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Is it possible, that the reason Paleo is viewed as a weight loss diet and not a lifestyle choice, is because it lacks the proper name?

There is Vegetarian, Vegan, etc. and these are viewed as dietary lifestyles, possibly because they can say, I am a Vegetarian, or I am a Vegan, and that encompasses their beliefs in one small phrase.

I have recently talked to a freind who is going Vegan, I asked him why, and he said it was a healthy lifestyle. Maybe if we can coin a term to convince people that this is a livestyle, and not just a fad diet, it would broaden the reach of the Paleo diet to more people who may otherwise disregard it as a weightloss diet.

Not to say that more people is necessarily a good thing, but it could sure change alot of peoples lives.

What can we as people who eat a Paleo Diet say that we are?

I am a paleo? I am a caveman? They just sound awkward.

Do we need a term that says oh, that person only eats __. Maybe then more people/companies would make appropriate adjustments/provisions.

Ideally we would say I am a human. But, that is no longer a qualifying term, as far as diet goes.

What are your ideas?

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We changed the name already. – Dave S. Jan 6 2012 at 19:09
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A clue to another reason it might have been viewed as a weight loss diet and not as a lifestyle choice comes from the recent Robb Wolf podcast with Prof Cordain. Cordain had said that when his first book came out, the publishers/editor really pushed for it to be a diet book, since those were really popular at the time. Cordain had wanted more of a lifestyle book, but didn't have the clout to make it so. I thought that was interesting. – Sara S. Jan 6 2012 at 19:12
I said in another thred that paleo is not a lifestyle. Paleo is simply what you eat at mealtimes. – Warren D Jan 8 2012 at 13:57

7 Answers

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i live a crapless lifestyle

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An archevore.

One who eats that which is essential.

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I love Dr. Harris, especially his low tolerance for poor logic. But I seriously doubt that the archevore label is going anywhere. I think he simply wanted to distance himself from "paleo", especially Cordain. The only real problem I have with using "paleo" is the strong association with Cordain. The MSM acts like he owns it. But I haven't seen a better alternative term. – Dave S. Jan 6 2012 at 19:16
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I am an evolutionary.

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I only eat Jenny Grok. Before that I did the BaconFast Shakes.

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I like PRIMAL. Really sums it up for me.

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For now I'm sticking with ancestral. It's about me and my ancestors.

I liked primal at first but it's a bit commercialized for my taste.

I tried out "archevore" but it had no zing.

I tried out "Omnivore" but everyone's an omnivore.

I tried out "Whole foodist" and even I laughed.

I tried out "moderate" but that's taken already.

So, for me it's either "crapless" as sage said or "no-junk-no-how"' or ancestral.

I'm still willing to think about other labels, though, since I don't live or die by what we call what we're doing. "by any other name" as Willie said.

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Ancestral is great! Archevore always looks like the word anchovie to me -blech. – Senneth Jan 6 2012 at 22:15
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I think it is hard to have a fits-all term at present as most of us are coming from a variety of approaches (PHD/Primal/Paleo/WAPF/GAPS/...) and are still trying to define exactly where our body does best and what camp we fit in. We could go for a broad umbrella name I suppose but I think that could undermine the history, theory and individuality that each variation of this way of life/eating brings. Sorry if I'm rambling - trying to organize my thoughts.

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