I know you are out there...

[Kerry]

Where is everyone, we need to get this section in action! lol

[Dottie]

Agreed!

[Kerry]

I feel like we need to build a better support group here.. this forum has so much potential..
There are so many active posters here.. lol

[ouizoid]

I am a primal eater and an intermittent faster--just don't have much time to post--but I check this forum and your progress frequently!

[Kerry]

I was thinking about if, any suggestions, tips or places to read more info on this?
How has it helped you?

[ouizoid]

read the Leangains site--great info--as well as Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat--excellent info. I do both: A la leangains, on an eating day, I eat my first meal at 11, second at 3 and final at 6--absolutely no snacking between meals. On an ESE day, I eat a BIG meal at 1pm and then do not eat again til the next day at 1pm. Amazingly easy to do--you wouldn't believe it. When starting IF, you may have hunger pangs for a week or two (far less if you are already primal tho)--but one adapts very quickly. If you do have a few hunger pangs, they pass quickly with some hot tea or water. IF has eliminated my binge disorder completely.

[jeaniem]

ouizoid
I see the words "eliminated my binge disorder" in your post. I am so sick of binge eating putting a serious damper on my life. Do you follow a particular plan for primal? Do you plan out which days you will do the different fasts? Thanks

[ouizoid]

jeanie--I will tell you what I do--but I warn you that you really need to figure out what works for you! Everyone is different.

I pretty much follow the primal blueprint 6 days a week and I intermittently fast on the schedule I noted above. I do at least 2 24 hour fasts per week.

-I do allow myself one cheat morning per week in order not to feel deprived--which as you know is essential for bingers like us. My cheat morning permits me to eat whatever I like til 1pm (this friday--I always do it on friday--was some ice cream and a bran muffin and a protein shake. I cheat but I do NOT binge. Then at 1pm, my 24 hour fast starts and I do not eat anything til the next day at 1pm. This works so well for me--I am very very slowly losing weight, but more importantly, IF and primal has totally gotten my appetite under control and I no longer binge. Something about the fasting has regulated my desire for food. I first started with JUDDD, but the up days turned into binge days. IF/ESE has eliminated that problem for me.

I hope this is helpful to you--

[jeaniem]

Thank you. Primal Blueprint is the name of the book right?

[Kerry]

Niceeee, I need to get that book when I have the money

[jeaniem]

How does primal differ from low carb? I hesitate to order the book as I fear it may be too restrictive. I read reviews at Amazon but was wondering how those here feel about the food choices. Thank you

[Dottie]

Technically you could eat a lot of carbs on primal. Fruits, nuts, seeds, veggies (including potatoes), and things like that.
Along the same lines, you could do really low-carb and stay primal simply by not including a bunch of fake processed foods.
Lol that may not be much help but I guess primal/paleo low-carb (which is what I classify what I do) would be standard low-carb guidelines but with natural foods and a strict limit on things like preservatives and additives

[catkan]

My DH and I are starting paleo. Ok, when we started low-carbing, we lost a lot of weight. Life happened and we put some back on. When we low-carbed, we ate the same portions! I didn't know better, suffice to say, DH lost a lot of weight. (However, I suspect he ate some "things" from a convenient store while we low-carbed)

So what are portion sizes for men compared to women? I have one book, and it doesn't address that. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[jeaniem]

No dairy right?

[ouizoid]

different takes on Dairy for different paleo/primal writers--I think it is a YMMV thing. For me it works to include some dairy--others are more hardcore and do not--

[lisabinil]

Originally Posted by jeaniem

How does primal differ from low carb? I hesitate to order the book as I fear it may be too restrictive. I read reviews at Amazon but was wondering how those here feel about the food choices. Thank you

Check out the Mark's Daily Apple Blog that Sisson writes Jeanie for some info b4 you order. He also has a forum and you can check out how others are eating.

[Dottie]

Most "experts" say shoot for 80/20%
I consider my morning coffee w/sweet n low and half&half part of my 20% "non" paleo.
I try to shoot for 90/10, but I give 10% to any meal I eat away from home when I'm not 100% sure what's in it. (lol sorry for all the %'s).

[Kerry]

primal eat dairy, paleo do not..
My favorite book was the one by robb wolf

[Dottie]

I didn't know that - thanks!

[Kerry]

np some paleo do low fat also... but robb wolf and sarah fragoso eat more fat..

[jeaniem]

Did any of you do the whole 30 plan?

[Kerry]

That's a great starting point, very much like paleo... That's where I started

[jeaniem]

Kerry
Were you able to incorporate a restaurant meal easily? I fear no splenda/cream in my coffee!

[Kerry]

Originally Posted by jeaniem

Kerry
Were you able to incorporate a restaurant meal easily? I fear no splenda/cream in my coffee!

Once you get in a groove, eating out isn't so bad... for the first couple of weeks though i'd try to stick to salads with oil and vinegar on the side and be very specific to your wants and needs. If people question your foods of choice (waiter/waitress) just tell them you have problems with certain foods and do not want to get sick.

For the first 2 weeks I purposly just gave up coffee because I was so afraid of drinking it black. I find it so easy to now drink it iced and black with nothing in it. I would say after about 5 cups I can't imagine having it any other way, and this is deff a way to spurge, go ahead and get the good stuff, don't get the sale 99cent coffee...

I think I will do another strict 30 day paleo challenge starting after labor day...

[jeaniem]

What did you find the 30 day challenge did for you? Did you add anything back in after the 30 days? Thanks

[Kerry]

after the 30 days I added some things like almond milk, and hard cheeses, and packaged nuts (I was only eating raw nuts before)

It was life changing for me... I would never turn back..
I feel amazing, and finally lose weight with out even trying

[jeaniem]

Thanks Kerry. I know I should try some clean eating like this. I just am not sure I can commit. I will give it some thought.

[Kerry]

Try it out for a week. Give it just that. Make sure to measure yourself, and weigh yourself first.. and even pay attention to things like your energy, and how you sleep.
With how well you feel after giving it just a week, you realize how much better simple is.

I never in my life even 6 months ago thought that something like lettuce with some oregno, oil and vinegar would taste so amazing to me, its reset my taste buds and turned my mind around. Its almost like an acult. I feel like I have been cheated that I never gave this a chance before (of course because I never knew about it)
lolol sorry I sound like some wacky paid sponsor. if you have a chance Deff get Robb Wolfs book, its an amazing read and reading what he writes makes it all so easy for you...

[GENUK]

Subbing. . I'm reading the Primal Blueprint at the moment, got it out from the library last night. Will be back when I've read more...

[Chasintrail]

I think the easiest way to sum up primal/paleo is eat real food. Everything else is just detail. Once you get the processed/packaged stuff out of your life, you're 98% there.