Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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So my partner has come to me a few times and asked me to help her to lose some weight. She wants to transition into the primal diet.

When I first started reading about this way of life I suddenly stopped eating the SAD (which I like to rename to Standard Australian Diet) and started eating primal. I did and still do cheat here and there but nothing to major.

Anyway my partner will say to me that she is going to cut out all the non-primal foods but it doesn't usually last more than a day, especially if she is out and about. She asks me why she is still gaining weight and I get a little frustrated and tell her why I believe she is failing. I do my best to put it into a constructive format for her but she always seem to only hear the negatives and thinks I am just shooting her down all the time.

I am definitely not doing that intentionally. However I do think I am not understanding it from her point of view as it was just so cut and dry for me,

Has anyone else had experience helping friends/family coming to the light side? Any tips on maybe getting her to remove a couple of foods at a time. which foods to start with and what to replace them with initially?

Thanks

flag	asked Oct 10 at 2:35 Alan 244●6

Michelle · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-10 08:31:01Z UTC

People tend to accept things and make life changes at different rates. For me, effective change was always a steady, slow process. Drastic, overnight changes never did anything good for me. MIGHT be the case for this person.

I started off simply eating within a caloric budget. Getting creative in the kitchen is what got me hooked. I kept the positive perspective of, "let's see how awesome I can eat within said budget!" Eventually this curiosity led to exploring more REAL food and genuine nutrition.

Three years ago today I started off as a diet-food Weight Watcher. Transitioned into a real-food Weight Watcher, then a real food maintainer, then semi-vegetarian, then gluten-free/lower-carb real food eater, and now have added ancestral health tenants to that last classification.

Finding that real push in the beginning sucks, I admit. The thing is, if she doesn't REALLY want it, she's not going to do it. She's got to decide what she's actually willing to sacrifice for a change. For me, I was in a place in my life where I was all in. I was sick of being overweight. I had the support. I had the accountability. I had the information I needed, and I KNEW I could do it! All I felt I was really sacrificing was convenience, but it was worth it. I focused on the positive, like trying new foods and seeing the scale go down every week. Focusing on what I COULD do was always more effective than focusing on what I "couldn't" or "shouldn't."

Several concepts that made it stick for me long-term:

*If you're going to cheat, it better be worth it.

*If you're going to cheat, keep the serving small (I often made single-serving desserts in the beginning when I was craving something sweet. I knew I had a problem with eating entire pans of brownies in day if left alone with one. If it wasn't there, I wouldn't eat it, which brings me to...)

*Don't keep junk around. I'm less likely to eat junk if it takes effort for me to find it.

*It's not all or nothing. WHEN you mess up, accept it and move on. Not tomorrow. Not on Monday. NOW.

*Plan meals. Get excited about grocery trips and that new recipe you find. Try something new every week. I don't eat as well if I don't plan ahead.

Janknitz · Answer 2 · 2012-10-10 06:27:04Z UTC

Would it help to sit down and work out a menu with her including 3 meals a day AND snacks? Shop together and prepare for the week ahead with something practical to carry lunch and snacks in. Then don't sweat the small stuff like a piece of b-day cake at the office if 80% of the rest if the food is Paleo. Planning is crucial at first when it's so challenging to know what to eat and temptation is everywhere.

Jenna · Answer 3 · 2012-10-10 03:03:15Z UTC

I recently switched to paleo after a long time of not believing in it and being against giving up a food group like grains. After doing some research I decided to give it a try and lost 2 lbs the first four days. I used to count calories religiously and couldn't shed a pound. I switched out spaghetti squash for pasta and just added more organic meat and vegetables. I also use unsweetened almond milk. It is hard to get someone to switch but once those foods are eliminated I notice that I don't reach for starchy carbs late at night because its no longer an option. Instead I have a banana with crunchy peanut butter or almond butter, or I will make sure to have some sort of paleo stew or soup on hand. Maybe try cooking a paleo dinner with your girlfriend so you can show her all the options that are out there and have fun together at the sane time. Good luck!!

Helping someone transition into paleo/primal

3 Answers