success with a paleo diet?

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FITmrsroe
FITmrsroe Posts: 28 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi friends. I've been doing a lot of research on the paleo diet, and I'm considering it for a LIFETIME change, not just fast weight loss. I'm wondering if anyone else out there has any experience, reccomendations, advice, or success stories?

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  • walleymama
    walleymama Posts: 174 Member
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    I did the paleo diet last year.

    Pros: I ate whatever I wanted, so long as I cut out the carbs. I actually ate far more calories than I normally would, because I used whole fats, cooked in butter and coconut oil, ate lots of nuts, etc. I was never hungry. I wasn't even exercising regularly. I lost 20 lbs in about 3 months, weight loss was a steady 2 lbs per week unless I cheated. It felt effortless.

    Cons: depending on what you are used to eating, it can be a really huge change. I do not really like savoury foods much, and I definitely cannot eat meat or eggs or salsa for breakfast. I used to eat rice a lot, etc. At first it was a novelty and I was so happy with the easy weight loss that it wasn't a problem. But over time it was hard to stick to it. I fell off the wagon and gained all my weight back.

    Some people seem to like savoury over sweet. If you are one of those people you might find this diet easier to stick to. I like meat and veggies but I don't want to eat them three meals a day.
  • toholio
    toholio Posts: 46 Member
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    It works well for my wife and me. Not so much because of any magical health benefits but because it eliminates most of the things we'd otherwise binge on.

    We aren't completely strict about it. When eating out (once every two weeks or so) we'll not be too fussy. We also eat a limited quantity of dairy at home.
  • SassJess81
    SassJess81 Posts: 75 Member
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    I'm just starting out...I know it will be a gradual long term change. On the days that I eat the most paleo meals, I find that my energy is way better, and I`m not exhausted by 3pm. I`m also not getting hungry as fast or feeling like I have low blood sugar. Additionally, I find it`s a lot easier to stay under on calories because I am fuller.
  • SJVZEE
    SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
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    I did a 3 month experiment with primal eating (paleo +dairy). After three months I had to give it up, due to some unpleasant digestive issues that I had developed. Some people really enjoy this way of eating, but it just wasn't for me.
  • SirBonerFart
    SirBonerFart Posts: 1,185 Member
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    paleolithic man didn't live very long
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    Butter isn't paleo. Lard is ok though
  • megstrawn
    megstrawn Posts: 2
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    I started eating a low carb diet last year and it eventually progressed into my version of the paleo diet. I do eat dairy, and I'm a bit of a weekend cheater. I never feel hungry, and eating so much fat and protein, I feel full longer. I'm down about 30 pounds and feel so much more energetic. If you haven't seen the movie, "Fathead", you should watch it.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    I started eating a low carb diet last year and it eventually progressed into my version of the paleo diet. I do eat dairy, and I'm a bit of a weekend cheater. I never feel hungry, and eating so much fat and protein, I feel full longer. I'm down about 30 pounds and feel so much more energetic. If you haven't seen the movie, "Fathead", you should watch it.

    That's also just IIFYM with mostly whole foods and a balanced diet...
  • megstrawn
    megstrawn Posts: 2
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    It's not IIFYM at all. I don't count calories--just the carbs.
  • StacyReneO
    StacyReneO Posts: 317 Member
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    My boyfriend and I started at the end of May this year. He has lost (and needed to lose) almost 25 lbs. This is in combination with Cross Fit workouts. I have lost 3 lbs (but honestly don't need to lose). We LOVE the paleo lifestyle and there are a lot of foods that I would not go back to now that I have changed my way of eating. Not only do I feel so much better about what I am eating, I sleep better, my mood is better and I even went off Lexapro. I definitely feel more 'balanced'. Here and there I have tried to add back in some foods and it has wreaked havoc on my body. I didn't realize I was so sensitive to dairy and gluten until I cut those things out of my diet. I never thought I could ever give up cheese, turns out I could and don't even miss it. My boyfriend used to eat at least 1 cup of cheese a day and he is fine without it now. We even order out gluten free meat lovers pizza with no cheese and it's awesome!

    We eat about 80% paleo. There are days that certain processed foods will make their way into my diet and I know the consequences. For me, it wasn't about weight loss it was about health.
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
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    paleolithic man didn't live very long

    paleolithic man was killed by large animals and didn't have things like antibiotics to help cure their puncture wounds from tiger teeth :)

    i did a 3 month paleo experiment... i did it at first to lose weight, and i did (while still eating 1900-2000 calories). now its been a WHOLE YEAR. why have i stuck with paleo? i don't need to eat every 3 hours to keep my blood sugar from dipping so i focus a LOT less on food giving me less opportunities to binge eat (a problem i have had and occasionally struggle with). i learned to cook, and it tastes great. i no longer am a raging sugar fiend. my energy levels are stable all day. my acne went away and my skin looks amazing (im attributing this to drinking bone broth daily instead of tea haha) i no longer have digestive issues. i don't have "inflammation" in my body anymore- my joints feel amazing, literally like i am a 10 year old, no pain at all whatsoever.

    i went hardcore paleo for 3 months, but reintroduced cheese and greek yogurt with no ill effects so i still eat those daily. i have one or two cheats a week where i still usually stick to gluten free (it wreaks havoc on my insides) but have no problem grubbing on some ice cream :)

    see what works for you- don't be afraid of fat... when people first go paleo they lose a lot of weight cause they are too afraid of fat.

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