********** Regarding Todd's post: Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2003 10:08:48 -0400 From: Todd Moody <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Weight loss, delurking ... Basically, the update is this. Sometime in November I decided to modify things a bit. I relaxed the paleo restrictions, keeping carbs low, 50g/day or less. And I worked on keeping calories down. Result: between Thanksgiving and Christmas, while the rest of the world was gaining weight, I dropped 25 lbs. and have kept it off without undue stress. The "without undue stress" part has been the key, I believe. As I had written on other occasions, the paleo-purist approach was getting to me, mentally, and causing me to have a weird kind of eating disorder, a sort of "rejectionist" attitude toward food. I musn't eat this; I can't eat that; this isn't paleo; etc. As a result, I wasn't really enjoying eating very much, and when I would trip up and go off the diet, I'd binge for a while, gain weight, and feel crappy about myself. Through this cycle, my weight was creeping up. ... Todd-- thanks for the update. Over the past several years, many individuals have posted messages akin to yours (including me). In my case, that I allow myself to eat anything actually leads to me to eat very little junk food and to approximate a paleo diet very much akin to Cordain's recommendations. For a few people, like Ray Audette and celiacs, pure paleo seems the only good dietary route. For most people, however, taking steps toward paleo, feeding their themselves a good meal when really hungry, exercising, enjoying life, and not being a slave to a diet is the way to go (at least, in my experience). You look good ... and if you're blood pressure is normal, then I wouldn't worry about a thing. Cheers! Gregg ******************