Paleo/Primal Blueprint/Caveman Diet, Lifestyle
 

Anyone in here living primal lifestyle?
If you're not I highly recommend you do. Its by far the best stuff there is in my opinion. I see it from results.

I will write more about this. now I just wanted to start a discussion :-)
This website is super cool. to keep score is vital, especially little things. it helps awareness of what you do and what you need to change to make an improvement.

:)

Yes primal!
 

I am - I can't recommend it highly enough. I just started exercising again, but for the past 6 months i have been 80% primal and have seen pounds drop off. I had already gotten rid of most refined sugars when I was pregnant with my second who is now 10 months. Once he was born, he was really sensitive to tons of stuff I was eating (he nurses) so I had to cut out almost everything. Came upon primal eating and said - Hey that's me! So now it is by choice that I eat meat, veggies and fruits primarily with a little yogurt and some rice every now and again. I can really feel it when I veer off course - I get super moody and feel gross. Hopefully now that I am serious about the exercise I'll see some bigger changes - I certainly expect to!

I'm mostly primal - I still have dairy and the occasional grain (hard to leave quinoa and barley), plus peanuts, which technically aren't allowed. But suffice it to say, I've started eating way more vegetables and have tons more energy and focus since I started! Thanks to primal, I've also improved my cooking skills, and I actually prefer it to reaching for a box of cardboard-flavored crap!

-Nik

Is eating Primal basically a low carb food plan, no refined or packaged food, no sugar or starch? I am curious. I have been eating low carb about 30-40 carbs per day from the veggies I eat. I eat under 1600 cal per day and have seen a weight loss of 10 lbs so far but over about 6 weeks and thought the weight would come off quicker. I have seen my blood sugars drop to the normal range through this way of eating which is great. Can you advise the difference between primal and low carb. Thanks much.

@mission,

The Primal falls under the umbrella of low-carb but it avoids all processed food. Unlike, say, Atkins which provides its own line of low-carb "shakes." The focus is on natural, unprocessed meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. There are a couple foods that are constantly the subject of ongoing debate in primal circles, like peanuts and dairy, but those are just minor details compared to completely removing grains and all processed junk out of your diet.

-Nik

It is interesting, I think I will explore further. I have not been drinking milk or eating yogurt. I do eat cheese. Is it allowed at all? I have not been eating fruit for the last while because it puts my blood sugar up significantly. I am going to try and introduce fruit in small amount starting with berries because they are lowest on the glycemic scale. I started this whole journey because of diabetes that got out of whack, so far huge success with getting it under control and weight loss is next, need to lose 70 lbs.

Check out Mark's Daily Apple. He covers all things Primal on the blog, including what food is allowed.

-Nik

Primal here - all lean unprocessed meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds. I don't eat fruit - doing the low glycemic thing. I do eat some cheese occasionally, but this is the only dairy I eat, no yogurt, butter, milk etc. I haven't had a starch in over 30 days and I feel great. Down 26 pounds in my first month WITHOUT working out!

Now I am in my second month I am adding exercise to my plan. :D

Paleo/Primal Blueprint/Caveman Diet, Lifestyle
 

I started Primal Blueprint March 11. I love it. I "stumbled upon" Mark Sisson's Daily Apple newsletter and have been "obsessed" ever since. My husband and I have found grass-fed meats/poultry suppliers and organic local produce and it's changed our life! We feel great! I have just finished all Michael Pollan's books and have become really into where my food comes from. I started this Fitday chart and it's really helped too. It'd be nice to lose 10lbs (I've lost 4), but more importantly, I want to be healthy (we're 50 and 62) and I'm sick of hearing everyone around us talk about how sick they are! I'm going to keep up with this forum for motivation- and there is so much information!:)

Way to go! I'm a Primal fan too, although I'm only semi-primal myself. I love MDA and Mark really covers a lot of ground there. I'm also doing it for health rather than fat loss, though I wouldn't mind any that came because of it! How "hardcore" are you? I still eat dairy and I try to avoid grains, but I still allow myself some oatmeal and very rarely toast earlier in the day. Mostly, I love how my consumption of fresh vegetables has SOARED since going (half-ass) primal/paleo.

-Nik

Primal
 

I sorta went "hardcore" with it, I was never into sodas and junk food anyway, so it was easy. I cut out all pasta, bread, rice. I have 1 tsp sugar in my coffee and a splash of heavy cream. But, "big ass salad" for lunch, and grilled meat and veggies for dinner. My downfalls are 2-3 glasses of wine a night, chocolate (although I prefer dark, which I guess is ok, but 2 -3 chunks a night?!), and sometimes I make sauces from heavy cream. But, other than that.....I'm 80%!
This is only my 6th week....I hope I see even more changes in near future.
lulu


How do I get these thread responses/reply's to be emailed to me?

My biggest change was in my ability to concentrate and focus on one task at a time. I'm an easily distracted person so this was a major improvement in that I was literally all over the place before and then I'd get overwhelmed. There was also a bit of a body comp change though my scale weight pretty much stayed the same.

Even now I'm eating an open face avocado with salt and pepper and grilled chicken breast with homemade avocado salsa. I love the emphasis on making everything yourself (I taught myself to cook on this diet and now I'm semi-pro), and everything is delicious!

I'm pretty new here myself so I don't know about the email thing.

-Nik

Primal too! Came to this site to make sure I was staying in the 50-100g of carbs per day range. Was a good thing too, cuz too many fruit, nuts & yogurt were putting me over the top! Lost 13lbs just by cutting out grains and processed foods, hopefully I can break thru this plateau and continue to loose :) Hubby and I have tried more new recipes and veggies in the last month than we ever have! And we are loving it :D

Primal Blueprint all the way!

I've gone from 200 pounds to 170, and feel better than I have in ages. The best part is that I am *never* hungry. I highly recommend spending some time over there. The book is great, but the site is chock full of great free info.

It's not even really a diet, it's a lifestyle, and easily a new way of eating you can maintain for the rest of your life.

I've been 100% primal for almost two years now. Haven't netted any weight loss since I started. Thanks, PCOS . . .

I have been eating primal (or trying to) for about... a year now?
Had great sucess in the start, and I still don't eat any grains (except perhaps half a cup of rice a fortnight.... if that).
Still eat dairy but only the good quality full fat cheese and I make my own yoghurt which I have every morning. I stick to *generally* alll organic meat (budget allowing), and steer clear of sugar.
I exercise a few times a week - have built muscle and am definately stronger and happier.
I have lost about 20kgs (45lbs for you Americans!) and have about 6kgs (13lbs) left to go until I'm no longer considered "overweight" by general standards.
Having said that I have been at this new weight and in a plateau for about 6 months! And while I know that everyone's body is different, I really don't think I've reached my "natural weight" because I still have quite visible (grabbable!) rolls of fat - and, most importantly, I'M not happy at this weight.
Anyway, I have started using fitday and in just a couple of days I have seen how I have let a few too many treats creep back into my diet etc so hopefully this increased awareness will do the trick! I'm keeping carbs under 100g per day and one thing I have learnt already is too lay off the nuts and watch the fruit (especially dried!).

Does anyone have a favorite resource for primal/paleo/semi-paleo recipes? I've experimented a little on my own on veggie and meat prep but I'm terrible with sauces.

I do use a little quinoa and rice now and then as they don't give me the typical grain bloat and fog that I get from wheat and oats, so I'm square with recipes that include those.

Hello, my fellow primal blueprinter! I'm quite a fan of Mark Sisson to, who is the one who got me into this whole thing. This is a great way to eat, and I feel healthier :D

Hello,

I love Mark's site.

I've been on a diet that is a cross between paleolithic + Weston Price + Optimal Diet) 5 or 6 months ago (for health, not for weight loss).

saturated fat, dairy, eggs & non-starchy vegitables, bone marrow & properly prepared grains. almost no sugary food except a little fruit & sometimes buttery scone.

i just don't like sweets as much & even 90% dark chocalate became a little too sweet. then i upgraded to 100% cacao by roasting my own, nothing added. i eat the beans or nibs straight.

regards,

Hi all.....thought I'd jump right in here with you!
I have just recently found Marks website. SO much information! Wow, I have done everything from vegan to weight watchers and I have lost 50 pounds however I am looking for something different to help me with the rest of my life. I am 53 years old and I too got tired of hearing everyone say they felt bad and were sick. I still have about 10 pounds to lose. I am 5'2 1/2 and 133 lbs.
I have been eating gluten /grain free for almost 2 years as I was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. I do still eat some dairy though. Today is my first day to document eating Paleo on this website as yesterday I started out good and then ate probably about 1 million carbs in "protein" bars!!! UGHHH
I'm so excited to find this site and MDA. Should be a interesting journey!

I'm going primal, too....just started the transition 6/22. Like Lulu, I found MDA while researching something to transition to from Medifast. I lost 45 pounds with MF, but man am I sick of the space food...not to mention all the funky ingredients. I've got 20 more pounds of fat to lose and primal seems to be the way to go. I'm accustomed to 50-100 carbs per day, and I haven't been eating grains. Having fruit back in my diet has been heavenly so far - however limited I have to keep it. I've yet to do the organic meat shopping, but that will happen this week. I love it so far. Glad to hear so many people are doing well with it - especially the part about being able to focus on tasks. I've been struggling with extreme distractability for a while now. Hope this helps!

Hi, I am new to Fit Day, but not to Primal Blue Print.

I wanted to stop by and say Hi to like minded people!!! I feel like I am at home already.

I had fallen off the wagon due to financial constraints, but my hubby and I are back full force!!!

Just this afternoon I found a source of grass fed beef, organic pork and free range chicken and eggs. The meat packages are AWESOME too!!!

Phew! I was wondering if there were any other 'Grok's' over here!

I have been Primal for 8 weeks and I never had a ton of weight to shed, but I have never had a flat stomach and am bound and determined to get it!

I started doing CrossFit in mid march (LOVE IT--hate working out but LOVE CrossFit) and because I was working out so hard I felt I earned that loaf of rye bread a week and a ton of fruit and store bought smoothies! Needless to say after 2 months I felt like my shorts were getting tighter!

I went to a seminar by Dr. Gundry (Diet Evolution) bought his book and learned a ton. My sig. other and I followed Gundry for about a month until I found MDA and we have been Primal ever since. I have started seeing signs of leaning out (just reduced the fruit intake to be sure I am hovering between 50-100 grams per day of carbs) and my performance at CrossFit is really starting to improve.

My sig. other had a lot more weight to lose and I am proud to say that he has lost 60lbs since mid-march.

Some of my favorite primal recipes are: cauliflower crust pizza, lazy man's cabbage rolls, noodle-less lasagna, spaghetti squash and meat sauce and coconut milk and strawberry/banana ice cream. YUM!

For me Primal is the way to live and the only way to live. I am so focused on getting lean, eating grain/processed food is not difficult at all. In fact, being Primal just gets easier the more you know what foods you like and how to shop.

I highly recommend it and am surprised more on here aren't talking about it.

Nice to see another fellow Grok, Zorba!

I think more people should try out the primal/paleo lifestyle; even if they don't go all the way with it they'll see great results just like those of us who do it "80%" on this thread. There are two problems:

- Entrenched conventional wisdom against "artery clogging saturated fat" and for "heart healthy whole grains;" and

- Equating our diet with other low-carb "diets" (even though primal/paleo is a lifestyle) like Atkins or South Beach... people can't seem to wrap their head around the fact that "low-carb" is a very general term for a lot of very different diets, just like "low-fat" (ADA vs. Ornish vs. vegan vs. Fuhrman vs. etc.)... primal/paleo actually has a lot more in common with "buy local, eat fresh" than people realize. And it's sustainable and healthy to boot.

Anyways, glad to see you on here and looking forward to sharing more Grokisms with you! :)

It is so true. People think that when you eat Primal and are cutting out grains that you aren't getting carbs. They seem to forget that veggies and fruit have carbs!

I also feel that for people who really want to lose weight, improve their health and make a whole-hearted change in their world, cutting out grains completely is a must.

Cutting back will get you to a certain point, but I believe that if you have just a little bit, it is much easier to continually have just a little bit more and before your know it, your carbs per day are 200 grams and upward.

Glad to see a fellow cross fitter here as well as many who are doing the Paleo thing. I started cross fit Sept 09 and almost from the beginning our coaches started talking about this Paleo thing of which I had never heard. I have been doing Paleo plus full fat dairy now for about 4 months and feel good. I am over 50 and fighting menopause hot flashes something terrible so right now I just want to feel better and the cross fit and Paleo combo seems to be working wonders for me. I can't imagine how I would be feeling were I not doing what I am doing.

I made a Paleo meatza (meat crust pizza) the other day and my husband and I both loved it! It was better the next day as leftovers for lunch at work.

Grok on ladies!

Awesome. I had never heard of Paleo until Crossfit either. My Crossfit affiliate had a nutrition seminar that featured Dr. Gundry (Diet Evolution). I read that book and started following it until my sister directed me to the Daily Apple cite. I was intrigued because he was the only other person besides Gundry who spoke about reprogramming your genes, etc. I bought his book and have been hooked!

I LOVE crossfit and the community within is unparalleled.

I made a meatza before, but found it too...meaty! I love meat like the best of 'em, but I liked the cauliflower crust pizza much better. Tasted more like 'real' pizza to me as well. You should check it out! The Lighter Side of Low-Carb: I Can't Believe it's Cauliflower Pizza Crust!

I saw this thread a couple of days ago and started looking at Mark's Daily Apple. I showed my husband and we both got really excited about it. We ordered the book yesterday and it should arrive today. I'm excited! I think I'll try the cauliflower pizza crust this weekend. Thanks for making me aware of the Primal Blueprint. :)

Lc/caveman-women
 

I started Atkins 7/01/10 on the induction for 2 weeks I found it very hard to eat all that fat. In the first 2 week I did lose 16#. I don't eat breakfast, so I have switched diets to the Caveman Diet and after the first week I like it. It took me that long to get in the habit of no breakfast no lunch. I love being able to eat a full low carb meal for dinner. I do have to drink 2 gallons of water everyday. Last nights dinner was 12oz grilled salmon(my favorite) 2 cup toss salad with vegs, a cup of spinach with butter and SF jello. I have lost 44# in 50 days I no it will slow down.This is the diet that works for me and is very easy to follow.

I too, am doing cavewoman dieting, though I have gone less paleo and more primal, which allows for some dairy (small amounts of full fat dairy, since your calories/energy are not coming from sugars on this diet). I lost 7lbs in the 1st 10 days and my energy level is pretty good. I think your results are great and your dinner sounds alot like mine. Keep at it, I feel this may become a resonable lifestyle that I can manage to maintain long term...good luck :D

Hi. As noted by my screen name, I am normally on the Primal Blue Print plan............

Right now, I am on my second round of HCG per my doctor. Personally, I can't wait to get back to Primal / Paleo eating. But I like the fat I'm losing with the HCG thing too.

Anyone doing Paleo? Help for a newbie.
 

Hi everyone, I just signed up today.

I have been doing WW, but carbs and dairy don't agree with my tummy and the scale, so I'm trying out Paleo.

I'm doing this on a single-mom budget, so having to still use some canned good etc. My main goal with this all is less processed and way less "bad" carbs than my body is used to.

For anyone doing it, can you check out the groceries I got and give me feedback? Thanks!

Cans of Coconut Milk
Wild Alaska Salmon single-serving pouches
Cans of Solid Tuna in water
Chicken Breasts
Frozen Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower
Frozen Strawberries and Blueberries
Coconut Oil
Almond Meal
Raw Almond Slivers
Raw Sunflower Seeds
Dried Apples
Bananas
Watermelon
Frozen Shrimp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
LOTS of spices
Mrs Dash Table Blend
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Mushrooms
Honey
Balsamic Vinegar
Club Soda
Ginger Root
Minced Garlic

I've adopted a lot of the paleo principles in my diet but I don't completely exclude anything. I also powerlift as my preferred method of exercise so I need some grains and dairy peri-workout just so my muscles don't eat themselves. Grains-wise, I avoid wheat and corn as much as I can, and only typically eat small, cooked portions of the whole seed (rice, pearled barley, quinoa) maybe once or twice a week. I almost never eat bread, pasta, or other grain flour products. Most of what I eat is meat and vegetables and the results, mostly mental/energy related, have been nothing short of amazing. I have much more focus and discipline when I don't have the afternoon sugar hangover... from the day before.

For a newcomer to paleo, you've pretty much nailed the short budget category grocery list! :) Impressive!

There are a lot of resources on the web to help you combine all those tasty things in delicious ways. The Primal Blueprint website (marksdailyapple.com) itself has an extensive recipe page. If you search for "grok" and "recipes" I'm sure you could find tons more.

I agree with tandoorichicken!!

I love marksdailyapple. Here is another primal or paleo cookbook...........

Also, do you have local farmers markets that you can frequent for fresh, local and in season fruits and veggies???

http://liveprimal.com/LPrecipes.pdf

It's amazing how food affects us, huh????

tandoorichicken and Primal-Lioness have nailed it. All the items on your list look good to go, stay with it and throw some exercise in there. I started the same way a few years ago, be patient you will see results.

Hi, I'm going primal on a single mom's budget also! I have hyothyroidism and am trying to lose weight and just feel better. I must say that I feel much better when I am not eating grains and sugar!! Good luck to you!! Keep in touch!

Maria:);)

hi ShoshanaAviva - Your list looks great except perhaps for dried apple,watermelon(Fructose) and Honey.
I too am in my first week of Paleo. Pretty scary going against the brain washing on saturated fats - I sure hope the wise ones have got it right - My split was 9% carb 20%protein and 71% sat fat today. I used to love home baked bread and sweetness but am not missing them Mostly and am feeling great. How are you getting on? Good I Hope.
I am concerned about not getting enough micronutrients and traces but do not want to start taking supplements

Primal Blueprint
 

How many are following Mark Sisson's new book "The Primal Blueprint"? One of Mark's main points is that we need to eat and exercise more like our primal ancestors. Cut out the grains that cause over production of insulin, and get our carbs from fruits and veggies, also more meat, and saturated fats. He also encourages eating cleaner by using organic foods. We also need to exercise, but not over do it to avoid injury. He has data in the book to back up all his assertions.

Mark also has a blog called Mark's Daily Apple (marksdailyapple.com)