Paleo Diet

freeoscar wrote: »

staceyseeger wrote: »

freeoscar wrote: »

Psalm37v4 wrote: »

I've been on a strict Paleo for 2 months. I've lost 12 lbs eating 1500 calories a day with a goal of eating 130g of protein a day, which on Paleo is challenging, but I have a rhythm now. No dairy, grains, added sugar (to include honey or maple syrup), or legumes. I feel good, think more clearly and have lots more energy. I tried it last year but my heart wasn't really in it and I quit after two weeks. This time I really wanted to give it a sincere effort and I'm glad I did.

I'm not that familiar with Paleo - why is it that you can't eat legumes?

Beans & Legumes contain anti-nutrients that prevent the absorption of vitamins & nutrients.

honestly, I can't tell if that is the 'real' reason, or if you are just being facetious.

That's supposed to be the real reason.

Cutting out a food group (legumes) that I think most people would probably benefit from eating more of, nutritionally, plus the fact I love dairy and see only positives for me (protein, I'm not lactose intolerant) were basically the things in the paleo diet I couldn't get around, and that caused me to decide that the grain piece didn't really make much sense either.

BFDeal wrote: »

Also, on the same note as "I don't know anyone who strictly follows paleo for more than a short period of time" how long does anyone really "strictly" calorie count? As in eat ONLY things they can weigh and measure. I'm sure longer than most people follow paleo but eventually everyone starts estimating some things in the name of "you don't have to restrict!!!"

I don't see how estimating calories is even remotely the same as eating foods prohibited on a strictly prescribed diet. Calorie counting is an inexact science even if weigh and measure everything.

miriamtob wrote: »

Gianfranco_R wrote: »

cmaurno2015 wrote: »

I just started the Paleo diet and I am on my 3rd day. I have already lost 1 pounds with limited exercise.

prior to paleo I ran mile after mile and ate so many processed carbs like crackers and power bars. Once I cut dairy and wheat out my energy skyrocketed.

I weigh 125 now at 5,5 and for my small frame I am thinking my ideal weight is 118. I am less hungry and concentrate better with the addition of all these healthy fats.

Have any of you had success in reaching your ideal weight through Paleo? Any tips?

here you can find support:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/37-primal-paleo-support-group

I've been mostly Paleo since November 2014 and adhered quite strictly to it for the first two months.

This is what annoys a lot of people about the Paleo diet. Not saying you, but just in general.

I do this "mostly", so you really don't do it. It's like saying you are a vegetarian that eats meat on Saturday and Sunday.

Well, sorry it annoys you. I sometimes experiment with adding little non-Paleo things in and observing how I feel after. It's given me more body awareness. It's quite a different WOE from vegetarianism, lol! But, if we are going to be strict about semantics, I am very glad I was introduced to the concept. It moved me enough to become a MUCH healthier person. I don't care much about labels, especially the very stigmatizing and faulty Paleo label.

Hornsby wrote: »

miriamtob wrote: »

Gianfranco_R wrote: »

cmaurno2015 wrote: »

I just started the Paleo diet and I am on my 3rd day. I have already lost 1 pounds with limited exercise.

prior to paleo I ran mile after mile and ate so many processed carbs like crackers and power bars. Once I cut dairy and wheat out my energy skyrocketed.

I weigh 125 now at 5,5 and for my small frame I am thinking my ideal weight is 118. I am less hungry and concentrate better with the addition of all these healthy fats.

Have any of you had success in reaching your ideal weight through Paleo? Any tips?

here you can find support:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/37-primal-paleo-support-group

I've been mostly Paleo since November 2014 and adhered quite strictly to it for the first two months.

This is what annoys a lot of people about the Paleo diet. Not saying you, but just in general.

I do this "mostly", so you really don't do it. It's like saying you are a vegetarian that eats meat on Saturday and Sunday.

MamaOfTwo20 wrote: »

People do because they think it is the cool thing to do and say, but for some of us it actually is doing more positives than negatives for our body. And I am definitely not starving myself! I eat 3-4 eggs for breakfast followed by some spinach, avocado, homemade salsa and 4 pieces of nitrate free bacon. That is a lean breakfast that gives me my energy and doesn't hurt my system. I am grateful to have gone Paleo.

I think it can be a good approach for some people.

I have mixed feelings about it because I see two kind of drastically different approaches. Some use it as basically an excuse to be even more limited in what they eat and cut calories in an unhealthy way--it serves to basically let them claim a "health" excuse for what is really kind of disordered eating. Generally, these people would be restricting in some other way if not paleo, but things like paleo still kind of provide a cover.

On the other hand, I've seen others who were able to use paleo to stop obsessing about restricting and even eat more/more appropriate to their activity level. My impression lately is that there's a lot more focus on not using paleo as a way to cut carbs super low and encouraging the consumption of carbs (of the approved sort) around activity. (A lot of the paleo-leaning types I know do CF, so this is related, and there tends to be a decent focus on eating to support activity.)

Anyway, I'm not anti paleo at all; I just don't agree with the essential rules (no grains, legumes, or dairy as general health advice for most people). On the stuff around the edges, like eating whole foods and sourcing meat and trying to eat the whole animal and the like, I rather like it.

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

BFDeal wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

BFDeal wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

The 1 lb you lost is water weight from cutting carbs.

I have yet to meet anyone on these forums who really follows the paleo diet. Some say they do, but after discussion, it's clear that they don't. Most just eat high fat low carb and say it's paleo. It seems to be overly restrictive to me. But, if you feel better and are getting proper nutrition from this diet, then best of luck to you with it.

I'm not paleo so I don't have a dog in this fight but I've never understood why people get so hung up on "overly restrictive." You hear that thrown out a lot. If cutting calories is the goal isn't there always some sort of restriction? Sure, you CAN have ice cream, pizza, fast food, etc free eating/iifym/whatever you label it but it's usually in bonkers small amounts. A single piece of pizza. Baked potato and chili at Wendy's. 1/2 cup of ice cream. Yawn. Sounds like restriction to me.

I agree there is inherent restriction in any weight loss diet. But restricting foods in order to cut calories is far different than cutting out all grains, legumes, nightshade vegetables, limiting fruits, commercial meats and eggs, and the other restrictions paleo entails. Hence the term "overly" restrictive.

Whether it's overly restrictive or not would depend on your attachment to those foods and how impacted you are by giving them up. If you tell me "hey, you can't have ice cream every day" I would say "meh, I don't get enough calories to fit a satisfying amount in anyhow so who cares?" Eggs or processed meats are a different story. I get people get freaked out when they're given rules telling them not to do something. Usually they're not doing much of the thing they're being told not to do anyhow though so it's kind of funny.

I can agree with all of that. My "overly restrictive" remark was more about the fact that I've never found a single person that stuck with paleo strictly for more than a short period of time.

I have actually been on Paleo for quite some time now. I don't say that I can't have any of the "restrictive" foods - I choose not to eat them. Not for weight loss ( I lost 70lbs prior to Paleo), but for over all well-being. By doing the elimination diet, I found out how sensitive I was to gluten & dairy products.

mizzlarabee wrote: »

Hornsby wrote: »

miriamtob wrote: »

Gianfranco_R wrote: »

cmaurno2015 wrote: »

I just started the Paleo diet and I am on my 3rd day. I have already lost 1 pounds with limited exercise.

prior to paleo I ran mile after mile and ate so many processed carbs like crackers and power bars. Once I cut dairy and wheat out my energy skyrocketed.

I weigh 125 now at 5,5 and for my small frame I am thinking my ideal weight is 118. I am less hungry and concentrate better with the addition of all these healthy fats.

Have any of you had success in reaching your ideal weight through Paleo? Any tips?

here you can find support:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/37-primal-paleo-support-group

I've been mostly Paleo since November 2014 and adhered quite strictly to it for the first two months.

This is what annoys a lot of people about the Paleo diet. Not saying you, but just in general.

I do this "mostly", so you really don't do it. It's like saying you are a vegetarian that eats meat on Saturday and Sunday.

To be fair, anybody who focuses their diet on nutrient dense foods is "mostly" paleo. It's actually that line of thinking that I find most annoying - there can be a spectrum, depending on personal preference.

What I find, I don't know, a little odd is the claim that Paleo itself is super healthy when, in fact, it's the things about it that aren't uniquely paleo, like focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods for most of your diet, that are probably beneficial. For most people giving up grains, beans, and dairy probably doesn't improve nutrition or help with weight loss UNLESS your issue wasn't so much grains as getting most of your grains in the form of cookies and cake or refined wheat pasta/bread without being combined with nutrient dense sauces or fillings.

I mean, basing meals around protein and veggies is a pretty sensible thing to do, but it's not particularly paleo. It's something I do even now.

mizzlarabee wrote: »

Hornsby wrote: »

miriamtob wrote: »

Gianfranco_R wrote: »

cmaurno2015 wrote: »

I just started the Paleo diet and I am on my 3rd day. I have already lost 1 pounds with limited exercise.

prior to paleo I ran mile after mile and ate so many processed carbs like crackers and power bars. Once I cut dairy and wheat out my energy skyrocketed.

I weigh 125 now at 5,5 and for my small frame I am thinking my ideal weight is 118. I am less hungry and concentrate better with the addition of all these healthy fats.

Have any of you had success in reaching your ideal weight through Paleo? Any tips?

here you can find support:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/37-primal-paleo-support-group

I've been mostly Paleo since November 2014 and adhered quite strictly to it for the first two months.

This is what annoys a lot of people about the Paleo diet. Not saying you, but just in general.

I do this "mostly", so you really don't do it. It's like saying you are a vegetarian that eats meat on Saturday and Sunday.

To be fair, anybody who focuses their diet on nutrient dense foods is "mostly" paleo. It's actually that line of thinking that I find most annoying - there can be a spectrum, depending on personal preference.

I don't know. I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian and I think a Paleo person would have a hard time calling my dairy/legume based diet "mostly" paleo

I, however, consider it nutritious.

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

staceyseeger wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

BFDeal wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

BFDeal wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

The 1 lb you lost is water weight from cutting carbs.

I have yet to meet anyone on these forums who really follows the paleo diet. Some say they do, but after discussion, it's clear that they don't. Most just eat high fat low carb and say it's paleo. It seems to be overly restrictive to me. But, if you feel better and are getting proper nutrition from this diet, then best of luck to you with it.

I'm not paleo so I don't have a dog in this fight but I've never understood why people get so hung up on "overly restrictive." You hear that thrown out a lot. If cutting calories is the goal isn't there always some sort of restriction? Sure, you CAN have ice cream, pizza, fast food, etc free eating/iifym/whatever you label it but it's usually in bonkers small amounts. A single piece of pizza. Baked potato and chili at Wendy's. 1/2 cup of ice cream. Yawn. Sounds like restriction to me.

I agree there is inherent restriction in any weight loss diet. But restricting foods in order to cut calories is far different than cutting out all grains, legumes, nightshade vegetables, limiting fruits, commercial meats and eggs, and the other restrictions paleo entails. Hence the term "overly" restrictive.

Whether it's overly restrictive or not would depend on your attachment to those foods and how impacted you are by giving them up. If you tell me "hey, you can't have ice cream every day" I would say "meh, I don't get enough calories to fit a satisfying amount in anyhow so who cares?" Eggs or processed meats are a different story. I get people get freaked out when they're given rules telling them not to do something. Usually they're not doing much of the thing they're being told not to do anyhow though so it's kind of funny.

I can agree with all of that. My "overly restrictive" remark was more about the fact that I've never found a single person that stuck with paleo strictly for more than a short period of time.

I have actually been on Paleo for quite some time now. I don't say that I can't have any of the "restrictive" foods - I choose not to eat them. Not for weight loss ( I lost 70lbs prior to Paleo), but for over all well-being. By doing the elimination diet, I found out how sensitive I was to gluten & dairy products.

The paleo diet rules are much more than just giving up gluten and dairy. You said 85% paleo earlier in the thread. Which seems pretty common and backs up my point. If the diet wasn't overly restrictive, why not be 100% paleo?

The 85% Paleo was when I allowed myself a cheat meal once a week, burger & a beer were my go-to's. I felt horrible after eating it, but I did it for the social reasons. I have been following Paleo strictly for the past 5 months because that way of eating is allowing me to reach physical goals that were being hindered by the cheat meals.