Mistakes Going Paleo

Common mistakes going paleo, this is what I am about to share with you. Common mistakes that not only I, but surely, other people have made before when following the paleo diet.

Now before I go any further, I need to inform you that when I refer to the term 'paleo' I mean whole - real - food. I do not consider eating carrots or certain legumes a major break in the paleo diet as long as they're consumed in moderation and in season, just like our ancestors would have consumed them.

# 1 Biggest mistake I've made: OVER CONSUMPTION!

Never in my life have I ever over eaten food the way I have when turning paleo/grain free. It's as if suddenly my portion size perspective turned off. I thought 'it's natural, it's okay to eat more.' The fact that something is natural can make it okay to consume a lot of it sometimes, but I don't think this should be done on a regular basis or without any thought.

# 2 Mistake:

Calorie counting. Now to this day, I am not a fan of calorie counting. And - I strongly believe when you eat real food you don't need to count calories, even if you're trying to lose weight. HOWEVER, if you're switching from a SAD diet, or any other diet, to paleo diet, and it is your first time, I would recommend an INITIAL calorie count to start off. But going forward, you should have a rough estimate on the quantity of food you should be consuming for your body type and goals, using your eyes and by learning your body signals. I did NOT calorie count at all and because I thought my food was natural, real, etc. However, I think I started to over eat because I didn't have a guide on what was enough and I believe I would've benefited if I would have guided myself, just like on any other diet.

# 3 Mistake:

Baking!!! Healthy paleo baking should only be done on OCCASION! This is very important to note as there are many dangerous paleo deserts available on the internet that don't help those trying to lose fat! Honey, maple syrup, or any other 'healthy/natural' sweetener is usually used in excess. This also causes you to eat more calories quicker while consuming less nutrition. I have been very guilty of going a tad over board on paleo baking. But hey, if you have too, don't be too hard on yourself. Just remind yourself, it has to be once in a while and OF COURSE it is better than traditional desert making - so yes you are making a positive change in the kitchen!

#4 Mistake:

Over consuming fruit! When I first started on the paleo diet, I over consumed fruit a lot! I thought I was going on to the paleo diet to reduce the digestive stress placed on my body from a diet high in grains, but I ended up stressing out my digestive system by eating too much fruit on the paleo diet. Just because fruit is a natural and healthy sugar, that doesn't mean that your body won't react from it or even worse, make you gain weight! Reduce your fruit in take on the paleo diet to 1-2 MAX! Some days 0-1 fruit is even adequate. You don't need to have fruit everyday. Do not confuse fruits with vegetables. I think a lot of people make this mistake.