Eating paleo

Rjperron
Rjperron Posts: 150
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
I've heard a lot on this site and others about eating paleo and I was wondering if anyone had any information on it. I was just wondering what it's all about and what it's like, benefits and drawbacks, etc.

Replies

  • jdsouthernbelle
    jdsouthernbelle Posts: 274
    You should message CLEW........she just started this last month and I think she is likeing it.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    I'm a Crossfitter and the two go hand in hand. I followed it strictly for 31 days and lost 6 pounds.
    Currently following the 80/20 principle. I find it hard to cut out dairy and alcohol (love cheese and saving my wine for the weekend now)... cutting grains was not so bad, but recently started eating Quinoa again (although it falls under a "seed" and not a grain)

    I should add - I try to eat as organic as possible, however with a young family convenience foods are handy - So I'll buy Oven roasted chicken breast strips (nitrate free when available). I live in Canada and local fresh produce is not available during the winter months - so My freezer is stocked with frozen veggies...
  • kristinlough
    kristinlough Posts: 828 Member
    And Platoon! She's doing it, too :)
  • rose1617
    rose1617 Posts: 469 Member
    CrossFit does in fact advocate eating Paleo, but I know of only a few (5 maybe) that go to my gym that eat Paleo. Most of us found it to be painful and made us extremely weak lol.
    I know, contrary to what it's supposed to do.
    For example, I developed an extreme nut intolerance while eating paleo and it hasn't gone away since. Nothing else changed in my lifestyle while eating Paleo, so I know that was the cause.

    To each their own. I found an 80/20 (which is basically a low-carb lifestyle) to be great. 90/10 or 100 didn't work at all for me or the majority of people I know who tried it.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    I had to goodle what you were talking about; paleo is eating primal, low-carb (virtually no-carb), lean meat, nuts and plant meals.

    FYI for anyone else who didn’t know what this is.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet
  • superwmn
    superwmn Posts: 936
    Easy or hard to count calories on the paleo plan?

    Charmagne
  • angiemcgovern
    angiemcgovern Posts: 64 Member
    I had to goodle what you were talking about; paleo is eating primal, low-carb (virtually no-carb), lean meat, nuts and plant meals.

    FYI for anyone else who didn’t know what this is.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet

    Thanks! I had to google it too!
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    Easy or hard to count calories on the paleo plan?

    Charmagne

    the diet doesn't really advocate "counting calories" . You are eating high "good" fats, lean protein and your carbs are strictly from veggies/berries.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    I had to goodle what you were talking about; paleo is eating primal, low-carb (virtually no-carb), lean meat, nuts and plant meals.

    FYI for anyone else who didn’t know what this is.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet

    I am a fellow Paleo eater.............I have been eating this way for the better part of a year now and feel better than I have felt in quite a while.

    It is not virtually no carb, where do you get that from? Please do not advertise incorrect information.

    There are plenty of carbs in vegetables, fruits and nuts.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    Easy or hard to count calories on the paleo plan?

    Charmagne

    That is one of the freedoms of eating Paleo style...............No calorie counting!! You just eat. Since you are eating whole, fresh foods, there is no need to count.
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    I have been trying to eat Paleo for awhile now. Occassionally I have grains but they make me feel horrible, especially if they are processed. However, I don't agree with not eating dairy. From an evolution standpoint, westerners have adapted to digest dairy products. Especially northern Europeans, which is my heritage. I've met the author of the PaleoDiet book as he works at my university (Colorado State). He doesn't stick to the diet 100% of the time either.

    My favorite part of the diet is eating game meats. I LOVE elk, fish, buffalo, etc. However, it is expensive and sometimes hard to come by. If you're going to start this, ease into it, and you will be more successful than starting it abruptly. Also keep in mind that in order to have enough energy without grains, you will need COPIOUS amounts of fruits and veggies which can get expensive too... someday I will hopefully follow it better, but for now I'm doing my best. I won't give up my milk though, but I will keep it below two servings per day of dairy.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    [It is not virtually no carb, where do you get that from? Please do not advertise incorrect information.


    By all means, feel free to educate us as I went through about 4 internet pages to confirm what I was talking about and that’s what I found all summed up into one sentence. The internet was wrong?? NEVER!!! LOL! ;) *jokes. There is no starchy food products on the "menu" no bread, rice, starchy vegetables etc. so with nuts and maybe fruit alone, that’s still low-carb.

    Unless you are eating bark my brief review (and that’s what it was, I didn’t claim to know anything about this diet) seems pretty accurate for the "caveman diet" .
  • SkierElle
    SkierElle Posts: 335
    Also I wanted to add, check out this blog: http://stephenson.typepad.com/

    Ness Stephenson does ironmans and has a lot of Paleo recipes on her blog. One of the recent posts is a pre-race meal with no grains! There is also a book called the Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain that has tips on eating paleo to sustain enough energy for vigorous exercise. Just think, our ancestors had to run and walk long distances to hunt and gather and they could do that without eating grains. It can be done!
  • 2bFitNTrim
    2bFitNTrim Posts: 1,209 Member
    bump to read later
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    [It is not virtually no carb, where do you get that from? Please do not advertise incorrect information.


    By all means, feel free to educate us as I went through about 4 internet pages to confirm what I was talking about and that’s what I found all summed up into one sentence. The internet was wrong?? NEVER!!! LOL! ;) *jokes. There is no starchy food products on the "menu" no bread, rice, starchy vegetables etc. so with nuts and maybe fruit alone, that’s still low-carb.

    Unless you are eating bark my brief review (and that’s what it was, I didn’t claim to know anything about this diet) seems pretty accurate for the "caveman diet" .

    I'm just saying that veggies and fruit can add up to pretty many carbs. :flowerforyou:
  • Dive_Girl
    Dive_Girl Posts: 247 Member
    I ate this way about 7 years ago on advice from a body builder with GREAT results, I just didn't realize I was eating "Paleo" style. However, I am about to start this plan again this week since I know it works. Here is a ton of good information on the science and theory behind the Paleo way of living. http://www.thepaleodiet.com/faqs/#Basics
  • bobspdx
    bobspdx Posts: 198 Member
    I just started this week and I am really enjoying it. I didn't think I would but I now know what was making me feel so ick - processed carbs and sugar.
  • dwarfer22
    dwarfer22 Posts: 358 Member
    i don't eat paleo per se, but I have been following the diet from the food addicts annon website. I have to stay away from all wheat, flour, and sugar. I do know in the past when I would eat those foods it would trigger major binge episodes. I would still count my cals even if doing a paleo diet and I count on mine as well. it's designed if done correctly to put me at about 1200 a day which is where I should be. To say you can't go over cals doing paleo is naive I feel. You can eat a bunch of meat and nuts and still go overboard on cals. I think a food journal would still be a good idea for that diet as well. There's my 2 cents.
  • Teemo
    Teemo Posts: 338
    I'm just saying that veggies and fruit can add up to pretty many carbs. :flowerforyou:

    The paleo diet is "no grains". In my opinion it's a healthy diet and, if nothing else, gets people off of junk food. Most of the reasoning behind the diet however is speculative and unproven.
  • Teemo
    Teemo Posts: 338
    i don't eat paleo per se, but I have been following the diet from the food addicts annon website. I have to stay away from all wheat, flour, and sugar. I do know in the past when I would eat those foods it would trigger major binge episodes. I would still count my cals even if doing a paleo diet and I count on mine as well. it's designed if done correctly to put me at about 1200 a day which is where I should be. To say you can't go over cals doing paleo is naive I feel. You can eat a bunch of meat and nuts and still go overboard on cals. I think a food journal would still be a good idea for that diet as well. There's my 2 cents.

    That's the right way to go about it. Calories are still calories. Just because you're eating "like a caveman" doesn't mean you can eat 5,000 calories a day and expect to lose fat. :laugh:
  • pechia22
    pechia22 Posts: 8
    If you are interested in following the Paleo diet by "The Paleo Solutions" by Robb Wolf.....I feel great! I have plenty of energy and I'm eating between 1100-1600 calories a day. I haven't had any dairy and grains. It's actually been really easy. The hardest thing to not do is drink whiskey and beer(these are probably two of my favorite things!) In the last week in a half I have lost close to ten pounds. I have way more energy and tons of endurance for workouts. I'm sold on it. My good buddy who is a personal trainer and works out all the time is who turned me onto it and he's in great shape and swears by it.

    I'm starting up Insanity on Monday so it'll be interesting on what I need to adjust my eating to.
  • orange_avocado
    orange_avocado Posts: 232
    I just started following the Paleo diet (though I have a loooong way to go before I'm at 100%). So far I've been really impressed with how I feel and the variety of food I've been eating. I'm trying to make the transition to more organic foods, but for now am cutting out grains and eating *lots* more vegetables.

    I've been continuing to count calories (just to make sure I'm not accidentally going over) and have been in the 1100 - 1350 range on days when I don't cheat, and generally my carbs are <50. I lost 2lbs my first week after a month-long plateau so I consider it a success so far.

    Actually, I could use some support from long-time Paleo eaters or anyone else just starting out, if anyone here wants to friend me.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I have been doing Paleo for 2+ months. I LOVE it. It is so easy and I can eat so much more (and feel better for it). It has increased my strength and endurance in my Crossfit workouts. I have also reduced 3% bodyfat and now have 16.5% bodyfat (considered "athlete"). I cook almost everything at home, but I go out once a week or so and still follow it...it is really easy!
  • C_Bran
    C_Bran Posts: 254
    Just started this diet myself. Been on it for about 3 days and I am enjoying it thus far. Had to do a lot of cleaning out the cupboards and 'frig. I went with The Primal Blueprint - Mark Sisson for my version of the diet plan.

    Going to give it 30 days and evaluate myself and my changes.

    Any advice on this, feel free...........
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    100% is hard, but yielded some good results for me. I'm doing 80-20 right now, but not seeing great results and finding that my sugar cravings are pretty intense, and I'm not a sweet tooth to begin with!
    Just need to get over the birthday hump so I can focus more on my nutrition.

    I bought a Paleo e-cookbook and 8 week meal plan - love the meal plan because it gives me a lot of ideas on what I can eat, and it refers to the recipe in the cookbook, so that's very handy.
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