Success with The Paleo Diet?

baileybiddles
baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
in Success Stories
Hey everyone!

I'm seriously considering starting the Paleo Diet in the new year. I'd love to know if anybody has lost the bulk of their weight using the paleo diet and how they felt it worked for them.

Please post pictures if you've got them!

Thanks! :)

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    all I am going to say it this…Paleo is not a magical weight loss program…

    You can accomplish your weight loss/fitness goals by eating in a calorie deficit, working out, and hitting your macros.
  • baileybiddles
    baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
    Hey there,

    I appreciate the input! I've lost twenty pounds in the past year by simply eating a deficit and working out. I know that it works, but I want to research other options as well. :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    what are your goals?
  • baileybiddles
    baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
    Well, I'm currently at 184 after starting at 203 pounds in October 2012.

    My main goal is weight loss itself - I have a final goal of 140 pounds after conferencing with my doctor about what my ideal weight is. Once I hit my target goal, I'll focus more on building muscle. I'm trying to hit my goal by June or July, around the time of my birthday. I've only lost so little this year because I've definitely wavered in my concentration.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Paleo positives: It gets people to eat more nutrient dense, whole foods.

    Paleo drawbacks: It is unnecessarily restrictive and impractical to modern life.

    My brother in law is strict paleo and has been for about 3 years...he is obese...he can eat his own weight in nuts, meat, avocados, oils, etc. A lot of paleo food is extremely calorie dense as paleo tends to be a higher fat diet plan. Weight loss is predicated on a calorie deficit...you can be paleo and gain weight, maintain, or lose weight dependent on you calorie intake.

    I have nothing against paleo other than it is far too restrictive (an unnecessarily so) for my tastes and there is no way I could stick with it for the rest of my life....but way too many people think it's some kind of magic or something...it is not.
  • baileybiddles
    baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
    Paleo positives: It gets people to eat more nutrient dense, whole foods.

    Paleo drawbacks: It is unnecessarily restrictive and impractical to modern life.

    My brother in law is strict paleo and has been for about 3 years...he is obese...he can eat his own weight in nuts, meat, avocados, oils, etc. A lot of paleo food is extremely calorie dense as paleo tends to be a higher fat diet plan. Weight loss is predicated on a calorie deficit...you can be paleo and gain weight, maintain, or lose weight dependent on you calorie intake.

    I have nothing against paleo other than it is far too restrictive (an unnecessarily so) for my tastes and there is no way I could stick with it for the rest of my life....but way too many people think it's some kind of magic or something...it is not.

    I feel like it would be common sense to make sure that you still count calories while doing that diet, but I can see where some people may think that there's no reason to count since they're essentially only eating healthy foods. But even just eating a lot of fruit jacks up your sugar intake so much. I've heard that it's best to go for vegetables twice as much as fruit to avoid that overload of sugar.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    Anything with the word diet at the end of it is going to set you up for failure.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Well, I'm currently at 184 after starting at 203 pounds in October 2012.

    My main goal is weight loss itself - I have a final goal of 140 pounds after conferencing with my doctor about what my ideal weight is. Once I hit my target goal, I'll focus more on building muscle. I'm trying to hit my goal by June or July, around the time of my birthday. I've only lost so little this year because I've definitely wavered in my concentration.

    Don't delay the muscle work till you have got to your goal weight. I so wish I had started earlier...(I didn't wait for goal weight).

    start some sort of resistence training now.
  • baileybiddles
    baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
    Anything with the word diet at the end of it is going to set you up for failure.

    I feel that this is a common misconception, especially considering that "diet" is not always an action, but can be used to refer to a persons diet, or the way that they eat. But I understand your general point.
  • baileybiddles
    baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
    Well, I'm currently at 184 after starting at 203 pounds in October 2012.

    My main goal is weight loss itself - I have a final goal of 140 pounds after conferencing with my doctor about what my ideal weight is. Once I hit my target goal, I'll focus more on building muscle. I'm trying to hit my goal by June or July, around the time of my birthday. I've only lost so little this year because I've definitely wavered in my concentration.

    Don't delay the muscle work till you have got to your goal weight. I so wish I had started earlier...(I didn't wait for goal weight).

    start some sort of resistence training now.

    I appreciate the advice! I figured it would be easier for me to just get all the weight off and then train, but I can see where it would be smarter to start sooner.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    Anything with the word diet at the end of it is going to set you up for failure.

    I feel that this is a common misconception, especially considering that "diet" is not always an action, but can be used to refer to a persons diet, or the way that they eat. But I understand your general point.

    Anything that restricts certain foods in the name of weight loss is the use of the word "diet" I am referring to. The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is BALANCE. Eat wholesome nutritious food in conjunction with treats you enjoy. Exercise often but also get adequate rest. I can guarantee you that this is something that anyone can commit to for a lifetime and achieve their goals. Restricting in the name of weight loss is unnecessary, and if you ask me, unpleasant.
  • theodus
    theodus Posts: 13 Member
    Had good success with Macro-Paleo so far. The usual Paleo diet was restrictive, but I've just stuck with keeping my macro-nutrients in line. Calorie deficits are really hard to maintain when you're constantly hungry and your insulin levels are telling your body to store fat at every opportunity. I haven't just lost weight, but fat. High carb diets tend to cause the body to burn lean muscle and to store fat - the so-called fat runner look.

    Limiting you carbohydrates to between 75-100 grams per day will naturally cause your body to prioritize fat as fuel. I'm down from my original 250 lbs to 226. Here's some pointers that are helping me out:

    1. Get most of your calories from healthy fat - coconut oil, olive oil, saturated animal fat (yes, you read that right), and nuts.
    2. Try to get your 75-100 grams or carbs from nuts, low-glycemic fruits and berries, and colorful veggies. Any grain, even whole grain, will eat up your carb allowance and make you hungrier.
    3. Most paleo eaters will advise you to always go for the most natural, unprocessed foods - free-range, organic, etc. Do this whenever you can, but don't destroy your willpower over it. It's hard and expensive to eat like that at every meal.
    4. Eat enough protein to prevent muscle degeneration. Around .7 grams per pound of lean body weight should suffice if you're reasonably active.
    5. Stay within your calorie limit. Paleo will promote a better hormonal profile in your body for weight loss, but overeating will always cause problems.
    6. You will be discouraged by most people from pursuing the Paleo diet. This is mostly because it goes against the conventional ideas of health (e.g. fat is evil, grain is god). Do some easy research and learn for yourself. Here are a few things you can consult -

    Fathead Documentary - Great documentary. Starts slow but stick with it. Shows how fat storage is primarily hormonal and tied to your insulin levels.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evcNPfZlrZs

    Mark's Daily Apple - Mark Sisson's blog. He was an endurance athlete until he realized how to promote true health. He gets into the history and the science as well as the practical side of the lifestyle.
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2ocd1E6Kv

    PaleoOMG - My wife loves these Paleo recipes.
    http://paleomg.com/

    Those are a few sources I can recommend. I'm feeling great, losing fat, and I feel satisfied all day - no more carb cravings that cause me to overeat. Giving up sweets and grain was hard for the first couple of days, but now I couldn't bring myself back to eating like that. Hope this helps.

    EDIT: Oh, and +1 on the weight training/working out now. You need to maintain and increase you muscle as that is what will help your body to burn more calories.
  • carebears1973
    carebears1973 Posts: 63 Member
    To be honest, I've never heard of the Paleo diet...gonna google it. Maybe it hasn't hit the UK yet or it's just past me by x
  • paige2390
    paige2390 Posts: 23 Member
    This site was super helpful for me.
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/
  • baileybiddles
    baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
    Had good success with Macro-Paleo so far. The usual Paleo diet was restrictive, but I've just stuck with keeping my macro-nutrients in line. Calorie deficits are really hard to maintain when you're constantly hungry and your insulin levels are telling your body to store fat at every opportunity. I haven't just lost weight, but fat. High carb diets tend to cause the body to burn lean muscle and to store fat - the so-called fat runner look.

    Limiting you carbohydrates to between 75-100 grams per day will naturally cause your body to prioritize fat as fuel. I'm down from my original 250 lbs to 226. Here's some pointers that are helping me out:

    1. Get most of your calories from healthy fat - coconut oil, olive oil, saturated animal fat (yes, you read that right), and nuts.
    2. Try to get your 75-100 grams or carbs from nuts, low-glycemic fruits and berries, and colorful veggies. Any grain, even whole grain, will eat up your carb allowance and make you hungrier.
    3. Most paleo eaters will advise you to always go for the most natural, unprocessed foods - free-range, organic, etc. Do this whenever you can, but don't destroy your willpower over it. It's hard and expensive to eat like that at every meal.
    4. Eat enough protein to prevent muscle degeneration. Around .7 grams per pound of lean body weight should suffice if you're reasonably active.
    5. Stay within your calorie limit. Paleo will promote a better hormonal profile in your body for weight loss, but overeating will always cause problems.
    6. You will be discouraged by most people from pursuing the Paleo diet. This is mostly because it goes against the conventional ideas of health (e.g. fat is evil, grain is god). Do some easy research and learn for yourself. Here are a few things you can consult -

    Fathead Documentary - Great documentary. Starts slow but stick with it. Shows how fat storage is primarily hormonal and tied to your insulin levels.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evcNPfZlrZs

    Mark's Daily Apple - Mark Sisson's blog. He was an endurance athlete until he realized how to promote true health. He gets into the history and the science as well as the practical side of the lifestyle.
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2ocd1E6Kv

    PaleoOMG - My wife loves these Paleo recipes.
    http://paleomg.com/

    Those are a few sources I can recommend. I'm feeling great, losing fat, and I feel satisfied all day - no more carb cravings that cause me to overeat. Giving up sweets and grain was hard for the first couple of days, but now I couldn't bring myself back to eating like that. Hope this helps.

    EDIT: Oh, and +1 on the weight training/working out now. You need to maintain and increase you muscle as that is what will help your body to burn more calories.

    Thank you so much for the helpful tips! I appreciate it a lot. I did look at paleomg.com for recipes and I have a few bookmarked already! :)

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