My experience with the Paleo Diet

Girlfriend & I are going to give it a go. Started today....already hungry at 9AM.....Didn't realize how much I snacked until this :-)
 
You are allowed to "snack" ?if? you are hungry (and not just bored or eating out of habit).

When you do "snack" make it a mini meal -- fat, veggies (carbs), and protein. 200 to 300 calories or so.

After a while when you get rid of grains and legumes, you will find yourself snacking less because good fats and protein are more satisfying and more sustaining.
 
I would ease into it little by little replacing and cutting out the foods that are engineered /man made. Jumping right into this change in eating habits might not be sustainable right away by everyone. I had to ease my wife into, and now after three weeks she is finding it easier to eat natural foods. And being more creative with the foods we disliked before we are now starting to eat.

Key to remember at least for myself that this is NOT a diet just a way of eating better. And looking at food a different way.
 
True. I went full-paleo in one day. I went straight from the dirt bike meeting to the grocery store to stock up.

As I went through the first weeks I was amazed (nearly stymied) at the vast numbers of things displayed on the grocery shelves that would no longer be a part of my diet. Obvious and not so.

It takes a while to figure out what to eat when you have abandoned so much. Eating at home was one thing. Now I had to figure out what to take to work for lunch (Big-Ass Salad, meat, a little fruit). Which restaurants had paleo options (a few). Which salad dressings did not contain soy bean oil (almost none).

And what do I take on the trail during rides or the pits during races?

Eventually you'll sort it out.
 
Google "protein per day" and you will find estimates of .5 to .7 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. That's just several ounces of meat per day.

16 oz of top sirloin = 843 calories which includes protein and fat. Another 700 calories in veggies and starch and you are good for the day.

Sorry but first off if you are counting calories you need to be read some info from Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson and many others.
I'm sure it's working for you but I hope the weight you are losing is not muscle.
If you want to talk calories, 1500 is way too low.
Please do more research. You will have much better results.
 
Sorry but first off if you are counting calories you need to be read some info from Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson and many others.
I'm sure it's working for you but I hope the weight you are losing is not muscle.
If you want to talk calories, 1500 is way too low.
Please do more research. You will have much better results.

Oh' man here we go!

I've read some of the research papers Rick has written.......not me who's gonna go toe-to-toe with him. Just sayin?
 
It can all get very scientific about what to eat, how to gain mass, how to cut weight and lean up while minimizing muscle loss. Go jump on a body building forum and have a look. Body building is too ego centric and too much of a full time job for me to have any interest in it.

The maths is simple though. If you want to lose weight its as simple as calories in being less than calories burnt. The opposite is true if you want to gain weight. Muscle is built by using them and causing them to react and adapt to being used.

I don't think that is the point of this thread though. This isn't so much about losing weight, retaining muscle, buffing up etc, but more about improving health and lifestyle, which is exactly what I aim to achieve in life. Its about applying some common sense to eating. Knowing what you can eat a lot of, and what to have in moderation. While I'd never go full paleo as I love to have breads, pastas, noodles, rices, etc, they are never the bulk element of a meal. I also shy away from most processed/premade meals and will cook from scratch where possible. A typical meal includes some meat (fish, chicken, beef, pork or lamb). A large side of salad or veg (usually just dressed with some olive oil and salt/vingearette - home made), and then depending on what it is it may have some carbs. Say a stirfry is all veg, some meat and a small amount of rice or noodles just to soak the flavours up. Lunch will be a large salad roll. The roll is just to hold the meat and salad together for me.

Softdrink and alcohol. That big ol polar bear!! Thats where my good work comes undone more than anywhere else. That and beers. If I could cut them out I'd probably weigh 10kg less. But meh.. I'm happy!
 
It can all get very scientific about what to eat, how to gain mass, how to cut weight and lean up while minimizing muscle loss. Go jump on a body building forum and have a look. Body building is too ego centric and too much of a full time job for me to have any interest in it.

The maths is simple though. If you want to lose weight its as simple as calories in being less than calories burnt. The opposite is true if you want to gain weight. Muscle is built by using them and causing them to react and adapt to being used.

I don't think that is the point of this thread though. This isn't so much about losing weight, retaining muscle, buffing up etc, but more about improving health and lifestyle, which is exactly what I aim to achieve in life. Its about applying some common sense to eating. Knowing what you can eat a lot of, and what to have in moderation. While I'd never go full paleo as I love to have breads, pastas, noodles, rices, etc, they are never the bulk element of a meal. I also shy away from most processed/premade meals and will cook from scratch where possible. A typical meal includes some meat (fish, chicken, beef, pork or lamb). A large side of salad or veg (usually just dressed with some olive oil and salt/vingearette - home made), and then depending on what it is it may have some carbs. Say a stirfry is all veg, some meat and a small amount of rice or noodles just to soak the flavours up. Lunch will be a large salad roll. The roll is just to hold the meat and salad together for me.

Softdrink and alcohol. That big ol polar bear!! Thats where my good work comes undone more than anywhere else. That and beers. If I could cut them out I'd probably weigh 10kg less. But meh.. I'm happy!

Ditto,

I was a hardcore crossfitter for years. Even went as far as getting my crossfit level 2 cert. I was crossfitting in between sports. I have competed in everything from BMX as a kid to professional/sponsored climber to sponsored luge competitor, now to enduro rider/racer. I still use elements of crossfit in my workouts, but not much use for it in our line of sport. During all that time competing I found the only thing that makes you better at your sport is doing your sport, eating right and doing cardio in your off days.

It's easy to pick up bad habits as an adult. You get a consistent job a wife and then some kids, east to get distracted.
 
Just an FYI....
My wife and I recently watched this movie.
Fat Sick and Nearly Dead
http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com
We purchased ourselves a juicer and after 2 weeks my energy level has increased tremendously.

And since this guy is from AU I am sure Jakobi will have some great comments about the guy..... ;-)
 
You are allowed to "snack" ?if? you are hungry (and not just bored or eating out of habit).

When you do "snack" make it a mini meal -- fat, veggies (carbs), and protein. 200 to 300 calories or so.

After a while when you get rid of grains and legumes, you will find yourself snacking less because good fats and protein are more satisfying and more sustaining.

Problem was I was snacking on Hershey minis, and chips.....just didn't pack enough good snacks on my first day.....I toughed it out to lunch though, had me a big o salad and then swung by the store for some healthy snacks...carrots, broccoli, celery, apples & oranges in the fridge at the shop now:D
 
Oopsy. Looks like Rick needs some peer review.

I was doing some clever cutting and pasting in my iPhone and left out something that should have read, "1,700" calories, not "700" calories.

Sooo, I would add another 1,000 (for the mythical 180 pound male). These extra calories would mostly come from veggies, and starch (and possibly more fat if the cuts of meat are very lean). I usually go with a well-marbled ribeye or oily fish.

Lastly, 16 ounces of beef (128 grams of protein) provides way more protein than the typical male needs and is closer to what a top athlete would require (or a growing child or someone trying to build muscle mass).
 
And since this guy is from AU I am sure Jakobi will have some great comments about the guy..... ;-)

First I've heard of it :confused: however I just watched the shorts.

Juice is just a really quick and easy way to smash down a large serving of fruit/vegies, and we all know they are good for you. As for liquid diets (juice fast/shakes/etc) I'm not a fan. I like to eat and I like to sit down and enjoy the smells, flavours, and textures. I enjoy cooking as much as I enjoy eating too. So personally blending a heap of yummy stuff up into a pulp and gulping it down doesn't do a whole lot for me and isn't what I would call sustainable regime. As a suppliment or addition to an already balanced diet. FOR SURE! Especially if you struggle to intake enough fresh fruit and veg.

Its truly amazing just how well the human body adapts and copes with whatever you do to it. The bigger battles are those that are psychological. Basically I never tell myself I can/can't eat anything. I eat what I want when I want. I know what happens when I eat too much junk, so its easy to control. Whats harder to control is the serving size the missus puts on the plate! Lucky we share the cooking. Hahah!
 
Yeah, it has to be enjoyable -- makes it easier giving up cupcakes at work.

"Um, nice cupcakes, but I have a hunk of ribeye to warm up..."

I'm out the door in a few minutes to head to my club's Competition Committee meeting. I googled Bennigans wondering what the heck kind of bar food they had in store for me. Turns out they make a nice, "pan-fried steak salad."

I'll go for that. Probably some beer, too. :D
 
In all honesty, once you adjust to eating whole foods (as opposed to processed), you will enjoy your meals more and will have less cravings. Anything premade tastes salty, sweet, or greasy.
 
Very true. Years ago, spending a lot of time on a dive boat, I ate a lot of that stuff, seemed fine. Now I can't stomach it. A big salad,with a slab of chicken, steak, or fish on top is a major part of my diet, although rarely steak lately.

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This weekend's race in Globe, Arizona marks 3.5 months since I started this paleo thing. My weight is still stable around 197-ish (I haven't weighed myself in a week or so). I am fitting into some of my 33-inch pants and most of my 34-inch pants are downright baggy.

My only deviations from fairly strict paleo eating is that I eat more fruit and nuts than paleo dudes consider Kosher -- At least, up until a couple weeks ago, since I ran out of nuts and don't particularly feel a need to buy more. The best way not to eat stuff is to keep it out of one's vicinity. My other quasi paleo transgressions: pastuerized milk with coffee, yogurt every now and again, and the rare beer per week.

I did the same dietary prep for Globe as before -- ie, nothing. I just ate as per normal. The morning of the race I ate a fairly light breakfast of three thick strip of bacon and one egg and fried up a few yam slices. I finished a few cups of coffee and hopped on the bike which was filled with about 3 gallons of pre-mix which I figured would last me five laps (assuming I got lapped twice by a speedy AA guy) with at least a half gallon to spare. That meant I wouldn't have to pit, and I didn't, so I didn't.

Since the weather was around 40F I had just a quart of water in my hydration pack with the proscribed paleo pinch of salt & squeeze of lime to keep me going. Through the race I remained pretty strong until the sleet turned some sections a bit slippery. After lap 4 my stomach started gurgling which meant I was "hungry" but my blood sugar, while probably dropping, was in no way crashing. I shoulda eaten another egg or something.

The paleo endurance athletes say that they burn fat well up to about 2 hours or so, then need to go to carbs. My fifth and final lap started at the 2-hour mark and I suppose I would've benefited from some liquified carbs of some source.

I finished the race at five laps (leaders did six) and I was ready to do another one had I not been saddled with the emotional burden of a crazy-cool finisher medallion. I putt-putted off to my camper to scarf down some more bacon and yam with a Fosters chaser before packing up for home.

The next race in two weeks is at San Manuel, Arizona (between Globe and Tucson). This is going to be a fairly quick (for our usually technical courses) 78-mile hare scramble (3 26-mile loops).

That's about 4 hours for me, so I'll have no choice but to put a little bit of carbo in my hydration pack and probably schlurp down some yam, nanner and a bit of OJ or something at every lap.
 
AZRick
I am not a Paleo, more of a whole food type guy. As well as a bike rider (former racer), I am a competative masters runner (over 40). I have found that when do long races (10K and over), I can build up my reserves with sushi (tuna, salmon, and white rice) the night before the race. For shorter races I just have a kale/spinach shake, but for longer runs I will eat 3 or 4 eggs with the shake. But, I often find that a protein (prefer vegan) shake with 20+ gm of protein is manditory, immediately upon finishing, then head to the local mexican restaurant for carne asada (and fried eggs, if they will endulge you).
 
I just got back from my annual physical. I had a full blood panel done. Results in a week or two. Even an EKG !!

My blood pressure is down 10pts on both sides (111/70). It's usually not that low unless I'm in good aerobic shape - and I'm not. My weight is down 40 pounds since November 7th (191, without trying). Another ten or fifteen to go.

Maybe I should start exercizing or something?
 
I got my results back to me last week. It contained the same admonition that I have gotten every year for the last twenty -- "Your cholesterol is high." It was been waivering from 220 to 255 (sometimes higher) every year, with this year having it admittedly on the high side of that range. Same deal for trigycerides.

I suppose that having lost over 40 pounds of fat (with cholesterol stored in adipose tissue), with another 20 to go, there should be lots of lipids and transport lipoproteins floating around.
 
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