there are some foods I love that to me will always be worth the adverse affects on my body. after this, I plan to continue eating MUCH more clean than I have in the past (with a greater paleo foundation), but incorporating some worldly delicacies. like goat cheese and popcorn and creme brulee.

3/6/2012 12:03:12 PM

^ That's where I'm at. I can eat non-paleo every once in a while and still feel great, which is nice since i have to be 100% strict with the gluten.

3/6/2012 12:12:41 PM

I've had this article open in my browser for weeks and just now got around to reading it. there is a lot that makes sense and seems to line up with other research I've seen, but also so much that contradicts things I've read.

http://healthwyze.org/index.php/dieting-right.html

I feel I have information overload, all the time. everyone has a different opinion (and "facts" to back it up with) and I never know which school of thought to follow.

I mean, even the simple things - eating 6 small meals a day versus eating 2-3 big ones, fasting HELPING fat loss versus eating constantly to keep metabolism up, etc.



[Edited on March 6, 2012 at 2:28 PM. Reason : .]

3/6/2012 2:28:17 PM

I started this a week ago and I've had a really bad cold since I've started it.

3/11/2012 11:31:51 AM

Quote :

"I mean, even the simple things - eating 6 small meals a day versus eating 2-3 big ones, fasting HELPING fat loss versus eating constantly to keep metabolism up, etc."

Conventional wisdom says that eating 6 small meals a day keeps your metabolism going. Technically this is true. What is also true is that if you were to eat a very large meal once or twice a day, your metabolism is elevated to a much higher level than it ever would have been if you were eating small meals.

Every person is different and will need to adopt a plan that fits their lifestyle. If your macronutrient and calorie intake is exactly the same with 6 meals versus 2 meals, you'd see similar fat loss (or fat gain, if you're overshooting the mark) results. What works for you will depend on your biological inclinations. From a psychological perspective, I don't like 6 meals a day. I never feel satisfied from the meals and I'm always thinking about where my next meal will come from. I found it very easy to cheat, because hey, I'm eating again in 2 hours so what's the difference. I did successfully drop about 20 lbs of body fat doing this at one point, but it was very painstaking and I wasn't able to stick to it.

From a time effectiveness and social standpoint, 6 meals a day never made any sense either. Go out with friends, everyone gets a full entree, I get a house salad with grilled chicken. Constantly preparing tupperware containers of whatever kind of food to make sure I wouldn't go for long stretches (more than 3 or 4 hours - lol) without food where my metabolism would "die out". I did all of this based on a faulty premise - that my body would go into starvation mode and fat loss would stop.

I haven't eaten anything in 20 hours. I'm not grumpy. I'm not even hungry, and I have a very strong appetite. This is just something I do now; intermittent fasting has simplified my life significantly. I don't stress about food. I do control my carb intake, but also do carb back loading where the majority of carbs come PWO.

Fundamentally, I don't see anything wrong with these paleo diets. They tend to be lower carb, and they tend to steer you away from calorie rich foods. I think you could take a diet like this and fit it into an IF style.

[Edited on March 11, 2012 at 3:01 PM. Reason : ]

3/11/2012 3:00:54 PM

Quote :

"Every person is different and will need to adopt a plan that fits their lifestyle. If your macronutrient and calorie intake is exactly the same with 6 meals versus 2 meals, you'd see similar fat loss (or fat gain, if you're overshooting the mark) results. What works for you will depend on your biological inclinations. From a psychological perspective, I don't like 6 meals a day. I never feel satisfied from the meals and I'm always thinking about where my next meal will come from. I found it very easy to cheat, because hey, I'm eating again in 2 hours so what's the difference. I did successfully drop about 20 lbs of body fat doing this at one point, but it was very painstaking and I wasn't able to stick to it."

I am the same way - 3 meals a day work better for me than 6 meals a day. You just have to figure out what works.

My diet is similar to paleo - slappy1 I can send you a basic idea of what I eat when you're done with the 30 day plan

3/11/2012 3:19:55 PM

Quote :

"What is also true is that if you were to eat a very large meal once or twice a day, your metabolism is elevated to a much higher level than it ever would have been if you were eating small meals"

how is this true?

3/11/2012 9:24:13 PM

http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

http://www.alanaragon.com/an-objective-look-at-intermittent-fasting.html

There is no evidence to suggest 6 meals is superior in any way. And most likely intermittent fasting has health benefits.

3/11/2012 11:26:53 PM

i'm not worried about TEF i'm worried about the GL

i'd rather eat 5-6 meals in my window than 1-2 and not make my pancreas go WTF

people who are predisposed to insulin sensitivity may be drawn to a lifestyle that purports positive benefits from eating a few large meals in a short period of time





[Edited on March 12, 2012 at 12:33 AM. Reason : .]

3/12/2012 12:18:46 AM

love this site and I don't even eat paleo. just great recipes and well documented

http://nomnompaleo.com/

saw it on another thread in here

3/12/2012 3:43:49 AM

CassTheSass - I'd love that!!

3/12/2012 1:59:24 PM

Quote :

"i'm not worried about TEF i'm worried about the GL i'd rather eat 5-6 meals in my window than 1-2 and not make my pancreas go WTF people who are predisposed to insulin sensitivity may be drawn to a lifestyle that purports positive benefits from eating a few large meals in a short period of time"

There may be some useful information here: http://www.leangains.com/2007/10/my-training-methodology-and-if-for.html

3/12/2012 2:56:28 PM

Quote :

"love this site and I don't even eat paleo. just great recipes and well documented http://nomnompaleo.com/ saw it on another thread in here"

Never seen it -- looks awesome. Thanks for the link.

3/12/2012 3:29:49 PM

ive had steak and eggs for breakfast every morning for a week.

family raises chickens so the eggs were free, and 5 NY strips were $15 at lowes

3/12/2012 5:58:49 PM

Quote :

"this is going to be very expensive and very time consuming"

It doesn't have to be. I'm really strict Paleo and spend about 60 per week on food for myself. I spend one hour per week prepping my lunches, five minutes per day on breakfast, and 10 minutes per day on dinner.

3/12/2012 7:17:52 PM

We spent probably $200 during week 1. Uugh.

Also an average of 1.5 hrs/night making dinner (and prepping for next day lunches)

[Edited on March 13, 2012 at 2:12 AM. Reason : .]

3/13/2012 2:11:31 AM

Quote :

"I spend one hour per week prepping my lunches, five minutes per day on breakfast, and 10 minutes per day on dinner."

What the hell do you eat?

Raw flesh, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and nuts?

3/13/2012 5:37:10 AM

That's too much time and money.

I'm about to cook a turkey breast. That'll be several meals (and leftovers in a crustless quiche with leeks) and was $7. I make lots of salads with tomato, avocado, and meat for lunch.

3/13/2012 1:07:28 PM

Unexpected paleo side effect: jealous SO because I almost have a six pack (without working out) and he doesn't because he eats too many carbs (even though he exercises a lot more than me).

3/13/2012 1:35:31 PM

First world problems.

3/13/2012 1:44:33 PM

^^well we kind of dove into this headfirst and haven't really gotten into the "groove" yet, plus we both enjoy cooking together and trying out recipes from our new cookbooks. I'm sure our meals will get a lot less exciting pretty soon.

how long have you been paleo? when did you start? why? what have been your biggest challenges/setbacks/temptations?

feel free to answer some or none of those questions. just curious

3/13/2012 2:46:29 PM

Quote :

"What the hell do you eat?"

I have two scrambled eggs with coffee for breakfast, homemade chili with a side of carrots for lunch, and cooked meat with steamed veggies for dinner. I snack on nuts and sometimes fruit, though I'm trying to lose more weight so I've mostly cut out fruit.

Quote :

"how long have you been paleo? when did you start? why? what have been your biggest challenges/setbacks/temptations?"

I've been Paleo since January of 2011. I started because I wanted to be healthier and have more energy. I've slimmed down and have a lot more energy when I'm on Paleo.

Big temptations: alcohol, cheese, chocolate. I get around my cravings by drinking lots of flavored tea after dinner.

3/13/2012 5:46:37 PM

I've been gluten free for almost 6 years, heading towards paleo for a couple months. I'm still finishing off the grain stuff I have in the pantry, but not replacing it (cinnamon chex, and I have two cake mixes). I'm loving rediscovering all these great foods I thought I couldn't eat because I thought the high fat content upset my stomach. Avocados, cheese, etc.

3/13/2012 7:08:23 PM

I'm on day 10 of Whole 30 and I honestly feel amazing. the cravings for "forbidden" foods were hard the first couple of days, but they have gotten so much better, at times nonexistent. it helps a lot just not having that stuff in our fridge/in my face, and seeing commercials for cupcakes and pizza definitely still tug at my heartstrings, but I'm amazed at how it seems my body is "reprogramming" itself.

we made a bunch of chili the other night and not only was it delicious itself, but a few slices of avocado on the top more than made up for sour cream, cheese, and crackers. I thought to myself - I just don't NEED that stuff! I plan on allowing a few indulgences after I'm done with the 30 days, but I really don't see myself ever going back to my old eating habits. I just FEEL better, all around.

side note: I ordered that "Red Boat Fish Sauce" (per that http://nomnompaleo.com/ blog) and am nervous and excited to try it out on some stuff.

3/14/2012 9:51:34 AM

So I've been more of an IIFYM (if it fits your macros, i.e., eat whatever you want as long as you're hitting your carb/protein/fat targets) guy the past couple of years. I've always acknowledged that there was nothing wrong with paleo, but argued that it was needlessly restrictive.

My mom suffers from arthritis, lupus (gets blotches on her skin, tends to have "flare ups"), and has had muscle/joint stiffness + inflammation all over the place. She got it in their head that going vegan was the way to address her issues and lose weight, which I disagreed with, but she did it for about a month. Met up with her one day and noticed her hand/fingers were very swollen and she said they hurt pretty bad. We pretty much talked about the merits of her current diet and her problems - systemic and localized inflammation, and autoimmune issues (lupus). One of her main sources of protein was legumes, but that was giving her pretty awful stomach problems.

I knew enough about paleo to bring it up and mentioned that these autoimmune and inflammation problems can be diet related, that it was probably worth adding in fish/chicken and removing grains and legumes. She did her own research and decided she'd give it a try (this was a couple of weeks ago).

I was doing plenty of reading too and picked up Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution". I've had my own issues. I'm pretty healthy and fit, but I have had this eye condition called "blepharitis" - basically, the eyelids are inflamed, causes problems with eye lubrication (dry eyes), frequent formation of styes/chalazion, extreme light sensitivity. This shit was absolutely miserable when I was having "flare ups".

I didn't really make the connection between blepharitis and my diet until one weekend where I went totally off the rails as far as nutrition - ate way more flour/grain-based carbs than normal, candy, chips, etc than normal. On the following Monday, my eyes were fucking awful and a big, painful chalazion had formed on my upper eyelid. Not fun. Decided to give paleo a try; I'd keep doing my basic IF eating style, but I'd eliminate grain, beans, and dairy (except greek yogurt and whey protein every now and then). Two weeks later and my eyelids and general eye comfort are better than they have been since at least a year ago when I was on steroid eye drops.

We'll see how my mom progresses. I think she is feeling better and her hand looked way better when I saw her recently - I'm really interested to see if her lupus will improve.

From a general diet adherence standpoint, paleo is helping a lot. I was at a fat loss plateau and eating real food allows me to "fill up" without going way over my calorie target.

[Edited on March 29, 2013 at 12:59 PM. Reason : ]

3/29/2013 12:58:49 PM

i did this challenge, and really liked it

(didn't read any of the thread)

3/29/2013 1:11:59 PM

The wife and I gave this a try just a possible aid to some recent weight loss successes. I'd moved us to a reduced carb diet anyway, and it's been pretty cool. The cravings aren't too bad (although last night I had a dream about a beer-ice cream float ), and we've been a lot more creative with our meals. I feel like eat way more eggs than I ever have now though.

[Edited on September 19, 2016 at 9:32 AM. Reason : beatup]

9/19/2016 9:32:28 AM

I wasn't a fan of it but if you can do it for 30 days there are definitely benefits, especially if you're pre-diabetic.

I definitely wouldn't make this a lifestyle change though if you're following it to a tee. It's so ridiculously restrictive with sugar - I was making my own mayonnaise and shit - no thanks. You practically can't eat out unless you get salads with olive oil and vinegar. Almost everything in a bottle at the grocery store has some sort of sugar in it and the dressings and stuff that don't don't taste good imo.

I'm glad people love it but it was not for me and I had done fine on a low carb / paleo diet otherwise.

IIFYM for the win.

9/19/2016 9:38:58 AM

Ya, I was thinking that I could do this, but I don't like how it restricts a lot of the flavor. It's hard to find a nice balance among the different flavors without that sweet component. I'd rather just watch my sugar intake more; it has definitely made me more aware of how much sugar is different stuff. Then again, we don't buy a lot of shelf-stable things outside of canned beans.

I'm not prediabetic, but my dad and grandpa have it, so I'm more wary of calories and such.

9/19/2016 9:47:28 AM