Dante,
If you're on a diet prescribed by a doctor, then that supersedes anything in this reply. In fact, I hesitate in adding to the "conversation" here, because this topic is prone to go downhill quickly, but I have used the Paleo diet for the last two years and it works for me
TL;DREat simple, whole foods. If your goal is to lose weight, watch your sugar and carb intake. Counting calories is a waste of time if you're diet consists of nothing but processed foods. Exercise is good, but your diet is more important.
My StoryOver the years, I had become more sedentary and my diet was crap. Some days I had McDonalds for all three of my meals. Tried a bunch of diets over the years: Weight Watchers, South Beach, etc., and they all worked, but I found myself sliding back into my old habits all too easily.
A couple of years ago, I was up to 285lb and I'm 5'10". My primary focus was on running my business and I felt like I didn't have time to focus on my health. I picked up a copy of the 5-Hour Body by Timothy Ferris and his "Slow Carb" diet seemed simple enough, so I decided to give it a try. I did lose some weight and stuck with it for about six months. However, I kept hearing about the Paleo diet from various sources so I decided to look into it and ended up switching to it.
Over the next year, I lost over 85lbs, felt better, more energy, etc. Most of my weight loss was due to diet. The only exercise I added was to do some intervals (walking, push ups, lunges and squats), which averaged about one workout per week.
Paleo In A Nutshell 1. No grains
2. No processed foods
3. No processed seed oils
4. No dairy (optional)
The basic premise is that all of those items are gut irritants and cause inflammation, which lead to other issues, the most serious being "leaky gut". It's called Paleo because it references how our ancestors ate during the Paleolithic period.
I didn't have crazy rapid weight loss, but it was consistent and it was noticeable. I'd say I lost about 2-3lbs per week. I didn't really watch the scale that much though because I could see it and feel it in my clothes.
It's not really a diet as much as it is a lifestyle. The way that I eat has completely changed. I cook a lot more, but I'm happy to do it because the food tastes so good. I've also found that my wife and I don't go out to eat as much because it's simply not a good value (it's so much less expensive to cook at home) and often times it doesn't taste as good.
Paleo isn't a patented system, so you can adapt it to what works for you. However, I do encourage people to give it at least 30 days before you decide to tinker with it. I've added back rice about once a week and I do enjoy butter and cheese if I know it's from grass-fed cows for example.
I did go back to eating crap again when I was under a lot of stress about 6 months ago and I naturally gained about 15lbs back. It was a vicious cycle where I felt down (due to stress), so I ate some fast food to feel better and that ended up making me feel worse. Rinse and repeat. About 30-days ago, I decided to stop being stupid and went back to normal eating. Already dropped 5lbs and I'm feeling better, clothes are looser again, etc.
Free Resources To Learn More -
Latest In Paleo Podcast -
RobbWolf.comBooks -
Practical Paleo A great book for covering the basics without getting too bogged down in the science. Lots of recipes and meal plans.
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The Paleo Solution If you want to go deep into the science, this is the book to get. Well written, funny and I use his margarita recipe to this day.
SummaryI don't think there is any one diet that has everything 100% correct. Also, nutrition isn't a religion, so I don't think there is any point in being dogmatic about it either. As science discovers new information, then we can learn from it and integrate it into living longer, healthier lives.
The Paelo diet is rooted in science, but it does knowingly make certain evolutionary assumptions, so there is room for interpretation and how you apply that in your own life. This lifestyle works for me and I've seen it work for others, maybe it'll work for you.
