what are people's thoughts about the paleo diet

Welcome to one of the most debated topics currently on MFP

I changed from a more pure Calories in Calories Out view to a Primal Lifestyle. Primal is similar to Paleo though less restrictive (dairy and alcohol in moderation for instance) and also more holistic. More info here:
http://marksdailyapple.com/

I have had amazing results in weight loss, muscle gains, and overall health since making this change regardless of what naysayers might have to say about it. Proof is in the pudding for me and that is all that matters.

If you are giving it due consideration, I suggest trying it for a few weeks to see what results you get and how you feel.

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.

That is the big misconception. Especially regarding the if it fits your macro crowd on one and the Paleo crowd on the other. Both groups have gone to the extremes. I am sorry life is not about extremes.

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.

If I recall that is based on eating large amounts. If you want to get technical I can gain weight by eating nuts. Mind you nuts are very calorie dense, sure they have SOME value but so does a candy bar. So, what's the difference?

If a paleo diet makes someone happy, then what's the big deal?

I find it MORE extreme to measure every single food you eat for calorie content. That is ridiculous to me!

That is where I am in agreement with you. If it makes the person happy, HOWEVER eating paleo is no better than any other calorie deficit plan. That includes eating anything in moderation COUPLED with nutritious foods.

I'm not trying to say Paleo is the superior diet, as I'm not even on the diet. I just think its being unjustly criticized. You can say its unnecessary to remove whole grains, dairy, and junk foods, but one can also say its unnecessary to eat them in the first place. Not every choice has to be made for scientific reasons either. Sometimes its for philosophical reasons.

I think a little common sense goes a long way with any "diet" if you want to do a "diet" then so be it but if you want to make healthy lifestyle changes that you can stick with indefinitely then I think the Paleo diet is a good start.

I'm not following it perfectly but like I said a little common sense goes a long way. If you want to just lose weight and you don't care about what you eat then stuff yourself with cheetos as long as you are under your cal. goals your fine and you WILL lose weight(you'll also feel and look like crap) If you want to fuel your body then put healthy things in it. Do I totally cut dairy..no, and I still eat grains and beans.
I still eat crap food from time to time but I can absolutely tell a difference in the way I feel!

I think the Paleo diet is a great plan to help get anyone started on eating cleaner more wholesome and nutritious food. It's a start anyway and what you do with the knowledge is up to you.
There is something I read(can't remember what book it came from) but we all have different body shapes because of our genetics and this is also why different diets have better results on different people. Some can cut carbs and lose tons of weight, others won't lose anything. Some can cut fat etc.... You are the best judge of what your body needs but the only way to realize how much better you will feel is to try something new. If you feel the same..not working. You will know when you find what works for you. You will wake up one day thinking, "WOW I feel great...when did this happen."

I also try to live by the saying, "If your great grandma would have no idea what it is....then don't eat it. If it is a color that is neon...don't eat it. If the people in the factory that processed it are required to wear surgical masks,gloves etc while making it...don't eat it. If a person didn't cook it....don't eat it! If it comes in more than one package...don't eat it."

Our body's tend to be a lot happier without processed foods, best resource check out Mark's Daily Apple. We folllow as much as possible with organic products as grass fed is not always readily available. Everyone's body is different, if you don't have kidney damadge it is worth a try, just be sure to drink TONS of water.

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.

I have the same pet peeve plus those who ask me "how did you lose weight/" "You should try this" or "I heard that this NEW diet you count this not that, add this take away that." People know I am not a fan of "diets" and eating plans that make me eliminate, eat their food only, I have to pay for it and especailly not being taught how to properly eat and lose on my own in everyday living. Now, I am doing it and losing weight and its staying off!!

All diets work that causes you to eat less calories than your burn.

I eat ice cream and steak and sugar and lose 150 lbs. Paleo, take that.

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!

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.

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.

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!!

You are still in a calorie deficit if you're losing weight, as your tracked numbers are just estimates.