Ilana King wrote:

>This time I have decided to go completely Paleo as I know that the processed Atkins substitutes and too much cheese and cream are often my downfall.
>
I'm sure that's true for most.  You just can't eat pseudofood and expect
to improve your health.

>
>What I am wondering though is about sweeteners.  As I need to do this very long term to lose a large amount of weight, I don't think I can cut them out completely.  I need to start tthe day with a cup of stong coffe (I know this is not Paleo- but it is life!) and although I can get used to having it without cream, I don't think I can have it unsweetened.  I also am a diet coke adict and plan to cut this down to one a day - but this obviously has sweetener in it.  Anyone else still use them?
>
Please consider cutting out the diet Coke as soon as possible.  This
stuff will really derail you.  It's an
appetite stimulant, and a neurotoxin (affects some people more than
others),. Although I don't have
a URL, I've read studies where users of diet soda ended up gaining more
weight than users of sugared
soda.  You can substitute unsweetened flavored seltzer water or water
(no artificial sweeteners and no
high fructose corn syrup, just flavors).  Canada Dry makes some, also
some of the boutique water
brands.

Don't feel pressured on this, and make the change as you see fit, but
you can wean yourself off the coffee
gradually.  If you don't have caffeine, you won't need caffeine to wake
up in the morning. It promotes an
up-or-down energy level, where a steady state would be preferable.

Another fact is that if you totally avoid sweets, you WILL lose your
taste for them.  For me it takes about
two weeks, though the worst of it is over in two days.  The teaspoon or
two of sugar in the coffee could
keep your cravings in high gear, however, making everything more difficult.

>
>Also, what about rate of weight loss?  WHen I did Paleo before, I was in a major stall with Atkins.  Cutting out the dairy and processed foods did wonders for me and I lost at a great rate.  However, as it was short term, and I was still planning to do Atkins, I ate only minimal fruit in the form of berries.  This time, as I need to do this long term and need to eat a more balanced diet, I plan to eat fruit more. Do you find this affects the weight loss?  ALso, besides berries, which are the best friuts to eat for minimal impact on weight?
>
>
Dried fruits are the worst, and affect your body pretty much like
candy.  Bananas come next.  Down at the
bottom of the list for negative effects are apples, berries, fresh
apricots, fresh peaches.  But if you eat many servings
of fruit a day, your insulin will go up, your fat-storing will go up,
etc. etc. My advice would be confine yourself
to one serving after each meal in the place of dessert.  And maybe not
at all at breakfast.  Some people are
so very sensitive to sugars that they stall with anything more than
minimal fruit.  Some people can eat
several servings of fruit a day without bad effects.  Partly depends on
how physically active you are.

I think if you could do a study of the successful paleo eaters on this
list, you'd find that everyone does it
a little differently.  Depends on your metabolism, food sensitivities,
activity level, genetic background, and
so forth.  The paleo eater learns to be a good observer of their body's
reactions to food choices.

Good luck,
    Lynnet