I gave up about two weeks before the challenge ended. The diet did not work for me. Why?

• My protein choices were limited because I have gastroesophageal reflux disease. Red meat, eggs, bacon and other foods high in fat give me heartburn and diarrhea, and sometimes make me throw up. On the Paleo diet, I quickly grew tired of having chicken and turkey breast be my only two real sources of protein. Normally, I also enjoy other high-protein foods like black beans and Greek yogurt, both of which are forbidden on Paleo. I also miss whole grains, mainly brown/wild rice.
• I felt sluggish. Coach Nick, who led the challenge, kept telling me that you have to give your body six full weeks to adjust to a “fat-burning metabolism.” Maybe he’s right. But four weeks was bad enough. I was struggling to get through my workday without sneaking into my office’s lactation room for a nap. I also had a lot more trouble motivating myself to work out.
• It’s expensive! And I don’t mean fresh veggies and fruits and organic meats—I was eating those before. I’m talking about shelf items: Almond butter costs $10 a jar at my local market. A tiny bag of almond flour? $12. I never invested in a jar of coconut oil because it was almost $15. 

This challenge was not all bad. In fact, it was totally worthwhile. Here’s why:

• I haven’t eaten a frozen Kashi dinner since the last week of October. I hope to keep that streak going until the new year, at least. Before the challenge, I was eating at least a couple each week. 
• I order takeout a lot less often.
• Fruit has become a sweet and satisfying dessert. I no longer crave ice cream after dinner. Hooray!
• I learned how to cook. I’ve gotten into the habit of preparing lunches and dinners for the week on Sunday nights.
• I’ve become a more mindful eater. For example, at my mom’s house over Thanksgiving, I was searching for a snack and noticed that she had cheese curls in the cupboard. I grabbed a few out of the bag, looked down and thought, “This is not food.” I ate one, threw the rest of my handful away and had an apple instead.

I’m off to grab my cup of yogurt from the fridge. Cheers!