what are people's thoughts about the paleo diet

grinch031

People on this board continuously try to say that sugar and refined carbs aren't unhealthy, don't cause obesity, etc.. Yet every time I eat them I end up binging on them and gaining weight. Or if I keep eating them and restrict calories, I'm starving all the time.

So am I supposed to listen to the "science", or follow the fad diet that actually allows me to lose weight? I'm going to choose the fad diet regardless of what the underlying science is.

Well, ideally you would follow a calorie restrictive diet and you would learn to recognize that your individual needs dictate that you limit the foods that cause you to binge, and you would also strive to limit refined sugars because for you, they don't bring you satiety. You can do this without following some arbitrary set of rules based on pseudoscience. (There is a big difference between eliminating a food because it causes you to behave differently, and eliminating a food based on the fear that an individual food item will directly cause adiposity).

Additionally, my reply that you quoted already addressed this. When I say "behavioral", I would include foods that cause binges and I would also suggest to ANYONE that is restricting calories without following a dogmatic plan, that they consider satiety when making food choices.

When I am cutting weight I will absolutely consider satiety as one big criteria in my food choices.

Paleo would provide a very simplistic approach to decision-making that doesn't require you carry around a food scale or inspect the menu too closely for ingredients when going out to eat. The line is very clear. I think there is nothing wrong with giving up foods that don't fit within the parameters of the diet if you are content with the allowed foods.

Most people aren't that rigid anyways that they will refuse to eat a certain food they really like even on a specific diet. They will still make exceptions for their likings.

astrampe

Please note: This post is meant to be tongue in cheek and light-hearted. Eat in whatever manner best fits your lifestyle.

This was caveman's ideal woman:



The ancient Greeks included wine, cheese, and bread in their diet, and this was their ideal woman:



All hail Dionysus!!! :drinker:

THIS!! Brilliant!! :laugh: Thanks, you made me spit water all over my keyboard, but i do agree! I lost almost 60lbs and still enjoyed cheese, wine and bread in moderation! :drinker:

EbbySoo

I've done it, no different in results to any other calorie controlled diet with sufficient macros.

Now I eat whatever I want, hit the numbers & doesn't matter if I eat what a caveman did or not.

This ^^

LuckyLeprechaun

I think mentioning it riles people up, and it's sure to cause some of my least favorite MFPal'rs to come out of the woodwork.

I think this thread will be locked before I have my lunch...

UponThisRock

Paleo would provide a very simplistic approach to decision-making that doesn't require you carry around a food scale or inspect the menu too closely for ingredients when going out to eat. The line is very clear. I think there is nothing wrong with giving up foods that don't fit within the parameters of the diet if you are content with the allowed foods.

How does doing the paleo diet eliminate the need to count calories?

Acg67

Paleo would provide a very simplistic approach to decision-making that doesn't require you carry around a food scale or inspect the menu too closely for ingredients when going out to eat. The line is very clear. I think there is nothing wrong with giving up foods that don't fit within the parameters of the diet if you are content with the allowed foods.

How does doing the paleo diet eliminate the need to count calories?

Duh, fat and protein can't make you fat, only carbs can

LuckyLeprechaun

not if you spray windex on them. Or do some Tae Bo.

grinch031

Paleo would provide a very simplistic approach to decision-making that doesn't require you carry around a food scale or inspect the menu too closely for ingredients when going out to eat. The line is very clear. I think there is nothing wrong with giving up foods that don't fit within the parameters of the diet if you are content with the allowed foods.

How does doing the paleo diet eliminate the need to count calories?

Because based on the food choices it is going to be more satiating.

Sidesteal

Paleo would provide a very simplistic approach to decision-making that doesn't require you carry around a food scale or inspect the menu too closely for ingredients when going out to eat. The line is very clear. I think there is nothing wrong with giving up foods that don't fit within the parameters of the diet if you are content with the allowed foods.

Most people aren't that rigid anyways that they will refuse to eat a certain food they really like even on a specific diet. They will still make exceptions for their likings.

Or you could just hit your macros (assuming you can set them up correctly) and avoid the foods that you personally don't tolerate, and have equal progress.

The set of foods that you can eat on paleo < the set of foods you can eat using the criteria I mentioned.

This is why I think it's silly.


But, I do think that for someone who isn't educated in nutrition (I am not at all directing this at you, I'm speaking in general terms here), the idea of eating whole foods is a good idea. I just don't think it needs to be taken to an extreme and I think I've already covered the rest of my thoughts on it.

grinch031

Paleo would provide a very simplistic approach to decision-making that doesn't require you carry around a food scale or inspect the menu too closely for ingredients when going out to eat. The line is very clear. I think there is nothing wrong with giving up foods that don't fit within the parameters of the diet if you are content with the allowed foods.

How does doing the paleo diet eliminate the need to count calories?

Duh, fat and protein can't make you fat, only carbs can

This is the big straw man. Anybody who actually believes that a diet works MUST also believe the underlying science touted by its creator.

Sidesteal

Because based on the food choices it is going to be more satiating.

So it COULD lead to a calorie deficit. This is as accurate as you can get with this.

Sidesteal

Paleo would provide a very simplistic approach to decision-making that doesn't require you carry around a food scale or inspect the menu too closely for ingredients when going out to eat. The line is very clear. I think there is nothing wrong with giving up foods that don't fit within the parameters of the diet if you are content with the allowed foods.

How does doing the paleo diet eliminate the need to count calories?

Because based on the food choices it is going to be more satiating.

How do you know this without knowing the satiety level that the dieter had prior to going paleo?

bcattoes

People on this board continuously try to say that sugar and refined carbs aren't unhealthy, don't cause obesity, etc.. Yet every time I eat them I end up binging on them and gaining weight. Or if I keep eating them and restrict calories, I'm starving all the time.

So am I supposed to listen to the "science", or follow the fad diet that actually allows me to lose weight? I'm going to choose the fad diet regardless of what the underlying science is.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

UponThisRock

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

Fruit is healthy.

grinch031

People on this board continuously try to say that sugar and refined carbs aren't unhealthy, don't cause obesity, etc.. Yet every time I eat them I end up binging on them and gaining weight. Or if I keep eating them and restrict calories, I'm starving all the time.

So am I supposed to listen to the "science", or follow the fad diet that actually allows me to lose weight? I'm going to choose the fad diet regardless of what the underlying science is.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

Yeah but according to the experts here, if I just "eat in moderation" i will create my caloric deficit and lose weight, right?

Acg67

Paleo would provide a very simplistic approach to decision-making that doesn't require you carry around a food scale or inspect the menu too closely for ingredients when going out to eat. The line is very clear. I think there is nothing wrong with giving up foods that don't fit within the parameters of the diet if you are content with the allowed foods.

How does doing the paleo diet eliminate the need to count calories?

Because based on the food choices it is going to be more satiating.

Jelly beans and potatoes have been found to be pretty satiating, can i create a diet based off jellybeans and potatoes?

A satiety index of common foods.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995 Sep;49(9):675-90.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=satiety index, holt&amp;source=web&amp;cd=13&amp;ved=0CDEQFjACOAo&amp;url=http://ucsyd.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/om_uc_syddanmark/dokumenter/marianne_markers_kursus_NRO/110228_Holt%20et%20al%20Satiety%20index.pdf&amp;ei=LPY7T6i0Boq00QHzt4ywCw&amp;usg=AFQjCNGCkM4OHjfz-pLgOdbknx10MBK5rw&amp;cad=rja

AntWrig

People on this board continuously try to say that sugar and refined carbs aren't unhealthy, don't cause obesity, etc.. Yet every time I eat them I end up binging on them and gaining weight. Or if I keep eating them and restrict calories, I'm starving all the time.

So am I supposed to listen to the "science", or follow the fad diet that actually allows me to lose weight? I'm going to choose the fad diet regardless of what the underlying science is.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

That is the big misconception. Especially regarding the "if it fits your macros" crowd on one end and the Paleo crowd on the other. Both groups have gone to the extremes. I am sorry life is not about extremes.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

If I recall that is based on eating large amounts. If you want to get technical I can gain weight by eating nuts. Mind you nuts are very calorie dense, sure they have SOME value but so does a candy bar. So, what's the difference?

grinch031

People on this board continuously try to say that sugar and refined carbs aren't unhealthy, don't cause obesity, etc.. Yet every time I eat them I end up binging on them and gaining weight. Or if I keep eating them and restrict calories, I'm starving all the time.

So am I supposed to listen to the "science", or follow the fad diet that actually allows me to lose weight? I'm going to choose the fad diet regardless of what the underlying science is.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

That is the big misconception. Especially regarding the if it fits your macro crowd on one and the Paleo crowd on the other. Both groups have gone to the extremes. I am sorry life is not about extremes.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

If I recall that is based on eating large amounts. If you want to get technical I can gain weight by eating nuts. Mind you nuts are very calorie dense, sure they have SOME value but so does a candy bar. So, what's the difference?

If a paleo diet makes someone happy, then what's the big deal?

I find it MORE extreme to measure every single food you eat for calorie content. That is ridiculous to me!

Sidesteal

Yeah but according to the experts here, if I just "eat in moderation" i will create my caloric deficit and lose weight, right?

Absolutely not. If you eat small amounts of it here and there in the context of an otherwise healthy diet with micro/macro sufficiency AND you are able to create a deficit WHILE incorporating it into your diet, then you will lose weight.

The inclusion of refined carbs by themselves will not cause weight loss but if the inclusion of refined carbs (or sugars) CAUSES YOU TO EXCEED YOUR TDEE then you will gain, and ultimately fail.


This is an important distinction.

AntWrig

People on this board continuously try to say that sugar and refined carbs aren't unhealthy, don't cause obesity, etc.. Yet every time I eat them I end up binging on them and gaining weight. Or if I keep eating them and restrict calories, I'm starving all the time.

So am I supposed to listen to the "science", or follow the fad diet that actually allows me to lose weight? I'm going to choose the fad diet regardless of what the underlying science is.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

That is the big misconception. Especially regarding the if it fits your macro crowd on one and the Paleo crowd on the other. Both groups have gone to the extremes. I am sorry life is not about extremes.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

If I recall that is based on eating large amounts. If you want to get technical I can gain weight by eating nuts. Mind you nuts are very calorie dense, sure they have SOME value but so does a candy bar. So, what's the difference?

If a paleo diet makes someone happy, then what's the big deal?

I find it MORE extreme to measure every single food you eat for calorie content. That is ridiculous to me!

That is where I am in agreement with you. If it makes the person happy, HOWEVER eating paleo is no better than any other calorie deficit plan. That includes eating anything in moderation COUPLED with nutritious foods.