Yes... menu:

Turkey
Green beans
Baked sweet potato
Fried cassava
Cranberry sauce, no sugar, used brown rice syrup instead
Corn on the cob

Dessert: apple crisp, made with a nut/oatmail crumble (no flour or sugar, just apples, spices, and almonds and rolled oats)

Yum, Rana - that sounds good!

So, my dad has decided to try this way of eating but he's not quite getting it right. If things have 'a little bit' of flour, he's still eating them. Any advice - should I just let him figure it out on his own or try to provide more info? If the little bits work for him, that's great - I'm just concerned he won't feel the health benefits with flour still in his system. Not sure what it will do for weight loss...

Dancer, has your dad done any of his own reading about eating like this or does he only go on what you tell him?

We all make decisions on how strict we are to this eating plan. I've spoken with a reputable nephfrologist that says the benefits of Paleo/Primal are apparent even with around 80% compliance. It just depends on what people are sensitive to. I am off sugar, grains and legumes, and most processed food, but not dairy. Dairy doesn't bother me at all, but the moment I have flour, I start feeling achy. And with everything else, it spikes my blood sugar. I'm not 100% all the time, but I am most of the time and I feel better overall. On days I eat more dairy, I feel just as good.

Good question, Georgia - I gave him the link to Mark's Daily Apple (that has a bunch of info on what not to and what to eat so maybe I ought to let him find his own way. And he is probably sticking to it about 80%. He lifts weights and definitely needs more carbs/protein than I do.

I'm with you on flour - I'm convinced the reason that I no longer struggle with food cravings and mini-binges is from the total absence of flour. A little bit would be too much for me right now although I'm hoping that someday once I have everything in balance and am at maintenance weight, I might be able to have pizza occasionally. Everything else I'm fine about ;)

I've made it 25 days of being super strict. It's my longest stretch in a long time. I went to the doctor Tuesday and weighed myself 3 weeks after I was weighed the first time. I lost 4 lbs. I was crushed. I feel like I've tried so hard for so little. I know it's only three weeks, but I was diagnosed last week with intracranial hypertension (too much cerbral fluid). Weight loss can put it into remission so I'm really trying. I'm staying away from sodium and eating tons of vegetables and some meat. A very rare piece of fruit or nuts. My calories have been under 1500 a day and carbs 50 - 75 a day. Hopefully the weight will start coming off.

Wendy - I know we're all so different so I'm not trying to say I know what would work for you but I find I lose quicker if I keep my carbs between 35-50g/day. That may not be a comfortable level for you but if you're frustrated and want something new to try, I'm just throwing it out there. Congrats on your disciplined approach - I bet your carb and sugar cravings are so much less than they used to be, right?

Hi everyone- may I join your group? My sweetie and I are going to try going paleo/primal. I found Mark's Daily Apple and the success stories are numerous and compelling. I am buying his book and cookbook. The biggest challenge for me is going to be pasta because I love it, and the fact that I bread so many items in flour before cooking them. The breading I can easily substitute with nut flour, but I guess pasta I'll just have to give up. I don't really have a problem with not eating bread, or sweets. I already don't drink soda or juice. I do drink wine and plan to abstain from that also although I will miss it. I am allergic to dairy but cheat sometimes on cheese. I find that although I'm allergic, since I severely limit dairy in my diet I can cheat occasionally without having a bad reaction. So I don't have milk, cream, sour cream, yogurt etc in my diet, but occasionally cheese. Some of that will be automatically reduced because I'm taking pasta out of my diet- you know how cheese goes with pasta! But I like to make steak with some blue cheese crumbles and such, and plan to continue to do that sometimes.

I'm fortunate this time that my sweetie is on board with trying this with me. In the past, when I was doing a special dietary plan we just ate separately. But this time he wants to lose weight also, and I guess a diet called "primal" didn't sound so scary to him. Haha. We split the cooking chores, so this will make my life a lot easier because he's super at following recipes and I have Mark Sisson's recipe book on order and I know Keith will prepare some on-plan meals using that. He's a carb addict, so we'll see how this goes. In reality I expect nothing will change about his breakfast/lunch habits, just his dinner habits. Since dinner is the only meal we eat together, that at least will help me.

I have a lot to learn about this style of eating, though, and the challenge that I live in Alaska where grass-fed beef and other items are either not available or are hideous expensive since we import nearly 100% of our food from the lower 48 states.

I hope you all don't mind me joining in with you so I can learn from you.

Welcome, eagleriverdee! Mark's daily apple is a great resource - sounds like you are off to a great start! I've been following primal strictly since early Sept and have lost 24lbs - not breaking any records but it has been the easiest weight loss that I have experienced. I always felt deprived on calories counting plans. Best of luck!

Welcome to the group, Dee! I love mark and the primal blueprint but his cookbook is not my favorite. There are tons of great recipes for free on the Internet. Nom nom paleo, theclothesmakethegirl, everyday paleo. I think my favorite cookbook so far is Diane sanfilipo's book but I can't think of the name. I think it's practical paleo.

I also found a great app for collecting recipes off the Internet . It's called paprika. It's super easy to use. I have it on my iPad but its a available on the computer, too. I love it.

Thank you for the welcomes, Dancerindenver and Wendyland. :)

Wendyland, I've discovered Nomnompaleo (I think because it was mentioned earlier in this thread) but hadn't heard of the others so I'll check those out! Thanks. I'm so new at this that many of the resources are unknown to me but I'll find them. I also noticed Amazon has a good inventory of paleo books and cookbooks. And I'm excited I found this thread. I already feel "lighter" since starting this diet. I've dropped 3 scale pounds which I know is probably just my liver dumping it's glycogen stores and water weight but I feel lighter and less bloated and that's a nice feeling. :)

Congrats on the 3lb loss!

Well I'm down 2 more pounds now, and so far the diet is going as well as it can. One frustration I have is with my DH. He said he was on board with doing this diet with me, and we rotate cooking chores, so I gave him the "paleo in a nutshell" rundown because he will not read a book but he's not getting it.

His first attempt was brisket- which he slathered in BBQ sauce that had 6 forms of sugar in it. Which he served with potatoes and corn. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, just not on plan. I ate it and thanked him.

His second attempt was lettuce wraps with a turkey-burger stir fry with carrots, water chestnut, peanuts and some sauce from a packet that tasted like solid sugar to me. The basic premise of lettuce wraps was good though.

He's trying, bless his heart, I know he is. But corn is grain. Potatoes are a no-no. Sugar of any sort is a no-no. Peanuts are a legume. Not to mention to add insult to injury the peanuts were old Planters peanuts he found in the cupboard that were rancid and I swear I'll be burping that up for the next two days.

*Sigh*

I can't wait until the cookbooks get here, so he can follow recipes. He's great at following recipes. I just don't know why this is so hard for him. My "nutshell" explanation was that meat and green things were safe. And we both know how to cook meat and vegetables, but all of a sudden it's like he's trying to be creative instead of just going with tried and true that we've done for years.

Sorry, I know this sounds ungrateful and I'm well aware how lucky I am that he cooks! We're just not on the same page diet-wise yet.

Dee - that sounds like a tricky situation to navigate! I can relate a bit - a close friend has decided to try to follow the primal blueprint way of eating without really doing the reading so she's kind of winging it and then asking me questions along the way and complaining that she's tired of eating the same stuff *sigh*. I tried the nutshell explanation too and then got the question - what about corn. I hope the cookbook resolves everything at your house!

I am trying to get back to full paleo. I want to be at least 80% and get close to 95%. Eagle I totally understand. My mother cooked spaghetti today because "she couldn't think of anything else to cook." I purposely made sure we ate the last of the carbs around here and she went and brought some more. I had to explain the plan to her down to the T.

On the good side I tried the Porkitos (prosciutto chips) from NomNomPaleo and wow those are so good they're dangerous. Thankfully prosciutto isn't cheap like a bag of Lays. Oh yeah I tried some swiss chard chips too. They were great.

I made a lovely soup last night for dinner. Just had the leftovers for lunch. Thought I'd share the recipe.

I broke up a head of cauliflower, tossed it with a little olive oil and roasted it. I also chunked a whole yellow onion and roasted it as well. Cooked them till they were soft. Then I put them all in a stock pot, covered them with homemade turkey broth (can use chicken broth too) and heated them till boiling and the veggies were nice and soft. I blended them with my stick blender, then added a half cup of heavy cream and a few ounces of shredded smoked gouda cheese. Stirred it till creamy. Topped each serving with a bit of crumbled bacon and a light sprinkling of cumin. YUM!

Sounds delish!
In the spirit of sharing, I made stuffed mushrooms for a party this weekend that were filled with
- sauteed chorizo sausage
- sauteed onion and garlic
- sauteed chopped stems of the mushrooms being stuffed
- added in some cream cheese and cooked chopped frozen spinach.

Seriously yummy and on plan! Still eating the leftovers and very much enjoying it ;)

Georgia and Dancer those sound delish. I like the recipe sharing. It's a great help. I actually made soup today for tomorrow, ha. I sauteed radish, collard leaves, cabbage leaves and spinach from my garden.

I boiled the chicken then added the green veggies, bell peppers and carrots. I added tomato sauce and seasons. I let it simmer and dropped in cheese at the end. It already tastes good, so it will be better tomorrow.

I also made some dark chocolate pecan bark. It was such a treat. I've never liked dark chocolate but since I have cut down on sugar, it finally tastes good to me. Milk chocolate is too sweet.

Well after 3 weeks eating primal I have to say I like it. I don't get hungry like I used to, which I am guessing has got to do with not having wild swings in my insulin/blood sugar levels. I've lost only 5 lbs (I was down 7 but popped back up 2 for some reason) but I'm feeling good. My energy is better, I'm sleeping better and my digestion is good. I had worried that without all the whole grains that I wouldn't be getting enough fiber to stay regular but that has not been the case (TMI, I know, but it was a concern). I plan to continue this lifestyle and see what happens. I'm traveling to see my parents in a week and I don't know if my dietary choices are going to be a problem or not. They're pretty open minded and my Dad did Atkins for years so I think they'll be ok provided I'm flexible on Christmas itself for Christmas dinner, which I plan to be.

Hi, ladies, I've been trying to eat Paleo with off an on success. I want to make this a lasting, healthy change so am trying to ride with the highs and lows to make a lifestyle change.

I'm addicted to sugar, I have a sweet tooth that rages.

I've subscribed to the thread so I'll try to come back through!

Becky-

Well I've only been doing this diet for 3 weeks but I can tell you I have zero cravings now, and zero blood sugar swings. It used to be I had to eat *right now* when my blood sugar dropped. Cutting grains seems to have stabilized everything. And I've lost 8 lbs. I'm super stoked.

My main advice is- don't cheat. Cut the processed foods, cut ALL grains, cut legumes (beans, peas), no candy, no fruit juice, no soda. But do eat lots of fresh vegetables and 1 or 2 pieces of fruit a day, and of course different forms of meat and seafood. My fiance and I are both doing this diet but he cheats all the time. OJ in the morning. Sandwich at lunch. He's really only eating paleo/primal at night with me, and he hasn't lost any weight.

I too have a sweet tooth. I would agree with not cheating for a while and seeing if the craving stop. I did and they really stopped. Instead of eating candy or chips I have tried drinking Celestial Lemon Zinger (it cuts my cravings anyway) and I have added fruit.

Another thing I did was add dark chocolate. I make my own bark with pecans, walnuts and sometimes cashews. For some reason I can eat this and it cuts the chocolate craving. When I eat milk chocolate I need lots of it to fill that desire. I and do 1-2 pieces of this and be fine. I have also made hot cocoa with pure cocoa powder, almond milk and stevia. It helps.

Try to find something that works for you after you try to go hard. I haven't weighed bc my scale broke but I did wear my skinny jeans today and they are loose. When these are loose I know I've lost weight. They are made to cling.

I"ve also been on and off paleo for a few years. I've been gluten free for the past six weeks. That's the longest I've ever gone. I've had a corn tortilla and a white potato here and there. I'm most concerned about getting rid of wheat right now. I feel better each week. It's really worth it. Keep trying!

I think what has helped me ease into lasting change is by adding things to my diet first without taking certain foods away. I've gradually replaced grains with more vegetables. I kept trying new foods and new ways to prepare them. When cutting out grains, dairy, beans this last time, it was a breeze because I was rarely eating them anyway. The only time I have a hard time now is with social situations, but it's getting easier.

I've been struggling with Paleo the past couple of months because of morning sickness (I'm 11 weeks pregnant today). But yesterday I committed to getting fully back on plan. In my previous two pregnancies I failed the 1 hour glucose test, and I've been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I'd love to pass the glucose test this time, and I know Paleo is my best hope for it.

I've found that meal planning really helps me avoid the "Don't know what's for dinner, let's grab a pizza" type of thinking. Tonight we're having roast chicken and sauteed spinach.

Banana I need to plan as well. Anything will look good when I'm hungry. Weirdly, I am having dreams of pizza. I don't really have dreams about bread so maybe it means something else.

Down 10 lbs since Nov. 26 (when I started Paleo). I do miss pasta and bread a little, but I'm enjoying eating whole foods and I find that my "I'm full" signal works much better when I'm avoiding grains. And weight loss is a snap, it just sort of happens. As of this morning I officially hit the BMI # for being overweight instead of obese. Of course, I get on a plane tonight to go visit my parents and we'll see how well I do on maintaining a paleo diet then.

I'm doing a bit of sort-of Paleo right now (not being as strict as usual because of the holidays but plan to kick it into higher gear afterwards).

One of my favorite breakfasts right now is:

2 slices of bacon
all kinds of veggies and jalapeno slices sauteed in the bacon fat
1 egg and a half cup egg whites poured onto it in a messy omelet
a tiny bit of cheese

SO GOOD and rich and keeps me full until lunch.

I know a lot of people think that some paleo folks each too much bacon. And, well, <raising hand> bacon lover here.

I took my leftover roast chicken and made it into chicken salad (just process it in the food processor and add a little mostly-paleo mayo, salt & pepper). For lunch today I wrapped it in a lettuce leaf with some sliced tomato and some leftover crisp bacon strips. Yummers!

banana - your lunch sounds great! I'm a huge bacon fan - I'm doing primal (a version of paleo) and have lost 32 lbs having 4 slices of bacon for breakfast every day. I'm with you on the love of bacon ;)

Dee - congrats on the losses - you are doing great!!

dancerindenver - is there a huge difference between primal and paleo?

32 pounds! That's great!

Olehcat - they are pretty similar. Basically I eat no sugar or starches (except some berries or half an apple), but I eat fullfat dairy, meat, fish, nuts, olives, eggs and lots of veggies. Butter, olive oil and avocados too. Dairy doesn't seem to be slowing down my weight loss at all and I don't think I'm allergic. What's on your on plan list these days?

@dancerindenver - That sounds about how I do it when I'm being primal/paleo. I do eat dairy. I am lactose intolerant but only with milk/ice-cream. Yogurt and cheese don't seem to bother me as much unless I were to eat excess amounts! That's really nice to know that yo are eating dairy and it's not affecting your weight loss

Well I'm back after a 9 day trip back east visiting my parents. I did my best to stay on plan but boy my parents just don't understand paleo at all and even when they tried they were way off. As their guest, I just ate what I was served, LOL. The only formal meal was dinner and so I was on my own for breakfast, lunch and snacks so I tried to keep those as paleo/primal as I could and then limited my portions at dinner to minimize carbs. The only "bad" day I had was Christmas itself when I had told them I would eat whatever and so I had a slice of cheesecake, some sort of almond coated brittle, two glasses of wine, prime rib, green beans, and potatoes au gratin. And later I felt like I was having an anxiety attack- not out of guilt for going off-plan but I think my body was reacting to having all that sugar when I haven't been eating any at all. It was actually kind of educational. But I got back home last night late and so today I had for lunch a salad with steak and portabella mushrooms and my goodness that was so delicious.

This is the first time in my life I've LOST weight over the holidays. Even with being off plan some for my visit to my parents', I still lost a pound. So I've lost 11 lbs since the week before Thanksgiving. Amazing! Paleo works!

And I feel terrific- when I'm on plan. That alone is enough to keep me on plan.

Paleo does work. I was talking to a guy friend today that I've known for years. He's always been very big. I was telling him how I have this brain problem where I have too much cerebral fluid and losing weight could help it. So, he tells me all about his past success by not eating much meat and fat and doing the subway diet and eating 6 times a day. I told him that I eat lots of meat and 50% fat. Mostly saturated fats. He couldn't believe it. He didn't say I was crazy, but he really buys in to conventional wisdom. I keep telling people how great I feel, but I think they'll be skeptical until they see significant weight loss.

wendyland - a little off topic, but just curious, have you been to any of the Paleo meetups here in STL?

Dee - congrats on losing during the holidays!!

I have been to a couple potlucks. And to a kombucha demo. Have you?

Wendyland-

Yes, it's hard when people buy into the whole CW thing. Heaven knows I did, for years. I just could not understand when I was eating so "healthy" why I was gaining so much weight. Primal Blueprint (the paleo variant I'm using) explained it all. I had no idea I was creating the perfect storm of insulin to store fat. But it's so easy to lose when I'm not eating grain, it's ridiculous. I mean, it's not fast- just the one or two pounds a week, but I eat as much as I want and still lose. No portion control. No guilt. No calorie counting. And the food tastes good. I feel like shouting it from the roof tops- "Hey- everyone! Stop eating like a farm animal (corn and grain is what we use to fatten them up!) and try this!" But most people I know simply look at me like I'm insane and make a statement like, "I couldn't live without bread and pasta."

wendyland - I went to a Paleo challenge intro thing that Alex Born held last year. Then I got into a major car wreck and broke my sternum and fell into bad habits BIG TIME during the weeks and weeks of immobility. My husband and I have always wanted to get to more of the meetups, so maybe we'll be able to work more of them into our schedule in 2013. I'll say hello if I recognize you at one of them!

EagleRiverDee - I get the 'I couldn't live without pasta/cookies/bread/cake' responses all the time too. I've been trying to get my sister-in-law interested in paleo for awhile because I think it would work really well for her and she's massively depressed about her weight and she always thinks I'm borderline insane for suggesting a life without oreos and bread. I'm hoping really sticking with a paleo lifestyle and dropping weight/getting healthier myself (instead of going off and on and off and on...) will inspire her to give it a second look.

Hi ya'll, I am started paleo in May of 2010, but haven't been committed at all for the last few months. I have multiple podcasts I listen to on my phone and my brain just became overloaded with primal/paleo information. I finally decided that going full-board paleo is not possible for me right now, as it is quite expensive to eat the organic, grass fed, free range food recommended, and to avoid all vegetable oils, artificial sweeteners, etc.

I have Hashimoto's so I really need to avoid grains. I know it is what is best for me, I just wish I had more immediate symptoms as a result of eating bad food that would give me more motivation to stop eating it :p I am going to try to keep my carbs at 15% of my daily intake, my fat will be about 55% and protein 30%.

On a side note, I just registered for this forum yesterday and I saw Sarah Fragoso at the Tractor Supply today :) I consider it a sign :D

and don't forget.... BACON ROCKS!!! :T

Finally good to be back. I was sick over Christmas and my mother tried to stuff me full of bread and other stuff off of my diet. I am going back to my plan tomorrow though. She did her best. Thankfully or not, I didn't have much of an appetite but when you don't have the energy to cook, you eat what you can when you can.

Bindi, start small. You don't have to go all out right off the bat. I still don't eat all organic, because it is just not cost effective all the time. I do try to avoid the vegetable oils, but that's because I noticed I dropped faster eating coconut oil. I still eat cheese and yogurt but not as much and I try to stick to flavorful (sharp cheddar, goat, feta) so I don't need as much.

Find how to make it work within your budget and life.