Paleo diet?

[Owlie]

What is your typical breakfast?

Normally it's a whole-grain cereal with pecans and 1% milk, with tea with sugar half-and-half; or a whole-milk latte from Starbucks, depending on what mood I'm in and how well I slept the night before. Other times it's Greek yogurt with granola, a generous drizzle of honey, almonds and either pomegranate seeds or strawberries.

However, the one that do best for me generally consist of a 2-egg omelet with whatever I can find that would taste good in it (salsa, sour cream and cilantro is good); or 2 saucer-sized pancakes with fruit and 3-4 strips of bacon. Or a fried egg and 2-3 strips of bacon, a slice of whole grain toast and fruit. Tea or coffee with all of these, of course.
I don't get these breakfasts very often, though. That would require more work than I generally care to do first thing in the morning.
The cereal, especially if I supplement it with extra nuts, works pretty well for me if I'm not riding. If I am riding more than 20-25 miles, I try to add at least some extra protein and fat to the mix.

This reminds me. Must buy more bacon.

[Becky]

It's been ~2 weeks since DH and I embarked on our paleo experiment, and I've entered that "craving bad-for-me food, gonna kill someone" phase. We've been eating a lot of fantastic, creative, delicious stuff (thank you, Melissa Joulwan!), but dangit, I want ice cream and a peanut butter sandwich RIGHT. NOW.

Someone please tell me that it gets better.

[tulip]

Becky, it gets better. This is where discipline comes in. I was miserable for the first two weeks, and then I started feeling great and very energetic. I was/am not doing strict paleo, but I work hard to eliminate refined sugar and most grains. I think the sugar cravings are the worst, and it sounds like that's where you are. I craved angel food cake. I think you can at least partially address those cravings with some foods that are higher in fat, since they tend to be satisfying. Avocados work wonders for me when I feel the need for a treat.

I should add that I used to bake my own bread, and I really loved that whole process. I miss it, too, but I feel alot better without it and I've lost some weight (about 9 lbs since March).

When I crave pasta, I make up a big plate of spaghetti squash with tomato sauce and cheese and basil, and that satisfies quiet well.

[Catrin]

I've dropped all grains from my diet, I knew that something less wouldn't work for me since I love bread so much. It's only been a week but my energy levels are already much higher/more stable than they were. So grain, no processed food (outside of Trader Joe's uncured bacon), and my dairy consumption has gone way down.

I haven't really been craving sugar yet...however in a weak moment I had some ice cream Monday which turned out badly. While I know that the assumption is one doesn't have to be 100% Paleo 100% of the time, but obviously I can't be trusted with ice cream right now. The ice cream monster took over...though to be honest I probably ate less than a cup so I shouldn't beat myself up. The rest of it went to the dumpster.

[Becky]

Tulip, thanks for the reassurance. I felt great initially, and I need to remember that feeling and that this is temporary. It's been very drizzly and gray here, and I have no doubt that the weather is a contributing factor.

I managed to walk past the donuts this morning and have a cup of tea and some almonds instead. Every good choice that I make is one less bad choice that I could have made. (Self, listen up!)

[tulip]

Becky, I found that once refined sugar was off-limits, it was pretty easy to not eat a whole bunch of formerly-tempting foods. Sugar is in so much food, and most of it does not contribute to my health and well-being. The doing away with grains pretty much eliminated everything else that was tempting.

The lost weight and increased energy has been great, and well worth the effort. You might want to set an initial time period so that you have a goal to reach. I started out with 30 days of no sugar and no grains, and it was hard the first two weeks, but having that goal was very helpful. It's something I will likely do again when I notice that I'm getting a bit lazy around the edges and letting things creep back in.

Catrin, I also had an ice-cream incident about a month ago. It just doesn't agree with me anymore and I have not been tempted to go back to it since. Renting ice cream just isn't that much of a draw, if you know what I mean.

I haven't read any paleo books, and I'm certainly not going to start eating platefuls of bacon. But I will once-in-a-while have a bit of bacon, and I do enjoy my chicken and the occasional steak. My breakfasts are usually smoothies with fruit and yogurt. My lunches are usually turkey and veggies (sometimes in a low-carb wrap, which is fine by me) or a big salad with avocado and salmon or chicken. My dinners tend to be some variation of chicken, sweet potato, and veggies (like greens, broccoli, or green beans--legumes are not off my list). Avocados go with everything!

I like hummus with carrots for a snack. And I do drink tea and coffee with milk or cream. No cereal or oatmeal, though. Just as well since I never liked oatmeal and was choking it down because it was "good for me." So glad that's over!

I really don't have a problem with eating out, as I just choose things that are appropriate. Salads with meats are good, as are fish and chicken, and I get a salad instead of rice or potatoes. Skip the bread, that's easy. I don't feel comfortable asking people who invite me into their homes to make any special changes for me, however. If they serve lasagne or pasta, I'll happily eat it because they went to the trouble and are offering to share their bounty with me. It won't kill me and I can get back to my way of eating easily enough. But that's just me; other people have no trouble asking hosts to make accommodations.

[GLC1968]

Becky - like the others have said, it totally gets better. Just stick it out and do NOT try to kill a sugar craving with a high sugar fruit as a substitute. That will only prolong the agony! Your best bet is to squash it with something super filling and preferably full of healthy fat. Avocados are a great idea!

Tulip - it sounds like you've captured the best parts of the paleo diet without going crazy about it. Good for you!

Just to clarify, I joke a lot about bacon but really, I don't eat it all that much. I've got a few recipes that use it for flavor but it's not a major component and when we do cook bacon to have with breakfast, I usually have only a piece or maybe two. I haven't had any at all since last Friday, so it's not a daily thing for me at all. I will say that bacon is MORE delicious now than it used to be precisely because when I do eat it, it's guilt-free and feels like a total indulgence.

For me, the biggest deterrent to eating things like wheat, oats, sugar and the like is my inability to STOP eating them. I don't know what those things do to me, but I lose my sense of satiety almost instantly so I almost always over eat even if I am actively listening to my body. And then I find myself craving the same things for days on end once the 'episode' is over. It's not worth it.

That said, if I really want ice cream or chocolate, I'll allow myself some immediately after a meal. This will satisfy the urge without creating a nasty cycle of cravings. I think the meal food already in my stomach keeps the typical sugar reaction from occurring. In addition, because I've already eaten, the danger of over-eating the treat food is a lot less.

I will NEVER eat crap when I am hungry. I've learned how badly I react to that and it's a huge mistake for me. If I'm hungry, I eat something healthy first, even if it's just a handful of carrots or a piece of cold chicken.