Thread: how to start paleo - advice please?

Hi all

I have been reading the Primal Blueprint and really want to start eating and living healthily - but how to start?

Do I just go for it, clean out the fridge and cupboards of any processed stuff and jump straight in or do I exclude one thing at a time and do it gradually. There are pluses and minuses for both approaches, just wondered how you did it and what you would advise.

Thanks x

Welcome! And well done with your loss so far, that's amazing! How have you done it?

Either approach can be successful; what do you think will work for YOU best? If you suffer with sugar or carb cravings then you may want to do it in one fell swoop as the cravings will be wicked but shorter, and if you've cleared the rubbish out of the house then there's no temptation. And if you're doing it for health reasons then obviously you'll see the benefits sooner. But if you think that's enough to send you to McDonalds in the middle of the night for a cherry pie 3 days in (not that that has ever happened to me in the past, nooo....) then make some gradual changes first.

Personally I was already eating low GI/South Beach Diet when I switched to primal and so for me it wasn't such a huge leap as I'd been having smaller carb portions anyway (and don't forget that primal does not have to mean low carb, so if you need a bit more carbs for energy, as long as they're good carbs like sweet potato, then go for it! personally if I have 50g of carb per day I find it impossible, I get really irritable and have no energy). If you wanted a sort of 'halfway house' then this could be a good way to do it, move to small portions of low GI carb foods like brown rice, wholemeal pasta, quinoa - by small I mean no more than 1/2 cup cooked.

Let us know how you get on!

plum x

Thanks for your reply, I do appreciate it

Originally Posted by Plumfoodie

Welcome! And well done with your loss so far, that's amazing! How have you done it?

To be honest I had weight loss surgery in March last year - gastric sleeve. After so many years of torturing myself with 'diets' I decided enough was enough. Not the easy way out so many people think it is.

If you suffer with sugar or carb cravings then you may want to do it in one fell swoop as the cravings will be wicked but shorter, and if you've cleared the rubbish out of the house then there's no temptation. And if you're doing it for health reasons then obviously you'll see the benefits sooner.

I do get massive carb/sugar cravings so this may well be the better way for me to go. I'll sleep on it and if I still feel the same in the morning will blitz my cupboards

But if you think that's enough to send you to McDonalds in the middle of the night for a cherry pie 3 days in (not that that has ever happened to me in the past, nooo....) then make some gradual changes first.

I love this and so hope that you did do this

Let us know how you get on!

I will indeed

plum x

Thanks again x

I just have to get rid of all the bad stuff.... But You can set a date and then start buying your 'new stock' then you dont have to shell out all in one go!!! Then on your decided day bin all the other stuff... maybe give it to a food bank!!!

You will love it!!! X

Originally Posted by vanda

Hi all

I have been reading the Primal Blueprint and really want to start eating and living healthily - but how to start?

Do I just go for it, clean out the fridge and cupboards of any processed stuff and jump straight in or do I exclude one thing at a time and do it gradually. There are pluses and minuses for both approaches, just wondered how you did it and what you would advise.

Thanks x

If you haven't got much then I would just eat it.If it's a lot I would give it away.

I gave up everything grains.dairy,sugar things the lot from day one.I do have a sweet binge now and again usually when things have got to much for me.It doesn't happen very often and when it does I almost feel ill straight away.Like last week I ate a large bag of haribo and a bag od strawberry softies a few hours later I was buzzing and didn't go to bed until nearly 12 where as I'm usually in bed by 10pm.Next day I felt ill.Just wish I could remember the feeling when buying cr*p.

Good luck with it.

i couldnt clean my cupboards out as there are others in the house ie children and bf who dont want to lose the crap.

but i went out and bought all my stuff anyway, since being on the diet it really helps to stop the cravings and i feel satisfied between meals which really stops me from picking.

good luck

Thanks for the advice

Well I gave it some more thought while in bed last night, and had decided to eat what I had at home and start gradually. Started well enough today until I went out for a meal tonight, the sugary drink sent me off on one and I binged on jelly beans when I got home. So I have rethought again, I just cant have even a little bit of sugar without craving more so tomorrow I am going to empty my kitchen of all non primal friendly stuff and plan a menu for the rest of the week. As I am working afternoons tomorrow and mornings Wednesday I shall do a shop after work on Weds.

I really want to feel more healthy and stop the cravings, any weight loss would be a bonus. Thanks again for the advice x

After the first few days you'll start to crave it less..... You can do it!!! X

I started on atkins at the beginning on January and I'd had a massive carb day the day before and something just clicked and i decoded i got to get a handle on my binging and apart from the odd glass of wine at the weekend I've been 100% am now gradually coming over to primal but keeping my carbs fairly low until I get to the weight I want.

But I can honestly say the junk in the house doesn't bother me, I don't whether it's because it's banned (as with cal counting SW ww etc u can have as long as counted) or whether my head is in the right place but I never thought I'd feel this great on a diet, usually I'm looking forward to a treat day that turns into a binge day xxx

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That's got to be good news

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Hey Vanda, I was reading back over my diary and remember you posted on it a while back. I thought I'd check out how you are doing and my goodness you are doing really well! Very pleased for you. It will be interesting to find out how your paleo diet goes

I've always been interested and intrigued by the Paleo diet but I have no idea what it involves lol.

All I know is that it seems to be a very successful diet so that interests me alot

I'd love to know the basics if anyone is willing to share.

xxx

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Hi google marks daily apple

following primal blueprint and experimenting with the 5:2 fasting diet

Originally Posted by Mis-behave

Hi google marks daily apple

following primal blueprint and experimenting with the 5:2 fasting diet

Yes marks daily apple is primal so u can have dairy and he uses an 80/20 approach so u aim to have 80% of diet primal site also has primal exercises. Paleo is like primal without dairy x

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Definitely marks daily apple, I found the shopping list on his site really helpful I like the huge list of veggies as its easy to forget how much variety is out there and get stuck in a rut