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!

*the other changes. Silly phone!
I know I lost something because the top of my tummy is no longer embarassing when I sit.:)

Well done Fav

I have lost a bit more too (but am v overweight) - at least 4 lbs total in 4 days (didn't weigh day 1). So no fruit, dairy ('cept butter) caffeine, sugar, eggs or gluten. Have been having 50g of rice or porridge a day though, also have had some cheats over the week - a starbucks salad, a whole jar of almond butter and half a bottle of prosecco .

My sclaes vary by 2lbs if I move them a couple of inches on the floor
Exercisewise I tried the first 10 min workout on this dvd OMG hardcore, bit worried I am too heavy and it will wreck my wrists By the way the dvd was cheaper when I got it - amazon prices vary a lot.

Hope everyone else doing well?

favadi.... please can I pick your brains again ....I am having some friends round for coffee next week as an excuse to play with new coffee machine toy can you recommend something I could make that is reasonably delicious and will go with coffee, but wont totally undo my hard work? Thank you!

Well done. :)

Almond butter? What's that?! hides spoon
I'm not really a baker nor do I have a sweet tooth...I let you do the tweaking with sweetness, flavours....

My basic paleo sponge:
For 1 egg
30g ground Almonds
10-15g butter (melted)
1 pinch of bicarbonate of soda
sweetner (honey, brown sugar, sugar and xylitol work but stevia is a bit bitter). 1tbs of sugar is too much for me but not enough for ds, just right for dd and dh.
Microwave 1 1/2 to 2 mins. 1 egg fits in a mug (perfect for a giant muffin or for testing), a take away size plastic tray fits up to 3 eggs (more makes it uneven texture); I haven't tried the silicone molds yet.

I bake it in the oven if making a large one or swiss roll, separating the whites and whisking them to soft peak for extra rise- it comes out almost like a genoise (not as tall or fluffy). Can't tell you baking time as I do by smell and look.

You can substitute 5g of almond for 100% cocoa powder or add an extra 5g of almond for liquid flavouring (orange, rose water, alcohol...), lemon and orange zest work well. If you fancy a swiss roll, ricotta (drained) and orange infused chocolate (min 75% melted with juice of 1-2 orange and/or a splash of contreu) is wonderful for this. Rose water infused chocolate is lovely too.

I'm rather partial to fruit sponges, in particular apples and berries/rhubarb- place the fruit at the bottom it will infuse throughout (can microwave or bake).
Other successes:
(Oven baked)Chocolate and orange sponge with chocolate chips (just chocolate bashed with rolling pin) and toasted hazelnuts, covered in an orange chocolate glaze (choc melted with orange juice). For a ganache you can you avocado rather than cream.
(microwave) Bounty sponge: (instead of 30g almonds) 25g coconut and 5g choc powder, with (or without) choc glazing (choc +coconut milk)

Chocolate cheese cake:
Base. Crush a mix of toasted nuts, bind with almond butter. Set.
Fillings:
a) Blend avocado (might need up to 4), add melted chocolate and honey. 75% choc hardens a lot so add a little at the time to taste or for more chocolate add some butter (gorgeous with cocoa butter but expensive, you can cheat and add an itsy bitsy of white chocolate).
b)ricotta and chocolate set quickly.

Biscuits (~10 mins @ 180*C):
170g ground almond
1 egg
1 tbs coconut oil
2 tbs honey
Mix; roll between 2 parchment sheets; cut but don't separate; bake until golden. Once cooled dip one end in melted chocolate.
You can substitute the egg for egg whites for amaretti. Mount the egg white to soft peak; add ground flour until it feels like a Christmas cake mix; add honey to taste; spoon on damp parchement; bake until golden. It might be easier to spoon on rice paper for easy peel.

Happy baking! Enjoy your coffee morning with friends and toy. :)

Thank you so much for these amazing recipes . I made the biscuits in the end and did chocolate dipped strawberries. Success! Can't wait to experiment more with the other recipes and the ameretti version of the biscuit...the children happily munched the biscuits too after school From a diet point of view I will try and resist baking for a while but the cheesecake sounds very intriguing!

Favadi I posted your recipes on the desert thread so I can find them again others can enjoy them. Hope that's ok

Of course I don't mind you reposting the recipes. I'm glad the children enjoyed their treats.

Thanks Favadi! I am feeling cross/yet happy as I weighed myself today and I have dropped more than a lb but because I didn't weigh in on monday morning I don't know how yesterday's cheat fest effected weightloss. Oh well an excuse for another paleo bake-off soon ;) By the way Idon't think the puka detox/cleanse shitter tea's work but it looks like a combo of almonds and 'dr stuart's slim tea' does! (won't go more tmi than that )

actually that explains the weightloss...

I haven't bought any of the teas. The grapefruit is doing the job better than lemon juice and hot water and, with not a slice of bread in sight, there's no...err...backlog!
I'm trying to keep the Scarsdale as primal as possible and once I've read the book (which finally got here just now) I might be able to play it even more to my advantage.:)

I miss almonds almost as much as chocolate!
Don't worry about the one treat. I'm noticing ScarseD brings you to have more calories one day and less the next. My weight is following suit, lose more one day, less the next. :)

Favadi I am using avoiding fruit as an excuse not have grapefruit for now ;) I do quite like the idea of blending it with ice though. Out of interest do you drink tea/coffee?

Some of the stuart teas sound good (I had the slim one in my cupboard from a previous diet experience). I had some chamomile tea yest and it actually was relaxing.

I gave up coffee for six months earlier in the year but I do a cup or two in the morning these days. I drink a wide variety of herbal teas. I also grow a few plants which make lovely teas (fennel,echinacea, blackcurrant, roses, bergamot, peppermint...attempting liquorice).

How are you doing now without coffee?

Read the Scarsdale book and I was utterly surprised that Dr Tarnower had designed the diet to get you into ketosis (would explain why I'm drinking up to 6L of water), ensuring that the most important vitamins and minerals were included. He even used to check for ketones in his patients's urine. Can one get into ketosis by reducing fats to a minimum (22.5%) and carbs relatively low (34.5%) but not that low, whilst increasing the proteins to a high level (43%)? I must look into this further. I don't eat the bread (or rice) allowed and I'm averaging 110g carbs (lowest has been 80g).

rose tea? ooh what is that made from - petals?

Finding it hard to cut out coffee and black tea. I went to be early last night as so tired, but actually I am always going on about needing to go to bed early so maybe that's good!

I am not sure about ketosis but I know those cambridge style diets made from shakes are calorie restricted so I guess it can be achieved from reduced calories? Interesting to see what you find out.

I take it you didn't find any benefits to cutting out coffee?

Hello, can I join? I was paleo for a few months last year, but have struggled to keep to it at all this year, but I've convinced my dh, and two work colleagues to do it with me.
For my break at work today I had some coconut pieces and tonight I've just had green Thai chicken and cauliflower rice. And I'veade our hemp protein shakes for brekkie tmr!

Yes, the rose tea is from the petals. I plant edible marigolds (tagetes) under the roses to keep insects away.

Sorry to hear you're struggling to cut out the coffee and tea. I have no suggestions how to make it easier; it came natural to me when someone bought us some specialty coffees and one of them had such a horrible taste it just put me off from coffee for months (smell included). Other than feeling more tired the first few days, I didn't notice any difference.

The low calories might put people in ketosis. I'll see what I can dig up.

Karbea hides as currently not entirely paleo
Welcome aboard. :)

Can I crash to ask a question please? I'm trying to eat 'clean' as part of post natal shaping up, and I keep coming across articles, recipes etc on paleo.
The bit I don't get is grains being blamed for obesity. Agriculture has been around for thousands of years, we didn't get fat as a society until the last few decades. Surely it's more to do with processed, junky food, HFCS etc?

I'm eating lean protein, fruit and veg, seeds, nuts, dairy and wholegrains - can someone explain why this is not optimal.

Take a look at this it should explain why grains are unhealthy.

Hi Karbea! Sounds like you have support with your family which is amazing.

Bakingtins oh well done on post baby diet clean up - how old is your baby not broody in anyway

I am a bit crap at this (and need to get off my bum and get everyone ready for school ) but from what I remember of Gary Taubes book Low carb diets and cutting back on baked goods and sweets to lose is evident in literature and medical studies pre 1960s then the whole 'low fat' for weightloss and heart health took off and following that is when overweight society and obesity became much worse. Also if you think about a british diet 50 years ago there wouldn't be as much junk food etc but there also wouldn't be as much pasta, bread or baked goods as people had cooked breakfasts and meat and two veg dinners. Also during rationing when there was less flour and sugar society's health improved. There are lots of 'grey area' foods you could include quinoa, potatoes, rice, dairy etc but gluten grains are one thing everyone seems to agree on.

No way don't hide Favadi we need you! I have consistently been much less paleo than you so I think so I should be the one hiding! Have been having 50g of porridge or rice for the past week (basically doing zoe harcombe phase 1 but not having yoghurt and also dropped eggs for a while as was mainlining them!)

My cheats have caught up with me throws mini tantrum stayed the same. Felt exhausted yesterday and didn't do much bar school runs and work at pc so not surprised.

Hi bakingtins, congratulations on having your baby.
I'm not sure what you are asking but I'll try to address some of your points from a primal(ish) and personal view. You are welcome to ask further questions. :)

I'm eating lean protein, fruit and veg, seeds, nuts, dairy and wholegrains - can someone explain why this is not optimal.
Lean Protein Are most welcomed at a paleo, primal table. Upthread there are recipes for all sorts of lean protein: fish (home cured included), squirrel, rabbit, crocodile, kangaroo, zebra (I think the pheasant and liver are in a previous thread). As a primal person, I dislike waste hence I use all meats and cuts (organs, bones and skin included) and most of my meat is outdoor reared and comes from local farm.
Fruit and veg Again most appreciated on an ancestral plate as they pivotal for nutritional balance. Some people do restrict fruit for medical reasons (eg diabetes, metabolic syndrome, allergies...) or as part of a weight loss programme (eg. low carb to induce medium to deep ketosis) or personal choices. I prefer them in their natural organic form, so I grow as much as I can.
Seed, nuts Most of us on this thread are rather partial to seeds and a nut or two. Highly nutritious, remarkably filling they make the perfect snack (particularly delicious with 85-90% chocolate).
Dairy can be a sticky point so I'll address dairy from my angle. I try to avoid shop bought milk as it is processed. The milk is subtracted of all of its fat, which is then reintroduced at a specified % (skimmed, semi-skimmed, full fat); the pausteurisation process alters the milk itself (eg. the enzyme capable of dealing with lactose is denatured); recent research is showing that the calcium within milk is not necessarily the best for humans to process. Saying that I still buy milk (preferably raw, straight from a trusted farm) to make cream/ cottage cheese, so to minimise the processing and to enhance the flavour. And I love all raw milk cheeses.
Wholegrain Wheat for me triggers asthma attacks and ulcer flareups, so a complete no no. Some primal people are fine with ancient grains, such as spelt, millet; others soak and sprout the grain to eliminate possible 'toxins' (i use the term loosely); for others is just a no go area (Karbea posted a link to a good article). Modern grain is highly bred to achieve the highest yield and the highest protein content (makes the 'best' bread), and is very often sprayed with pesticides and herbicides to achieve the 'best' crop- do we know the impact on the human population? (I use natural homemade pesticide on my crops -when essential- but I wouldn't eat such crop for at least a fornight because of the saponins)

I'm still here, yumyum
I could just fancy some rice (stuffed tomatoes with rice, basil)...I am going to be naughty and have a little homemade bacon in a Amatriciana sauce, striclty no fat! (I made it from a lean shoulder joint!) No crackling for me 'though

Thanks v much all three. Food for thought, certainly.

Awww Fav bet your bacon sans crackling was still delicious. Glad you're sticking around

Bakingtins judging by your name your food is prob nutritious/homemade etc anyway - good family stuff etc. For me eating wheat kicks off huge cravings I also tend to replace it with more nutritious foods, like actually consuming a portion of veg or two instead of a side of toast!

Down another lb this morning woo hoo!

Well done! Down only 0.2 kg today but that's 0.5 kg(1.1lb) in 2 days.:)

I'm struggling with being in ketosis today (only 47g carb today) and I'm not sure I can survive 'til Saturday for the fruit lunch; I'll try to push through tonight and have fruit tomorrow, if I still feel this horrible in the morning.