PALEO: pros, cons and whatever else you may think?

Paleo has worked for alot of people and there are plenty of people out there who really believe in it and have been doing it for years so it is sustainable, just know to really do paleo it takes alot of dedication and alot of learning early on. I would get some paleo friends if you are serious so they can help give you tips.

"Sustainable" is an individual concept in terms of diet. I hate how people look at these diets as "If you were hardcore enough, you could do this." Hardcore is not forcing yourself through a sheer act of will to adhere to a diet that excludes foods you like. That's foolishness. Hardcore is having the discipline to eat what you like without abandoning the basic scientific principles behind weight loss/maintenance/gain, whatever your goal may be.

If you like the general "Paleo" guidelines, and you really believe it is something you are interested in and capable of doing long-term, then knock yourself out. But I don't think it's a good idea as a "challenge" or to lose a certain amount of weight. If you're going to stop doing it at some point, why bother in the first place?

I've been considering a version of paleo for a while. But my reasoning for doing so has been less about weight loss and more about additives and gmo. Eliminating grains and dairy for me means eliminating a lot of prepackaged and processed food. While I won't be following paleo to the letter. Ill probably be doing what works for me with paleo as a general guideline. I've lost plenty of weight doing non paleo calorie counting so you don't need paleo to lose weight. But it might help with avoiding some of the frighteninggarbage most major ccompanies hide in your food. A good rule of thumb. If it has more than five ingredients, it's probably a bad idea.

Imho

ive been doing the whole eating healthy, counting calories thing for over a year now with a lot of success...i recently switched up my workout routine from just basic gym work/cardio/etc to include crossfit and a lot more weight lifting so i was thinking i would transition my diet choices as well and see how that worked for me.

By all means switch up your diet if you want something different. Introduce new foods and new meal ideas.

You don't need some silly restrictive diet to do this. If you think paleo sounds good, incorporate some common paleo foods into your meals, whatever those might be. But there's no reason to buy into "paleo" and skip the ice cream.

This is actually a good idea. You can look around at all the various silly diets out there and work some of their common foods into your meals. Have a big pile of paleo meat for dinner one night followed by ice cream, then have some vegan enchiladas for lunch the next day. Or whatever.

What I'm saying is if you're bored with your food take food inspiration from others. You don't need to totally buy into their "diet" to enjoy their meals.

I find that when I do it about 90% of the time, 90% true to the "protein-veges-nuts theory" I am a much much happier, healthier person. (If I did it 100% I'd probably be even better, but I am somewhat self destructive at times :ohwell: ). Some people find that it can be socially restrictive, I've not really found that (apart from the alcohol of course, I"m OK with that a few times a week).

I know that I have gluten intolerance and major digestive and health issues if I ignore that (still do sometimes, duh). And I know that if I don't eat dairy I am similarly much happier. Won't go into details. I'm still not convinced that dairy shouldn't be just for baby cows ... isn't for me in any case (still do sometimes however, duh )

So it's a natural "food plan" for me, has been since 2003, I was doing it well before I knew someone came up with a name for it...! I think it's only a "diet" if its not your normal way of eating, and you don't intend to do it forever. I do.

Try it for at least 3 weeks and see if it works for you, good luck!

I like the idea of Paleo, and I try for it, but it's sometimes difficult.
Paleo ppl will say it's not a diet but a lifestyle. I agree, because the idea of it is to eat like our cave-people ancestors, without the processed crap that is in most people's meal plans.
I find it hard to stick to Paleo because I love dairy and peanuts, and most people say they are not paleo.
Also, my husband is a vegetarian who is super fussy, so there is a lot of bread and pasta around for him.

Hi!!! I have been doing the Paleo-Zone Challenge at my box too. I am at week 3 of week 4.

I was already starting to eat more Paleo (90%) three weeks before the challenge so it wasn't as bad to begin with and I wasn't eating a lot of junk food and trying to make healthier choices.

Progress so far: I have lost 5 pounds, and 5 inches off my waist in three weeks. And I've been working out 5 times a week. (3-4 times at the box and another activity on the weekend) and yes, I did have the occasional cheat on the weekend that wasn't paleo-zone. (I'm only human!) But people are noticing my progress.

But seriously, I was still counting my calories so that I don't go overboard. Because you can't lose if you go over your calorie allowance even if you eat Paleo. Paleo will not be the reason you lose fat. A calorie deficit will. I have experienced that eating Paleo will help you feel fuller longer on foods that have less calories because you can really fill yourself up easily with vegetables which are low calorie. But if the reason of the challenge is to feel better and healthier overall, try it for three weeks! You will notice a difference!

But here are my Pros and Cons at week3 of my Paleo-Zone Challenge:

PROS:

- You feel amazing! Believe me, what you put in your mouth really does make a difference. I have so much energy and feel great!
- Get to try new recipes
- Feel less bloated and gassy....:blushing:
- Grain-fed meat is a lot tastier. (I never thought I would taste the difference)
- More regular
- Because I am eating more vegetables and fruits, I feel less hungry all the time and can actually control my portions better.
- You can't be Paleo all the time, it's socially restrictive. So when you do have something you have been missing, (icecream, nutella, bread), it is just that much satisfying!


CONS:
- It has lots of restrictions (pasta, bread, nutella, booze, beans, corn etc)
- Hard to access grain-fed meats (depending on where you live)
- Need to plan ahead
- Lots of contradicting information on what is considered Paleo.


For people saying that its more expensive going Paleo, I would say that I disagree. I track all my expenses and my grocery bill for me and my bf have been going down for the past two months since we started going Paleo. Of course, this might vary if you don't have access to grain-fed meat easily.

The secret is plan plan plan. Don't just come home to an empty fridge or else you will be tempted to eat that box of KD that's been in the cupboard for so long. Try to cook more portions at your supper for leftovers the next day at lunch!

Good luck :drinker:

Self-imposing a dietary restriction can make it easier to resist typical treats served at holiday parties. But if you go paleo and want to lose weight, don't ditch calorie counting. I went paleo for a while and actually gained weight because fatty meat wasn't satisfying my appetite as much as grains and legumes do. I know people are always saying that meals with protein and fat are more satisfying, but that hasn't been the case for me.

Can't hurt to give paleo a try for yourself, though.

Paleo definitely feels like the most sustainable eating plan to me. I don't really have to count calories - if I eat Whole30 approved foods until I'm full 3-4 times a day, it adds up to being right about the amount of calories I want, so I don't have to watch too carefully. If I eat bread/sweets/etc. - I feel like I'm starving to death on the same amount of calories and not only do i have to count, but I have to restrict to get there, and it's not fun and I don't feel like I can sustain the effort for very long. People are correct though that if you're trying to lose weight it's worth counting. Especially if you eat many nuts, you can go over on calories, but to me it's more like I can eat until I'm full to maintain, cut back just a bit to lose weight. That's very doable.

Also - it's still pretty easy to eat out. Yeah, you have to ask for modifications sometimes, but meat/fish and steamed veggies or salad with olive oil and vinegar isn't a crazy request. Honestly I think it would be harder to be a vegetarian at some places and eat anything nutritious.

I say give it a try OP! I myself am not Paleo/Primal (I like cheese) but I do eat a diet based in lean meats and veggies and keep it as minimally processed as possible and I've never felt better. People might tell you something like that is needlessly restrictive but if it works for so many people is it really needless? Isn't a lack of restriction what gets so many people in trouble in the first place?!

A strictly controlled diet is just what is needed for lots of people.

Also - it's still pretty easy to eat out. Yeah, you have to ask for modifications sometimes, but meat/fish and steamed veggies or salad with olive oil and vinegar isn't a crazy request. Honestly I think it would be harder to be a vegetarian at some places and eat anything nutritious.

Processed foods like olive oil and vinegar are okay, but beans are not. Makes no sense at all.