attention paleo/primal eaters!

bblich02

currently, there's a lot of talk about the paleo diet.

for those of you doing it, what are your thoughts about it? do you feel better? do you have more energy? if you are working out, how much are you? do you see it as a permanent lifestyle change or a temporary diet?

just curious! I'm thinking about it. thanks

peuglow

I always shy away from 'diets', mainly because whenever you completely cut something out from the possibility of eating it, it makes just living more difficult. Sure, I don't like McDonalds. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat it, but if I'm ever in a pinch and CAN'T do something else, I'd be ok with fitting it into my macros.

With Paleo (and I've heard criticism that it is VERY difficult to follow) it seems that large swaths of foods are cut out from the pool you're allowed to choose from. I eat fairly clean 90% of the time by choice and circumstance. But I'll never attempt to follow a diet. Just sets me up for failure/disappointment.

RedWeb

If you are the person in your avatar then I'm not sure why you need to be on any diet. You look fine just as you are !

mensasu

Permanent life style change for me. I am primal as I eat dairy. I have a bad knee so my exercise is primarily long walks. SInce going primal (both me and my husband), after the carb flu we now have more energy, our appetites are under control, my husband used to get bad hypoglycemic attacks if we were late in eating and now no more, my allergies are much better, our joint pains have reduced, my skin is clearer, zero heartburn. Giving up sugar was easy and we had already given up artificial sweeteners so it was the grains that at first were hard. But we feel so much better and the weight is coming off easily so we plan to continue this for life.

zeebruhgirl

Love Paleo, feel so much better (more energy, no cramping or sickness) and I've lost 10 pounds in 34 days.

I'd say it's great :]

TheVimFuego

I generally choose to eat natural foods that are nutrient-dense and are low in potential allergens.

This happens to coincide with the whole paleo/primal thing.

It's a framework for me though, I go off the path daily but it's mindful.

I now recognise that I do not have to waste time in hours of cardio to get results and the key is to just eat real food, this will get me most of the way there.

No way am I going back to a grain-based existence, too much torture ...

CantarellaMiyani

I'm not on any kind of diet. But I am primal, and (starting today) I'm moving toward being paleo. I don't find it hard to follow at all. I eat lean proteins, healthy fats, and *loads* of veggies (and some fruit, of course). Done right, it's super yummy! And the only foods that are cut out are foods that we don't need/shouldn't have anyway.

And yes, I'd say that I do feel better. My digestion is... more regular, we'll say, and I do have more energy. Not loading my coffee with cream and sugar was tough at first, but now I actually don't feel the need to drink coffee as much. Likewise for giving up pasta, but after a couple of months, I'm not actually craving it any more. It was just my poor, sugar-burning body adjusting to a new way of life.

Because that's what it is. It's not a diet, it's a way of life. And I feel like thinking about what I put in my body and why, and what I think is best for my body, has led me to think more about what's good for me in general, it's gone beyond just affecting the food I eat. So yeah, I'll be sticking with it as long as it's sustainable, and I've seen no reason thus far to think it won't be forever.

secretlobster

I loved the way my body felt when I did it, but it was too difficult for me to avoid all grains for the rest of my life. It did change my eating habits for the better though (choosing natural ingredients whenever possible, avoiding chemicals, cooking my own meals, eating mostly plants and animals). So it did have a sustainable and permanent effect on me.

spngebobmyhero

I eat this way and it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I feel the best I have ever felt in my life, even compared to other times when I have lost weight and "eaten healthy" by most American standards.

Its really easy to resist temptations when you feel this great and I allow myself "cheats" of potatoes, corn and rice on occassion. I'll have the occassional sugar as well (in non-fruit form). I can usually feel the effects, but its not nearly as bad as when I eat gluten or harsher grains than corn and potatoes.

I say give it a try and see how you feel for 30 days. If you love it, then great, if not, than thats fine too and you have to find what works for you.

erica79

thank you for posting this and all the responses. I started eating Paleo today and all these responses helped.

lainie71

I have just started researching this way of life as related to thyroid issues and adrenal fatigue. Would love to connect with some on MFP and hear your stories

ipag

Lifestyle change for me, better blood work, stomach issues vanished, more energy and because I had more energy I actually wanted to exercise. Oh and I also lost a couple pounds based upon the ticker below.

wellbert

I had plenty of energy for weight lifting, and some boxing and cycling on Primal, but it took a week to adapt to it. I was NEVER hungry.

Need to get back on the horse. Or eat it. Horses are primal/paleo. Omnomnom.

LiZzie1917

That's how I felt before Paleo. I've given up chocolate, coffee, and beans & rice. For goodness sakes, I was raised Mexican. I didn't think I could do it but developed Atrial Fibrillation and after doing Paleo for 90 days, I control my Afib without heart pills. Just Paleo diet and herbs. Plus the icing on the cake is I feel energetic, healthy and don't miss the breads, dairy and other crap.

sgpaschak

Lost a ton of weight on conventional dieting/exercise. Since starting Primal (paleo + dairy and others), I've dropped another 20lbs and have taken off so much body fat my mom told me I looked "gaunt" and was worried I was secretly sick or had an eating disorder. This from a guy who used to weigh in at 340 lbs.

I've never had problems with wheat or dairy or things like that, but the way I feel on this eating plan is unbelievable. My mood has been so good, I feel healthy, I am rarely truly hungry. My skin has cleared up. My stomach has shrunk noticeably. I have very consistent energy levels and have been sleeping very well. It kind of makes you wonder if those theories about the decline in fat consumption and the rise in depression levles are true!

There is an adjustment period for eating this way. It goes away in about a week or so as your body gets used to going to fat for fuel. A mistake I made when I tried this the first time was not replacing my carbs with fat. As such I had very low energy and felt terrible.

Good luck!

Good luck! Pick up some nitrate/nitrite free organic bacon and enjoy liberally!

ericalyn73

Unrealistic way of living IMO. As soon as you tell me I can't have it I want it. I believe in moderation for life. Thats just me.

laurelderry

Best thing I ever did! It's been almost a year of primal for me- and I can DEFINITELY feel the effects when I go off course. I went to Las Vegas recently and allowed myself to eat relatively whatever I wanted and I paid for it for DAYS.

This is definitely a realistic lifestyle (eating whole foods does require cooking, but the benefits outweigh the risks of eating processed "convenience" foods instead). If you research agriculture in our country (not to mention genetic modification, etc, etc), it isn't really that "old" of a way of making food- and I think our health is showing the effects of it with increased risks of cancer and other diseases. I don't think it's a coincidence that when individuals with diabetes, crohns, and adhd cut wheat gluten and refined sugars out of their diets that they improve, but a direct correlation.

When I started with primal I was "giving it a shot." I wasn't skeptical, but I wasn't passionate either. Now, I know that this is the ideal lifestyle for me.

Best of luck to you!