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geoblewis 12-06-2011 02:06 PM

Committed to Paleo/Primal
 
Here's a new thread for the Paleo/Primal enthusiasts. I needed one that didn't need to have the title updated every month. Hope we can all flock together here for support.

I had a very non-Paleo weekend and am now suffering the consequences with bloating and achy joints. Stupid gluten/soy/casein/sugar! Makes me cranky and even triggered a small panic-attack the other night when I felt the bloating coming on. I will not be indulging on holiday fare this year. I did just fine without most of it for Thanksgiving and still enjoyed myself!

I have discovered the beauty of bone soups this winter. Love them! Excellent source of calcium for those avoiding legumes and not eating enough of the right veggies. I've also found a really good butcher in Oakland who carries grass-fed red meat and purely pastured poultry. So yummy! It happens to be in a lovely little marketplace with an all-organic produce market right next door. They had some gorgeous dandelion greens that I bought and they were so tasty!

I love eating well. Really, I'm so easy to please when I'm eating this well!

AnaBee 12-06-2011 08:05 PM

*waves*

Hello. I'm trying to commit myself to this too. Mostly successful, though there are a few things I need to ditch.

How do you make the bone broth?

geoblewis 12-06-2011 10:44 PM

How to make the bone broth:

Since we're paleo/primal here, you need the bones of wild-caught or grass-fed animals. I used my turkey carcass after Thanksgiving dinner, but have also gotten good grass-fed beef marrow bones from a butcher. It's easier to find grass-fed lamb bones at the supermarket.

Wash them well, then put them in a big stock pot and cover them with water. To the pot, add a lot of lemon juice or some apple cider vinegar, depending on the flavor you want with the bones you're using. Usually a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per four cups of water. This helps to leech out the minerals from the bones. Heat on high until the water starts to boil, then turn down to a simmer and let it cook for at least four hours. This is where a crockpot comes in handy. I let it cook all day, and my house smells tasty! You can add onions, celery, carrots, peppercorns and some salt to taste. Once the broth is nice and rich, let it cool to luke warm then chill it in the refrigerator. The broth may become gelatinous and a crusty layer of fat will form on top. You can take the fat off and discard. Now you've got fat-free broth!

You can store the broth in containers in the freezer for later use, otherwise use it within a week. Good as is, heated, add soup ingredients to it, use it to braise vegetables with it. Even nice in the summer chilled with some lemon or lime juice. I'm using some of my leftover turkey broth tonight to cook my Brussels sprouts in and I had some earlier when I braised dandelion greens and chicken thighs for lunch.

wendyland 12-07-2011 02:46 PM

HI, I've made attempt after attempt to eat primally. I did really good last summer for my 30 days of no grains/sugar/dairy, but once the 30 days were up, everything snuck back in.

I'm taking a slower approach this time. I'm off the wheat first. Once I get used to that lifestyle, I'll take something else out. I'm reducing sugar, rice, and corn but not cutting it out completely yet. I feel so overwhelmed if I cut out everything at once.

I don't understand the committed to paleo/primal thread opposed to a monthly thread. Not enough people to warrant a monthly thread?

kaplods 12-07-2011 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geoblewis (Post 4130617)
Here's a new thread for the Paleo/Primal enthusiasts. I needed one that didn't need to have the title updated every month. Hope we can all flock together here for support.

As I understand it, whenever a thread gets to a certain size, the moderators close it. By creating a monthly thread, posters save the moderators a little work, and don't have to worry about their thread being closed without warning, so it's always easy to find. It's also easier to find the old threads that have been closed, if someone wants to read or re-read the old threads.

kaplods 12-08-2011 04:51 PM

Another option would be to number the threads. So "Committed to Paleo/Primal" could be used until the thread gets to a certain number of posts and then the next could be titled "Committed to Paleo/Primal, Volume 2" - or #2 or whatever, so that the threads can be easily found.

AnaBee 12-13-2011 06:45 PM

Thank you so much for the bone broth recipe, Georgia. Much appreciated.

TheMeIwant2be 12-14-2011 03:08 PM

Thanks for the bone broth recipe. I've seen people talking about it but I wasn't sure how to make it. Regarding the fat, don't you want to have that fat in the broth?

geoblewis 12-18-2011 01:07 PM

Yes, I do want that fat at the top. But some who have never made broth might wonder what that stuff is at the top of the broth, and some might not want it so I just explained how to get rid of it most efficiently.

I went to a local market yesterday and bought a big stewing hen, raised organic and free-roaming, without anti-biotics, etc. I'll just call it a Holy Hen. Anyway, today I'm going to stew that girl and make myself a nice big pot of soup. It's cold outside and I want something hot and comforting. The Holy Hen was expensive. But my health is sooo worth it! I don't spend money on lots of other things, but I will spend on good quality food.

Other than my current feminine hormonal state, I feel really good. Even my cramps don't seem as bad now that I'm eating almost exclusively Paleo. I did go a little nuts with the carb cravings for a couple days and I'm really bloated right now, but not in the usual way. Usually, my hands and feet plus my belly would feel incredibly bloated, and I'd be absolutely knocked out with no energy for two days. But this time, my thighs seem bloated (and I think that's because I've been doing squats and lunges for the first time in a long time) and I have plenty of energy. And very minor cramps. Since moving toward a more Paleo diet, the periods have been decreasingly symptomatic. And that is so cool!

I think I'll combat the minor bloat with extra dandelion greens today.

geoblewis 12-27-2011 01:56 PM

Okay! That off-plan eating is done and no major weight gain to report!:carrot:

Back on track for the new year...today the boys and I are clearing out and reapportioning the non-paleo foods. I have my own refrigerator and I'm going to set up my own pantry portion so I don't have to deal with their stuff at all. Going to Costco for major organic veggie purchases. I think the next few weeks I'm going to cut protein a little more and eat a lot more veggies. I want to increase my fiber a bit more. Hard to do when I cut calories, so I just have to trade things out.

Feeling good, even after some holiday indulgences. Happy to learn that some foods I used to love just don't taste that good any more!

medic4life 01-02-2012 05:57 PM

Hi everyone,
I've been going primal for a couple of months. Kinda tough at first but much better all the time. but now it's time to get serious. I don't miss pasta, bread or flour, grains and all that stuff anymore. I still use sugar in my coffee but I am happy to report a wt loss of 1 over the holidays. yahoo for me but I have only lost 4 lbs total so nothing to jump up and down for yet. I have fudge in my house and tonight when I get home I'm putting it in the compost right away. I'm the only one eating it and I love it but I don't feel as good since I've been eating it. 2 mornings in a row I ate it for breakfast, like 4 pcs each time. yikes. I haven't added exercise yet but I will start tomorrow, I eat healthier when i'm exercising. keep at it everyone.
Robin

banananutmuffin 01-03-2012 10:00 AM

Greetings! Just wanted to introduce myself here. I decided to go Primal for my New Year's resolution. I am a total carb-aholic, so have no idea what this is going to do to me, but I do know that my previous "diets" just weren't working.

So far I am only two days into Primal living. I don't notice much of a change in anything yet (energy levels, etc.), but at least I'm not dealing with massive carb flu (yet).

wendyland 01-04-2012 09:32 PM

The carb flu sucks. I'm easing into it. Last time I quit grains/sugar/dairy cold turkey. It worked out ok then, but I have a big project due at work this months. I can't afford to have the brain fog. I'm starting with no wheat. I'm doing pretty well. In three days, I've had one bread item. I don't eat very much dairy or beans normally. Sugar is the hardest to quit. I'm cutting down over the next couple weeks.

I made homemade mayo a couple days ago. It was so easy. I made honey mustard with it tonight and coated my chicken breast and then baked it. It was pretty moist from the mayo.

banananutmuffin 01-05-2012 05:52 PM

Dude... I just tried making homemade mayo yesterday and it was a dismal fail. :( However, the only reason I wanted it was to make deviled eggs, and then I found a mayo-less deviled egg recipe, so I was good to go (it basically just uses olive oil).

This is Day 4 for me of eating primal, and I have to admit, my energy levels are lagging. I feel like death warmed over... like I could sleep at the drop of a hat. Absolutely no energy at all. I am hoping this is just carb flu that will pass over time. I am coming off a very very high-carb lifestyle.

So far I have been 100% dedicated (except a few glasses of wine on Day 1). I haven't even eaten dairy, although Mark Sissan says a little dairy is ok. I've also been trying to watch how many nuts I eat. Mostly I've been eating meats, veggies, fruits and a few nuts or natural nut butters.

To be honest, I still don't feel any different, except tired. The scale says I've dropped a few pounds, but I think that's because my initial weigh was during PMS time, so all I've dropped is water weight and bloat (which is what I'd expect to drop the first few weeks of any diet anyway).

I really really really hope I see some results from this.

souvenirdarling 01-06-2012 11:44 AM

I've recommitted to primal eating in the new year. I usually feel like a million bucks when I eat this way - more consistent energy levels. I've been feeling awful, sleeping too much, unable to restart my routine - guess I'm having trouble dealing with other things.

I've been tracking calories, and noticed that I tend to eat lower cal when eating low carb. I guess it's not that surprising.

Banana, I hope you start to feel better :) and keep us posted!

Wendy: It's funny, I get "brain fog" after overeating. I remember having it during a specific class where I would anxiety eat a lot before hand, scared I would get ravenous in class and everyone would hear my stomach gurgle.

babygrant 01-06-2012 08:45 PM

Hubby and I are starting primal tommorow. Won't weigh in for the first month to avoid any disappointment that could cause us to quit. Yay! Team effort!

wendyland 01-07-2012 08:50 PM

Not weighing is a good idea. I'd have to have my husband hide the scale. I'm a lookyloo. I did a pretty strict 30 days last summer. The scale went down a pound a day and then barely budged the rest of the month. It was pretty discouraging. I felt like I was doing lots of work but with no paycheck.

geoblewis 01-07-2012 09:34 PM

I'm on the verge of putting my scale in the garage, for the exact reason you just stated, Wendy. I want to really focus on the effort for the next few months. I bought one of those fat calipers and a Myotape instead, and I'm blowing the dust off an old fitness/food journal to write it all down.

Admittedly, I'm not 100% Paleolithic. I tend to eat too much protein with some veggies, maybe 5 servings a day, but I struggle to get enough fiber. I do sprinkle chia seeds on my salads but during the winter, I like cooked veggies. I eat lots of spinach and kale, a little sweet potato and winter squas, but I get really big cravings every few days for grains. And it doesn't go away unless I cave to it. So I choose a controlled off-plan dip into grains with a slice or two of the Julian Bakery Smart Carb bread or a serving of Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf. I'm trying to get over 30 gm of fiber a day but keep my carb level below 120 gm.

I've been tracking my macro percentages. I can't seem to get my fats below 50%. It's all healthy fats, my krill oil suppplements, olive oil, avocado, a handful of raw almonds. Not nearly how much fat I used to eat when cheese was really prevalent in my diet.

Still losing weight. Just very, very slowly!

banananutmuffin 01-08-2012 08:50 AM

I have been staying pretty close to 100% (except some wine on Day 1 and some dark chocolate chips last night). Otherwise, no dairy, no grains, and no starchy veggies.

I've still been feeling lightheaded and dizzy at times. Also, my hunger gets CRAZY if I go too long between meals. It's possible I'm not eating enough fat, I guess.

I have dropped 4 pounds, but it's all water weight, since my clothes fit the same.

But I am committed to this for 30 days. I figure, even if I GAIN weight, it wouldn't be any worse of a diet than the serving bowls of spaghetti and loaf of texas toast that I was eating before. lol

babygrant 01-08-2012 09:01 PM

I got a bit dizzy lyesterday afternoon so ate 1/2 cup of sweet potato with butter and voila, felt WAY better!

purdumse 01-14-2012 03:47 AM

Hi there!!! I am going to do my very very best. I did pretty much primal for the past five days and just had a sugar and flour major binge! I work at a cafe and just went crazy with free pastries. Now I actually feel a bit drunk, it's so strange!! So I'm going to try progress not perfection. This time I am going to try to go six day primal 100% and on the seventh day I can eat whatever I want. I'm going to keep checking in on any changes. Damn, I hope I don't have to go through a carb flu again, or the nausea etc. that happened over the past couple days.

geoblewis 01-14-2012 12:08 PM

I still fall into the carbs/dairy on occasion. And it's usually something I don't normally have. Like yesterday, I had such cravings for a Wendy's chocolate frosty. I got a small one and it was gone before I knew it. Then all I wanted was carbs! So I cooked whole wheat spaghetti and had a HUGE portion. And this morning, I realized a four-pound gain. Grrrrr! This morning, the carb craving is gone and I'm going back to my Paleo foods. Had a big cup of beef bone soup just now and am drinking lots of water. That seems to fix my carby cravings fairly well.

banananutmuffin 01-15-2012 01:35 PM

Red wine is my occasional indulgence. Due to social events, I drank two nights in a row... and a little more than usual. Woke up today feeling terrible! Don't even plan to step on the scale. When I first work up, the first thing I wanted was a coke (my typical hungover indulgence). I didn't have it, though. Just made some black tea and powered through it. I wonder, too, if my urge for a coke had something to do with my blood sugar.

Anyway, feel wretched today, but know if I make it through today and tomorrow, I should be back to feeling "normal."

purdumse 01-15-2012 05:02 PM

I think it's amazing that you can power through any cravings at all banananutmuffin, good on you! I seem to make a commitment to paleo and then cast it to the wayside anytime I feel like it. Today is day one again. Yesterday I was paleo until I passed a taco stand at one in the morning. I was probably just tired but I got a big chicken burrito with a flour tortilla and beans and ate the whole thing. I'm not going to lie, it was delicious. I'm back on today just finished a late breakfast/lunch of sugar snap peas and chicken breast cooked in coconut oil. So yummy. I'm going to power throuugh the rest of the day. I still get a little anxious that I'm going to have crazy cholesterol or something, maybe I should get some bloodwork done. Going from zero to sixty, mostly vegan to paleo is a bit of a mindf@#$. But I'm less hungry, that's for sure! Here's to another day of paleo, I'm gonna try to remember to book end myself and check in tomorrow saying I successful did ONE DAY of paleo!

purdumse 01-15-2012 05:04 PM

And Geoblewis (is that the correct name? Forgetting...) Way to go with the bone soup, a much better choice! Amazing. I've got to take a page out of you and banananumuffins book and actually sit through a craving instead of immediately acting on it!

wendyland 01-16-2012 10:20 PM

I've been taking the slower approach this time. I've done really well at not eating grains, especially wheat. The nice thing is that I haven't felt overwhelmed at quitting so many things at once. This week, I'm working at tapering off sugar and keeping dairy to a minimum.

I have fixings for taco salads tomorrow. It's the best way to get me to eat greens. i have a hard time eating salad in the winter.

banananutmuffin 01-17-2012 11:01 AM

Three nights of drinking in a row and I felt like crap! I guess the one craving I can't power through is my red wine craving. lol

Still, I've stuck to the paleo diet. It's hardest on (hungover) mornings, when my body seems to be screaming for carbs and sugar. Not sure if it's because of the carbs from the alcohol the night before, or just the after effects of alcohol. Probably a combo of both.

After my initial quick loss of water weight, the scale number seems to have stopped/stalled. I expected this, though. I don't have a lot to lose, and am guessing everything here on out will be SLOW moving. Just going to try and stick to it, and see how things look in another few weeks.

But boy, it's hard to stay motivated when my body doesn't seem to be changing.

geoblewis 01-18-2012 01:52 AM

Quote:

I've got to take a page out of you and banananumuffins book and actually sit through a craving instead of immediately acting on it!
Purdumse, some days are easier than others. It's all a head game! The other day I had such a craving for fried food. I wanted it so badly! But I remembered how it didn't taste good at all the last time I blew through a KFC (used to be such a turn-on to go there!). I ended up in the parking lot next to a Long John Silver's and breathed in the aromas of the fried fish and hushpuppies until the feeling passed. Because really, I wasn't hungry and it was only a feeling. It was the first time I ever did that, but I wanted to win that one, just once.

Tonight, for dinner, I made stir-fried asparagus and grass-fed bison sirloin tips. It was delicious. But I wish asparagus and bison turned me on as much as KFC. Because then I would have been emotionally satisfied. As it is, I still want the KFC. And I hate Col. Sanders or whoever it was that really invented it and manipulated it so that I would have such huge cravings for it whenever I'm stressed, tired or pre-menstrual!

banananutmuffin 01-18-2012 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geoblewis (Post 4177134)
But I wish asparagus and bison turned me on as much as KFC.

LOL! I had to laugh at this, because I know exactly what you mean and how you feel.

Have you seen the Paleo Comfort Food cookbook? It actually has a recipe for fried chicken that looks delicious. There's a biscuit recipe, too. Maybe not KFC, but perhaps an acceptable substitute.

I find myself not having too many bad cravings on this plan. Yeah, I probably could've dove face first into my kid's pizza today. And the other day I drove past a McDonald's and started salivating (just like Pavlov's dogs). But for the most part, the cravings are quick and manageable.

This has nothing to do with my willpower, though. I am, in general, a VERY weak willed person. I think it's simply because this time I want to drop the extra pounds more than I want the food.

Staceyh2012 01-27-2012 03:43 AM

I'm just new to the Paleo (got the primal blueprint book yesterday) and I'm looking to starting it after the weekend. Has anyone actually lost a lot of weight on it? I need to lose 100lbs and I'm looking for thinspiration. Xxxz

FatToFitWife 01-27-2012 06:52 AM

I'm starting today :) I'm trying to do paleo, but may end up closer to primal. I have the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook coming today! :)

BerkshireGrl 01-27-2012 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Staceyh2012 (Post 4191036)
I'm just new to the Paleo (got the primal blueprint book yesterday) and I'm looking to starting it after the weekend. Has anyone actually lost a lot of weight on it? I need to lose 100lbs and I'm looking for thinspiration.

Stacey, I recommend the Success Stories at Mark's Daily Apple for inspiration galore! :)

geoblewis 01-27-2012 10:54 AM

Stacey, I've got a lot of weight to lose. I started at 353 lbs. Down to 293 lbs. I stalled around 315 lbs, popped back up to 330 lbs, then learned switched to Paleo. The last 40+ pound loss was a combination of Paleo and Intermittent Fasting. I'm sticking to this because I have health issues that eating like this addresses. For me, going Paleo was about avoiding certain foods that led to other issues. I lost some weight with pure Paleo eating because my cravings were greatly diminished, hunger was more manageable due to blood sugar regulation, and my food sensitivities were eliminated. The IF helped me to cut calories and really helped me to stop being as obsessed about food and eating.

I still have a lot of weight to lose, but it doesn't feel so impossible. I'm hitting menopause, so there's going to be a bit of drag with the weight loss for a little time. I'm still losing, just not as quickly as I used to. Working on cutting calories even more. Over the holidaze I went off program and gained back 11 lbs. I've almost got all of that off (3.5 lbs left to go). Had to go on a leptin-resistance Paleo thing. I'm tracking all that here, if you care to follow along.

Joannavan 02-08-2012 09:09 PM

Low Carbing/Wheat Belly Paleo
 
Hello all,
I'm pretty new to the Paleo/wheat free lifestyle. I wouldn't say I'm 100% Paleo because I like cheese and the occasional latte:) I am 100% wheat free. I love not having the cravings associated with carbs! I feel like I have made a lifestyle change. I discovered the greatness of coconut oil!! Who knew??? I'm making more things at home and I've become more aware of the meat I eat.

Before starting this lifestyle, I lost maybe 5 lbs in 6 months working out. I had no idea that wheat was such a bad idea in a diet! I'm now down an additional 15 lbs. I really can't see myself ever going back to eating wheat. I love to know experiment with the almond and coconut flours.

wendyland 02-09-2012 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joannavan (Post 4209372)
Hello all,
I'm pretty new to the Paleo/wheat free lifestyle. I wouldn't say I'm 100% Paleo because I like cheese and the occasional latte:) I am 100% wheat free. I love not having the cravings associated with carbs! I feel like I have made a lifestyle change. I discovered the greatness of coconut oil!! Who knew??? I'm making more things at home and I've become more aware of the meat I eat.

Before starting this lifestyle, I lost maybe 5 lbs in 6 months working out. I had no idea that wheat was such a bad idea in a diet! I'm now down an additional 15 lbs. I really can't see myself ever going back to eating wheat. I love to know experiment with the almond and coconut flours.

Those are great results! I keep teetering back and forth. I'm fine at home, but can't say no to bread at social engagements or eating out. I really like almond four as a breading for chicken with some garlic powder and salt. YUM! I've made coconut flour biscuits, which turned out pretty good.

kaplods 02-11-2012 08:01 PM

I love white chocolate hot cocoas, but the prepackaged mixes are all very non-paleo and extremely high carb. I've been trying to develop a fair compromise, and I've made two that are delicious and paleo (or nealry so).

1. Heat 8-12 ounces of almond milk in saucepan or in microwave, then stir in two tablespoons of Torani's Sugar Free White Chocolate Syrup (sweetened with Splenda - not all paleo plans allow Splenda, but many do).

This was good, but a little too sweet.


2. Heat 8-12 ounces of almond milk in saucepan or in microwave, then stir in a tablespoon of coconut butter (or coconut manna - essentially ground coconut).

This isn't as sweet, but with the natural sweetness in the almonds and the coconut, I didn't miss the additional sweetener.

ikiryo 02-12-2012 12:23 AM

Hey, paleo dieters: Have you found that you build/retain muscle better with this lifestyle, than before when you were munching bread?

geoblewis 02-12-2012 12:53 AM

Quote:

Have you found that you build/retain muscle better with this lifestyle, than before when you were munching bread?
Since going paleo and cutting the grains, dairy and legumes, I have definitely built more muscle. We know that the protein feeds the muscle building. But what was more important to me was adequately eating protein to get past the soreness so I could get right back into the next scheduled workout. When I wasn't eating enough protein, I'd hurt for days and days.

midwife 02-12-2012 01:52 PM

Hope you all don't mind out if I hang out in here.

I've been pondering addiction, addictive tendencies, self-harm issues, coping methods, etc. Even before Whitney Houston's death yesterday, I'd been considering how people cope with addiction. I know that my own tendencies are not on par with, say, heroin or oxycontin or crack or alcohol, and I will never face the type of legal or employment consequences people with those addictions face. Nonetheless, I am trying to come to grips with why I make choices that do harm my body. I'm at the point where I either need to clean up my food and lose weight OR stop running, because I am too heavy to run right now. My knees are grouching at me. The foods I eat are negatively affecting my health in both obvious and subtle ways.

I know a lot of people can lose weight with moderation or calorie counting, but I think I need to quit sugar and white flour. I just need to quit.

Other people have successfully quit other far more addictive substances.

I'm looking at the Whole30 and I like that. I've followed those principles before. Not sure why I think "just one bite" is okay...one turns into two and more and more and I feel like garbage.

ikiryo 02-12-2012 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geoblewis (Post 4213079)
Since going paleo and cutting the grains, dairy and legumes, I have definitely built more muscle. We know that the protein feeds the muscle building. But what was more important to me was adequately eating protein to get past the soreness so I could get right back into the next scheduled workout. When I wasn't eating enough protein, I'd hurt for days and days.

Thank you. This is basically what I was thinking it would do. And I have found that my muscle recovery is far better than it was before when carbs took up a percentage of my diet.


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