On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:43:06 -0600, Philip <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Robert Kesterson wrote:
>> For what it's worth, I think the high failure rate of conventional diets
>> is mostly because of the people engaging in them.
>
> Since obesity is rare or nonexistent among HG's, I think the availability
> and quantity of modern foods is obviously the biggest factor in the  
> failure of conventional diets.

I suppose that's arguable, but I think if the person doing the dieting  
would just have the willpower not to eat the inappropriate foods,  
availability isn't the culprit.

> Unfortunately, these modern foods are available as a
> temptation to Paleo-dieting modern people too, so I don't know if the
> success rate of Americans trying a Paleo diet is any better than
> conventional dieters, but it would obviously be better if the modern  
> foods were not available.

Sure.  If the modern foods were not available, we wouldn't be having this  
discussion.  ;-)

> I could go on and on with the amazing stories from a dozen or so 
> different people, but I think this is enough to illustrate the
> point that the Paleo diet offers more than just weight loss and more than
> conventional diets do. I don't think you would be following the Paleo  
> diet if you didn't think that it does.

Absolutely.

> Has your wife perused the recipes at paleofood.com or in the Paleo Diet  
> or NeanderThin yet?

Not that I know of.  I encourage her, but I don't push it.  She's pretty  
happy with her diet (and has no problem telling me so) -- which makes me  
the odd man out, so it's more or less "my own problem".  That's fine.  I  
cook the majority of my own meals on any given day, and she does just fine  
the rest of the time.

> You can also explore other Paleo foods you haven't
> tried yet and see if you can find new foods you like.

I have done that several times with previously untasted vegetables and  
fruits, and haven't found anything I didn't like yet.  Even some things I  
used to dislike (beets and beet grees, for example) I find that I enjoy  
now.

>> The mind is the hardest thing to change -- get *that* done
>> and the diet is easy.
>
> I think the key is keeping the modern foods out of the household. If you  
> can
> do that you've got most of the battle won. If your wife can't give up
> starches and sweets or baking goodies, she could do the compromise,  
> which is to use Paleo or near-Paleo replacement ingredients like fresh  
> and dried
> fruits, nut and seed meals, honey, maple syrup, etc.

We have indeed been doing that whenever possible.  It's working out very  
nicely because for the most part, the "replacements" are tastier than the  
stuff they're replacing.  More expensive, frequently, but definitely more  
pleasurable to the palate.

-- 
   Robert Kesterson
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