Paleo lifestyle... Have you tried it? How did you feel?

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  • KMasz
    KMasz Posts: 2,666 Member
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    I've never done paleo and I don't know much about it, but it was rated the worst diet of 2014.

    http://nypost.com/2014/01/07/the-best-worst-diets-of-2014/
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
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    I tried it, but the logic and science behind it was too flawed for my taste.
  • DanielleDavids
    DanielleDavids Posts: 96 Member
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    I've done several Paleo "challenges" where I eat strict Paleo for a month and I usually eat about 80% paleo every day. I've had great results. I always lose weight, my digestive issues work themselves out, I feel like I have more energy, and my skin clears up. However, it's challenging to get that many greens/lean proteins in every day and, for me, personally, I don't feel like it's 100% sustainable all the time. However, it did teach me that I have sensitivities to a lot of foods such as dairy, wheat, and some legumes and not adding those back into my diet has really helped me have less stomach issues and just feel better in general. I always tell people who ask me that it's worth trying if they have read the literature and just want to see how it makes them feel but I definitely don't think it's the *best* nutritional plan out there (I don't think there is a *best* one at all... everyone's different) and there's plenty of other ways to eat as well that could get you the same results. :)
  • rejectuf
    rejectuf Posts: 487 Member
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    That US news ranking is pretty hilarious in how little research they must have done into how Paleo is practiced by people. Lack of nutrients? Yes, a diet that encourages a large amount and variety of vegetables must be truly lacking. And pretty much all the modern research is pointing to dietary fat not being the villain it has been made out to be.
  • epj78
    epj78 Posts: 643 Member
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    People have strong opinions on it. I haven't read this thread because I'm sure it's full of the strong opinions.

    Here is my take after trying follow it for awhile.....I think you need to research it and really learn about it.

    I followed for 46 days (Lent) - without calorie counting. I felt great, but lost very little weight. I wasn't creating a calorie deficiet - I'm sure. That being said, I really did feel great. So, I started reintroducing foods slowly. I found out what I could tolerate and what I couldn't.

    Now, I combine a not quite as strict version of Paleo (which is what most people do - eat what they can tolerate - you'll find this on most paleo recipe blogs) with calorie counting - I feel great and am losing weight. Pretty much I follow JERF (Just Eat Real Food) without dairy and gluten because both upset my stomach and cause acne. Does this mean I freak out if I have occasional cheese or gluten - nope. I eat it and move on. I just don't make it a part of my normal diet.

    Long and short - it isn't a magic pill. But if you don't feel the best, I suggest It Starts With Food as a good read and then go from there if it seems right for you. It talks about how to add food back in so you can isolate if you have any triggers. It doesn't advocate going hard core for more than 30 days.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
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    That US news ranking is pretty hilarious in how little research they must have done into how Paleo is practiced by people. Lack of nutrients? Yes, a diet that encourages a large amount and variety of vegetables must be truly lacking. And pretty much all the modern research is pointing to dietary fat not being the villain it has been made out to be.
    Yes, lack of nutrients isn't one of it's shortfalls.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    One of the biggest issues with paleo besides the fact it is so big on demonizing food and is cult like (god the paleo police are atrocious)... is that people don't learn what is working and why.

    They think the fact that whole foods and clean grass feed meat are doing it for them.

    And it's not- it's a calorie deficit. Sure they feel better because they are probably eating more veggies and fat and less sugar- and creating a more well balanced diet to help you function- but the reality is- the weight loss isn't from fancy food- it's from a calorie deficit.

    Those are my two big beefs about it (and no- not grass feed beefs- regular plain old Shop Rite beefs)
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
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    Those are my two big beefs about it (and no- not grass feed beefs- regular plain old Shop Rite beefs)

    There's probably horse meat in there! :tongue:
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Those are my two big beefs about it (and no- not grass feed beefs- regular plain old Shop Rite beefs)

    There's probably horse meat in there! :tongue:

    I'm okay with that.... well kind of. I dont' care about eating horse meat except it's unregulated by FDA or anyone- and it all comes from horse's state side pumped full of chemicals that aren't regulated.

    otherwise- eat away.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    One of the biggest issues with paleo besides the fact it is so big on demonizing food and is cult like (god the paleo police are atrocious)... is that people don't learn what is working and why.

    They think the fact that whole foods and clean grass feed meat are doing it for them.

    And it's not- it's a calorie deficit. Sure they feel better because they are probably eating more veggies and fat and less sugar- and creating a more well balanced diet to help you function- but the reality is- the weight loss isn't from fancy food- it's from a calorie deficit.

    Those are my two big beefs about it (and no- not grass feed beefs- regular plain old Shop Rite beefs)

    The majority of people that start the journey of the Paleo or whole foods lifestyle is because it is mostly anti-inflammatory by nature of what your eating.

    Most of us are not looking for weight loss, but a means to heal our bodies from chronic illnesses without the use of heavy duty pharmaceuticals that cause more harm than good in the long term.

    2 years and I am still healing my adrenals, hormone issues and such - so most times my weight loss is very slow or nothing at all. Until my body reaches homeostasis again, I will not experience weightloss no matter how much or how little I eat.

    I have to heal the damage that has been done.

    The weight loss is merely an added benefit.
  • airen123
    airen123 Posts: 149
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    I've done it. It was eh for me. I didn't lose, and I missed pasta. It's also very expensive and you have to get creative, sometimes.
  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
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    I follow the Paleo lifestyle, both for my weight loss and my husbands health. He troubles with high cholesterol, so a lot of stuff needed to be cut from his diet. I love it. I have a 10 yr old, so every two weeks, he picks something non-paleo to eat that way he doesn't get too stressed. I however do a lot of baking so there is always something for him to munch on ad he has adapted very well.

    Going Paleo increased my grocery bill a lot, but it is worth it I lost weight and my husband cholesterol is going down

    I have a severe sweet tooth and I love my wine, so once in a while I will indulge
  • AvaMusnicki
    AvaMusnicki Posts: 15 Member
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    Have I tried it?
    I've been eating Paleo for a couple years now but with some cheating. Right now I've committed to going Paleo, no cheats, for 60 days.

    How did I feel?
    I feel absolutely amazing. The very first thing I noticed was my stomach shrank. For me, my body is happy on a Paleo lifestyle. I've tried many different eating plans like Pritikin, Vegeterian or Vegan. Paleo was it for me. I found that when I do cheat and eat dairy, legumes or processed foods, I have a ton of side effects (gas, bloatedness, stomach pains). So going Paleo works perfect for me and my body. There was a rough adjustment period at first. I seriously craved the extra sugar that I was cutting out. Every person's body is so very different so what works for some may not work for others, right?

    Now that I am pretty strict Paleo, along with a calorie deficit (after taking hydrostatic bodyfat test to determine my actual resting metabolic rate and determining the proper deficit according to my specific body's composition), I have dropped nearly 8.8 pounds since 12/30/13. Hopefully these pounds are mainly fat and not my muscle too. Will have a hydrostatic bodyfat re-test in few weeks to determine that.

    Experiment and find what makes your body happy!
  • gillesse
    gillesse Posts: 66 Member
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    In response to the OP and anyone else interested in the diet... not here for the drama, just want to share my experience :|

    I am currently on the paleo diet (not completely but mostly paleo). I felt like **** for the first three weeks, but then after that, I felt really great and full of energy. Be prepared to COOK. Urgh I hated cooking in the beginning. It truly sucked having to plan meals all the time, but you get used to it. And you must have strong willpower for this to work. Eating paleo whenever you hang with your friends or relatives is not cool at all. You will have to be the picky eater who has special requests for this and that. You have to learn how to say no.

    One thing I have to do though is having a small treat every other day that isn't part of the paleo diet. I have a small piece of dark chocolate. Not the whole candy bar, but a little tiny piece. That helps me for cravings. And I also have small little baked goods on some weekends (I have macarons).

    I've been losing weight pretty quickly on this diet, which is enough for me to stick to it. This is not a long term diet for me, as I plan on re-introducing grains, dairy and legumes once I start toning my body and exercising. But for now, paleo is definitely for me as it is pretty much the only thing that helps me lose weight consistently. I don't plateau like I used to. It's pretty awesome if you want to lose weight without exercising too much. I do some yoga every now and then.

    But for long term, I don't see this working for me at all. To those who can do it long term, I truly applaud you. But for me, I gotta have dairy, grains and legumes. I will definitely not be introducing processed foods into my diet anymore though. There's just too much garbage in that.

    This diet is not for everyone. It's extremely difficult. But if you are desperate to lose weight like I am, paleo might work for you. It has worked for most of my family so far. We are losing weight like crazy. But again, this is just our experience. Your genetics might not react well to paleo. Everyone has their own thing that works for them

    if it is difficult and not for the long term. Why don't you just eat in a calorie deficit and not restrict whole food groups? Wouldn't that be easier and produce same results?

    Nope. Everyone's body is different. It's not easier for me at all to lose weight that way. And I've tried everything.
  • SkinnyRach22
    SkinnyRach22 Posts: 55
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    I participated in the Paleo 30 day challenge. I did feel a big difference and my body definitely seemed to be happy with me. The problem I found with it was that when I ate a meal with carbs from bread or pasta I felt so bloated I would have to lay down. I am sticking to counting calories now but I still use a lot of things I learned from Paleo everyday. I am no longer afraid of fat in my diet. I do not need a serving of rice or pasta to finish a meal. I am perfectly happy with just eating meats and vegetables. When I choose protein and veggies for my meals I stay full for much longer because I do not get the blood sugar spike. For example I eat eggs every morning and I no longer eat them with toast. When I was eating them with toast I was ravenous by 11:00 for lunch. Now that I do not I usually do not eat lunch until 1:00 or 2:00.

    To sum it up I think it is a very good learning experience. I look at food totally different now.
  • turtleball
    turtleball Posts: 217 Member
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    I thought about it once.. I felt awful
  • joybedford
    joybedford Posts: 1,680 Member
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    I have been paleo since November. I introduced the diet as I had heard it would help with my fibromyalgia. It has done that and so
    Much more. My lifelong digestive problems have gone, I sleep better, I have more patience and better able to cope, my skin is glowing and my hair is shiny. I feel amazing. It takes a little more planning and yes a lot of cooking but if I can do it anyone can. I work full time ,mainly nights have. 3 kids with special needs and workout 6 days a week. I will never go back to conventional eating. I am currently doing a whole 30 and I don't find it restrictive at all but I occasionally indulge I the occasional glass of wine when not whole 30 obviously . My macros are about 50% fat, 30 protein and 20 carbs. I still run and I am training for a half marathon, as my distances increase I will up the carbs but shorter runs are ok on this. There is a lot of negativity surrounding paleo but for me for the first time in a long time I am pain free for that reason I will continue.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    In response to the OP and anyone else interested in the diet... not here for the drama, just want to share my experience :|

    I am currently on the paleo diet (not completely but mostly paleo). I felt like **** for the first three weeks, but then after that, I felt really great and full of energy. Be prepared to COOK. Urgh I hated cooking in the beginning. It truly sucked having to plan meals all the time, but you get used to it. And you must have strong willpower for this to work. Eating paleo whenever you hang with your friends or relatives is not cool at all. You will have to be the picky eater who has special requests for this and that. You have to learn how to say no.

    One thing I have to do though is having a small treat every other day that isn't part of the paleo diet. I have a small piece of dark chocolate. Not the whole candy bar, but a little tiny piece. That helps me for cravings. And I also have small little baked goods on some weekends (I have macarons).

    I've been losing weight pretty quickly on this diet, which is enough for me to stick to it. This is not a long term diet for me, as I plan on re-introducing grains, dairy and legumes once I start toning my body and exercising. But for now, paleo is definitely for me as it is pretty much the only thing that helps me lose weight consistently. I don't plateau like I used to. It's pretty awesome if you want to lose weight without exercising too much. I do some yoga every now and then.

    But for long term, I don't see this working for me at all. To those who can do it long term, I truly applaud you. But for me, I gotta have dairy, grains and legumes. I will definitely not be introducing processed foods into my diet anymore though. There's just too much garbage in that.

    This diet is not for everyone. It's extremely difficult. But if you are desperate to lose weight like I am, paleo might work for you. It has worked for most of my family so far. We are losing weight like crazy. But again, this is just our experience. Your genetics might not react well to paleo. Everyone has their own thing that works for them

    if it is difficult and not for the long term. Why don't you just eat in a calorie deficit and not restrict whole food groups? Wouldn't that be easier and produce same results?

    Nope. Everyone's body is different. It's not easier for me at all to lose weight that way. And I've tried everything.

    so what are you going to do when the short term becomes long term and you can't do paleo anymore? Gain all the weight back..? that sounds counter productive...
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    so what are you going to do when the short term becomes long term and you can't do paleo anymore? Gain all the weight back..? that sounds counter productive...

    Why do you assume she "can't" do paleo anymore at some point in the future? Why do you assume she would switch from paleo to eating a caloric surplus at some point in the future? Plenty of people doing diets like paleo still track their food/macros. There's no real reason to think that simply because she might change her macros in the future and incorporate non-paleo foods that the result will be a caloric surplus.

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