Thinking of trying paleo.

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Rlavigne93
Rlavigne93 Posts: 119 Member
I recently found nerdfitness.com and so far really like it. If you've been there, you know how big fans they are of the paleo diet, and they've assuaged a lot of my doubts about it.

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for getting started. I've got the gist of it: no grains, no processed foods, lean meat and lots of veggies at meals. I was just hoping for some, I dunno, insider tips or something.

Also, I'm unclear on where dairy fits into this. I've no problem going without milk but I'm not sure how I feel about giving up yogurt. I REALLY love my greek yogurt.

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  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    I've never eaten as advertised by Paleo because the foods on the no-no list are the foods I actually eat. What I've read on here is most people following Paleo do a modified version, keeping certain foods like cheese. Try it, If it doesn't work for you, you'll know.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Rlavigne93 wrote: »
    I recently found nerdfitness.com and so far really like it. If you've been there, you know how big fans they are of the paleo diet, and they've assuaged a lot of my doubts about it.

    I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for getting started. I've got the gist of it: no grains, no processed foods, lean meat and lots of veggies at meals. I was just hoping for some, I dunno, insider tips or something.

    Also, I'm unclear on where dairy fits into this. I've no problem going without milk but I'm not sure how I feel about giving up yogurt. I REALLY love my greek yogurt.

    If you like greek yogurt and that's on their bad list, why would you choose paleo? Just eat a balanced diet.
  • Hollywood_Porky
    Hollywood_Porky Posts: 491 Member
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    It's awesome - what it really does is provide focus on your nutrition and gets you back to basics - it's a great way to clean up your diet without having to figure out what to really choose to ditch. You can then build it back up by figuring out which foods make the most sense to add back in. I highly advise trying it.
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
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    Why give up any of the things that you like to eat? How long can you realistically keep up a diet that won't let you have your favorite foods?

    Better plan, eat all of the foods you like just measure and record all portions properly and hold yourself accountable.

    Tips- All solids should be weighed on a food scale in grams (even peanut butter) and all liquids should be measured in a measuring cup.

    Also there's nothing magical about paleo. The people who do well with it do so only because they managed to create a calorie deficit which is easier to do if you think about it when you're no longer able to go to Mc Donalds or have the double double frap with extra whipped cream from Starbucks.

    On the flip side you could easily gain weight on Paleo. I personally love organic grass fed steaks and other organic foods and if I don't track, weigh and measure properly I could gain weight.

    To sum it up, you're much better off learning to track and measure your food properly, enjoy all of your favorite foods (in moderation when necessary) and live your life. Calorie counting isn't a diet, that wouldn't be doing it justice at all, it's the path towards a healthy lifestyle.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Bleh, too restrictive. Weigh, measure, count calories, monitor macros.... that's why they have apps like MFP to do all the math for you. I see no reason to give up normal, nutritious foods. Ditching sodas and things that don't provide value, or that have trans fats etc, sure... but bread, yogurt etc? that's crazy talk lol!
  • Kimberly_Harper
    Kimberly_Harper Posts: 406 Member
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    Rlavigne93 wrote: »
    I recently found nerdfitness.com and so far really like it. If you've been there, you know how big fans they are of the paleo diet, and they've assuaged a lot of my doubts about it.

    I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for getting started. I've got the gist of it: no grains, no processed foods, lean meat and lots of veggies at meals. I was just hoping for some, I dunno, insider tips or something.

    Also, I'm unclear on where dairy fits into this. I've no problem going without milk but I'm not sure how I feel about giving up yogurt. I REALLY love my greek yogurt.

    There is a Paleo group on MFP where you can get your questions answered: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/37-primal-paleo-support-group

  • briteyes
    briteyes Posts: 435 Member
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    I've been following a paleo "style" diet for about a month now and have lost 8lbs. And this was with allowing myself to cheat a little here and there throughout the weekends. I pretty much adhere perfectly to the paleo diet through out the week - but still do not give up my morning coffee w/ cream and sugar (not sure I'll ever give that up!).

    If you told me the only way to lose weight was to count all of my calories and measure everything I ate, I might just decide to give up dieting all together. I played that game for way too long only to always gain it back once I stopped. It drove me crazy and took up way too much time.

    I prefer knowing what foods are good to eat and which ones are not. I eat as much as I want, when I eat, of the paleo approved foods, and stop when I feel content (not full), but I try to space out my meals 4-6 hrs apart and not snack in between. And after dinner I don't eat again until breakfast, giving my body 10-12 hours to fast.

    This method has been working. I still eat greek yogurt w/ raw honey, and am now also experimenting with adding back in legumes (but will keep those to a min. since I am not liking how gassy they make me).

    When I stick close to paleo, I feel wonderful, skinny, energetic. My bm's are regular, etc. And I'm losing weight so easily!

    I'm now in a body transformation challenge, so I'm dropping my cheat weekend down to a cheat day (4 hour body style); I'm going to start logging what I eat - but if you look at my diary (if i had been filling it out) you would see lots of fat, protein, and calories over the past few weeks, but low carbs... i can testify to say that it works. Please note: I am only logging for the contest - that way if I'm not getting as good of progress as I want, I can figure out what needs to change. Once the challenge is over, I'll stop logging because I really don't have time for that. Life's too short!

    The only exercise I do is train jiu-jitsu 4-5 times a week. Since starting paleo I've definitely felt stronger on the mats than ever.

    I don't believe in following a specific diet plan. I like to play with different diets and find what works best for me - my metabolism, my lifestyle, my likes/dislikes. I'm really too busy to diet, but it's not difficult to eliminate foods - like bread and cheese and sweets. The longer you do it, the easier it gets w/ the cravings.

  • rejectuf
    rejectuf Posts: 487 Member
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    Paleo works very well for some people. It's not a miracle diet that will cure all your ills, but some people find they feel pretty good cutting out some foods.

    For me, I find that eating paleo can help makes it easier to naturally hit my macros and calorie goals without having to plan it out.
  • jrosto
    jrosto Posts: 95 Member
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    I have been eating Paleo/Primal for a year now. Yogurt, since you seem to have no issues with milk products, will be totally acceptable for you to eat. It is a great source of pre-biotics.
  • Rlavigne93
    Rlavigne93 Posts: 119 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    Rlavigne93 wrote: »
    I recently found nerdfitness.com and so far really like it. If you've been there, you know how big fans they are of the paleo diet, and they've assuaged a lot of my doubts about it.

    I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for getting started. I've got the gist of it: no grains, no processed foods, lean meat and lots of veggies at meals. I was just hoping for some, I dunno, insider tips or something.

    Also, I'm unclear on where dairy fits into this. I've no problem going without milk but I'm not sure how I feel about giving up yogurt. I REALLY love my greek yogurt.

    If you like greek yogurt and that's on their bad list, why would you choose paleo? Just eat a balanced diet.

    Because I can follow the thought process behind it. It seems like a diet I can follow reliably and that will help me develop healthier habits.

  • demonelle
    demonelle Posts: 12 Member
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    Honestly the labels like paleo etc mean nothing, I would suggest the crowding out method. Add things into your diet and focus less on removing things and crowd out the "no" foods but still allow them. You will over time reach for the other foods over your old staples. I really love greek yogurt too and I used to eat it every morning but I find I can get my protein in with poached eggs instead, and if I really crave the texture of something like yogurt I make a chia seed pudding with almond milk. Don't remove, just search and try alternatives but always allow yourself things that are obviously healthy in good doses.