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I originally joined the rebellion back in April '16. I had just been accepted to law school and wanted to get back in shape before taking on the grueling task of working full time and going to law school at night (I had been out of college for several years when I applied). NF was immensely helpful to me. I went from nearly 260 lbs down to around 220, which was great. I was shamefully wearing XL shirts that were unflattering, and my waist size was the biggest it had ever been in my life when I joined; by the time I started school I was wearing medium and slim fit shirts and had lost three inches off my waist. The diet tips and exercise philosophy here at NF truly changed my life for the better. Then law school happened. It's not a big secret that law school is hard. I knew that much going in. What nobody can possibly prepare you for is how it dominates your time and saps your energy and motivation. I still remember my first law school exam. Before that night, I had never exerted myself mentally to the point that I was starving--just like after a hard physical workout. It's a crazy feeling. Anyway, it's now been three years. Because of the stress and time schedule, I have been stress eating garbage food, working out sporadically (mostly not at all), and consider five hours a really good night's sleep. I have a closet full of shirts that don't fit (or worse, look terrible over my gut) and have gained back nearly all the weight I lost. I've decided that enough is enough. It is time to respawn. I've joined a gym, and I have started on a similar path to the one I started three years ago. It's going to be harder this time. The first time around I worked for a fitness company, which meant my office had two gyms, there was healthy food available on campus, and there were a lot of very fit people walking around the office--I'm talking an office packed full of former college and pro athletes with Adonis bodies. There were also plenty of regular Joes and Janes in the legal department to help motivate me when I didn't feel like working out. None of that is true this time around, so I am going to have to dig deep to stick to it. I'm hoping I can fall back on my fellow nerds for support. The good news, as I see it, is that it took less than six months for me to start seeing real results, and nearly three years to undo them. That means that it will take a lot less time for me to get back into fighting shape than it did to re-destroy my body, which is comforting if nothing else. I also had a huge obstacle the last time around that doesn't exist this time: I don't have to quit smoking again. That was one bad habit that I am proud to say I never fell back into. This weekend I started the same weight training program that I was using back in 2016, and have incorporated high intensity cardio. I hate running, but I can do a half hour on the treadmill. I still have a year of school left, and figure that if I can keep with this program through my final year of school, it will feel like easy street once I am done and only have to worry about work. Wish me luck, and good luck to all of you, comrades.

Good luck!

My gf has celiac and a variety of other food sensitivities and deals with a lot of the same issues you are talking about. We keep our fridge stocked with the following, and there is always something you can make or snack on: BERRIES!!!! (all of 'em, any of 'em. They are awesome snacks and are great for smoothies too! We usually have raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, and also grapes) Green Peppers Red Peppers Mushrooms Onions Garlic Kale Broccoli Bananas Brown rice/quinoa (not paleo, whatevs) Lemon Frozen sustainably caught Alaskan salmon (sustainably caught ALWAYS!!!!) Bacon Eggs That's pretty much it. Almost all of our meals come from some combination of those ingredients + some seasoning. We also keep tempeh and tofu, but I left those out because it sounds like you may be allergic to them. We do not meal plan, unless you count coming home from work and saying "I think I'm gonna make ________ for dinner" a plan. I hope this helps!

Apple with peanut butter sounds good to me! It's light, there is protein in the PB and some natural sugar in the apple for a little energy boost, seems like a perfect pre-workout snack to me! I think the key here is everyone is different. I know some people that have a HUGE breakfast and then work out mid morning, but for me I like getting to the gym early while it is empty and quiet, and like I said, I don't like working out with a full stomach.

I don't usually eat before I work out (I lift EARLY), but if I am hungry I will have a Strong & Kind Bar (I like the honey mustard ones). They are not paleo and they do have some sugar and starch (I think as binding agents), but they are pretty healthy overall and before an intense workout I have personally found them to do more good than harm (I know this is anecdotal, but whatever). Alternatively you could just buy the things that make them good (almonds/seeds) and just have a handful before you work out. For me I just don't like to have a lot in my stomach when I work out, so I only pre-eat when I feel like I am so hungry that it is going to weaken my workout. Then, after the workout I satiate that intense hunger with an omelette stuffed with peppers, onions, spinach, mushrooms and broccoli.

So I can sympathize with you a LOT, psichiboy. Getting rid of soda was my #1 nutrition issue. Like you, I consumed a TON, and for me it was not diet. I work in an office with a cafeteria, and if you bring a cup, the soda fountain is free. I was drinking 4-8 glasses of Coke per day, easily. I did not get rid of soda all at once. First I put a time limit on it--no soda until lunch. Before that I would start my day with breakfast and a coke, so this was a good first step. Eventually I knocked it down to one per day with lunch, then once per week with my Friday lunch. Now, soda is not part of my regular diet at all. I will still have it at a party every now and then (particularly if I am a designated driver) and guess what--no guilt because it is a special treat. Also, when I made the decision to start cutting back I got a 32 oz. Nalgene bottle to keep at my desk. I drain that thing like four times a day, and it was probably more when I was first getting rid of soda. Finally, on the full disclosure tip, I have a cup of dark, black coffee every morning, so the caffeine thing was not an issue for me, it was just getting rid of the soda. Good luck and stay strong! And remember, you are only competing with yourself. If you have less soda today than you did yesterday, that's a win.

Well thanks Luckily the snacks aren't free, just the soda. That was really the hardest thing for me to give up generally, though, other than tobacco. I still love soda (so much--don't get me started), but having the water bottle is definitely super helpful. I still have soda every now and then if I am at a party or something, but now it is a special treat (and I keep it to just one!).

Hi! I have a very high pressure job and can definitely relate to the stress eating/craving sugar. We have a cafeteria at work with plenty of unhealthy snacks and free soda, and all only 100 or so feet from my desk (I used to drink 4-5 sodas PER DAY). On top of that, part of my health quest was quitting tobacco, which increases my hunger and adds another super powerful craving into the mix. For me, the key was to just chug water like it was my job. I bought a 32 oz. nalgene bottle that I keep at my desk and I would say I refill it at least 4 times per day. It helps with the oral part of cravings, it fills your stomach up, and it has no calories! It also builds small breaks into my day (bathroom trips) that help me walk away from the stress at my desk, take a few deep breaths and regroup. This was really hard at first, but once you get into the habit it becomes second nature. And don't forget, water has no calories/carbs! I am not saying drink a gallon at a time (very dangerous), but sometimes I will fill my bottle and take down half of it before I even get back to my desk. It's hard to feel hungry with all that water in my belly!

I have not found a better breakfast option than the three egg omelette. I never get sick of them, and you can change it up by changing what you put on the inside. My go to is as follows: Ingredients: 1 small pan 1 medium sized pan 3 eggs Diced red pepper (I usually dice about a quarter and throw the rest in a bag in the fridge) Diced Green pepper 1-2 diced mushrooms Diced onion (however much you want) Broccoli florets Spinach 1/4 cup cheese of choice (optional; not paleo) Cooking: 1. Get a small pan and a medium pan on the burners and set to low-medium heat. Grease both pans with a pad of butter. Make sure to get the edges on the medium pan so your eggs don't stick. 2. While the pans are heating, crack 3 eggs in a bowl and whisk together. 3. throw the peppers, onions and veggies in the small pan and stir together for a nice mix. I usually chop everything ahead of time and put it all in one bowl so I can just dump it in the pan all at once. 4. Once you get the peppers and veggies going, pour the eggs into the medium pan so that they cover the whole bottom of the pan. 5. Add salt and pepper to the eggs while they are cooking if you like. 6. After 2-4 minutes, check to see that the eggs are cooked almost all the way through. I check by giving the pan handle a little shake. If the eggs still have a gelatinous jiggle, wait another minute or two. 7. Once the eggs are cooked through, use a plastic spatula to get under the eggs and make sure there are no sticking points. If the pan was properly greased the whole egg patty should just slide around the bottom of the pan, but if there are stick points you can use the spatula to gently scrape them. 8. Dump the peppers, onions, mushrooms and veggies into the center of the eggs. I like to add a sprinkle of shredded cheddar to help hold the omelette together. I know cheese isn't paleo, but it serves a utilitarian function here and I just plain love cheese. I gave up a lot of foods I love in my quest, but I still have a little cheese in my omelette. 9. Use the plastic spatula to gently fold the egg patty in half, being sure not to break the center. Give the top of the folded patty a nice press with the bottom of the spatula. If you used cheese, it should act as a glue and keep the omelette from unfolding. Let the omelette sit for one minute. If you feel it is necessary, flip it and let the other side cook for one minute. 10. Put it on a plate and eat it! I like to top with tobasco and ketchup. I hope this is a helpful recipe! Full disclosure: I am a little spoiled as we have a cafeteria at work where I can get this if I have a busy morning. That said, I make them at home regularly and as long as you chop up the ingredients the night before it really only takes about ten minutes, including washing the dishes.