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.

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