Paleo based diet?

Reinventi0n

I have successfully maintained an 80 pound weight loss for over a year mainly through calorie control on MFP. However, I am becoming increasingly aware that the overall quality of my diet could really be improved. I tend to rely on prepared and processed foods that carb heavy. My goal is to really start leaning out and increasing my lean muscle mass through exercise/weight training. In order to achieve this, I am realizing that I need to really start focusing on the quality of food I am consuming and the Paleo diet has been intriguing me for some time now.

I am interested in integrating the principles of Paleo based eating into my diet. For those with experience with the Paleo diet, can you offer me any suggestions or tips to get started? Any books/resources you can recommend?

Thank you so much!

kommodevaran

I haven't done Paleo (as I find the whole idea stupid and unnecessary), but I do base my diet on whole, real, single food ingredients. ("Processed" food is also stupid, because I always process the food before I eat it ) Don't focus on one single nutrient. The overall quality of your diet is what counts. If you pay attention to how your food affects you, and you eat a little bit of everything, aim to get in some fruit and vegetables every day, and cook a few of your dinners from scratch every week, you are already eating healthily.

Asher_Ethan

I've done paleo in the past and I found that it's not reasonable to sustain that lifestyle. As a working mom, it's extremely time consuming to cook every single meal. When going out with friends, it's almost impossible to find something paleontologist to eat at restaurants. Not to mention, it's extremely expensive.
If you want to lean out and preserve muscle mass, all you really need is a calorie deficit and to lift weights.

amusedmonkey

You could use a rule book like Paleo to improve the quality of your diet, but you could also do it yourself without having to eliminate good things like oatmeal and beans. A good start would be, and you might find this silly, cookbooks! Most home-cooked recipes are generally nutrient-rich. A nice roasted chicken, meticulously done steak, vegetable sides, salads, soups, all kinds of interesting omelettes for breakfast, even home-cooked bread and dessert have a place on a healthy table.

I'm following a thread on MFP that has authentic Indian recipes. I think exploring other cuisines may be worth it, because most cookbooks that try to represent a certain cuisine tend to have lots of traditional staples, which tend to be quite nutritious, not fat phobic (or carb phobic for that matter), and include just a little bit of everything.

After I'm done with my Indian kick, I'm going to be trying out other cuisines.

Other resources on my to-do list:
http://worldrecipes.expo2015.org/en/

You don't even have to do any of this. Just replace a few of your less nutritious meals with more nutritious ones and you are good to go.

jordyngiulio

Most paleo advocates will tell you its an 80/20 balance. 100% paleo, 80% of the time and the other 20% is wiggle room. I find that I feel better and am more satiated if I don't eat refined carbs, but I love feta and legumes. While cooking more often can be daunting at first, I found that I quite like it and it feels weird when I don't cook.

I try to always keep 'paleo-friendly' snacks around the house that are easy to grab and lessen the temptation to make mac n' cheese lol. I roast up a fresh turkey breast in the oven on Sunday and have it available all week. Other little changes include having raw nuts on hand, hard boiled eggs, fresh or dried fruit and veggies and plenty of salad fixings.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ is a great resource, as well as http://robbwolf.com/category/paleo-diet-basics/

There are also a ton of great blogs with recipes and advice. My favorites are paleomg, civilized caveman, against all grain and nom nom paleo.

janejellyroll

nosajjao wrote: »

It's not the prehistoric era anymore, I don't think we should be trying to replicate an ancient "diet". Just eat normal clean foods. Avoid processed foods.

There's no reason to avoid processed foods. Some of them may be worth avoiding for particular tastes or goals, but there are lots of convenient and nutritious processed foods that can easily fit in a healthy diet. Foods should be judged by their individual characteristics, not by the rather meaningless designation of "processed."

lemurcat12

I did paleo for a while and it fit well enough with how I liked to eat (I am not that into grains, don't eat as many legumes as I should, and rarely drink milk although cutting out other dairy did make me sad). But I was coming from a perspective of already cooking most meals from whole ingredients. I ended up ditching paleo since I'd mainly been curious whether I would feel better eating that way (cutting out those foods, especially grains) and I didn't, and for the same reasons they were easy for me to cut out (if a bit inconvenient if I went out to eat), they were also easy to eat in moderation, so cutting them out made no sense. Also, when I thought about it, I decided that legumes and whole grains and dairy (especially plain greek yogurt and cottage cheese, which are good sources of protein) were positive additions to my diet, not negative ones.

That said, things I like about paleo and do anyway (although I did before paleo and don't consider them paleo-specific):

(1) Focus on getting in a source of protein and lots of veg at each meal.

(2) Focus on cooking from whole foods

(3) Focus on the sourcing of the animals eaten

(4) Focus on eating the whole animal (I'm not as good with this as I should be, but I do try to incorporate organ meats and make stock at home.)

As far as getting started if you are interested in trying paleo and focused on muscle-building, a site I like is http://stupideasypaleo.com/recipe-index/

Reasons: easy and usually tasty recipes and ideas, the author is focused on strength training, and she's flexible about what paleo means. Another recipe source is: http://nomnompaleo.com/

You might want to just think about ways to phase in cooking more from whole foods, as noted above, however. But these could help give you some ideas too.

janejellyroll

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I did paleo for a while and it fit well enough with how I liked to eat (I am not that into grains, don't eat as many legumes as I should, and rarely drink milk although cutting out other dairy did make me sad). But I was coming from a perspective of already cooking most meals from whole ingredients. I ended up ditching paleo since I'd mainly been curious whether I would feel better eating that way (cutting out those foods, especially grains) and I didn't, and for the same reasons they were easy for me to cut out (if a bit inconvenient if I went out to eat), they were also easy to eat in moderation, so cutting them out made no sense. Also, when I thought about it, I decided that legumes and whole grains and dairy (especially plain greek yogurt and cottage cheese, which are good sources of protein) were positive additions to my diet, not negative ones.

That said, things I like about paleo and do anyway (although I did before paleo and don't consider them paleo-specific):

(1) Focus on getting in a source of protein and lots of veg at each meal.

(2) Focus on cooking from whole foods

(3) Focus on the sourcing of the animals eaten

(4) Focus on eating the whole animal (I'm not as good with this as I should be, but I do try to incorporate organ meats and make stock at home.)

As far as getting started if you are interested in trying paleo and focused on muscle-building, a site I like is http://stupideasypaleo.com/recipe-index/

Reasons: easy and usually tasty recipes and ideas, the author is focused on strength training, and she's flexible about what paleo means. Another recipe source is: http://nomnompaleo.com/

You might want to just think about ways to phase in cooking more from whole foods, as noted above, however. But these could help give you some ideas too.

The thing I have noticed about Paleo -- at least in my social circle -- is that it has made people much more adventerous eaters. Even when people don't stick with it, they often come out of it enjoying new foods and cooking techniques. I'm not sure if that applies to everyone or just the people I know who have done it.

lemurcat12

nosajjao wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

There's no reason to avoid processed foods. Some of them may be worth avoiding for particular tastes or goals, but there are lots of convenient and nutritious processed foods that can easily fit in a healthy diet. Foods should be judged by their individual characteristics, not by the rather meaningless designation of "processed."

Whoa, so wrong. There are many reasons to avoid processed foods. If you can leave a Taco Bell meal out in a room for 2 years and it still looks the same as the day it was made, you shouldn't eat it. Why put "food" in your body if it has so much preservative chemicals in it that it won't even rot for several years? What are you trying to rationalize here? If eating over-cooked beef is known by scientists to cause cancer, what do you think eating processed foods like fast food will do?

Like jane said, the term "processed" doesn't mean much. It's not just fast food (although much as I dislike Taco Bell I seriously doubt that claim). It's also plain greek yogurt, canned tomatoes, dried pasta, smoked salmon, the best local cheeses, a very healthy pre-made paleo meal from https://www.kitchfix.com/ (yes, paleo can be a money-maker for some!).

janejellyroll

nosajjao wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

There's no reason to avoid processed foods. Some of them may be worth avoiding for particular tastes or goals, but there are lots of convenient and nutritious processed foods that can easily fit in a healthy diet. Foods should be judged by their individual characteristics, not by the rather meaningless designation of "processed."

Whoa, so wrong. There are many reasons to avoid processed foods. If you can leave a Taco Bell meal out in a room for 2 years and it still looks the same as the day it was made, you shouldn't eat it. Why put "food" in your body if it has so much preservative chemicals in it that it won't even rot for several years? What are you trying to rationalize here? If eating over-cooked beef is known by scientists to cause cancer, what do you think eating processed foods like fast food will do?

Taco Bell (assuming that their foods don't degrade over time, which I find doubtful) isn't the whole sum of processed foods though. Today I will include the following processed foods in my diet -- tomato paste, nutritional yeast, canned chickpeas, olive oil, tofu, dark chocolate, and coffee. These foods all fit my calorie/nutritional plan for the day and I don't see how they put me at risk for cancer (in fact, a couple of them have been linked to helping prevent cancer).

Foods should be judged on their own merit, not by whether or not they have undergone processing. I can easily pick up a can of tomato paste, a bag of coffee beans, or a block of tofu and look at the information on the label and determine for myself whether or not it should be part of my diet. I don't need to reject it just because it is processed.

kshama2001

nosajjao wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

There's no reason to avoid processed foods. Some of them may be worth avoiding for particular tastes or goals, but there are lots of convenient and nutritious processed foods that can easily fit in a healthy diet. Foods should be judged by their individual characteristics, not by the rather meaningless designation of "processed."

Whoa, so wrong. There are many reasons to avoid processed foods. If you can leave a Taco Bell meal out in a room for 2 years and it still looks the same as the day it was made, you shouldn't eat it. Why put "food" in your body if it has so much preservative chemicals in it that it won't even rot for several years? What are you trying to rationalize here? If eating over-cooked beef is known by scientists to cause cancer, what do you think eating processed foods like fast food will do?

Here on the MFP forums many people use a different meaning of "processed" than what is commonly understood elsewhere. Technically, when I freeze a strawberry after harvesting it from my garden, I have processed it, although my doctor would never consider this strawberry a processed food. So when I want to discuss processed foods here on MFP, I say Ultra Processed foods and refer to the Brazilian definition: http://189.28.128.100/dab/docs/portaldab/publicacoes/guia_alimentar_populacao_ingles.pdf

cwolfman13

Reinventi0n wrote: »

I have successfully maintained an 80 pound weight loss for over a year mainly through calorie control on MFP. However, I am becoming increasingly aware that the overall quality of my diet could really be improved. I tend to rely on prepared and processed foods that carb heavy. My goal is to really start leaning out and increasing my lean muscle mass through exercise/weight training. In order to achieve this, I am realizing that I need to really start focusing on the quality of food I am consuming and the Paleo diet has been intriguing me for some time now.

I am interested in integrating the principles of Paleo based eating into my diet. For those with experience with the Paleo diet, can you offer me any suggestions or tips to get started? Any books/resources you can recommend?

Thank you so much!

It's not really necessary....just eat more whole foods...more veggies, more whole grains, more lean protein, more healthy fats, etc. It doesn't have to have some cool faddy label.

Paleo is kind of ridiculous in that they emphasize whole foods and then turn around and demonize certain whole foods...like there's nothing wrong with legumes...they're actually pretty good for you. If you look at the nutrient profile of a potato vs a sweet potato you will notice very little difference...yet if you're paleo, potato = "bad". If you don't have wheat or gluten allergies, there's nothing wrong with eating wheat or gluten...etc, etc, etc...for these reason, I think paleo is one of the stupidest diets on the planet. Any diet that demonizes perfectly nutritious whole foods is friggin' stupid.

mccraee

I do Paleo from time to time to kind of kick myself back into good eating when I've wandered farther from the mark. But, for me it is really just a kind of rigid rules which force me to eat more veggies and more unprocessed food and less carbs.

But, my normal diet is centered around lean protein & veggies at most meals. I do eat no-fat dairy (and full fat dairy from time to time). I stay away from added sugar. I do eat beans & lentils. I enjoy a potato from time to time. Ditto with white ice but usually only with sushi several times a year.

I stay away from gratuitous carbs. I.E. bread, pasta, pizza, etc. If I want a banana, no problem. If I went to your house and you served spaghetti I would eat it and enjoy it. I'm not so rigid (or I don't eat out that often). This is kind of second nature to me now but over the holidays I slip back every year and do that Paleo reset. It works for me.

cwolfman13

nosajjao wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

There's no reason to avoid processed foods. Some of them may be worth avoiding for particular tastes or goals, but there are lots of convenient and nutritious processed foods that can easily fit in a healthy diet. Foods should be judged by their individual characteristics, not by the rather meaningless designation of "processed."

Whoa, so wrong. There are many reasons to avoid processed foods. If you can leave a Taco Bell meal out in a room for 2 years and it still looks the same as the day it was made, you shouldn't eat it. Why put "food" in your body if it has so much preservative chemicals in it that it won't even rot for several years? What are you trying to rationalize here? If eating over-cooked beef is known by scientists to cause cancer, what do you think eating processed foods like fast food will do?

canned tomatoes are processed. canned beans are processed. oils are processed. nutritious whole grain breads are processed. rolled oats are processed. greek yogurt is processed. all dairy is processed. the delicious red sauce that Mrs. Tully down the road makes and cans for re-sale is processed.

lemurcat12

nosajjao wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

(although much as I dislike Taco Bell I seriously doubt that claim). It's also plain greek yogurt, canned tomatoes, dried pasta, smoked salmon, the best local cheeses, a very healthy pre-made paleo meal from https://www.kitchfix.com/ (yes, paleo can be a money-maker for some!).

Some scientists did a simple study, leaving a Taco Bell meal out for 2 years, it never looked any different, but doubt away. I think you know what is meant by "processed foods". Also, nice spam there.

I know what processed foods are, and they include the things I mentioned. Since I'm not promoting kitchfix (I included a dig, even), calling it a spam is inaccurate and clearly not sincere.

lemurcat12

kshama2001 wrote: »

nosajjao wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

There's no reason to avoid processed foods. Some of them may be worth avoiding for particular tastes or goals, but there are lots of convenient and nutritious processed foods that can easily fit in a healthy diet. Foods should be judged by their individual characteristics, not by the rather meaningless designation of "processed."

Whoa, so wrong. There are many reasons to avoid processed foods. If you can leave a Taco Bell meal out in a room for 2 years and it still looks the same as the day it was made, you shouldn't eat it. Why put "food" in your body if it has so much preservative chemicals in it that it won't even rot for several years? What are you trying to rationalize here? If eating over-cooked beef is known by scientists to cause cancer, what do you think eating processed foods like fast food will do?

Here on the MFP forums many people use a different meaning of "processed" than what is commonly understood elsewhere. Technically, when I freeze a strawberry after harvesting it from my garden, I have processed it, although my doctor would never consider this strawberry a processed food. So when I want to discuss processed foods here on MFP, I say Ultra Processed foods and refer to the Brazilian definition: http://189.28.128.100/dab/docs/portaldab/publicacoes/guia_alimentar_populacao_ingles.pdf

Yes, those who are confused enough to think "processed" is limited to fast food or "junk" food are indeed using a different definition of processed food than the general public, and intentionally making discussions difficult to follow. When I was obsessed with eating "all natural" (which I now think was dumb) I tried to cut out all packaged stuff, including lots of quite healthful conveniences, like the ones I listed above. So no, I have no idea if someone is using a weird personal definition, and as jane pointed out the nutritional content of such foods is vastly different.

Even if we are talking about restaurant foods, there's a difference between a BigMac and fries vs. something like the salad I will likely get today for lunch from a local chain (described as follows: Roasted organic tofu, kale, toasted hemp seed blend, chickpeas, and house-made Creamy Chia dressing over our Super 6 Salad Mix [romaine, spinach, broccoli, carrots, kale, and purple cabbage]). Both processed, maybe even both "ultra processed" if being premade makes something such), but not nutritionally similar (both can fit into a healthy diet if you make an effort to do so, although fitting in the McD's is not an interest of mine).

psuLemon

I did paleo for 9 months and spun my wheels in terms of weight loss. While I like that it focuses on whole foods, it also eliminates very nutritious foods for no good reason. Personally, i wouldn't bother going Paleo, but rather incorporating some of the practices. I, for one, can't give up whole grains.