New to Paleo/Primal lifestyle

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bethja07
bethja07 Posts: 3 Member
Hey everyone!
I am interested in starting a paleo or primal diet to lose weight but I have no idea where to start!!! Unfortunately, I rely heavily on processed foods and I know that part of paleo is to avoid these foods, but now I don't know what to eat! I'm also not great in the kitchen so any recipes would be great.

I need all the help I can get!

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  • tigger9759
    tigger9759 Posts: 55 Member
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    Well what do you enjoy eating? That will give us somewhere to start; for some people taking baby steps work. And for some of us, it's a scorched earth policy from the beginning; only you know what will give you the best chance for success :smile:
  • LavenderBouquet
    LavenderBouquet Posts: 736 Member
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    Hello! I started eating primal about one month ago, and so far I am loving it! Definitely send me over a friend request :flowerforyou: Take a look at my open diary to see what I've been eating for ideas if you'd like. I'd recommend marksdailyapple.com or reading The Primal Blueprint or The Paleo Diet, there are a few others out there too that are good reads. I've found that Google has been my best friend when trying to find replacements or ideas, simply typing in paleo or primal breakfast or snacks will get you recipes or if you want to replace let's say gravy or pancakes or whatever, just search for primal ________ or paleo ________, inserting whatever food into the blanks. There's quite a community of paleo/primal peeps on here who are very supportive :smile:
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I started about a month ago. My advice would be to keep it simple. For me, I eat a lot of the same foods, until I'm comfortable diving into new recipes. I'd say I'm about 90% Paleo/Primal (mostly due to my coffee/creamer addiction). My diary looks something like this:

    Coffee (7:00): Coffee & So Delicious Coconut Creamer (vanilla)
    AM Snack (8:30 or 9:00): 4 slices uncured bacon + 1 egg OR 1/2 avocado, some cherry tomatoes and 3 slices deli ham (not perfect, but it's good in a time crunch)
    Lunch (11:30 or 12): 3-4 oz protein + a veggie
    PM Snack (2:30): 1 oz nuts (cashews usually)
    Dinner (6:00ish): 3-4 oz protein + a veggie
    Eve Snack/Dessert (8:30): 2 Hail Merry Macroons OR 1 oz Blue Almond Butter Toffee Nuts (again, not perfect) OR 1oz Cashews

    If you can handle it, you could have larger portions than what I eat (e.g., eat 5-6 oz of meat). My portion sizes are limited due to surgery.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    The place to start is with a book--I always recommend someone starts by reading a book to get a good idea of why certain foods are preferred over others, how to prepare foods, etc. The Primal Blueprint is a great book--I think someone already mentioned that and Mark Sisson's website, Mark's Daily Apple. Great starting place, and if you're wanting to include dairy, go primal.

    The paleo book I'd start with is Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution. He also has a great website you can do a bunch of reading/talking on.

    A couple of my favourite sites for recipes are nomnompaleo.com and theclothesmakethegirl.com

    I also really like Chowstalker, as it's kind of like a primal/paleo pin board with a ton of photos of food that just looks fantastic, and you can click and go right to the recipe. Nice place to visit and drool over photos. :wink:

    Like TS65 said, I ate a lot of the same foods, over and over. I still do that to a great degree....I think the average person does that, anyway. I do love to cook, though, and I cook from scratch pretty much every night! Well, unless we're having leftovers or something. Tonight will be simple and tasty--grass fed steaks, asparagus, tossed green salad, and hasselback sweet potatoes.

    I always alternate easy meals with the more time consuming stuff I cook. If something is going to take me a few hours to prepare, I try to make sure there will be enough for leftovers the next day. Sometimes that means doubling a recipe.

    Another super paleo/primal friendly tool is a slow cooker! Really great for people who are new to cooking, or a bit unsure about it. You can make all sorts of stuff in those things, and you don't have to fuss with it or watch it. Just turn it on and off you go! I make bone broth using my slow cooker, but have also made all sorts of cool stuff. Pork ribs, a roast, soups, chili, stews, curry, you name it!
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I always alternate easy meals with the more time consuming stuff I cook. If something is going to take me a few hours to prepare, I try to make sure there will be enough for leftovers the next day. Sometimes that means doubling a recipe.

    Another super paleo/primal friendly tool is a slow cooker!

    ^^ Add this to my statement too. Definitely agree! We eat A LOT of leftovers. Makes it much easier.
  • Aloemilk
    Aloemilk Posts: 12 Member
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    paleo-food-pyramid.jpg?w=600

    This may help you see what you can eat. Like tiger9759 said, some start going primal one meal a day, some of us just go all for it. Choose whichever method works better with your personality, and for meal ideas, check our diaries or look online like purplesaurus suggested :)

    Eating this way makes going out more difficult, but your life so much better! :D
  • spirit80
    spirit80 Posts: 327 Member
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    Welcome to the group!
  • nvpixie
    nvpixie Posts: 483 Member
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    I just started Paleo a week ago. To keep it simple for myself, I simply cut out all dairy, sugar (except for fruit), legumes, and grains. If I'm going to eat something packaged (even salad dressing), I check the ingredients and don't eat it if it has one of the above. I've been using EVOO and red wine vinegar on my salads with salt and pepper.

    My only weakness is coffee creamer in the morning. I haven't found a substitute I like. I don't have coffee every day. Sometimes I have green tea.

    Basically my diet consists of meats (chicken, beef, fish), eggs, any veggies (including nightshades), fruit (one or two servings a day) and one serving a day of nuts. I use butter on cooked veggies without regret. I've had sweet potatoes once in the past week.

    Homemade soups have become my go-to meals.

    I figure I'm about 90% primal/paleo and that's fine with me. I'm still working on finding easy recipes to mix it up a bit. I completely plan on cheating with corn on the cob this summer ;)