caveman paleo diet

jamers3111

A patient of ours ( I work in a Physical Therapy Practice) lost a lot of weight doing it and she swears by it...She went from 270 to 137...I say it works. She cut out breads, grains, wheat, and gluten...

You also have to cut out most fruits and all dairy. My husband and I following this "loosely"... I eat most fruits and some dairy. It's basically eating nuts, meats, and veggies. It's hard at first but after a few weeks it becomes second nature.

LavenderBouquet

A patient of ours ( I work in a Physical Therapy Practice) lost a lot of weight doing it and she swears by it...She went from 270 to 137...I say it works. She cut out breads, grains, wheat, and gluten...

You also have to cut out most fruits and all dairy. My husband and I following this "loosely"... I eat most fruits and some dairy. It's basically eating nuts, meats, and veggies. It's hard at first but after a few weeks it becomes second nature.

Depending if you're primal or paleo, you can still have occasional/moderate dairy on the primal eating style.
You really also don't have to cut out "most" fruit, the few that have very high sugar content just need to be moderated, and this is typically only during times when you are trying to lose weight. At least from what I've read and understood.

jaimrlx

I eat this way, mostly. It's less of a diet and more of a lifestyle. If you're interested, cut out the non-Paleo foods for 30 days, then modify to what works for you. If your body is unaffected by dairy - eat it in small amounts. Same with gluten. No other primal person will really bother you.

Do what works for you, and do research outside of forums. So many opinions will surely steer you in a never ending loop of confusion.

If you want to see some interesting meals, pictures, threads, etc; Reddit has a great community at /r/Paleo. Take it with a grain of salt, like everything else - but go with your gut.

Good luck to you, OP.

jaimrlx

A patient of ours ( I work in a Physical Therapy Practice) lost a lot of weight doing it and she swears by it...She went from 270 to 137...I say it works. She cut out breads, grains, wheat, and gluten...

You also have to cut out most fruits and all dairy. My husband and I following this "loosely"... I eat most fruits and some dairy. It's basically eating nuts, meats, and veggies. It's hard at first but after a few weeks it becomes second nature.

Depending if you're primal or paleo, you can still have occasional/moderate dairy on the primal eating style.
You really also don't have to cut out "most" fruit, the few that have very high sugar content just need to be moderated, and this is typically only during times when you are trying to lose weight. At least from what I've read and understood.

This is true. Logging them into MFP is a great to moderate. I stay under 50 grams of sugar per day, and none of it (besides the occasional slip up) is processed. Both of you are correct. Paleo is about what's healthy, and a lot of people over complicate something so simple.

kljan

My trainer has been doing paleo for several months now and loves it. She says she has only lost about 5 lbs, but has lost fat around the middle and she says she feels much better and has more energy. Of course, she is active all day and eats A LOT, but follows it pretty carefully with an occasional splurge on chocolate.

VorJoshigan

If I was gonna do a diet, it would be that one.

CATindeeHAT

I have read that it is one of the most expensive diets to follow.

Yup!!! You are ABSOLUTELY correct.

Which also explains why the NUMBER ONE predictor of obesity in a family that lives in the United States is their income.

Athijade

It is a restrictive diet that requires you to cut out whole groups of foods. By doing so, it creates a calorie deficit. It's nothing special or magical for weight loss.

neanderthin

If I was gonna do a diet, it would be that one.

I did follow the paleo diet about 5 years ago for 6 months and went from 220 to 180. I lifted pretty consistently and play hockey once a week as well as ride fairly routinely most of the year and dropped body fat, worked like a charm. I'm also 6 ft tall and consumed around 2500 calories, when I checked periodically.

It was a good catalyst for me to begin some type of change that I desperately needed at that time. My basic philosophy about eating and health is towards whole foods and I still don't subscribe to the IIFYM, I'm more of an 80/20 kind of person now, if were going to category food and eating style philosophies.

The mechanisms that work in the paleo diet are, if a person is a carbaholic and overweight, this diet will crush a sweet tooth and actually consuming sweet things after some time, most, would find unappealing, or too sweet. It also by default increases protein when compared to the average diet which is more satiating along with the increase in plant food, mostly vegetables again is highly satiating. Basically the feeling of hunger is drastically diminished and the bingeing almost stops, bingeing is generally those fatty, carby, sugary things.

Anyway, the reason why I stropped had nothing to do with the foods that are actually selected, their whole foods and I still eat mostly whole food. It was the dogma surrounding carbs more than anything else. Most if not all sites that promote paleo or primal believe that carbs are what make us fat and eliminating them is the way to roll. The grain, dairy, legume, nightshade aspect of this diet is more about blind faith and logical fallacy, similar to a vegan diet where if something has the potential to increase a health problem, then removing, would eliminate that health problem. Inflammation for example found in some foods and from omega balance. Dairy is well, controversial anyway but in regards to paleo, other than possibly consuming milk from down prey, weren't savvy to it's production, and therefore is avoided. Fruit is controversial. Paleo is basically window dressing for a low carb diet with logical fallacy as the foundation. Is it healthy, you bet. Does it work, sure does, worked like a charm for me, do we need to eliminate food groups, no, definitely not, we need to only eliminate foods that effect the individual.

I'm still consuming a lower carb diet with about 200-250g's, and this by most paleo gurus opinion is almost to the point of insidious weight gain. It represents about 25% of my diet. For me this is my sweet spot for maintenance, weight loss or weight gain depending on my goals. I know that I have to keep certain carbs in check or I'll overeat, no doubt about, because it's happened on more than 1 occasion lol. Grain is not the enemy and other than it logically doesn't make sense to swing that far in it's elimination, I could never sustain a diet without it, or dairy, but at the time it was the catalyst for change, and in that respect it worked.

Iron_Pheonix

It is a restrictive diet that requires you to cut out whole groups of foods. By doing so, it creates a calorie deficit. It's nothing special or magical for weight loss.

If you did the research then you would see that it's actually about health! It's about insulin control and optimal health. The weight loss is a side effect because the body reaches true homeostasis. There are many doctors that now advise Paleo and if you did the research into how macros work in the body and how the various hormones (insulin, Ghrelin, glucagon, leptin etc) influence health and body composition then you would see that it's not a restrictive diet it's actually eating the way we are supposed to eat! I'm a trainer and a nutritionist and I will never risk my health again by going back to grains etc...

Do your research, try it, test it (for at least a month) and then make your own choices. I personally believe it is impossible to reach OPTIMAL health without eating Paleo.

neanderthin

It is a restrictive diet that requires you to cut out whole groups of foods. By doing so, it creates a calorie deficit. It's nothing special or magical for weight loss.

If you did the research then you would see that it's actually about health! It's about insulin control and optimal health. The weight loss is a side effect because the body reaches true homeostasis. There are many doctors that now advise Paleo and if you did the research into how macros work in the body and how the various hormones (insulin, Ghrelin, glucagon, leptin etc) influence health and body composition then you would see that it's not a restrictive diet it's actually eating the way we are supposed to eat! I'm a trainer and a nutritionist and I will never risk my health again by going back to grains etc...

Do your research, try it, test it (for at least a month) and then make your own choices. I personally believe it is impossible to reach OPTIMAL health without eating Paleo.

Weight loss isn't a side effect it's a result of fewer calories. Reducing the quantity of refined carbs and sugar will lead to the same health benefits. Vegans stand on the same platform and will say their diet isn't restrictive either. The logic of consuming a balanced diet does not exist in the realm of extreme imo.

Iron_Pheonix

It's not a matter of calories in calories out. It's actually about balences hormones and insulin sensitivity. I used to think the same way, my career was based on those beliefs but we have to keep up with the research and new information that we have also. I don't judge anyone for choosing their own path however eating Paleo is not a "diet" for weight loss it is a life style change to reach optimum health. I do not eat at a deficit however I reduced my cortisol, massively reduced my inflammation levels and lost weight because of that! Cortisol locks cells down, the body can't access them, slight insulin resistance can cause the cells to be inaccessible. I could go on but this is exactly why anyone who is determining what is right for them should at least learn the roles of these hormones and how directly affected they are by the food that we eat.

Iron_Pheonix

It can't lead to same benefits health wise because whilst consuming grains etc the gut can't heal. 200-250g is actually quite high in carbohydrates even following conventional guidelines. If the health state of the body is good then you can lose, maintain or gain effortlessly because the hormones are able to do their roles.

Paleo doesn't have to be Low carb either. It's a choice made by most to be low carb because the health benefits are huge and there is plenty of science to back it up

neanderthin

It can't lead to same benefits health wise because whilst consuming grains etc the gut can't heal. 200-250g is actually quite high in carbohydrates even following conventional guidelines. If the health state of the body is good then you can lose, maintain or gain effortlessly because the hormones are able to do their roles.

Paleo doesn't have to be Low carb either. It's a choice made by most to be low carb because the health benefits are huge and there is plenty of science to back it up

Whole grains are not necessarily inflammatory, some are actually anti inflammatory. Of course anything eaten in excess will create an imbalance that can be pro inflammatory, but if omega balance is in check and someone isn't consuming copious amounts of refined grain and vegetable oils high in omega 6, then it's fear that drives that hypothesis. Cortisol, what can I say, lots of stuff effect it, not just hooking a grain bag to someones mouth.

nickymaire

I was doing the 1200 cals thing at the end of 2011 for a few months I really struggled and was hungry all the time and gave up.

Then in 2012 i had a wedding to go to ...had to drop some kgs so back to 1200cals... again hungry and struggling.
Saw that an mfp friend (who was so cut and lean) doing this thing called paleo/primal. so i stopped the 1200 cals and started primal ..i dropped 2kgs (4.4lbs) in a week. Went to the wedding and forgot about the diet.

Three months later summer was on the way and i couldn't fit half my clothes so i thought got great results from primal so started again. A week and a half in, the neck and back pain i'd had for 11 years went away. Turns out I have a massive gluten intolerance. In the 2 months i've been doing it i have lost 4.6kgs (10lbs) and that's with many a slip up over xmas ny and my birthday etc. Currently doing paleo and feel great.

I recommend trying it for a week at the very least to see if you like it.

Iron_Pheonix

You need to go and do your research because your arguements against Paleo make it obvious that you haven't understood the processes of those hormones and the effect of various foods on them.

Iron_Pheonix

It is a restrictive diet that requires you to cut out whole groups of foods. By doing so, it creates a calorie deficit. It's nothing special or magical for weight loss.

I'm sorry but that's wrong. Do some research because what it's actually about is keeping insulin output low = insulin sensitivity which means your cells become truly accessible! Also it's about healing the gut, allowing the body to reach homostasis. It is not all about weight loss, it's about health and allowing the body to function optimally.

I turned Paleo 4 months back, I only wish I had found it earlier. It's my life style. No more blood sugar issues, no more cravings, no more hunger...my body is fully comfortable, better energy. If anyone tries it and gains weight.... It's not a go ahead to eat massive amounts of food, you still need to watch your calories. Most of us don't count calories because instinctually we know when we've bad enough. I feel satisfied on less food now.

Try it...if you don't like it then go back to how you were but I would bet that you don't want to.

I buy my meat from an organic grass fed/pasteurised farmer....it's cheaper than my super market! You just have to source it right, go straight to the grassfed farmers.

jjrichard83

A patient of ours ( I work in a Physical Therapy Practice) lost a lot of weight doing it and she swears by it...She went from 270 to 137...I say it works. She cut out breads, grains, wheat, and gluten...

Cutting out (or limiting) breads, grain, wheat & gluten is a good thing for any diet.

I don't think it's a horrible diet (I follow a plant based vegetarian diet for the most part) if you are consuming organic meat. Meat has been strongly linked to cancer (the chemicals and drugs fed/injected to the animals) and carcinogens from cooking - so limiting the risks with organic is best in my opinion (I guess you can say the same for fruits and veggies - check out Clean 15 & Dirty Dozen list).

Do research of both people who have been on it and now are not, and people who support this diet - not just the fanboys of it.

I think it's a good choice - b/c it does it's best at eliminating food-like substances(processed foods).

Top 3 diets in no order - vegetarian, vegan, paleo. The real culprit is sugar & processed junk

Midnight_Sunshine

I have read that it is one of the most expensive diets to follow.

I call Bull$hit on this one. You may have heard that, but you heard wrong.

Actually no they are quite right. It depends on your location. I live in the North and fresh produce is really expensive. (So is meat for that matter). So unless you wanted to eat canned or frozen all the time (which yuck and also paleo discourages) you are paying out the nose for this diet.

Not everywhere is exactly like where you live.