Keep considering Paleo

ndj1979

I don't see what paleoish is going to accomplish for you that a regular calorie deficit will not…

IMO you either do it, or you do not….

Special powers... you just missed that part of the "ish" memo.

you mean like this:

nikkihk

I don't see what paleoish is going to accomplish for you that a regular calorie deficit will not…

IMO you either do it, or you do not….

Special powers... you just missed that part of the "ish" memo.

you mean like this:

Now you're catching on... =D

bcattoes

I suppose what I'm really looking at is a paleo-ish approach. Ordering more "paleo-approved" meals when eating out, and limiting things like grains at home, but not going 100% paleo. I guess I'm considering adding a more paleoish slant to my diet.

On day 6 of my Whole 30, I was struggling a lot. I was having a bit of a low-carb "flu" from the switch in my diet. At the time, I worked in a preschool, and I was there for an open house. I was in charge of the cotton candy machine. Cotton candy was LITERALLY floating around my head for HOURS, and I was too weak to resist. I tried to get out of doing cotton candy. It's just like how my friend and I will avoid certain restaurants at times because we don't think we can resist certain menu items (ie: we won't go to CPK most nights because we'll have a hard time turning down the red velvet and butter cakes).

If you want to limit grains, the why not just cut down a little at a time? Then you won't get the "carb flu".

Eating whole natural foods and limiting grains is not the same thing as Paleo. Lot's of people do that and still eat dairy and legumes. Consistently in studies, the healthiest people in the world eat legumes regularly. It's silly to cut them if you like them.

easjer

Look, if it helps you stay on target to call your diet primal or paleo or whatever, ok. Rock it.

For me, that just felt too limiting and made me feel like I was cheating if I wanted to eat a cadbury egg at Easter or a piece of lovely harvarti. Now I got fat by eating lots of both of those, and I definitely lost weight when I did Whole30 (both times I completed a whole). But I've also lost weight eating fast food, eating cheese, eating sweets, eating bread. I have taken some good things away from my whole30 experiences and I've also taken away that I don't want to do that forever.

Find your path, ride your bicycle (to quote Melissa from Whole9). Do what works for you. There are people who need such structure to thrive and need the challenge. I get that. If that's what works for you, do it. But you don't need anyone's approval or permission. You just need to decide what you are doing and stick to it.

lindsey1979

I do primal and it works for me. I started strict Paleo and felt awesome, but wanted to see if I could add back in dairy without any adverse effects. There were none for me (no lactose or casein issues apparently), so I eat dairy as well -- generally cheese, cream and butter for sauces and/or garnish. I'm not much a legume fan, with the exception of peanuts, and I like almonds, macadamias, etc. just as much, if not more, than peanuts, so it's an easy switch. Peanuts are just cheaper and more convenient. Either way, I limit my nuts as a general rule as it's just so easy to overeat them.

I also opt for the 80/20 rule, probably for psychological reasons more than anything else as my diet actually ends up being more like 95/5. But, it feels good to me to have the occasional dark chocolate or something like that if I want to -- takes away the forbidden food idea.

If you really love grains, pasta, bread or legumes, it's probably not a good fit for you. But, if you're like me and it's more meh, then it can be a good fit. I still love my pasta sauces (I make a mean vodka sauce) and curries -- I just serve them over spaghetti squash or roasted cauliflower now instead of pasta or rice. And, let me tell you, roasted cauliflower is ridiculously filling -- I was sort of shocked by it.

honeylissabee

Ideally, I'd do more primal (some dairy in moderation- mostly full-fat, but I know that there are times when it would be low-fat or fat-free. I'll also allow some legumes on occasion, but I honestly don't eat beans much, so it's not a huge deal. The most I'd probably eat would be some GoodBean snacks once a week at my Weight Watchers meeting (I paid for 6 months, so I'm still going to go to the meetings).

I do plan on having one meal a week where I allow myself to eat whatever I want, but I'm working on making modifications. In the past, it's been a complete free-for all where I've eaten all the junk food I can possibly eat, and I'm trying to dial it back. If we go out for burgers and fries, then I might get a burger with bacon, feta cheese, barbecue sauce, an order of truffle fries, a milkshake, and I'll split a slice of pie. I typically only eat about half of the bun when I get a burger, so I may or may not have it- it will depend on my mood.

To be perfectly honest, most of my carbs come from junk food/my nightly treats. I do want to replace the Vitamuffins and other low-calorie treats with things like dried and fresh fruit and Larabars. I only eat pasta once a week at most (on my cheat meal night). I do like sweet potatoes, which are paleo-friendly, but if I don't have a sweet potato with lunch or dinner, then I usually just have extra veggies.