Paleo - gaining weight!

[misscph1973]

I've been Paleo for nearly 2 years now and I have experienced a lot of benefits healthwise.

But in the last 6-8 months I have gained weight! I was always slim before Paleo. I am 41 and I have gained about 3 kg. I am trying to shift it with IF and low carb (3 months now), but it's not budging. I do have some sweet Paleo friendly treats, but not often, and have only a bit of fruit and rearely nuts/seeds. I have dairy occassionally, but I don't seem to have a problem with it. I exercise, I lift weights, although in the last few weeks I haven't done much I have been very busy with work.

To be honest I am fed up googling my problem only to find results that suggest I don't eat enough or that it's hormones or stress. While I am sure these things do play a role, I don't think they apply to me. My hormones are doing quite well because of Paleo, I hardly have any PMS or bad skin anymore, and stress, well, of course I can get stressed, but I have 2 kids a a full time job, so I really don't think it's anything out of the ordinary. And I eat plenty, I have a good appetite and I get plenty of good fats.

I have previously participated in some excellent Paleo thread here on Mumsnet, so I thought I'd post here. Any suggestions?

No need to be , miss. I doubt your loss is all muscle (maybe a little) as you are still active. The chances are that you lost the weight from everywhere rather than just where it had accumulated. You body needs to redistribute itself and using weights, squats and lunges will aid it in the right direction.

misscph I'm working on website and marketing materials at the moment. Then looking for a consulting room near home. I've been asked to link up with the dojo where I kickbox to offer my services but I'm not convinced its really going to hit my target market...yoga studios may fit better but we will see.

Clients so far have all been practice (non-paying) ones, all through MN, some have asked me to help them, some I approached and offered to work with them based on their posts. So I have some great testimonials but not yet anyone paying me! I am going to put an ad on here in classified and see what happens, also flyers etc locally and I think mostly it will come from word of mouth. I'm a pretty strong believer in things happening when its the right time, so I'm not chasing work too desperately, I think it will come. Based on the response I get when I chat about what I do (probably 8 out of 10 women immediately offer themselves as a case study!) and the stuff I read about people going through on here, I think there are a lot of clients out there . Sorry, probably not much of a parallel with translating services!

Fav not sure how old you are but do you know the best way to eliminate that "bingo wing thing". I have always had slim toned arms until I hit 50 and then they started to get a bit looser. I do some weights.

Sleep, the dojo is probably not the worst place to start. Be careful with equating case study volunteers with paying clients - I speak from bitter experience. And make sure you don't set your prices too low - it's so much harder to raise your prices than to set them at a reasonable level to begin with (another hard personal experience).

Flyers definitely a good idea. Also get business cards printed and go into relevant places and ask if they will keep them for you. Local advertising might also be a good idea, and definitely a Facebook page.

Best of luck!

Oh yes, I read Zoe Harcombe, also drbriffa, dr Andeas Endfelt (dietdoctor.com lchf blog), dr Peter Attia (eatingacademy blog), Marksdailyapple, Wheatbellyblog (dr William Davis), Robbwolf.com (Paleo solution blog), and many more. I do like a bit of anti establishment reading .

Actually, it's surprising how many of these people are medical doctors and scientists going very much against the grain (excuse the pun) of what they were taught wrt risk factors and causes for disease, and treatments of disease...

My garden... ATM half an acre of not very much but many small fruit and nut trees planted and getting established. The Hazelnuts should grow here, the Walnuts (hardy cultivar), might in a warm year. The sweet chestnuts (a new cultivar), should, but hasn't yet after 5 years. Pears, apples and cherries grow well. Really I should have many veggies growing but haven't got round to it yet.

It's sounds you're ready to establish some guilds! You still have time to scatter some perennial vegetable seeds. Martin Crawford books are excellent; Seedaholic and Nuts n Cones have a lovely variety of unusual and/or perennial vegetables/edibles. I'm expanding my borders this years by using annuals whilst establishing some more edible perennials (ideally a few more evergreen) but also some more utility plants like the soapwort. I'm sure there's a little of Pam Warhust in all of us. :)

Thanks very much miss - can I just ask if you can clarify what you mean about equating the non-paying and paying clients? Re fees, its been a difficult one to set and you aren't the first person to give me advice to go higher to start, rather than lower!

Sleep I have found that Kickboxing generally attracts more women than men so maybe it would benefit your business to advertise there too.
If you become accredited to a body they usually have their own websites where you can have your own page too.

O God, way to many too's.

I'm going to go for the opportunity there, the owner really believes in my approach so hopefully it will be fruitful . The accreditation thing is trickier, it's a US course and as far as I can tell isn't recognised here by any official coaching/counselling bodies. I'm toying with the idea of getting a CBT qualification, it would fit quite well with what I do anyway and would enable corporates/possibly GP to tick a box. Will see how I get on.

O that sounds like a good idea Sleep. Would definitely open more doors I would have thought.

What about a counselling course then you could be accredited to the British Counselling Association/Society.

Yep. May look into that too - thanks.

Favadi, interesting link there, thanks, "food for thought" certainly!

Oh an I forgot, I am friendly with a few PT's too result of too much time in the gym they could be a very good source, for the clients that seem to be doing everything 'right' but not reaching their goals, or when they get ditched by them because they hate the whole process! A couple have said they would refer people to me.

It all sounds promising Sleep

Sorry, Sleep, it's probably my English ;) I just mean that you should be careful - you may get a lot of interest as long as you are not charging. You will probably find that once you start charging, the case studies are unlikely to convert into paying customers. it can be disappointing. Personally I found that once I started charging/upped my fee, I had to source new clients. But that is not neccessarly a problem, just means that you have to look elsewhere.

This afternoon I did a small workout consisting of tabata burpees, air squats and some strange triceps situp I found on YouTube. I did it all without getting too exhausted, although I really felt it, and I did it in front of the mirror - and I wasn't too unhappy with what I saw ;) See, I am working on my body image, Sleep ;) Your words have inspired me!

Oh that's ok, miss, it wasn't your English it was just I wasn't sure quite what you meant-I definitely get what you mean, DH and I were discussing that the other day, that 'venn diagram' of people who need me, hear about me and can pay for me! Time will tell I guess. Your workout sounds great, as does the work on body image , I bet you look great.

Oh and Bindi you want tricep dips, (use a dining chair, plus another for your feet if/when strong enough) and tricep kickbacks with your dumbells.

O Wow! I understand know where I have been going wrong. You just cant "get" how to do it properly from a book can you. Thanks Sleep.

Its really interesting to hear about why you started doing this and where you are going with it. I think this is a huge problem area for us women. I know I have had issues with food my whole life. I try hard not to go down the diet route again as it really upsets me to do that to myself. I feel like I am hurting myself and being cruel. My Mother didn't allow me to eat food when I was hungry and would tell me I had to not eat to lose weight. She continued this throughout my adult life. She praised me and seemed to approve of me much more when I had lost and commented in a nasty bitchy way if I had gained. I am on a continuous journey to improve my self image and be at peace with food. Im not there yet but mindful eating and Paul McKennas way is definitely helpful. I still have a warped view of my image though and have days when just looking in the mirror when I am out can make me feel like the ugliest person in the world, yet other days I can like what I see a lot. I realise that it is in my head yet I still play the "old tapes" in my head I guess. I have succeeded in bringing up my daughter, who is now 23, with no food issues and all my reading and learning has helped that to happen. I have always bought all types of food into the house in my endeavour for my kids to see food as just food. Not good or bad. Seems to have worked as they don't see chocolate or cake as any different to salad and veg. They don't eat chocolate much nor cakes (unless my daughter makes a delicious homemade cake full of nuts and dates and carrots ). They seem to have food in its rightful place and only eat when genuinely hungry rather than for any other reason. This is my aim.

Sorry for rattling on OP, I know I have slightly derailed here. Just that we need people like Sleep to help the ingrained diet and disordered eating patterns that seem the norm now.

Some of the more interesting threads are when they move on to other topics. Don't worry about that at all. My favourite mumsnet threads are about women setting up and developing their own businesses. I really encourage them to do so.

Radio 4 had a getting enough sleep day yesterday. I think the morning programme said we get 1.5 hours a night less than in the 1950s which is a massive change. Of anyone with a baby will never get enough sleep but if your children are older I always think this is a major area to improve and costs nothing. I now get into or ready for bed at 10 and get up around 6.30 most days. So at least I know there can be a core 7 - 8 hours in bed asleep most days.

I eat paleo etc which makes me feel good.

I work for myself from home. At 11.30 I went outside just for 20 minutes to lie in lovely warm sun here in outer London and I can almost feel what good that does. I don't think you can get vitamin D properly from anything but the sun (don't burn obviously) in the right quantities. Being outside is good. Exercising outside is good too which is why I think cycling to work or to the train station, as part of every day life, can be so good - easier for many to fit into life than gyms. Gardening too particularly heavy digging - gets you out of breath and is more sustantainable for some than gyms. I do all the garden here. I used to have an allotment too although not at the moment - that process of tending the land, being outside in fresh air, moving around, being in sunshine when it is out (and ideally eating the veg you grew) but just about be some of the perfect conditions for good health as well as being natural and primal/paleo.

I did do an exercise class at the gym (24 - which is about half an hour - any more and I get bored except bikram yoga but that's too far away to do often for me) this week when felt good.

Thanks Bindi - I hope I'm not speaking out of turn but in previous threads we have touched on it - you have clearly done such an amazing job with your DC's relationships with food and their bodies and for yourself in overcoming the bingeing and emotional eating. I think perhaps you might see a difference in how often you get those 'ugly' days if you thought some more about forgiving your mum. I know you don't want to and she may well not deserve it - but the feelings you have are only hurting you, sitting there simmering. Its not making the way she treated you ok. She will gain nothing from your forgiveness, doesn't even need to know (is she still around?), but you will be able to let go...it may just be the last piece of the puzzle for you, whether you manage it completely or not, any closer is good progress . I know it can be a challenging one for lots of us.....

Jane thankyou. I agree with you on the sunshine. A little everyday bare skinned is so good. Helps prevent many illnesses. I'm starting up my own business presently. Is there a specific forum on MN for this? Could you link me please. Many thanks.

Sleep... Its complicated. I have forgiven so many times for so many things without them ever knowing and had therapy to deal with childhood emotional abuse before I had my own children. To cut a long boring story short, they stopped contact with me after an awful episode which was of there making and I didn't hear from them for 22 years. They moved country. Then they turned up wanting to see me playing the " illness" card. I allowed them back only to find myself back to square one on the emotional front. Their emotional abuse is subtle but hurts. I'm reading " Toxic Parents" at the moment to look for ways to deal with them and not allow them to get to me.

Bindi - I'm so glad you understand where I am coming from (I was a bit worried that maybe you were upset or angry about my post ). You've had a horrible time with them. I think often the forgiveness thing is easier when you are no longer in contact, its extra challenging when you have to regularly interact! You have done amazingly well to overcome the bingeing and bring your DC's up as you have...can you focus on this in times of stress, when you want to stop them getting to you? To quell any feelings of anger could you ever find an inner acknowledgement of the fact that them being the way they were made you the incredible parent that you are? Find some pity about what they have must have gone through to make them as they are with you? You've broken the cycle, be proud of it. Good luck and let me know if the book is worth a read.

What is your new business by the way? The topic is in Work here

Jane totally with you on the sunshine and being outside - very therapeutic, spiritual and literally grounding. More sleep would be good for all of us - if only!