Considering Paleo

niklong

I'm considering Paleo. I'd like to hear what made you decide to eat Paleo, what obstacles did you have to overcome, how did you do it and what benefits have you experienced? Thanks!

Kimberly_Harper

My doctor, who is also married to an endocrinologist, put me on Paleo to lose weight. I got rid of everything in my house that wasn't Paleo friendly and it was easy peasy after that. I did a lot of reading on the subject, and I guess my main obstacles at first were eating out and avoiding alcohol. You get used to both, though, once you get the gist of it. Oh I've lost 45-ish pounds too. Since last September.

Akimajuktuq

Check out the shared experiences in "Success Stories". I had great results on lchf Paleo for the first year and a half, and then due to under-eating (even though eating slightly more than MFP recommendations) progress stalled and I even started to gain fat again and feel crappy. I'm extremely sensitive to carbs and really don't do well eating any plant foods at all. So, I still consider myself "Paleo" but I restrict even more foods than most people here.

ellemarie231

I've only been experimenting with Paleo for a couple weeks and while I haven't fully committed to eating a "true" (whatever that may mean to you as there are many shades/branches of Paleo) Paleo diet, what the Paleo lifestyle has taught me thus far is to be more creative with food.

I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian with vegan and rawist tendencies for many years so the bulk of my meals were raw in a nature, so after a period of time I began to grow bored and eventually fell out-of-love with food; I was like "yay, another broccoli bowl or kale smoothie for me..." (not that there is anything wrong/bad about either of those veggies, mind you), whereas now I eat oven roasted broccoli patties, cauliflower "rice", spaghetti squash and zucchini "pasta" dishes, etc.

So even if you don't adopt a "fully" Paleo lifestyle, the process does open the door for many healthy/healthier lifestyle options.

niklong

I think I will struggle mainly with grains and dairy. But also I HATE cooking...but easy food has got me in trouble weight-wise and health. Also, my husband will not be on board and that makes it hard too.

KombuchaCat

There are many shades of Paleo as one previous poster eluded to. I do not follow a strict Paleo diet as I include raw and cultured dairy, white potatoes and white rice. Personally I think that the 2 most important things (other than just eliminating general carbage and junk) about Paleo are eliminating wheat and other gluten containing grains and rancid vegetable oils (canola, safflower, etc). The latter is very hard to avoid if you do not cook because most processed prepackaged food has vegetable oils because they are cheap, NOT because they are healthy. Just doing those 2 things alone will make you feel SO much better! I've struggled with coffee. I love coffee and it's OK on Paleo but I have come to grips with the fact that I'm prone to adrenal fatigue and coffee is a no go for me, even decaf. Also coming to terms with the damage, that's right DAMAGE, I did to myself in my many years as a vegan. Finally it can be difficult to figure out what level of carbs is right for you. This can be dependant on your genetic background, activity level, your current health issues and whether you are male or female amoung other factors. This goes back to the many shades of Paleo since some people do fab on zero carb and some people feel best with much more carb. In the end you have to be able to stick with the changes and still enjoy your life. It is worth it in the end, though.

Akimajuktuq

My shade of Paleo is completely different again. lol There's no one right way for all people.

For those who hate cooking and like simplicity, eating only animal foods is no muss, no fuss WOE. I can't even wrap my mind around all the money I've wasted on gadgets and bizarre ingredients. Paleo can be as complicated or as simple as one chooses.

homesweeths

I've been doing mostly auto-immune paleo for the past three years. For me, the benefits have included better sleep, more energy, better concentration and memory, mostly resolved crippling joint pain, and an accidental weight loss of nearly 40 lbs.

JayNo64

About 10 years ago, I read NeanderThin by Ray Audette. It was the first diet that made sense to me, so I gave it a shot. Within a couple months, I felt so much better. My patellar tendinitis is a thing of the past, and my arthritis only flares up now when I fall off the Paleo wagon. I'm trying to get myself back now to 100% Paleo eating because I know I will feel so much better and lose some of the weight I've put on by NOT eating Paleo.

keemra

I have been doing Paleo for 8 weeks today. I have been gluten free for over 30 years, but now have gone totally grain free and dairy free as well. Lots of good things are happening. My joint pain is gone, my hair has stopped falling out, my nails are stronger and growing faster, and in 8 weeks I have lost 10 pounds. My mood swings are gone too. I don't experience the bouts of dark depression I am so prone too.

My husband is a carb addict and seems to thrive on copious amounts of rice and noodles every day. I cook the foods that he likes and he respects that I am not eating what he eats. He is delighted that I am feeling better, so is becoming more supportive all the time, even though his eating style is totally different. The best part is that I have lots of energy, I'm not hungry all the time, and I don't crave carbs. I can watch him eat ice cream and not want it. Now that is a downright miracle!!