what are people's thoughts about the paleo diet

One of my pet peeves is when people say a diet is or is not sustainable. Unless we are talking about a person who is held captive or in some other way has had all decision making re: food removed, or we are talking about a diet that is actually lethal when followed, whether a diet is sustainable is a completely individual thing, influenced by many things including culture, psychology, and physiology.

For some of the evidence behind these statements, Read Escape the Diet Trap by Dr John Briffa. He doesn't call his Primal or Paleo, but it's basically the same idea. And, he gives references at the end to back up the science on carbs, refined sugar, etc. Also, the Mark's Daily Apple website isn't necessarily referenced ( I don't know that for sure, I haven't checked yet), but it's a good source of information. There was a good article by Dr Richard Lipman about dieting through the ages that mentions lower carb dieting as early as 1825. Again, I'm not sure if this was referenced though it was a scientific article, so it should be (I read it a few years ago, and it stuck with me). Still, it's an interesting read.

This sure is a hotly debated topic, and it's unusual that people who are vehemently attacking it and judging those who are successfully losing this way have never tried it?? I mean, I wouldn't necessarily choose to be a vegetarian or a vegan, but I lived that way for several years, so at least I know why it didn't work for me; and just because it wasn't for me, definitely does not give me the right to demand the research to prove it's better, and attack other people's choice.

The bottom line, with or without the research, I feel better, I am not starving hungry all the time, or thinking about my next meal constantly, the weight is coming off, and I feel really good about the food I am putting in my body...finally! I don't feel a bit deprived or like I'm missing anything; it seems silly now to think about missing factory produced food when I can have the real thing!

People on this board continuously try to say that sugar and refined carbs aren't unhealthy, don't cause obesity, etc.. Yet every time I eat them I end up binging on them and gaining weight. Or if I keep eating them and restrict calories, I'm starving all the time.

So am I supposed to listen to the "science", or follow the fad diet that actually allows me to lose weight? I'm going to choose the fad diet regardless of what the underlying science is.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

Yeah but according to the experts here, if I just "eat in moderation" i will create my caloric deficit and lose weight, right?

I should add that I'm rarely in calorie deficit, in fact, I'm usually over my limit, and I'm still losing ( I had to stop tracking food because of this,..it was freaking me out!). Not sure why, don't care!!

People on this board continuously try to say that sugar and refined carbs aren't unhealthy, don't cause obesity, etc.. Yet every time I eat them I end up binging on them and gaining weight. Or if I keep eating them and restrict calories, I'm starving all the time.

So am I supposed to listen to the "science", or follow the fad diet that actually allows me to lose weight? I'm going to choose the fad diet regardless of what the underlying science is.

Listen to the science and don't eat them. Whether they cause you to binge or not, there is plenty of science showing sugar and processed carbs are not healthy.

Yeah but according to the experts here, if I just "eat in moderation" i will create my caloric deficit and lose weight, right?

Well, yes. But losing weight and eating healthy are not the same subject. There is the oft referred to Twinkie Diet as proof that you can lose weight while eating sugar and processed crap food as long as you have a calorie deficit. But the odds that you'll remain healthy are far better if you eat healthy foods.

They are attacking it because they need science in order to believe in it. Some people need science, some need observation, and some go by faith alone (ie. religion). I happen to need observation more than science, but its nice when science also supports it. If I can observe that a diet has success for a number of people, then I consider it legit. If the underlying science is lacking or wrong, so be it, the diet still works and one day science will better explain why. If someone tells me a diet works and nobody can attest that it worked for them or was at all sustainable, then I will blow it off.

The issue with just relying on observations is that people then falsely beleive something works for the wrong reasons. So people lost weight on a diet not because of a caloric deficit but for some magical reason like they ate while hopping on one foot or eliminated grains or cut carbs. The same goes for supplements, people see that someone or a group of people lost weight taking something and beleive that it works, while there are numerous other confounders at play

its trash..like all fad diets.

we are not cavemen..we have evolved since then..and have different dietary needs

i'm not on it but i disagree. there are some good things about it. eating foods in their natural state is good. not eating processed foods is good. i may not agree with all of it but i don't think "it's trash"

But that's not paleo so to speak, that's just eating better quality foods. Paleo actually eliminates other things that are healthy like grains (corn, maize, barley, rice, oats etc) , salt, dairy etc and even legumes! Madness!

I think for short term to clean out your body of impurities in your diet it's awesome, long term it's expensive, time consuming and you will miss bread. Lifestyle change is much easier.

I think for short term to clean out your body of impurities in your diet it's awesome, long term it's expensive, time consuming and you will miss bread. Lifestyle change is much easier.

I'm not sure how it's more expensive? I've been eating like this more or less for just short of a year and my grocery bill went DOWN by about $150/mo. I don't miss bread at all, though occasionally will make bread with almond flour and other ingredients that are not grain based and be happy. I eat it and don't get the craving for MORE bread.

And how is a lifestyle change easier? Going this direction is a lifestyle change in itself. Paleo/Primal is more than just food, it's trying to really think about your food sources, making good decisions and buying from local farms whenever possible. Its about getting enough rest and exercise together and trying to reconnect with nature. If I was a vegan saying the same things people would think that I'm a genius.

You don't have to eat paleo to reconsider your food sources. I support local farms for a number of reasons but I don't eat Paleo. I also wonder how sustainable the paleo diet is environmentally. I can do everything you have said and still eat grains from my local farms.

I think its too tough to maintain forever. I mean how on earth are you seriously meant to get enough calcium and iron in from that diet when it pretty much bans legumes and dairy and even grains?

You're talking of eliminating essential foods for a modern human beings diet to sustain healthy existence and function. You're talking about taking away things and foods people enjoy regularly which never affected their health and weight loss in the past.

Most people get their iron from red meat, legumes (beans etc) and wholegrains and their calcium from the same sources and dairy. Plus calcium in dairy is known to help reduce the amount of fat absorbed by the body and when working out, you need more iron and calcium to support your blood and bones. Especially choosing low fat dairy options is great.

We are no longer cavemen, we don't need to devolve to this. We just need to eat less, move more and eat better quality foods in the right proportions.

It's the same with people doing this low carbs rubbish.

It's not sustainable or healthy and leaves you feeling wiped out, especially if you work out hard.

In my eyes, before all these rubbishy fad diets came in force, people managed to lose weight in other ways and you don't need some con of a principle/idea to help you lose weight. You need commitment and discipline and not waste your money on somebody cashing in on your naivety.