Paleo February Start-up

Good luck on the new adventure of Paleo. It is hard but worth it. Be sure to try and have pre-made snacks to grab for those hunger pangs. Veggies, fruit, pre- bake baked goods on weekend that can go in freezer and for quick grabs on early mornings.

I've been doing it since early August and I LOVE it! It's the only diet I've had significant success on and believe I can stick to as a lifestyle. The first six weeks I was pretty strict about it but I am fairly moderate about most things now. I have some cheese on occasion and drink adult beverages (I try to limit those to social occasions). I've practically eliminated sugar which is high calorie with no nutritional value at all. I never considered myself someone with an especially big sweet tooth but sugar is in so many processed foods that aren't even sweet (spaghetti sauce for example) that I think I was eating a lot more of it than I realized. You may find yourself in a bit of a brain fog for a couple of weeks after cutting it out of your diet as you will basically be detoxing from it. There was awhile there where if someone asked me my name I would have had to get back to them. It was bad but it passed.

I have lost about 25 lbs and have about 10 to go. I'm starting up at the gym again after a long hiatus and now I feel like my workouts and diet are working in conjunction with each other whereas before I felt like I was "fighting" my diet by working out.

There are a lot of overly literal, pedantic people but for me it's about the "spirit" of the diet if that makes sense. Eat naturally and get the most nutrition for your caloric dollar. It's amazing how easy it becomes when your body is getting its nutritional needs met.

Mark Sisson of marksdailyapple uses the phrase "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good". You don't have to be perfect and it shouldn't make you miserable. I lost my weight just being good, which means its maintainable for me.

Sorry this was so long. I just get excited about it and want to encourage anyone who feels like they want to at least give it a try. It's made me so much happier and comfortable in my own skin. Good luck!

I have been doing a really non strict Primal diet for a week now. Giving up grains, sugar, most fruits for now and eating way more veggies. I am eating diary but want to cut down in the future.

I am keeping my carbs between 50 - 100 for weight loss. So far I am doing way better than I thought I would and feel really hopeful for weight loss and better health.

I would love some primal/paleo newbies for friends!

Tips:

Look up recipes for vegetables. I cannot believe I thought I hated broccoli. Roast it, and it's amazing. I could never eat it raw or steamed. Made some wonderful braised cabbage with apples and onions, too.

DO NOT LOAD UP ON FRUIT. The carbs are outrageous, except for berries. I now routinely eat 2 ounces of apple or pear at a time. Believe me, it's enough. I also eat half a banana a day--I freeze the halves for my smoothies.

MEASURE OUT YOUR NUTS. ALWAYS. Do not EVER take "a handful." I freaking count my walnut halves.

Do not be surprised when your taste buds learn what "sweet" means all over again. I never ate a lot of processed sweets, but once you're eating only whole foods, they have a sweetness that is indescribable and so much better than a Little Debbie or whatever.

Splurge on fish. The kind you like. Even if it's shellfish. I just bought a small container of fresh scallops today for a treat. I'm looking forward to them tomorrow.

ME me me

if it is going to be so hard then why do it?

Paleo is totally unnecessary for any weight loss or health related goal....

you can eat the "restricted foods" lose weight and have great overall health..

Oh as an FYI - Palee is NOTHING like how real paleolithic people ate....[/quote]


I've already had 2 surgeries related to celiac disease so you don't know what you are saying. Wheat is not good for 75% of the population because the human body has not adapted to eating GMO foods. Many people are lactose intolerant.

There is a Primal/Paleo Support Group on this site if you are interested.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/groups

They are presently setting up a February reset so take a look at that and see if it suits you. The people there are great and will give you lots of support and advice.

jkwolly wrote: »

EllyKann wrote: »

January is coming to an end and I am transitioning to paleo.

I have been following the "easy" paleo rules for about a week (avoiding grains and dairy) but I spent a good amount of time at the grocery store yesterday reading labels and I can tell this is going to be far from easy. Labels aside I already feel better with the small changes I have made and know that looking at food as fuel will push me in the right direction.

I am definitely looking for some paleo friendly MFP friends!

It would be great to connect with people who are just starting out and looking for support/motivation. But I would love to have support from people who have had success with paleo in the past and those who continue to follow the lifestyle!

All advice is welcome!

What "success" are you looking for? Being able to stick to a strict diet?

Weight loss is about calories in vs out.

I actually don't find Paleo restrictive. Once you lift your focus from what you can't eat to what you can eat, then a whole new world opens up. I do not miss wheat because of how it makes me feel afterwards. Think of food as your body's fuel and medicine.

There are so many amazing Paleo cookbooks available. At the moment, Pete Evan's "Family Food" is the No.1 best selling book, fact or fiction, on the Australian market. It is soooo good.

I never feel deprived, however, I do crave sugar at times and I am working on that because of the fact it makes me feel dreadful after I have eaten too much. Moderation does not seem to be the answer for me when it comes to sugar. (I am talking added sugar here.)

Anyway, good luck but remember jkwolly is right about "weight loss being about calories in vs out." You can overeat whilst following a Paleo diet but just removing wheat and sugar from your diet can produce amazing results.

Good luck.

I've been paleo for almost 2 years. I don't need to count any calories or macros when I eat this way and I maintain my weight. I'm trying to lose some right now, so I've started counting again. Definitely come on over to the Primal/Paleo group! And feel free to add me if you like. Good luck!