I know I have talked about this before on the blog, but we (Mitch and I) have been eating some form of Paleo for over 2 years now. We first heard of it in February of 2009 when we saw a friend talking about it on Facebook. We immediately dove in, cold turkey, and ate all we wanted of lean meats, fruits, and veggies. Somehow me missed the crucial element of fat. In light of that, we lasted about 6 weeks eating this way. We both lost some weight, but we were starving. So, we gradually added in peanut butter (didn't know that wasn't paleo) and homemade granola. As we added those things in, we also added on the pounds! We were struggling with what seemed to be what so many people struggle with when they start eating Paleo...the ease and availability of nuts and seeds which easily leads to overeating them.
Fast forward to now, where we have gone through over 2 years of trial and error. For the first time I feel like I have FINALLY figured out what works for me. This challenged has made me think twice before I put anything in my mouth and that has helped me so much to push myself to do what initially wasn't convenient, but now is a way of life...and I LOVE it. It is certainly a commitment, but I have found that it's totally worth it. I have, though, had conversations with many people about Paleo and how it just doesn't work for them. They are frustrated with stalled weight loss, the are bored with eating the same thing, or they are just trying too hard to fit some of their old lifestyle into the Paleo way (i.e. paleo muffins, paleo brownies, paleo pizza, etc.). Those things are fine on the occasion, but you won't want to build your diet around them. I saw the info below on the Whole9 blog and they identify the top 5 reasons why Paleo isn't working for you. Read over them and see if you find any of them true for you:
5 Reasons Why Your Perfect Paleo Diet Just Isn't Working:
1) It's a technicality - Technically Paleo foods like Paleo pancakes, bacon, or sweet potato fries may follow the "rules," but don't maximize nutrition.
2)The wrong fats - Too many nuts, seeds, and Paleo cereals=too many inflammatory Omega-6 fats. Prioritize healthy fat sources.
3) Eat more - Energy dragging, but still afraid of fat and carbs? Eating enough of both sustains energy levels, health, and performance
4) By-the numbers - You're so focused on your numbers - blocks, grams, calories, or body weight - that you override the signals your body is trying to send you
5) Nature's candy - Using the "natural" sugars found in fruit to satisfy your sugar cravings is a recipe for more cravings, and maybe too much fructose.
I know that I found at least 2 of these to be true of me before the challenge: eating too many of the wrong fats, and worrying too much about the numbers. I have re-prioritized my fats and that has honestly taken care of the numbers. I am not hungry all the time because the right fats (avocado, coconut, olive oil) help keep satisfied so i'm not constantly starving and worrying about what I can eat. Eating more of the right fat has honestly made all the difference for me!
I hope that reviewing this list will help you if you are stuck in a rut and haven't been able to figure out what you should do differently. Remember that eating Paleo is a process. It takes time to figure out what works best for you. Be patient. Stay with it. I promise it's worth it!
Oh, and if you are still reading, our dinner tonight was blah. We had Chard-Wrapped tilapia. It just didn't do it for us. The bright side of the meal were the brussels sprouts sauteed with red onion. I'll try again tomorrow for a winning recipe!
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