Paleo and weight gain

[Reggie]

I'm getting psyched up to start on a Paleo diet. Has anyone had experience with trying to gain weight on it? It seems ironic my wife is psyched up too - because she wants to lose weight on it. I'm concerned that there isn't enough to eat on it to keep my weight up.

After my 4 month bout with LC earlier this year, I lost 30 pounds and would like to put some back on. The LC also came with chronic fatigue and chronic pelvic pain.

I've been lurking here a while and appreciate the depth of your collective experience and understanding. I'd love to hear about how you got started on paleo or an elimination diet and what you eat.

[Polly]

Hi Reggie,

I don't recall anyone starting the paleo diet specifically to gain weight. However, when I started the paleo diet, my LC was already in longterm remission from eliminating most of my food triggers, so I was no longer acutely ill from the chronic diarrhea/wt. loss. In other words, I would think that the sooner you can heal your gut with the right food, the sooner your body will be able to gain weight again.

You are right though - it does take a while to learn the diet and how to balance foods to avoid hunger. One important piece of advice that we have learned - no longer can we grab convenience foods when hungry. That means that it is important to plan ahead, with regard to shopping, cooking, having healthy foods ready to eat. Also, we have to think out of the box. A good breakfast is leftovers from dinner the night before......or a sweet potato perhaps. Lots of fresh veggies and fruits must be on hand, and the old 5-a-day does not apply to the paleo diet. You will be eating 10-15 a day at least. I may eat 5 or 6 pieces of fruit a day for snacks. Stir-fry is a great way to cook up meat and veggies.

It might be helpful to stock up on some of the high-calorie foods to have for snacks when you are hungry.......like avocados/guacamole, nuts and nut butters of all kinds (except peanuts, which are not considered paleo), olives, hard-boiled eggs, dried fruit, etc. Remember, each meal should be equally balanced in calories between animal protein and fruits/veggies. It is the protein/fat in animal protein that keeps us feeling full. Also, a great snack is a chicken breast or pork chop or peice of steak - whenever you cook, cook extra portions and freeze them individually. Then you can grab one whenever you like and eat it cold or nuke it.

Joanna posted a complete list of paleo foods somewhere here - it may be in the Info on Diet forum. If not, maybe she will retrieve it for you. Also, there are some paleo recipes and meal suggestions online and some in the our recipe room here.

Aren't you lucky that your wife will be eating the same way? My husband eats paleo now, too, so it is much easier. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your adventure!

With best wishes,

Polly

[tex]

Good Morning Reggie,

And welcome to our online family. Since protein is essential for the repair of damaged cells, and the paleo diet is, (or certainly can be), high in protein, it should allow you to heal and gain back the weight you lost. Since it's a low carb diet, it's also great for losing weight, too. IOW, it helps the body to achieve it's ideal weight, provided that a reasonable amount of exercise is part of the lifestyle.

I found my intolerances by keeping a detailed diary of everything I ate, (and when I ate it), along with how I felt at those times. I gradually learned that some reactions showed up in just an hour or two, (sometimes in minutes), while others took a day or two, (sometimes longer), to develop. That was before I found this group of knowledgeable and experienced people, so it took me over two years, altogether, to pinpoint all my intolerances. (That doesn't include the time I wasted while trying to ignore the symptoms, nor the time I spent going through all the medical tests, without getting any answers). If I had been aware of the information that is now available on this site, I probably could have done it in a few months or less.

Personally, I'm not really a paleo purist. I eat a lot of meat, of course, and fruit, but I also eat some paleo no-nos, such as potatoes, corn, and occasionally a little rice, and I tend to go light on the vegtables. I also eat eggs, (my standard breakfast is eggs and pork sausage), but I tend to stay away from the nuts, since they still bother me if I eat more than trace amounts.

As you are probably already aware, since you've been lurking for a while, Polly, moremuscle, (Karen), and Joanna, are probably the most paleo-enlightened members of our group, and they can give you much better advice than I can. I think it was Karen who originated the phrase, "never leave home without a porkchop in your handbag". LOL.

Good luck to both you and your wife as you change your lifestyles to adopt the paleo diet. If both of you are doing it, that should certainly make life simpler, as far as planning meals is concerned.

Tex (Wayne)

P S One of the best things about the paleo diet is that it automatically eliminates the most common food triggers that tend to cause MC reactions. IOW, it excludes all grains, dairy, and soy.

[Reggie]

Polly and Tex, thanks for your help and welcoming.

I didn't even realize there was a Diet Info section. There's a whole new pile of reading there!

My history is that I came down with a stomach flu in April '06. Most symptoms ended within a couple weeks - except diarrhea and fatigue. The diarrhea ended in 4 months - just 3 days before my colonoscopy and the biopsy that found LC. By then I had developed a lot of muscle spasms, including some trigger points in my pelvic floor that refer pain to unmentionable places. We can all imagine how tense my pelvic muscles were during 4 months of D. Oh wait, you guys don't have to imagine, you know too well! Oh yeah, I also had a kidney stone stuck in a ureter that was referring pain to the same area. I just had that extracted. It hasn't been a fun year.

Reading about chronic fatigue, pelvic pain and LC, I keep finding this common thread of food intolerance, so it's time to get out of denial and make the big dietary changes. Heck, I could survive on chicken feet alone if it would return me to a half normal life!

[harvest_table]

Hi Reggie, Welcome and Happy New Year.

I'm getting psyched up to start on a Paleo diet. Has anyone had experience with trying to gain weight on it? It seems ironic my wife is psyched up too - because she wants to lose weight on it. I'm concerned that there isn't enough to eat on it to keep my weight up.

Right on! It's very cool you want to do this together, I believe this way of eating can help you both acheive your goals. I am aware of individuals who have managed to gain weight on a paleo diet (because they wanted to) and improve their health.

Personally, I have lost over 50lbs in the course of my first year dieting by going GF the first 6 months and then morphing into a more paleo style by the years end. I was DX with CC almost 3 years ago and was in bad shape with chronic D, muscle and joint pain, fatigue (you know about all that don't you?) and have been living pretty much symptom free for the last couple years.

One of the best things about the paleo diet is that it automatically eliminates the most common food triggers that tend to cause MC reactions. IOW, it excludes all grains, dairy, and soy.

Tex's comment is right on, about why this diet works so well for those of us with multiple food issues on top of gluten. Don't worry, you cannot go hungry eating this way. Here's that Paleo food list Polly mentioned.

Sweet Onions
Walnuts
Dandelion Greens
Zucchini Squash
Yellow Bell Peppers
Waterchestnuts
Red Bell Peppers
Rose Apples
Roselle
Pink Lady Apples
Pistachios
Concord Grapes
Cilantro
Hot House Tomatoes
Mulberries
Turkey
Seckel Pears
Cherimoya
Carrots
Avocados
Granny Smith Apples
Purple Passion Fruit
Casaba Melons
White Currants
Acorn Squash
Butter Lettuce
Loquats
Oheloberries
White Nectarines
White Grapefruit
Guavas
Jujube
Litchis
Kiwi
Yellow Anaheim Peppers
Pears
Apricots
Green Olives
Rio Star Grapefruit
Grapes
Breadfruit
Red Leaf Lettuce
Cortland Apples
Venison
Duck
Pitanga
Gooseberries
Asparagus
Blueberries
Red Cabbage
Kale
Red Rome Apples
Orange Peel
Portabella Mushrooms
Raspberries
Raisins
Longans
Nectarines
Green Bartlett Pears
Starfruit
Black Olives
Red Grapes
Green Cabbage
Okra
Red Bartlett Pears
Bok Choy
Artichoke
Asian Pears
Jonagold Apples
Pheasant
Red Currants
Strawberry Guavas
Red Anjou Pears
Papayas
Mammy Apples
Red Sweet Cherries
Navel Oranges
Mustard Greens
White Peaches
Cherry Tomatoes
Brazil Nuts
Green Chard
Radishes
Pecans
Zante Currants
Gala Apples
Bison
Red Delicious Apples
Bing Cherries
Green Bell Peppers
Rabbit
Chicken
Golden Seedless Raisins
Persimmons
Goose
Blackberries
Sesame Seeds
Black Grapes
Pumpkin Seeds
Green Grapes
Bosc Pears
Watercress
Red Sour Cherries
Bamboo Shoots
Pummelo
Comice Pears
Brussels Sprouts
Plantains
Red Raspberries
Honeydew Melon
Prickly Pears
Japanese Persimmons
Cherries
Oro Blanco
Tomatoes
Soursop
Sapodilla
Cantaloupe
Black Plums
Loganberries
Durian
Lemons
Red Pears
Collard Greens
Tamarinds
Yellow Squash
Tangelo
Kumquats
Yellow Carribean Peppers
Jonathan Apples
Ruby Red Grapefruit
Rhubarb
Yellow Onions
Pineapple
Red Grapefruit
Boysenberries
Dates
Roma Tomatoes
Mcintosh Apples
Elderberries
Golden Delicious Apples
Olives
Romaine Lettuce
Fuji Apples
Celery
Mangos
Macadamias
Jackfruit
Figs
Chile Pepper
Red Tart Cherries
Java Plums
Red Onion
Green Onions
Red Plums
Cucumbers
Oranges
Empire Apples
Blood Oranges
Pinenuts
Parsley
Pink Grapefruit
Poblano Peppers
Almonds
Broccoli
Grapefruit
Sunflower Seeds
Green Anaheim Peppers
Valencia Oranges
Sweet Cherries
Quail
Cauliflower
Garlic
Plums
Green Jalapeno Peppers
Baby Portabella Mushrooms
White Mushrooms
Sapotes
Jonamac Apples
Spinach
Orange Bell Pepper
Tangerines
Red Jalapeno Peppers
Limes
Quinces
Braeburn Apples
Groundcherries
Bananas
Custard Apples
Shrimp
Peaches
Red Chard
Spaghetti Squash
European Black Currants
Lemon Peel
Carissa
Tart Cherries
Arugula
Leeks
Hazelnuts
Green Anjou Pears
Prunes
Orange Roughy
Butternut Squash
Cameo Apples
Green Leaf Lettuce
Eggplant
White Onions
Acerola
Carambola
Seedless Raisins
Pomegranates
Salmon
Feijoa
Lacinato Kale
Red Kale
Cranberries
Honey Tangerine
Watermelon
Green Kale
Crabapples
Strawberries
Elk

Inspirational huh? Also, this board and the folks here offer up so much support and collective knowledge. It's been a key factor in my recovery choices.

So what are your MC symptoms like now Reggie? Have you been dieting at all since your LC DX? GF, or medications of any type?

Again, welcome aboard!

Joanna

[Reggie]

Wow, Harvest Table, I almost missed your post! What a spectacular list of foods. I feel full already! I'm printing it out to post on my pantry door.

I only had active D for 4 months earlier this year. Lucky, huh? I almost relapsed in summer by taking advil for a few days, but it didn't get beyond nausea and fatigue. I didn't use anything on it but immodium and pepto.

My main problems now are fatigue and pain, so I'm really glad to hear you got past that.

[harvest_table]

[quote="Reggie"]=

Reading about chronic fatigue, pelvic pain and LC, I keep finding this common thread of food intolerance, so it's time to get out of denial and make the big dietary changes. Heck, I could survive on chicken feet alone if it would return me to a half normal life![/quote]

Thumbs up! I eat chicken (and other animals) hearts a few times a month....gross huh?

Glad you liked the food list and wish you well. Here's to new dietary changes in the new year.

Joanna

[moremuscle]

Hi Reggie,

You have a great attitude!

I think it is important to find some foods that always work for you - we are all different in that respect.

I find that if I always have lots of nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts, pistasios, almonds) and dried fruit (favorite is Medjool dates, then raisins, Papaya, Mango) in my pantry I can always reach for a handful if I am hungry and need something fast. Those items are also easy to toss into a zip lock bag to take along in the car or in your pocket book to snack on while at work or away from home.

I also eat lots and lots of fresh fruit - easy to take along too.

Polly mentioned dinner left overs for breakfast - that's a great idea. It is easier than making a meal from scratch and takes less time if you need to get to work fast. I often fix a meal from scratch in the morning - ground pork and a mix of vegetables made as stir fry is my favorite. I eat it with Muir Glen Ketchup and a clean mustard (check ingredient list of intolerances or make your own mustard). I am also able to tolerate some store bought tomato sauces - Walnut Grove (brand name???) - but be extremely careful with the ingredient list. I always avoid citric and/or asorbic acid (corn intolerance).

Many of us also have used Smoothies as a means of getting something nutritious and delicious for variety. You can use coconut milk.

Meat is going to help you avoid going hungry. Be careful with injected meats - don't go there. Check the labels - many meats have added solutions to enhance flavor - you don't want those. Talk to the meat department manager about their meats.

I wish you good luck with the Paleo Diet and lots of fun with it too.

Love,
Karen

P.S. I don't know about the weight loss/gain aspects; I didn't have any issues with that myself - weight is very stable and healthy.

[JJ]

No shrimp or clams?????? I think I would die...you can keep the oysters, but I would miss shrimp the most. JJ

[Reggie]

Smoothies with coconut milk sounds great!

[tex]

If you're trying to gain weight, the coconut milk has the added advantage of being very high in calories. If you like your smoothies sweet, adding some maple sugar, (or maple candy), or honey, will do that, (and it will also add more calories, obviously), without straying from paleo ingredients.

Tex

[Reggie]

Harvest Table, they are all telling me to eat coconut and IT ISN'T ON YOUR LIST. I can't believe you missed one.

Tex, I already found a post about your experience with maple sugar and I already bought some!

[Polly]

Hi Reggie,

I imagine that coconut is not on the list because it did not grow in Europe where most of the hunter-gatherers lived? At any rate, I cannot tolerate coconut or coconut milk. (I really need to add them to my list of intolerances). I have tried them numerous times without success.

Recently I tried choclate again. I finally found a bar that contained no soybean oil, but alas, I still reacted.

BTW, a banana adds a lot of creaminess to a smoothie. My favorite one is banana, frozen blueberries (you don't need to add any additional ice if you use frozen ones), and some pure apple juice/cider.

I also treat myself to an occasional piece of maple sugar candy, but I have to be careful. As others point out here, any sugar feeds the bad bacteria in the gut. I find I do best with no added sugar at all.

How are you coming along with the diet?

Polly

[harvest_table]

Harvest Table, they are all telling me to eat coconut and IT ISN'T ON YOUR LIST. I can't believe you missed one.

Coconut isn't on that list because it's fattening....and that is why everyone is telling you to eat it.


Your right, I don't see coconut or dates either, a treat for many of us. I found this food list on a paleo site.

Feel free to add to it, or comment on foods that do not work for you.

Love,
Joanna

[Reggie]

I'm doing fairly well on my food plan. I hit one problem when I realized that since I seldom have LC symptoms anymore, I'm not in the same boat as many of you. Sure, if I add something back and it upsets me, I'm sensitive. But I was eating almost everything successfully for months after my active D and nothing bothered me.

It leaves me wondering if I need to go Paleo. OK, it's worse. Honestly, I eat rice. I couldn't go on without something starchy, I guess. At least it's brown rice.

I kind of think that my LC was more part of an autoimmune explosion I had, but it wasn't necessarily triggered by food. Is that reasonable? I'm still going gluten free, dairy free, little sugar, no legumes or nightshades, few chemicals. It's good for my wife and I want to see if it has any effect on my chronic fatigue.

I feel like a MC wannabee, in a weird way. Obviously I don't want the bowel part, I just want to find sensitivities like so many of you have so that I can make some sense of this.