starting clean, semi-primal...like-minded friends?

jody0912

Hi everyone,

I've been doing a lot of reading on this topic, both internet articles and in the archived community posts, and I know someone who has had great success with this method of eating and highly recommends it. I've decided it's worth trying. No more processed food for me! Finishing up a few grain/dairy items in the house and then cutting them out for the time being - at least the first month.

Looking for friends who either have knowledge about this way of eating (weight loss success stories very welcome!!) or are starting out as well.

Learning to love veggies, learning to not eat a TON of fruit, learning to give up toast and granola bars, and ending my sweets cravings will be my biggest challenges!

I've lost 8 pounds in the last 4 weeks. I'm hoping this new lifestyle won't slow my weight loss efforts, as I want to lose at least 60 more pounds...

Thanks in advance for any tips, encouragement or friend requests!

jody0912

bump - 6 mins later already off the recent posts!

jody0912

bump one more time - anyone?

glypta

I try to eat clean, am low-carb but not (yet?) Primal, if you want me...

takemeaway10

Well, I don't think my eating is the cleanest. I can't say that we do ZERO processed food here. Lunches and dinners are usually prepared from scratch, but breakfast (cereal) and snacks (bars) help us cope with our schedule. Not to mention, I have to make the diet fit in the budget. Bottom line: if the nutrition label looks good to me, I'll eat it.

girlinahat

always tried tokeep away from processed foods but never knew it was a special type of 'diet' until I came here. Recently have begun to reduce my carbs too - feel free to add me!!

chrisdavey

I would say I am semi primal. I still eat oats and potatoes though. Focussing on majority of carbs around strength training days. My diary is open too

FatBoyTriathlete

Hi - I'm just starting out on the 'paleo' diet, again!

Done it before some years ago and it worked pretty well whilst it lasted but found it hard to follow all the time as I didn't have time to prepare every meal. The trouble is if you go for something quick and easy it almost always has grains and dairy in it, so I found that very difficult, especially lunches which for me were a 'desk picnic' which meant dashing to the nearest shops and buying sandwiches. Breakfast was in some ways easier because I tended to be at home but the problem with breakfast was I had been so brainwashed into thinking that breakfast has to be cereal with milk that I found it odd to sit down to cold meats/eggs/fruit. So I slipped/gave up and went back to eating far too much bread/pasta/cereal which is why I'm on here now and why (despite the name) I now struggle to stay out of the bottom 10 in triathlons (it's only the swim that saves me, the cycle and the run are very hard when are carrying the equivalent of a second triathlete on you).

Luckily I have a bit more time in my life at the moment so I'm back on it and trying to get it going. Happy to send you my 3 week menu I've done if you are interested. In terms of success stories, I know several top long distance triathletes that are essentially paleo (they tend to add potatoes to the diet) - so although that doesn't prove it's good I hope it's an indication that at least it's not horribly bad for you.

GalaxyDuck

I try to eat clean but am not 100% there yet. My diary is open and I've lost 27 lbs using MFP to track my foods and increasing my exercise so feel free to add me!

Strive2BLean

Hi, my biggest downfall was bread even though it was the whole wheat high fiber good stuff. You will be surprised at how quickly the cravings go away once you start eating clean. I lost 10 lbs in a month after being on a plateau for several months, by not eating anything made with any kind of flour which basically eliminates processed food. My diet consists of mainly fresh fruits and vegetable, lean protein (I don't eat red meat), eggs, beans and whole grains (1/2 cup servings per meal if any) like wheat berries, quinoa, brown or wild rice, etc. and of course I can't go without my plain 0% fat Greek yogurt for breakfast with berries wheat germ and Agave Syrup which is glycemic friendly. The best part about eating this way is that it is so healthy. Hope you like it.

randa_behnam

hey im slowly becoming primal apart from the chocolate bar i scoffed yesterday but i dont have bread anymore or pasta. rice is good to fill u but in small quantities, also i have turned to lentis (not a hippy in anyway) and i make a great lentil soup which just consists of red split lentils and an onion and water, hey presto. and its filling.

if i want something sweet i make gluten free biscuits and i concentrate on making sure i have a good balance of protein and carb on my plate and very little fat.

i love eggs especially to fill a hunger pang i boil an egg. and iv started having oatmeal for breakfast because its filling.

everything i eat i usually make myself or someone else will cook but i never have ready meals and havent had a takeaway for aggeesssssss i cant even remember.

try not to deprive yourself too much in your first couple of weeks, after you get past the first two weeks youll not even miss the foods your giving up .

alexfaty

I have always tried to eat as little processed food as I can, I do find it very odd that putting a chicken breast under the grill and a few veggies in a saucepan is really anymore difficult or time consuming than putting a ready made meal under grill, after all you still have to do the veg?

I don't like pasta or rice much so haven't found them difficult, but what is difficult for me is cutting out the sweet junk like biscuits and cake although I do make my own cakes so a little less junkie But they are so nice. And Bread I always buy spelt bread but yes its still processed.....

My diary is open and I would love to be friends with people who try to eat clean even with a few hiccups along the way ... :blushing:

kdiamond

I also consider myself semi-primal as gluten products make up only 10% of my diet and I do eat dairy (eggs, yogurt and cottage cheese). I try to eat as little processed as possible, and if I have a protein bar or something 'processed', I buy gluten free. I am not sure I have a gluten intolerance per se, but I do find I feel better avoiding it and my tummy is less bloated. I eat a couple servings of fruit per day, a couple servings of dairy and then mostly veggies and lean meats. 2 of my meals are only veggies and lean meats. I do eat legumes/beans a couple times per week as well. I also avoid sugar.

Eating this way along with Crossfit workouts 3x a week have let me maintain at 110 pounds and 18% body fat for years.

cjnolt

I have lost 90 lbs eating clean or almost clean. I am stronger, leaner and healthier than I have ever been. Now I am in maintenance and still strive to eat clean most of the time.

mamato4kids

Feel free to add me. I eat clean/ Paleo. Loving it, and finally seeing the scale move in the right direction!

jody0912

thanks everyone!! i just lowered my carb goal to max of 99g this morning. low and behold a banana has 31g of carbs. i'm learning!

fitnessbugg

I sort of naturally eat this way, high protein/lower carbs, but I have always watched my fat intake. When doing some research on primal recently, it calls for way more fat than I'm used to. I must say, it feels like I'm "cheating," but I'm finding it easy to stay within my calories without feeling hungry and deprived. Yesterday I baked some chicken breasts with bones and skin. It was the first time in I don't know how long that I allowed myself to eat the skin. Wow, it was so good and made me feel like a kid again (when I used to eat the skin all the time because I "didn't know better.")

ResilientWoman

Don't let perfect become the enemy of success. I'm Primal/Paleo/Keto-adapted and I've shed over 100 lbs. The first few weeks were challenging because I had to change my thinking. Now I find this way of life soothing, exciting and fulfilling. Please feel free to add me.

jeff5by5

Hi All! I read the book "primal blueprint" 2 weeks ago while on a mini vacation. Started Primal as soon as I got back. It just made so much sense.

I had the worst headache of my life on day 2. Think it was carb withdrawal. Sooooo glad that passed quickly.

Today is day 8, and I'm going great. Even made home made beef jerky last weekend for snacks.

Trying to get out and walk more, and may try to do some sprinting tonight.