Kitavans eat mostly carbs, Inuits eat mostly animal fat. Both are super healthy. Swiss and Mongolians eat the largest amounts of dairy (raw) and they are two of the healthiest and longest lived groups on earth. I have lots of vegan friends who are thin and very healthy too (for now). No clear cut answers on this one. Someone elses' answer won't necessarily work for you. You've got to see what works for you.

To poorly paraphrase Gary Taubes, if you just eliminate processed foods, especially fructose, soy and wheat, you should be pretty healthy.

Agree with RanchHand- unfortunately nobody here will be able to tell you with certainty what will work best for you. Also, some books are stressing lean meats because the fat in grocery store meats (that are most accessible to most of us) is not very healthy; the omega 3/omega 6 ratio is not very good, and the antibiotics, growth hormones, etc. that those animals receive can be passed on to us through their fat. Sisson (and probably Cordain too, but many paleo-folk take a lot of what he says with a grain of salt) will tell you not to shy away from the fat of grassfed & wild animals.

As for your food- how do you feel? I wonder if you are not eating enough. I'd go for more eggs in the morning, maybe a little less bacon. The reason I say that is that while tasty, it's just not a healthy protein source (and that's coming from a girl that loves bacon; eating bacon made my transition to paleo a little easier).

Welcome and good luck!

Sidenote: I have to bring up the pre-cooked chicken you're eating - its ingredients are:

INGREDIENTS: Chicken breast meat with rib meat, chicken broth, contains 2% or less of: modified food starch, dextrose, salt, chicken flavor (salt, autolyzed yeast extract, sugar, molasses, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, sodium phosphates), brown sugar, chicken broth [yeast extract, chicken flavor (chicken fat and flavoring), corn syrup solids, salt, and flavor], sodium phosphates, and natural flavor.

That's quite a lot for a piece of "chicken," eh? Autolyzed yeast extract is another word for MSG, which is not good for you at all, and there's a LOT of sugar there, as dextrose, molasses, brown sugar, straight up sugar - it might not seem like a lot ("less than 2%"), but I'd cut that out straightaway if possible. Way more pertinent than whether to eat fat or lean, I think.

I think there is a tendency here to proselytize meat eating, but in general, yes, those books do stress lean, healthy meats that aren't wrought with industrial by-products. Neither celebrate over-indulgence, but "little"? Not sure about that one. I suppose it depends what you mean by "little".

Here's my few suggestions for your stated diet:

• Stir-fry - if you're doing it traditional and quick EVOO is okay - if you cook at high temp or for longer, consider an oil better suited for high temp cooking - e.g. coconut oil would be great for a stir fry; maybe include a dash of sesame oil for flavor. I love me some EVOO -- but don't get it too hot.

• Eggs - 1?! :-) I think you have room to add 1 to 3 more, even daily.

• Bacon - get the real stuff. "Ingredient: pork" (a little salt is OK). Avoid cured meats and nitrates.

• Cheese - ehhh ... if you like it, eat it. Cheese kills me.

• Burgers - I'd aim for a mix of natural/pastured meats for your patties - not just beef. Grassfed lamb, beef, and pastured pork work very well together for burgers and meatballs.

• Your dinner's sound great. Don't fear tossing some denser, starchy veggies like sweet potatoes in, if you aren't doing a VLC diet.

• Don't underestimate the importance of losing that "water weight" - it might not feel like "real work" to get rid of it, but carrying it around can and will make you feel bloated.

Dood, you're off to a great start! Make sure to keep eating enough, keep variety high, and have fun. Good luck.

When I first started paleo, I ate fairly lean. Then I came across this board and convinced myself I was doing it wrong because a lot of people seemed to wrap everything in bacon and butter all their meat and drink heavy cream straight. I had never done any of these before and it didn't even seem appealing. Yet, I decided to cut carbs down a little more and up my fat through coconut oil in my cooking and lots of egg yolks. I ended up gaining weight. I'm going back to how I was eating (but still eating paleo foods) with a lower fat focus because that's where I feel best mentally and physically.

I think how much fat you eat depends on your goals and where you are physically. I think the macronutrient ratio is going to be different whether you are trying to lose weight, improve athletic performance or aid in symptoms to improve health, etc.

Everyone is different but I find meat easier to digest when I have a salad or few raw veggies with the meal. Besides, you need their nutrients. Long term, I'd add a little fresh fruit as well - I like berries, apples or pears - whatever is in season.

My favorite variation of Paleo (there are many different ways of doing it, you know) is Terry Wahls. 9 cups of veggies and not one cup less. Thank you for your question though. I agree.