Paleo Vegetarian: Valeo

The principles of paleo

The Paleo diet is based on the presumed dietary habits of cavemen. In other words, a hunter or gatherer lifestyle in which they are opportunistic and eat whatever they find, while living in harsh and physically demanding conditions.

The diet eliminates dairy and grains but retains meat. Furthermore, there are no starchy foods, alcohol, sugars (except those found naturally in fruit), or convenience foods of any kind. For a Pagen or Valeo diet, I would have to eliminate animal products from my diet.

I've been a vegetarian (eating eggs and dairy) for over 18 years, and transitioning to vegan and grain-free is a huge challenge. The biggest concern is where I'm going to get my protein. I was able to control my protein intake by regularly consuming Whey Protein, Plant Protein shakes, and eggs. So I am a lot nervous.

There were very few paleo resources for vegetarians. Flustered, I began to question whether I had met my match in this challenge. I was also doing 45 minutes of MMA-style cardio workouts. Here's how I managed 6 days per week.

Morning

1 Gallon Water

½ Glass of Warm water with Honey & lime

½ Glass of Water with Apple cider Vinegar

Mid Morning:

Vegetable smoothie with Raw Protein powder and herbs

I cup of sprouted mung bean

4 Dates

6 Soaked Almonds

6 Soaked Walnut Halves

6 Soaked Cashews

6 Soaked Pistachios

Lunch:

Green Salad, with carrots, cherry tomato with Goji Berries and Raspberry with dressing

Boiled Potatoes, Broccoli, Carrots

Post Lunch Snack:

Black Tea

4 Dates

1 scoop of shredded coconut

Dinner:

Any cooked vegetable

Odd Sweet Potatoes chips or Vegetable chips

2 Fruits bowls: Blueberries, Strawberries, Grapes, and Citrus Fruits

Avacado

And sometimes one Rice Dosa / Pancake/Clatite

The start … 

The first week of the diet was a major adjustment period. I've never felt restricted while being vegetarian. However, adding paleo meant learning to live without grains, dairy, and convenience foods. Food suddenly felt very constricting.

With reduced carbohydrate intake, the body learns to burn fat instead of sugar. It's actually a good thing because it allows the body to use fat as fuel instead of glycogen reserves, which are easily depleted.

For the first week of the diet, I dealt with fatigue, incoherent thoughts, and took it easy during my workouts. This fatigue was not as bad as the withdrawal symptoms I experienced when I stopped eating rice in the evening. This was something I could bear and deal with it. It’s just that I felt hungry and stomach growled every few hours.  And then, on the fourth day, I woke up and felt good, never to look back.

The weeks after….

After some time and minimal fatigue, I realized that it wasn't as difficult as I had thought.

Yes, I'm having to adjust to getting enough protein without my usual sources. I was sure I'd miss the homemade rice-based dishes, Roti, and my favorite beans, but it turns out I can be just as satisfied without them. Dates, coconut, smoothies, and fruit salads provided cleaner energy than grain-based foods.

Overall, my consumption was healthier than before. Aside from the occasional lapses, it was a completely clean diet. I thought I did a pretty good job of eating healthy previously, but taking away convenience foods forced me to eat more fruit.  or to snack on vegetables instead of a Luna bar.

The surprising results (19 pounds!?)

I had started this diet for more of a spiritual reason. Being on a Satvik diet helps us being more connected to self, be more aware of self and also be sensitive to our senses, which all help us in the spiritual growth.

I did lose weight, though. Nineteen pounds, to be exact. In 8 weeks My body fat percentage also dropped from 29.5 to 24.9 percent. Neither did I get the six-pack abs.

Vegetarian paleo is still a lot of work. There’s so much planning involved, and my spouse helps me out on this so I have little to worry.

Wait (40 pounds in 35 weeks!?)

I maintained my diet as a full-fledged lifestyle. I took occasional breaks while on vacation. I went off the diet for 2-3 weeks while on vacation. At that point, I was eating eggs, grains, and occasional sweets or desserts. However, the body used the vacation to rest and recover from the shock of workouts and low caloric food. When I restarted my workout and diet routine, things continued to improve from where I left off. I don't think I experienced any weight loss plateaus. However, I would be short of breath during activities that required a lot of energy, such as lifting weights or playing.

Even after coming down to near 160 lbs from 205 lbs I still have some fab, the stubborn muffin top and chest fat persists. May be getting down to 150 lbs would cut that fat out, but at that point I am afraid I am going to be terribly skinny. I am now comfortable into getting Size 30 pants and had to redo the entire wardrobe and tailor fit a lot of my shirts.

So the next time someone tells me vegetarians can’t follow a paleo diet, I’ll be quick to share my eight-week experiment and how I maintained the weight.