I need accountability for this goal...

[Smiles]

By paleo, i mean the workouts. (You probably know more about their eating routine than I do. It sure sounds like you've got a good menu going there.) I don't know if all paleo plans are similar when it comes to workouts, but supposedly Mark's is less prone to injury.

Ever tried stevia for sweetener in tea? I'm talking good quality stuff- not powders, & not the kind you find in a grocery store. I use flavored ones from health food stores in fruit smoothies, & hear some people use a rootbeer flavor (or maybe it's cola, etc.) in carbonated water to give them the soda type fix. I still use real sugar in coffee & honey in hot tea though.

So you ate roasted & salted sunflower seeds? Could you roast your own & use a high quality sea salt? Pink hymalayan or celtic gray? A good sea salt actually helps prevent swelling - got to keep those sodium-potassium pumps going in your cells. The salt we all grew up on (& is in everything) is a cheap chemical by comparison. But you've got to look into it yourself, if you feel like it. & I'm no medical expert either.

You are right, the long-term, lifestyle aspect of it will be what makes it all work toward your goal. I hope you find joy & energy in your path.