Hello all.  I am new here too; I subscribed to this list yesterday.  I could
identify with a lot of what Elle said.

After almost 2 years of Atkins-style dieting, I have only lost 11 pounds.  I
know most people would have given up long ago.  But (luckily?), I was able to
see that I felt so much better on the low-carb diet, and felt so AWFUL the
moment I deviated, that I was able to stick this out, despite my lack of
weight loss.

Many refinements along the way have pretty much pointed to the fact that I
must eat paleo to lose weight and regain complete health.  I too am allergic
to grains, and even knew this before Atkins.  Grains make me drunk, then
hungover.

I also knew I had a problem with milk, but resisted giving it up totally for a
long time.  I got down to 1 TBLS cream per day, and had my first significant
weight loss on Atkins (8 lbs--in about 2 months.  The other 3 came off my
first week on Atkins!)  After much reading of LC lists, and learning about
NeanderThin eating along the way, I have taken the paleo plunge.  As of today,
the only non-paleo item in my diet was 1 cup of half-decaf coffee.  Tomorrow I
intend to switch that to tea, even though in the past, tea has bothered me.  I
know I have a yeast problem and I think anything dried is a problem with that.
Tea is dried.

I also have been taking 1-2 TBLS flaxseed oil per day since June, and am not
sure whether to discontinue that or not.  It doesn't appear to hurt my weight
loss.  But I think flax is a grain, and therefore, perhaps I'd be better off
not taking it.  But the oil seems to have helped my psoriasis.

I am still not sure about whether nuts (raw almonds and pecans) interfere with
my weight loss.  On regular Atkins, I'm pretty sure they did.  I am trying to
keep them to a minimum right now, but would sure like to know that I could eat
them more often!

I would welcome insight and input about paleo and weight loss and health from
others who have a similar history.

Adele Stratton, Columbus, OH