paleo for weightloss

[yumyumpoppycat]

Was sorting out some books to take back to the library and found Chris Kresser's your personal paleo Diet. It pretty much fell open on the weight loss page - seemed to be a sign! Soooo enough messing around and procrastination, on the wagon off the wagon, I just need to get my head down and just plow on and lose weight....

Is anyone up for doing paleo or a similar diet with a focus on weightloss?

These are the additional rules, or I guess a good starting point before adding in usual paleo 'rules' :
Eat more protein
Don't snack
Go dairy free
Reduce calorie density by eating more veg
Eat all food within an 8 hour window

and one more for me - in bed by 11.

Will update but be great if others join in!

I want a fondant fancy now! Cottage pie was yum. Favadi your food sounds delish, I may be inspired.

Happy Birthday to birthday child! :)
Fondant icing [teeth shudder] Surely the 80/20 rule applies here!
Thank you yumyum and Charlie, dinner was lovely.
I do cube the aubergine and let it sweat, with a bit of salt and a splash of water, until it softens before I add the other ingredients (the onion can go in with the aubergine). If I'm making aubergine ravioli, I will slice the aubergine and let it sweat in the oven instead.

After all those carbs I felt hyperactive last night but slept well. This morning I felt so great I did an extra 50 sit-ups, smashed through my personal record on my step machine (4000 steps! recently I could barely reach 1500) and managed weights to the music rithm rather than just counting....I'm sooooooooo going to feel this tomorrow!

So far today I had 2 apples, 3 plums and egg 'caprese' (slices of boiled egg alternating with slices of tomatoes on a bed of rocket, dressed with drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped parsley).

Please keep posting your meals it really makes it all seem less diety! Aubergine ravioli? Going to google that! I have never had much luck with aubergines.

So eating italian - that's basically med veg, fish, meat and herbs is it? I love Italy, went there twice in my early 20s... fruit and veg was luscious.

I had chicken for lunch and doing roast chicken now so not v exciting

i could never get bored of chicken, it's one of those meats that is gorgeous in any style. :)

Aubergine ravioli are super easy.
-Slice the aubergine (either length way or across), relatively thin ~1/2 cm. Place the slices onto a tray, sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven @ 180*C for 5 mins or boil for 5 mins in salted water- this softens and removes the bitter taste.
-There are several filling you can use: ds's favourite is bacon and mozzarella, whereas dd loves smoked salmon and cream cheese but bacon/ham and mushrooms is nice too.
-Place the filling (a little bacon/salmon and a cube of mozzarella/small tsp of ricotta or cream cheese) in the centre of an aubergine slice, roll and secure ends with tooth picks.
-Cook for ~30 minutes in a tomato sauce: , olive oil, onion, tinned tomatoes, salt, pepper and either basil or parsley. The mushrooms filling tastes best if the mushroom have been sliced and dried in the oven for a few mins.

Tonight was pizzaiola (minute steak in tomato with lots and lot of garlic, oregano, salt and pepper) with roasted cauliflower (olive oil, a little lemon zest and a touch of chilli) and swede and boiled potatoes to mop the sauce

yum I will def have to give that a go, best put aubergines back on my weekend order!

Glad to hear aubergines are back on the menu. Stuufed aubergine are quicker to prepare.
Cut aubergine in half length way. Scoop middle out. Fill aubergine with some bacon/parma ham, mushrooms; add a tomato sauce (whizz onion, salt, pepper, a few drop of olive oil and tinned tomatoes through a blender/mini primer- no need to cook beforehand), a few basil or parsley leaves and top with a few cubes of mozzarella (cheddar works too) and sprinkle of parmisan (optional). Bake @180*C for 30-40 mins.

I am so surprised my muscles haven't seized up. I started slow on the step machine this morning but once I passed the pain threshold at ~2500, I manage 4200 steps and not a cramp in sight. For the last few weeks I tought the muscle pains were due to pushing myself and not lack of sugars (still had carb in the form of a few starches, vegetables and the occasional bowl of berries).
My skin already looks less dry and my eyes feel less dry (I thought it was due to the dust coming from the wheat fields nearby and the birches being in seed). :)

Dinner tonight: salmon fillets cooked in white wine (a couple ice cubes from previous left over wine), garlic and parsley; potato salad-boiled potato cooled down and dressed with olive oil, lemon (or vinegar) and chives (or parsley); and courgettes (I have so many in the garden!!!!)

I have ordered bacon and mozzarella to go with aubergine ravioli - will report back once made (prob next week)

Looks like low carb is just not for you favadi? Well done on exercise - I really need to start, my back was aching just sorting out the washing

You are right, yumyum. I discovered some time ago that going too low carb was not for me but I thought I was fine as long as I didn't go below 50g; it now seems I can't go below ~80g (?). I know from maintaining that I'm absolutely fine at 120-150g.

4500 steps today . I'm really pushing myself at the moment because my joints and back are relatively good. I use an ab machine that has no impact on the back at all and equally the step machine is one that is low impact on hips and knees. Plus I have two events coming up, one in 2 weeks and one in 4. I thought I started early enough to lose the weight but as it now seems unrealistic, my strategy is to go for toned giving a hand to my controlling pants! I'm blaming it all on the looming menapause!

Favadi I am chasing you round the paleoish threads

My back has been a bit crook - is it age (35) or could it be push-ups from doing evil 30 day shred last year? Would you mind a linky to the machines you have please? Space is the only thing that would put me off buying one tbh, I have a 'portable' pilates machine pretty much unused in a cupboard as it is too heavy to get in an out and too large to leave out...

I didn't want anything to big either and I didn't want to spend a fortune on instruments of torture that potentially would make their way to the loft! Both the ab machine and the step machine take very little space and I have been able to fit them under the old bed (new one is much lower to the ground) and now in the wardrobe.

In answer to your questions on the other thread.:) Yes, at 52kg I was very skinny on the upper body (bones very visible and palpable ) but the apron was still there. I hadn't intended to get to 52kg, it was all the running after a very demanding ds and being to tired to eat or forgot to eat; my normal weight used to be 57 to 58kg (stayed that way well into my 30's, except for the 52kg glitch). During some really stressful period I gained a lot of weight, in excess of 40kgs. I don't really know how much I weighed at my heaviest but I decided to do something about it when I needed a new pair of trousers (instead of tracksuit bottoms or elasticated skirts) and size 22 was too tight. When I finally took the courage to weigh myself (after a month or so of dieting) I was 95kg. Since I lost ~35kg :) but regained ~6kg .

*to big=too big! Must look for my glasses!

Dinner was not entirely Italian tonight!:)
Swede chips (the boys had normal chips I was very good and tastes the tiniest); roast peppers dressed in olive oil and lemon juice; Zucchine gratinate (roasted courgettes sliced lengthway brushed with olive oil, salt, pepper and sprinkled with parmesan); beef burger (500g minced beef,onion, parlsey, nutmeg, parsley, salt, pepper and 1/4 glass wine); and crocodile burger- a first, not Italian but delicious none the less!
I expected the croc to have a stronger flavour but it was very delicate, a bit like chicken with a hint of game and undertone of frog!

How did you get hold of crocodile burger? gamey frog

Wow well done losing all that weight and 6 kg back on is really not very much. I seem to be stuck in a cycle of losing a stone and gaining two...v depressing. I used to lose weight very easily but now it seems I gain really easily instead. I am currently around 5 ft 4 and 180 lbs; in theory I could lose close to 70 lbs and be a healthy weight I don't think I look obese

My online shop was a bit screwed up, have loads of onions, potatoes, tomatoes and courgette... but no aubergines still I am going to pick one of your courgette recipes to try at least. We had a kind of fritatta for dinner and watched spiderman 2 and had ice cream with the kids, we watched Jumanjii the other day and dd thought it was funny that the little girl (kirsten dunst) has now grown up and is spiderman's girlfriend!

Thanks for the links, the ab one looks perfect and will prob order it, not so sure I can justify the stepper as dp has an elliptical trainer I could use (only prob is that dp is 6ft 2 my legs are a bit short!).

Oh, I have definitely reached the stage of gaining weight easily and struggling to lose it!

I bought the crocodile at farmers' market, where there is a game stall. On top of the usual game (venison, pheasant, rabbit) the chap sells more unusual meat too. As well as bore and ostrich, we had squirrel, zebra, kangaroo, crocodile and muntjack. All have been delicious except the muntjack which I think would be an acquired taste and might need to be cooked as a tagine rather than a stew.

Courgettes ideas:
Courgettes boats- cut in half lengthway; scoop out middle; and use the same fillings as the aubergines; bake @180C for 30-45 mins.
Stuffed courgettes- cut ~4 medium corgettes in half or thirds (across) scoop out the centre; fill hollowed out courgettes with meat filling (500g mince, 2 eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1 grated onion, parsley and optional 1/4 glass of wine); place in a oven tray and cover with 2 tins tomato previoulsy blitzed with salt, pepper and a little oil; around the courgettes place 2 celery sticks (I divide each in stick vertically and horizontally); bake @180C for ~1hr turning every 20 mins or so. Any leftover meat can make meat balls to add to the same tray. Potatoes and butternut squash roasted in the tomato sauce alongside the courgettes (and meat balls) are lovely too.
Any scooped out courgette is lovely quckly stirfried with some garlic and chilli and if using coconut oil a little lime juice.

Dinner tonight: close your eyes as on the verge of not even primal let alone low carb.
Stuffed tomatoes 2 ways with roasted potatoes, swede and leeks
Cut the top of tomato and scoop out middle. Set aside both hollowed out tomato and lid.
1st way. In a pan soften some onion, add the scooped out tomato and simmer; mash with a fork when soft. Add rice, chopped basil and slowly add some stock (a bit of wine is lovely too). Stir frequently. After ten minutes remove from heat and add some a little parmisan.
Fill the tomatoes with the partially cooked rice a place the lid on top. Bake @180*C until rice is cooked ~30mins.
2nd way. I'm going to stuff some of the tomatoes with ricotta, bacon and spinach. Serve fresh cherry tomatoes and basil sauce.

Any left over rice can be turned into a risotto: add mushrooms, bacon; or prawns and a bit more tomato; or ragu' (bolognaise!) or even broccoli and stilton. :)

What an amazing sounding farmers market! squirrel I can imagine its delicious but I would need someone else to cook it for me I think

Thanks for courgette ideas I have never stuffed or boated one before it worked well - I did courgette boats with mozzarella and bacon and roasted cauliflower, stir fried the leftover courgette with pepper and tomato - have two more giant courgettes to experiment with

Sorry about the silence, I've been really busy this week. How are you doing yumyum?

The markets are really really good around here, we are very lucky.
The squirrel is easy to cook but it takes for ever (about 3hrs)! Just pretend you're cooking a stew at very low heat or in a slow cooker. I cooked it whole with a rabbit (added the rabbit a couple hour later) using 1 onion, 2 sprigs of thyme, one bay leaf, 2 juniper berries, 2 cloves and 2 glasses of white wine and water (or stock)

I'm off the primal wagon at the moment (or at least the fat part!) to try and shift some weight. Upping the carbs allowed me to lose 1kg; the last couple of days I reduced the fat and another 1/2 kg came off. Tomorrow I'm going to start the Scars/Scarse/ScaryDale diet substituting the bread with an egg...

well done on getting started on scary diet favadi... I will check out how you are doing on the slimtember thread!

I have been eating really rubbish while dp is off work. I was full of good intentions for today but we ended up going to an ice cream parlor for lunch as dps last holiday treat and I chose hot cookie dough as I thought it would be more filling than just ice cream

I'm learning a whole series of new concepts on Slimtember. The first lesson is if you hide all evidence, the cookie dough doesn't count!

The years of 'fasting' are paying off as I am feeling remarkably full; hyper on caffeine but full -the carrots and fennel are doing their job and exercising my double chin

Other than the two weeks my mother put me on the scarsdale at 16 (for 3kg I would have probably lost naturally!), I had never done drastic diets until more recently. I have always been 'sensible' eating low fat, rarely overindulging and always kept the weight off. That is up to 8 yrs ago, when the battles with the school(s) and the NHS about ds's SENs started to take a toll (as if ds wasn't enough!) and I kept forgetting to polish my halo or indeed where I had put it! 4 yrs ago I started to regain control of my eating habits with the occasional slip but I feel I'm getting there. I want this time to be my final push to return to a more optimal weight and forgo excessive indulgences. :)

Tomorrow is another day and you can choose new better good intentions! :)

Must have been a stressful time with your ds' school Fav - is he doing ok at school now?

I am doing better diet wise - inspired by all the herbal teas on the slimtember thread I have ditched caffeine in favour of using up the old herbal tea in my cupboard - have dr stuarts slim tea, twinings digestive, pukka cleanse, detox and some others. I was feeling smug yesterday as no caffeine withdrawl - lets just say it has started now.

I'm glad you are doing better. Caffeine withdrawl only lasts a couple of days. How you tried some chocolate to alleviate the headache? I'm missing chocolate so very much or I wouldn't be true to my name Naturally me .

Ds is home educated and doing very well. :) He drives me mad sometimes and can be hard to teach but the stress levels are minuscule in comparison. He is ahead in most subjects and has caught up where he was behind (but not enough for statementing )at school.

Wow Favadi well done.. sounds like you have both done amazingly to home school to such a high level, that's really impressive.

No off chocolate too , I am trying to not have any sugar or fruit for the rest of the week. Hard considering I ordered a tassimo machine that was on offer for £35 and a whole bunch of yummy coffees and even some chocolate drinks arrived this evenong to tempt me...stayed strong and had chamomile!

Thank you.

No coffe or chocolate is harsh but temptation of new flavours with a new toy is just cruel! Is your headache better?

I know so cruel... dp is blind so I make his for him (although actually this machine would probably be a lot safer than a kettle for him once he knew the steps) so I am inhaling the coffee aromas from his cup before I hand it over like a true addict I am going to treat myself to a couple one drink on sunday.

Oh well, it is working though, scales went down 2lbs from yest morning and I am pretty sure I have lost the pregnant look again ... amazing how quickly my tummy puffs up and deflates again! I have also been avoiding eggs too the last few days, had planned to skip nuts as well but have had the odd spoonful of meridian almond butter (it was reduced in tesco )

Are you still doing ok on scarsdale diet?

Nothing like the smell of coffee.
Well done! :)
I'm doing better than I had expected. I think I lost 1lb in 2 days. The scales I have are not very reliable. One generates random numbers, the changes depending on posture - can lose lbs in seconds if I lean like Pisa tower!