Paleo Problems

[samb867]

Basically I'm trying to improve my fitness/body composition and so forth as I increase my training. I've been trying the paleo diet recently, though including milk, and have been getting decent results. My weight's decreased, my muscle mass has increased, I'm generally getting leaner and stronger.

Thing is, I'm a student and on a fairly irregular schedule, which makes it tricky to cook for myself all the time and, given how much I'm eating, it's pretty expensive to meet all my needs without the bulk carbs helping me out.

So my question I suppose is twofold: 1.Although I feel better on this diet and am making good progress with training, has anyone found it significantly better than eating 'normally' to a degree that justifies the expense.

2. Would a diet that leans towards being paleo still provide the same benefits, albeit on a reduced scale? This would mean staying on a primarily paleo diet but allowing myself occasional pasta meals and so on, particularly on days when I'm rushed and doing a lot of training.

I do realise I'm going to have to experiment myself to some extent and it's very individual, but I thought I'd see if anyone has tried this and had good results, particularly the second option.

Thanks!

 

[dropshot001]

i think you answered you own question when you said you have to find what works for you. i am also a student and while i do eat clean most of the time you do have to make exceptions. i have class from 9-7 two days a week and that makes it hard to get whole food meals in. i prefer whole food meals but sometimes on these long days i'll have a few shakes just to keep me satiated and also because i'm on the go so often. you have to do your best to eat clean and eat to accomplish your goals, but first and foremost you are a student and have to work around the limitations that comes with that.

in terms of expense, buy in bulk or go to a place like aldis for cheap chicken breast, beef, etc. when i see sales i like to buy a ton of stuff at a good price. for example, the other day there was a 2 for $4 sale at my local grocery store on 93/7 ground turkey and i bought a bunch of it....this will feed me for a week or two at a good price because typically the ground turkey costs about 3 bucks a lb.

 

[K Flow]

I'm basically on a paleo diet (minus some potatoes eaten sparingly in a stew and whole milk with my protein shakes), and like you I'm also a student. On days where I'm gone for a good portion of the day, I eat 2 large meals a day and fast (obviously) in between them. This seems to work quite effectively as long as you have enough will power.

 

[KILL KILL]

just know when you eat pasta meals your body will refill it's glycogen stores and no longer be in a state of ketosis. your muscles can hold 2 days of glycogen. Meaning it will take another 2 or 3 days of carb free eating to get back into a state of ketosis. But as far as a health stand point, I couldn't imagine it would make that much of a difference.

 

[10thpjj]

just know when you eat pasta meals your body will refill it's glycogen stores and no longer be in a state of ketosis. your muscles can hold 2 days of glycogen. Meaning it will take another 2 or 3 days of carb free eating to get back into a state of ketosis. But as far as a health stand point, I couldn't imagine it would make that much of a difference.

This.

although paleo doesn't necessarily = Keto.

I eat paleo and get roughly 100-150g carbs per day, all from fruit, veg, and sweet potato.

Eating the pasta may hamstring your weight loss, temporarily, but it isn't the end of the world. Heck, it may not even make a difference as you could be a caloric deficit anyway. Basically, eating the pasta is not ideal but not a big deal either!

 

[redjako]

This.

although paleo doesn't necessarily = Keto.

I eat paleo and get roughly 100-150g carbs per day, all from fruit, veg, and sweet potato.

Eating the pasta may hamstring your weight loss, temporarily, but it isn't the end of the world. Heck, it may not even make a difference as you could be a caloric deficit anyway. Basically, eating the pasta is not ideal but not a big deal either!

Though, when your body gets used to the ... "paleo" diet, a pasta meal can kill you. Not literally, but it knocks me, and the people I know who avoid pasta / grains, on their asses. Lethargia, etc.

Its about priorities. It doesn't take THAT long to cook healthy Paleo'ish food...$30 / wk, 3 meals a day (look into reduced calories for longer life) takes 30-60 minutes. Its motivation, wake up another half-hour earlier.

I still go off the rails and afer 4 months of cooking 2-5 meals a day on a mostly Paleo plan, eat a cheesesteak, burrito, potato hash, etc. and get sick for 2 days

 

[Oblivian]

Eat using common sense. I'm guessing that when most people go "paleo", they are cutting out a lot of excess shit. Are you seeing the results from excluding grains and pastas, or is it from not consuming a bunch of pizza, burgers, sweets, etc?

 

[Sinister]

2. Would a diet that leans towards being paleo still provide the same benefits, albeit on a reduced scale? This would mean staying on a primarily paleo diet but allowing myself occasional pasta meals and so on, particularly on days when I'm rushed and doing a lot of training.

Being as what people call "Paleo" is essentially very low-carb, any version of it designed to effect insulin response will have the similar benefits and drawbacks. One thing I'd say to do is if you do consume refined pasta, make sure it's either close to your workout (before or after), or close to a long sleep (9.5 hours or more). This way the body has some time and a means to dispose of some of the glucose, and your overall insulin resistance won't increase.

 

[XTrainer]

I agree with virtually all of the principles of the Paleo diet, but even I concede that it's tough to implement, given convenience and financial concerns.

But yes, you can still reap a lot of the benefits without going 100% Paleo.

 

[zere0wn]

One thing you could look into to save money is Coconut Milk. It's 1.50 to 2$ / can. A can is either 700 or 800 calories. Pretty cheap calories. Just remember to chew it and work up how much you put in your body at once.

 

[Beechwood]

I've been Dr Cordain, author of the Paleo Diet, write that he feels people receive good benefit when they follow the diet just 80% of the time. He has a blog with good information at:

The Paleo Diet