On Sun, 10 Oct 1999, Robert McGlohon wrote:

> I agree that 5 oz. ain't much.  To me, a 10 oz. steak is tiny.  I can't go
> your route, though, because the only *vegetables* I enjoyed, pre-paleo, of
> course, were green beans, leseur peas and corn.  So I have a choice of
> eating a WHOLE LOT of salads or eating mostly meat.

No zucchini, carrots, cabbage, onions, etc.? What about fruit?

> Unfortunately, after some early success with an Atkins-like all-you-can-eat
> meat and fat diet, I found myself pretty much in the same boat you described
> earlier:  I enjoy a meat-based paleo diet; I can hold my weight steady on
> such a diet, to the extent I don't cheat; I feel *much* better; but I'm no
> longer losing weight.

We are not the only ones to have experienced this.

> I'm pretty much convinced that a restricted calorie diet (for weight-loss
> purposes, anyway) can't be a long-term solution. I think the record is
> pretty clear that such a diet results only in a lowered metabolism and an
> eventual rebound in weight.

I have not yet discovered any alternative to caloric restriction
for weight loss.  The trick, and it *is* tricky, is to resort
only to *slight* restriction, precisely to avoid metabolic
slow-down and muscle loss.  And of course the other part of the
trick is to do so in a way that does not stimulate increased
hunger.  I did lose a lot of weight on the Zone, precisely
because the rather massive consumption of low-density carbs kept
my appetite at bay, even while my calories stayed low.

An interesting thing that I've noticed is that it's hard to
overeat whole fruit.  Many people who have been on Weight
Watchers will tell you that it's hard to eat the five servings of
fruit that they recommend (or used to recommend).  I'm not sure
if it is the fiber or something else, but I find that a few
pieces of fruit a day go a long way toward suppressing hunger.
Another interesting thing is my experience that the appetite
suppressing-effect of a ketogenic diet doesn't last.  After the
first week or so I become ravenous most of the time.

> I'm going to see if I can't lose weight on a pale-snacker diet.  I'm going
> to shoot for 35 grams or so of protein per meal, but allow myself six or so
> meals a day. I'm also going to make a concerted effort to increase my water
> consumption.

Well, give us a report and let us know how it's going.

Todd Moody
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