Losing weight – Caveman Style

I went on the Paleo diet because I was intrigued and thought it could help me control my blood sugar levels. Losing weight, although not a bad idea in itself, was not the objective of the experiment.

After two weeks on the diet, however, I have lost 4 pounds (171 down to 167) and according to my scale I have reduced body fat by around 1%-2%. Jessica says I look different – thinner.

I don’t know if this is a result of the unique rules of the Paleolithic diet or just the result of being on a restricted diet. I imagine that if I decided to go on any diet which reduced the kinds of food I could eat I would find myself eating less and losing some weight, at least at first.

I have been eating much less than I’m used to and some of the things I cut out, like milk in my coffee, have reduced my calorie intake by a few hundred calories a day. I imagine that many of the changes I have made as a result of the Paleo diet should have been made anyway. Not eating any carbs in between meals – like sampling the kids ravioli when I prepare it — would have made my BS control easier and would have reduced my calorie intake. The Paleo diet has just given me structure and rules, and that has made it easier for me.

Since the start of the diet, I have added some grains to help me cope with running, but I am trying to measure the amount I eat and limit it to slow carbs (low glycemic index) like quinoa and whole barley.

Eating like a caveman has made me more conscious of what I’m eating and has made it easier for me to control both my appetite and my blood sugar. So, for me at least this is a good change. And with the addition of a small amount of grains may become a new way of life (still need to run 20+ miles to be sure).

Michael Aviad

Michael Aviad is co-founder of ASweetLife. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2002. Michael was born in Santa Barbara and grew up in Jerusalem. He studied law and after passing his bar exam went on to get an MBA with a major in finance. Michael worked for many years as an economist. He and his wife Jess, also a type 1 diabetic, have three sons. Michael loves to run and is always training for the next marathon.

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