Paleo Eating/Clean eating

I am thinking about trying the Paleo way of eating. I need to do it slowly. Anyone have any suggestions. I have never done this before. I am looking for suggestions on how to start. Thanks
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Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Why are you considering this?


    Just curious, have a nice day!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Join this group:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/54-primal-paleo-support-group

    Lots of info for folks considering Paleo/primal/clean eating.
  • jenifr818
    jenifr818 Posts: 805 Member
    Bumping to see replies
  • Sarah0866
    Sarah0866 Posts: 291 Member
    What specific goals are you hoping to achieve?

    Regardless, if you are committing to it and want to gradually implement Paleo principals into your diet, I would cut out one non-Paleo food that you typically eat every week or two (i.e. bread first, then milk, followed by legumes, etc.), until your diet is completely centered around healthy fats, lean meats (though a fattier cut is ok every once in a while), and fruits/veggies.
  • elliej
    elliej Posts: 466 Member
    I think Paleo is a fad diet, but the easiest thing to do is slowly work all refined and processed food out of your diet i.e. don't eat anything with more than 1 or 2 ingredients in.

    Then work out all the extra (healthy) food that paleo doesn't let you eat ;)
  • laurief1212
    laurief1212 Posts: 83 Member
    Just trying to eat better and make better choices.
  • laurief1212
    laurief1212 Posts: 83 Member
    Thank you will look into this group.
  • m2the2ndPOWER
    m2the2ndPOWER Posts: 6 Member
    I've been eating paleo since January 2013 and have found it to be very helpful on many things. I looked into paleo first off because I was having a lot of digestive issues (constipation, bloating, etc.). Since going paleo, I have found many of these issues to be resolved for the most part. I also noticed since going paleo I'm not as lethargic.

    I'm not squeaky clean paleo...I follow it about 90% of the time.

    If you're looking for a place to start, I recommend picking up the book "Practical Paleo" by Diane Sanfilippo. It was a great source for me and many people who follow a paleo lifestyle.
  • her4g63
    her4g63 Posts: 284 Member
    LOVE Paleo. It's worked for me and my family -- we all feel healthier, more energetic, happier and have way less health issues.

    My husband has RA (diagnosed at 19 and is now 25) -- before paleo, he was always sore, needing his medication to be able to get out of bed, etc. Now? It's a complete rarity when his body aches like it once did. I'm not saying it makes it "go away", but it certainly has lessened the pain he felt.

    I have epilepsy. I was diagnosed at 16 and am now 26. Had seizures fairly regularly, even with my medication. I have since ceased taking my medications (with my doctor's approval, of course). Again, not saying my "lifestyle change" made it "go away"; however, it does seem to be connected with what I was putting INTO my body.

    Is it for everyone? No. It was one of the hardest changes I've made to date as I had to completely revamp my kitchen, ways of thinking and shopping/eating habits. But my gosh was it worth it.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/54-primal-paleo-support-group
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/455-primal-paleo-challenges
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/621-the-primal-life-tips-from-the-cave

    A couple of my FAVORITE paleo websites to find recipes:
    www.theclothesmakethegirl.com
    www.fastpaleo.com
    www.everydaypaleo.com
    www.nomnompaleo.com
    www.chowstalker.com
    www.paleoplan.com
    www.civilizedcavemancooking.com

    And, of course, a couple of my FAVORITE paleo cookbooks that I'm obsessed with:
    Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat (www.theclothesmakethegirl.com 's recipe book -- I LOVE Mel and her cooking)
    Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle
    Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen
  • vmlabute
    vmlabute Posts: 311 Member
    Always wanted to try Paleo :) Need to start eating healthy and clean
  • RAGGEDYANN1970
    RAGGEDYANN1970 Posts: 115 Member
    my husband and i are doing a modified version (because we aren't eating eggs, which are allowed on paleo, and some other slight modifications) we stopped everything completely cold turkey in one single day. (in fact, i went to Whataburger for a HUGE meal the night before we started) we are on day 17 right now, and i haven't had one single craving or even attempted to "cheat." not once. i even got upset when i saw there was soy in my cooking spray b/c we aren't eating soy either! i refused to use it anymore (similar to Pam cooking spray) - i cannot tell you what a difference it has made for me. i have lost 8 lbs (bought a new scale, just weighed today!) and i am sleeping like a brick house. i had insomnia and i suffer from several mental health issues. i have been overall very stable over the past 2 weeks. having no sugar is the biggest change for us, we couldn't believe how many things had added sugar in them! so many foods we had in our home. it has been a huge lifestyle shift for us, but our parents have diabetes and heart conditions (mostly my mom, but his dad, too) and as we are getting older, we are just going to try to do whatever we can to avoid those things. we have decided to allow ourselves one day per month to eat something we normally can't, and both of us are wanting a turkey sandwich for our first "day off." LOL but funny enough, it hasn't even bothered me to give up bread - and i was a HUGE bread/butter girl. anyway, going slowly might work for some people, but i wanted to get rid of everything at once so i could feel the changes. to me, if i'm going to do something, i am diving in head-first! :smile: good luck to you.
  • RAGGEDYANN1970
    RAGGEDYANN1970 Posts: 115 Member
    LOVE Paleo. It's worked for me and my family -- we all feel healthier, more energetic, happier and have way less health issues.

    My husband has RA (diagnosed at 19 and is now 25) -- before paleo, he was always sore, needing his medication to be able to get out of bed, etc. Now? It's a complete rarity when his body aches like it once did. I'm not saying it makes it "go away", but it certainly has lessened the pain he felt.

    I have epilepsy. I was diagnosed at 16 and am now 26. Had seizures fairly regularly, even with my medication. I have since ceased taking my medications (with my doctor's approval, of course). Again, not saying my "lifestyle change" made it "go away"; however, it does seem to be connected with what I was putting INTO my body.

    Is it for everyone? No. It was one of the hardest changes I've made to date as I had to completely revamp my kitchen, ways of thinking and shopping/eating habits. But my gosh was it worth it.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/54-primal-paleo-support-group
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/455-primal-paleo-challenges
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/621-the-primal-life-tips-from-the-cave

    A couple of my FAVORITE paleo websites to find recipes:
    www.theclothesmakethegirl.com
    www.fastpaleo.com
    www.everydaypaleo.com
    www.nomnompaleo.com
    www.chowstalker.com
    www.paleoplan.com
    www.civilizedcavemancooking.com

    And, of course, a couple of my FAVORITE paleo cookbooks that I'm obsessed with:
    Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat (www.theclothesmakethegirl.com 's recipe book -- I LOVE Mel and her cooking)
    Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle
    Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen

    thank you very much for posting. much appreciated! :smile:

    THE PALEO SOLUTION by robb wolf
    EVERYDAY PALEO (cookbook) by sarah fragoso
  • RAGGEDYANN1970
    RAGGEDYANN1970 Posts: 115 Member
    BTW, just wanted to add, in these 17 days since we've been doing this, i have NOT COUNTED CALORIES ONE SINGLE DAY. i have managed to lse 8 lbs. in this timeframe. never logged one single meal or even my exercise into MFP. i can't believe i can lose without managing and obsessing over my food. i eat when i'm hungry (my appetite has decreased drastically) and stop when i'm full. it's SUPER EASY.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    Just trying to eat better and make better choices.

    That's the whole point of Paleo. People calling it a "fad" don't have a clue. Albeit some people will treat it as a fad, just like any other diet that gets viewed as a temporary fix rather than a permanent change.

    Go to the group recommended in another post above. People who live this lifestyle can help but we don't like the bs in the general forums.

    There's no way to start gradually imo. You either choose to eat garbage or you don't. It's not hard.

    PS. My favourite book: "Primal Body, Primal Mind" by Nora Gedgaudas. If you are substantially over-weight, have health problems or just want to feel awesome, a ketogenic form of Paleo is ideal.
  • I think Paleo is a fad diet, but the easiest thing to do is slowly work all refined and processed food out of your diet i.e. don't eat anything with more than 1 or 2 ingredients in.

    Then work out all the extra (healthy) food that paleo doesn't let you eat ;)
    I think cutting out processed foods is a good way to start. That or grains. Or just one grain, wheat. And see how it goes.

    I'm a big believer of working your way into things and concentrating on one thing at a time, but some people like to go cold turkey. If that's you, do a whole 30 and then add stuff back and see what you think.

    For recipes, I also like stupideasypaleo and I get a ton of stuff from pinterest! I do more primal, though, because you can pry the cheese from my cold dead hands.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    Due to 10000 years of intensive farming and selective crop breeding, step one is get a time machine.
    You'll then have to decide which part of the planet you would like to live with it's very restricted sources to provide you with your diet.


    I'm all for eating more fresh, less processed 'whole' foods. Especially more vegetables. Just don't call it paleo. It makes it look like you don't have a clue what you are talking about.
  • stillnot2late
    stillnot2late Posts: 385 Member
    BTW, just wanted to add, in these 17 days since we've been doing this, i have NOT COUNTED CALORIES ONE SINGLE DAY. i have managed to lse 8 lbs. in this timeframe. never logged one single meal or even my exercise into MFP. i can't believe i can lose without managing and obsessing over my food. i eat when i'm hungry (my appetite has decreased drastically) and stop when i'm full. it's SUPER EASY.

    I have no idea what this form of eating is, but I've been reading comments in the forums for years (this is a new account for me). What you said above is very interesting.
  • RAGGEDYANN1970
    RAGGEDYANN1970 Posts: 115 Member
    BTW, just wanted to add, in these 17 days since we've been doing this, i have NOT COUNTED CALORIES ONE SINGLE DAY. i have managed to lse 8 lbs. in this timeframe. never logged one single meal or even my exercise into MFP. i can't believe i can lose without managing and obsessing over my food. i eat when i'm hungry (my appetite has decreased drastically) and stop when i'm full. it's SUPER EASY.

    I have no idea what this form of eating is, but I've been reading comments in the forums for years (this is a new account for me). What you said above is very interesting.

    my husband and i started a few weeks ago by wanting to try the JJ Virgin diet, then as we got into it, i started doing more research and came across paleo. we modified a few things (such as we are not eating eggs right now) but the part about not counting calories come from the JJ Virgin diet. you eliminate:
    1. soy
    2. peanuts
    3. gluten
    4. dairy
    5. sugar
    6. eggs
    7. corn
    for 3 weeks, then introduce one of the above each week to see how your body reacts. once we found paleo, we kind of kept some of each of the ideas. JJ virgin's advice is to not count calories. she said just eliminate these foods and watch your body work. (exercise is important to me, i am an avid gym-aholic. LOL) anyway, we are not to the point of re-introducing foods yet, and not sure we really will on a full-time basis. its MUCh easier than i anticipated, and we feel great and my husband has lost 17 lbs. (he has alot more to lose than i do, which i think is why he has dropped so much)

    *edited to add a bit
  • InForBacon
    InForBacon Posts: 1,508 Member
    Breastmilk is paleo.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I am thinking about trying the Paleo way of eating.

    There are a million different ways to eat "Paleo". What specifically are you planning on doing, and what are you hoping to accomplish?

    "Making better choices" has to be in relation to specific goals, otherwise there's no measuring stick. :)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Breastmilk is paleo.

    It's the only milk that is.
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    I know a lot of people who follow the Paleo diet and they recommend reading 'It Starts With Food' and then starting with the Whole 30... so you can see the way foods affect your body. Good luck!
  • Alehmer
    Alehmer Posts: 433 Member
    I don't specifically eat Paleo but it ends up pretty darn close. No grains or starches, no caloric drinks, no processed food. My wife and I are a bit over 2 months in and we're both very happy with it. My wife has lost 20 lbs and after a lifetime of yo-yo dieting and 'points' she feels like this is something she can happily maintain for life. In addition she's feeling much, much healthier.

    I allow myself some limited exceptions immediately after/during a workout or practice (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) in that I will have allow something like a Gatorade in the middle of a 2 hour practice, and have a milk & whey protein as well as a slice of toast after. If I am on the run and can't immediately refuel I use a Clif or Quest bar. The body just can't replace that much energy that fast without some help from fast sugars to maintain muscle and blood sugar balance.

    Yes, it does end up being very healthy, but even if you don't buy into the whole 'Paleo' idea, you are cutting most if not all of the foods that are very fast-digesting and high calorie in one fell swoop. It's a simple to use method that allows you to eat a lot of delicious food while constraining your caloric intake. It takes some adjustment, but I really don't have a craving for bread or potato or beer now. It's still yummy in small doses on the occasional (monthly) minor cheat day, but after you've broken the habit you don't really miss it. When we have really broken from it (on a cruise, all-day meeting with pizza lunch served, etc.) that food beats me up so bad on the inside that I just can't wait to eat goods meats and veggies again.

    As bonus I had a big egg, egg white, onion, pepper, chicken sausage, cheddar cheese Frittata with a side of bacon yesterday... and I was obeying my diet to a T.
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    BTW, just wanted to add, in these 17 days since we've been doing this, i have NOT COUNTED CALORIES ONE SINGLE DAY. i have managed to lse 8 lbs. in this timeframe. never logged one single meal or even my exercise into MFP. i can't believe i can lose without managing and obsessing over my food. i eat when i'm hungry (my appetite has decreased drastically) and stop when i'm full. it's SUPER EASY.

    I have no idea what this form of eating is, but I've been reading comments in the forums for years (this is a new account for me). What you said above is very interesting.

    my husband and i started a few weeks ago by wanting to try the JJ Virgin diet, then as we got into it, i started doing more research and came across paleo. we modified a few things (such as we are not eating eggs right now) but the part about not counting calories come from the JJ Virgin diet. you eliminate:
    1. soy
    2. peanuts
    3. gluten
    4. dairy
    5. sugar
    6. eggs
    7. corn
    for 3 weeks, then introduce one of the above each week to see how your body reacts. once we found paleo, we kind of kept some of each of the ideas. JJ virgin's advice is to not count calories. she said just eliminate these foods and watch your body work. (exercise is important to me, i am an avid gym-aholic. LOL) anyway, we are not to the point of re-introducing foods yet, and not sure we really will on a full-time basis. its MUCh easier than i anticipated, and we feel great and my husband has lost 17 lbs. (he has alot more to lose than i do, which i think is why he has dropped so much)

    *edited to add a bit

    You're losing weight because you're eating less due to the amount of protein you consume, which is known to keep you full. It's basically atkins rehashed with a new name, low carb, high protein.
  • Today I want to give you some basic concepts to keep in mind in thinking about how and what you eat. They are discussing meat, fruit and vegetables fresh produce, seasonal foods, compost, packaging and engineered foods........ Read some more interesting articles here:
    http://greenninjas.org/eating-green-and-staying-healthy-2/
  • You're losing weight because you're eating less due to the amount of protein you consume, which is known to keep you full. It's basically atkins rehashed with a new name, low carb, high protein.
    It's not as restrictive as Atkins as far as carbs are concerned, at least primal. Whole30 is very restrictive but it's meant to be short lived, paleo in general is just eating whole foods - mostly meats fruits veggies with some natural fats.
  • RAGGEDYANN1970
    RAGGEDYANN1970 Posts: 115 Member
    BTW, just wanted to add, in these 17 days since we've been doing this, i have NOT COUNTED CALORIES ONE SINGLE DAY. i have managed to lse 8 lbs. in this timeframe. never logged one single meal or even my exercise into MFP. i can't believe i can lose without managing and obsessing over my food. i eat when i'm hungry (my appetite has decreased drastically) and stop when i'm full. it's SUPER EASY.

    I have no idea what this form of eating is, but I've been reading comments in the forums for years (this is a new account for me). What you said above is very interesting.

    my husband and i started a few weeks ago by wanting to try the JJ Virgin diet, then as we got into it, i started doing more research and came across paleo. we modified a few things (such as we are not eating eggs right now) but the part about not counting calories come from the JJ Virgin diet. you eliminate:
    1. soy
    2. peanuts
    3. gluten
    4. dairy
    5. sugar
    6. eggs
    7. corn
    for 3 weeks, then introduce one of the above each week to see how your body reacts. once we found paleo, we kind of kept some of each of the ideas. JJ virgin's advice is to not count calories. she said just eliminate these foods and watch your body work. (exercise is important to me, i am an avid gym-aholic. LOL) anyway, we are not to the point of re-introducing foods yet, and not sure we really will on a full-time basis. its MUCh easier than i anticipated, and we feel great and my husband has lost 17 lbs. (he has alot more to lose than i do, which i think is why he has dropped so much)

    *edited to add a bit

    You're losing weight because you're eating less due to the amount of protein you consume, which is known to keep you full. It's basically atkins rehashed with a new name, low carb, high protein.

    that's not true at all. i am eating far more since we started. my appetite has decreased, but overall, the AMOUNT of foods i am eating has drastically increased as compared to when i was calorie counting and just eating Lean Cuisine and other ways of cutting caloires.
  • I did paleo for the first half of this year after a cancer scare and severe anemia. I didn't lose any weight on it (for those looking to lose weight), but it sure did reshape the way I eat. I used to cook very little. I rarely eat out now and cook at home most of the time. And the food is good - my family is constantly amazed at the healthy concoctions I come up with and it's truly thanks to being on that "plan" for 6 months and having to learn how to cook real WHOLE food. It also taught me a lot of creative and healthier substitutions in cooking I never would have known about.

    I ended up going off paleo after having my BF tested. I'm an endurance athlete (Ironman triathlete and marathoner) and although I look very slim, my body fat was higher than I thought it would be. In an effort to lean out, my nutritionist cut out a lot of the paleo friendly options I ate every day (most nuts are a no no for me right now and a lot of the meat i was eating wasn't lean enough). It didn't make me fat - don't get me wrong - but it didn't help my body composition either. And the bottom line is, for me, i need more carbs in my diet to do the type of training i do for the distances I compete at. I know there's successful paleo marathoners and Ironmen out there - it just didn't work for me when training picked up. I was hungry all the time and bonked a lot on long bikes. But it did spark a huge lifestyle change for me in the kitchen and for that i am grateful:)
  • her4g63
    her4g63 Posts: 284 Member
    BTW, just wanted to add, in these 17 days since we've been doing this, i have NOT COUNTED CALORIES ONE SINGLE DAY. i have managed to lse 8 lbs. in this timeframe. never logged one single meal or even my exercise into MFP. i can't believe i can lose without managing and obsessing over my food. i eat when i'm hungry (my appetite has decreased drastically) and stop when i'm full. it's SUPER EASY.

    I have no idea what this form of eating is, but I've been reading comments in the forums for years (this is a new account for me). What you said above is very interesting.

    my husband and i started a few weeks ago by wanting to try the JJ Virgin diet, then as we got into it, i started doing more research and came across paleo. we modified a few things (such as we are not eating eggs right now) but the part about not counting calories come from the JJ Virgin diet. you eliminate:
    1. soy
    2. peanuts
    3. gluten
    4. dairy
    5. sugar
    6. eggs
    7. corn
    for 3 weeks, then introduce one of the above each week to see how your body reacts. once we found paleo, we kind of kept some of each of the ideas. JJ virgin's advice is to not count calories. she said just eliminate these foods and watch your body work. (exercise is important to me, i am an avid gym-aholic. LOL) anyway, we are not to the point of re-introducing foods yet, and not sure we really will on a full-time basis. its MUCh easier than i anticipated, and we feel great and my husband has lost 17 lbs. (he has alot more to lose than i do, which i think is why he has dropped so much)

    *edited to add a bit

    You're losing weight because you're eating less due to the amount of protein you consume, which is known to keep you full. It's basically atkins rehashed with a new name, low carb, high protein.

    that's not true at all. i am eating far more since we started. my appetite has decreased, but overall, the AMOUNT of foods i am eating has drastically increased as compared to when i was calorie counting and just eating Lean Cuisine and other ways of cutting caloires.

    +1

    I eat significantly more now compared to what I consumed before changing; it's just food that's better for me. When I was looking to lose weight (now looking to gain with being pregnant again), I lost over 40 pounds and was able to maintain my goal weight easily.

    OP, I personally did cold turkey when I did the change. I did the Whole30 to see whether it was something I wanted to continue and after the first week, I noticed significant improvements and I knew I would continue. I tried the "going slow" thing and it was disasterous. I either had to commit to it completely...or not at all.
  • RAGGEDYANN1970
    RAGGEDYANN1970 Posts: 115 Member

    OP, I personally did cold turkey when I did the change. I did the Whole30 to see whether it was something I wanted to continue and after the first week, I noticed significant improvements and I knew I would continue. I tried the "going slow" thing and it was disasterous. I either had to commit to it completely...or not at all.

    i quit cold/turkey, too. much easier for me, and i could see results vs. just taking it slowly and not being sure what was making me feel better :smile: