Have any of you tried the Paleo Diet? Success???

dcain2
dcain2 Posts: 102 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on a weight loss plateau for a long, long time. I have tried alot of things and been discouraged alot but never given up. My crossfit trainer and one of my friends have been talking with me about the Paleo diet. Both of them are having great success and made me think that maybe it's not how much I eat but what I am eating that is causing my problem. I have read alot about it and think that I am going to give it a try but still use MFP to track my calories. I don't think I could stick with Paleo for a long period of time but am thinking 30 to 60 days may give me the boost I need to lose these last 10 awful pounds. Anyone have success with Paleo? What did you like or dislike about it?
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Replies

  • CRody44
    CRody44 Posts: 774 Member
    Paleo is a way of life not a diet. There is a Paleo/Primal group here on MFP.

    http://www.archevore.com/
    http://eatingacademy.com/
    http://everydaypaleo.com/
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
    http://robbwolf.com/
    http://thepaleodiet.com/

    http://nomnompaleo.com/


    If you want some serious information:

    Loren Cordain “The Paleo Diet”
    Robb Wolf “The Paleo Solution”
    Mark Sisson “The Primal Blueprint”
    Mark Sisson “The Primal Blueprint 21 day Total Body Transformation”
    Gary Taubes “Good Calories, Bad Calories”
  • dcain2
    dcain2 Posts: 102 Member
    Thank you for the info! :happy:
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    I'd recommend Primal over Paleo. Paleo is a pretty tough way to live, imo. Primal is a little more relaxed and allows dairy, where Paleo does not.
  • angellycakes
    angellycakes Posts: 6 Member
    I've been Primal (learned everything from www.MarksDailyApple.com) for about a year and a half and it has:

    1) Gotten rid of my obsessions with food/weight loss/etc. etc.
    2) NO cravings
    3) Lost 60lbs. without doing ANYTHING. I JUST started working out and tracking calories with MFP lol
    4) Skin looks incredible, energy through the roof
    5) No more pain in my body.

    It's a lifestyle, definitely not a diet. Never going back. I have my indulgences here and there, but it's a true choice and I never feel out of control. LOVE being Primal. Read, read, reeeead the info. Then jump in! Commit 100% for two weeks and you can decide if it's for you. Goodluck!
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    I'd recommend Primal over Paleo. Paleo is a pretty tough way to live, imo. Primal is a little more relaxed and allows dairy, where Paleo does not.

    Paleo does allow dairy, just in condiment-sized portions.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    My "paleo" journey started late last year. As far as "diets" go, to me, it is by far the easiest and most rewarding. I can not remember the last time I had a craving for something...anything, even the "good" foods. I make a conscious decision to eat what I eat and have no remorse (because my decisions are not clouded by the typical "cravings".)

    However, the entire concept is controversial for many and I suspect they will be here to provide their reasoning for why they believe "paleo" is a flawed concept and how "everything in moderation" is the only One True Way to dietary nirvana.

    Good luck on whatever you decide to do.
  • AmandaLou4319
    AmandaLou4319 Posts: 73 Member
    I have been taking steps to adopt the Paleo life style. I designate "Paleo Days" where I can plan meals and follow the life style. I feel great and love that it is less about how much you eat, more what you eat. I try for 5 days a week.
    Take it by steps. That would be my advice.
  • mahlerosa
    mahlerosa Posts: 56
    I like Primal/Low carb...my carvings stopped too. That was essential to me as I had to keep my blood sugar regulated.
  • painauxraisin
    painauxraisin Posts: 299 Member
    bumping for later...
  • aftergypsies
    aftergypsies Posts: 248 Member
    I am going this direction too. Well, mostly cutting out grains and all that. Still not going in all the way but I am cutting out processed stuff for the most part. Still need a little dairy but I'm only on day 2 so I can't comment on success yet. Haha. Good luck! I hear good things about it.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    bump
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    I don't follow any one program perfectly; I kind of do my own thing. However, I think paleo and primal are both excellent for many people. My plan is probably a mix of the two. I don't like the low fat focus of paleo and primal includes legumes (if I remember correctly) and more fruit than I am able to eat.

    I have my macros set at 65 fat, 25 protein, and 10 carb and that works really well for me. I have health issues that force me to keep my carbs super low, but I eat LOTS of vegetables. Also, I do my best to eat healthy food. I don't eat artificial sweeteners, grains, or legumes. While I don't eat starchy vegetables like potatoes or yams, I may add a small amount back to my diet once I am no longer overweight.
  • TheYoungRetiree
    TheYoungRetiree Posts: 84 Member
    I am starting by cutting out processed foods. I made my very first Paleo recipe last night, for "candy" that tastes just like an almond joy. I know with those in my fridge, it will help with the transition cravings. This morning I had an omelet with diced ham from Sprouts, tomato and cheese from Trader Joe's. I KNOW the cheese is not Paleo and the ham probably isn't, but it was a better for me breakfast than the Jimmy Dean Delights breakfast sandwich I heat up in the microwave. So, gradually I am working my way towards the complete Paleo lifestyle.

    Best of luck with it if you decide to jump in! I have found some great information on www.paleoplan.com.
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    112+ gone in 9 months on a mostly Primal diet if you call that success.
  • blinkinglight
    blinkinglight Posts: 92
    Both of them are having great success and made me think that maybe it's not how much I eat but what I am eating that is causing my problem.

    Bingo!!!

    I don't think I could stick with Paleo for a long period of time but am thinking 30 to 60 days may give me the boost I need to lose these last 10 awful pounds. Anyone have success with Paleo? What did you like or dislike about it?

    Paleo, honestly, is a complete lifestyle change. I don't think you'll be successful if you're in it just to lose weight. Not to mention that you'll bloat back up once you add grains back into your diet.

    I really like living Paleo. My skin is clearer, I sleep better, I have more energy, I don't have that nasty bloated miserable feeling after I eat every meal and don't have to deal with blood sugar spikes and dips throughout the day. Oh and I have lost over 30 pounds since January 1. I went from a size 12 to a size 6.... and dropping. Weight loss is a nice side effect ;)
  • blinkinglight
    blinkinglight Posts: 92
    I don't like the low fat focus of paleo and primal includes legumes (if I remember correctly) and more fruit than I am able to eat.

    The LOW fat focus of paleo?! You mean the high fat? I'm confused. Paleo is definitely not a low fat diet!
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
    I don't think I could stick with Paleo for a long period of time but am thinking 30 to 60 days may give me the boost I need to lose these last 10 awful pounds. Anyone have success with Paleo? What did you like or dislike about it?

    Paleo, honestly, is a complete lifestyle change. I don't think you'll be successful if you're in it just to lose weight. Not to mention that you'll bloat back up once you add grains back into your diet.

    I really like living Paleo. My skin is clearer, I sleep better, I have more energy, I don't have that nasty bloated miserable feeling after I eat every meal and don't have to deal with blood sugar spikes and dips throughout the day. Oh and I have lost over 30 pounds since January 1. I went from a size 12 to a size 6.... and dropping. Weight loss is a nice side effect ;)

    ^^This^^ If you are doing Paleo to drop a few pounds and not to change your lifestyle, you need to find something else because once you return to your old ways of eating you are just going to bloat right back up again.

    I have been eating it for approximately 6-7 months now and I would say I have been very successful with it!.
    I don't like the low fat focus of paleo and primal includes legumes (if I remember correctly) and more fruit than I am able to eat.

    ...where are you getting your information?
  • caribougal
    caribougal Posts: 865 Member
    Here's an article on the difference between Paleo and Primal. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/whats-the-difference-between-primal-and-paleo/

    To me, strict Paleo eliminates all dairy (ghee is OK since milk solids are removed), stresses lean cuts of meat, and limits eggs and even some higher carb veggies/fruits.

    Primal is more laid back. Dairy is OK, but preference to grass-fed butter. Not so focused on lean meats if they're from grass-fed/pastured animals. Pretty much all veggies/fruits are OK, but some (like potatoes) should be limited if you're going for weight-loss.

    Legumes are tricky. Both say legumes are best avoided since they have "anti-nutrients" which I personally think is sort of extreme, but I agree that for the carb punch they're probably not worth it nutritionally. Mark Sisson wrote a funny article about green beans and peas:

    "... I can imagine the Vibram-clad pausing in produce aisles across the world, looming over the bright green beans and agonizing over the antinutrient content of the admittedly tasty legumes, dipping their callused hands heavy with barbell stink into the display case full of sweet peas, letting the tiny green pearls cascade through their fingers like Maximus Decimus Meridius caressing the stalks of wheat in Gladiator and thinking of casseroles from days long past."

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/are-peas-and-green-beans-healthy/#ixzz24UkXioYE

    Basically, green beans and peas are legumes, but come on... really... they're OK to eat. IMHO, that's the difference between Paleo and Primal. Common sense and logic to avoid obsessive extremes. (written as I munch on cheese).

    I agree with posters above that you should give it a go, but I would say longer than 2 weeks. I say give it a go for a month, since the first couple of weeks you may have "carb flu". You need to get past that to feel the benefits.
  • nursevee
    nursevee Posts: 344 Member
    I've done Paleo for nearly seven months. Once you hit the recipe websites you realize it's not as difficult to stick with as you might have imagined. It's absolutely a lifestyle change and not something that you do to shed a bit of weight because returning to your old diet will see you gain again. I would have called myself an absolute food addict once, i'd eat and not feel satisfied and my BSL would be up and down. Once I converted (I don't eat grains, processed food, refined sugar - minimal sugar at best - or dairy) my whole outlook changed. Lots of websites out there. Google it.
  • Paco0919
    Paco0919 Posts: 10 Member
    bump
  • Leeanne1974
    Leeanne1974 Posts: 207 Member
    My only problem with a primal diet is the fact it seems to encourage the eating of saturated fats. Why?? They clog your arteries and give you heart attacks, that is a fact.
    Also they says eat what our ancestors and cavemen ate... The average lifespan of a caveman was about 25. Why? Because they either got eaten by dinosaurs and if they didn't fall foul to that fate - because their diet was crap and they couldn't fight diseases...
    I totally agree with adding nuts and cutting out processed foods but primal or paleo are so not for me.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    My only problem with a primal diet is the fact it seems to encourage the eating of saturated fats. Why?? They clog your arteries and give you heart attacks, that is a fact.
    Also they says eat what our ancestors and cavemen ate... The average lifespan of a caveman was about 25. Why? Because they either got eaten by dinosaurs and if they didn't fall foul to that fate - because their diet was crap and they couldn't fight diseases...
    I totally agree with adding nuts and cutting out processed foods but primal or paleo are so not for me.

    *facepalm*
    *headdesk*
    *fallfloor*

    (Normally, this space would be used for a refutation of your "facts"...but honestly, I'm just not feeling it today. Instead, I'm going to spend the ten or so minutes I would have spent doing something more productive, like eating a can of sardines and a banana. So, good luck on your journey...and don't forget to fact-check your "facts".)
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    I don't like the low fat focus of paleo and primal includes legumes (if I remember correctly) and more fruit than I am able to eat.

    Umm, no. Legumes are not "recommended" on Primal (and I assume on Paleo). And I forgot to mention that amounts of fruit are not given. Just to eat and if you go to Mark's site he recommends only one serving per day of fruit if you are trying to lose weight. You are thinking of way different plan. This is most certainly not either of these two points.

    BTW - For anyone thinking that this will raise their cholesterol/lipids try it and see. Mine are now half what they were in Nov. 2011. Not only that but my blood sugar is normal and blood pressure is normal (and off 3 of the 4 meds I was on for that). So, do some research and try for yourself before you immediately start screaming about the saturated fats. I went from a heart attack in the making to someone with better then "normal" lipids in 9 months on this lifestyle (actually less since my blood work was 3 months ago now).
  • Leeanne1974
    Leeanne1974 Posts: 207 Member
    My only problem with a primal diet is the fact it seems to encourage the eating of saturated fats. Why?? They clog your arteries and give you heart attacks, that is a fact.
    Also they says eat what our ancestors and cavemen ate... The average lifespan of a caveman was about 25. Why? Because they either got eaten by dinosaurs and if they didn't fall foul to that fate - because their diet was crap and they couldn't fight diseases...
    I totally agree with adding nuts and cutting out processed foods but primal or paleo are so not for me.

    *facepalm*
    *headdesk*
    *fallfloor*

    (Normally, this space would be used for a refutation of your "facts"...but honestly, I'm just not feeling it today. Instead, I'm going to spend the ten or so minutes I would have spent doing something more productive, like eating a can of sardines and a banana. So, good luck on your journey...and don't forget to fact-check your "facts".)

    I beg your pardon!!!! I read that link that was provided CAREFULLY!
    Don't be rude to me thank you! I am doing very well on my journey. You eat your can of sardines. I will eat my way. I said it wasn't for me. Not that it should be banned ffs.
    Too many holier than thou people on here sometimes.
  • Leeanne1974
    Leeanne1974 Posts: 207 Member
    And here is a non biased view on the different types of fat we need...

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/543237-what-do-saturated-trans-fats-do-to-your-body/
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    They clog your arteries and give you heart attacks, that is a fact.
    because their diet was crap and they couldn't fight diseases...

    Please quote the citations for these two "facts" as they are most clearly not facts.
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    And here is a non biased view on the different types of fat we need...

    How is that site unbiased? It is run by a foundation of a doper. Find a legitimate source. kthxsbai.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    My only problem with a primal diet is the fact it seems to encourage the eating of saturated fats. Why?? They clog your arteries and give you heart attacks, that is a fact.
    Also they says eat what our ancestors and cavemen ate... The average lifespan of a caveman was about 25. Why? Because they either got eaten by dinosaurs and if they didn't fall foul to that fate - because their diet was crap and they couldn't fight diseases...
    I totally agree with adding nuts and cutting out processed foods but primal or paleo are so not for me.

    *facepalm*
    *headdesk*
    *fallfloor*

    (Normally, this space would be used for a refutation of your "facts"...but honestly, I'm just not feeling it today. Instead, I'm going to spend the ten or so minutes I would have spent doing something more productive, like eating a can of sardines and a banana. So, good luck on your journey...and don't forget to fact-check your "facts".)

    I beg your pardon!!!! I read that link that was provided CAREFULLY!
    Don't be rude to me thank you! I am doing very well on my journey. You eat your can of sardines. I will eat my way. I said it wasn't for me. Not that it should be banned ffs.
    Too many holier than thou people on here sometimes.

    So you post your "facts" (which to the best of my knowledge are *not* supported by any studies) and then accuse me of being rude, that I thought you wanted to ban my way of eating, and that I'm holier-than-thou?

    Has anyone ever accused you of being overly dramatic?

    ETA: And to be clear, I sincerely do not care if you eat this way or not. What I do care about is that you not throw around egregiously incorrect and unsupportable "facts". It's that kind of behavior, admittedly on a much larger scale, that has led many people to the health crises they face today.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    I don't want to start another thread just to ask this very important question:

    How is Paleo/Primal eating different from clean eating?
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I don't want to start another thread just to ask this very important question:

    How is Paleo/Primal eating different from clean eating?

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ is probably the best source for this, but I'll take a stab at it off the top of my head...

    Both would exclude overly processed, added preservatives, etc. However, "clean eating" would allow grains (including wheat), legumes, probably some forms of added sugars, certain dairy (although primal allows certain dairy too), and...well, I guess that's pretty much it. Not a lot of difference, but those differences can make all the difference (to some people).

    The best way to see if you're one of those people is to give it a try for 30 days. Best case, you learn that certain foods actually do make you miserable and you didn't even realize it...worst case is, for 30 days, you ate healthily.*


    *ETA: That is, unless you're stuck in the 80s and earlier and still believe that "fat makes you fat" and "saturated fat clogs your arteries".

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