What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo? - PaleoHacks.com

What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T07:28:16Z

I'm looking to go Paleo/Primal in the next few weeks. I've been doing a lot of research but I'm worried I'm going to find it really really hard as I have a far from perfect diet at the moment and I can be quite a fussy eater.

Just wondering what particular parts other people found hard to get through.

Answer by TruthinessInc for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T07:44:59Z

Trying to unknow what I thought I knew about "real" food.

Wheat = Great - Milk = couldn't live without - Sugar = what's the big deal...REALLY...

55 pounds dropped in the last 5 months later...I'm still trying to know...everything.

Something I will pass on is to stick with it...even if you stumble a couple of times, just continue on and don’t beat yourself up over it.

This place is a vast resource of information, a living, breathing, 24 hour a day web of knowledge that asks for nothing in return…other than maybe your undying devotion…and to sell you a World of WarCraft account?

Welcome and good luck too you!

Truth.

Answer by Dan for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T07:46:27Z

The hardest part for me was (is) to avoid nuts. GOD, why are they so addictive!!?

Answer by whoreball for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T08:08:24Z

Stop reading and just do it. Make adjustments along on the way, there's no need to be perfect as long as you are better off than yesterday.

Rice and sugar coated corn flakes. But looking back i don't care for them. The food i eat now tastes way better.

Answer by PaleoDogg for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T09:56:56Z

The hardest thing for me was simply starting. After the 1st week everything has been so much easier than I had expected.

Answer by onomonapetia for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T11:58:39Z

Like whoreball said, the hardest part is just doing it. Throwing away all your preconceived notions about food and well...yourself. I have only been paleo around 2 months--hardly an expert, but I can tell you that your mind will throw up road blocks, even your best days, and the best thing to do is just tell yourself that you CAN do this- -NO excuses. Even as recent as yesterday for me. Had a great day all day...then my husband came home, and I didn't feel like cooking AT ALL. I realized that I had felt anxious and wound up all day. I almost cheated, but then I realized that I would feel like shit, and whatever had been bothering me on the inside, would not be fixed with a Publix sub. So, I cooked my damn dinner and went for a long walk while the hubs put the kids to bed. I felt so much better and realized that I can overcome any urge. My desire to be healthy, not only for myself, but my family, is stronger than any food craving that I have.

All that to say, you are your worst enemy at first. It does get easier (probably after a week or two, depending on your poison (read, addiction). Even though it does get easier, you can't get lazy about it. You will stumble. Just brush yourself off, and keep going. Forgive yourself. You're human. Sometimes we really can't see the forest for the trees and we get hung up on all the wrong things. There is so much science to all this, and while it is completely addicting to read all about this, the bottom line is you want to be healthy. Don't worry about the little details so much. Just get up, and go get you some food!

You will feel so much better after a week. I promise. I'm not sure what your reasons are for starting this lifestyle, but any reason you have will most likely be addressed by living paleo. I have lost 30 lbs so far. Now it's not even about weight. It's about being the best "ME" I've ever been. Good luck:)

Answer by Laina for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T13:00:05Z

The biggest hurdle for me was wheat. Once I got past that and couldn't even put it in my mouth because the texture was wrong, the rest fell into place. Everything I'd been taught up to that point was that you needed bread with every meal. It's hard to unlearn that, but noting how I felt after breadless meals was a huge factor in helping me through.

Answer by Emily for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T13:50:29Z

Just like anything else "unknown", taking the first step is the hardest. If you're doing it for the right reasons, it will fall into place. Picky eater or not.

Answer by the paleo elephant for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T13:50:38Z

I miss bread. I don't care what anyone says, it is DELICIOUS.

But what isn't delicious is all its nasty antinutrients and the wheat belly it gave me. And that knowledge certainly helps me stay away. (Along with my delicious paleo bread -- coconut flour, cinnamon, applesauce, and a ton of grassfed butter. Yum.)

Answer by Trelow for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T13:52:54Z

Sugary breakfast cereals. I LOVE THEM. I can sit and eat entire boxes with gallons of milk.

Answer by lovely for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T15:37:33Z

muffins...cookies... I needed to make sure I could still make them and enjoy them. This being said I rarely eat them, just needed to know it was an option. I started looking at what I could eat and not what I couldn't.... Eggs have been a godsend for me because you can do anything with them. I've been paleo for about 5 months and it was my best friend coming to visit that tipped me over the edge. She needed to eat this way due to a condition and I wanted her to feel comfortable in my home. Seriously any way of eating that allows me to eat bacon and eggs daily.... I'm in! It isn't nearly as hard as you first believe, and jumping in 100 paleo right off the bat isn't realistic. You try, you make mistakes you try again.

Answer by judybot for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T15:37:53Z

The thing that was hardest for me was having to put a bit more thought into food choices when I'm not at home and don't have control over food quality and ingredients. It can be a pain sometimes, but with a little forethought (carrying snacks with you, bringing a dish you know you can eat to a party, checking out restaurant menus online before you go), you can stay compliant and it is totally worth the effort to know you made the right choices for yourself.

I could never go back to eating the way I used to, but I do still have a monthly cheat day!

Answer by alligator for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T15:39:48Z

For me it was giving up artificial sweeteners, which I used to use all the time. Breath mints, gum, diet soda (not everyday, but at least a few times a week), and protein supplements.

Answer by Diane for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T17:15:03Z

You have to not be fussy. Be willing to try things you thought you wouldn't like or that you've been sure you wouldn't respond well to. For example, I actually posted in response to some guy on the Runners World forum that all that fat might be fine for a young guy like him but I was certain for an older woman like me it would just turn me into a blimp. Well, I gave it a try and sure enough, that young guy was absolutely right. I even went back and told him I was wrong, eating real fat was what I truly needed. It took away my hunger, it relieved my joint pain and I lost weight.

Anyway, the fat wasn't that hard to do since it was an immediate relief. What's been the hardest is living with someone who isn't supportive, who makes faces at the foods I eat, who thinks my every dinner is harboring ingredients that will give him a heart attack, and who actually told me in no uncertain terms that he is the OPPOSITE of me and that I had to stop feeding him the things I was feeding him, that he does better on oat bran, super low fat, lots of fruit and whole grains. I have to ignore him and his crazy ranting because that oat bran shit diet makes him want to throw toasters in his tub. Basically, I have to decide what kind of crazy I have to live with.

Answer by norwegian girl for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T18:12:42Z

coffee and chocolate .. so hard to give up!

Answer by Heidi for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T19:35:37Z

Going Paleo was easy for me when I was only cooking for me and eating alone. The hard part was adding other people to the equation: figuring out how to feed my family, how to resist the foods that I was feeding to my sons that I didn't want to eat myself (carby stuff like rice, potatoes and corn), and negotiating family and social gatherings.

What was especially hard was figuring out how to feed my twin sons (3 years old when I started) a mostly Paleo diet that still allowed them to feel "normal" and included in social gatherings with other children. We're almost a year in and I'm still trying to figure this out.

Answer by JoeyChang for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T19:48:28Z

I've always done a half-assed job because I couldn't give up carbs or even lower them to ketosis doses. Well, it was only recently that I discovered that eating an abundance of nuts is paleo-suspect as well. I just went 100% paleo starting yest, and I've already had to pull back my grabby palm from rice crackers & nut butters when I get hungry in between meals.

The other difficulty is that I'm nowhere near a local farm ATM so I'm at a loss for both cost & variety. Like every time I read about duck eggs I utter profanities at the poster's location.

Answer by jj for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T20:41:41Z

The biggest hurdle for me was giving up diet soda. So for a while I just didn't. I got used to cooking paleo type meals and started slowly working that approach into my every day eating. Then, for a new year's resolution, I went cold turkey on the soda and while it took a couple of months, everything started getting a lot better after that.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you're struggling or you see something as a huge barrier, work on the easy stuff first, and then get around to tackling the harder things as you gain more strength & confidence.

Answer by Murph for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-11T20:45:23Z

Dealng with other people

Whether it's trying to cook for them or trying to explain why I don't eat neolithic foods. It's a pain in the ass.

Runner up goes to doing millions of dishes because every meal is now cooked out of my kitchen vs going out to eat.

Answer by Holly for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-19T06:54:51Z

My issue was sugar. I ate it everyday in large quantities. I had major cravings at first but they subsided. I still want something occasionally, but what use to only be satisfied by ice cream or candy, is now happy with a paleo friendly dessert or a piece of fruit. You can do it!

Answer by Gary Conway for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-19T15:07:59Z

I used to live off carbs but switched pretty easy. Hardest thing is getting used to the time cooking for all the meals - especially lunches. Slow cooker at the weekend is the key. Just go for it. Make small changes, give it some time and don't worry about the paleo police.

Answer by booyainyoface for What was the hardest thing to change when you went paleo?

2012-09-19T15:12:18Z

my thinking about everything- fats, foods, liver, alcohol, activity. breaking away from the norms.