Paleo/Primal/Caveman

CoffeeLovinMomma · January 2012

Anyone doing this diet? Having any success? Love or hate it?

megoliver11 · January 2012

I was doing Paleo before getting pregnant. I did feel much better. I didn't really lose much weight, but I didn't need to. I did it mostly to be healthier and have more energy. I wanted it to be more of a lifestyle than a diet. It is restricting. About half of the people at my gym do it and the other half do the zone diet. The zone diet is less restrictive, but you have to measure everything.

saraboston · January 2012

CARunner:
You are already "doing" a diet. It is whatever you're currently eating. If you want to become healthy, then make some lifestyle changes. If this means cutting out processed foods, then that's a great start!

A "caveman diet" seems rediculous to me and it is a fad diet. However, following some of it's basic rules as a guideline wouldnt be so bad.

The answer isnt a list of what you can and cant eat. The answer is balance.

if you're going to "do" a fad diet, then I guess this is the one to go with. But whatever you choose, needs to be lifelong. hence the lifestyle changes suggestion.

I agree 100%.

A friend from work just started this diet. She's on day 4 of a 60 day challenge and she's already MISERABLE. She can't go out to eat AT ALL. Alcohol is forbidden, no grain products, no dairy, etc. IMO it's not realistic.

hikerbeth · January 2012

I CrossFit, so it's pretty big in the gym.

I have a hard time completely cutting out food groups and from the people I've talked to, the advantage they notice when doing 100% Paleo is better recovery after workouts.

I am happy with my weight and muscle mass and my recovery seems fine to me.

I am definitely trying to cut down on my grains and sugars, but I could never cut dairy or legumes. I'm wary of any diet that recommends cutting so many foods completely.

mattnrachel · January 2012

I tried it for a few months, but not very religiously. I wasn't trying to lose weight, just be healthier. The idea is kind of intriguing, but I decided it wasn't for me. There are a lot of things that don't follow the diet, and I wasn't into making weird substitutions (like mashed cauliflower for potatoes) so I just missed out on some food while I tried it. I didn't notice any changes in my energy levels, recovery time or general well-being, but I had pretty good eating habits before.

HappyMommy28 · January 2012

I've been following this blog https://bexkitten.wordpress.com/ and she is starting the Paleo diet. From what I can tell, it's restrictive but it can be done.

kirkette · January 2012

I do CrossFit. I switched to a Primal eating style last year, and it was a great decision for me. I'm in the middle of doing the Whole 30, which is strict Paleo. Like pp suggested, I'm not doing it for weight loss. It's more for performance and recovery. It's not difficult for me as all I eliminated from the way I was eating before was dairy and alcohol. So far, my performance has improved .

AnnP13 · January 2012

My diet is mostly paleo - and I too started that after crossfitting.

PPs are right - Paleo isn't something to just try for a while. Just like any "diet" - if you go back to your previous ways of eating the weight will come back on.

The driving force behind the caveman/Paleo diet is to eat like our hunter/gatherer selves did before industrialization. No refined sugars or carbs. It's not an easy way of life, but if it works for you, you should see good results.

ETA: I tired to post some links to helpful resources, but they didn't work - sorry

noycela · January 2012

I'm late to this post, but like PPs, I do CrossFit and eat Paleo. I also try to get some carbs/protein/fat each time I eat (although not necessarily in Zone diet proportions).

If you're strict about cutting grains out of your diet for awhile, your body won't crave them anymore. It obviously depends on what your diet is now how easy of a change Paleo would be for you. If you already eat a lot of meat, vegetables, nuts, and fruit, and don't eat much processed foods, soda, and artificial sweetener, then it shouldn't be super difficult.

If you're going to try Paleo, I would recommend being very committed and strict about it for at least 30 days. I'm not a huge fan of Robb Wolf, but his book -- The Paleo Solution -- is pretty good at making the case for why we should eat this way.

kedeneen · January 2012

I have been doing this diet since January 1st and am really enjoying it. So far I have lost 8 lbs and hope to lose 20-30 more. My husband is doing it with me, so it makes it much easier, since there are no tempting foods in the house. He has lost almost 20 lbs! I think this is something we will stick with and it will become more of a lifestyle change than a fad diet for us. It is not easy, but the sugar and carb cravings have gone away now. It requires a lot of planning ahead, but it can be done. The best part is that I feel so much healthier now

arpeck88 · January 2012

My sister and her husband have been on the paleo diet for about a month now. She doesn't have any weight to lose, but her husband has lost about 20 lbs. They both look good and say they are never bloated, hungry or full, they just feel good.

Paleo/Primal/Caveman

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