Does paleo work?
Justkeepswimming2323
Posts: 6 Member
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?
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
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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.3
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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.2 -
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).1 -
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.0
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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
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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.3 -
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!2
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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?
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?0 -
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!0
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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.0 -
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..2
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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.0 -
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...1 -
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?
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.0 -
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?5 -
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.2 -
If by paleo diet, you mean the diet of paleolithic man, yes it will work. Any diet that has you walking 12-14 miles per day hunting for food and shelter while eating the little amount of available food will work.11
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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.
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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.0 -
dudebro200 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.
are you referring to TEF as in Thermatic Effect of Food? If you are referring to that, then yes your body does break them down differently. However, excess fat is stored as fat. So if you eat protein in a surplus guess where it gets stored, as fat. If you eat carbs and are in a deficit you body burns that for fuel..you can't store excess calories in a deficit...its just math and physics.1 -
The key to losing weight and keeping it off is to find a way of eating that is sustainable - that you can follow for the rest of your life. It has to be convenient and easy to figure out. Ultimately, weight loss is about calories, while the labels such as Paleo, IF, etc are styles of eating. I dont know if Paleo will work for you, you have to try it. But from what I know of it, it wouldnt work for me, because it is too restrictive in the variety of foods that are "allowable". Both my son and daughter have tried this style, with mixed results - again, the restrictive nature of the style is what sunk it - never having birthday cake again? Or their mothers home made bread?
Actually there was an article in todays paper in my area that spoke to the "real" Paleo diet:
Caveman teeth show real paleo diet
Scientists’ findings smash the idea that Neanderthals relied mainly on meat
PALEOANTHROPOLOGY GROUP MNCN-CSIC
Scientists found traces of poplar, a source of Aspirin, on the teeth of one young Neanderthal.
WASHINGTON— Eating like a caveman meant chowing down on woolly rhinos and sheep in Belgium, but munching on mushrooms, pine nuts and moss in Spain. It all depended on where they lived, new research shows.
Scientists got a sneak peek into the kitchen of three Neanderthals by scraping off the plaque stuck on their teeth and examining the DNA. What they found smashes a common public misconception that the caveman diet was mostly meat.
They also found hints that one sickly teen used primitive versions of penicillin and Aspirin to help ease his pain.
The dental plaque provides a life- long record of what went in the Neanderthals’ mouths and the bacteria that lived in their guts, said study co-author Alan Cooper, director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA in Adelaide. “It’s like a fossil,” he said. While past studies showed varied Neanderthal diets, genetic testing al- lowed researchers to say what kind of meat or mushrooms they ate, Cooper said. The 42,000-year-old Belgian Neanderthal’s menu of sheep and woolly rhino reflected what roamed in the plains around the Neanderthal’s home, he said. The research is in Wednesday’s journal Nature.
“I do wonder what rhino tastes like,” said study lead author Laura Weyrich, a paleo microbiologist at the University of Adelaide. “I’m not a big fan of sheep. I think I’ll take the rhino.”
There were no signs of meat in the diet of the two 50,000-year-old Spanish Neanderthals, but calling them vegetarians would be a stretch, Cooper said. Their own bones showed that they were eaten by cannibals.
The two specimens in Spain were a female adult and a teenage male, who wasn’t a son or brother but may have been some other relative ac- cording to their DNA, Weyrich said.
The young male was obviously sick, with an infected mouth and other injuries, she said.
But on his teeth — and only his — were two residues. One was from the poplar tree where doctors would later get a key ingredient in Aspirin, and the other was from mould that had a version of the antibiotic penicillin.
The primitive penicillin was a surprise, Cooper said. It’s too premature to say the mould was being used for that purpose, but “it does make me wonder,” he said.
The research gives direct evidence for what was already suspected about their diverse diets and use of medicine, said University of Colorado Museum’s Paola Villa, who wasn’t part of the study. She called the new study “very significant.”
Neanderthals went extinct about 37,000 years ago, about 26,000 years before their dinners, the woolly rhinos, she said
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@cross2bear I just read that article incidentally. Found it to be quite interesting.0
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I follow a mostly paleo diet and have had great results. My skin cleared up after years of adult acne, and I've lost 30 pounds (in conjunction sigh an intense exercise regimen). However, following a paleo diet correctly is really hard if you don't like to cook and aren't willing to spend an exorbitant amount of money on groceries. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.0
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Stella3838 wrote: »@cross2bear I just read that article incidentally. Found it to be quite interesting.
Me too, especially the parts about the poplar tree/aspirin and the mold/penicillin.1 -
I can't stand it when people try to say it doesn't matter if you eat sugar or vegetables, as long as you have a calorie deficit you'll still lose weight.
Yeah, maybe, but if you want to make a lifestyle change and not be on a "diet" your whole life, then you need to put down the addictive processed crap and start feeding your body actual nutrients.
Eating paleo/low carb/etc is not hard or expensive. I buy a couple pounds of chicken breasts/tenders a week, cook them all at once and put them in the fridge. Hardboil some eggs to stick in there too. Buy frozen veggies that you can cook quickly.
You don't have to go all or nothing on it. Small changes help. Sometime when you want sugar, instead eat some carrot sticks with peanut butter. If you're hungry for pizza, make a modified chicken parmesan with skinless chicken breasts, pasta sauce, and cheese. Don't worry about "never eating birthday cake again" or whatever the one person said. It's not like if you eat one gram of sugar your body will explode.
The less you eat junk food, the less you want it.2 -
cross2bear wrote: »The key to losing weight and keeping it off is to find a way of eating that is sustainable - that you can follow for the rest of your life. It has to be convenient and easy to figure out. Ultimately, weight loss is about calories, while the labels such as Paleo, IF, etc are styles of eating. I dont know if Paleo will work for you, you have to try it. But from what I know of it, it wouldnt work for me, because it is too restrictive in the variety of foods that are "allowable". Both my son and daughter have tried this style, with mixed results - again, the restrictive nature of the style is what sunk it - never having birthday cake again? Or their mothers home made bread?
Actually there was an article in todays paper in my area that spoke to the "real" Paleo diet:
Caveman teeth show real paleo diet
Scientists’ findings smash the idea that Neanderthals relied mainly on meat
PALEOANTHROPOLOGY GROUP MNCN-CSIC
Scientists found traces of poplar, a source of Aspirin, on the teeth of one young Neanderthal.
WASHINGTON— Eating like a caveman meant chowing down on woolly rhinos and sheep in Belgium, but munching on mushrooms, pine nuts and moss in Spain. It all depended on where they lived, new research shows.
Scientists got a sneak peek into the kitchen of three Neanderthals by scraping off the plaque stuck on their teeth and examining the DNA. What they found smashes a common public misconception that the caveman diet was mostly meat.
They also found hints that one sickly teen used primitive versions of penicillin and Aspirin to help ease his pain.
The dental plaque provides a life- long record of what went in the Neanderthals’ mouths and the bacteria that lived in their guts, said study co-author Alan Cooper, director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA in Adelaide. “It’s like a fossil,” he said. While past studies showed varied Neanderthal diets, genetic testing al- lowed researchers to say what kind of meat or mushrooms they ate, Cooper said. The 42,000-year-old Belgian Neanderthal’s menu of sheep and woolly rhino reflected what roamed in the plains around the Neanderthal’s home, he said. The research is in Wednesday’s journal Nature.
“I do wonder what rhino tastes like,” said study lead author Laura Weyrich, a paleo microbiologist at the University of Adelaide. “I’m not a big fan of sheep. I think I’ll take the rhino.”
There were no signs of meat in the diet of the two 50,000-year-old Spanish Neanderthals, but calling them vegetarians would be a stretch, Cooper said. Their own bones showed that they were eaten by cannibals.
The two specimens in Spain were a female adult and a teenage male, who wasn’t a son or brother but may have been some other relative ac- cording to their DNA, Weyrich said.
The young male was obviously sick, with an infected mouth and other injuries, she said.
But on his teeth — and only his — were two residues. One was from the poplar tree where doctors would later get a key ingredient in Aspirin, and the other was from mould that had a version of the antibiotic penicillin.
The primitive penicillin was a surprise, Cooper said. It’s too premature to say the mould was being used for that purpose, but “it does make me wonder,” he said.
The research gives direct evidence for what was already suspected about their diverse diets and use of medicine, said University of Colorado Museum’s Paola Villa, who wasn’t part of the study. She called the new study “very significant.”
Neanderthals went extinct about 37,000 years ago, about 26,000 years before their dinners, the woolly rhinos, she said
Neanderthals aren't homo sapiens sapiens and are actually quite different.
Even homo sapien sapien from paleolithic era are quite different.
There have been 100s of genetic changes in homo sapiens sapiens since the paleolithic era, and the Neolithic era brought a host of different selective preasures. For one, dairy consumption genes took over the European region in under 2000 years.
You can't use paleothic people as a guidepost for what modern humans should eat. They are different people, and the vast majority of paleolithic humans don't have lineages that live on to modern humans.
The people that remained the paleolithic era until recently (Australian Aborigines, artic native Americans etc.) have a whole host problems when they are introduced to modern diets. It's because their bodies aren't designed for high amounts of process grains. During the Neolithic era, Dogs developed many digistive genetic changes to allow them to eat higher amounts of grain-based carbohydrates. You can bet the bank the neothilic humans in Asia, Africa and Europe developed the same traits.
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stripeybelly wrote: »I can't stand it when people try to say it doesn't matter if you eat sugar or vegetables, as long as you have a calorie deficit you'll still lose weight.
Yeah, maybe, but if you want to make a lifestyle change and not be on a "diet" your whole life, then you need to put down the addictive processed crap and start feeding your body actual nutrients.
Eating paleo/low carb/etc is not hard or expensive. I buy a couple pounds of chicken breasts/tenders a week, cook them all at once and put them in the fridge. Hardboil some eggs to stick in there too. Buy frozen veggies that you can cook quickly.
You don't have to go all or nothing on it. Small changes help. Sometime when you want sugar, instead eat some carrot sticks with peanut butter. If you're hungry for pizza, make a modified chicken parmesan with skinless chicken breasts, pasta sauce, and cheese. Don't worry about "never eating birthday cake again" or whatever the one person said. It's not like if you eat one gram of sugar your body will explode.
The less you eat junk food, the less you want it.
Whatever you do, do not look at my diary.
You don't have to deprive yourself of treats and delicious to be fit and lean. You don't have to get rid anything and can still improve metabolic markers with just weight loss alone. But concentrating on whole foods can definitely help with satiety. Personally, I focus on protein.. and I don't care how I get it.. processed or not.
ETA: whole grammar batman.0 -
stripeybelly wrote: »I can't stand it when people try to say it doesn't matter if you eat sugar or vegetables, as long as you have a calorie deficit you'll still lose weight.
Yeah, maybe, but if you want to make a lifestyle change and not be on a "diet" your whole life, then you need to put down the addictive processed crap and start feeding your body actual nutrients.
I eat a diet of around 55% carbs. In addition my diet is around 50% whole food, 50% convenience food. I have never been technically overweight, but I did get to the upper limit of the healthy weight range for my height. So I lost 15 lbs over the course of a year by eating the exact same foods I always had, just 250 cals less per day, plus I increased my activity a little. I didn't kill myself in the gym, and I was never hungry. I'm not addicted to junk food, I just enjoy it. I get plenty of nutrients, I feel great, I get compliments on my skin, and have always had excellent results on my blood work.
Paleo works wonders for some people, but for others it is not optimal. When I accidentally have a lower carb day I feel like crap. Eating more than 3 or 4 oz of meat at a time makes me feel heavy and sluggish. And the cost of different types of food varies wildly depending on where in the world you live.
It's awesome that you found a way to eat that makes you feel good, but that's no reason to draw false conclusions about the ways other people eat.2 -
Neanderthals aren't homo sapiens sapiens and are actually quite different.
Even homo sapien sapien from paleolithic era are quite different.
There have been 100s of genetic changes in homo sapiens sapiens since the paleolithic era, and the Neolithic era brought a host of different selective preasures. For one, dairy consumption genes took over the European region in under 2000 years.
You can't use paleothic people as a guidepost for what modern humans should eat. They are different people, and the vast majority of paleolithic humans don't have lineages that live on to modern humans.
The people that remained the paleolithic era until recently (Australian Aborigines, artic native Americans etc.) have a whole host problems when they are introduced to modern diets. It's because their bodies aren't designed for high amounts of process grains. During the Neolithic era, Dogs developed many digistive genetic changes to allow them to eat higher amounts of grain-based carbohydrates. You can bet the bank the neothilic humans in Asia, Africa and Europe developed the same traits.
Take it up with the scientist bro - I just reproduced the article.0
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