We put on weight eating paleo.
It’s true…! We both lost about 10 kgs each following a paleo lifestyle but 6 months later we put about 5 kgs back on.
Ok, so firstly, an increase in kilos can definitely be a good thing! Especially when muscle weighs more than fat and looks like a billion times better. But this time it was the unhealthy fat kind (bugger, oops, sh!t).
Looking back it is oh so clear why we put some fat back on even though we were still 100% eating paleo. You see, there are definitely paleo mistakes, but hey, mistakes are how you learn! It seems we made every paleo mistake possible!
Here’s a run down of the mistakes we made that led us to put on weight while eating paleo, so you guys can avoid them!
Going overboard with nuts. This is our epic paleo fail! We went nuts about nuts. They were on the ‘PALEO YES’ list so we ate them… we ate a lot of them! We’re talking a kilo a day (not kidding). Ever noticed what happens after too many nuts? Sinus problems, itchy throat, sick tummies and if you eat a kilo a day you will put on weight, the fat kind! Remember, moderation is key and listen to your body! A serving of nuts is around 30 grams, this is like 20 almonds. So how did we overcome our nut addiction? Well now, we only eat nuts once a day. For example, we have a handful of almonds OR granola for brekky OR have a paleo sesame snack (after all, they’re made from almond meal… which is made of almonds… light bulb moment!).
Too much meat. Media portrays a paleo lifestyle to be a heavily meat based diet and it’s easy to hop on this bandwagon (meat is delicious after all). Remember to eat a stack of vegetables as well! In fact, you’re not doing paleo ‘right’ if you’re not eating as many vegetables as a vegetarian (or MORE because us paleo-peeps don’t eat grains… is another light bulb switching on?). There are heaps of benefits and reasons to up your veggies too! They’re delish, packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants and they’re cleansing. Be adventurous with veggies! #MeatFreeMonday anyone?
Breakfast. Everyone we speak to has had issues with paleo breakfasts! Mix up your brekkies! We got addicted to paleo granola and were having about 2 bowls a day. We highly recommend: DO NOT DO THIS (again with the nut issue!). Swap between eggs, granola, smoothies, paleo porridge, leftover dinner, broth and fasting. Forget the rules of breakfast and make up your own!
Paleo sweet treats. Say it out loud: THEY. ARE. STILL. TREATS. Bloody awesome treats but note to merrymakers: don’t eat the whole cake in one sitting!
Overeating. This is a serious issue amongst western civilization and as you’ve just read we’ve definitely been there! When you feel full, put the food away and save it for leftovers. It’s not only good for your health but good for your pocket and the world! Overeating can cause a bunch of health issues other than weight gain… like depression and other mental health problems! So now we think twice about thirds and fourths.
To sum it all up, the lesson we’ve learnt through all this is that there’s not a one size fits all with paleo. Every single body is different. We recommend to trial, test and find what works for you and what makes you feel good!
Number 1: listen to your body, it’ll usually tell you what it needs (or what it doesn’t need!).
Surely we’re not the only one’s that have been through these food issues. Can anyone relate to these paleo mistakes? Or do you have some advice to add to the list? We’d love to hear from you! Just leave a comment below!
Always merrymaking,
e + c