Paleo diet?

[Dogmama]

Interesting. For me, if I get a high calorie breakfast with plenty of fat and protein, I'm good to go almost until dinner with a snack in the afternoon. (My parents, who seem to have this oatmeal fixation, think I'm crazy. I can't eat oatmeal at all. I'm hungry again in an hour.) I wonder if the benefits are less from eliminating grains/legumes (unless you've got hidden gluten sensitivity, etc) and more from a shift in where you get your calories from a rapidly-burned source to one that takes longer to use.

What is your typical breakfast?

[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.

[Becky]

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!

This is good to know. The banana with breakfast hasn't done much to alleviate the "want to kill people" or the "hit by a bus" feelings.

Interestingly enough, DH is feeling the same way today. I'm surprised that we've entered this stage at exactly the same time. I at least expected a difference of a day or two.

[Crankin]

I eat pretty much like Tulip, but in the past 2 months, I've let more things like Ezekial bread, whole wheat bagels, and the occasional waffle back in, as well as frozen yogurt/soft serve ice cream. All was fine until I came back from vacation, where I didn't restrict myself at all. I initially lost all of the weight (3lbs.) gained there, but it's been up a pound or two since then. Not critical, and where I was at may be too low for me, anyway. The thing is, I haven't noticed any difference in the way I feel when eating less grains. I've never been a junk food or sugar eater since I've been about 25, when I initially lost 25 pounds I gained in the years after graduating college. I hear all of you saying how great you feel, but I haven't felt any sudden burst of energy. I'm not tired, either.
I do eat 2 squares of dark chocolate a night after dinner and that seems to stop any dessert cravings. I've been doing this for years. I cut down on meat in April/May and that coincided with my weight going really low. I didn't stop eating fish or chicken, though. I've added beef and pork back in, but I don't eat that much of it. I've never been a dairy person, I hate milk, and have cut way down on my cheese consumption.
Overall, a "low glycemic" approach seems to work well for me. I enjoy the Paleo recipes I have from the one cookbook I bought, but I know when 3 PM comes and I am craving a slice of Ezekial bread and hummus, no matter how many carrots I eat, I won't be satisfied until I have the bread. I find it fairly easy to eat this way in restaurants, as long as I stay away from Italian and Asian, which I do.

[Catrin]

I've decided after my week long experiment going Paleo to try a full 30 day experiment. We shall see, but I was encouraged by differences I saw in just that time period especially where energy levels were concerned.

As far as dark chocolate and red wine (which I don't drink anyway), I like Mark Butler's approach (Mark's Daily Apple and The Primal Blueprint) that these are things that can be enjoyed in moderation. No reason to give up good quality >75% dark chocolate. So I will report back on September 20 to say whether it will change from experiment status or just become part of my lifestyle. My personal crack is good quality ice cream, and that really isn't good for someone who is insulin resistant anyway...

[GLC1968]

I think it's Mark Sisson, isn't it?

Yeah, I kept dark chocolate in my world but found that eventually (it took awhile) even the 75%+ dark stuff would trigger sugar or sweets cravings. Now I find it easier to stick to the plan if I don't eat it, but I still have it occasionally.

Wine doesn't bother me digestively, but it does mess with my sleep patterns so I keep it as a very occasional indulgence as well.

Your experiences/reactions could be completely different from mine.

It's amazing how much one can learn about how their body reacts to certain foods from simple elimination and controlled reintroduction! I feel like a walking science experiment!

[Catrin]

It will be interesting to see how this goes, and I actually rarely eat chocolate. I do like the occasional craft beer and I will have to see if that causes cravings. I find I don't miss bread at all - which is a total surprise! At least not yet...

[westtexas]

Catrin, I'm glad it's going well for you. My current fixation within the Paleosphere is bone broth. I cook some meat in coconut oil or ghee, add it to a simmering pot of bone broth I've already prepared, and then sautee my veggies of choice in the meat drippings/remaining oil. Stick all that on top of some raw baby spinach or kale in a big bowl and pour the broth and meat on top. Yum.

The guy at Whole Foods is always giving me the weirdest look because I'm always buying center cut marrow bones. Once he asked if I had a dog, and I went all veterinarian on him and told him why dogs shouldn't have bones. When I told him it was for bone broth, which is super nutrient rich (especially minerals!), he wigged out.

I eat "weird" food and I love it. I love how it makes me feel, and I'm glad you are finding it works for you too.

[Catrin]

I tried coconut oil this evening for the first time, and I really like it! The jar at Trader Joe's wasn't cheap, but it took so little that I can see it will last for some time.

Bone broth sounds interesting...once I get used to eating beef again. Outside of the grass-fed ground beef I had last week, I've not eaten beef in years. Looking for a grass-fed source that won't break the bank. I succeeded with pasture-raised chicken and ground beef, will likely get some other beef from the same farmer. I just froze the organs/neck from the chicken until I am brave enough/figure out what to do with them.