Does it work? I've read and am curious!

It working for me, but I must admit the first time I did it 3 years ago I got terrible headaches and fatigue, etc.

Then I did a modification where I ate legumes and the occasional bread and cheese. Which was great but the weight loss was really slow. But in hindsight probably a lot better for me.

I have been Paleo for a week and I have lost weight. If you do get headaches perhaps you can slowly eliminate gluten and dairy like I did (which was totally accidental).

I will still eat gluten and cheese about twice month when we go to restaurant that I really love. Like going out for sushi but surprising most restaurants will accommodate you but you can never be for sure that a marinade or sauce doesn't contain gluten or dairy but you can't be super strict about that stuff!

Any diet where you reduce your calories will work including paleo.

I just want something for long term use that shows results

Paleo eating doesn't guarantee weight loss, nor does it even prevent weight gain. It's a food philosophy that affects your food choices. Without an added element of calorie-reduction, you may lose little or no weight.

If you eat a lot of processed foods, switching to paleo might result in weight loss without any other behavior changes. However, if you already eat mostly whole foods, converting to paleo may not help with weight loss unless you add calorie reducing strategies.

Honestly, Paleo is hard. This is the hardest I have had to plan out my groceries and meals. I mean you can't have frozen meals because that isn't allowed so cooking becomes a little more necessary. Everything is clean eating and whole foods. And while nice restaurants will cater to your dietary needs it is hard to find a nice cheap fast food restaurant that will when you forgot your lunch at home or you need a meal on the go.


Now I am really lucky that I have an 8:00 to 4:00 job Monday through Friday. But the first time I did Paleo I was working and in school, an extremely erratic schedule. I ate a lot of raw vegetables and fruit with chicken and it got so boring but it was the easiest thing to make. I cheated a lot, adding the legumes back helped but I think gave up 4 months later and I only lasted that long because I had a three month summer break from school.

Sorry probably not the answer you want. But I am big advocate of picking a diet that works with your lifestyle and personality.

I usually do Atkins it's my favorite.

I suggest experimenting with Paleo - it's not dissiilar from Atkins, I believe, but really emphasises quality food.

Check out www.whole9life.com
I just did their Whole30 program where eat strict paleo for 30 days and it has literally changed my entire lifestyle with food.
Read up on their site and it gives you more than enough resources. I Love it.

Paleo is amazing though. It makes you feel better and just takes away ALL the junk that goes in to your body.

Is there an off day on this diet?

Paleo is an eating philosophy, not a diet, so there are no rules regarding how strict you need to be, or whether you can take a day off.

If you take days off from a vegan diet (say to eat meat or even cheese) some will argue that you aren't following a truly vegan diet, and the same can be argued about paleo.

However, just as there are self-identified veg*ns who occasionally eat fish, dairy, or other animal foods (either intentionally or by mistake), there are also paleo eaters who eat some non-paleo foods regularly or occasionally.

However, unlike veg*nism, there is some debate over which foods are and aren't paleo.

One form of paleo (Mark Sisson's Primal Bluepring) specifically allows offplan foods. He recommends an 80/20 split - no more than 20% non-paleo foods, and that those np foods be chosen carefully.

Because paleo tends to be low-carb, off days are likely to cause significant water retention, so if you weigh daily, be prepared for a significant gain on the scale. Returning to Paleo should rapidly resolve the temporary weight gain, but it can be disturbing to see such a gain on the scale if you're not prepared.

Hi Sarah; paleo is really more of a lifestyle and set of values, as opposed to a diet (like kaplods said).

It has to do with eating whole foods (and specifically avoiding 'agriculture' based products, such as grains, legumes, etc.) and moving every day. It also has to do with paying attention to how YOUR body responds to different foods, and how to create a diet that works for you.

I would absolutely recommend checking out Marks Daily Apple - he is obviously very biased towards paleo principles; but he also talks about current nutritional sciences, offers some interesting recipes, and is highly supportive of doing what you CAN (progressing into more advanced stuff as you go).

Paleo eating tends to be VERY challenging for people who don't usually cook or who aren't familiar with whole foods. That could be a good thing - forcing you into paying attention to what you eat, and providing guidelines of where to start/aim. That can also be a bad thing, if it's SO hard that you just give up.

This is a great time for you to experiment and figure out what makes YOU feel good, healthy, and happy. Your best bet for long-term fat loss, and maintaining a healthy weight, will come from choosing a LIFESTYLE that works, that you can keep up with, and that you can enjoy for the rest of your life. If you choose a crash diet, or any approach that's too extreme for you, you'll eventually just end up right back where you started.

So....short answer: give it a try, and you tell us?!

Is there another forum that is paleo active?

I did paleo/primal a several years ago. It did work for me, but once I started eating Non-paleo, the cravings were through the roof. I do have an issue with gluten, dairy, and soy which has developed over the past couple of years. My weight went up after I broke my foot during an Xterra Run on Oahu (that's ironic). I was about 160 lbs and I didn't workout for several months...and within that time I put on another 20 lbs. I tried going paleo and I just couldn't stick to it long enough to make much of a difference.

Another year and a half later...I'm 195 and pre-diabetic. Nothing was working...and I tried diligently to lose this weight. I just started Ideal Protein almost 3 weeks ago and have felt great. Lost 7 lbs in the first week...yes...water weight thank goodness because I had so much water retention in my hands and feet! It's sort of paleo...but it's more of a ketogenic diet which paleo does try and get you there with moderate protein and low calories.

Good luck!

There is also Primal which is closer to what I do because I have dairy. They are very similar in both emphasize whole foods and no grains. Paleo is no dairy, Primal allows dairy.

The no grains is a lot more than just low carb. Both believe humans are not designed to eat grains. They have anti-nutrients and lead to a whole host of health problems.

I also do have some beans.

But the whole foods no grains had been spectacular for my weight loss and overall health. Because of no grains and I don't eat many potatoes, my appetite is naturally controlled. Haven't had to count any calories over the weight loss.