Learn how to how to stick to a Paleo diet here.

For as long as I can remember, I have tried out new diets every other week but never managed to stick to them. Is this something that happens to you, too? 

I’m sure the story is the same everywhere: very few of us can actually stick to a diet for long, even when we are getting the desired results. No matter how much willpower we have at the beginning of a new diet, we gradually got tired of it after a few weeks (or a few months, depending on the diet itself). 

I think I know the reason. 

Why can’t we Stick to a Diet? 

Most other diets set strict limitations on the kind of food we can and cannot eat, which gets really tiring after a while. Except for a few chosen ingredients, we don’t have many choices in our recipes. Eating the same thing every day can’t go on for long, which is one of the main reasons behind failed diets. 

There’s another huge reason: these diets all make you starve. Almost all the diets out there set up not only a list of ingredients we are allowed to eat, but they also limit the amount. We end up eating half of what we are used to eating, and that too, not something that is tasty or something that we like to eat. We starve ourselves to lose some weight and feel good but get tired of staying hungry all the time. 

If you are a foodie who loves their desserts and gourmet meals, sticking to a diet can be really, really hard. Most of what we are allowed to eat in a diet are elementary recipes prepared with the most basic of ingredients, and absolutely nothing sweet. Who can live without a decent dessert for so long? 

Now you know why it is so hard to continue with a diet for so long? 

What makes Paleo Special?

Paleo is special, that much I am sure of. This is not just a diet we can try to lose a few pounds before a wedding; this is a complete lifestyle choice that we can make. With Paleo, we are following in the footsteps of our forefathers living in the Paleolithic Age, more than 10,000 years ago. This is a diet that our bodies are genetically accustomed to eating, something that we have actually forgotten in our modern lifestyles. 

This may be the only reason that Paleo can work while other diets fail. It is easier to remember what you can and cannot eat in the Paleo diet. You don’t have to count calories or take a spoonful of your favourite recipes because they are fattening or restricted in your diet. You only need to ask yourself: Is this something they ate in the Paleolithic Age? If the answer is yes, you can eat it, and not in a limited amount. 

We automatically start to feel better after getting on the Paleo wagon because, genetically, this is what we are supposed to eat. Instead, our modern lives are full of processed and packaged food, caffeine and sugar – and all the other stuff that are both harmful and unnatural for us. With the Paleo diet, we are supposed to eat only what’s natural and easy-to-get, and nothing more. 

How to stick to Paleo Diet and What can we eat in a Paleo Diet? 

This is going to be easy to remember since there isn’t going to be any calorie counting or artificial substitutes in this diet. 

The Paleolithic Age started sometimes after the Stone Age before agriculture and harvesting started. Our ancestors only ate what they could hunt and forage at that time, and nothing more than that. Because they were physically active and ate only whole foods, they had a good lifestyle going on with almost no illnesses or diseases, no heart problems, no diabetes and no obesity. 

Whereas, our modern lifestyles make us heavily dependent on caffeine, processed food, grain-based carbohydrates, sugar, trans-fat enriched foods, vegetable oils and dairy products. At the same time, we lead a sedentary lifestyle with little or no physical activities. It’s no wonder we suffer from a number of health problems, hypertension, unnatural weight gains and Type-II diabetes. 

If we want to be as healthy as our ancestors in the Paleolithic Age, we need to follow their food habits. 

These are the basics of what we should eat when following the Paleo diet: 

• All kinds of meat
• All kinds of fish 
• All vegetables
• All fruits (except the ones that are extremely sweet) 
• All nuts and seeds 
• All herbs and spices
• A few chosen healthy fats and oils. 

You get the point, right? What they could hunt, forage and gather in the Paleolithic Age, we can eat in this diet. On the other hand, everything that is modern, processed and packaged are unhealthy and should be avoided, such as: 

• Processed foods,
• Bakery items, cakes and cookies,
• Candy, chocolate and ice creams,
• Raw and processed sugar, 
• Grains and legumes, 
• Meat replacements,
• Most dairy products, 
• Vegetable oils and margarine, 
• Trans-fat enriched food, 
• Soft drinks and caffeine, 
• Artificial sweeteners and saccharin, etc. 

This is just a rough guideline that every follower of Paleo diet customizes for themselves. While some followers are completely satisfied with all the vegetarian choices, other followers depend heavily on meat protein and fish to compensate for the lack of carbohydrates.

Of course, the Paleo diet can be modified at times to incorporate certain indulgences, i.e. dark chocolates and red wine, both of which are rich in antioxidants. Green tea, herbal tea and black coffee are allowed as well, for people who are addicted to caffeine. 

Setting up a Paleo Meal Plan 

Actually, unlike with other diet plans, it is not very hard to plan a meal with a Paleo diet. Since you have all the basic ingredients included in your list, you can create a number of recipes for your breakfast, lunch and dinners very easily. 

For example, eggs are allowed to be a part of the Paleo diet, which makes it easy to incorporate a variety of it for breakfast. Salads, soups and chicken can be a part of lunch, with fish for dinner. Stir-fried vegetables are both easy to prepare and delicious with some nuts, lemon juice and spices. Desert can be absolutely delicious with some fruits. 

Final Words

The Paleo diet isn’t just a diet, it’s a complete lifestyle that you can adopt for your mental and physical wellbeing. Yes, you will lose weight by following the Paleo Diet, but you will also feel much, much better than before.