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If you do Paleo
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I'm considering starting this diet, I really agree with it and I also think it will simply force me to get more nutritious food instead of empty calories. I also need to lose 10 pounds, so hopefully it will help with that.
If you eat Paleo, what are some things it has done for you? Was it hard at first? Did anything make the transition easier? Do your kids still eat processed foods once in awhile? My kids love PB sandwiches and I'm not sure if I'm ready to make them 100% Paleo right now 
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Re: If you do Paleo
If you eat Paleo, what are some things it has done for you?
I sleep better, no more gas, bloating or heartburn, no afternoon slump, I lost weight and have kept it off easily. I've been dieting for 20 years and this is the only things that has worked--I've been at it for 5 years so it is sustainable. I love that I don't have to count calories.
Was it hard at first? Did anything make the transition easier?
DH and I slowly transitioned over a year. First we cut out grains and legumes, then we focused on getting rid of most processed foods, then we looked at food quality (organic, local, nonGMO etc.), and finally making sure we got enough sleep, vitamin D, more natural skin and cleaning products. I found that the better I felt, the easier it was to stick to it and the less I "cheated." We never cut out dairy, just got better quality. Since I am not in weight loss mode and have kids, we do more starchy carbs (like potatoes) and some rice. Just remember, there is no paleo police. Play around with it to find what works for you. Some people need to be more strict to get results, others not so much. Pinterest has tons of recipes so my cooking never gets boring.
Do your kids still eat processed foods once in awhile?
Sure, it is hard with school and parties to be perfect all the time. Plus convenience foods are just nice to have. Favorites are lara bars, rice cakes, packaged applesauce.
My kids love PB sandwiches and I'm not sure if I'm ready to make them 100% Paleo right now
I make my own bread, muffins, and/or pancakes weekly. The girls love them slathered with almond butter and jam. They even have peanut butter sometimes (gasp!)
If you have any questions let me know.
I was Paleo for about 3 months before getting pregnant. However due to horrendous food aversions, I've had to alter what I eat. My DH is still 100% Paleo.
First of all, I wasn't over weight to begin with, but had maybe about 10 lbs to lose after having a miscarriage. I lost the 10 lbs in about 2 months. I had more energy, my workouts were better and I felt stronger. I was also having way better BMs and less gas. It was super hard at first, I'm not going to lie! I cut out wheat cold turkey and had the "carb flu" for about 5 days. I actually had to come home from work because I couldn't function! Once I got over the addiction (it really felt like i was going through withdrawls!), I didn't have any cravings at all. I used to get ravenously hungry every two hours and being Paleo I could go a long time without being bothered to eat. I would just get a feeling like "I should eat soon", rather than OMG I need to eat NOW!".
I don't have kids, so I can't speak to that. Marks Daily Apple website is a great resource to start with as well as the book Wheat Belly. If you click on my pinterest button in my siggy I have a board called "Paleo Yummies" with some great recipes in it.
It's a great way to eat, but it's not for eveyone. My DH has a wheat intolerance and his body does really well on the paleo diet. I'm not sure if/when I'm going to go back to it. It's also expensive since you're only buying non-processed foods and it's very time consuming as well since you have to prepare every meal from scratch. No more easy sandwhiches or popping a frozen meal in the oven.
D&C: 03/08/12 Waited for AF for 146 long days!
Hysteroscopy/D&C on July 10th to fix blocked cervix (DX: Cervical Stenosis)
BFP #2 12/8/12, EDD 08/21/13 Our rainbow arrived 08/24/13!
I eat mostly paleo/primal, but I'm not super strict about it. I do it because I feel it is the healthiest way to eat, not for weight loss. (According to my BMI, I'm underweight; I'd actually like to gain about 5-10 pounds.)
A lot of people do it cold-turkey, but I just made the transition slowly. I'm not a huge bread fan anyway, so it wasn't hard to start substituting other things in it's place.
I only have 1 kid, and he's only 6 months old. I plan to feed him primal/paleo at home, but not worry about it at daycare/school.
Everyday Paleo is a great resource for family-friendly paleo meals, she has several kids: https://everydaypaleo.com/
I also like reading Mark's Daily Apple: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/
What has it done for me? No more migraines! I also don't get shakey, ravenous, and unable to concentrate between meals. My HDL has nearly doubled (from the low 40s to high 70s). And I know that all pregnancies are different, but I think my diet really helped me during pregnancy: no morning sickness, no food cravings or aversions, etc.
My brother is HUGE in the paleo/primal community. He has a blog if you wanted to check it out! He created his own paleo smoothies and has an e-book - Toadally Primal Smoothies.
www.primaltoad.com
I frequently check his blog, that is awesome that a fellow Bumpie is his sister!
Before starting paleo, I was a huge fan of bread and pasta. I actually just decided to go paleo for a gym challenge that my CrossFit gym was a part of, but I loved it so much I would like to go paleo again once my baby is born! The first two weeks were somewhat difficult, mainly because when you eat a lot of bread, you tend to crave a lot of bread. Giving up dairy was also not easy since I absolutely love milk. After the first couple weeks, however, I didn't even crave bread, pasta, junk food, or anything bad! I found a lot of great paleo recipes and snack ideas as well on Pinterest. I have never felt so physically healthy in my life. I already do intense CrossFit workouts 35 days a week, and I still dropped about 6 pounds in the first two weeks! I had a legitimate six pack for the first time too, which was AWESOME! I never felt bloated, ever ever. I even found that when going out for dinner, there are choices that are easily modified to make them paleo. You can do it!!!
My husband and I eat paleo and plan on raising our kids that way too. It's not a diet it's a lifestyle and I eat as much as I want. We started it by doing the whole30 which is super strict. When I was pregnant I changed it up a bit and started eating dairy again and that hasn't made me feel any different. Now I eat meat, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and dairy.
I feel amazing physically and mentally. My body feels lighter when i'm working out and I just feel like this is how I was always supposed to feel. I had lots of stomach issues in the past and now I don't have to worry about any of that. My stomach doesn't feel like I ate a ton of bricks after I eat a meal.
My daughter is almost six months and is breastfed. We are starting her on food next month and are skipping cereal and going right into fruits and vegetables.
We only shop at Whole Foods and it is expensive but to us it is worth it.
Thats the key point - it is NOT a diet but a lifestyle. The bloat and body fat % will go down. WOD times improve (Crossfitter here)... BTW - how do you scale your workouts?
I started the Paleo diet on Tuesday last week, and started personal training sessions on Monday..so I have worked out with a trainer for 1 hour, two times so far. I weighed myself today and I have lost 9 pounds since Tuesday.
I love carbs like rice and pasta, so it was really hard for me. I am also a big breakfast eater, and the personal trainer encourages me to skip breakfast and eat a bigger lunch and dinner. You are burning the most fat when you wake up and as soon as you eat, you stop it. I am very excited about my progress, and I think it is a great lifestyle!!
If you eat Paleo, what are some things it has done for you?
I started paleo back in September last year. I started slow and slowly weened myself from the bread, pasta, beans, etc. I lost 35 pounds by eating Paleo, I didn't feel hungry all the time, I had more energy and more strength to chase after my 2 year old. I recently got pregnant again and i'm going on 4 months. I have hyperemis with both pregnancies, but i've noticed that with this one, because i've been eating paleo, I have felt less nausea and i've had less morning sickness. I have deviated a little since pregnancy because bread has helped me feel better at times, but if I eat anything other than that my body automatically feels super sick and I will be sick for a few days. It really is an amazing lifestyle and you feel awesome.
Was it hard at first? Did anything make the transition easier?
Yes because I missed the foods, but the truth is you only miss the foods because you're used to it, your body naturally won't need it. It helped to slowly ween myself off of it.
Do your kids still eat processed foods once in awhile?
Yes but I try to keep her on a paleo diet as much as i can. It helps when your kids love veggies or fruits. The best thign to do for PB and J's is make them as healthy as possible, by them whole wheat bread, and organic peanut butter and organic jelly. Try to keep the products as natural as possible.