Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I just began a paleo lifestyle this past Wednesday. I've been reading about it for months, and it has taken awhile for me to really take the effort to start it. I do have a friend who is doing 30 days with me! (I plan to do longer than 30 days, and hopefully make this a lifestyle.)

So, I'm a 22 y/o female, somewhat active(mostly for my job). 5'6" and ~165 lbs. I'm definitely looking to lose some weight, and I've heard IF does wonders for those who want to lose weight and lean out.

I've also heard some advice that starting IF too soon can cause issues with those whose blood sugar is still stabilizing out(as I'm sure mine is.) My question is, when is the ideal time to start IF? Should I just give it a go anyways, and see what happens?

flag	asked Apr 6 2012 at 15:20 Ruth90 203●2●6

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It's totally up to you, but think of IF as an "advanced" tactic. You can do it accidentally by just eating when you are hungry and not eating when you are not - ie. let it happen when it wants to. Usually people wait 2-3 months before adding IF, as a general rule. – Dave S. Apr 6 2012 at 17:00

Nance · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-06 15:42:04Z UTC

How much change is too much change? What is "right?"

Honestly, there's no right or wrong here. When I started, I ate a huge breakfast that was mostly fatty beef. Within a few weeks, it was unusual for me to get hungry again the same day due to the size of my breakfast. I was accidentally doing IF when in fact I'd never heard of it. Pretty soon I wasn't hungry the next morning and my main meal drifted toward noon or early afternoon.

I think the rule should be, don't force it. Don't force yourself to eat when you aren't hungry; when it's your stomach/gut asking for food (as opposed to brain cravings) don't force yourself NOT to eat until you're far enough in that you know your body well and you can safely/comfortably fast for a while hungry.

Relax, enjoy what you're eating, and your natural eating pattern will emerge soon. For me right now, that happens to be a 3-day cycle of light eating, generous eating and low-to-zero-calorie fasting. In other words, lots of flexibility.

Beth-WeightMaven · Answer 2 · 2012-04-06 16:04:24Z UTC

IF will not help weight loss efforts if it creates stress. And fasting if your body is used to sugar every few hours will be a stress. So I would give it a couple of weeks and then experiment with seeing whether you can make it from breakfast to dinner comfortably. If that's no problem, then experiment with going from dinner to lunch the next day.

If/when you try it, be sure to listen to your body. Don't force it if you start having major hunger pangs or symptoms of low blood sugar.

Me, I have used IF primarily as a cushion for off-plan eating. So if I was doing Easter with the family Sunday, I'd probably IF from lunch or dinner Saturday til lunch on Sunday, then eat a smallish paleo meal. Then I wouldn't go nuts at dinner, but I wouldn't worry about it either.

For now, I'd worry on just getting used to a paleo diet. This is a marathon, not a sprint. There's plenty of time to tweak your diet ... I did paleo/PHD for over a year before I did my strict whole 30 like (mine's more like whole 60) diet.

Corbab · Answer 3 · 2012-04-06 15:32:48Z UTC

I've read that while IF is beneficial, many people can accomplish or progress towards their goals with paleo eating alone. SAD to paleo is a big transition, so I'd recommend giving yourself at least a few weeks (if not the full 30 days) to transition and see some results before making another drastic change. There aren't any major long-term risks to starting paleo and IF concurrently, so if you're feeling bold, you could probably begin both at the same time and see how it feels. If you like it, great. If you don't, dial it back and reintroduce the principles more slowly.

Marcy · Answer 4 · 2012-04-06 15:48:38Z UTC

Do it when you're ready (naturally not hungry) not because you want to kick start weight loss. You are more likely to stick with this long term if the first few weeks aren't awful. I say just make the basic first transitions for the first few weeks, then start playing around with the other stuff (carb intake, IF, etc).

Keep us updated!

Eric · Answer 5 · 2012-04-06 19:40:57Z UTC

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To start IF you could try skipping breakfast and lunch once or twice a month. This is a nice starting point. It is not a requirement though...

answered Apr 6 2012 at 19:40

Eric
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Ubercute · Answer 6 · 2012-04-07 12:25:39Z UTC

I'm eating paleo for a reasonable time now.

I did it the other way around, first IF then Paleo.

Because everyone at work eats bread or something like that it gives me lots of comments if I eat normal food. (1 orange 1 grapefruit 1 banana 2 kiwis, 2 apples) all this fruit i would eat in half an hour.

The reason i don't do that often is because it gives me lot's of comment and i dont have enough time to finish it easily, I'm just stuffing it up. I dont like that.

Accually it doesnt matter what I eat. I'm the only one eating "different". Most breaks I'm looking to my collegea's double chins. Mine disappeared 2years ago.

Sometimes I don't care what they think because i take the leftover from the eveningmeal to work.

Lynsey · Answer 7 · 2012-04-17 19:48:53Z UTC

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I'm new to this too and I keep seeing IF posted everywhere but can't find a definition. Can anyone help me? What is IF and why is it beneficial?

answered Apr 17 2012 at 19:48

Lynsey
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IF = Intermittent Fasting. Here's a thorough post on it. marksdailyapple.com/fasting/#axzz1sVPZR5Ai – Ruth90 Apr 19 2012 at 16:47

Just began Paleo, is it too soon to IF?

7 Answers