Paleo

lillinzlou · July 2012

I have been following a low carb diet but looking to go further and more natural. Those who follow the Paleo way of life, where did you start? How do you feel? If applicable, did you find it helped your fertility or cycles? Thanks!

Oct252008love · July 2012

My DH and I have been doing the Paleo for about a month now. I do eat carbs once in awhile. Ive lost about 8-9 lbs so far. DS has lost about 15 lbs. We got a recipe book from my husbands friend which so far have only used for desserts because we are big sweet eaters! We mostly eat chicken, turkey burgers, eggs and bacon, fruit and veggies and some nuts, whatevers easy because with an 8 month old we dont have much time to cook. It gets hard eating the same thing and I do get sick of it. I tried spaghetti squash and portabella pizza too. We do workout as well. I feel ok besides feeling a little tired and not feeling like eating another bite of meat! lol As far as fertility or cycles I cant help ya there. My husband says he feels lighter on his feet but not as much energy with eating carbs. Hope this helps

abbyful · July 2012

lillinzlou:
I have been following a low carb diet but looking to go further and more natural. Those who follow the Paleo way of life, where did you start? How do you feel? If applicable, did you find it helped your fertility or cycles? Thanks!

I eat mostly primal (paleo + dairy). I never had trouble with my cycles, but I can tell you that I've had a very easy pregnancy. I haven't thrown up even once, had zero cravings and aversions, etc. The only weight I've gained has been "baby weight", I've had no bloating or swelling either. I could just be one of the lucky ones, but I think primal eating has also helped.

The switch for us was really slow. We were already trying to eat along the WAPF recommendations, and when I discovered primal/paleo, we slowly started incorporating more and more primal/paleo meals.

I like Mark Sisson's book "The Primal Blueprint". I've heard really good things about Robb Wolf's book "The Paleo Solution", but haven't read it yet, it's on my list though. Those seem to be the best beginner-friendly books people like.

For cookbooks, I use the internet mostly, but I also really like "The Primal Blueprint Cookbook" by Mark Sisson and "Everyday Paleo" by Sarah Fragoso. Sarah Fragoso has 3 kids, so her recipes are all pretty quick & easy, which is great!
(A cookbook I have but don't care for much "The Paleo Diet Cookbook" by Loren Cordain cookbook, it mostly just sits on the shelf, don't bother with that one.)

Oct252008love:
I feel ok besides feeling a little tired and not feeling like eating another bite of meat! lol As far as fertility or cycles I cant help ya there. My husband says he feels lighter on his feet but not as much energy with eating carbs. Hope this helps

You are probably going through "carb flu" and your bodies are in the process of changing from sugar-burners to fat-burners. It should get better as your body adjusts.

julie1408 · July 2012

Our family has been paleo for a few years now, I love it!

For getting started, the gateway website is probably Mark's Daily Apple. It is a huge community, has daily blog posts, lots of success stories, and has a very moderate position on paleo. The best how to books are probably The Paleo Solution or It Starts with Food. Here is a set of resource sheets from the site Balanced Bites that can be helpful too. After that, you can decide how you want to get yourself going. I've heard that some people transition slowly, one meal at a time for example. Others give up processed food one month, legumes the next, then grains, etc. Or you could do a cupboard clean out and then do a Whole 30 program, which is basically strict paleo for 30 days. DH and I did something in the middle when we started. We gave up everything at once, but kept cheats like dairy and chocolate.

The first few months can be tough. You might have an easier time than others if you are already low-carb. People usually feel crappy because your body is learning to burn fat instead of carbs for fuel. It can take awhile to become "fat adapted," especially if you are keep eating treats. Now I feel great. I can go hours without eating since my blood sugar isn't messed up. I rarely have food cravings and I naturally don't overeat. Even though I am in my 30s, I look better and feel better than I did in high school. I am no longer worried that I will just gain the weight back--I don't even gain weight during the holidays anymore.

I can't speak too much on fertility. My first was a surprise, and with my second I got pregnant on the second cycle. My cycles have been very regular since I stopped BFing. I know that this diet has helped people with PCOS.

Good Luck on your journey. If you have any questions, let me know.

abbyful · July 2012

julie1408:
I can go hours without eating since my blood sugar isn't messed up.

I agree 110% on this! When I used to eat a grain/carb-heavy meal, like a Panera sandwich, for lunch, I would be ravenous and shakey within a few hours. To the point I couldn't concentrate, all I could think of was "need food right now!". Now I can go much longer and still be sated.

BeachBabe22 · July 2012

We went cold turkey and jumped right into paleo. I think it's easier than gradually cutting out certain foods. The first week or two I felt tired all of the time but once that was behind me I felt amazing. Now that i'm pregnant I eat primal which is paleo and dairy. I also do 80/20 so if I want a piece of cake every now and then I will eat one. My husband has a couple paleo cookbooks but I find most of my recipes online. Best of luck and once you make the switch you won't regret it!

www.everydaypaleo.com

www.whole9life.com (Dallas & Melissa are really strict when it comes to paleo. I never restricted my fruit intake)

www.marksdailyapple.com

Oct252008love · July 2012

Oh good to know it gets better! thanks

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