It gets expensive if you get bogged down in "needing" all organic and grass fed, etc. While that is better for your health it isn't necessary to follow this way of life. We rarely buy grass fed because we are on a budget, but we are all still far healthier than we were when we ate more grains.

It isn't necessary to go "no carb" or even "low carb" if your activity level supports consumption of a little bit more. Getting some starch from good sources like plantain, potaoes or winter squash can help fuel your workouts and keep you from getting a headache. Some people just grit through the transition period and drop lower carb and stay there. I personally didn't, I cut back stayed at that level for a while and then cut back again. It helped avoid that crappy feeling you get when you drastically cut carbs all at once. I still lost a considerable amount of weight in a short time (50 pounds in 6 months, with a thyroid condition and insulin resistance)

The others have said a lot already, so I'll just touch on the headache part --

I used to get headaches on a daily basis. I get migraines and what are known as cluster headaches (which sometimes seem like migraines, but things like moving actually help instead of making things worse; and they happen in cyclical periods). Well, I used to get them.

Since going Primal, I get headaches far, far less often, even if I haven't eating most of the day. I think it's been nearly a week since I had a headache that warranted Ibuprofen, and before that, I don't remember when the last time I needed meds were. That's where I'm at after coming from 800mg of Ibuprofen every day, sometimes more, just to keep a headache from putting me down for the count.

As I mentioned, I can even now go most of the day without food with few ill effects (I still function best eating three meals a day, even if one is small, but I'm still fine if I skip a meal). For example, we went to the zoo last week for a company thing, and we got meal vouchers for select foods at different stands, but there weren't really any foods available that I could eat, in the areas that we went to. As a result, I skipped lunch that day. I'd had breakfast (eggs, scrambled in butter), so while I was somewhat hungry, and could have ate, it wasn't urgent, and I wasn't getting a headache or anything like that. That's the power of not relying on carbs (particularly simple carbs) as the primary source of fuel.

Oftentimes, the headaches come from the glucose/insulin roller coaster. It takes a little bit to get off of that, but once you do, life gets so much better when it comes to food, in so many different ways (sometimes even ones you don't expect).

As for cheat days, I don't specifically plan for them, though I do follow the "80/20 rule" (which is really a bit of a misnomer at this point) -- strive for 100%, but falling short isn't the end of the world. In other words, I'll take the Primal food pretty much whenever given the option, but I'm not going to freak out if the chili has beans in it (I don't like beans, anyway, and will generally eat around them, but it's not the end of the world if I eat a few), or won't beat myself up over a piece of cake at my son's birthday party or some crust from a pie or cheesecake or whatever at Christmas, nor will I freak out at the restaurant mayo because it's made with soybean oil. At this point, I've learned what my "can't control myself" trigger foods are, and what my other tolerances are (ie - I can have that piece of cake that one day, but if I do something like that multiple days in a row, my eczema will come back and it will take me upwards of a month of perfect eating to clear it up again).

For some people, it may be easier at first to plan "cheat" days or meals, but in my opinion/experience, the longer you stay as compliant as possible, the less worth it you realize the cheat days are, and the less you want them, anyway. I used to be able to polish off an entire row of Oreos in the big package without batting an eye (or a sleeve of Thin Mints...or entire box of Tagalongs). Now? I have very little interest in any of those, and if I do decide to eat them, I'm generally satisfied at one or two (except Tagalongs, I still can't get enough of them, because peanut butter and chocolate are my kryptonite), but I also notice myself often feeling compelled to eat more, even though I don't actually really want them. As such, I find it easier to just not have them in the first place.

Hi there,

If you want to try going Paleo, I recommend giving it a solid try for at least a month. The Primal Blueprint, as Clutchbone mentioned, is a great place to start. I also recommend the Whole30 program (this is very strict version of Paleo but you will definitely see some results). Reason being, you've mentioned already that you are a slave to your carbs, and going Paleo will help you to fix that. You shouldn't be a slave to anything and you should enjoy real food, and reaping the rewards of eating the way your body was intended to be fuelled. Everyone gets the 'carb flu' when they start because your body has to adapt to the new way of eating.

I've been Paleo for over four years, and I'll never go back to the conventional western diet ever again. I rarely get sick and I had an awesome pregnancy. Many people who try it become part of the converted because they are immensely satisfied by their lifestyle change. The key to losing the weight is consistency, but even after you've lost the weight you can't go back to the way you ate before the change. And like the many people who go Paleo, you won't want to go back. Good luck to you!

THANKS EVERYONE!!! I appreciate all the input. I did some of the reading last night. I also googled Paleo for beginners and it was really helpful as well.

I think I'm slowly understanding everything and it seems to coming together. I will try it for a month and see how it goes.

I'm not use to eating fruit.. I usually have like berries in the mornings..I need to work on that. I didn't have any today with my bfast ( running hella late).

Also, I usually drink a protein shake (rice protein no flavor tastes like crap though) any suggestions on a protein powder? I eat eggs in the mornings but sometimes I don't get hungry til like 9 and that's already 3 hours after my workout and I'm already at work..

Depending on your needs you do not need a lot of fruit. More emphasis on vegetables is better. Berries are awesome but I wouldn't recommend going crazy with high sugar fruits on purpose. If you need a higher level of carbs than someone like me try adding sweet potatoes and other root veggies more often too.

I'm not a big smoothie or shake fan, though I started out using protein shake for breakfast in the beginning. It didn't take long to not need it anymore. I think eating whole foods is best. I did have a savoury green smoothie last week that I liked but found after a few days it was less likable. I make smoothies for my child and add a scoop of grass fed plain whey (NO other ingredients like anti caking agents, preservatives) but if I had access to farm fresh eggs I would probably use a raw egg instead.

If you get up a tad earlier, or do it the night before, you can pack a snack. I am the same with exercise in the morning. If I exercise at 6:30am I need to eat by 10am instead of noon. With my job that is an issue and I'm used to always waiting until noon and prefer not having to eat breakfast. However avoiding morning exercise because of this issue, which I've been doing, is silly. So the advice is the same for me: pack a snack. I also keep a jar of coconut manna in my desk for emergencies. :laugh:

I love traditional Hispanic foods. I make tortillas out of almond flour sometimes but can get a little pricey. But I do make a "lasagna" type dish out of chorizo and layered plantains. I also eat tons of guacamole and salsa with homemade plantain chips or jicama. Paleo isn't necessarily low carb. The suggestion of Mark's Daily Apple is awesome. If you are working a lot you can afford to eat more carby fruits and veggies and still lose.