I went full primal/paleo but the one thing I couldn't give up (and I was a carb addict galore), was cheese. I keep mini babybels for snacks and melt cheese on my chicken. Weight is still coming off, so I'm going to keep "cheating". I'm lucky to have farmers in my family, so I have a freezer full of grass fed beef.

Only issue I have is I seem to require more sleep. My energy levels are steady through the day, but I'm averaging 10 hours a night instead of my usual 8

Jane - right there with you on cheese! If I'm understanding things correctly, primal allows some dairy and paleo does not so I'm more primal than paleo. I haven't had that specific sleep issue but I have noticed that the amount of sleep I need has fluctuated a lot over the years. I wonder if it will be a passing phase for you or if it's permanent.

Georgia - my favorite is honeycrisp apple slices and extra sharp cheddar. Apple slices make good cracker substitutes, don't they?

Hey - have you guys tried Mary's Gone Crackers flax crackers? They are my go to when I want a grain substitute although I'm careful with portion control to make sure my carb grams are in the 50-70g/day range.

So, I ended up skipping some meals this weekend so I think it was my first experience with Intermittent Fasting. I don't think it will be something I'll make part of my weekly routine but maybe to mix things up occasionally and bust through a plateau, I'll give it a try. I ended up losing something like 3lbs between fri and mon (which is a lot for me) - I'll be curious to see if on this program, it stays off.

I've taken the blood glucose monitor out of the box but haven't gotten brave enough to try it. Will try to tomorrow morning when I first wake up.

Hope you're having fun out there....

I'm back to doing paleo. Actually, it's been two steps forward one step back all year. I'm having a bunch of odd neurological symptoms, so I'm going to a stricter diet to help. I went to the doctor today and she ordered a bunch of tests and an MRI this week. I'll be so glad to have answers.

The biggest issue I have with eating paleo is when we go to social events. LIke my nephew's doing a dinner theater for his highschool drama club. I don't want to be the oddball out hardly eating anything.

Wendy, so sorry you're struggling with health issues. Hope answers can be found. For you. . I tend to struggles wiith diet when health issues cause me stress.

As for social events, I say embrace the oddball! I've been known to pack along my dinner if I knew my needs wouldn't be met. Or I ate earlier and just picked at something at the event. Tonight I'm going to a football banquet and I imagine it'll be a carb fest. I have chicken and kale waiting for me at home. I can pick at a naked saalad there.

Hi all! So I'm not really new to paleo, I've been really dancing around it for at least 6 months but as the pounds keep coming on and my husband's has been coming off (jerk =p) I think it's time to give in. He's on training right now and my goal is the day he gets back to at least be used to 100% gluten free for a week. I know I can do it but I'm addicted to sweets and THATS the hardest part.

Also do any of you regularly eat homemade probiotic foods? I'm too grossed out to try sauerkraut but I'm thinking if I make it myself maybe it wont be so bad?

Hey ladies!

I knew there must be more primal/paleo folks out there - glad we're finding each other.

Wendy - sorry to hear about your troubles. This primal way of eating has sorted out some recurring headaches for me - I hope you are able to find as simple a solution for your challenges. I agree with Georgia - I would have an on plan snack before an event and have a bag of raw almonds and some cheese sticks (or jerky if you don't do dairy) in my purse just in case.

Georgia - how is your day going? Are you cooking anything tasty this week? I need some new inspiration...

Armywife - Good luck! I found that cutting out grains and sugar completely cold turkey made my cravings go away and lowered my appetite significantly. YMMV, of course! No good info here on homemade probiotics - I eat storebought greek yogurt, that's about it.

Hope you all are having a nice evening....

Dancer, I've been sick since Thursday, but I did thaw some veal shanks and make a bone broth for myself yesterday. Added celery, carrots, leeks and garlic, plus some beef stew meat. It is yummy! I love the cooler weather so I can make soups. Going to pick up soups bones from a butcher next week. All grassfed animals.

ArmtWife, I haven't always been a fan of saurkraut. Never have made any probiotic foods, I do love a spicy kim chee and have bought some at Whole Foods. Love it on hot dogs! But I don't eat enough of them to make the work worth it. I'll have to explore this more.

What kind of sweets do you love? I only like chocolate, so I go ahead and have the dark kind and pair it with raw almonds or shredded coconut. I will have a problem during the holidaze. Bourbon pecan pie makes my knees quiver. I will let myself have one piece. Or one pie. I don't know which yet.

Had the yummiest primal dinner last night - pot roast from costco, sauteed mushrooms, a small boiled potato with butter and sour cream and a huge salad with avocado and sliced almonds. Sometimes I can't believe what I get to eat on this plan!!

Georgia - your soup sounds great - I'm on that kind of a kick too. I slow cook chicken to make it easier to shred and then put it in all kinds of soups.

Just started taking chromium supplements to help keep my blood sugar nice and steady - anyone else tried that?

I am so happy to have found others that are on the Paleo diet. I have been debating if this is a good plan for me to follow and with everything I have researched, as well as my health issues, this may be the way for me to go!

I was on Ideal Protein earlier this year and lost 40lbs. I ended up going on a cruise, and made some not so great food choices, and gained 15 back. This fall, I ended up having some major health issues and was on IV steroids. Hence, I am back to my original weight before starting Ideal Protein.

I would prefer not to go back to shakes, and packaged protein food. It seems much more natural (for me) to go the Paleo diet direction. I am going to slowly incorporate exercise into my plan. Two and a half months ago I couldn't walk...so I need to ensure I do this slowly.

Any insight into everyone's experiences would help! THanks.

mtnsun - hello and welcome! I've definitely had some major health benefits so far - eating primal (a form of paleo that allows dairy, roughly) has made my persistent headaches go away completely. I hope you see similar benefits! From my perspective, this way of eating is easier to adapt to real life - restaurants and events like your cruise. And since gluten free is getting so common, I think it will just get easier over time. I found a lot of info on a website called marksdailyapple (dot) com. You might find it helpful...

Let us know what you decide!

Howdy all! Anyone else planning to stick to primal/paleo food only at thanksgiving? I'm thinking that I feel so much better on this way of eating that no pie or roll is going to get me off track. Curious to hear how you feel...

I'm sticking to the plan over the holidaze. I bought grass-fed turkey. I've got lots of veg. For dessert, I plan to make a pumpkin mousse, with coconut cream and organic evaporated cane juice. Same sort of plan for the rest of the season. If I'm invited to parties, I'll bring stuff I will eat.

Like you, Dancer, it feels too good to eat this way just to mess it up for a choice that will only put me off track for weeks. I don't plan to overeat either. Healthy-sized portions too.

I'll over-indulge on playing board games and watching Elf for the millionth time with my kids!

Ooh! I want to go to Georgia's house. That sounds great. I'm going to visit relatives today. I plan on staying away from grains but may have a little sugar and dairy. Maybe some pumpkin pie minus the crust. That's my favorite.

Thanks for the welcome! I have been going through some health issues and was diagnosed last week with fibromyalgia. In reading about the Paleo diet, it explains how it can help with autoimmune diseases/disorders. Thanks for the website. I will check it out today! Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

I'm amazed at what cleaning up diet did for my boyfriend. He had painful, festering boils and sores on his thighs and back for years, and all the doctors would tell him was to shower more. 3 months in to primal diet,and his skin is clear!

I do it for weight loss, but I feel so much better than I ever had!