Anonymous wrote:I'm post-menopausal, and I've been sugar-free and mostly primal (no chocolate, no wine, but I do eat lots of fruit and some cheese) for six weeks. I have lost about one pound, total. I don't know if it's due to my hormone change post-menopause or not. But at least I have not gained any weight. Before I cut sugar out of my diet (and yeast, so no yeast breads of any kind) I was gaining weight. But it's disappointing to me that cutting out sugar (absolutely no processed foods, no artificial ingredients, grass fed meats, organic fruits and veggies, lots of nuts, healthy fats like coconut oil) that I have not lost any weight.

I'm trying to up my exercise -- I walk about 30 minutes every day, and I hate exercising.

I love hearing about all these success stories on Paleo, but I have not seen it. I'd love to hear from post-menopausal women who have been successful at losing weight.

Before menopause, I dropped 10 pounds easily when I stopped eating gluten. But after menopause, the weight came right back on! Menopause sucks! I look like an egg now!

OP here again. I think your issue is most definitely exercise. For me exercise is critical, I do not think for a second I could be where I am right now without exercise. I know people say 80 diet 20 exercise. For me it is more like 50/50. I think weight bearing and muscle building exercise is especially important for maintaining a healthy hormonal balance (and NO weigh lifting will NOT make you bulky). More muscle makes your body more metabolically active. As we age our muscle mass decreases, so it is important to keep up with it and not slide backwards. To keep it in perspective...a pound of muscle burns 20-30kal where a pound of fat burns 2-3kal. If you are losing muscle as you age and gaining fat, your metabolism is slowing. You will end up eating the same amount or less and still gain weight if you don't work on those muscles.

Anonymous wrote:Fad

OP here. I'm guilty of posting this sort of response on here more than a few times.

I'm 5'9" and at my breaking point was 180lbs. At that point I tried to exercise my way down, that was good for about 5lbs. I then got frustrated and started WW. I was pretty successful, but it was really a PITA to track, I probably lost another 15lbs on WW. I then went to MFP and lost another 10. However losing those 30 lbs took me a loooong 18 months. Mainly because I was so incredibly hungry when calorie counting I would binge. I also exercise pretty hard and was always fatigued.

I've solidly hovered now at 150 for over a year...without calorie counting, which I attribute to exercise keeping my metabolism in check. However in NINE days I have lost 4lbs and cannot believe I see the scale at under 150lbs! This is NOT how my weight loss journey which started 3.5yrs ago has gone. My theory is that eating primal/paleo makes you eat fewer calories without even realizing it. I was considering tracking calories on this diet just out of curiosity because I definitely know that I have to keep my calories at about 1800 to lose weight slowly (anything under that is torture).

I spend a lot of time at the gym and have quite a few friends there who are not just fit, but visibly fit, women who have amazing shoulders, quads, and hamstrings. I'm just as strong (if not stronger than them), but you cannot see it on me since I have a higher body fat. I know all of these women eat paleo, but I just dismissed as them really eating nothing. However, now I realize that I've been missing out. I'm so excited to look as good as I feel! I know Paleo will get me there, plus the added protein will help me build more muscle.

I'm post-menopausal, and I've been sugar-free and mostly primal (no chocolate, no wine, but I do eat lots of fruit and some cheese) for six weeks. I have lost about one pound, total. I don't know if it's due to my hormone change post-menopause or not. But at least I have not gained any weight. Before I cut sugar out of my diet (and yeast, so no yeast breads of any kind) I was gaining weight. But it's disappointing to me that cutting out sugar (absolutely no processed foods, no artificial ingredients, grass fed meats, organic fruits and veggies, lots of nuts, healthy fats like coconut oil) that I have not lost any weight.

I'm trying to up my exercise -- I walk about 30 minutes every day, and I hate exercising.

I love hearing about all these success stories on Paleo, but I have not seen it. I'd love to hear from post-menopausal women who have been successful at losing weight.

Before menopause, I dropped 10 pounds easily when I stopped eating gluten. But after menopause, the weight came right back on! Menopause sucks! I look like an egg now!

Fad

I am the recent pp who does some blend of atkins/paleo/primal.

My weight loss has a cycle. I loose for a few days, then hover or jump up a bit for a few days. Then loose again for a few days. Overall, I've lost 11 lbs in 7 weeks. I use a weight tracking app that allows me to graph my weight and I weigh myself every day at bedtime. So I can really see the pattern. At first, I was concerned when the weight loss stalled, but now I see it as part of my general pattern of loss.

Also, it seems like I don't loose weight during my period.

OP here. Wanted to give an update. I'm officially starting day 9 of Paleo. My weight loss has stalled at 4lbs, which is of course still great! I'm not finding it too difficult to stick to this plan, especially since I'm not restricting calories.

There is a downside. Poop. I cannot seem to poop regularly, despite eating a ton of veggies. I normally take magnesium before bed and had to double my dose last night to get things moving. I suspect I have lost more weight, but have a pound or more of poop hanging around.

One thing that has surprised me is that I have plenty of energy for exercise. I was concerned the lack of carbs would zap my energy, but that is not the case.

This way of eating requires A LOT of planning. I hope to report back in a few days that the scale has gone down some more.

I am about 6 weeks into an adkins/paleo/primal diet. Atkins as I'm limiting carbs to around 20 grams per day. Paleo, as I am reading and following a lot of paleo principles, like no grains, legumes, sweeteners, or corn/soy oils. Primal as I eat lots of high fat dairy, a little bit of wine/liquor, and small bits of dark chocolate.

I've lost 11 lbs, most of which came off into first 2 weeks. I was 137 and now I'm 126. I loose weight in fits and starts, and sometimes gain a pound or 2, before loosing again. I'm at my high school weight and feel great. I wanted to loose my muffin top and its totally gone.

My husband is doing this as well and he's lost 10 lbs too. He was on the slender side to start with. For both of us, the key is to eat more fat. Butter, bacon, fatty cuts of meat, coconut oil, avocado, cheese, heavy cream etc.

I'd say there are 2 downsides so far. One is that I don't like being one of "those people" who have gotten all fussy about food. Its more my style to just enjoy whatever food people are sharing. The other is that we overspent our food budget this month by $300. Beans and grains are much less expensive ways to fill the belly. (we didn't go out to eat, so saved a little there to make up for some of the extra grocery money)

Another odd thing is that I was a big drinker and on this low carb diet I have a very low tolerance. And I'm just not that interested in alcohol. This is from being in ketosis, and I think once I up my carb intake a bit I'll be able to handle my bourbon again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I followed primal eating for the last 5 days. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I stepped on the scale just now and have lost 4lbs. Mind you I am not overweight. I have never lost weight this fast. I'm not hungry because i eat any amount i want within primal foods.

The strangest thing is I'm simply not that hungry. Is it because I'm not eating sugar? Does sugar send your appetite soaring? It is like I eat and don't crave more food 30min later (like usual).

I'm simply stunned by how simple this is. I cannot believe what my stomach looks like. I wish I had done before and after pics. I did not think the weight loss would be so rapid and especially did jot realize the impact it would have on my belly.

You are not as hungry because the protein takes longer to digest.
This is very inspirational. I am starting Whole 30 on Monday with spouse. Getting ready for it this weekend.
Good luck OP!

Thanks to you and everyone else for the well wishes!

Yes, planning and prep is CRITICAL.

Only word of caution, I looked at Whole 30 and for me it was too restrictive. I'm sure the results if you can do it are dramatic.

However, if you feel like it is too much, I strongly suggest giving primal a try. Good luck! I'm glad I can share my success. If I get to my goal I will dig up some before pictures…I know i have some embarrassing bathing suit pictures and I will post an after so you can see what a real life 36yr old working mom was able to do with sticking to this way of eating.

Anonymous wrote:OP, can you post a typical day of eating? I want to learn!

I just finished day 6 so nothing yet is typical! Today I had:

-bananna/bit of chicken before the gym
-3 hard boiled eggs after the gym (they have them for sale at my gym and I was on the go, headed to sports)
-day packed with sports, so went to Red Robin for lunch and had an Ensada (sp?) chicken platter. Grilled chicken over salad.
-Dinner: 1/2 avocado, some shrimp cocktail, vinaigrette coleslaw (homemade, no sugar), and this soup I've been eating all week, but I made it with pork spare ribs and skimmed off all the fat: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-perfect-pot-of-primal-soup/#axzz32mj4quVJ

Each morning I've had an omelet, nuts for snacks, piece of fruit, avocados, my soup I made on MOnday for lunch each day, and if I did not make a diner from Mark's Daily Apple, I defaulted to a mixed green salad with meat on top and home made dressing.

I will say, you HAVE to get familiar and creative in the kitchen for this to work. I've always done a meal plan so I'm just scouring the web for good recipes for our family that are primal. My main plan is to have a big pot of soup for lunches that I make on Sunday/Monday. For me, I don't mind eating the same lunch every day. I work FT and frankly its a PITA to go out for lunch so I'm grateful to have something to bring to work, plus I save money. The default "fast food" is a protein over a mixed salad. I just get that box salad box of mixed greens.

I used to you out to eat way too much, and suspect this will help me reach my goals and save us a ton of money.

BTW, my DH has now lost SIX POUNDS!!! He is 6'3" and exercises a lot and has gone from 226-220 as of this morning, normally it is very hard for him to lose, so even he is stunned and is now 100% on board and converted. His goal is 215, which is what he weighed when we met in college at the age of 21!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm here to report on day #3.

1. I have a huge headache, probably due to a lack of sugar.
2. As of this morning I have lost 2lbs. Clearly that is bloating going down, probably from much lower amounts of salt and a few huge dumps
3. My DH is on board, which is shocking
4. It is bizarre, but I'm not that hungry today. Could be hormonal, could be the impact of lack of sugar in my body.
5. The lack of cheese is by far the hardest part for me.
6. I'm trying VERY hard to NOT consume a ton of meat. I'm still uncomfortable with a "meat based diet" so I'm trying to eat more veggies than meat.

Silly question:do you have to eat just a certain amount of meat and vegetables or you can eat all you want?

OP here. Like I mentioned, I'm not an enormous meat fan, so I would say I eat 1/3 meat 2/3 veggies/fruit. I do love me some eggs, always have, so I limit them to 2-3 a day, or else I would happily eat a dozen.

I can technically eat all I want and I do. However, I'm not terribly hungry or inclined to stuff my face. It is amazing what removing sugar does to my appetite. I think eating a bunch of carbs keeps your body chasing that quick jolt of energy.

According to primal eating, if you want to lose weight you should try to keep your carb grams under 100g/per day and go moderate on the fruit and nuts. So far I have ate a banana, apple, and an handful of strawberries each day.

OP, can you post a typical day of eating? I want to learn!

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm here to report on day #3.

1. I have a huge headache, probably due to a lack of sugar.
2. As of this morning I have lost 2lbs. Clearly that is bloating going down, probably from much lower amounts of salt and a few huge dumps
3. My DH is on board, which is shocking
4. It is bizarre, but I'm not that hungry today. Could be hormonal, could be the impact of lack of sugar in my body.
5. The lack of cheese is by far the hardest part for me.
6. I'm trying VERY hard to NOT consume a ton of meat. I'm still uncomfortable with a "meat based diet" so I'm trying to eat more veggies than meat.

Silly question:do you have to eat just a certain amount of meat and vegetables or you can eat all you want?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I followed primal eating for the last 5 days. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I stepped on the scale just now and have lost 4lbs. Mind you I am not overweight. I have never lost weight this fast. I'm not hungry because i eat any amount i want within primal foods.

The strangest thing is I'm simply not that hungry. Is it because I'm not eating sugar? Does sugar send your appetite soaring? It is like I eat and don't crave more food 30min later (like usual).

I'm simply stunned by how simple this is. I cannot believe what my stomach looks like. I wish I had done before and after pics. I did not think the weight loss would be so rapid and especially did jot realize the impact it would have on my belly.

You are not as hungry because the protein takes longer to digest.
This is very inspirational. I am starting Whole 30 on Monday with spouse. Getting ready for it this weekend.
Good luck OP!

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I followed primal eating for the last 5 days. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I stepped on the scale just now and have lost 4lbs. Mind you I am not overweight. I have never lost weight this fast. I'm not hungry because i eat any amount i want within primal foods.

The strangest thing is I'm simply not that hungry. Is it because I'm not eating sugar? Does sugar send your appetite soaring? It is like I eat and don't crave more food 30min later (like usual).

I'm simply stunned by how simple this is. I cannot believe what my stomach looks like. I wish I had done before and after pics. I did not think the weight loss would be so rapid and especially did jot realize the impact it would have on my belly.

OP, you inspired me too. I started the day after you did and have lost 3 pounds without really trying. I didn't think it would be this easy. The only thing I miss is cheese, but I will add that back after the 30 days are over and try to stick to a primal plan. Good luck with the rest of the program!

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I followed primal eating for the last 5 days. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I stepped on the scale just now and have lost 4lbs. Mind you I am not overweight. I have never lost weight this fast. I'm not hungry because i eat any amount i want within primal foods.

The strangest thing is I'm simply not that hungry. Is it because I'm not eating sugar? Does sugar send your appetite soaring? It is like I eat and don't crave more food 30min later (like usual).

I'm simply stunned by how simple this is. I cannot believe what my stomach looks like. I wish I had done before and after pics. I did not think the weight loss would be so rapid and especially did jot realize the impact it would have on my belly.

OP, I did the Whole30 in January (and your first post inspired me to start again, I'm on day 4). I was also amazed that I was never hungry. Never. I ate everything on the approved list whenever I wanted. Nuts can keep you full for a long time. Avocados, too. The meat focus bothered me, too. But my prior diet was really light on fish, so I started adding that in 1-2 times a week. (Just tried these this week. - so good. http://thepaleomama.com/2013/03/salmon-patties-with-a-creamy-lemon-dill-sauce/)

It took me about 5 days for the sugar headache to fully subside the first time. This time no headaches but I've removed a lot of sugar from my diet as a result of the first W30.

I also followed a consistent 2lb a week weight loss. Woohoo!

Congrats on the progress! The first week is the toughest!!