Paleo or South Beach?

Might I suggest the wonderful world of IIFIYM?

You would be able to custom tailor the foods you want to eat without having digestive issues. Sounds like you just need to pre-log food for the day.

A diet with a name??? :noway:

Everybody run!!!

(Or lift, because it's the only acceptable exercise.)

Hello all!
I am currently in my first week of my weight loss journey and am trying to figure out what diet plan will work best for me. I have 100 lbs. to lose and am looking to make a lifestyle change in the way I eat. Originally, my doctor recommended the South Beach diet. However, I have been hearing great things regarding Paleo and am not quite sure what direction I want to go in.
Right now I am trying to get together a good menu for the next couple of weeks- so I am a clean slate! I can pretty much go in either direction. Here are some of the things I need in whatever diet I choose:

-No bread, rice, pasta, and as few gluten products as possible.
-High in fiber (I have severe colon issues following childbirth)
-I love seafood- and I live in Louisiana, so I have access to a variety of fresh seafood.
-Low sugar- still a little fuzzy on what fruits constitute as "low in sugar" and would be the best for me digestively

I am also hoping that, along with losing weight, this new lifestyle change will result in better digestive health for me. I am looking for a COMPLETE overhaul of my colon.

So, which plan would you recommend? Paleo or South Beach? Thanks!

FWIS, I've been eating Primal, which is sort of a variation of Paleo, or some people call it Paleo-permissive. For example, with Primal, you can eat dairy if it agrees with you (don't have any adverse issues with lactose, casein, etc.), though they aim for full-fat varieties over low fat versions (cream, butter, cheese, full-fat yogurt, whole milk, etc.). But strict paleo adherents will say no dairy at all. For more info on Primal, check out marksdailyapple.com

I find that I just feel waaaay better eating Primal, and I think that's something you'll find with a lot of people who love the Paleo/Primal lifestyle. However, I now understand why it feels so much better to me. After years of bouts of major fatigue and weight gain/difficulty losing weight, the only thing that had helped was switching to Primal. Although the fatigue had gotten better, I was still really struggling with losing weight (I had a good 30-40 lbs to lose). After eating at a deficit of 700+ calories/day and not losing any weight, my doctor was finally convinced to look into it further. He finally believed me and that "eat less and move more" wasn't enough for me and something was up.

A few specialists later, and I was diagnosed with both Hashimoto's thyroiditis (thyroid condition) and insulin resistance. Primal works great for Hashi's as it's an autoimmune disorder and they think is triggered by certain foods -- gluten seems to be the most popular of the suspected culprits.

I suspect that a lot of people that love Primal have experiences like mine -- they've had undiagnosed conditions for years -- either digestive issues, thyroid issues, lymph issues, etc., but they haven't been severe enough to be diagnosed by their doctors. They start Paleo/Primal and all of a sudden a lot of their symptoms clear up and they feel awesome.

As for weight loss, I know a lot of people that have done great body recomp and weight loss through Primal eating and exercise, though that may be accomplished just easily with a similar macro level. Usually, for Primal people, it ends up being a high fat, moderate protein and low-ish carb diet. The carbs are adjustable based on whether you want to lose fat (then lower the carbs) or are already at a good weight and just want to maintain or gain muscle or focus on performance (then can have more carbs). Eating Primally just sort of lends itself to these macros generally since you're really only getting your carbs from vegetables, some fruits and occasional starchy carbs like sweet potatoes.

I cook Primally, and I don't find it difficult at all. Vegetables, often in butter or coconut oil, tons of herbs, full-fat cheeses, tons of protein (love me a good steak), fruit on occasion (I'm low carbing it for the insulin resistance so I limit my fruit intake), dark chocolate on occasion, certain nuts (almonds, macadamia, etc.), bacon, etc. Shoot, I make a mean vodka sauce and instead of serving over pasta, I use spaghetti squash -- it's really good.

So, yeah, you're giving up grains so if you're a big bread, pasta or baked goods/sweets person, that part may be difficult. I have dark chocolate from time to time and I find that satisfies my sweet tooth. But, personally, I don't miss the bread, pasta, rice, etc. at all anymore. If I want to do something that they'd normally be served over -- like my penne alla vodka or a nice curry, I just make the sauce and serve it over spaghetti squash. I find it to be an awesome sauce delivery vehicle.

I'm not sure why Paleo/Primal gets so much gruff on this site, but I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I'm not sure why Paleo/Primal gets so much gruff on this site, but I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I will give gruff to any diet that says beans are unhealthy. It's a lie.

Thanks for the advice, everyone! Looks like I have some homework to do!

To be clear, neither of these fad diets has "exactly" the plan I am looking to follow- I need the high fiber that Paleo can't offer, and I can't eat the breads, pastas, etc. that South Beach starts introducing after a couple of weeks. I was on Weight Watchers before I got pregnant- and I LOVED it. I lost 25 lbs. and felt great- and I was still eating foods that I loved. I was lucky back then- had no digestive issues and could eat whatever I wanted and have a bowel movement 20 minutes later. Now, if I so much as LOOK at a piece of bread my body shuts down. Nothing is the same as it was before and I am MISERABLE. It isn't just the weight anymore.

Anyway, I will look into some of the websites and "clean eating" resources you guys suggested. I think this might be my best bet. Also- to the person who suggested a licensed dietician- thanks! I go to a colon hydrotherapist and she is also a licensed dietician. I actually texted her as soon as I saw your post;) (don't know why it didn't occur to me to just call her in the first place).
Thanks for the help yall!

What is a colon hydro-therapist!!?

I know a lot of Registered Dietitians ( i.e. they have a degree). Are you sure that your person is a dietitian not a nutritionist?

I'm not sure why Paleo/Primal gets so much gruff on this site, but I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I will give gruff to any diet that says beans are unhealthy. It's a lie.

Have you read any of the research on lectins? I believe that's the primary reason Paleo/Primal tries to avoid them.

I'm not sure why Paleo/Primal gets so much gruff on this site, but I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I will give gruff to any diet that says beans are unhealthy. It's a lie.

Have you read any of the research on lectins? I believe that's the primary reason Paleo/Primal tries to avoid them.

I have. Have you seen all research showing legume rich diets like vegetarian and Mediterranean to be the healthiest?

Most heatlhy foods have toxins. Our bodies are well equipped to deal with them.

I think that's true, but I also believe based on findings I've read that some people have considerable reaction to lectins.

As for vegetarians being the healthiest, that's just crazy. Humans are not herbivores. We do not have the GI tract and related organs to consume an all vegetable diet -- we do not have the advantages that cows and koalas have in their GI tract. That's only been possible in modern times where food is in abundance and adequate protein sources have been mobilized from vegetarian sources.

So, yeah, anyone that thinks vegetarian diet is the healthiest, I'm going to strongly disagree with on a purely biological basis.

I tried Paleo. I had heard really good things and in theory it made a lot of sense. but like you, I was a begginer and personally I found the diet being so strict was really hard to follow, and although I had the best intension i was often falling off track. If you have a family thats not following your diet, paleo is easy to get sabotaged too!

I just eat clean and carb cycle ... seems to be working well.

If your just starting your journey I'd say start with small changes like not eating out, not eating processed ready in 2 minutes foods, chosing whole grains, avoiding dressings/dips/moisnaise/ketchup and enjoy fresh foods with spices and then work your way up to a diet like Paleo?

Although i have to say, when I removed dairy from my diets I noticed a difference immediately. So Thank you paleo for that!

I'm not sure why Paleo/Primal gets so much gruff on this site, but I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I will give gruff to any diet that says beans are unhealthy. It's a lie.

Have you read any of the research on lectins? I believe that's the primary reason Paleo/Primal tries to avoid them.

I have. Have you seen all research showing legume rich diets like vegetarian and Mediterranean to be the healthiest?

Most heatlhy foods have toxins. Our bodies are well equipped to deal with them.

I think that's true, but I also believe based on findings I've read that some people have considerable reaction to lectins.

As for vegetarians being the healthiest, that's just crazy. Humans are not herbivores. We do not have the GI tract and related organs to consume an all vegetable diet -- we do not have the advantages that cows and koalas have in their GI tract. That's only been possible in modern times where food is in abundance and adequate protein sources have been mobilized from vegetarian sources.

So, yeah, anyone that thinks vegetarian diet is the healthiest, I'm going to strongly disagree with on a purely biological basis.

First of all, vegetarians do not eat an all vegetable diet.

Vegetarian diet is considered one of the healthiest because statistically people who eat vegetarian or Mediterranean diets are the healthiest people. This is proved true over and over, regardless of who is included (just in case you were about to say they were only compared to "SAD" eaters).

No, it's not. See my other post.

Is South Beach really all that restrictive?

No, it's not. See my other post.

Is South Beach really all that restrictive?

I also don't think Primal (a variation of Paleo) is very restrictive either, at least I feel like it's great. But, I'm also not a big bread, pasta, rice fan, so cutting grains wasn't a big deal for me, which is probably the biggest restriction on the diet.

I'm not sure why Paleo/Primal gets so much gruff on this site, but I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I will give gruff to any diet that says beans are unhealthy. It's a lie.

Have you read any of the research on lectins? I believe that's the primary reason Paleo/Primal tries to avoid them.

I have. Have you seen all research showing legume rich diets like vegetarian and Mediterranean to be the healthiest?

Most heatlhy foods have toxins. Our bodies are well equipped to deal with them.

I think that's true, but I also believe based on findings I've read that some people have considerable reaction to lectins.

As for vegetarians being the healthiest, that's just crazy. Humans are not herbivores. We do not have the GI tract and related organs to consume an all vegetable diet -- we do not have the advantages that cows and koalas have in their GI tract. That's only been possible in modern times where food is in abundance and adequate protein sources have been mobilized from vegetarian sources.

So, yeah, anyone that thinks vegetarian diet is the healthiest, I'm going to strongly disagree with on a purely biological basis.

First of all, vegetarians do not eat an all vegetable diet.

Vegetarian diet is considered one of the healthiest because statistically people who eat vegetarian or Mediterranean diets are the healthiest people. This is proved true over and over, regardless of who is included (just in case you were about to say they were only compared to "SAD" eaters).

That may be one of the less educated applications of science ever.

All whales are mammals, thus all mammals must be whales. Talk about failing to understand correlation and causation.

Um, no.

I didn't say all vegetarians were healthy or that all diets were vegetarian or that "all" anything... But when you have milliions of people eating a food as a dietary staple and remaining healthy, that DOES mean the food is not "unhealthy."

I'm not sure why Paleo/Primal gets so much gruff on this site, but I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I will give gruff to any diet that says beans are unhealthy. It's a lie.

Have you read any of the research on lectins? I believe that's the primary reason Paleo/Primal tries to avoid them.

I have. Have you seen all research showing legume rich diets like vegetarian and Mediterranean to be the healthiest?

Most heatlhy foods have toxins. Our bodies are well equipped to deal with them.

I think that's true, but I also believe based on findings I've read that some people have considerable reaction to lectins.

As for vegetarians being the healthiest, that's just crazy. Humans are not herbivores. We do not have the GI tract and related organs to consume an all vegetable diet -- we do not have the advantages that cows and koalas have in their GI tract. That's only been possible in modern times where food is in abundance and adequate protein sources have been mobilized from vegetarian sources.

So, yeah, anyone that thinks vegetarian diet is the healthiest, I'm going to strongly disagree with on a purely biological basis.

First of all, vegetarians do not eat an all vegetable diet.

Vegetarian diet is considered one of the healthiest because statistically people who eat vegetarian or Mediterranean diets are the healthiest people. This is proved true over and over, regardless of who is included (just in case you were about to say they were only compared to "SAD" eaters).

That may be one of the less educated applications of science ever.

All whales are mammals, thus all mammals must be whales. Talk about failing to understand correlation and causation.

Um, no.

I didn't say all vegetarians were healthy or that all diets were vegetarian or that "all" anything... But when you have milliions of people eating a food as a dietary staple and remaining healthy, that DOES mean the food is not "unhealthy."

Or it may show that those people have an adaptation that allows them to process that food particularly well. As I said before, I haven't seen Paleo/Primal say legumes are wholesale "unhealthy" -- but explain why lectins are issues for many people (and perhaps all people), legumes have a high number of them, so that's why they choose to avoid them.

If you want to get all hung up on the healthy vs unhealthy differentiation, go for it. But, that seems sort of silly to me.

OP, my husband has Crohn's disease, so I understand a bit about GI issues. For him, it's certain spices and certain vegetables that must be avoided, which is often the same with Colitis. I hope you find out what's wrong. It might be an endocannabinoid deficiency as well. Honestly, I would stick to a diet of soft, bland foods until you know for sure. Best of luck to you.

The point that eludes you guys is my point is when a doctor says stop eating all carbs and gluten, and it works, it really is not very helpful. So, my suggestion is for the OP to eventually work to learn the specific issue, rather than a large ridiculous belief that an entire macronutrient is 'bad for her'. It may not even be the case at all. It's what they call a false positive result. You think it's carbs and gluten, it might be neither, really.

And my point is that there is little utility to knowing WHY and that you would be the kind of patient that would go through any time of expense and misery and doctor shopping to know WHY...even though a simple solution resolves your issues. Knowing WHY isn't always possible, for a variety of reasons I've already stated. And you don't have to give up on a food forever. You have a false impression of the elimination diet. You slowly add suspect foods back into your diet after a period of abstinence, and track your symptoms.

That's what I was saying. Thanks for reiterating it.

Except for the "not knowing why part". That's not a smart way to approach eliminating a bunch of stuff, including an entire macro-nutrient, from your diet. But, do whatever you want. i'm tired of arguing with people that are close-minded and can't see past their forehead. Data is data. You can do research, learn, and explore. you don't have to spend thousands at a doctors office. in fact, I advocate not doing that, because doctors tend to be kind of campy with their silly watered-down pop-science advice.

^^ This too. A lot of general medicine docs are *CLUELESS* about GI issues. I'm wondering about the advice for a high fiber diet for someone with colon problems. :huh: :ohwell: