May/June Weight Management Challenge

[ny biker]

Potatoes on a paleo diet?

I do not understand this diet. Someone at work recently started it and the logic seems very twisted to me.

[GLC1968]

Yeah, I eat potatoes - most paleo people don't. Potatoes (unlike grains and legumes) don't have any substances in them that attack the digestive system. They are higher in starch/sugars, but as an endurance athlete, those are needed. The Paleo Diet for Athletes recommends things like sweet potatoes/yams and bananas as good fuel for longer endurance efforts.

Of course, my habit of eating them even while injured is exactly the reason I haven't lost any weight in the past 3-4 months. Great part of the diet when exercising a lot...not so much when mostly sedentary! Though, based on solobiker's experience, maybe they are helping me sleep better at least.

Paleo can be low carb, but it doesn't have to be. And like any other type of nutrition plan, there are some grey areas about what is good/acceptable and what isn't. Everyone falls onto the spectrum in different places. That's why some drink raw milk, some don't. Some eat pastured butter, some don't. Some eat rice or quinoa, some don't. Some eat potatoes, some don't. Some eat honey, some don't. It's not like 'you have to eat exactly this and nothing else or you will burst into flames, get fat, die tomorrow or shrivel up and waste away'...it's a guideline. Of course, some people are WAY more militant about it than others. I started out pretty strict and then slowly added in different things to see how my body reacted. How I eat now is a result of 9-10 months of experimentation and knowing that if I'm too crazy strict about things, I won't stick with it over the long haul.

Plus, people who are just starting out tend to be 1) more strict and 2) more vocal. (I certainly was).

[Blueberry]

I'm back in. Starting weight 228 (but if I made it through this without gaining significantly, it's all good!).

Goal to the end of May - Maintain. We're moving/have general chaos until then.

Goal to the end of June (for the spreadsheet) - 220.

[emily_in_nc]

Funny, right after dropping out of the spreadsheet, I had my lowest weight in months this morning!

Not sure if it will stick, but I'm pleased.