I will say (and this echos others' contributions) that while I FEEL loads better sans grains or sugar, to lose weight steadily I need to:

• Eat VLC or ZC - even not eat fruits, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, honey, etc.
• Consciously stop eating before I want to, even on fats and protein. Paleo proponents often tout paleo as a lifestyle where you can eat ad libitum, but my satiation switch has long been mangled, doused in gasoline, and lit with a match. In other words, I have to depend on objective limits rather than subjective limits to determine whether I've had enough.

When I don't do either of these, I stall or, worse, regain.

I feel compelled to say, while giving up wheat generally represented one day of pain for me last summer, in the months since, giving up sugars, starches, and fructose remains a daily battle that sometimes I win, and sometimes I lose.

Weight is such a pain to track, which is why I've stopped :) I think I'm around 150 lbs, around 5"4, but I feel 100% better than when I was in my "normal" BMI at 125 lbs. At 125 lbs, I stopped getting my period and starting losing my hair (it was crazy thin). Sure, I was really fit (lightweight rower in university), but it was uncomfortable to sit and I had to nap twice a day (noon and 4pm). I was eating so many calories to keep up with my workouts, but I just couldn't get on top of it. It sucked, because I didn't look that "thin" (rowing once a day every day of the week, then weights 6 days a week on top of that) and never had a completely flat stomach, but everything just wasn't working properly. My body fat was at 18% when we got tested, which isn't even that low, but for me it was low enough to stop the period and feel terrible. I became quite depressed, and was abruptly taken off the team after the coach found out about some surgeries (apparently if you've had more than one heart surgery you aren't supposed to compete at a varsity level for any sport in my university). I quickly gained weight, and settled to where I am now. Allowing myself to gain weight was the nicest thing, it was like going through puberty all over again, just in my 20's- my boobs got waaaaay bigger, my hips expanded, my period came back, my skin improved, my hair was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay (way way) thicker, and my mood improved leaps and bounds!!!! During that time when I was gaining weight was some of my best moods ever, and my mood remains very stable to this day.

My weight has gone up and down over the years- up when I was on SSRIs, down when I was rowing, and up when I stopped rowing, and I always feel better when I ere on the side of a "larger" me- I like having big hips, a little waist, and thick hair. I'm petite as is, and have always admired little, curvy, strong women (like my fit little mother). So many of my friends struggle to get themselves into that healthy BMI range, but never ask themselves if they feel better once they are there. Are they able to do more and feel better? Great, then keep that weight!! Do they feel weaker and less energetic? Maybe a few pounds could help with that. There is no "ideal" weight mold that fits for everyone, and you as long as you feel healthy, than as far as I'm concerned you ARE healthy. Having a good body image and feeling comfortable in your own skin, whatever the weight, will give you a longer and fuller life than losing those "last 10 lbs" ever will.

It's not just Paleo. In general, women have a notoriously harder time losing weight on any kind of diet. I think it's a matter of hormones.

I began Paleo at 125 lbs in December of 2009 but by April of 2010 I lost 25% of my body weight and weighed in at 107 lbs. By May I was at 103, and at my lowest I weighed in at 97 lbs. I'm a 5'1ish girl who has always been athletic, however what kicked up my weight loss was by eliminating dairy, gluten, legumes, and introducing paleo-friendly meals such as boiled chicken and steamed broccoli, grilled bison steaks etc. Also, I began moving more (walking more, cross fitting, yoga) - just added movement to my day in tandem with eating clean and wholesome foods ignited and has kept the furnace of a burning metabolism going strong.

At my lowest (98 lbs) I was at around 8% body fat which by all means was too thin for my frame. I did not feel at my best, so I stopped myself from potentially entering the "faileo" diet zone by getting over the fear of 'fat' and enjoying the delicious taste of chicken thighs, nitrate-free bacon, avocados, full fat coconut milk, etc. Currently, I'm at 100-101 lbs with an average body fat of 12% which has put me at my best. I have great energy, clear skin, mental clarity, greater endurance, and a solid and muscular physique! I rarely get sick and if I do, it is a result of some gastro-irritants but that's mainly because I just can't get enough of broccoli.

I also practice a solid routine of Intermittent Fasting (IF) - sometimes going a full 24 hours without food, but once the fast is broken I eat and I eat well! When I workout, I do so in a fasted state and once I'm done, I typically ride out the post workout high for an hour or 2 before re-feeding. I don't eat breakfast, but do enjoy a nice hearty lunch and smaller dinner.

When I felt the need to "up" my fat loss, I cut back on eating high sugar foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, fruits, etc. I don't eat much fruit now nor do I eat carrots, but if I am out dining with friends or family I won't shy away from indulging the sweet treat. Speaking of sweets - no sugar, no chocolate, and nuts. Nuts to me are 'dangerous' because I could and have gone to town on a whole container of them in one sitting. To avoid this pitfall, I simply don't eat them.

I supplement with 4 fish oils a day (2 at each meal) and if I am out and eat high Omega 6 rich foods, I will take a teaspoon of Carlson's Cod liver oil post mealtime. For feminine issues like bloating, PMS, and all that jazz associated with hormones I take an evening primrose oil supplement daily. That little gem has helped dealing with the monthly side effects of being a lady a lot.

All in all weight loss is not concrete - it fluctuates like the temperature outside. Like temperature it is just a number. Seriously, try not to sweat it. What you should be focusing on is how you feel and how you're clothes fit - stuff like that. Numbers will only drive you insane. Go out there and get wild! :)

I had to drop all the carbs from my diet to start seeing steady significant loss. I was paleo starting Feb '10, and it took me all that year to get off 20 pounds. I would constantly be going up and down, and I still had some appetite issues even strict no dairy paleo. I thought the zero carb people were nutters, but I went full carni in January and I've lost another 12 since then.

I'm essentially ZC or VLC, I don't count calories or weigh anything, but I try to estimate to 75% fat. I eat eggs, bacon, grassfed butter and cheese, heavy cream, beef, lamb... The only plants I eat are herbs. I'm just one of those weirdos who stops losing weight even with a bit of green veg.

Mind, I was vegetarian for 5 years, raw vegan 2 years, and fruitarian 1 year. And I'm not yet 21. I essentially went from 115lbs to 230 eating tofu and broccoli, and then tried to shift that weight starving myself with watermelon and lettuce with no avail, so I'm betting my body is still reeling a bit.

I lost the last 10lbs I needed to lose once I switched to Paleo and dropped by body fat by about 7% in just a month. I am 5'2" and 136lbs with approximately 24% body fat. This puts me just in the "normal" range for my height. I am extremely happy with my fitness and body composition right now.

I did watch my calories and ratios as well as eating lacto-Paleo. I kept my calories to 1200 and keep my fat at around 50% and my carbs and protein at 75 grams each.

As I switched to maintenance I raised my calories to 1350, then up to 1500 while keeping my ratios the same. I have been able to maintain my 110lb weight loss for the last 3 months while keeping this protocol.

I do 20/30 minutes of HIIT intervals/CrossFit three days a week. I've been doing this amount of exercise for the last year.

I have to cut out carbs, nuts and fruit to loose weight. To loose effectively, I have to be in a state similar to the Atkins induction phase. Its really annoying but I've come to terms with it. The moment I start drinking alcohol, eating fruit or carbs it all piles back on. I haven't gotten down to my goal weight yet so I can't go into a maintenance phase yet.

I lost 50lbs by going low-carb/paleo...it was amazing because the weight just fell off of me without exercise...and it took about 1 year for the weight to come off. Now that I am back near my best weight, I have added exercise into the mix. At this point I am not really interested in losing more weight, although that might happen...I am more interested in building muscle and firming up. I am 54 years old, 5'8" tall and wear a size 8 jeans. Going paleo/low-carb is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

I lost 30lbs this past year, went from a size 16 to 6. I'm 5'8" and now weigh 135lbs. I followed the paleo/primal meal plan along with exercise a minimum of 3 days a week. I lost my last 5lbs by kicking up the cardio ... for me that was learning how to run. I've been able to maintain my weight and also reduce medications for diabetes, blood pressure, cholesteral and migraines by 85%. :)

I have to restrict calories in order to lose any weight. However I won't put on weight and can maintain easily without watching calories and eating to satiation. Strict paleo, no dairy. Also, my bodyweight fluctuates by about 5 pounds depending on the time of the month ;)

I did not lose weight initially, but of course my husband did, and he didn't need to! Now he is struggling to gain the weight back and hasn't had any luck so far.

Even though I did not lose weight, I didn't gain anything and it was great not to be hungry and not to count calories at all. To lose weight on Paleo, I had to restrict my carbs Atkins Induction Style (but strict Paleo diet) by limiting myself to under 20 net carbs per day (no nuts or fruit). That's when I finally started losing. It really sucks to go Paleo and not lose weight, but now I am looking forward to the day when I can eat nuts and fruit again without gaining.

Weight loss hasn't been a specific goal of mine, and eating a standard dairy-free paleo diet kept me at 123lbs (I'm 5'7") for the first few years of the diet. Last September I cut out all carbs except leafy greens (for digestive issues) and got down to 110lbs- actually below where I want to be, a problem I never thought I'd have! I've added in waaay more fat and stopped running (due to a busy schedule), and I'm back up to 120. So I conclude... Weight loss is mainly in the carb count, and healthy maintenance is in good amounts of fat.

update: When I wrote this post I had amenorrhea, and now that I am menstruating again, I shot up to 130lbs without trying- hormones are a huge role in female body composition!

I haven't lost much, and my body weight seems to live its own life unrelated to the food I eat ;-) Or so it seems sometimes. I blame it on the anti-anxiety meds I take, though, as I put on 30Ibs on one them. But I don't really care much, I feel great so I am fine with the bit of extra fat I carry around. I know my muscles got MUCH better, stronger and more defined. The fat will go away when it's ready. I think I should lose around 20-30Ibs (I am not sure, I haven't weighted myself in months).

To me it was more important I recently bit my high school athletic team kids in push ups. no fat will upset me now ;-) (we were doing our version of the "Presidential Fitness Test" in our school as a part of wellness day)

I switched to Paleo because it made sense to me. I wanted to maintain long term health. As a result I lost 12 pounds. My mom NEEDS to lose weight due to her emphesema and she has had success with Paleo eating.

It seems to me, the more fat I eat the more weight I lose. So, to make my family happy, I delibertly think about adding in more healthy carbs, so I can stop losing weight. I am 45 years, 5'4" and weigh 118.

Food is very important to me, but now I don't think about it that often because I am satiated & nourished. When I do eat, I strive for the most nutrient dense foods. Its really quite easy to be Paleo.

By the way, for example: I use heavy cream (with a bit of coffee or in tea) butter, grass fed beef, pastured eggs, some veggies, little to no fruit (once a week). No sugar or processed foods if I can avoid it. I am not 100% perfect all the time. Traveling is the worse time for me.

I wasn't trying to lose weight when I went paleo, but I did, effortlessly and immediately (which is odd for me--pre-paleo, I had to watch my calories like a hawk to maintain my weight, which was incredibly stressful and depressing). I was about 115 lbs (I'm 5' 3") when I started, and was down to 105 in a month (it's worth noting that I completely stopped counting calories). If you're on paleo and not losing, my guess is that your diet is too fruit/starch-heavy. Try trading in things like fruit, squash, and sweet potatoes for high-fiber, low-sugar/starch veggies for a while and see what happens.

Just so the gainers know they're not alone...

I'm 5'2'' 114 pounds. I gained 5 pounds on Paleo for the 30 days I was on it and felt sluggish and tired. I went from taking in about 50 grams of carbs to about 20 grams, but it still didn't help and I kept gaining. I also experienced a lot of stomach issues and, if you can believe it, broke into rashes and hives quite frequently (I think I developed an egg allergy).

My background: Been lacto-vegetarian for 6 years (on Paleo I introduced fish and eggs). I've been off processed food and eating a 'real food' diet for the past 2 years (I lost about 5 pounds effortlessly just making that switch. I've never had problems with energy and have always been very active, weight lifting and doing light cardio at the the gym about 4-5 times per week, taking yoga, ballet and biking to work on top of it.

When went Paleo I found I couldn't keep up my active lifestyle anymore. I was tired at the gym and ended my workouts early quite frequently (though I did cut back on how often I was going).

Since then, I switched back to my regular diet and my energy levels came back up and I effortlessly dropped the 5 pounds I had gained (actually in just a matter of days).

Your mileage may vary.

What I find works for me is: 1-A bigger high fat/low carb breakfast: eggs, heavy cream, full fat sausage 2-Reduce stress. 3-Take 1 or 2 15min "sun breaks" during my work day 4-Focus on eating meals slower & chewing fully

No diet without the above works for me. I think stress hormones might undermine women's weightloss in a way that it doesn't for a man?

I would suggest keeping a food log of what you are eating for a week. I would really focus on how many grams of protein you are taking in. Robb Wolf suggests .5-1 gram per a lb of body weight. I do about .85 per a lb of body weight. Make sure you are getting in enough protein and then filling the rest of your diet with healthy fats and veggies. Here are some more paleo weight loss tips:

http://www.30daysofpaleo.com/my-blog/2011/01/new-years-resolution-paleo-tips-.html

Lax paleo got rid of the weight I gained in college and got me down from 145 lbs to 132 lbs (I'm 5'7"). I did a 2-week Atkins induction experiment that got me down to 127 lbs and I looked noticeably thinner, but I was happy enough at 132 lbs that I didn't continue Atkins and I gained the 5 lbs back. My lax paleo diet maintained me at 132 lbs for 5 years until I got pregnant.

So I guess the upshot is, paleo makes me lose weight, low carb makes me lose more weight.

I gained weight on Paleo but also work out a lot, so hard to say how much is muscle. I do want to lose about 10lbs of fat and couldn't get the scale to budge until I cut carbs to less than 50g total a day. I log everything. I thought I'd lack energy, but don't at all.

I lost weight initially when I switched to Paleo (probably about 5-ish lbs). I'm 5'6" and and about 162 lbs, last time I had my body fat measured it was 21-22%. I carry most of my weight in my thighs... I'd love to lean down a bit, so I'm looking more into IF and PSMF - anyone have any tips?

Looking at my cal/fat/carb averages for a few days taken over the past month, I average 1700 calories, 125g of fat (60% of calories), 110g of carbs (24%, higher than I thought it would be for veggies!), and 72g of protein (15%) a day.

I've been easing into paleo since Aug 2010 and have lost ~30 lbs. I started by cutting boxed foods and other processed foods. I then limited my grain intake, and then finally completely cut out gluten and most grains.

I haven't really lost any weight since Nov/Dec and I know I have more fat to lose...I can see it sitting on my belly. I have been maintaining, but not losing. The weight-loss stall doesn't have much to do with the holidays as I stayed fairly strict and even hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas at my house so I could control the food options a little more. I think the major culprit is that the cold weather moved in around that time and so I stopped playing in the backyard as much.

I'm considering cutting out dairy and alcohol. I limit sugar intake, but I could be better about this. I also have a love affair with potatoes, which can't be helping my waistline. 8)

As far as exercise, most of what I do is slow and steady (walking the dog, bike rides, etc.). A few weeks ago, I started the 100 pushups challenge and, now that the weather is improving, I plan to be outside running around more at higher speeds/intensities.

I have always lost weight easier than my husband, but I think that has more to do with our backgrounds: I have been skinny for most of my life (chunky for 7 of my 27 years) whereas he has been overweight or obese most, if not all, of his life.

I have lost thirty pounds since starting Paleo. However, I am restricting my carbs. I average between 6-30g carbs a day. Oh, and I started Paleo the beginning of January.

I've wanted to post this same question. I've always found I only lose weight w/some form of calorie reduction. I tried Paleo hoping there'd be an exception. NOPE!

I actually gained weight eating no-dairy paleo--from 132 to 146 (@5' 6") or so cos I think I added heavy weights @ same time as diet and might have been eating too much protein at first, but that was OK since I'm 43 and wanted a little more muscle mass for my bones/longevity.

I tried a lot of things before cutting calories but recently CR has FINALLY worked for me. Cutting out nuts nor adding sprints to my workouts helped the fat come off until I did calorie restriction. The fat is melting off now.

I average around 1200 a day and eat only meats, fish, eggs, leafy greens, onion (as big carb hit of the day!), avocados. I eat about 50 carbs a day. Fish oil, Vit D, nettle tea daily for calcium.

Last summer I was losing weight on about 1200 calores, 100-130 carbs but I don't think it was as easy for my body to get into ketosis which helps. So the weight loss seems faster on the lower carbs.

I generally skip breakfast and go for a walk instead. I'm IF'ing, feeding between 12pm-7pm daily, generally.

Check out this recent podcast @Healthy Skeptic on food quality and body fat set points/metabolism and some ideas on how to change your body's system. Interesting theory.

Good luck!

I'll fill out a complete account at a later date but for me, weight loss has been achieved with one key word that seems to set all my ducks in a row: SLEEP

Men and post-menopausal women are far more sensitive to the lipogenic effects of fructose. The elimination of it from the diet of an estrogen-producing female will have a much less drastic effects. My gut feeling is that an increase in activity is far more important for weight loss among these females.

I lost too much weight when I first started Paleo. It just fell off. I've tried the low carb thing twice and always gain weight that way. I've tracked my food intake for a long time now and looked back at how I was eating when I lost weight the first time it looked like this:

Smoothie for breakfast: low cal

Spinach salad with some protein, berries and lots of olive oi for lunch: medium cal

Hard boiled eggs and lara bar or coconut flakes and almonds for snack

Huge pile of veggies with lots of fat and a large chunk of protein for dinner: high cal

Lots of frozen blueberries, strawberries and coconut milk and/or apples with almond butter for pre-bedtime snack

Overall I ate more calories than calories in calories out would say I ought to and lost weight. Now my weight stays pretty even unless I have any sweeteners at all, including honey or if I do the low carb thing, then I gain weight.

i can relate...i read that with paleo in a year one's weight would be where it should beI have been doing paleo for one year. i was a good 70 pounds over weight when i began...i lost about 30 pounds in the first several months. i am 54,so post menopausal and a type 1 diabetic . i started cross fit 2 and a half months ago and have gained 8 pounds...grrr..i know...i know it's muscle..i dont care so much about numbers... i would like to lose the fat that coats my new muscle. i feel terrific but i want the fat gone..sounds like i need to kebosh the alcohol and all dairy...being diabetic carbs are important especially when blood sugars go low which they do with exercise...any suggestions?

I am 46 years old, and have been doing crossfit for about 2 years. I work out 4-5 days a week, doing one boxing class along with the crossfit. I am 5'2" and weigh about 160. I am strong, so I try to remember that the scale number doesn't mean that much. But, I have had three children and my belly is flabby. I am just starting to transition into as paleo a diet as I can muster( between the kids and keeping kosher this feels very hard!). I am hoping that with the increased protein and decreased ( I hope) carb intake I can lose the weight, and get down to the size I want to be. Any help would be very appreciated!

I have had no problems taking out brown basmati rice (my only carbv of that kind) but I don't lose weight because I can easily eat 1000 calories of pecan nuts or almonds a sitting.

I suspect in evolutionary terms women were/are superior to men in that was can store fat and we need it as we make babies etc. So what was good then for 2 million years is not quite so good now when we won't be in times of famine very often these days.

I have always even as a child much preferred the protein and fat in any meal to anything else with it - typical meal as a child would be boiled pototoes and meat and some veg. and I could eat as much meat as I was given and more.

As a lot of women have said above fruit is probably the problem here. It is good for us and I think we need some and my body feels so good with it BUT unlike when I go in the garden to pick the wild blackberries and get only a mere handful, now we can buy as much as we can afford the portions are much larger and the cultured fruits much sweeter than traditionally are. Lack of will power over fruit is a problem.