and fat good, carbs bad. Of course, there's more to it than that. As far as I've seen, and read, and interpreted, the paleoithic diet focuses on a steady intake of lean protiens, healthy fats or natural fats, and lots and lots of nutrients. Less simple carbs, more complex carbs, and no sugar or added salt whatsoever. And when you break it down like that...doesn't that sound like the food pyramid we've all grown up with?
The authentic cave man diet also eliminates all dairy, since our anscestors wouldn't have had access to it in the form it's given to us now. I choose to take this lightly, and limit my diary intake. REALLY limit it.

So why would I chose a diet that's so restrictive?
First, I don't think of it like a diet, I like to think of it as adapting a new lifestyle. Well, new to me of course. Rumor has it that while following these dietary rules and restrictions, one can not only lose weight, but also quicken the mind, revitalize the body, and flush toxins from it regularly. I would love to drop this extra weight, but I'd also like to experience all those other perks. So that's going to be my focus, the benefits that come from eating this way, besides dropping weight. Because what's the point of being on a diet when you drop weight but don't gain anything...like life expectancy, brain effeciency, and lean muscle development?

How do I plan to do it?
The best advice I found online was a gradual integration to caveman eating, rather than trying to do it all at once, and quitting bread cold turkey.
I've broken the experiment into the following four phases:

1. Phase One - Breakfast (Four Days)
• Eat a cave man approved breakfast in the morning, accompanied by at least one large glass (like a pint glass) of water.
2. Phase Two - Lunch (Five Days)
• Eat a cave man approved breakfast in the morning, followed by a caveman approved lunch, and lots of water.
3. Phase Three - Dinner (Four Days)
• Eat three cave man approved meals a day, complimented by some light snacking and lots of water.
4. Phase Four - The Whole Shabang
• Four weeks (minus one cheat day a week) of three or so caveman approved meals - probably will be smaller portions than before, and accompanied by lots of "grazing" or snacking. Oh, and lots of water!

Dr. Cordain suggests eating paleoithic for 80% of the time. This sounds reasonable, as it's almost impossible for some people to go that long without a good chunk of bread or something. This equates to about one day a week that's a non-caveman day, referred to by me as a "cheat day." During the first two phases, non-caveman meals will be eaten as regular, but with a conscious decision to keep them relatively healthy.

Be sure to check out my Stats page to follow along with how the weight loss and physcal ability is going!