New to Paleo/Primal

prisan512

Hello all! I am fairly new to this lifestyle change and this group. When I first start MFP, I did the low calorie which it suggests and I lost weight but was never satisfied. Then I joined the eatmore2weighless group and loved the concept and read all about it. Upped my calories according to the scoobyworkshop.com site and was eating more, but not gaining so that was a plus. I have a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, aka PCOS... So I've ad for years that carbs and sugars are real bad and won't help when having this condition. I came across marksdailyapple.com and discovered Primal/Paleo lifestyle, and I was convinced that this is what my body and my mind needs.
Started eating Paleo since the 7th of January. I lost ten pounds right away, in about two weeks, and stayed at that for now. I want to start incorporating exercise because I know I need it in order to keep being successful and to be healthy in general. My calorie goal according to my BMR and TDEE calculations, including my cut is around 2092 calories a day. I have not been able to consume my target since I'm eating so clean and have been doing a few things which I'm not sure i should. Such as eating 2 avocados a day. I know eating one a day is very healthy, but is two a day a bad idea? I'm trying to reach my fat levels.
Also, I had my infected gallbladder taken out about two years ago, and have been reading that I may need to take some extra vitamins to help with the fat breakdown. They are digestive enzymes and ox bile. My fat filter and bile dispenser is no longer there, so I read these two are supposed to help with that because now my diet contains more fats then I'm used to. Anyone know anything about this?
I'm not really consuming dairy. Once in a while ill eat a stick of cheese, but nothing daily or weekly. I've only been eating fish and chicken. I was vegetarian before I went primal so it took some adjusting to introduce chicken. Only grassfed and organic is what I purchase. People keep talking about bacon. I tank I'm going to wait to get these vitamins before I attempt to get some bacon in me.
I'm also drinking two green teas a day with honey... Hope that's healthy:-) I'm also a bit of a nut butter fan... Love the almond honey butter, I have to tuck it away sometimes s I don't eat everyday. Eat about 2-3 eggs a day... 2 for breakfast with sautéed spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini plus a little bit of fruit and water. Snack on avocado and tea usually. Lunch is big with fish or chicken plus veggies salad with olive oil sea salt, garlic powder, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado again, some fruit, water, and sometimes a sweet potato or plantain baked, or just lots more veggies. And I'm full for hours, I then eat something for dinner like more fish and veggies, or snack on nuts or nut butter and fruit if I'm not super hungry.

My diary is open, not sure if its for friends only, but I would like some tips and advice and also paleo/primal friends to help me get into the groove of things so that it doesn't become too much for me and set myself up for failure.
I hope to lose around 40-50 more lbs to be healthy and start my family without the concern of diabetes or high cholesterol issues.
Open to suggestions, ideas, tips, advice, or just a push!
Thanks all!

Cerebrus189

Glad to have you on board. It sounds like you're right on track. There are many helpful people on this community board that will help with any specific questions you might have, as well as give you resources. I'm very curious about the gallbladder thing since my friend who has issues with her gallbladder is starting a Paleo-light diet just this week. I'd like to also give her some pointers so she doesn't run into any problems.

I've been doing Paleo/Primal exclusively for a little over a year. Feel free to add me.

skwidlund

I had my gallbladder out about 14 years ago and have eaten mostly paleo for about 18 months now, and it's the best I've felt in years. I find that my digestion is a little happier with a bit more carbs than most, so I'm careful to add things like sweet potatoes and other starchy vegetables. I'm also careful with fats - coconut oil, clarified butter and avocado seem to be what I do best with, but I can't go super high fat. I had to play around a little to find the right level for me. I haven't pursued supplementation too much personally, beyond getting probiotics through fermented foods and kombucha.

You might want to poke around on paleoparents.com - Stacy has done some solid posts on paleo without a gallbladder and supplementation. Balancedbites.com has also written about it a bit, I believe.

hilliardjoe

I started Primal on Jan 1 this year and am finding it quite easy to follow.

One thing is that I am much more aware of exactly what I am eating. It is so much easier when you are eating basic foods and making them yourself. I was never much of a cook but I've found myself much more interested in making things and trying new things out. And since I'm eating these basic foods I can get a sense of how various things affect me. For example, I have found that sugar really stimulates my appetite so I try to keep it pretty low. Doesn't matter where it comes from, it gives me the munchies. This is why I track food here at MFP, to see if foods are made up differently from what I thought. I had never realized that bananas had as much sugar as they do.

I just recently downloaded the Primal Blueprint Fitness ebook from Mark's Daily Apple and will be having my first Lift Heavy Things (LHT) day today. It just involves push ups, pull ups, squats and plank exercises and has links to videos showing the progressions of difficulty for each of them.

Before Primal exercise would be torture to me but since eating Primal my energy levels are much higher and exercise just seems like something fun to do since my body wants to do something.

My diary is open if you want to look at it, although yesterday was a 'bad' day - eating out for lunch and dinner but trying to be Primal.

prisan512

@Cerebrus.
I was in the ER when it got to getting sick non stop for 12 hours, husband rushed me in because I felt like I was going to die. Of course I hadn't been diagnosed with galbladder issues, the quack of a dr I had just said that I had acid reflux.
Was checked and ultrasound showed my galbladder was inflamed and had stones. I was in there for 3 days because I didn't ant the dramatic 12 inch cut, so they had me on an iv diet. Went home for two days and had only steamed vegetables, turkey breast, no butter, oild, pretty much nothing else so I wouldn't get sick before the surgery. After surgery I've been able to eat anything, but I've never had a diet so high in fats. So, I've been reading and found this: http://www.eat-real-food-paleodietitian.com/paleo-diet-and-fat.html
*If your gallbladder was removed (cholecystectomy) or if you were used to eating a low-fat diet, make sure you increase your fat intake gradually when starting on the Paleo diet to help your body adjust by secreting adequate amounts of digestive enzymes. Some people may benefit from taking supplements of digestive enzymes and ox bile to facilitate the digestion of fat. Consult a health professional for advice in this regard.
I don't have health insurance and on waiting list for a dr visit in April! :-/

prisan512

@skwidlund
Thanks for contributing. I am eating what you've mentioned but I've wanted to add more for variety. I want to try the digestive enzymes and the ox bile because I've also been feeling a little bloated and a little pain because of gas. So, I'm hoping its nothing major and that these supplements can help. :-)

hilliardjoe

I was in the ER when it got to getting sick non stop for 12 hours, husband rushed me in because I felt like I was going to die. Of course I hadn't been diagnosed with galbladder issues, the quack of a dr I had just said that I had acid reflux.

Ugh, this happened to my wife. They kept treating her for GERD for years until she got angry at the ER doc (there because of a really bad attack) who decided to do an ultrasound and found the bad gallbladder. She got the scope surgery the next day to have it removed and has been fine since.

prisan512

@hilliardjoe
Thanks for posting. I've been feeling a lot better since I started on the 7th. My clothes fits better, I don't feel so bloated and heavy. Of course I still am pretty heavy, but I feel like my sides and back have gone done. As far as measurements and lbs I need to recheck them since I started but I don't want to become obsessed with it like some.
I also downloaded primal blueprint, and have read a lot of it and need to finish it. I've already read a lot over not eating low calorie diets. I'm on eatmore2weighless group and have learned a lot as well. So I've been eating real clean since I started. I haven't started my physical workout though :-/. I work taking care of kids and cleaning a house, so I move a lot. But I want to start lifting very soon, just need to find the motivation and not be so worried that ill be doing it wrong.
I also stay away from certain fruits. I eat mainly berries. I left bananas years ago really, sometimes liked a banana and milk in a blender though. Since I started I took a banana with me, but since it was so sweet I only ate half because it wasn't making me feel too well. And once Ina while I eat pineapple, kiwi, apple.
I will check out your diary as well. Thanks!

TS65

I was in the ER when it got to getting sick non stop for 12 hours, husband rushed me in because I felt like I was going to die. Of course I hadn't been diagnosed with galbladder issues, the quack of a dr I had just said that I had acid reflux.

Ugh, this happened to my wife. They kept treating her for GERD for years until she got angry at the ER doc (there because of a really bad attack) who decided to do an ultrasound and found the bad gallbladder. She got the scope surgery the next day to have it removed and has been fine since.

Blech... this happened to me about 15 years ago. I had 3 different doctors telling me 3 different things. I finally decided to listen to the one who first said I could go home. They didn't take out the gall bladder, but it's the only time that's ever happened to me. *knock on wood*