Oh yes.. the Paleo diet ...

angied80

So I really do not know much about the Paleo diet. My workout partner has been doing alot of research and is wanting to try this diet and wants me to as well. I have always seen alot of topics about this diet on the forums but was never really interested enough to read them.I went back and looked for them but could not find them. I also know there is alot of controversay about it. Just wondering if anyone has had any success or none at all (for those that have actually stuck to it and were serious). Just wanting people to share their expeirence or any knowledge that they may have for or against it. Thanks!

weathergirl320

prepare for controversy. i semi follow it. not terribly strict though. lost 34 lbs since december. feel better, and now have no problem with celiac sice i dont eat wheat. also have thyroid disease and tried dieting for years with no results. this is the only way of eating that has actually worked for me. good luck on your journey! some people love it, some people hate it. some people swear by it and some think its a fad. if you do decide to try it, give it a real effort. there is lots of support on here under the "primal/paleo support" group. everyone is super nice and not judgemental. if nothing else you can find some resources and things there. good luck with your journey!

angied80

prepare for controversy. i semi follow it. not terribly strict though. lost 34 lbs since december. feel better, and now have no problem with celiac sice i dont eat wheat. also have thyroid disease and tried dieting for years with no results. this is the only way of eating that has actually worked for me. good luck on your journey! some people love it, some people hate it. some people swear by it and some think its a fad. if you do decide to try it, give it a real effort. there is lots of support on here under the "primal/paleo support" group. everyone is super nice and not judgemental. if nothing else you can find some resources and things there. good luck with your journey!

Thank you! I appreciate your words. I have been clean eating for a while now so watching what I eat really isn't going to be that big of a deal for me. Its just going to be switching up my food choices a bit. I have NOT done my research on it yet but my workout partner has and she is going to give me the basics on it. She has given me a few things so far. Sounds like something we could both do without issues. Once I read more into it and get more input on it I will make a decision. Thank you for sharing!

LabRat529

Ah paleo... High fat, high protein, sounds a lot like Atkins to me, but more emphasis on 'natural' foods. I have not tried paleo. I did try Atkins a long time ago and hated being in ketosis. The goal of both Atkins and paleo is to eventually begin introducing more foods that have carbs (fruits, veggies, nuts, etc...), so you do eventually drop out of ketosis, but at least in the beginning, you're in it.

Ketosis, by the way, occurs when your body doesn't have enough glucose to fuel your brain (the brain is a major glucose hog). Ketones are produced from fatty acids and act as an alternative fuel. A person in ketosis is likely to experience fatigue and 'brain-fog'. Sometimes they experience nausea and similar symptoms- they just feel like crap. The feelings persist for a couple of days to a few weeks and they vary in intensity from person to person. Some claim not to feel any symptoms at all. Eventually, people 'get used' to being in ketosis and the feelings go away.

In my personal opinion, ketones are not an ideal fuel- why would you experience physical symptoms from ketosis if your body liked ketosis? I usually assume that if it makes you feel like crap... well... that's a good sign you should avoid that particular behavior. BUT there are plenty of people who will argue to the contrary, and as far as the brain goes (my specialty), there is even some LIMITED evidence that ketosis is not only acceptable, but good, when you're dealing with brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.

However... all that said... paleo diet isn't the worst diet strategy I've ever heard. If you handle ketosis well, then you might absolutely love it, and it probably WILL help you lose weight. It's hard to over-eat fat and protein. You can do it. You CAN still over-consume calories while on paleo (or atkins or whatever). And if you over-consume calories, you'll gain weight. BUT fats and proteins are very satiating, meaning they make you feel not-hungry (especially proteins). So the average person is not likely to want to over-consume calories.

I'll add one last personal philosophy- if you can lose weight while eating the foods you like (carbs, for me), why change things up just because someone comes along with some sexy-sounding diet?

Acg67

The overarching philosophy of eating mostly whole, nutrient dense foods is a good one to follow. However the elimination of grains, dairy and legumes may only provide noticeable benefits to people who have certain intolerance.

angied80

@labrat... Would you say this diet is more for someone who has more than 15 lbs to lose? I have worked very hard to gain muscle but am having a hard time losing the fat. I only have about 10 lbs to go and I will be exactly where I want to be. So I do not have an excessive amount to lose. Would you think doing something like the Paleo diet would be a little over kill?

lizard053

My doctor had given me information about the paleo diet a while back. The focus is to eat whole foods as much as possible. I don't remember anything about eating high fats. Yes, you have to control carbs from starchy sources, but carbs from most raw veggies are okay. Some fruits are okay, expecially berries and melons. Lean meats are always your best choice, try getting all your fats from vegetable sources rather than animal sources. I felt pretty good doing this, and never had an issue with ketosis.

Adding - I was switched to this diet when I had about 10 pounds to lose too. However I fell into another bout of depression and never did lose it...

LorinaLynn

The overarching philosophy of eating mostly whole, nutrient dense foods is a good one to follow. However the elimination of grains, dairy and legumes may only provide noticeable benefits to people who have certain intolerance.

This, exactly.

For those who don't process carbs, dairy or grains well, it's obviously the right way to eat. For those who do process them well, it's not necessary.

Similarly, my brother who's allergic to shellfish needs to avoid shellfish. I've never had a bad reaction to shellfish, so I'll continue to eat shrimp, crab and lobster.

salxtai

@labrat... Would you say this diet is more for someone who has more than 15 lbs to lose? I have worked very hard to gain muscle but am having a hard time losing the fat. I only have about 10 lbs to go and I will be exactly where I want to be. So I do not have an excessive amount to lose. Would you think doing something like the Paleo diet would be a little over kill?

I know its not directed at me, but for 10lbs, I think just sticking to your cal limit and upping protein / heavier weight training to up muscle definition is a reasonable way to go. Also, muscle burns fat - more muscle = more fat-burning

I don't believe in diets because usually there are very few people who will stick to them indefinitely, and that's often what stops weight from coming back. Revert, and wt comes back.


personally, this is the method I use. I'm not endorsing it as a one-method-fits-all, but it has things to consider.
I've lost in measurements even though I haven't lost much in the way of weight, which is fine by me, and my metabolism has picked up to the point where I'll actually feel proper hunger (haven't in years)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method


Remember that you could, in theory, regain those 10lbs you're wanting to drop now back as pure muscle - you'll look leaner because muscle is less dense than fat, but you could weigh similar to your current.


I'm going to bed (120am here in Aus) but feel free to msg / add me if you want to see my diary (Don't know if its public or not), or if you have question etc.

weathergirl320

Ah paleo... High fat, high protein, sounds a lot like Atkins to me, but more emphasis on 'natural' foods. I have not tried paleo. I did try Atkins a long time ago and hated being in ketosis. The goal of both Atkins and paleo is to eventually begin introducing more foods that have carbs (fruits, veggies, nuts, etc...), so you do eventually drop out of ketosis, but at least in the beginning, you're in it.

Ketosis, by the way, occurs when your body doesn't have enough glucose to fuel your brain (the brain is a major glucose hog). Ketones are produced from fatty acids and act as an alternative fuel. A person in ketosis is likely to experience fatigue and 'brain-fog'. Sometimes they experience nausea and similar symptoms- they just feel like crap. The feelings persist for a couple of days to a few weeks and they vary in intensity from person to person. Some claim not to feel any symptoms at all. Eventually, people 'get used' to being in ketosis and the feelings go away.

In my personal opinion, ketones are not an ideal fuel- why would you experience physical symptoms from ketosis if your body liked ketosis? I usually assume that if it makes you feel like crap... well... that's a good sign you should avoid that particular behavior. BUT there are plenty of people who will argue to the contrary, and as far as the brain goes (my specialty), there is even some LIMITED evidence that ketosis is not only acceptable, but good, when you're dealing with brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.

However... all that said... paleo diet isn't the worst diet strategy I've ever heard. If you handle ketosis well, then you might absolutely love it, and it probably WILL help you lose weight. It's hard to over-eat fat and protein. You can do it. You CAN still over-consume calories while on paleo (or atkins or whatever). And if you over-consume calories, you'll gain weight. BUT fats and proteins are very satiating, meaning they make you feel not-hungry (especially proteins). So the average person is not likely to want to over-consume calories.

I'll add one last personal philosophy- if you can lose weight while eating the foods you like (carbs, for me), why change things up just because someone comes along with some sexy-sounding diet?

Hey, this is great info! I was always a little confused about keytosis. I know its a rather large part of the Atkins diet but as far as paleo goes, I think most of the plans get more strict as you do it for longer. Maybe I'm mistaken but that was my general understanding. Because I never heard of a paleo plan that starts you in keytosis. But I have read about people intentionally going into a state of keytosis at varying stages of their diet on paleo. Personally I have never attempted keytosis or noticed if I went into that state. Maybe unintentionally it happened but I never attempted it. I am also not the most strict paleo follower. And I still have had excellent results. So either the results can be attained without going into keytosis or I am/was in keytosis and never noticed or didn't even realize haha. Thanks for the info!

LabRat529

@labrat... Would you say this diet is more for someone who has more than 15 lbs to lose? I have worked very hard to gain muscle but am having a hard time losing the fat. I only have about 10 lbs to go and I will be exactly where I want to be. So I do not have an excessive amount to lose. Would you think doing something like the Paleo diet would be a little over kill?

I don't know the answer for that. That would require someone way more specialized in nutrition and exercise than me (I have very little training in that area, aside from some human physiology courses). However, I think it really depends on how you will respond to the low carbs. All I can say is 'try it'. You might like it. Or you might hate it. Those last 15lbs are hard to lose, I've heard.

Honestly, the only people I'd really recommend paleo (or any low carb diet) to are people who are insulin resistant or diabetic. For those people, low carb is probably the right strategy (or at least a very good one). For everyone else, it's a personal preference thing. I don't like it. I don't see the need for it. I don't think there's anything wrong with grains. BUT it's not going to hurt anyone (unless you've got some metabolic disorder, in which case, talk to your doctor!) and some people do think grains are evil and so some people really like eating low carb.

lizard053

@labrat... Would you say this diet is more for someone who has more than 15 lbs to lose? I have worked very hard to gain muscle but am having a hard time losing the fat. I only have about 10 lbs to go and I will be exactly where I want to be. So I do not have an excessive amount to lose. Would you think doing something like the Paleo diet would be a little over kill?

I don't know the answer for that. That would require someone way more specialized in nutrition and exercise than me (I have very little training in that area, aside from some human physiology courses). However, I think it really depends on how you will respond to the low carbs. All I can say is 'try it'. You might like it. Or you might hate it. Those last 15lbs are hard to lose, I've heard.

Honestly, the only people I'd really recommend paleo (or any low carb diet) to are people who are insulin resistant or diabetic. For those people, low carb is probably the right strategy (or at least a very good one). For everyone else, it's a personal preference thing. I don't like it. I don't see the need for it. I don't think there's anything wrong with grains. BUT it's not going to hurt anyone (unless you've got some metabolic disorder, in which case, talk to your doctor!) and some people do think grains are evil and so some people really like eating low carb.

Paleo is okay for diabetics, Atkins, however, is not. High fat is incredibly bad for diabetics, as they have issues with processing it too. Especially saturated fats as in Atkins. Just FYI!

angied80

@labrat... Would you say this diet is more for someone who has more than 15 lbs to lose? I have worked very hard to gain muscle but am having a hard time losing the fat. I only have about 10 lbs to go and I will be exactly where I want to be. So I do not have an excessive amount to lose. Would you think doing something like the Paleo diet would be a little over kill?

I know its not directed at me, but for 10lbs, I think just sticking to your cal limit and upping protein / heavier weight training to up muscle definition is a reasonable way to go. Also, muscle burns fat - more muscle = more fat-burning

I don't believe in diets because usually there are very few people who will stick to them indefinitely, and that's often what stops weight from coming back. Revert, and wt comes back.


personally, this is the method I use. I'm not endorsing it as a one-method-fits-all, but it has things to consider.
I've lost in measurements even though I haven't lost much in the way of weight, which is fine by me, and my metabolism has picked up to the point where I'll actually feel proper hunger (haven't in years)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method


Remember that you could, in theory, regain those 10lbs you're wanting to drop now back as pure muscle - you'll look leaner because muscle is less dense than fat, but you could weigh similar to your current.


I'm going to bed (120am here in Aus) but feel free to msg / add me if you want to see my diary (Don't know if its public or not), or if you have question etc.

This is actually what I have been doing.. I started with Jamie Eason 12 Week live fit trainer. Finished that and did maintience on phase 2. Currently and doign Tnations super hero program which is basically power lifting. I have watched my diet for quite some time now trying to eat clean foods. I have gained alot of muscle. When I said I only have about 10 lbs to lose, I guess that isnt accurate. I am not really worried about what the scale says but I do want to shed some fat. I am having a hard time doing this.

weathergirl320

Just a side note, paleo doesn't necessarily mean low carb. For some people it ends up being low carb. You can eat plenty of carbs on paleo, they just come from non starchy sources. Some people even eat sweet potatoes and othr starcy foods just not from grains. It is really up to how strict YOU want to be and more about getting healthy.

LabRat529

Hey, this is great info! I was always a little confused about keytosis. I know its a rather large part of the Atkins diet but as far as paleo goes, I think most of the plans get more strict as you do it for longer. Maybe I'm mistaken but that was my general understanding. Because I never heard of a paleo plan that starts you in keytosis. But I have read about people intentionally going into a state of keytosis at varying stages of their diet on paleo. Personally I have never attempted keytosis or noticed if I went into that state. Maybe unintentionally it happened but I never attempted it. I am also not the most strict paleo follower. And I still have had excellent results. So either the results can be attained without going into keytosis or I am/was in keytosis and never noticed or didn't even realize haha. Thanks for the info!

I'll be honest and say I've never actually read the book or looked at the website. My assumption is based on what others have told me about the diet. I'm pretty sure that Paleo puts you into ketosis at some point in the diet, I think at the beginning. HOWEVER, I'm also certain you don't stay in ketosis and that you do gravitate to a diet moderate in carbs with most of those carbs coming from veggies, nuts, and some fruits.

I also know that a lot of people THINK they are doing paleo because they've heard from a friend who heard from a friend who heard from a friend that you should cut out grains... so they start by cutting out grains but never get their carbs low enough to experience ketosis. I don't think that's really 'paleo'.

I could, however, be mis-informed. I suppose I should at least go see what the website has to say.

angied80

@labrat... Would you say this diet is more for someone who has more than 15 lbs to lose? I have worked very hard to gain muscle but am having a hard time losing the fat. I only have about 10 lbs to go and I will be exactly where I want to be. So I do not have an excessive amount to lose. Would you think doing something like the Paleo diet would be a little over kill?

I don't know the answer for that. That would require someone way more specialized in nutrition and exercise than me (I have very little training in that area, aside from some human physiology courses). However, I think it really depends on how you will respond to the low carbs. All I can say is 'try it'. You might like it. Or you might hate it. Those last 15lbs are hard to lose, I've heard.

Honestly, the only people I'd really recommend paleo (or any low carb diet) to are people who are insulin resistant or diabetic. For those people, low carb is probably the right strategy (or at least a very good one). For everyone else, it's a personal preference thing. I don't like it. I don't see the need for it. I don't think there's anything wrong with grains. BUT it's not going to hurt anyone (unless you've got some metabolic disorder, in which case, talk to your doctor!) and some people do think grains are evil and so some people really like eating low carb.

.


I don't really think the low carb thing will be an issue for me. I have done carb cycling. Lowering my carbs from anywhere to 60-100. I do not eat the many carbs all together. I used to eat around 100. Since I have started this power lifting program I upped them 100-150. I eat alot of protein tho. Anywhere from 175-220 a day.

JayByrd107

I tried it for a while because I had read that it was a great way to drop that last 10 pounds or so of stuborn belly fat. However, my approach was eating breakfast and lunch paleo style and then eating a normal, but still healthy dinner which may or may not include grains. The major benefits I found are: not being hungry between meals ( the high protein, fat, and vegetables really keep you satiated) and easily hitting my macros. Additionally, I often would hit my protein, fat, and carbs for the day with usually around 200 calories to spare becuase the food is so nutrient dense.

The basic idea is eating stuff that our ancient ancestors would have eaten/had access to. This leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Some approaches are more strict than others. I read up a lot on it (and never once came across the word ketosis, BTW: it can happen, but it is not the goal of this lifestyle) on sites like Mar's daily apple and a few others. High fat usualy happens because you will almost automatically have high protein, and if you are cutting out a major source of carbs (grains), then the only other macro left is going to get heavily favored. Paleo also teaches that (healthy) fat is good for you and that the low-fat fad of the last few decades is what the real problem is. Anybody that cuts out a major food group or type will experience weight loss (in most cases), and this diet/lifestyle does that.

In the end, I have decided to simply eat more protein and vegetables and allow whole grains so long as I'm within my carb limits. I have no reason to avoid them and the physical hell that I'm supposed to go through from ingesting grains, even after being off them for a time never manifested.

LabRat529

Paleo is okay for diabetics, Atkins, however, is not. High fat is incredibly bad for diabetics, as they have issues with processing it too. Especially saturated fats as in Atkins. Just FYI!

Do you have any information to back this up? I ask not because I'm being argumentative, but because I've never heard that diabetics have problems processing fats. If that's true, I'd like to learn more.

jammasterduggs

I got spun on this whilst reading mens health uk recently. I found and made sense of the natural eating and slowly looked for things in the supermarket my g.g.g.g.g..g.g.g.g.g.gg. +million great grandad would have found off the floor and eaten - i think psychologically it makes you feel good knowing raw and clean food goes in the system but like alot of people have said your tolerances also are key . I have no tolerances to milk wheat etc but cutting them out has not been a problem. i am not in ketosis as my snacking never allows me to hit that bridge (but then i never want to go there thankfully) i think this diet can be done healthily given the broad range of foods and plenty of vits and minerals... i say give it a go without too much of a worry - its what we have been doing for millions of years ...one question does get me though - eating meat - it seems raw fish is the only consumable uncooked animal protein we can eat - that is not good when someone relies on protein at a substantial level .leave it with you and good luck

BAMFMeredith

Without getting into pros and cons or whatever, I have some friends who swear by it and have had great success, and friends who've tried it, hated it, and in turn didn't stick with it. It's just like anything else. If you can see this as a lifestyle change, meaning you are willing to eat this way 90% of the time for the rest of your life, then go for it! But if you just can't see yourself sticking to it, obviously, it won't work. My mom does a "paleo week" the first week of every month. She says she feels refreshed and kind of "cleansed" when she does it, but for her, she can't stick to it permanently, so she incorporates whole grains, a little dairy, and other things here and there the rest of the month. It's what works for her.

So basically, if it works for you, do it. If it doesn't, don't force yourself.

angied80

@ Meredith- Thanks! I think I may give it a try. How strict I will be I am not sure yet. I will have to get a little more info on it from my workout partner. Like I said before she has just basically given me the just of it. She is reading about it now and will share it with me when she is done. I would read the book myself becasue I LOVE to read but I cant get into reading about diets.