Thinking about going completely Paleo for a week to see how I feel
HannahsMother2012
Posts: 47 Member
anyone here paleo? How do you like it? I'm very intrigued by the whole concept! With the exception of Greek yogurt, oats, brown rice, lentils, black beans, soya sauce, mayo and cane sugar, I've basically followed a Paleo diet these past few weeks, and I'm thinking about cutting out those last few things for a week or so to see how I feel and how sustainable the Paleo lifestyle is. Looking to hear what you have thought about the Paleo diet!'
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One week's worth of data won't tell you much, if anything.0
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I personally don't believe in the "dieting" theory. I usually find that they make it too difficult and not sustainable. The only way be healthy long term is to find a way to easily eat healthy without all the restrictions (low carb, low this, no that). I like the "all natural" meaning behind the paleo diet but I worry its not doable long term.
If you want to I say go for it. Just my opinions though. I've never done it so maybe I'm just ignorant about it.0 -
I say try it for a week or two and see where you end up. I will warn you that drastically cutting sugar and grains can make you feel strange until your body adjusts. I'm coming at this from a LCHF perspective though. There is a Paleo group here that may be able to help a little better. You could also Google Nerd Fitness as they go into Paleo a good bit. I'd post the links but I can't on my phone.0
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I do low carb diet, not necessarily Paleo, just low carb but they are very similar. I notice that when I ate almost no carbs I don't feel as hungry. That's probably the benefit number one of low carb diet, cos it just makes easier to stick to deficit when you are not hungry.
As far as weight goes, I lose a lot of water weight first week after going low carb and don't look so bloated, and look smaller. But as of actual fat loss, there are no difference between low carb and just counting calories. So it can give you some psychological benefit cos you will weight less and look thinner due to all the water and glycogen you are getting out of your body, but don't mistaken that huge weight and size drop of first week for fat loss. Still tho, it's nice to look thinner.
Unless you decrease your carbs very slowly over course of many months, like a gram a day or something, but instead just take them all away instantly, you will feel like crap. Your energy will drop down to floor. After two to 12 weeks, depending on person, you body adjusts and energy comes back. You might even have double the energy as you did on high carb diet, I do have more of it for sure. My workouts are better, I don't get tired so fast, my mind is more clear and focused, etc. But for first couple weeks, until your body adjusts to different energy source which is not carbs, you will have huge energy deficit most likely, so expect that.
That all above of course if you gonna be on low carb diet, which is by far the most popular way how to do Paleo. All tho you could be just eating tons of fruit and lots of carbs, and technically still be on Paleo. But in that case it's same as being on a normal generic diet when it comes to weight and fat loss, and energy, so there isn't really a point. Of course unless you believe that it's the most healthiest way to ate and doing it just for that and not weight loss, which I would argue it isn't.
So I do low carb because my hunger goes away and after I'm over that period where my body adjusts I nget way more energy that with carbs. Fat loss tho, I see zero difference, just water weight loss.
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Wutainarsraciks wrote: »
That all above of course if you gonna be on low carb diet, which is by far the most popular way how to do Paleo. All tho you could be just eating tons of fruit and lots of carbs, and technically still be on Paleo. But in that case it's same as being on a normal generic diet when it comes to weight and fat loss, and energy, so there isn't really a point.
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Going Paleo was the best thing I've ever done. It's really not as hard as everyone makes you think. I make my own mayo, use almond butter instead of peanut butter. coconut Aminos instead of soy sauce. Just listen to your body.0
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I started the wheat belly diet (similar to paleo but meat doesn't have to be from grass fed sources) a few weeks ago upon my doctors suggestion for health reasons. Going to redo blood work in 3 months and reevaluate so I can't comment on that. I will say I feel way less hungry than on many other diets. I feel like the longer I do it the better it gets. Weight loss has been slow but steady. I checked out the Wheat belly cookbook from the library and have found some recipes I really like! I
t's kind of fun to make something new and delicious. It inspires me to keep trying. I have been tired without diet pop, sugar and carbs but it is getting better and the tired could be from other reasons that have nothing to do with what I am not eating. I would say try it for a month for a better perspective and see what you think. GOOD LUCK 0 -
Thanks everyone!! Like I said I've been pretty close to Paleo for almost a month now, and I feel so good! That's why I'm thinking of cutting out those last few things. I'm not necessarily going to do it for weight loss, although that benefit would be great! It just seems like an incredibly healthy way to eat, and that is very attractive to me! I haven't had refined sugar for weeks, so that won't be a problem. Thanks for the advice I think I'm gonna do it! 0
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I eat Primal, which is sort of like paleo with dairy, and I love it. I feel better and clearer-headed and I have a lot more energy.
Learn from my fail, though: arm yourself with recipes first. Especially if you're like me and pretty helpless in the kitchen. I tried doing a Whole30, which is way more restrictive than paleo, and I only lasted 11 days because I didn't know what to cook and it was easier to just not eat.0 -
Great advice Larissa! I have a lot of Paleo recipes I've pinterestsd and about a dozen I've tried. So far so good! I've liked them all!! And I have a good stock of Paleo ingredients but want a few more to start!0
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I love paleo.... I feel so good on it.0
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I did a month of paleo once. I'm not one who is into diets, but I was interested because everyone who does it says it make them feel so much better. I'm generally pretty tired and sluggish all the time, so I was curious if it would really help.
For me, it wasn't sustainable. The first couple of weeks were fine, even kind of fun because I was learning all these new recipes and stuff. But towards the end of the month it really started to get difficult. There were too many restricted foods. However, I will say that I did notice a difference in how I felt - not a huge one, but I had a little more energy and got less bloating/stomachaches.
So yeah, I don't think a week will tell you much. You might like it for a week but that doesn't mean it's sustainable long term. I think your current diet sounds much more reasonable. I absolutely adore lentils, and greek yogurt, and too many other things. I'll never give them up again 0 -
Paleo does not mean low carb. Paleo just means arbitrarily excluding a bunch of foods based on the assumption that our ancestors did not eat it and therefore we shouldn't.
I can get behind the science of low carb as a means for appetite control but the science around 'eating like a caveman for optimal health' is shaky at best. I think people should adopt a way of eating that works and also creates a caloric deficit. If you enjoy eating "paleo" and can eat that way for the rest of your life go nuts. Otherwise it's unnecessary as a caloric deficit is all you need to lose weight.
If you are concerned about health, the Mediterranean diet appears to be one of the healthiest diets around.
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Diets that eliminate complete food groups are usually not sustainable. I considered paleo awhile back and even bought a cookbook with a few awesome recipes. It's expensive & the substitutions in recipes makes shopping a nuisance and way more pricey. I still use some of the recipes but don't eliminate foods from my daily intake to follow a fad diet.0
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For me, someone who has OCD And generally obsessive personality, a extremely restrictive diet leads to bad things. However, if you like the way of eating and find it sustainable, go for it. Currently I'm under doctors orders to try low card and cut out wheat because of my endometriosis, to try and ease some symptoms. If it makes you feel better, yay for you!! Best of luck!
Edited for grammar.0 -
neanderthin wrote: »One week's worth of data won't tell you much, if anything.
This.
And also - Paleo is not low carb. It tends to be because people choose veggies that are low carb but it is not necessarily low carb.
I'll be honest - I don't like diets that eliminate entire food groups. I don't like fad diets. I don't believe the whole "what our ancestors ate" things. But. My husband wanted to try it. He has gone along with me on a lot of things, so I went along with him. We did the Whole 30. I actually really, really liked it. I wasn't hungry. I ate well, as in, a variety of veggies, fruits, fats, protein, etc. I also paid attention to my carbs and kept them up because I was doing a lot of activity. I dropped weight without counting calories (I am fully aware that I was restricting my calories in other ways)..
It did take some prep. Breakfast was harder for me but once I got out of the mindset of "breakfast" foods for breakfast it was easier.
We didn't keep up strict paleo, it was never my intention anyway but I got pregnant and that changed a lot of things. I still build most of my meals around the basic principle, protein, fat, lots of veggies, but I don't restrict grains and dairy. We still make a lot of the recipes that we found while doing it.
Oh, Whole 30 had their own mayo recipe. I am a mayo fanatic and never expected to accept a substitute. It was even better than regular mayo. I still make my own (once I was not pregnant cause raw egg).
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From my understanding a lot of people who follow the Paleo lifestyle do the 85/15 ratio. 85% of the time thy adhere to the Paleo restictions, and 15% of the time they eat "normal". This seems so reasonable and sustainable to me. Allowing for social gatherings and such where Paleo foods aren't always available. Today I indulged in gluten and dairy, something I've avoided (with the exception of Greek yogurt) for about a month now, and I feel horrible!! I have always thought I have some food sensitivities, hence the interest in such restricted diet. No one can deny its an incredibly healthy way to eat! I'm not interested for weight loss, as stated before, but for the benefits that come from feeding our bodies what it's meant to be fed. Thanks for your input everyone! I appreciate all the angles people view this topic from 0
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HannahsMother2012 wrote: »From my understanding a lot of people who follow the Paleo lifestyle do the 85/15 ratio. 85% of the time thy adhere to the Paleo restictions, and 15% of the time they eat "normal".
Sounds a lot like a regular balanced diet to me....0 -
honkytonks85 wrote: »Paleo does not mean low carb. Paleo just means arbitrarily excluding a bunch of foods based on the assumption that our ancestors did not eat it and therefore we shouldn't.
I can get behind the science of low carb as a means for appetite control but the science around 'eating like a caveman for optimal health' is shaky at best. I think people should adopt a way of eating that works and also creates a caloric deficit. If you enjoy eating "paleo" and can eat that way for the rest of your life go nuts. Otherwise it's unnecessary as a caloric deficit is all you need to lose weight.
If you are concerned about health, the Mediterranean diet appears to be one of the healthiest diets around.
Add 'erroneous' before assumption. That is not how our ancestors ate. And yeah, you want to follow the supposed diet of people who lived till their 40s at best?? And no, they didn't die young from being eaten by saber-tooth tigers and falling of cliffs while hunting like someone in another paleo thread tried to insist, they effectively died of old age. In their 30s. Sounds awesome.
OP, if you want to follow this way of eating, by all means do, it is entirely your choice. But please don't do it out of some misguided notion that this is how our ancestors ate, so we should too (even if that was how they ate, we have adapted to the foods that were introduced to or increased in our diet as a result of the Neolithic Revolution).
Signed, an archaeologist.0 -
HannahsMother2012 wrote: »From my understanding a lot of people who follow the Paleo lifestyle do the 85/15 ratio. 85% of the time thy adhere to the Paleo restictions, and 15% of the time they eat "normal". This seems so reasonable and sustainable to me. Allowing for social gatherings and such where Paleo foods aren't always available. Today I indulged in gluten and dairy, something I've avoided (with the exception of Greek yogurt) for about a month now, and I feel horrible!! I have always thought I have some food sensitivities, hence the interest in such restricted diet. No one can deny its an incredibly healthy way to eat! I'm not interested for weight loss, as stated before, but for the benefits that come from feeding our bodies what it's meant to be fed. Thanks for your input everyone! I appreciate all the angles people view this topic from
There is no reason to avoid gluten unless you have a medical condition. It would require more than just avoiding it for a little while to diagnose. And you are not supposed to introduce more than one eliminated food at a time and give it several days to evaluate.
You also can't judge how "good" or "bad" a food is by how you feel after not eating it for awhile. Our bodies adjust to our diets. Eat low fat for awhile then have a high fat meal and you will experience stomach discomfort. Fat is essential, it is just our bodies have gotten used to digesting the lower fat intake. The same goes for going from a bland diet ot eating something spicy. Even adding more vegetables to ones diet can end up with stomach discomfort.HannahsMother2012 wrote: »From my understanding a lot of people who follow the Paleo lifestyle do the 85/15 ratio. 85% of the time thy adhere to the Paleo restictions, and 15% of the time they eat "normal".
Sounds a lot like a regular balanced diet to me....
Exactly!0 -
3dogsrunning wrote: »HannahsMother2012 wrote: »From my understanding a lot of people who follow the Paleo lifestyle do the 85/15 ratio. 85% of the time thy adhere to the Paleo restictions, and 15% of the time they eat "normal". This seems so reasonable and sustainable to me. Allowing for social gatherings and such where Paleo foods aren't always available. Today I indulged in gluten and dairy, something I've avoided (with the exception of Greek yogurt) for about a month now, and I feel horrible!! I have always thought I have some food sensitivities, hence the interest in such restricted diet. No one can deny its an incredibly healthy way to eat! I'm not interested for weight loss, as stated before, but for the benefits that come from feeding our bodies what it's meant to be fed. Thanks for your input everyone! I appreciate all the angles people view this topic from
There is no reason to avoid gluten unless you have a medical condition. It would require more than just avoiding it for a little while to diagnose. And you are not supposed to introduce more than one eliminated food at a time and give it several days to evaluate.
You also can't judge how "good" or "bad" a food is by how you feel after not eating it for awhile. Our bodies adjust to our diets. Eat low fat for awhile then have a high fat meal and you will experience stomach discomfort. Fat is essential, it is just our bodies have gotten used to digesting the lower fat intake. The same goes for going from a bland diet ot eating something spicy. Even adding more vegetables to ones diet can end up with stomach discomfort.HannahsMother2012 wrote: »From my understanding a lot of people who follow the Paleo lifestyle do the 85/15 ratio. 85% of the time thy adhere to the Paleo restictions, and 15% of the time they eat "normal".
Sounds a lot like a regular balanced diet to me....
Exactly!
Actually, diagnosing celiac disease requires an initial blood test, and depending on those results, a biopsy of the intestine, you MUST eat gluten regularly for those tests to be accurate. So me "avoiding it for more then a little while to diagnose" isn't how this medical condition is diagnosed. This isn't my first go around with avoiding gluten, and each and every time I feel better. I've been tested for celiac disease and the test was negative. I have a strong family history of the disease, and given my experiences with avoiding it, I do think I have a sensitivity. I'm avoiding dairy not because I think I have a sensitivity (although statistics show gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance often go hand in hand) but because after researching the topic, I've come to learn that our bodies are actually not made to digest cow's milk. However, the choices in my diet are personal, and if I feel absolutely wonderful with eating a Paleo diet, then I'm not too sure why one would discourage me from doing so! It's not for everyone and we all have our views, opinions and ways of finding our way to better health. Isn't that why we are here? I posted this in hopes of finding others who share similar views as me, who could maybe offer some insight into the completely Paleo world. So if that is the case, please send me a friend request! I'd love to connect with you 0 -
although statistics show gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance often go hand in hand
Probably because half the people who wind up with "gluten" are half way hypochondriacs.
I'm skeptical at best of that statement.I've come to learn that our bodies are actually not made to digest cow's milk.
come again?
Thirdly- if you already have decided you are trying it- why did you come here asking how you about it?0 -
Thirdly- if you already have decided you are trying it- why did you come here asking how you about it?[/quote]
I said I had posted in hopes to find those who could give me some insight into a completely Paleo diet. I wasnt asking how to go about it.
For a place that is dedicated for health and fitness, I'm starting to see some less then nice comments from people who are sharing a journey to better health. It's disappointing to see and sad that as a newbie, I will be really reluctant to ever post again looking for like minded friends on here, in order to avoid catty remarks from those who don't share my same views. I thought as adults if the topic wasn't one you shared an interest in, one would just keep scrolling. But who am I kidding. It's the Internet and it takes all kinds I guess! I sincerely wish you all to find a lifestyle that works for you as individuals. And I will continue to find what works for me. Thanks to those who gave me insight, encouraged and were able to remain polite. I have found the paleo group that someone has recommended above (thank you!). Is there a way I can close this discussion before it gets out of hand?!
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Hannah you might find better support from the Paleo group. I'm not trying to chase you away but people here seem to get upset when a way of eating has a label regardless of how well it works for you. A lot of us tend to feel we get more out of groups. If you are low carb we have a group for that as well.0
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Hannah you might find better support from the Paleo group. I'm not trying to chase you away but people here seem to get upset when a way of eating has a label regardless of how well it works for you. A lot of us tend to feel we get more out of groups. If you are low carb we have a group for that as well.
I second this, try the http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group and the http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/37-primal-paleo-support-group.
You will find a lot more info and support on a group dedicated to your lifestyle change than you will in the general forums0 -
Thanks sugarbeat! I have found the group and have had lots of support there just trying to see if I can close this discussion before it becomes all out WW3! That was not my intention at all and I had no idea (since I'm fairly new) how these types of topics can become all out arguing! 0
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HannahsMother2012 wrote: »Thanks sugarbeat! I have found the group and have had lots of support there just trying to see if I can close this discussion before it becomes all out WW3! That was not my intention at all and I had no idea (since I'm fairly new) how these types of topics can become all out arguing!
heh- you must be new to the internet.
This conversation has been about as vanilla as they come. Good luck with your journey- and with- you know life. seems like you're gonna need all the help you can get if you think this is excessive.0 -
HannahsMother2012 wrote: »Thanks sugarbeat! I have found the group and have had lots of support there just trying to see if I can close this discussion before it becomes all out WW3! That was not my intention at all and I had no idea (since I'm fairly new) how these types of topics can become all out arguing!
heh- you must be new to the internet.
This conversation has been about as vanilla as they come. Good luck with your journey- and with- you know life. seems like you're gonna need all the help you can get if you think this is excessive.
Thank you! Good luck with your journey as well i guess I have been blessed with a very supportive and loving group of friend and family ! 0 -
HannahsMother2012 wrote: »anyone here paleo? How do you like it? I'm very intrigued by the whole concept! With the exception of Greek yogurt, oats, brown rice, lentils, black beans, soya sauce, mayo and cane sugar, I've basically followed a Paleo diet these past few weeks, and I'm thinking about cutting out those last few things for a week or so to see how I feel and how sustainable the Paleo lifestyle is. Looking to hear what you have thought about the Paleo diet!'
I was curious about it around the time I started this, and ate somewhat paleo already (the things I had to cut were similar to yours, except for the mayo which I never buy), so I did it for a couple of weeks. I found that I didn't feel any different than I did eating the way I had been, and later when I started eating grains off and on again (I usually don't eat lots of grains because of what I consider worth the calories, although lately I've been intentionally upping my carbs and including more grains is an easy way to do it, although not the only way), I found again that so long as I achieved a balanced diet (not too carb heavy, protein and some fat at all meats), I felt basically the same.
Ultimately I couldn't figure out why paleo would be helpful for me, since the things I would have to cut out--like dairy and oats and beans and in-season corn and, yes, the occasional pasta meal or sandwich--were foods that I didn't tend to overeat on and which I found either actively positive additions to my diet or conveniences (being able to buy a perfectly good for me sandwich or lentil soup at a couple of lunchtime sandwich places). Thus, cutting them out wasn't something that worked for me. I decided instead to keep the things that I thought made sense about paleo (that I was basically doing anyway, for other reasons, like trying to source my meat well, eating more parts of the animal and more game, etc., and of course lots of veggies, although that's hardly something that is unique to paleo), and go ahead and eat the foods that paleo barred that seemed to affect me well and help me reach my goals.
However, if someone wants to experiment with it, I see no harm at all. I just don't think it's a healthier diet than non-paleo diets and really couldn't personally come up with any reason to stick with it.0 -
neanderthin wrote: »
Wutainarsraciks wrote: »
That all above of course if you gonna be on low carb diet, which is by far the most popular way how to do Paleo. All tho you could be just eating tons of fruit and lots of carbs, and technically still be on Paleo. But in that case it's same as being on a normal generic diet when it comes to weight and fat loss, and energy, so there isn't really a point.
i second the what..0
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