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Anyone on the Paleo Diet? (UPDATE 7/1/13)

Started by Leigh Family Farm, May 28, 2013, 12:32:37 PM

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Leigh Family Farm

I have done a good bit of reading about the Paleo Diet and I was wondering if anyone on here has tried it? I searched the Forum and only came up with only one mention of it. I am going to start on June 1st and go for 30 days. Basically, its a diet of meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts. No grain, beans, sugars, or processed foods.

By diet, I mean the actual definition: "what one person eats or consumes". Not the weight loss definition most people associate with the word.

I'll keep people updated on what happens regardless. Thanks!
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

Jeff

No BEANS??  I gotta have my legumes. :)
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

sprucebunny

I've pretty much eaten that way for 5 years. I also eat cheese, some yogurt and bacon which might be considered processed. I started it to lose weight and after about 5 days, I felt better than I had in years. My mood and energy levels were better.
Since you will be getting fewer carb's, don't be afraid of fat.
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

RynSmith

Quote from: sprucebunny on May 28, 2013, 05:24:51 PM
don't be afraid of fat.

DocB might hunt me down and...   :o

But I really believe in having no fear of REAL fats, give me butter over oleo/margarine/hydrogenizedgoodness any day.

Leigh Family Farm

Quote from: sprucebunny on May 28, 2013, 05:24:51 PM
I also eat cheese, some yogurt and bacon which might be considered processed.
-----
Since you will be getting fewer carb's, don't be afraid of fat.

Bacon is completely acceptable for the Paleo Diet. Yogurt and cottage cheese are preferred over regular cheese, and even these are in small amounts. Good fats are what to have not the processed ones. I'm glad to hear that you feel better because that is what I'm aiming for. I would like to lose 10 pounds but I would rather feel great/energetic/healthy.
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

SLawyer Dave

I've been on the Paleo Diet for the last 5 years.  As I was approaching my 40th birthday, I weighed 325 lbs and was pretty much incapable of much physical activity.  Through a business group, I got to know a local personal trainer/gym owner named Robb Wolf.  As you may know, Robb Wolf is now an international Paleo Diet star/guru/author/expert/etc.  http://robbwolf.com/

At the time, however, Robb was just the annoying CrossFit gym owner who was never satisfied with my food choices, (he did not even see the progress of me trading in my french fries for onion rings).  I steadfastly refused to try the paleo diet, and took every opportunity to argue against his "quasi science".   So for over a year, I put up with Robb constantly harassing me about how much better "my life" would be if I would just try the Paleo Diet for 30 days.  The physical work outs helped, and I did lose some weight, but overall my progress was less than stellar.  Then I started having the dreaded.....erectile dysfunction.  Well, as with most males, now I had a reason to go see my doctor, because that was a "problem" that could motivate me to get help.  My doctor immediately said that ED is often times the first indicator of vascular disease, ie heart disease, (which runs in my family).  So he performed a full physical and ordered a full blood panel.  Later that day, he, (the doctor himself) called me and told me that he needed to see me before the end of the day.  That is never a good sign.  So it turned out that basically every medical marker I had was pretty much in the , "You are about to die range".  Blood pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol, you name it, and it was baaaad.  He told me that if I wanted to reach age 50, I needed to change my entire lifestyle.   He recommended that I go vegetarian, but I would rather die young than go there, so I instead told him that I was going to go on this "Paleo Diet" that my personal trainer had been harassing me about. 

So I went to Robb, and he promised me that if I did everything he told me to, that he could guarantee that I would both feel better, lose weight and that my body chemistry would reset itself to "healthy levels".  So I did it.  Man, that first 30 days was rough.  Going strict Paleo is a necessary evil, as you need to get your body past the sugar withdrawal stage.  You will feel irritable, tired, and slothlike for the first two to three weeks.  After that, however, all I can say is that it felt like a "fog" was lifted from my life.  I actually felt smarter.  My memory improved, I could process information better, and I found that my attitude/outlook greatly improved.  My wife, who was not very happy about my diet change, (as I do most of the cooking), actually became my greatest supporter as she saw the huge improvement the Paleo Diet made in my life. 

89 days after having started the Paleo Diet, I had the blood tests redone.  The results were rather amazing.  Every one of my medical markers had returned to the "normal" range.  Even my doctor said he had never seen such a turn around that quickly.  As a bonus, I had also lost 35 lbs without ever going hungry.  When Robb later wrote his first book on the Paleo Diet,   http://robbwolf.com/shop/products/the-paleo-solution-the-original-human-diet/
he incorporated my story and blood tests as a case study to help prove how the Paleo Diet really can change your body's chemistry for the better.  (I'm Jorge in the book)

On Robb's website, he has an article named the "8 Shades of Paleo".  I strongly recommend that you read this as it really gives a good explanation of the different "levels" of Paleo that different people "buy into".  I wholeheartedly recommend that you go strict paleo diet for at least the first 30 days, (90 is better).  Then you can assess your progress and your goals.  You can then start to add in some different foods, and see how you do.  I pretty much follow the 80/20 plan.  I try to eat very well, mostly just paleo 80% of the time.  Then for 20% I pretty much eat whatever I want, (but I always stay gluten free and watch my portions).  One of my loves of the Paleo Diet, is that it is really more of a Lifestyle.  The goal is for you to educate yourself about what works and doesn't work for you.  I use to watch Robb eat a hand full of lunch meat for a meal.  No sauce, no cheese, just dry meat, and he was happy about it.  Me, I did that for a long time, but it was not "fun" and I did not like it much.  So I experimented and learned what I could add to my diet, without it trashing my goals.  For me, a great meal is to toast an organic corn tortilla, unbuttered, in a pan, with some shredded cheese and lunchmeat on top of it.  When the tortilla is toasted, and the cheese melted, I fold it in half and eat it like a taco.  So I get a little dairy and a few carbs.  Overall, it is a very good meal and one that is very satisfying to me and one that still allows me to lose weight.  I also grow most of my own fruits and vegies, and buy the best and leanest meats I can afford.  I also make my own marinades, so that I can give myself as many options with flavors as possible with the meats that I cook.  Avoiding sweets is pretty easy for me, but my downfall is Ice Cream.  I can eat a whole 1/2 gallon in one sitting if I let myself.  So I buy some of the small single cup servings each month, and that is my big treat.  Again, Paleo purists will say this is horrible, but it works for me. 

I also realized that going to the gym was really not my "thing".  I found that with the weight loss combined with the increase in strength and endurance, I could go back to my old physical activities of firewood cutting, olympic fencing and gardening, (things I very much enjoy).  So they are now my work out routine, and as a bonus, I get valuable firewood and produce as a result.

So my advice:  Listen to and learn from those who have been on the diet and from the 'gurus' and experts that produce all of the different resource materials out there, (there is good information is almost all of it).  However, remember that no one knows you and your body better than yourself, so don't be afraid to mix and match different approaches and different ideas to find the unique combination that fits your needs and goals .  Try doing the strict Paleo Diet for at least the first 30 days.  Then if you are like me, and find that you need to add a few things to your food choices to make the diet sustainable long term, experiment to see what foods you can add, (and in what portions), that will still allow you to obtain your goals. 

Today I weigh 222 lbs, and feel great.  I am off all medications and seriously have not felt this good since my late 20s.  The Paleo Diet/Lifestyle was and is a great choice for me, and I hope that you find that it works just as well for you. 

Ianab

I'm thinking that a "paleo" diet might be a very different thing depending on where your stone age man came from?

American Indians had a very different diet to a Pacific Islander, or NZ Maori, or Australian Aborigine?

But the idea of reducing the modern processed foods, and eating more of the stuff that a cave man would recognise as food makes good sense. But I think you can choose from a pretty wide range of stuff.

If you are a stone age guy living on a Sth Pacific Island then fish, coconuts, taro and mangos might be your diet, because that's what's there to eat.

If you are an African tribesman, it's totally different.

Some place else? Different foods?

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

thecfarm

SLawyer Dave,that is quite the story!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Good for you.
I know of an old guy that has heart problems. Doctor wanted him to go to a gym to work out. He kinda does not like to be around people so he brought a new buck saw and saws up his wood by hand. He has a walk in basement and saws in the winter too.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Dakota

SLawyer Dave said it all.  I just wanted to drop 20 lbs.  I got the above mentioned book, embraced the theory, and quickly lost 20 lbs.  It's pretty basic:  quit eating cereal, bread, potatoes.  Eat more meat, veggies and fruit.
Exercise or keep active.  Probably what the cave men/women did.
Dave Rinker

Leigh Family Farm

SLawyer, I am most impressed that you trained with Robb in The Beginning. By The Beginning, I mean before he became famous about the Paleo Diet. Dakota, my hats off to you as well. 20 pounds is two bowling balls taken off!

I am also and 80/20 guy, mainly because my wife is French and loves to cook so some of that heavy cream based food leeches into my diet. I have been on the Paleo Diet for 7 days now. I haven't felt the tiredness hit yet but I know its coming. I haven't read Robb's book yet but I'm sure I will. I follow his blog. For anyone else looking to try Paleo, I would recommend getting a Paleo cookbook and reading the blogs online. The cookbook will give you the basics of Paleo plus all these very tasty recipes! Like I said, my wife is French and even she likes them. Also, got nomnompaleo.com for ideas on recipes for normal people to cook.

Quote from: Jeff on May 28, 2013, 01:45:23 PM
No BEANS??  I gotta have my legumes. :)
You can have beans, if they mean that much to you. Just try cutting out all the bread and grains. Its a lifestyle, not a fad so it has to fit with who you are. 

I am 5'11" and weighed 181.7 pounds on June 1 @ 7:30am (Post morning shower).
This morning I weighed 177.6 pounds (June 7 @ 7:30am). Thats 4 pounds in 7 days!

The kicker is I haven't done a lick of exercise all week. I wanted to focus on my nutrition first and understand how my eating habits have really effected me (heavy sugars and high processed foods). I sit at a desk for most of the day, so I'm not burning extra calories by chopping wood and such. Tomorrow begins week 2, which is when I will add light exercise to my daily routine. I plan on doing push ups, sit ups, and jumping jacks, with some light cardio thrown in a few times.

Thanks for the help and tips!

There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

Leigh Family Farm

Quote from: Ianab on June 07, 2013, 04:36:16 AM
If you are a stone age guy living on a Sth Pacific Island then fish, coconuts, taro and mangos might be your diet, because that's what's there to eat.

If you are an African tribesman, it's totally different.

Some place else? Different foods?

Ian

Ian, you are correct that different places would have different foods for being a caveman. The key here is that each the cavemen didn't eat grains, bread, processed sugars, and the like. They all ate meat/fish, fruits, and veggies that were native to their area. Also, if you wanted to give this a go, Ian you would have to give up Vegimite  ;)
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

giant splinter

Great post Kilgrosh,
I like Dave's input and it seems right to shake off heavy sugars and processed foods. Ian hit it right on the head with his take on early mans habits of eating, I think Marmite on toast might slide through under Dave's 80/20 plan. Jeff I also like beans and rice and need them.
Every post here has shed positive light on the Paleo Diet and I think I will take a closer look on Robb Wolf's diet and give it a try at some point.
My Doctor once said "you are the perfect weight for an adult male @ 8'-7". :-\" At just a fraction over 6'-0", and shrinking I think I got his drift.
I did not see beer (alcohol specifically as not allowed) or chips and salsa on the lists of ok stuff, it may fall under SLawywer Dave's escape clause 80/20 I would hope it fly's.
Great Post Kilgrosh ....... Keep your mainsheet close hauled and your lee rail awash

This may well be the first time I have ever in my adult life received FREE advice from a high end Lawyer, solid advice indeed, hope it's not the last.
roll with it

SLawyer Dave

Quote from: giant splinter on June 07, 2013, 03:32:03 PM

I did not see beer (alcohol specifically as not allowed) or chips and salsa on the lists of ok stuff, it may fall under SLawywer Dave's escape clause 80/20 I would hope it fly's.

This may well be the first time I have ever in my adult life received FREE advice from a high end Lawyer, solid advice indeed, hope it's not the last.

Well, what I can tell you is that Robb use to help organize "parties" at the gym, where one of the main features was how to drink Paleo Approved Alcohol Concoctions, (avoid the sugary diluting agents that don't help you get drunk faster).  As to beer, just make sure it is "wheat free", and then drink up.   ;D

Chips and salsa are one of my favorite snacks.  Just make sure the chips are gluten free and spring the extra few cents to get the ones with no trans-fats.  I also use such chips in taco salad and meatloaf.  Again, at least for me, the real issue is portions and frequency.  I probably buy one bag of chips a month, and keep them in a air tight container to prevent them from getting stale.

As to "advice", just remember the old adage, "Advice is worth what you pay for it".   :D

giant splinter

roll with it

Leigh Family Farm

Quote from: giant splinter on June 07, 2013, 03:32:03 PM
... Keep your maisheet close hauled and your lee rail awash

Thats the only way I race!
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

tyb525

No wheat beer?? That's my favorite kind!
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Leigh Family Farm

So its been two weeks since I started the Paleo Diet. What I have found out is that I don't crave bread, pastas, or grains at all. I CRAVE SUGAR IN ALL ITS FORMS!  :'( I broke down twice this week and binged on some frozen yogurt, the kind that you get to serve yourself and add all the toppings you want.

I gained 2 pounds this week, but I think thats due to my body adjusting to the food intake. I eat a lot more food than I probably should. I'll update again on Saturday.
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

SLawyer Dave

For the first month, your weight is really not important.  Remember, eat when you are hungry.  Make one pot meals.  Cook your meat with your vegies.  Cook large amounts, as you will find that you will eat more than usual, so you will want left overs.  Almost every meal I made during the first months of my Paleo Diet included massive quantities of onions, mushrooms and garlic.  Even if I bbq'd a steak, I would saute onions and/or mushrooms to put over the top.  You are looking for the vegies to help take the place of carbs, (pasta, potatoes, etc), to fill up volume in your stomach to help you feel "full".  Rob used to say that if you are just eating meet and low carb vegies, you really can't eat too much.  For me, that advice worked, as even though I was not "happy" eating such a strict Paleo Diet, I could not say I was hungry.  If I allowed myself to get hungry however, then the sugar craving was that much worse.  So make sure you keep gluten free jerky, lunch meat, and fresh vegies available throughout the day to snack on.  Like I keep saying, that first month is terrible, but really focus on keeping your carb intake as low as you can and within 3 weeks or so, the craving will really calm down.   So again, don't worry about how MUCH you eat, just WHAT you eat.

Here are some recipes and links that I was posting about and using when I was first learning to live with a paleo diet.  I hope they help.  http://www.slimmingthoughts.blogspot.com/

Leigh Family Farm

I did remove all of the sweets and the like from my fridge,, which means my fridge is really empty right now. I have found that if I cook a London Broil on Sunday and cut it into cubes, I get a simple snack and salad mixer for about four days. I'm taking each day as that...just a day. Yesterday, I had no sweets. Today, I've had no sweets so far and I'm pretty full going into my afternoon cravings time. My goal for this week is to make it four days without sweets. I already stopped eating bread and grains which wasn't that big of a problem.

I know weight is not the goal but the scale is a tangible item that I can focus on at the moment to get me through the first few weeks. Soon I will convert from the scale to number of push ups, pull ups, and sit ups I can complete.

I'll check out the blog and the recipes. Thanks!
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

Leigh Family Farm

This week was a good week for me. I made it 5 days without having a sweet/sugar item! I still have to get through today but its a win in my book. The cravings are going away slowly and I tend to sleep better at night. I'm down another 2 pounds; I'm hovering around 175.8-176.3 depending on the time of day. Don't worry, there is only one more update coming and that is next weekend. Have a great weekend all!
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

SLawyer Dave

Keep updating us on your progress, great to see other people's successes.

crtreedude

I have pretty much been on this kind of eating for 15 or so years. I originally weighed more than 270 lbs. This morning, 189 - my perfect weight is about 185.

Anytime I go for a physical, the doctors are jealous of my results.  8)

I do treat myself to half a teaspoon of unrefined sugar in my coffee, and one treat per week, as long as my weight is below 190.

I can drop weight like a stone just by eating eggs and tomatoes... or V8 and eggs.
So, how did I end up here anyway?

PAFaller

I know theres a lot of talk about this diet, and I've read some about it, but it seems as though everyone has a different take. If you dont mind my asking, what specifically are you eating or not eating? I know the basics are essentially to go back to like a hunter gatherer diet, and of course the focus is on meats and to stay away from processed foods, but even that to me seems a bit hard to do. I think I would have to eat a lot more if I cut out what few carbs I eat in a day.
It ain't easy...

SLawyer Dave

Quote from: PAFaller on June 22, 2013, 06:07:40 PM
what specifically are you eating or not eating?

I don't actually try to "go back to a hunter gatherer diet", but I try to concentrate on eating 70% protein, (primarily lean meats and nuts), 20% low carb vegetables, and 10% fresh and in season fruit.  In this modern world, you can eat high sugar, high calorie fruits year round, so that is why I focus on what is in season, and grow a lot of my own fruits and vegies.  This way, when I am the most active, (spring and summer), is also when I eat the most calories.  Again, the Paleo Lifestyle, (as I call it), is all about BALANCE.  Balance what you eat, with your activity level, and what your goals are.  Balance your treats in the same way.  There is nothing wrong with having treats, sweets, ice cream, etc., as long as you balance such against your goals and how such indulgences effect you. 

Today for breakfast, I had a Muscle Milk protein shake, ( I do this almost every day).  For lunch, I had leftover fajita mix, (pork, onions, zuchini, and pepper), which I made for dinner on Thursday.  I just had it in a bowl with some sour cream.  Tonight for dinner, I bbq boneless skinless chicken breast.  I season it with garlic salt and a garlic seasoning blend.  I also had an ear of fresh corn.  Yes corn.  I know, it is a grain, and lots of carbs.  But one ear of corn, (after spending 6 hours splitting and stacking firewood), is not going to come close to equaling the calories I burned today.  Again, what I love about the Paleo Diet, and what makes it sustainable for me is that there is no such thing as "cheating".  It is all about balancing your wants and needs against your goals.  If you want corn, ice cream, chocolate, etc., just make sure you keep your portions small, don't do it every day, and make sure you use such treats to motivate yourself to "burn off" such calories by doing a physical activity that you enjoy. 

The only dairy I eat is cheese and sour cream, and have to watch my portions, as dairy tends to raise your blood sugar and interfere with weight loss.  Again, this is not hunter gather, but I need to balance making my Paleo diet both sustainable and satisfying.  Again, I call it your "buy in" level.  Each person has to learn how to balance their needs and wants, and their over all goals. 

I posted a link to my old Paleo Blog.  It has recipes, and a lot of links to some real good Paleo resources.  I am still trying to lose weight, but I am doing it rather slowly.  (I'm down 107 lbs over the last 5 years with 23 lbs to go to my goal of 195).  I have learned for "ME", that I pretty much need to eat the 80/20 I posted about above, to keep me happy and satisfied with my diet.  The secret I learned is to make sure that my treats are "portion controlled", and are that, a treat, not a daily excess.  I have also found that my diet pretty much is a maintenance diet for me.  I don't really lose weight at this point on the diet itself, I lose weight when I am physically active enough to burn more calories than I eat.

I have learned that I would rather lose weight slowly, and consistently rather than doing the yo-yo thing where I try to be "too perfect" and then succumb to cravings and over indulgence.  IMHO, the trick to the Paleo Diet is to learn everything you can from the so called experts, what to eat, what to avoid, strategies for avoiding cravings, etc.  Then try their ideas out, and see what works for you.  Remember, no one knows you better than yourself, and only you can figure out what works best for you, and how to obtain your goals.

Leigh Family Farm

I will keep the updates coming. As for what I eat on a daily basis:

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 3 slices of bacon, 1/2 grapefruit, water (add veggies into the eggs for variety)
     this is the high protein kickstarter I need for my day
Lunch: Large green salad, Protein Shake, water or ice tea
     I buy the bulk greens and shakes from Costco
Snacks: homemade trail mix and apples
     My local Giant has a bulk foods section so I can get dried fruit and nuts which is cheaper than premade
Dinner: Meat and a veggie
     Usually its steak, fish, or pork with broccoli or green beans

I drink 64 oz of water during the work day and another 24 oz. at night at home. I realized quickly that I didn't miss grains so that was easy to give up. Sweets was my real problem so I had to quit them like I quit smoking, cold turkey. I now find that I crave less sugar and having fruit (strawberries, grapefruit, oranges) keeps my sugar cravings down. If you are out with friends at a bar, like I was last night for a bachelor party  ;), get soft chicken tacos instead of the giant burger and bun. This simple move will remove a lot of bad carbs (processed flours, grains, etc.) and you're still full afterwards. A lot of my friends don't think its weird anymore when someone orders a different meal then everyone else. I always just say "I'm trying to eat healthier foods".

Like SLawyer said, its all about balance. Some people go full boar and do great, while others slowly remove bad things from their daily eating. I can't grow my own veggies right now so I buy whats in season at the store. I noticed I did eat more in the beginning which is a punch to the wallet, but now I'm back down to my normal weekly spending levels. If you want to give this a go, maybe start with changing one meal. For instance, instead of a sandwich, soda, and bag of chips for lunch every day, go with salad greens and balsamic vinaigrette topped with cubed steak and an ice tea. Make the salad big enough the use 6 ounces of steak, and I guarantee you won't be hungry for 4-5 hours. Bring snacks to work to control cravings (trail mix, cut up apple slices with cinnamon sprinkled on top). In the beginning, don't worry about eating too much, just focus on eating better foods.
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

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