Hi ladies. I have decided to try this whole thirty day paleo experiment thing and was wondering if anyone has used this prior? For those who don't know what this whole shebang is (I didn't for a really long time), it involves using what neanderthals prior to the agricultural revolution ate as a model/foundation for eating. Mainly, this involves cutting grains, legumes, processed foods, sugary foods, and, for me because of weight loss, starchy potatoes and most fruits for a bit.

For those who have tried it, what do you think? I've read so much on the internet about people who just feel awesome, though I am aware that there is a lot of hype and those who love it will freely write about it ad nauseum so I I thought I'd look around here (not that I haven't found sites such as Mark's Daily Apple and PaleoHacks EXTRAORDINARILY helpful). Also, for those who have tried it or haven't, what do you for social occasions, eating out, or bringing food to work or school?

The only problem I foresee with this is that it could get extremely dull. That, and I LOVE cheese. I like the simplicity of it though. No counting, just rough guidelines. I have also done a lot of research on the science behind the way of eating , much to the detriment of my edits and note (whoops), during my break and am excited to see if the theory works out in practice. Anywho, sorry for the rambles. Thanks for your help!

I couldn't give up the cheese. I'm eating full on primal, except that I still eat a lot of cheese. So I guess I'm just a dirty cheater lol.

I've been doing this since August 1. The first 10 days or so I had the carb flu so bad. I detoxed like crazy. Brain fog, soreness, tiredness you name it. But then the symptoms cleared and I felt so good. In addition to losing weight quickly (I keep my carbs under 20g a day), My skin cleared, I sleep better, I have more energy, no afternoon crashes etc. This Christmas, I cheated for about ten days, and I'm still paying for it. Ten pounds back on in a snap, constipation, breakouts and I can't pull my butt out of bed. Been back on plan for two days now and I feel sooo much better.

It's been great for me! Of course, I do a more primal/Perfect Health Diet style (which means dairy and some safe starches for me). I'm a big believer in listening to your body and treating yourself as an experiment of n=1. I think some people genuinely do OK with a typical American diet, but the people who really tolerate it are a small minority. Trying out paleo for 30 days and seeing how you react is a great way to go. You can always play around with re-introducing things like dairy and watching how you react.

I have a wheat sensitivity, so that overrides a lot of the social eating stuff. But I still eat out plenty! You can almost always find something that works. And if you can't - like me the other night at NYE party - then you just go without for a tiny bit, and it's really not so hard.

Variety/dullness has also never been an issue in the slightest. I love to cook, and it's a great motivator for trying out new recipes.

I hope you feel great eating this way as well - or that you at least learn more about what your body does best on!

I've found I eat mostly primally and there are so many yummy Paleo/primal dishes that it's hard to feel deprived. No plans to go full on Paleo because it would be hard for me to get enough calories for all the weight training I do.

I'm not really strict about eating primal, but I find that I just gravitate towards those foods and probably fall into the 80/20 rule that's mentioned on Mark's Daily Apple. I feel much better, and have become sensitive to overly sweet things...so there is no desire to eat them anymore

Just curious... Are you doing a particular plan for your 30 day experiment? I've just been putting my own "paleo" thing together on my own from various books and online stuff... but I'm thinking of following an actual plan from maybe "The Primal Blueprint" or "The Paleo Athlete" to really see what kind of results I can get...

So far I've been sticking with lots of non-starchy and green leafy veggies, some lean protein (mostly fresh, wild fish), some nuts and seeds, and some fruit... I thought I would miss dairy more, but I don't... Actually, I've cut out wine, coffee, and of course sugar... Which by far for me has been the toughest... especially sugar... I've still been having a little bit of organic dark chocolate every so often... But I've been thinking about cutting that out for a couple of weeks and see if I can come up with something that satisfies that craving and is a little bit more "paleo" friendly...

It's definitely a "work in progress" for me, but so far I really like this way of eating and it just feels "right" for me... and I find that the whole lifestyle that can go along with it really appealing as well...

I wish you all the best with it... hopefully you'll let us know how it goes...

Thank you all so much for your help. I'm really glad ladies on here have tried and have had fantastic results on it. I really do appreciate your input and advice.

Tripswitch, I'm not following any specific plan per se. Right now I've just kind of made my own modge podge plan based on reading that I've done and what makes sense. I'm choosing to cut dairy, sugar, grains, potatoes, and fruit. I'm hoping to reintroduce potatoes and fruit after getting to a healthy weight. I've also added omega 3 supplements to my daily diet and am off of all chemical business (for the past 3 days lol...I say it like it's a year) except diet coke and adderall. Those little buddies have to stay.

I, like many of you I'm sure, adore cheese. So that will be the hardest. I'm really hoping to reintroduce that eventually, but it will be out likely for some time...though goat cheese might make its way into the rotation.

I may also count calories. I'm not sure I'm eating enough or maybe it's just water loss because I'm trying to keep carbs below 50 g, but I'm down a little over 2.5 lbs in three days. Could just be my body saying, "Wait, where are the carbs?!?" Anywho, thank you and I will be sure to update this guy. I will say though that I made paleo tacos tonight with lettuce as my shell and, goodness gracious great balls of fire, they were phenomenal. I attribute it to wonderful seasoning and coconut oil. How did I never know about this before? I didn't even miss my beloved cheese or sour cream.

You will shed water fast at first because carbs cause you to hold more. But you'll lose steadily.

I'm doing Atkins, which is similar to paleo except cheese is allowed and less fruits and nuts in the first stage.

I like low carb because you drop a lot of water weight in the first week or two, you feel good, and you don't crave sugar once you get over the hump. I agree that you should be counting calories because you can still overeat on low carb.

Good luck!