Paleo again faster

 I'm always hungry at night

I'm always hungry at night too. I just eat. I keep salami around, or almonds. I'm still at a 25 year low, down about 28 pounds from 18 months ago.

Another thing I would do if I ran after dinner (and thus didn't want to fill up too much at dinner) would be to eat dinner leftovers after my run.
 
This is all terribly

This is all terribly interesting! Saypay, I didn't realize you were as new as me! I'm stinkin' excited because I got my Sunbutter in the mail today! Oh my goodness...WONDERFUL! It satisfied me for the first time this week!

One thing my husband and I are both finding is that, because we're kind of bored of the same 'ole stuff, we're just opting to not eat. Don't know how long that will last! My energy level is probably the same and my husband says he was tired at first, but it's picking up. He's a much bigger guy than me, so I'm sure we'll react very differently.

Maybe the Paleo People should have their own section so we can share recipes and ideas with each other!
 
I think the biggest weird

I think the biggest weird thing about how people do Paleo is to just eat veggies and fruits all day long - it does mess with your hunger to never really be satiated with enough protein. I am a big believer in gorgeing (eating alot of food in one sitting) and then fasting to the next meal at least or even to the rest of the day - it helps regulate blood sugar. Eat alot, more than you think you could ever eat, at your next meal and don't make it too carby and then see if you can get by without snacking for awhile. People don't need to eat constantly.
 
btw, I originally started

btw, I originally started doing this as a 3-month experiment and use it as a stepping stone to start a 3-month experiment with either Vegan, raw vegan, or the fruitopian diets but have been enjoying this one immensely and do not plan on stopping any time soon.
 
Great thread and happy to see

Great thread and happy to see others interested in Paleo/Caveman eating. I'm been doing my version of it since May. Started at around 165lbs and am hovering at 150lbs now. Can't gain, can't lose. I either need to eat less or run more, or just be content. I've lost most of my sidesaddles so am fairly content.

I started following The Paleo Diet for Athletes but didn't agree that runner's should make exclusions. After all, our forefathers were runners so why should we include items in our diet that they didn't?

I next started reading Mark's Daily Apple and for the most part agreed with what he has to say. Again, there are certain things that bug me. Why exclude certain things but then create "safe" alternates that are either supposed to look or taste like the real thing? Also, dairy is ok in some forms? I don't buy it (although I love cheese and hard a hard time quitting it). Mark is going kinda overboard as well trying to get people to eat, sleep, and even crap caveman style...as in squat on your toilets rather then sitting down. A bit too much for me.

I cheat once in a while still, and drink beer much, much, more then I should but I still mostly follow my one basic rule - " Would ancient man have access to this and am I be able to and willing to eat this item in it's raw state?" This does not mean I have to eat my items raw, it just means I could if I choose to.

Meals are very simple.

Breakfast - usually a couple bananas, some liquid egg whites, and maybe a small cup of raw mixed nuts*

Lunch - veggie meal with some meat. Usually a salad with sliced meat added. Dressing is garlic olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Dinner - mostly meat with some veggies

Snacks are usually mixed raw nuts or fruit.

Drinks - I try for 3 cups of hot green tea a day and lots of water. I don't mind wine (fermented grapes) and tequila (agave) on the diet either.

If I go out to eat, I will try to pick the most diet-friendly item on the menu but usually won't object if the item has something minor in it. Today I had a Cobb Salad that had a little amount of blue cheese in it. Not that big a deal considering the amount of food I was eating since I also finished off a friend's steak as well as another persons breakfast order (yes, I eat a lot of food!)

I did cheat last weekend and ate 12 rolled tacos and a coke (1st time for grains and soda since May) after one of my long runs. I was expecting the grains and dairy to screw with my system big time and was surprised that my system didn't object.

Main foods I avoid - grains, dairy, legumes, soy, starchy veggies (including potatoes), cocoa, coffee, sugar (I use non-processed agave nectar if I need a sweetner).

For running, I use water and Stinger energy gels (original honey version). I will use this combo for my Ultra tomorrow and eat fruit from the aid stations. Occassionaly I'll mix some chopped dates with crushed nuts and bring that along as well.



*read up on roasted nuts. If flash heated, they tend to lose all the things that make them healthy. Buy raw and slow roast at home at a temp under 200 degrees.
 
Hi folks, sorry I've been

Hi folks, sorry I've been away!

startingupagain, I had to do a bit of skimming to get through all this, but I think you said you're eating a little dairy and some almonds and you're hungry all the time. I wanted to share with you that when I ate almonds I got REALLY hungry and I eventually gave up all nuts besides the occasional coconut or macadamia. Also, being hungry is usually a sign of - guess what ? - not eating enough! Once you get over this very modern idea that it's healthy to feel hungry all the time, it starts to make sense that you should eat more fat. Once you strike the right balance between fat and protein, you can really start to get a grip on the hunger. For me that means 65-70% calories from fat, and about 30% calories from protein. Not being hungry is actually my highest priority, over losing weight and being strong and fast.

I'm not sure anyone's mentioned explicitly that Paleo doesn't have to be low-carb. Loren Cordain recommends a particular ratio, but traditional diets from around the world are all over the map - from the Inuit who live mostly on salmon and seal fat, to the Kitavans who eat almost no fat at all (although about 90% of the fat they eat is saturated). I'm going with the theory that the best form of carbs is simple starches, because that's easiest for your body to absorb (and available year round) and less likely to promote unhealthy gut flora. So I'm gradually bringing starch back into my diet by stewing root vegetables with my meats - mostly carrots and radishes.

As for how to keep enough meat in the house, it is a major effort, but for me it's also a hobby. Plus, since I only eat once a day it's less work that it might be otherwise. But here's what I try to do every week:

Make a batch of beef stock (I start with a full 5-gallon pot, but by the end I usually have about 3 pints)

Make 6-9 pounds of roast (braised) beef in the crock pot, using the stock.

Grill hamburgers for quick meals (I especially love them with the homemade pickles in summer)

Grill steaks the rest of the time - our butcher saves unsold steaks for us and sells them to us at half price

I sneak a bit of the raw liver when I prepare it for jschwab, but I also like to fry a big ole quarter-pound slice for myself once or twice a week.

Occasional meals include beef heart, beef tongue, lamb's head (only tried that once, but I've been thinking about doing it again), pig's feet, lamb shanks, lamb leg and shoulder, etc. Last weekend I smoked a brisket and that was pretty fantastic.

I'm looking forward to cabbage season. We haven't had any homemade sauerkraut for a while.
 
I just got The Paleo Solution

I just got The Paleo Solution in the mail yesterday. Thank you Bears for coming through and winning (the book was from a bet). I've been migrating towards a more paleo way of eating the last 6 months, but not I'm looking forward to trying it for at least 30 days. I think getting rid of grains will be a big step and improvement.
 
Matt - it may take a couple

Matt - it may take a couple weeks for your body to adapt depending upon your current diet. Don't be discouraged and definitely give it a minimum of 30 days before making any judgements.

As long as you have the mental fortitude to stick with it, I'm sure you'll be very happy with how your body feels after the 30 days. But be forwarned that you may lose a bit of speed during the adaption phase.
 
Shacky -- I have very little

Shacky -- I have very little speed to lose, so that won't be an issue. For my Sunday long runs, I've been trying to train my body to use more fat and fewer carbs. I don't know if it's working, but I have noticed that I'm no longer famished when I get done with a long run. In the past, I was so hungry after a run, I HAD to eat some high carb snack the second I got back in the house.
 
I'm glad we have some

I'm glad we have some experienced Paleo dieters on the forum to chat with. All of your advice is very helpful.

I was on vacation last week in Disneyworld. I figured it would be hell to continue the diet through the week. I was surprised how much food I could actually eat over there. The buffets were awesome! I took Shacky's method, where I didn't care so much what was in certain foods as long as I concentrated on getting lots of meats, veggies, and fruits.

Still managed to lose some weight and have had plenty of energy for my runs, including a 13.1 this weekend. I still use some running supplements during my runs for that quick sugar, but I've switched to more healthy alternatives like Clif products and nuun as opposed to sports drink. I might go further in that regard, but I don't notice any adverse effects from those things yet.
 
SP -- I'm also finding that

SP -- I'm also finding that eating out can be a lot easier than eating in in terms of Paleo. My house is still a grain emporium. I think it will take some time to throw out all the bad stuff and keep the food in the house down to the good stuff. Thankfully, my cravings for sugar and grains are in remission. So I can look at the stuff without needing to eat it.

The downside of Paleo this week is that I feel a huge surge of energy. I think that I will need to cut back in coffee to compensate for this energy surge.
 
 Just following with some

Just following with some interest. I have thyroid stuff going on and the diet was recommended to me, sort of, by my naturopath. For the thyroid stuff I am wheat-free and soy-free (very hard, the soy! that sh!t is in everything!). Trying to adjust by eating some rice for right now, but not sure where I'm going to go from here.

Does anybody eat venison on the diet? That's about all we ate last year; dh shot a nice deer and hoping he'll do the same soon for this year. It's pretty lean, but I can't imagine a more caveman-esque thing to eat!

I've only been without wheat for, what, five days, but I feel pretty good. Did a great 18 miles without my usual hunger breakdowns, though I did use some bloks along with my Larabar because I wasn't sure what else to do.

It's a process, I guess, and it's nice to hear y'all's experiences too.
 
Hey chick,If I give you my

Hey chick,

If I give you my address, will you send some of that venison down my way? I'd love if my diet could include a lot of that. Seriously, hook me up!
 
 lol shacky, dh would LOVE to

lol shacky, dh would LOVE to shoot enough that we could give it away or sell it, but he has yet to shoot even one for us this year! He is a bow hunter and so it takes more time to get the right shot. But if we have more than we need I will absolutely let you know. He swore to all things holy that he would get two this weekend, but we'll see!
 
Anyone ever tried following

Anyone ever tried following the method found in Paleo Diet for Athletes? It pretty much says to follow the paleo diet except for during your workout, or immediately after. At those times, you should consider high glycemic index carbs to quickly replenish what you lose during heavy endurance workouts.

I'm starting to look longingly at bread, so I'm thinking about trying it out. I'm worried about gaining back the weight I lost on the diet in the last month (my beer belly is pretty much gone), and I'm also worried that all of the starch is going to make me feel like crap.
 
saypay45 wrote:Anyone ever

saypay45 said:
Anyone ever tried following the method found in Paleo Diet for Athletes? It pretty much says to follow the paleo diet except for during your workout, or immediately after. At those times, you should consider high glycemic index carbs to quickly replenish what you lose during heavy endurance workouts.

I'm starting to look longingly at bread, so I'm thinking about trying it out. I'm worried about gaining back the weight I lost on the diet in the last month (my beer belly is pretty much gone), and I'm also worried that all of the starch is going to make me feel like crap.

Personally, I think it depends on what ails you. I hang out on a low carb nutrition forum (lots of Paleoites over there - and, surprisingly, lots of BF/minimalist folks). And what I've noticed with folks is that there is a very small percentage that has real sensitivity to both sugar and grains, but most people have one or the other as their "kryptonite". I can't eat any grains at all without blowing up and bloating, but plain straight out sugar is OK - other people are the opposite and cannot even have a little sugar in salad dressing without their body freaking out. I have slowly weaned away from sports beans and stuff, but that is more because of the artificial flavors and colors than anything else. If I ever did a superlong run, like approaching 20 miles, again I would gladly guzzle some corn syrup in the form of Coke (which I can handle without getting migraines).
 
saypay45 wrote:I still use

saypay45 said:
I still use some running supplements during my runs for that quick sugar, but I've switched to more healthy alternatives like Clif products and nuun as opposed to sports drink.

I hope you don't mind me asking, but more healthy than what? Most of the Clif products I've seen are based on soy and milk protein isolates. I would choose a bag of sugar in a second over a Clif bar. Most Lara bars, on the other hand, are nothing but dates, fruit and nuts - no added nasties at all.
 
I'm trying more and more

I'm trying more and more (especially on my long Sunday runs) to run in a fasted, and mostly carb depleted state. A little stored fat can literally take you across the country in terms of providing energy. Since I'm not aiming for a really fast or rigorous long run, I think burning fat is what I'm aiming for.

I think both Robb Wolf and Mark Sisson have said in the past that there are no essential carbs. We will die without protein or fat. But our body is fine without carbs.
 
After Dr. Atkins died, I

After Dr. Atkins died, I remember research came out showing that carbs are essential for brain function. Sorry to interrupt.