Does paleo work?

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Justkeepswimming2323
Justkeepswimming2323 Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello everyone!
I've been having trouble losing the last few pounds until I hit my weight loss goal and I also have a higher body fat percentage than I would like. I've read about paleo and thought it might be a good way to achieve my goals.
If you've ever tried it, did it work?

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Replies

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Any diet works if it creates a calorie deficit. Paleo won't do anything more or less than any other diet at equivalent calories. Nor will keto, vegetarian/vegan, etc. It all comes down to calories.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Any diet that provides a calorie deficit, will make you lose weight if you stick to it. It's not difficult to create a diet with a calorie deficit. The difficult part is sticking to the calorie deficit. So it's smart to find/compose a diet that is easy to stick to. But you still have to stick to it to lose weight.

    So, in short, "Does paleo work?" makes no sense.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    It works if it helps you eat in a deficit.

    Does not eating perfectly good whole foods like whole grains, legumes, and dairy cause more weight loss than another healthful diet all else equal (like calories)? No. Some people find that the paleo thing makes it easier for them to commit to eating healthfully, though, not sure why, and increase vegetables and end up more satiated on less foods -- you can do this without doing paleo, of course.

    Some small percentage of people have issues with grains and more have issues with dairy, so they may find they feel better or have less bloating on paleo.

    I did it for a while because I was curious and liked it well enough, but I didn't lose better with it or feel better, and I think I eat more healthfully without the restrictions (I was already eating mostly whole foods and lots of vegetables).
  • simmoner4
    simmoner4 Posts: 132 Member
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    Don't cut out food groups if you don't need to (like if you have an intolerance or allergy). You could miss out on nutrients your body needs.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited March 2017
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    k9education wrote: »
    If you're burning more calories than you're eating, you will lose weight. Whether you achieve that via paleo or the cupcake diet won't make a lot of difference strictly in terms of weight loss.

    This.

    On a side note: I developed some funky health issues during my paleo experiment and I didn't lose any weight. So yeah, not to impressed with it :p
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Also, Op if you're close to goal weight then you should be focusing on maintenance, and what that's going to look like for you. What's a realistic and sustainable way of eating for you, for the next 20, 30, 40, 50+ years?

    Lots of people are really good at losing weight-the trick is to be one of the very few people who actually maintain the loss. Because weight loss means nothing, if you can't figure out how to keep it off.
  • onward1
    onward1 Posts: 386 Member
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    Lots of good advice here. Also, I hear the last few pounds are the toughest. I've never done paleo, had a friend that did, and it seemed so hard for her. I think that "deprive yourself mentality" can set you up for failure. After my friend did paleo, or whole30- she was always trying something new like that, she went nuts. Ate everything she hadn't been "allowed" to, drank, and of course gained it all back, and then some. Slow and steady wins the race, no need to torture yourself, just a calorie deficit. So, you can have your cake and eat it too! You've done awesome to get this far, congrats to you!
  • ChristineCoen
    ChristineCoen Posts: 16 Member
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    Justkeepswimming2323 wrote: »
    Hello everyone!
    I've been having trouble losing the last few pounds until I hit my weight loss goal and I also have a higher body fat percentage than I would like. I've read about paleo and thought it might be a good way to achieve my goals.
    If you've ever tried it, did it work?

    99420046.png

    There is good advice in here about Paleo not being a great solution for your goals as it's not a diet but a way of eating. The difference being, you can still stay overeat by eating Paleo and therefore have no effect on your weight goals.

    What have you decided to try?
  • LisaS1073
    LisaS1073 Posts: 4 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I tried it for a while... The nature of a Paleo diet restricts carbs and goes heavy on protein and veggies, so with that combination I lost some weight. However, it was so restrictive that I couldn't make it fit with my lifestyle. I travel for a living so there weren't always a lot of options, and buying things like almond flour, coconut flour, and ghee all the time got really expensive. Like others on this thread have said, going gluten and dairy free is great for those who have allergies or sensitivities. Strict paleo wasn't for me, but I still follow a couple of paleo bloggers that have great recipes when I want to amp up my veggies and proteins: Juli at paleomg.com and Cassy at fedandfit.com are both incredibly relatable and have delicious recipes!
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
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    The last few pounds always take the longest because your body is reaching the point of equilibrium between how many calories you're consuming and how many you're burning. The only way to speed it up is to cut more calories, or burn more calories.. or just be patient.

    Paleo, or general low carb diets won't help any more than any other diet unless it helps you cut more calories while feeling satisfied, and it does for some people. Don't believe anything that tells you it magically burns fat, and I wouldn't do it unless you want to keep doing it after you reach your goal.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    Did it for 9 months, didn't lose a single pound. Now, I just eat everything. I cycle my calories/carbs around my lifting days, which has been good for compliance. It's more of a flexible dieting scheme, but I love how i can get 320g of carbs on my lifting days..
  • dudebro200
    dudebro200 Posts: 97 Member
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    I am not well read in the subject but I believe some studies have shown that the human body metabolizes each macro nutrient in a different way.

    Carbs and fats eaten in excess are more likely to end up in fat cells than excess protein for example.

    Also, refined sugars aren't simply calories and have some significant negative effects on one's body.


    Bodybuilders are experts at losing and gaining weight and maintaining lean muscle mass. The rampant drug use complicates things, but overall, most bodybuilders, natural or enhanced, cut carbs and increase protein to lean down.
  • _Bro
    _Bro Posts: 437 Member
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    Agree with the comment above on a flexible dieting scheme as it can be really effective and more of a lifestyle approach.

    Personally, I'm not a fan of a Paleo diet as is (IMHO) a tab bit elitist, and it omits a lots of food (oatmeal, brown rice , quino) that are great for the average person. It can work but I don't think the extra effort for adherence is that great...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    Justkeepswimming2323 wrote: »
    Hello everyone!
    I've been having trouble losing the last few pounds until I hit my weight loss goal and I also have a higher body fat percentage than I would like. I've read about paleo and thought it might be a good way to achieve my goals.
    If you've ever tried it, did it work?

    99420046.png

    if you want to drop body fat and maintain muscle then you need a small calorie deficit + structured lifting program+ high protein intake + micro/macro adherence...

    no where in that formula is Paleo. If you really want to eat paleo then be prepared to eat the foods that you find outside in a 20 mile radius like roots, plants, berries, etc.
  • BrettWithPKU
    BrettWithPKU Posts: 575 Member
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    A word for Paleo:

    My wife and I are on day 4 of what I'll call "paleo-ish". Basically we eat lean meats, vegetables, some fruit, but occasionally (every few days) we allow ourselves to eat one thing we really want. For example, tomorrow is our church's fish fry, and I wholly intend to eat their fried fish (the 'fried' aspect of it, of course, is objectionable to the paleo diet). Of course I'll get paleo-friendly veggie sides.

    This pertains to myself personally, but perhaps some people can relate: I got myself to a point where, when left to feed myself, fruits and vegetables didn't even enter the equation. What I ended up eating wasn't healthy (by anyone's standards). For people like this, a diet like paleo is a 'reset'. Even if you just do it for 1 week, you'll quickly learn how to bring fruits and vegetables into your daily routine.

    Again, we're only on day 4, but I have a renewed appreciation for tree nuts, frozen fruit, spinach, balsamic vinigrette, carrots, celery -- things I wasn't eating at all a week ago.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Weight loss is about having a calorie deficit. If you are not losing then you are taking in more calories than you need to lose at your current weight. If you are close to your goal weight your deficit is probably small. If you are off on the calories you think you are taking in or burning by a couple of hundred a day then you can be just maintaining.
    If you are logging increase your accuracy. Use a food scale. Check that the entries you use are correct. Maybe eat less of calories earned from exercise. If you are not logging food and exercise start doing that.

    Type of food is personal preference or required by your medical conditions. If you want to try the paleo diet that's fine but it isn't magic. You still need a calorie deficit to lose weight.
  • dudebro200
    dudebro200 Posts: 97 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    dudebro200 wrote: »
    I am not well read in the subject but I believe some studies have shown that the human body metabolizes each macro nutrient in a different way.

    Carbs and fats eaten in excess are more likely to end up in fat cells than excess protein for example.

    Also, refined sugars aren't simply calories and have some significant negative effects on one's body.


    Bodybuilders are experts at losing and gaining weight and maintaining lean muscle mass. The rampant drug use complicates things, but overall, most bodybuilders, natural or enhanced, cut carbs and increase protein to lean down.

    nope, excess calories get stored as fat and there is nothing wrong with refined sugar in the context of a diet that is hitting micro/macro needs.

    where do people get this stuff?

    Read a reddit post that linked to a study. The study found that protien eaten in excess wasn't processed int he same way as carbs and fats. I don't have time to look for it.

    The refined sugar issue came from an article I read here on MFP news feed. Again I don't have time to find this either.

    So I guess that's it.

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