Paleo / Primal Blueprint Diet Thread

[classemlaff]

Well Damn, how did I miss this thread? I myself am on the Paleo diet and that along with exercise amongst other things have lost over 60+ pounds and counting!

At first, I had to get real good at making stir fry 100 different ways because it's all I could think of that would work. Then I came across a recipe site called yummly that you can put in what kind of diet you do and they will show only those kinds of recipes. Once I found out cacao wasn't out of the question I was sold. I won't ever go back to the old ways of sugar city. I used to drink at least a 2 liter of Dr. Pepper a day plus eat candy, cookies and all kinds of other crap food. Seriously, my diet was probably 70% sugar/carbs, 20% fat and the rest protein.

Once I found out about honey being ok and all the different ways to make flour without grain I was sold!

Question...What do you guys do to replace chips and crunchy snacks? I myself make a nut mix out of almonds/pecans/walnuts and sunflower seeds. Yeah the whole thing in bulk costs me about $40 but that lasts at least a month. All raw and unsalted. I notice just a handful or 2 of this fills me up like a whole bag of lays chips used to.

What are your thoughts on Sucralose? I know it's not paleo obviously but if I really REALLY want a carbonated drink I hit the dollar store and buy a clover valley flavored drink. IMO after researching I think its a much better alternative to Aspartame which I avoid at all costs. And if I need caffeine, I mix MIO in with some of my water. Now they have the mocha coffee flavored mio so I'm a big fan.

Again, so glad to see this thread on here...hope it stays active!

[classemlaff]

I haven't tried that brand. I did try some seltzer water from an off brand and the weird thing is how bad it was until it was really cold. Then it was pretty good. Is Lacroix that way too?

[ghostofjack]

Hey classemlaff-

Good job on the weight loss. When it becomes a lifestyle the weight concerns are pretty much over.

For sweeteners, I highly recommend Stevia. Specifically the SweetLeaf brand. They make liquid drops and several powdered forms. Stevia has no measurable glycemic effect.

Zevia is a brand of pre-made Soda type drinks sweetened with Stevia. It is pretty good.

What I do, is make my own. I just make Celestial Seasons herbal tea and mix 50/50 with Seltzer water and sweeten with Stevia drops. Very inexpensive and also a great zero carb drink mixer.

I also like the crunchies....I always keep baby carrots, sliced zucchini, and sliced bell peppers in the fridge. Absolutely love them with hummus (not strictly Paleo), Baba Ganoush, and yogurt based dips.

A brand of pre-made crackers that is fairly Paleo-ish is "Mary Gone Crackers." Very expensive but they are good. I just try to avoid the empty carbs and stick with the crips veggies for the most part.

Another AWESOME crunchie is Plantain Chips...Pretty much all of them are fried in Palm or Coconut oil. These are TASTY but very easy to overeat

[coffeedude22]

I seem to go through a cycle of doing a Paleo diet and then a Low-Histamine Diet. I feel like by going back and forth it keeps my health at full momentum because anytime I've been on either for too long, the benefits seem to slow up. Actually, it's usually Paleo to Low-Hist to a Five Guys weekend and then back due to the shame and side effects of the latter. So far it's worked as Kale,carrots and apples are just a daily thing for the most part

[schmok]

I always love to hear these stories about dramatics changes in one's health due to a change in diet.
I, too, went through a Low Carb/Paleo diet trying to track down a food intolerance/allergy... never found out what is was that was causing the issue but am a hell of a lot more healthy as a result!

[ghostofjack]

Thanks for resurrecting the old thread! The diet has become a lifestyle and I don't even think about it much anymore. Never get hungry and some days I forget to eat until the big dinner.

Psychologically I still see myself as the "fat guy" and had a bit of a shock last summer when I went to the Dr. for a back issue and the scale said 139 lbs. I told them the scale was broken and they weighed me on another one....139 lbs.

Nowadays I try to eat more calories and keep my weight in the 145-150lb range which is healthy.

Long term weight loss is doable, no matter what the "studies" seem to indicate.

[Glousck]

Paleo is pretty similar to Keto which has also become really fashionable as of late. A plant & meat based diet (as our forefathers used to eat many moons before all of us were born!) is likely very good for the gut. I've seen several studies that show stress and anxiety comes from the gut so that may be motivation enough to switch up our diets right there! Keto has also been proven to have major health benefits for those suffering from epilepsy, which is rather amazing. I have been wanting to switch to a pure fruit, veg & meat diet for a while but giving up carbs is difficult when you are a busy bee lol. Hope this diet works well for whoever tries it.

[kiki99]

Paleo is pretty similar to Keto which has also become really fashionable as of late. A plant & meat based diet (as our forefathers used to eat many moons before all of us were born!) is likely very good for the gut. I've seen several studies that show stress and anxiety comes from the gut so that may be motivation enough to switch up our diets right there! Keto has also been proven to have major health benefits for those suffering from epilepsy, which is rather amazing. I have been wanting to switch to a pure fruit, veg & meat diet for a while but giving up carbs is difficult when you are a busy bee lol. Hope this diet works well for whoever tries it.

Interesting thread. I tried the keto diet several years ago, and it definitely worked. Lost about 2 pounds per week, then leveled off. Eliminated all processed foods, most carbs, no soda, just LaCroix sparkling water. It does take effort to follow this, especially away from home. Stayed completely away from any fast foods. Occasionally splurge on a pizza. Been at ideal weight for 6 years.

[thepianist]

I understand those wanting to lose weight by taking approaches such as this diet...

But just for caution, but for those suffering from ‘other’ medical issues such as chronic pain, anxiety, especially insomnia,etc...please, if you haven’t already, take care of these first as severely limiting carb intake can and likely will worsen pre existing mental health issues as carb ingestion is actually very important for maintaining and helping reduce a number of symptoms. They also help your body maintain endorphin levels conducive at eliminating or reducing symptoms.

Not saying ppl shouldn’t do it, but when or if meal prepping, shopping, and constantly worrying about staying on track with the diets starts causing even more mental/physical health strain...be careful and try to keep your priorities in line for what is best for YOU! For those that want to take that kind of plunge, just be aware the ‘truth’ and ‘best’ almost always comes down to moderation of food intake, quality and quantity. And amount of food, of course...

For those that want this kind of lifestyle change though, good luck to you and you’ll have support.

Everyone is different when it comes to losing weight. There are no ‘1-size-fits-all’ solution; the truth and what works is almost always a mixture of different diets tailored to your unsocial needs and brain chemistry ?

[Cantique]

I’ve had success with low carving , it’s very effective at weight loss but I agree with The Pianist above. It can give you the jitters, make you dizzy, which can then be interpreted badly by an anxious body, so go easy at the start. Good carbs like brown rice and whole meal porridge can help maintain blood sugars for longer.