First time attempting Paleo. I need tips and suggestions please. - PaleoHacks.com

First time attempting Paleo. I need tips and suggestions please.

2011-12-27T05:40:47Z

I am so scared to do this Paleo thing I'm not sure how it will work i been big all my life. I feel like I'm ending my life of food as i know it. I was doing good before the holidays and well I totally gorged this holiday on chocolate, brownies, pies, cakes etc soda and sugar. I feel bad but not really I know I can get this under control again. I have never tried the I F so if anyone has any suggestions or regimens that I can fallow please feel free to let me in on any tips. I want to do this the right way. I ran 10 miles and I have pretty good workouts. What would you recommend in the gym? I'm pretty lost because this is my first time doing Paleo I want to do it right thanks.

Answer by April S. for First time attempting Paleo. I need tips and suggestions please.

2011-12-27T06:09:58Z

People will tell you don't be afraid of fat. Coconut oil might become your best friend. Don't trim off the fat on meat. Never cooked in duck fat before? Never buried your meat in butter before? YOU WILL NOW.
People will tell you to tone it down on fruit and nuts. Overall, just keep your carbs pretty low. Even with a decent amount of veggies, you'll be pretty LC. You'll wanna be in ketosis. And as for IF, some people swear by it, some people say it's not necessary. If it fits into your schedule and you feel it's working for you, then by all means IF away.
People will tell you to stop doing the chronic cardio (i.e. running 10 miles). Either walk a lot or sprint once in a while. Do some weight-lifting a few times a week.
People will tell you to get plenty of sleep. Eating right and having good work outs is futile if you're sleep-deprived and stressed out.
People will tell you Paleo is nothing to be afraid of. Your body will love it. It may seem intimidating but you're giving your body what it needs. You'll find a new-found love for cooking, you'll make some new friends with the butchers at the grocery store, you'll have more energy and you'll become more educated about nutrition/health and hate yourself for eating such sh*t food for such a long time but you'll be proud because you're making the necessary changes towards becoming the healthiest you you can possibly be.
People will tell you not to give up. To keep going. To wake up each day optimistically. The point of this is that it's a lifestyle change, which means you're not gonna see changes overnight. Your body has to get used to eating better foods. You're gonna get frustrated and you're gonna have questions. That's what Paleohacks is for. Need a support system? We're all here for ya Bam-bam. (Note: Giving out nicknames is not normal on PH. I'm just weird like that.)

Answer by Eric for First time attempting Paleo. I need tips and suggestions please.

2011-12-27T07:44:05Z

Lots of good information at the following links:

http://www.archevore.com/get-started/
http://www.archevore.com/panu-weblog/2010/3/12/the-argument-against-cereal-grains-ii.html
http://whole9life.com/2010/05/whole-30-v2/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-blueprint-30-day-challenge-page/
http://robbwolf.com/faq/

Answer by Angie for First time attempting Paleo. I need tips and suggestions please.

2011-12-27T08:13:32Z

The best suggestion I read when I first started the Paleo/Primal lifestyle was to live by the 80/20 rule. Do what you are supposed to do 80% of the time and don't worry about the other 20% of the time. So, if you don't work out as you should or if you eat something that's not good for you, just count that as your 20% "off" time and do better the other 80%. Don't give up after one cheat.

If you walk a lot, lift heavy things every day, sprint once each week and eat real food like meat, veggies, fruit and nuts you'll be fit and healthy in no time!

Answer by Jules K for First time attempting Paleo. I need tips and suggestions please.

2011-12-27T13:43:16Z

Some people do better easing into this, some do better by going in whole hog. It felt most natural to me to implement in steps, pretty similar to the 12 steps on the Archevore site. I wouldn't try Intermittent Fasting to start out with; I would focus first on nutrition, see how it goes, and maybe start playing with IF if you find yourself at a plateau; you may be able to accomplish your goals just by eating paleo food. GOOD LUCK! :)

Answer by LenaHyena for First time attempting Paleo. I need tips and suggestions please.

2011-12-27T17:34:26Z

I know a lot of people around here give advice as far how/what to eat, but I really think "how much" is still an issue. If you're a heavy person you may just be someone who eats a lot for the wrong reasons. Even healthy food can make you fat if you eat too much of it. (Scoff Paleo People but this has been my experience)

I feel you. I've been heavy all my life as well. I've been doing Paleo for almost a year and, well, by most traditional standards I am still heavy. What everybody told me in the beginning was "eat as much as you want!" so I did, and I gained and it was upsetting. You need to find an intake threshhold for your body. What do you need most of? I have a high stress job so I eat a lot fat, mostly in the form of guacamole, but if I sit in front of the TV and eat two bowls of it that's going to be an issue.

Just remember not to eat when you're bored, don't eat excessively when you're stressed, and stop eating when you're full. I know these seem completely common sense, but they are things that I have to be aware of on a daily basis. Also, 80/20 is a great rule to follow as far as adherence. I believe someone already posted on that. You're going to "screw up" sometimes, but don't make it an excuse to blow a week of eating.

It might give you a good idea of what you're putting in to get an account at a website like fitday or fatsecret so that you can log your intake for a little while. I do this just to make sure I'm getting a good concentration of nutrients and that my meat/veggies are balanced. Also wouldn't hurt to get yourself some cookbooks or peruse some good paleo eating sites. I like NomNomPaleo.com, EverydayPaleo.com, and Mark's Daily Apple but there are plenty of other good ones out there.

Hope this helps! Feel free to message me if you ever need a leg up! ~Lena

Answer by pbo for First time attempting Paleo. I need tips and suggestions please.

2011-12-27T18:57:49Z

I think it's important that you make the shift from eating products to eating "real" food. By eating clean whole foods, you get yourself most of the way there. From that you build upon natural foods that are we are not equipped to digest (grains, legumes) or should be limited (fructose, seeds, dairy).

I agree with some of the answers above, that archevore.com is a great starting place.

In terms of exercise, you want to get yourself lifting some weights plus some light cardio (hiking, brisk walk, etc).

Answer by Aaron for First time attempting Paleo. I need tips and suggestions please.

2011-12-27T20:00:58Z

Step 1 : relax.

Step 2 : You do not need a perfect plan to get started. See step 1. My first-30-days paleo is different from my 2-years-later paleo. It happens and there's nothing wrong with it. There is no one "right way".

Step 3 : Eliminate the bad foods and start taking a daily walk in the sun.

Step 4 : Give yourself a couple weeks or a month. Listen to your body. Make small adjustments and repeat. Keep referring to step 1.

This is a lifestyle change, not a quick-change diet. The journey is more important than the destination.