Paleo lifestyle... Have you tried it? How did you feel?
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I've been Primal/Paleo for about 5 or 6 months now, and I love it!!! Now that I'm past the first few months I've added a few things back in (for example, Peanut Butter. I love almond butter, but it's too pricey for me to buy every week) I also eat a lot of unprocessed, unflavored dairy products. I've found it extremely easy to sustain myself eating Paleo. Once a month or so I will add in a day where I eat whatever I want, but for the most part I don't even miss processed foods. And I hardly ever get hungry, because most of may calories come from protein and good quality fats, not simple carbs. It's an awesome lifestyle. And don't believe anyone when they say it must be unhealthy because it cuts out food groups. Your body can't tell if you're eating a grain or a vegetable, all it knows is what the food is made up of, ie carbs, protein, fiber, calories, etc. If the macros and calories balance out, your body will be happy.0
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I've been Primal/Paleo for about 5 or 6 months now, and I love it!!! Now that I'm past the first few months I've added a few things back in (for example, Peanut Butter. I love almond butter, but it's too pricey for me to buy every week) I also eat a lot of unprocessed, unflavored dairy products. I've found it extremely easy to sustain myself eating Paleo. Once a month or so I will add in a day where I eat whatever I want, but for the most part I don't even miss processed foods. And I hardly ever get hungry, because most of may calories come from protein and good quality fats, not simple carbs. It's an awesome lifestyle. And don't believe anyone when they say it must be unhealthy because it cuts out food groups. Your body can't tell if you're eating a grain or a vegetable, all it knows is what the food is made up of, ie carbs, protein, fiber, calories, etc. If the macros and calories balance out, your body will be happy.
because we all know our paleolithic brethren loved some peanut butter...0 -
This 100%.It is an unnecessarily strict diet and unnecessarily strict diets often interfere with diet adherence.
On the other hand if you apply the philosophy in a less strict manner and consume mostly whole and minimally processed foods and not beat yourself up when you fail to conform 100% you may find you can stick to your diet better........Now what's that called......IIFYM.0 -
I love doing the Primal/paleo thing. It feels so . . . earthy.
It saves me money as I buy almost no processed foods, just protein, tons of veggies, nuts/seeds, and a little dairy.
It's so easy because I eat a very simple menu, nothing fancy.
If you don't like baking and fancy recipes, this is for you.
If you think you need stuff that looks and tastes like processed food, then it's probably going to take up a lot of your time and money.
The way to really look at this lifestyle is to ask, what did my ancestors eat? Did they really add coconut oil and butter to their coffee or eat gluten free noodles? Not likely. So just keep it simple, basic, healthy, and you'll do fine.
This I don't understand, because eating paleo/ primal is so much more expensive and time consuming than how I eat now. I literally was spending more money on just me, eating primal, than what was being spent on my husband and three kids, for all their food combined. Nuts and seeds are really expensive, meat is pricey (especially if you follow the 'rules' and get grass fed, locally raised etc), organic (again, those rules) vegetables and fruit are pretty much double in cost etc etc. And eggs-1.89 for conventional eggs vs. $5 for 'free range' local eggs?!
And the time involved in making all my meals from scratch, from home was absolutely ridiculous. It's great that you found something that you like, but I honestly don't know how anyone can say this way of eating is cheaper and less time consuming :huh:0 -
This I don't understand, because eating paleo/ primal is so much more expensive and time consuming than how I eat now. I literally was spending more money on just me, eating primal, than what was being spent on my husband and three kids, for all their food combined. Nuts and seeds are really expensive, meat is pricey (especially if you follow the 'rules' and get grass fed, locally raised etc), organic (again, those rules) vegetables and fruit are pretty much double in cost etc etc. And eggs-1.89 for conventional eggs vs. $5 for 'free range' local eggs?!
And the time involved in making all my meals from scratch, from home was absolutely ridiculous. It's great that you found something that you like, but I honestly don't know how anyone can say this way of eating is cheaper and less time consuming :huh:
I'd agree with that. I can't imagine how it's cheaper. If you look at what people on a tight budget eat, it's not fresh meats and veggies; it's highly processed foods. If you look at what people in a rush eat, it's not fresh meats and veggies; it's highly processed food. I think there are a lot of positive aspects to the foods you eat on a paleo diet (although all the caveman talk for "why" it works annoys me), but saving time and money aren't on the list.0 -
that's great that you have had good luck with weight loss but what about biomarkers? isn't it a lot of meat? (that's what I have heard)0
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I eat paleo for two meals a day....breakfast and lunch. Not because I believe in it, but because it's easy to eat low cal that way, and that leaves my evenings free to eat whatever basically.0
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Try the paleo group. You'll find a lot of people there who can tell you their experiences.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/54-primal-paleo-support-group
This. I'd love to talk about my experience and success with a ketogenic version of a Paleo lifestyle. But not here. I'm done with people telling my how "bad" (omg cutting out whole food groups!) or "restrictive" (cuz eating ribeye steaks, side pork, and vegetables soaked in delicious fats, etc is so terrible) my lifestyle is when I absolutely LOVE, it makes me healthy (we've been lied to), and I lose weight effortlessly. Whatever.
PS. It is cheaper to eat this way, and I can explain how. (I've kept track of my spending for years.)0 -
because we all know our paleolithic brethren loved some peanut butter...
I think I just fell in love :blushing:0 -
because we all know our paleolithic brethren loved some peanut butter...
I think I just fell in love :blushing:
Agreed, best response thus far.0 -
Try the paleo group. You'll find a lot of people there who can tell you their experiences.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/54-primal-paleo-support-group
This. I'd love to talk about my experience and success with a ketogenic version of a Paleo lifestyle. But not here. I'm done with people telling my how "bad" (omg cutting out whole food groups!) or "restrictive" (cuz eating ribeye steaks, side pork, and vegetables soaked in delicious fats, etc is so terrible) my lifestyle is when I absolutely LOVE, it makes me healthy (we've been lied to), and I lose weight effortlessly. Whatever.
PS. It is cheaper to eat this way, and I can explain how. (I've kept track of my spending for years.)
ill take the steak, pork fat, AND the bread, dairy etc...and I will have no problem comparing my results to yours any day of the week...
and I am sure that our paleo brethren were munching down on ribeyes, side pork, vegetables soaked in fat, etc while they were sitting around the cave grunting at each other...sounds legit.0 -
I find it all too tedious. Like don't get me wrong, I'll order a burger minus the bun to limit my wheat.. but for me it's trying to find the best diet for good skin, and I think i have a wheat/gluten/refined sugars issue. But I refuse to do anything now that isn't sustainable long term, I don't want to roll these efforts backwards in a year because I didn't learn how to eat balanced in the first place.0
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The Paleo diet has it's pluses and minus, as do most "diets," and the evidence actually supports that it is effective, at least in the short term. Some other posters have astutely mentioned the issues with adherence, and those issues are also clearly supported by published evidence. From a personal perspective, I used to be very tight on what was essentially a Paleo-type of diet (although I included some dairy), and it was very effective in getting lean, but I hit what seemed like a performance plateau with development of size and strength. Diets like Paleo, Atkins, Keto, etc., all have plenty of books and testimonials that discuss issues like chronic inflammation/immunologic issues from gluten, "carb" addiction as a neurologic issue etc., and there are actually some good studies to support some of these findings, but the bottom line - while these issues certainly may play a role in the obesity epidemic, there is not enough evidence to say that the success of these programs in dieters is more based on these issues rather than simply the creation of a caloric deficit based on removal of entire classes of foods. I tend to tell people there are two easy ways to look at diet - you can do something like the Paleo Diet if you don't want to track calories, because the deprivation by its already very restrictive nature will help you lose weight, or you can use a more "flexible dieting approach" where you track your macros and calories, and allow yourself a little more room to eat with greater variety. From a performance perspective, I have had greater results with a flexible approach to bulking and cutting, but that is just my own anecdotal story.
Ultimately, I think there is sometimes value in starting with something like the Paleo Diet because it's actually pretty easy, and you don't need to worry about tracking calories, etc., but I would HIGHLY recommend at least considering learning more about flexible dieting concurrently. That way while you're dropping pounds on a Paleo plan, you'll also have the tools to successfully transition to a broader variety of foods without regressing back to gaining weight, which seems to be the case with a lot of people. It's a little easier for some people who have a lot of weight to lose to start with something like Paleo, and as they lose weight and gain confidence and motivation, they find themselves much more willing to track calories and macros because they are actually seeing success in the mirror and on the scale.
Anyway, good luck in whatever way you choose to go! I'm always just happy to see people on here taking the first step to better fitness. Once you've decided to make a change, regardless of how you choose to go, you're headed in the right direction!
Mike Sracic, MD
www.ironcookclean.com0 -
Try the paleo group. You'll find a lot of people there who can tell you their experiences.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/54-primal-paleo-support-group
This. I'd love to talk about my experience and success with a ketogenic version of a Paleo lifestyle. But not here. I'm done with people telling my how "bad" (omg cutting out whole food groups!) or "restrictive" (cuz eating ribeye steaks, side pork, and vegetables soaked in delicious fats, etc is so terrible) my lifestyle is when I absolutely LOVE, it makes me healthy (we've been lied to), and I lose weight effortlessly. Whatever.
PS. It is cheaper to eat this way, and I can explain how. (I've kept track of my spending for years.)
You must be buying different meats and veggies than I am, as my grocery bills have gone up (although my alcohol bill is down and I eat out less often). That said, I've more or less lifted my budget on food, as I want to ensure I'm enjoying the foods I eat if I'm taking the time out of my day to prepare fresh meats and veggies. If a locally raised steak costs $20, so be it if it's delicious and fits my macros.0 -
Ultimately, I think there is sometimes value in starting with something like the Paleo Diet because it's actually pretty easy, and you don't need to worry about tracking calories, etc., but I would HIGHLY recommend at least considering learning more about flexible dieting concurrently. That way while you're dropping pounds on a Paleo plan, you'll also have the tools to successfully transition to a broader variety of foods without regressing back to gaining weight, which seems to be the case with a lot of people. It's a little easier for some people who have a lot of weight to lose to start with something like Paleo, and as they lose weight and gain confidence and motivation, they find themselves much more willing to track calories and macros because they are actually seeing success in the mirror and on the scale.
I've always encouraged people doing paleo/keto/etc. to still track their macros/calories, at least once they're past the initial few weeks of the diet. If you have to weigh/measure everything to track your carb intake already, where's the harm in following a few other macros like protein and calories. As you said, that lets people easily transition to a different macronutrient composition without really altering their daily routine. Great post btw.
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Try the paleo group. You'll find a lot of people there who can tell you their experiences.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/54-primal-paleo-support-group
This. I'd love to talk about my experience and success with a ketogenic version of a Paleo lifestyle. But not here. I'm done with people telling my how "bad" (omg cutting out whole food groups!) or "restrictive" (cuz eating ribeye steaks, side pork, and vegetables soaked in delicious fats, etc is so terrible) my lifestyle is when I absolutely LOVE, it makes me healthy (we've been lied to), and I lose weight effortlessly. Whatever.
PS. It is cheaper to eat this way, and I can explain how. (I've kept track of my spending for years.)
ill take the steak, pork fat, AND the bread, dairy etc...and I will have no problem comparing my results to yours any day of the week...
and I am sure that our paleo brethren were munching down on ribeyes, side pork, vegetables soaked in fat, etc while they were sitting around the cave grunting at each other...sounds legit.
Comparing my results with yours? See that's the BS I'm talking about. You are a man. I'm a woman. Do you know my health situation, my life experience, etc? What's yours? Wow, you definitely have bigger muscles than me- what am I doing wrong?!!!
PS. Stop with the caveman bs. I do model my diet somewhat after my Inuit neighbours, which was as high as 90% fat, but I'm also stuck accessing the same stuff as you. So caribou, muskox, char are pretty biologically appropriate and I eat them as much as I can get but I'll eat other animals too, and vegetables that my ancestors never knew existed. Why am I still talking... what a waste of time. Bye.0 -
Try the paleo group. You'll find a lot of people there who can tell you their experiences.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/54-primal-paleo-support-group
This. I'd love to talk about my experience and success with a ketogenic version of a Paleo lifestyle. But not here. I'm done with people telling my how "bad" (omg cutting out whole food groups!) or "restrictive" (cuz eating ribeye steaks, side pork, and vegetables soaked in delicious fats, etc is so terrible) my lifestyle is when I absolutely LOVE, it makes me healthy (we've been lied to), and I lose weight effortlessly. Whatever.
PS. It is cheaper to eat this way, and I can explain how. (I've kept track of my spending for years.)
ill take the steak, pork fat, AND the bread, dairy etc...and I will have no problem comparing my results to yours any day of the week...
and I am sure that our paleo brethren were munching down on ribeyes, side pork, vegetables soaked in fat, etc while they were sitting around the cave grunting at each other...sounds legit.
Comparing my results with yours? See that's the BS I'm talking about. You are a man. I'm a woman. Do you know my health situation, my life experience, etc? What's yours? Wow, you definitely have bigger muscles than me- what am I doing wrong?!!!
meaning, I will eat all the foods and be satisfied with my results....restrict nothing, enjoy food.
I have no desire to eat like a caveman. I still don't think cavemen had access to ribeyes, or veggies soaked in fat...0 -
Try the paleo group. You'll find a lot of people there who can tell you their experiences.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/54-primal-paleo-support-group
This. I'd love to talk about my experience and success with a ketogenic version of a Paleo lifestyle. But not here. I'm done with people telling my how "bad" (omg cutting out whole food groups!) or "restrictive" (cuz eating ribeye steaks, side pork, and vegetables soaked in delicious fats, etc is so terrible) my lifestyle is when I absolutely LOVE, it makes me healthy (we've been lied to), and I lose weight effortlessly. Whatever.
PS. It is cheaper to eat this way, and I can explain how. (I've kept track of my spending for years.)
ill take the steak, pork fat, AND the bread, dairy etc...and I will have no problem comparing my results to yours any day of the week...
and I am sure that our paleo brethren were munching down on ribeyes, side pork, vegetables soaked in fat, etc while they were sitting around the cave grunting at each other...sounds legit.
Comparing my results with yours? See that's the BS I'm talking about. You are a man. I'm a woman. Do you know my health situation, my life experience, etc? What's yours? Wow, you definitely have bigger muscles than me- what am I doing wrong?!!!
PS. Stop with the caveman bs. I do model my diet somewhat after my Inuit neighbours, which was as high as 90% fat, but I'm also stuck accessing the same stuff as you. So caribou, muskox, char are pretty biologically appropriate and I eat them as much as I can get but I'll eat other animals too, and vegetables that my ancestors never knew existed. Why am I still talking... what a waste of time. Bye.
isn't that what Paleo is? Eat like Paleoithic Man - AKA cavemen ....?????0 -
I love doing the Primal/paleo thing. It feels so . . . earthy.
It saves me money as I buy almost no processed foods, just protein, tons of veggies, nuts/seeds, and a little dairy.
It's so easy because I eat a very simple menu, nothing fancy.
If you don't like baking and fancy recipes, this is for you.
If you think you need stuff that looks and tastes like processed food, then it's probably going to take up a lot of your time and money.
The way to really look at this lifestyle is to ask, what did my ancestors eat? Did they really add coconut oil and butter to their coffee or eat gluten free noodles? Not likely. So just keep it simple, basic, healthy, and you'll do fine.
This I don't understand, because eating paleo/ primal is so much more expensive and time consuming than how I eat now. I literally was spending more money on just me, eating primal, than what was being spent on my husband and three kids, for all their food combined. Nuts and seeds are really expensive, meat is pricey (especially if you follow the 'rules' and get grass fed, locally raised etc), organic (again, those rules) vegetables and fruit are pretty much double in cost etc etc. And eggs-1.89 for conventional eggs vs. $5 for 'free range' local eggs?!
And the time involved in making all my meals from scratch, from home was absolutely ridiculous. It's great that you found something that you like, but I honestly don't know how anyone can say this way of eating is cheaper and less time consuming :huh:
We also save money in our household eating this way.
Every week I spend $22.00 on a Coop share of fruits and vegetables. We have access to raw dairy from the Amish that live in our area (raw milk, raw cream, raw milk cheese, butter), grass fed meats, free range poultry and eggs and heritage certified pork.
We spend about $100-150 / month on meats, eggs and raw dairy products. About $80-100 on fresh fruits and vegetables. So in total for the month, we spend $180 - 250 a month for 2 adults in my household.
As far as being convenient for meals at home. Sunday is prep day. Crock pots, stock pot going with meats, throw a chicken and / or a roast in the oven. Wash and cut up fruits and vegetables and put in baggies so they are ready to go for snacking, eating, etc. We also boil a dozen eggs for snacks.0 -
I was eating "paleo" before each contest for about 4 months back in my competition days. Now granted that muscle definition was the goal so I was in calorie deficit, but once the contest was over, I was HAPPY to eat the celebratory pizza and beer every time. I never ate "paleo" in the bulking phase.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0
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