Paleo diet, great or another fad?

StardustZiggy

I've just heard about the Paleo and was curious if it is any good or just another fad? Why should I choose this diet instead of the many others out there?

JenMc14

Just remember, now matter what "diet" you choose, you still have to count calories. Paleo is interesting to me, in theory, but I can't get behind cutting out huge groups of food with no medical reasons. Some people need to have grains and dairy cut, but many don'. I'm also not sure the science behind Paleo (that it's how our ancestors ate) is entirely accurate. The biggest thing is to find a way of eating that you like and that you can stick with. Sure, you might switch to Paleo and lose weight from restricting, but are the things you're restricting easy for you to give up? If the answer is yes, go for it. If the answer is no, you are less likely to stick with it and that can lead to bingeing and regaining any weight lost.

WendyTerry420

It is a subset of the the low-carb thing. If you have no food allergies or intolerances, and you enjoy dairy products, peanuts/legumes, grains, then it's not for you. Moderation is better for your mental health.

TheVimFuego

Yeh, Pretty much agree with replies so far.

Look, I was was deep into the whole Paleo thing for a while (And I have a Wheat Is Murder t-shirt) but unless you have a diagnosed issue then just eat (and drink!) it all in moderation.

Pinkranger626

I vote fad. Anything that restricts whole groups of foods, has lists of foods "not allowed" etc. in my opinion is not something that is realistic to do for a lifetime. If it's not something that I can uphold for the rest of my life then I would consider it a diet. I looked into the Paleo diet as well as Adtkins and many other diets that are really popular because I had a lot of clients asking about them. Personally, I'd rather be realistic in my food choices, it leads to a much healthier mindset on food.

professorhuggins

from what i understand from my paleo friends, the biggest thing is to do it all the way; make sure all of your meat and produce are local and sustainably raised...otherwise, you are really just on a version of the atkins diet.

personally, i would try a vegan diet based on whole foods. just watch the weight fall off! i've lost 120lbs in the last year, and feel better about my food choices and my environmental footprint, too.

etoiles_argentees

I hear the new one is the Kaleo diet.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1002168-go-kaleo-taking-up-space?hl=kaleo#posts-15911958

WendyTerry420

I hear the new one is the Kaleo diet.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1002168-go-kaleo-taking-up-space?hl=kaleo#posts-15911958

That is not a diet. It is a blog by a woman who successfully lost weight and became a hottie through moderation. She often exposes myths and fad diets. The Kaleo reference is a sarcastic comment on her hatred of restrictive diets, such as paleo. She is an awesome lady who would not appreciate anyone claiming that she promotes "dieting."

WendyTerry420

Yeh, Pretty much agree with replies so far.

Look, I was was deep into the whole Paleo thing for a while (And I have a Wheat Is Murder t-shirt) but unless you have a diagnosed issue then just eat (and drink!) it all in moderation.

"Wheat is Murder" Love it! :laugh: :drinker:

Haima

My husband went on the Paleo Diet, and he lost lots of weight. However, I tried it and it didn't work for me. I couldn't give up the foods I enjoy. It was too restricting for me. I think it just depends on the individual. I am trying to eat more fruits and veggies, and try to portion control the other foods (breads, pastas, etc.) Good Luck!

myofibril

I hear the new one is the Kaleo diet.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1002168-go-kaleo-taking-up-space?hl=kaleo#posts-15911958

That is not a diet. It is a blog by a woman who successfully lost weight and became a hottie through moderation. She often exposes myths and fad diets. The Kaleo reference is a sarcastic comment on her hatred of restrictive diets, such as paleo. She is an awesome lady who would not appreciate anyone claiming that she promotes "dieting."

I think you might be misrepresenting her position somewhat (unless it has changed so feel free to correct me):

Don’t get me wrong, I still think paleo has it right. Health comes from eating quality whole foods, that are sourced locally and sustainably. But the high meat thing didn’t work for me. My diet is still high quality, local and sustainable. The vast bulk of my diet is locally and sustainably grown vegetables, leafy greens and fruit. I fill it out with organic sprouted legumes (they work for me), nuts and seeds, and an organic sprouted seed based protein powder to meet my protein needs when my diet falls short. Other than the legumes, there’s nothing there that isn’t paleo. And it’s plant based! And I feel GREAT on it. I perform well on it. I look pretty good too.

Moral of the story: paleo’s right about eating quality food, eating locally, eating seasonally, avoiding fake foods made from industrially grown plants and animals. Some people can do quite well on minimal animal foods (nothing against animal foods, eat ‘em if that’s what floats your boat, but good health is possible without them).

link: http://gokaleo.com/2012/01/06/what-happened-when-i-went-strict-paleo/

She seems quite sensible to me.

lacroyx

I'm a fan of everything in moderation. My coworker SWEARS by it. She was good for 2 months. Consistent and dedicated. Lost 15 lbs. Then she started falling off the bandwagon. She likes sweets, cookies, doughnuts too much to stick with it and gained all the 15 lbs she had lost and plus some more. I occasionally ask her how her paleo diet is going and she just glares at me. :bigsmile: I have tried to get her on MFP, shown her it works for me. She's seen me at my heaviest, and she doesn't want to. Oh well, to each their own.

CajunTexan33

I started a version of Paleo after testing revelaed I am gluten and dairy intolerant...it has been amazing for me so far- no more sugar cravings, migraines of extreme mental exhaustion, brain fog and fatigue. The fad diet part of it is annoying- I stick mostly to fish, turkey, veggies, fruit, almond milk, sweet potatoes if I need a carb boost, beans, nuts and protein powders and it has changed my life. This is the only "diet" I don;t worry about cheating on because the physical difference it has made for me far outweighs anything I have evr done to "lose weight". Works wonders for me personally!

contingencyplan

The _idea_ behind the paleo diet is good. Eating unprocessed foods that came directly from nature to you. But it's earned a bad reputation because a lot of people who find the diet too restrictive try to find ways around it, such as eating heavily processed foods that are "paleo compliant" because most of the ingredients used fall in line with the paleo lifestyle. This has made it into something of a parody of itself that is very difficult to take seriously. Things like "paleo-compliant" protein powders and such.

Also, you'll find that a lot of people who follow the IIFYM lifestyle tend to poke fun at paleo and clean eating or badmouth it just because they personally find it too restrictive. If you find it too restrictive, fine, it's not for you. But that doesn't mean it sucks. Plenty of people are perfectly fine living that way.

bcattoes

I don't necessarily think it's a "fad" but it is very restrictive so I would suggest thinking hard on whether it's a diet you feel you can stick to long term. If you can't do it long term, then it's best not to do it short term solely for weight loss. This will likely lead to regaining the weight once stop the diet.

Basically it forces a low carb diet by eliminating two of the main carb sources in most diets - grains and legumes.

Is it healthy? Probably, though there are no long term studies of it to prove it. Is it sustainable? Only you can answer that, as that would vary by individual. Is it necessary? No.

Dionire

What is MFP?

bcattoes

What is MFP?

MyFitnessPal

mostlypaleo

Using paleo as a baseline works for me. I consume lots of lean meats, vegetables, and some fruits, and I avoid wheat, grains, refined sugar, legumes, etc. I'm not super strict though, and I sometimes stray from the diet a little bit (by using vinegar, natural sweeteners, other small additives) and I find that that works well for me. Reducing my carbs = reducing calories. You also get to eat a whole lot more because veggies and lean meats are very low-calorie. I like feeling full for most of my day.

tekwriter

Paleo is not so much of a diet as it is a lifestyle. It is a total change from the standard american diet. It can be hard to maintain I feel on budget because you lose so much of the starcy fillers to a meal. If you can manage to give up legumes, dairy and grains you will do well. There is a group on MFP that you can learn all about paleo from those that practice the lifestyle. You might want to read through those posts.

BeachIron

It's a very typical fad diet that labels certain foods as "bad" based on some fictional diet that was supposedly observed by paleolithic man. It completely ignores the thousands of years of evolution since that time, and it also makes the laughable assumption that all paleolithic people ate the same diet. No one with any level of education takes the scientific claims seriously and when you push, the proponents usually break down into a "well it's better than hamburgers and french fries" straw man argument.

Eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, dairy, fish, and meat, balance your macronutrient intake, and exercise (both cardio and strength training) and you will do just fine.

TyTy76

You shouldn't choose a diet.

It needs to be a lifestyle change or you will never stick with it.

Eat Less
Move more

msarro

Warning: Geekery ahead

Paleo makes some sense to me from an anthropological perspective, I just don't like the bleed over into "raw" foods. Fact is, most of our ancient human archeological sites include things like campfires and butchering areas - our ancient ancestors did cook their food. Not near as much as we do now, but they certainly did cook.

Wheat suggests agriculture and permanent settlements because it takes so much wheat to make much of anything, so it may not be the most primal food source for us. But that doesn't mean it's necessarily bad, though it can be. I mean ultra-enriched bleached white flour which has all chaff, bran, germ and a significant amount of gluten removed is just a lot of empty calories. Your body really does consider that the same as candy when it comes time to metabolize it. Compare that white stuff to a true fresh ground whole wheat flour which has all of that stuff still in it, and you're in a completely different nutritional ballgame with protein, fiber, more complex carbohydrates, etc.

I always liked this quote: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

shannashannabobana

I've just heard about the Paleo and was curious if it is any good or just another fad? Why should I choose this diet instead of the many others out there?

1. it is not a 'diet' it's a set of guidelines for eating in general, or a lifestyle change. If you're not willing to eat that way for the most part (80/20 and all that) then you shouldn't try it. I go primal (mostly) because I have no interest in giving up cheese.

But at it's core, it's based on natural whole foods (meat, vegetables, fruits, etc) and their health aspects. I find it hard to consider that faddish.

I just don't like the bleed over into "raw" foods.

I haven't actually seen too much raw food bleedover (it's more like, cook it in butter!). I'm curious what site's you are reading.

pfgaytriot

It might be a fad, just like being a vegetarian or vegan is considered by some, but I enjoy being paleo because it makes me feel good.

My experience with it? I know that after being paleo for a while and going through testing to be a kidney donor that I was one of the healthiest kidney donor candidates they've ever seen. I've also had an amazingly easy post-op recovery, which I've learned is apparently kind of rare. I'm sure that the fact that I exercised regularly prior to surgery attributed to that, though. Upon being released from the hospital the nutritionist asked me about my diet and when I told her I was paleo she laughed and said, "you have no dietary restrictions in that case." Though I do not have kidney disease, I have to live a life as though I do to protect my remaining kidney; which means that if I ate differently I would have some dietary restrictions. But, it is recommended that those suffering from kidney failure to reduce their protein intake because the kidneys may not be able to process urea normally, they didn't seem to be concerned about this for me. I do try to make sure I don't go overboard with it, though.

A couple of people have mentioned that you still have to count calories. For some that may be true, but not for me. I've eaten anywhere between 1,800 - 2,300 calories a day since starting the diet and continued to lose weight with exercise.

Anyway, these are just my experiences. Research it and do it if you feel it's right for you. I started with Whole30 and liked it so well that I decided to continue with the paleo lifestyle.

SoDamnHungry

Is it sustainable? Do you like it? Do you feel good on it? If so, then it could be the lifestyle for you. It isn't bad for you (and is honestly pretty good because you're still able to eat all of the foods your body needs so if you're careful you'll get all of your nutrients), but is not a very sustainable lifestyle for some.

TKRV

I did a 'Paleo Challenge" for 60 days with my gym. The nutritionist who spoke about it said it was based around eating the food with the greatest nutritional value and leaving out food with little value. The only reason it's nicknamed the 'caveman diet' is because you're mostly eating meat, fruits and veggies... or things that are found in the wild. It has nothing to do with actually aspiring to eat like cavemen ate.

If you look into it, you will find reasoning behind the food they exclude. Mostly, they exclude food that can cause insulin spikes, promote inflammation, or have high calories and low nutritional value. I really enjoyed the 60 day challenge because it forced me to lean how to cook and eat healthier. Though I am not on it, I learned a lot and incorporate what I learned into my daily eating habits.

In my opinion, Paleo is fantastic just for what it can teach you about food. For me, personally, I wouldn't commit it to my lifestyle.

cw822

I disagree with it being a "fad", but do think that different things work for different people. I chose Paleo because it means getting rid of processed foods, GMO grains and soy are not good for you whether you are gluten intolerant or not. Paleo focuses on eating locally and/or organically meats, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats.

My blood pressure has gone down substantially since I moved to Paleo and my asthma has all but disappeared. For me, those side benefits far outweigh the "need" to have bread and the like.

gem5639

Paleo is the best thing I have ever done... and I honestly believe I will do this for the rest of my life!

WendyTerry420

I hear the new one is the Kaleo diet.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1002168-go-kaleo-taking-up-space?hl=kaleo#posts-15911958

That is not a diet. It is a blog by a woman who successfully lost weight and became a hottie through moderation. She often exposes myths and fad diets. The Kaleo reference is a sarcastic comment on her hatred of restrictive diets, such as paleo. She is an awesome lady who would not appreciate anyone claiming that she promotes "dieting."

I think you might be misrepresenting her position somewhat (unless it has changed so feel free to correct me):

Don’t get me wrong, I still think paleo has it right. Health comes from eating quality whole foods, that are sourced locally and sustainably. But the high meat thing didn’t work for me. My diet is still high quality, local and sustainable. The vast bulk of my diet is locally and sustainably grown vegetables, leafy greens and fruit. I fill it out with organic sprouted legumes (they work for me), nuts and seeds, and an organic sprouted seed based protein powder to meet my protein needs when my diet falls short. Other than the legumes, there’s nothing there that isn’t paleo. And it’s plant based! And I feel GREAT on it. I perform well on it. I look pretty good too.

Moral of the story: paleo’s right about eating quality food, eating locally, eating seasonally, avoiding fake foods made from industrially grown plants and animals. Some people can do quite well on minimal animal foods (nothing against animal foods, eat ‘em if that’s what floats your boat, but good health is possible without them).

link: http://gokaleo.com/2012/01/06/what-happened-when-i-went-strict-paleo/

She seems quite sensible to me.

Yes, she is *very* sensible. She advocates carbs for energy to exercise appropriately. Whole foods as much as possible, etc. I read her blog daily, and love her Facebook page. Her blog's subheading is "Are you as tired of fad diet as I am?"

This is one of my favorites: http://gokaleo.com/2013/03/19/moderation-is-evidence-based/

ETA: To clear up confusion about the name Kaleo:
http://gokaleo.com/about-me/what-is-kaleo-2/

Kale + Paleo = Kaleo. It’s a joke, yo! A word I made up because people always seem to want to label my way of eating, to put me ‘in a box’. I kinda liked it though, and it took on a life of it’s own. It grew into something more than a play on words, an anti-dogma if you will. Kaleo resists the philosophical dogma that there is only ONE right way to eat.

Everyone’s ‘ideal’ diet is very individual and unique to themselves.

The name "Kaleo" is a joke. So if you took that as me representing her, I apologize. She is spot-on in every blog I've read.

VorJoshigan

Why can't it be both? I don't do diets, but if I was going to do one, it would be Paleo. If there is one thing that is positive about Paleo, it's that it's a good response to the low-fat dogma that is still stubbornly refusing to die. I'm not saying high-fat is good for everybody, but it's not the evil that was portrayed by the government and media for 30+ years.

MxcnMrcnZrr

I'm about to rail on Paleo so I should say something positive about it first. The whole paleo avoid processed foods and chemicals you can't pronounce thing is WONDERFUL, ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
However, I have several problems with paleo.
First it's kind of like a religion. It's the only right way to eat. Everyone else is doing it incorrectly. There is special knowledge like a religion. No one else knows this. They are all deceived, because whole grains are EVIL. I'm thinking, "Whole grains are evil???" What the heck? So all these studies are just bunk?
It just smacks of pseudoscience. "Reprogram your body to burn fats instead of carbohydrates"????? Where are the studies for this? Robb Wolf has a refutation on his site. Says there are studies. http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/science-research/
U.S. News said they looked at the studies Robb cites. Quote "U.S. News reviewed the five cited studies and referenced four of them in this profile. The studies were small and short, making strong conclusions difficult. The “one tiny study” related only to weight loss, not to the Paleo diet broadly." http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/paleo-diet
They are reinventing the wheel. Lots of studies have shown that eating LOTS of meat can be harmful. I will never give up red meat. PLEASE don't get me wrong. I just bought a 1/4 of beef. I use a little lard in my refried beans. Shoot, I just made bbq'd pork ribs on Saturday, but to just eat all that all the time as much of it as you want with no repercussions? If it sounds to good to be true, than it probably is.
Oatmeal is bad for you??????? Sorry you lost me at Oatmeal is bad for you, and you are going to reprogram your body to blah, blah, blah. Oatmeal is bad for you?? That's absurd.
One other thing that really turns me off is that their body just FLIPS out when they eat like a couple of cookies or whatever. I mean they gain a couple of pounds and their stomachs are all upset and they feel just horrendous. Sorry, but your diet is messed up if you can't handle drinking one beer. Something just has to be wrong. Doesn't that mean your body is weak?