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Four years ago, Stacy Toth had just given birth to her third son and had undergone surgery to remove her gallbladder. At 336 pounds, she felt defeated and overwhelmed when it came to weight loss, but she knew she needed to make a change.
After discovering the Paleo diet, Stacy was surprised to find how quickly she adapted to the lifestyle. Her intestinal problems disappeared, and she had more energy than ever. Just a year after adopting the new eating habits, she had slimmed down by 120 pounds.
Today Stacy, her husband, Matthew, and their three sons follow the dairy-, grain-, sugar-, and legume-free regimen, and Stacy documents their progress on her blog, Paleo Parents. Read on to see how she keeps herself full with protein-packed meals.
Breakfast: “This is an egg-white protein shake with almond milk, water, frozen banana, ice, cold-soluble gelatin, and maca. It tastes like such a treat with hints of nut butter from the maca! I love that it sustains me for hours and is a protein-rich way to start the day without too much meat.”
Morning snack: “I continue the day with my antioxidant-rich green tea matcha powder and Pete’s Paleo Gut Gummies gelatin snacks. Collagen-rich gelatin has been a huge part of my healing and health journey, from soups to smoothies to gummy snacks; I try to eat it where I can. I have two autoimmune diseases that affect the lining of my intestines, and when I am eating gelatin regularly (about five times a week) it not only helps me manage my AI diseases, but it also helps my skin and hair, and eases joint pain that use to be near debilitating.”
Lunch: “A lot of people think the Paleo diet is full of only meat, but I was a vegetarian for seven years before this diet, and I find I eat way more vegetables now. Instead of a sandwich with chips or leftover pasta, I have the same portion of protein and replace the refined carbohydrates with vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Today I am having leftover pork roast from Beyond Bacon with organic greens. I add sea-vegetable salt for umami flavor and natural iodine, as well as dressing from Tessemae’s, a local company that makes its products without processed oils high in inflammatory omega-6 fats. Paired with local pastured pork from Heritage Hollow Farms, it’s a perfect match.”
Dinner: “This is the Baked (Not) Potato Soup from Real Life Paleo (get the recipe). I try to limit dense carbohydrates to the days I train, which makes this low-carb, veggie-rich soup a great choice for my rest day today.”
Post-dinner snack: “The bacon slivers on my soup weren’t quite enough protein for me, so I’m having two scrambled eggs, as well. Nothing fancy, just a little leftover bacon fat and some whipped eggs.”
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
