Paleo Solution

Hey Ben, I bought the book and I am half way through it. You mentioned the you follow this way of eating, mixed with Zone. Can you elaborate a little?

Did you experience the radical changes they mention?

Hey Jon!

Right now I'm following a pretty clean diet, no gluten, no processed foods, no pre-packaged anything.. trying to eat mostly veggies, lean meats, good fats, fruit, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, eggs, tuna/salmon, cheese, nuts and seeds.

I did the strict paleo for a few weeks but realized I liked cheese too much so added that and a few other things back into my diet. I'm not too sure about "radical" changes because my diet wasn't terrible to begin with but I definitely notice a difference in my body composition and energy levels.. both being positive!!

I read a couple of other articles. Basically, it is about avoiding gluten, starchy carbs and all those additives.

I agree with you about adding certain things back in. Like you said before, use what you like and don't use the stuff you dont. I think this, along with your workouts, will finally put me in the best shape I could be in. Also, the 80/20 rule is good for sanity.

Cheers

I still eat a few starchy carbs (corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and rice) but only eat them first thing in the morning for breakfast or in my post workout meals.

All my other meals right now consist of lean meat (chicken, tuna, ground beef, steak, pork tenderloin, salmon), eggs, veggies and some good fats like avocados, cheese or a handful of nuts.

I'm trying to stay away from all breads, pastas, baked goods, pre-packaged foods and anything processed. It's been a bit of a challenge but I find if I stay on top of my grocery shopping, keep the fridge stocked with healthy options and give myself time to prepare my meals, that it isn't too hard to stay on track.

I am all about the 80/20 rule though.. I think if you're too strict all the time you just set yourself up for disaster. Plus you need to reward yourself once in awhile!

Ben, did you feel a little flat when you first started? Maybe I am not eating enough?

It was definitely an adjustment for the first week or so.. didn't really feel flat though. Make sure you're getting enough calories.. you need to eat way more veggies to make up the difference if you cut out breads, pastas, etc..

And be sure that you are getting enough "good fats" in your diet. Olive oil, fish oil, coconut oil, avocados, hemp seed oil, etc. Your body needs time to switch from using carbs for energy to using your fat stores instead. This may take a couple weeks but once the change occurs, you should feel a bit better and have more energy!