Please post your Paleo success....

mandksima

Wed, Jan 30 2013, 4:36 am

I don't know anyone who has not been successful on it. I don't think you can choose this kind of lifestyle of eating unless you believe the science behind it and feel it is the only way for your body to be healthy. I know quite a few skinny people that follow that diet as it is extremely healthy for them and has many other amazing side effects other than weight loss.

I can't see myself ever going off this diet and I don't really consider this a diet. I could eat something not good for me and not part of the Paleo lifestyle but that would be a one time occurrence and honestly, after feeling this good, I have had NO desire to cheat in the past 8 months. Even when I am not losing weight, my body is changing and I feel incredible energy and need less sleep. My skin glows and I look younger than ever. I dance around the kitchen with my almost 2 year old (don't peak in my windows) and I feel 15 years younger. I have been on almost every other diet around and nothing else has been anywhere near as successful for me. I like to eat this way though, I don't miss any food. I LOVE fruit and veggies. That is why I have no problem eating this way forever. It took a little while to stop craving refined foods but during that time I was losing lots of weight, so it was worth it. After a while of eating purely, you lose the desire for junk food and it seems gross to you.

Sometimes I will eat a little potato and feel tired afterwards. I know it isn't great for me as sweet potatoes don't tire me out. If I really crave a little mashed potato, I will have a little, go to sleep and then not need it again for a while. It is still a vegetable with many nutrients and benefits, so I cheat with that. I could never see me eating pasta or cake again as I have lost my craving after eating such pure foods for so long and knowing how it changes my body, inside and out. Either way, I eat a lot of fruit and veggies with simple proteins and if I eat potato/sweet potato it is a bit on the side and not the main food.

I find substitutions that agree with me so I don't miss desserts. I eat a lot of fruit and sort of combine the Fit For Life and the Rambam's diets as well. That may work out better because I could not stay on a diet that restricted fruit.

The hardest part is the preparation. The only food you can pick up in a store easily is fruit and nuts. Everything else requires cleaning, cutting and cooking/baking. It is a pain and extremely inconvenient when you like easy meals and don't want to cook an extra meal for yourself. What is your choice? I need to be healthy for my kids and dh as much as for myself. They need me at my best and I do everything else for them so this to is to give them a healthier Ima. I also got tired on seeing me so overweight in pictures, they are more candid than your mirror and a lot more unkind.

I wish I would have done this before kids as I had so much trouble conceiving and went on so many meds/shots and this diet could have easily helped me shed the extra weight and evened out my blood sugar and perhaps I wouldn't have needed all the stressful intervention. Infertility made me gain weight as it was so emotionally stressful. I suggest this diet to anyone, especially PCOS-ers before they want to conceive. It could save a lot of heartache. Unfortunately, 12 years ago, when I began treatments, my doctor didn't suggest healthy eating or any diet to help PCOS. So, sorry if I go off a lot on this subject but I only wish someone did that to me long ago!

mandksima

Wed, Jan 30 2013, 5:05 am

Actually,now that I'm thinking about it, the foods I DO miss that aren't good for me but are healthy foods are legumes which are not part of Paleo. I do indulge in a small bowl of red lentil soup when I make it for my family and I sort of pay for it later as it is gassy in my system in a way most vegetables aren't. The Paleo diet is supposed to be great for your digestion and it makes sense to stay away from problematic foods. I just love lentils and chickpeas but when I do have them occasionally, my body reacts right away and I stay away most of the time. It is hard to readjust yourself to removing certain previously thought "healthy" foods but maybe that is the reason why being vegetarian for 9 years in my youth put on a ton of weight. Not every food is good for every person, even if it is not a junky kind of food. I stay away from cabbage as well after trial and error.

mandksima

Thu, Jan 31 2013, 4:55 am

You can PM me, no problem.

I am also off dairy, as many Paleo eaters are. It only causes me trouble and I eat lots of almond and sesame to get calcium. Because of this, I am often eating fleishig before 11 AM. Eggs and fish are pareve though and if you don't get sick of them, you can eat that earlier in the day too.

I start out with a double cup of decaf/herbal tea, sweetened with a little stevia, agave or honey.
Then I eat fruit, usually cut up so I have a variety. I eat until I'm feeling satiated with is usually a big bowl full of apples, oranges, pears, persimmon, kiwi, strawberry, blueberry (often frozen because that is what they have here) and a few goji berries. A lot of Paleo will start off the morning with veggies and protein (veggie omelet, shakshuka with egg, tuna salad and veggies, steamed veg and fish, etc.) but I like to eat that a little later when I'm hungry after the fruit - maybe 10 AM. The key is to make enough dinner food that you have leftover for the AM.

For lunch:
-Sometimes I'll eat a big green salad with seeds added (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame) and either hard boiled egg and/or tuna added or leftover grilled chicken strips.
-Sometimes a huge chicken salad with tons of veggie additions (lettuce, scallions, celery, cucumbers, red peppers, tomatoes.)
-I make Morrocan fish a lot with veggies cooked under the fish in layers (sweet potato, reg potato if you want, red pepper, carrots, zucchini, onions) sprinkle lemon and salt on fish (I like talapia or sole), I add sliced tomato on top of fish, mix up olive oil, water, paprika, tumeric, cumin, salt and pepper and pour over fish. Bake covered at least 1 hour till veggies are cooked. That is great leftover for breakfast IMO.

For dinners:
-a big stir fry with a little chicken. I use 2 chicken breasts for the whole family so it is not a lot of protein. -Sometimes veggies latkes, either fried in a little olive oil or baked in silicone muffin holders (sweet potato, spinach, zucchini, onion, egg and spices.)
-egg drop soup and veggie sushi (using egg crepes as a layer instead of rice, can add sweet potatoes, carrot, cucumber and avocado.) Only 3 of us eat sushi so the others get a pot of rice and cut up veggies with the soup.
-chicken soup with lots of veggies like pumpkin, zucchini, carrots, onions, parsnip, celery, turnip, etc with Pesach egg noodles (egg crepes sliced thinly to resemble noodles.) Kids get regular noodles.
-tuna patties with mashed veggie inside like zucchini, carrot, sweet potato and regular.)
-meatloaf with fried onions inside, egg spices, homemade sweet sauce I make with date syrup, and prepared mustard on top
-I use my grill pan all of the time and will make chicken wings or breast grilled and add in onions sliced, zucchini and eggplant slices, colored peppers and sweet potatoes and/or regular cut lengthwise that were pre-baked beforehand.

The sky is the limit. I make a lot of veggies and add in protein, I give the kids pasta, rice, Israeli couscous, etc as carbs in addition. For myself, I eat a Pesach like diet or rather, I don't eat any differently on Pesach except for the required matzah.

At night, I like a treat, so I keep almond cookies in the freezer as well as chocolate nut/seed bark. I'll give you recipes if you want but it is better in the beginning to forgo the substitutions until you have lost the initial cravings. Stick with a few dates or baked apples with cinnamon for a sweet treat. I use unrefined coconut oil in baking a lot as you will cut out all unrefined oils like canola, etc. Other than nut/seed crackers and cookies, I don't bake for me. I will make ice creams in the summer though.

There are lots of sites to read about the dietary rules. People follow it different ways depending on what you think you want and can handle long term. I didn't give up fruit but a lot of others eat only a tiny bit. Maybe one apple and 1/2 kiwi per day, for example. Take vitamins as well, and drink water outside of meals.

mandksima

Fri, Feb 01 2013, 2:00 am

amother wrote:

This diet costs mucho gelt. Yes it works and it is good but in the long run for frum people who have to buy kosher protein and who are struggling financially- this way of eating creates financial stress. Just a thought from my experience. Take it or leave it.

amother wrote:

Not for me. I think it depends on your individual situation. 3/4 of the special food I make I eat alone for breakfast and lunch. Fruit and veggies are very cheap where I live. They give away cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and sometimes eggplant for 1 cent to 12 cents a pound. I eat what is on sale. They also have been having chickens for 1 shekel a kilo/ 12 cents a pound. For dinner, most of the family is around but we are very small eaters compared to other families our size. I give the kids a pasta/rice base with soup and a little protein that the little ones don't usually eat because they eat it for their main meal which is lunchtime here and they get it in gan/school.

I am very frugal with groceries (not to the extreme but very, very careful) but I buy the fruits and veggies. If something is expensive that week, I forgo it. Oranges are 50 cents a pound here, apples closer to $1 a pound. Chicken products go far here, we don't eat a lot. Not all Paleo eaters eat lots of protein at a time. 1 egg is fine with a stirfry/shakshuka. Or a 1/2 can of tuna, 1/2 chicken breast, 1 thigh, 4-5 wings. I don't feed the family everything I eat, that would be too expensive. No one, except dh, is allowed my special cookies or chocolate. I tell my dd that if she wants to eat the way I eat, she can have them too, as I'd like for her to eat healthy but it is all or nothing because it is too expensive to eat both.

Atkins was an expensive diet because people eat lots of animal protein. I went on that once and besides the heavy restrictions on fruit/vegetable starches, I ate too much animal protein. I couldn't last on it and didn't feel it was a healthy enough diet, definitely not long term.

Processed foods are expensive here and cheap in the States so I can only say what works for me here. Here, in Israel, this diet is not very expensive. Much cheaper than going to a nutritionist/dietician and buying shakes or pills or sprays. It is a lifetime way of choosing your food wisely, you do not need to eat 3 chicken thighs in one sitting. You do not need to force everyone else in your family on it. If veggies are expensive where you live, I'd look into a co-op that delivers fresh from the farm weekly or a local wholesale produce store (my parents shop at one in Phila area.) Nuts are expensive but cheapest in a big bag from Costco or the like. Dairy is very expensive everywhere but I am off it entirely. I buy canned coconut milk once in a while but I don't use it often and it is not that pricey. Even imported here it is $1.50 and I freeze any leftovers.

I think people misunderstand the diet if they think it is so expensive. Maybe it depends what you are comparing it to. Do you eat pasta for dinner every night? Only rice and beans? You can still feed your family that. Most people eat protein from animal sources anyway so it is not much different. Fill up on veg instead of refined starch.

I bought a bag of frozen sole yesterday for $3 a pound and we ate that $3 worth only with lots of cooked veggies. The younger kids opted for other food so it fed 3 adults and there is leftover for my lunch today. I actually think my younger kids eat more grocery wise as I buy them little yogurts, milk and cereal, rolls sometimes, etc. Costs more than my little bit of protein.

mandksima

Fri, Feb 01 2013, 3:08 am

amother wrote:

Mandkisma thanks for the ideas! Can you please post the recipes of the cookies, chocolate bark and ice cream.
How much have you lost on this diet?

I lost 30 pounds in the first 5 months or so. Now, my weight has stayed the same even though I have more to lose but my body has been changing inside and out. I look like I'm still losing weight as bones I never saw suddenly pop out and my waist has slimmed and my clothes fit better. I think the weight will come off more with regular exercise. Right now my exercise is sporadic as I often walk my kids to gan and back, walk to the store and back, do lots of housework, yard work, etc but not at a set schedule. Just those activities alone though, are super easy now and I am not huffing and puffing at things I used to.

I do not advise going for the treats right away as some have a bit of sugar (unless you can find pareve 100% chocolate there.) As well, they are really a treat and you will not succeed in this diet if you finish off 10 cookies, ice cream and chocolate bark in one day. I make these treats and they sit in my freezer for a long while - I go to them when I have a real craving but on a regular Shabbat, I will stick with baked apple crisp or dried fruit. I am still somewhat of an emotional eater as I go for chocolate when I'm an emotional mess but in general I eat to live, not live to eat anymore. I did avoid all caffeine, including any chocolate for the first 4 months though, and I am SURE that helped me lose the weight. I wish I could go off it now but I feel I need it.

Chocolate bark

highest percent chocolate you can find, melted in a double boiler (pot inside larger pan filled with water)
If 100% chocolate, add sweeetner like stevia, agave, date syrup.
Mix together lots of different choices or use all of them:
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
sesame seeds
chia seeds
sliced, slivered, halved or whole blanched almonds
halved pecans
raw cashews
walnuts
coconut

Mix in once chocolate is melted. Spread on cookie sheet covered with parchment/wax paper as thinly as possible. Put in fridge to harden and store broken in pieces in freezer. Super packed with nutrients and a great "treat."

Sorry, I can't really give amounts. I would say if I use chocolate discs to melt, I use 3/4 cup full and maybe 2 C assorted nuts/seeds. maybe 1 whole chocolate bar, maybe more? See how much it makes melted and add as many nut/seed as you want until it seems enough to coat. I use way more nuts/seeds than chocolate as the chocolate is just to hold it together.

Almond cookies

1 1/2 C almond flour (you can grind your own from blanched almonds or buy readymade)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 T coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 C maple syrup, honey, agave or coconut sugar
1 egg
1/2 C chocolate low sugar chips
optional- chopped pecans
optional- coconut
optional- 2 T cocoa powder for chocolate variation

Mix, chill 30 min, spoon onto cookie sheets lined with parchment, bake 12 minutes for soft and a min or 2 more for harder. They will harden more when cooled. These should be eaten sparingly.

Ice cream I make a few ways. Some times I freeze chocolate pudding but you have to let it soften a while until it can be eaten.

Choc pudding

Blend together (I use a stick blender)
1 avocado (ripe but not overripe)
2 T cocoa powder
1/4 C cream of coconut (thicker than coconut milk but you can use that too)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 T sweetener or skip and use a few dates and/or 1/2 banana
dash cinnamon

taste and adjust. Eat as mousse or freeze.

Coconut milk ice cream

Beat 3 eggs and 2 C coconut milk in a saucepan,
add 1 C sugar equivalent (try coconut sugar, agave and stevia combo),
stir and cook over med heat until thickened (5-10 min).
Cool, then add 2 tsp vanilla, vanilla bean contents if available, and 2 C cream of coconut.
Refrigerate overnight and put in ice cream maker or freeze a few hours, blend again and repeat once more before totally frozen.

I use homemade vanilla with vodka and the vodka content helps it not freeze as solid.

Chocolate ice cream

Same but use 3 yolks only, 1 1/2 C coconut milk, sift 1/3 C cocoa when mixture is off heat. Use 1 tsp vanilla.

mandksima

Sat, Feb 02 2013, 2:28 pm

amother wrote:

OP here.
mandksima- you've posted a WORLD of information and I truly appreciate your time! REally!
Here are some basic questions-
Is low-fat mayo allowed?
What substitute do you use for milk in coffee? I'm stumped since I don't like almond milk.
Is splenda ok?
Thanks!

No commercial products are really allowed like mayo in general but it would be much better to use a little bit of real mayo than any amount of diet/low fat version as they are loaded with chemicals. Fat is not your enemy, you should just use healthy fats. Do they make a health food store brand made with extra virgin olive oil?
I don't drink coffee so I don't know what you'd like in it. have you tried coconut milk? I use that sometimes in decaf tea but it has a particular taste. The coffee might be a bigger problem than the small amount of milk, not sure.
Splenda is really not ok. The whole point of the diet is to go back to the basics and avoid anything doctored with. Pure, clean eating with a great attention to the quality of food.