The Nutrition Idea that "Saved" My Life.

reply to post by truthseeker1984




Hey,
Really Enjoyed the thread. I just wanted to give you a heads up "Smart Balance oil" contains canola oil which is very very unhealthy!

Originally posted by TylerKing
A modified paleo diet got rid of my MS symptoms, cutting out the garbage we're not built to eat cures a lot of what ails us.

Hi Tyler,

I'm interested in what diet you used as I am currently dealing with MS through diet. I'm trying to ease on to the 100% raw and juice diet but find it hard to maintain over time. Would be really interested if you could share what diet you use.

much love and thanks

Great thread. I've been paleo for 9 months now, never felt better.
For those of you looking to beat ms, look at this vid. It explains how a doc beat her own ms through diet. www.youtube.com...

OP you would have lost weight had you just dropped the beer and work on input vs output.

Being over weight has a lot to do with portions.

If i am going to work out I add a little to my portions and if I am going to sit around playing video games all day i don't eat as much and cut my intake by half. I do not need that extra food.

as long as input =< output you are fine if you are not overweight that is.. this usually only works to maintain or lose weight slowly. if you are over weight this will take you a bit longer.

If you want to get cut or built like a truck you need to cut things like sweets and stuff and i can't do that so ill never have a ripped bod. I just look normal , normal weight and eat anything.

but if this helped you lose the weight congrats keep it up! oh and kick the beer... you will never ever ever regret it..I never have

reply to post by truthseeker1984


What an excellent post, thank you very much for taking the time to write your whole story. I can soooooooo relate to this as I am at my heaviest now, having tried tons of diets throughout my life. I don't have too bad a diet, I almost always cook from fresh, have been doing mostly meat/veg dinners and maybe only once or twice a week might have some form of carbs with them, eg. fajitas or tortilla chips when doing a mexican style dinner. Usually eating chicken and occasionally pork. I use only olive oil though do also have butter. I don't do exercise I have to admit, never really found it fun or rewarding, and do spend huge amounts of time on the computer one way or another or doing creative stuff on and off the computer which usually involves sitting down most of the time.
I guess my biggest downfall is wine (or occasionally vodka/gin with a mixer) and this will be the HARDEST part for me to go without. With 3 kids it is what I call my 'sanity juice' at the end of the week lol.
Anyway, I will indeed have a good look at the link you have provided as you have very much inspired me.

Thank you once again for such a good post!

I agree that it's all about portion control and exercise. After a long bout of extremely bad back pain where I could not exercise, I was hovering around 240, feeling very unhealthy. After it recovered enough so I could start working out again, I lost 35 pounds in 3 months, and that's also while gaining a substantial amount of muscle. I didn't do any magical diets. I simply tried to eat LESS and obviously eat BETTER. Which meant less fast / bad food (did not cut it out completely), less drinking (again, I did not cut it out completely), and hitting the gym 6 days a week.

8 hours a week or so at the gym may seem a lot - but it's not. Consider that in our (even recent) past, we had to be a LOT more active just to live day to day. As animals, we've not adapted to the vastly lower amount of daily activity we now have to do. It's inactivity that causes weight gain and all the associated ills that come with it. That, and RIDICULOUS portion sizes. Most people could live on half or even 1/4th what they are eating now, VERY healthily. Portions in restaurants and what we serve ourselves is beyond ridiculous. Even simple things like a glass of orange juice. Most people drink twice or 3 times the recommended amount. It's orange juice.. can't bad for you right? Not so.

So simply by making sure I was burning more calories than I was taking in, I lost weight at the rate of 3 pounds a week. It didn't take anything magic. It DID require some willpower to keep going to the gym. But after the first few weeks, it becomes a habit - you actually want to go. I hear a lot that people don't have the time.. apparently they have such BUSY schedules, that an hour and 15 minutes a day is impossible. Yet they can watch their favorite tv shows, play on their computers and xboxes and ps3s, or just laze around. Even with children, and a busy schedule, I've not really known anyone who has literally 0 hours a day of free time. If someone is THAT active, they are typically not overweight anyway, so it's not a problem.

Exercise and moderation are the real keys. I did NOT cut out all "good" foods. I still have a pint or two while watching football or throwing some darts. I still pick up some fast food if I am in a hurry. I just try to eat wiser, eat less, and work out. Working out also made my back, which is in a right mess, a minor nagging pain, instead of a literal back-bending nightmare. A strong core does amazing things.

Not to get down on the OP - I think it's great you put that much effort into the post, and into your diet. I just personally feel it doesn't take any super diet (Atkins, caveman (which basically is what you are doing), no carbs, no gluten, etc.) - those are fads. Sure they take the weight off - but why even bother? They don't keep it off, and they certainly don't give you the benefits of solid exercise. I weigh less AND I have great cardio, muscles, endurance, etc. win-win imo.

I think you make some good points especially in regards to corn syrup. I do think you're a little off base with your "government funded nutritionists" mantra. I know many of these folks and they're not a conspiracy theory - they're just working off the best data that they have up to this point in time and for the most part they're correct.

My feeling on this is that we eat too much processed food - less fresh food - and I don;t think grains are bad. What most all nutritionists will tell you is to eat lots of fresh food and have a balanced diet. Sounds really too simple but unfortunately many people still don't follow these easy guidelines and get themselves into trouble.

My last point - our ancestors didn't have all the answers. Most of our ancestors had an average lifespan of 40-50 years of age. Just sayin..

It's so frustrating when people keep chiming in that it's all about portion control. It's not as simple as that. Certain foods trigger certain chemical reactions in the body and are metabolized differently affecting hormone production which in turn affects metabolism. It's a vicious cycle. If it was as simple as portion control, the incidence of type II diabetes would be greatly reduced.

HOLY COW!

I go to bed, and wake up with my thread on the FRONT PAGE!

Thanks for all of the contributions so far. I've read through them all, but I don't think I'll be able to address them individually. I'm glad many of you have gotten something out of this. Like I said in my initial post, the paleo/primal lifestyle really has changed my life. I'll be checking out many of the sources that some of you have shared. I now have more books to add to my Amazon wishlist.

I do have a few issues to address, however. The first one being about the calories in, calories out thing.

Sure, on a "standard" American diet that is shown in the food pyramid on page one, the less you eat, the more fat you burn. It's the oldest of wisdom, apparently. That is simply not true once you turn to paleo/primal. You have to think about the types of calories that you are ingesting and the context in which your body is using them. When it comes to proteins from meat, nuts, and certain plants, the first 30 grams that you consume of those protein calories go right to body functions: repair, building, etc. If you are active in your daily lives, from walking, to lifting, or just moving around a lot at your day jobs, those calories are immediately discounted. Another 10-20 grams are stored in your muscles and stick around for a long time. Do you count those as part of your calorie intake for the day? Seeing as how muscles can be used for energy if the body has nothing else to use, those calories will eventually burn up. The point being is that you'll lose fat if you make a distinct effort to consume more proteins.

Portion control is important, but not as important as the types of foods that you're putting into your body. Like I said, calories have context within the body.

Carbohydrate calories should be counted 1:1, as they are quick burning fuel that your body uses immediately. If the body doesn't use the 100-150 grams a day of carbohydrates, guess what? It goes right to your belly, thighs, butt, etc. This is why walking and physical activity (through play, going to the gym if you want, etc.) is so vital in any of these types of "caveman" lifestyles. Carbs = sugar and sugar = fat unless you burn it all off in a given day.

My calorie intake is still around 2000 calories a day, but around 35-40% of my calories comes from protein/fat while the rest comes from fruits and veg. So I guess it's a 40/30/30 mix for me. That's the balance that I've found contributes the best to fat loss, at least in my own body. I'm not taking in any less than I did before, I just changed the context of the calories that I was putting into my body.


The next point is the choice in avoiding wheat/grain/and certain legume products. This is one of the main components of the paleo/primal lifestyle, from what I have read and researched. As another poster commented on, these types of "foods" contribute to inflammation in the body, and has been proven through science to do so. These types of foods also contribute immediately to fat gain, as, like I said, they are more or less sugar when broken down by the body. If you're not "hitting the gym" an hour a day 4-5 days a week, there's no way that you'll burn enough calories to negate the wheat/grain/legume carbs that you're putting into your body.


And to address the posters that say this is a "fad" diet. It's really not. It's a total lifestyle overhaul. The problem is that people are so addicted to their processed carbohydrates that they fall off the wagon, so to speak. From the various blogs and websites I've read about this topic, an overwhelming majority of people have been able to overcome those cravings and go on to lose weight, or gain muscle (whatever the case may be), and stick to this way of living. Many of the resources also account for the fact that we will have cravings from time to time, and it's okay to have that cheeseburger, or that pint every once in a while. I'm on day 40 now, and I've been doing just fine on the lifestyle.

As far as our ancestors only living to the ripe old age of 40-50: Think about what they had to deal with. They had natural predators chasing after them, they faced the elements, and they faced diseases that today would be easily cured. As another poster mentioned, Dr. Weston Price, a dentist, did studies of many indigenous tribes from around the world (in the 1930's) that pretty much lived like cavemen: scavenging, hunting, etc. for what they needed. The surprising results come from the fact that these people had perfect teeth and some were quite old and healthy looking. It's amazing what living off of what nature gave you can do.


Hope that addressed some of the more pressing issues. I'll respond to more when I get back from a fundraiser event I'm going to.




-TS

Originally posted by kosmicjack
It's so frustrating when people keep chiming in that it's all about portion control. It's not as simple as that. Certain foods trigger certain chemical reactions in the body and are metabolized differently affecting hormone production which in turn affects metabolism. It's a vicious cycle. If it was as simple as portion control, the incidence of type II diabetes would be greatly reduced.

If you are trying to lose weight portion will get you there slowly. what you are talking about are people who have already damaged their body so much that portion does not work for them and what you eat is extremely important.

If you never get your body to the point where it is already damaged it will not develop type II diabetes. if it does then you are doing the portions wrong like having a portion of cheesecake 2 times a day for example. if you eat too much of anything it will cause something in your body.

reply to post by gwynnhwyfar

The only change I can think of is going gluten free. I too, however, love micro-brews, and that is the only thing I still consume that contains gluten. I tried the gluten free beers, some were good, but I am still able to consume regular beer, so as long as that is possible, I'm afraid I need to stick with my yummy micro-brewery beers.

The only gluten-free beer my wife like is Redbridge. It is readily available at most health food stores, and liquor stores, but it isn't at Walmart yet. It tastes 99% like regular beer, and it kind of has that micro-brewery taste to it. She hates all the other gluten-free beers on the market.

When we have barbeques, a lot of people prefer the Redbridge to the other beers without realizing we buy it special for her, so even regular beer drinkers seem to like it.

If you are into micro-breweries, you should convince someone to make you a special beer! That would be pretty awesome.

Just wanted to say kudos to ya. I was that big kid as well. Played football, ate like a champ, stayed fit. After high school it went downhill. I went up to 255 lbs in the first summer and lost most of my muscle. I tried everything to lose weight and wound up being 220 a year after high school. At the age of 22 I found myself distressed, as the plateau I hit was unforgiving. Then, as crazy as this sounds, I found alcohol. Every morning I now get up, eat, then I run for miles on end. If I am ever sitting around bored I drink. This is mainly so I don't eat sweets. I am now 170 lbs, can run a 5k, and out drink even the most liver hardened college frat boy.

Keep up the good work dude. ::

Disclaimer: I have Irish and German blood coursing through my veins. Do not attempt my diet. I am not a nutrition, nor do I pretend to be. Alcohol is very dangerous and should never be consumed in excess.

You need sugar in the body, i dont care what anyone says, a moderate amount is alright. Wheat and rye bread being the best, Oatmeal, yadda yadda




The secret of cutting back sugar isn't entirely JUST not eating sugar, its fiber. Fiber is the secret weapon against diebetes , I would know, my GF has it. Fiber pushes out sugar, water dilutes, etc

Asians eat a lot of grains and rice in particular. Asians are mostly lean so eating grains can't be the culprit for the weight gain. The better suspect is the food intake of an individual. The more you eat, the bigger chances of gaining weight.

Originally posted by wavemaker
Asians eat a lot of grains and rice in particular. Asians are mostly lean so eating grains can't be the culprit for the weight gain. The better suspect is the food intake of an individual. The more you eat, the bigger chances of gaining weight.

Exactly asians eat rice not wheat that is why they stay thin. Read the book "Wheat Belly" for more information on how wheat wreaks metabolic havoc on your body.

reply to post by truthseeker1984

My calorie intake is still around 2000 calories a day, but around 35-40% of my calories comes from protein/fat while the rest comes from fruits and veg. So I guess it's a 40/30/30 mix for me.

I'd like to say 2 things about this.

#1. 2000 calories is too much for an average person's lifestyle. If you are consistently working out then it is perfect, but if someone is mostly sedentary, then it is too much. On that same note, if you are on a high protein/low carb diet, it is fairly difficult to get 2000 calories unless you are intaking a lot of fat. Getting 2000 calories of protein means eating 500 grams of protein which is twice as much as an average bodybuilder eats.

SO, I agree with the OP, don't worry so much about calories, just worry about what you are eating, and the calories will take care of themselves. IF you are eating whole vegetables and organic lean meats, then you will not get too many calories. It is virtually impossible to get too many calories on that type of diet. You'll be lucky to choke down 1500 calories worth of lean meat and vegetables.

#2. 40-30-30 (protein-carbs-fat) is not a bad mixture, that is a very good long-term ratio to adhere to. When I used to bodybuild and work out all the time, I was on a 40-40-20 ratio, because I wanted the carbs for energy and limit the fats to help me cut fat. That only works if you are burning an enormous amount of calories working out, running, and lifting weights. To compare that to the "fad" diets like Atkins, they recommended 25-10-65 which always seemed insane to me. 65% of calories from fat is ridiculous, but that is what the Atkins people were pushing.

In my opinion, if someone wants to see an immediate improvement, without doing an insane workout, they could probably go something like 50-20-30 for a little while, and then maintain 40-30-30 for a long time. Really, I still stand by the 40-40-20 rule for long-term if combined with a good workout, or a very physical profession where the carbs are burning up fast, but for sedentary people the 40% carbs is too much.

Rule of thumb: Never take in more carbs than you can burn off that same day before bed.

If you eat carbs, eat them early in the day, and then cut back in the late afternoon, and have zero in the evening. A little protein before bed isn't too bad, but no carbs after say 2 p.m. If you have an especially hard day planned, then load up on carbs in the morning and then still eat your little protein portion every 2 or 3 hours, maybe with a little extra carbs at lunch to keep you going.

Always, always, always avoid simple carbs like sugars, starches, and processed flours.

I can confirm that leaving out the white stuff guarantees weight loss whether you work out or not. I cant confirm that its enjoyable to do without the white stuff.

reply to post by wavemaker

Asians eat a lot of grains and rice in particular. Asians are mostly lean so eating grains can't be the culprit for the weight gain. The better suspect is the food intake of an individual. The more you eat, the bigger chances of gaining weight.

A real quick response before I'm out the door: Asians also have a diet large in chicken, fish, and pork, but mostly fish, depending where you are. Rice doesn't spike the blood sugar (which in turn releases insulin) nearly as much as wheat grains. It also isn't refined like Americanized white rice is. Wheat is the biggest culprit in fat retention as it has the highest chance to spike one's blood sugar.


-TS

Whole wheat and grains are great for you, Stop with the ats hype, next thing you will know is that you can never go to any normal store.

Secret to weight loss is to eat a lot! Fiber, water, whole wheat, grains, chicken, beef (personal choice), fish, eggs (not yolk), vegs

You can easily obtain these items in a normal store, under can foods!. Can beans, collad greens, turnups, green beans, navy beans, black beans, tuna.

Rinse it all out with water to release about 80% of the salt out of the food, and you are done

Can foods, the secret to weight lost, oh yeah and frozen vegetables

Originally posted by Jordan River
You need sugar in the body, i dont care what anyone says, a moderate amount is alright. Wheat and rye bread being the best, Oatmeal, yadda yadda




The secret of cutting back sugar isn't entirely JUST not eating sugar, its fiber. Fiber is the secret weapon against diebetes , I would know, my GF has it. Fiber pushes out sugar, water dilutes, etc

edit on 3-6-2012 by Jordan River because: (no reason given)

You'll always have sugar. Glucose and Sucrose can be created in the body from practically anything you eat. You're body can break down fats or proteins to create glucose and sucrose (there are other types as well).

BUT, the body cannot create protein and amino acid chains. You have to ingest those and then the body uses them for repairs, or takes them apart to create the sugars. SO, if you intake nothing but sugar, your body cannot function properly, but if you intake nothing but protein, the body has everything it needs for all its functions. There is never a necessity to intake sugar, but there is a necessity to intake proteins and amino acids.