Paleo Vegetarian? Uh…isn’t that an oxymoron? Kind of like “decaf coffee”? Aside from the fact that it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue to anyone with even a little bit of knowledge about the Paleo diet and vegetarianism, the pairing makes no sense. Sooo… You’re a vegetarian who follows a primarily meat-eating diet? Uh-huh. That doesn’t seem like it would be a problem. At all.
Fair enough. But the fact that it’s a marriage of opposites doesn’t negate the fact that multitudes of hardcore, in-it-for-life vegetarians are interested in exploring the possibility of adapting their diet to the Paleo lifestyle. Some, like me, came to the idea through the CrossFit phenomenon that has swept across our nation. Reading and witnessing how many of these super-strong, super-lean athletes were transforming their bodies through Paleo made a number of us do a double take and say, “Hey—I want that for me!” Others are hearing and reading more about the damage grains are doing to our bodies and wondering if there might be something to the notion of grain-free living. Still others are stymied by weight loss and baffled as to the cause behind their weight gain or inability to shed pounds.
Why Adopt a Paleo Vegetarian Lifestyle?
First of all, let’s agree to call it “PV” for short. For vegetarians reading this book (and I assume most of you reading this book are already vegetarians, otherwise you’d be looking at a traditional Paleo diet), the “V” part of the equation is likely something with which you’ve already come to grips. Whether for moral, ethical, environmental, or a combination of reasons, you’re clear on why you choose to eschew meat. This leaves the second part of the equation to be answered: Why are you interested in adhering to a Paleo diet?
Before jumping into Paleo, let’s pause to examine the word “diet.” It’s a term fraught with emotion. For many of us, it conjures up memories of grapefruit and fiber, “replacement meal” shakes, and countless hours spent tracking and recording every morsel of food that went into our mouths. (Ask any woman over 30 the caloric value of anything from a frozen fruit smoothie to cream cheese brownies and she’ll be able to spit out the answer before you can say, “Weigh in.”)
Yet for all the fad diets, all the Weight Watchers and Jenny Craigs and days spent eating fat-free treats and low-sodium rice cakes, we’re still not where we want to be. We yo-yo up and down on the scale. We surround ourselves with guilt around food. We give up on our goals, thinking they’re unrealistic, too hard, or too far out of reach.
And maybe they are. Other than teenagers in love, there is no one as self-delusional on the planet as a would-be dieter. We know—know—that once we lose the weight our love life will improve, we’ll get a better job, redecorate the house, become a more patient parent and altruistic spouse, volunteer to help the homeless on weekends, write the novel that’s been percolating inside our brain for the last ten years, and transform into the 5’10” natural blonde we were born to be. (Never mind that we’re a 5’4” shaggy brunette and medical science has yet to document the spontaneous growth of six inches of toned legginess to any physique, no matter how many desserts you say “no” to.) Dieters, God love them, are probably the most optimistic people on the planet.
However, optimism and reality don’t always occupy the same space. For that reason, I would encourage anyone starting this or any eating plan to understand what exactly it is they’re after before they sauté the first vegetable.
Why is this important? I had an obese friend declare to me, one day out of the blue, “I’m eating nothing but small salads and working out twice a day until I lose 80 pounds!” And you could tell from her enthusiasm that in the moment she said it (sitting on her couch as we watched TV), she meant it.
As you would expect, her commitment to perfect health lasted less than 48 hours. There was a crisis at work that required long hours and, just like that, “Nothing will stop me!” was shelved for “I’ll try again later when I’m not so busy.”
Sound familiar? My friend’s goal was optimistic, but not realistic. I’m an exercise enthusiast known around my office as the “Food Nazi” for my adherence to healthy eating, and even I wouldn’t have lasted three days on my friend’s plan. You have to take into account life and balance.
Runners spend a lot of time talking about fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers. These are the muscle fibers that give a sprinter short, explosive bursts of power (fast-twitch) or marathoners and century cyclists the endurance to carry on aerobically for long periods of time (slow-twitch).
All of us are born with a pretty even mix of fast- and slow-twitch fibers, but most people find they’re better at one type of activity than another (i.e., sprinting as opposed to running half-marathons). This is largely due to genetics. While muscle fibers can be trained (within reason) to convert, say, a fast-twitch sprinter into a long-distance runner, we each have a natural propensity toward excelling at one type of activity over another.
I bring this up to make the point that as much as we may want to make losing weight and gaining health a fast-twitch push, we’d do better to realize that dieting is about activating our slow-twitch mental muscles. We need to take a deep breath, focus, and settle in for the long haul.
Adding in Paleo: Ask Yourself What You’re Hoping to Achieve
Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.
—Tom Landry, National Football League coach
Declaring, “I want to lose 20 pounds,” is not the same as having a realistic plan you can follow to lose the weight. Saying, “I want to be toned in every inch of my body” with no working knowledge of weightlifting is not going to create lean muscle, no matter how much you may wish it so.
So the question before you is, where do you want to be? By following a Paleo Vegetarian diet, what is it you’re hoping to achieve?
Yeah, okay, I hear you all screaming, “We want to be thin!” Thank you, Cosmo, for making every woman over a size four feel unworthy as a human being. I get it. Few people pick up a book with the word “diet” in the title solely to explore better health. And there are certainly weight-loss opportunities to be found within these pages. So if you’re here solely for the weight loss, that’s okay. As Socrates said, “Know thyself.” But I hope as you work through this book that you’ll embrace other reasons, such as the ones listed below, for eating Paleo Vegetarian.
Sustained weight loss
Eating whole, natural foods
More energy and stamina
Better sleep
Reduced bloating
Mental clarity and improved mood
Increased fitness levels
Fat burning versus sugar burning
Reduced allergies
Lowered risk for diabetes, heart disease, and cancer
Feeling confident and in control of your diet, yourself, and your life
Eating Paleo Vegetarian offers the opportunities for all these things. I’m reminded of one of my favorite Facebook posts that circulates from time to time. It shows a “skinny-fat” woman (thin appearance but no muscle tone) and the caption reads, “This woman weighs 130 pounds.” Next to her is a picture of a smoking hot, completely ripped woman, the kind whose body most of us dream of having. The caption here reads, “This woman weighs 145 pounds.” Then underneath both pictures it asks, “Who would you rather look like?”
The point is that when most people say they want to lose weight, what they really mean is they want to lose fat. Many, many people transform their bodies on a Paleo or Paleo Vegetarian diet without huge weight-loss numbers. There’s a big difference between a healthy and lean 150-pound frame and a bloated and saggy 150-pound frame. Same number, different body. Frankly, my advice is to throw away your scale. Now. Seriously, toss it. I haven’t owned a scale for over ten years. “But wait,” you say. “Without a scale, how will I know if the diet is working?”
You’ll know. Measure inches or how you look and feel in your clothes. Or start counting the “You look great! What’s your secret?” comments you’ll soon be receiving.
Scale, schmale, people. It’s just a number. Don’t let it dominate your life.
Getting Real: Your Reasons for Eating Paleo Vegetarian
I promise—this isn’t one of those touchy-feely books that asks you to write down the emotion you experience every time you eat a grape. Other than a fun quiz in a bit—in which you can choose to participate or not—this is the only writing-required portion of the book, so please play along.
In the spaces that follow, write down three reasons for wanting to try the Paleo Vegetarian diet. Be as specific (and realistic) as possible, but do not list a specific weight-loss goal. Instead, strive for statements such as “I will feel comfortable in my clothes and confident in my appearance.” Limit your range to one to three goals so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Remember, as you achieve goals, you can always go back and add new ones.
How will you know when you have achieved these goals? You might say, “I’ll know I’ve achieved the goal of being confident in my appearance when I can: wear a sleeveless T-shirt/wear my shirt tucked in/tighten my belt buckle a notch/accept a compliment because I think someone means it and they’re not saying it just to be nice.”
What is your timeline for achieving these goals? Remember—slow-twitch!
I will reach goal number 1 by ________________.
I will reach goal number 2 by ________________.
I will reach goal number 3 by ________________.
What are some unrealistic expectations of which you may need to rid yourself? Example: “I’m going to lose 20 pounds and completely transform my body in one month.”1
Whom can you count on to support you in your pursuit of adhering to a PV diet? This is important. You want to surround yourself as much as possible with people who truly believe in you, who understand that this is a lifestyle choice and not a “fad diet,” and who won’t engage in subtle sabotage, i.e., “Can’t you cheat on your diet just this one time?” These people are hard to find, so think carefully. Then make an extra effort to engage these people in your life over the next several months. List names below.
Oooh…you did so well! You answered all the questions! Ha. Kidding. I know you just read through everything and made a halfhearted promise to come back later and fill them in. Cheating already, huh? I’m on to you. Consider this the first test of your commitment to the PV diet. Put the book down, go find a pencil or pen, come back, and answer the questions above. You can do it—I believe in you!
Heads Up: It’s Easier to Be Vegetarian Than It Is to Be Paleo
I used to laugh a silent laugh when meat eaters (did anyone else refer to them as “muggles” during the Harry Potter frenzy?) or pure Paleoists would look at me and say, “I don’t know how you can be a vegetarian. I think it would be so hard not to eat meat.”
The truth is—and most of you know this—being vegetarian in today’s world isn’t all that hard. Here’s why.
REASON #1: MORNINGSTAR, BOCA BURGERS, AND AMY’S KITCHEN
In 1988 I was living with my parents outside Dayton, Ohio, preparing to enter college. On more or less a whim, I decided to go vegetarian for 30 days. I never once missed meat, and while I never intended to stay vegetarian, the thought of eating meat after the 30 days were up was enough to turn my stomach. My 20-plus-year voyage into vegetarianism had begun.
I’m not sure about other parts of the world, but at least in rural Ohio in the late ’80s, not eating meat was not looked upon favorably. Raised eyebrows, pursed lips, etc. There was also the question of what to eat. My meatloaf-loving Midwestern parents had no idea what to serve me other than pasta with plain marinara sauce. As a college student, beer2 and pizza were my go-tos. After college I moved to a small (pop. 3,500) town in North Carolina where I was suspected of being an atheist, hippie, and potential communist, all because I didn’t eat meat. The manager of our local grocery store literally thought I was making up a vegetable when I asked if his store could please carry edamame. As for prepared vegetarian meals, the freezer case held nary a soy burger in sight.
Change came eventually and life grew easier, for me and numerous other vegetarians. Being able to pop a “burger” in the microwave or make a quick sandwich from soy deli meats and soy cheese was a delicious luxury. And it led to the second reason being a vegetarian today isn’t all that hard.
REASON #2: PEOPLE ARE MORE ACCEPTING
With everyone from movie stars to your local librarian shunning meat, being a vegetarian is no longer seen as operating outside the social norm. Even die-hard meat eaters are forgoing meat with at least two to three of their meals each week. I have to think not being made to feel “weird” or like an outcast has opened up the door to many more people exploring the options of a vegetarian lifestyle.
REASON #3: A LINE IN THE SAND
For many—but not all—vegetarians, there is simply a moral line most won’t cross. Again, from the first moment I declared myself vegetarian, I was never tempted to eat meat. It was simply something I wouldn’t do. I never had to exert willpower to remain faithful to a vegetarian diet—especially once I educated myself about the treatment and processing of animals for the majority of meat consumed in this country. Now, eating a healthy vegetarian diet is something entirely different, and that did take some time and getting used to. But not eating meat? No-brainer.3
I haven’t had the same experience with eating Paleo. I still struggle on occasion with the decision not to eat grains, soy, rice, and dairy. Maybe it’s because I don’t picture sad cow eyes when the urge to eat a bowl of cereal hits. It also strikes me as unfair that wanting to chow down on some Moroccan couscous—something I used to tell myself was healthy—is now off-limits.
The bottom line is that while the muggles of the world wonder at the willpower required not to eat meat, most vegetarians would agree that when you have your reasons firmly in place for why you’re choosing not to eat meat, fish, and/or dairy, it’s easier to stay the course. It doesn’t mean the desire to eat meat may not still be there for some, but it’s easier to stay behind that hard line you’ve drawn in the sand and not stray.
Choosing to Eat Paleo
So let’s translate that mindset to the Paleo Vegetarian diet. What can we do—what can you do—to draw that mental line in the sand that says, “I choose to eat this way because I want to. Not because I have to, not because I’m forcing myself to, not because I think this is the only avenue left for me to lose weight and I’m desperate, but because this is the choice that makes sense for me, my life, my values, and how I choose to live and exist on this planet.”
Eating PV will be easier and become a lifestyle if you are clear upfront about why you’re making these choices. There’s nothing wrong with admitting you’re eating PV as a trial, or simply as a short-term measure to lose weight. If anything, telling yourself the truth will make it easier for the duration you decide to stay in. Personally, I know I’m more likely to stay committed to something—anything—if I know I’m only in it for a limited duration.
“Hold the squat for 30 more seconds. You can do anything for 30 seconds!” says my trainer at the gym. It’s the same thing with starting a new diet regime. Set your time frame and commit to it. Decide to eat PV for one day. You can do anything for one day. Then go for one week. You can tough anything out for one week. If that works for you, try two weeks. Then a month, and so on.
Where I don’t want you to falter is by declaring, “Starting tomorrow, I shall eat Paleo Vegetarian from now until the end of time!” and then instantly regret the decision as soon as you crave ice cream. Although it may not always come across, I am a believer in balance. And if you tell me I can never, ever eat pizza, ice cream, or a slice of my Aunt Jo’s hot-from-the-oven apple turnovers sprinkled in powdered sugar ever again…? Well, game over people.4
I’m guessing it’s the same for you. You may try to eat PV for a day or two, but the eternal enormity of what you’ve undertaken will get to you sooner rather than later, and you will fail the diet and the diet will fail you. I’d prefer that not happen. So what’s the solution? Keep reading.
Why Can’t I Just Stay Vegetarian and Lose Weight?
I like a world of absolutes. Eat this, not that! Do this exercise and watch that muscle develop! Up is up and down is down!
Unfortunately, there are few absolutes in life and the “good/bad” argument for almost any way of eating can be made. The fact is, most diets out there will get you weight loss—IF you’re able to follow them. That “if” is the downfall of many of us. We’re a nation that enthusiastically embraced the liquid diet once we saw Oprah lose the weight. But none of us—including Oprah—could stick with it. I personally haven’t tried a lot of the rogue diets, but I’ve read that even eating a diet of nothing but, say, cereal or an all-fruit diet will shed the pounds. Once again, this probably works only if you’re able to stick to the diet’s limitations, with what I would imagine is a drastically reduced calorie count. You’ll lose weight on an 800-calorie-a-day diet of candy, but who can live like that?
Still, most people appear to be of the persuasion that eating a vegetarian diet is a good way to lose weight. I suspect that’s because most people assume vegetarians are super healthy, but, as we’ve discussed, that’s not always the case.
Once I started paying attention to people who did eat a seemingly very healthy vegetarian diet—low fat, whole grains, lots of fruit—I noticed something. These weren’t the super-slim people of the world. In fact, most of them had girth, especially in the belly area. And what I saw happen body-wise to the children of a close friend truly made me start questioning the value of a vegetarian diet based on grains.
My former yoga instructor is a lifelong vegetarian, one of those granola people who converted when she was ten. She and her husband—a meat eater—have three kids, three years apart in age. Everyone was impressed by the diet regime of these kids. Voluntarily, they refused soda when it was offered to them. They snacked on cauliflower and fresh cherry tomatoes. They requested tofu for dinner. They loved couscous and bulgur and sprouted-grain bread. They were the models of healthy eating.
And yet.
I moved away from the town where my instructor taught but reconnected with her several years later via Facebook. At this point, her kids were probably 13, 10, and 7 in age. And when I saw pictures of the kids, my jaw dropped. All three of them were huge.
This is not due to apathy. These kids are involved in football and dance and soccer and all sorts of sports. The family is active and goes hiking and camping on weekends. I can’t imagine anything happened where my friend suddenly broke down and started feeding her kids fried food. And indeed, her Facebook page is filled with links to the vegetarian (all heavily grain-based) meals she’s preparing each week.
My takeaway is that grains are bloating the hell out of these kids.
I’ve watched other friends go through a similar experience. Several of my running friends attempted a vegetarian diet only to abandon it less than a year later because, even with all the running, they kept gaining weight. These are disciplined people running 50 miles a week—and they kept going up on the scale once they became vegetarians and replaced meat with grains.
Obviously this is a highly biased and unscientific sample, but my belief is that grains, soy, and dairy—but especially grains—are toxic to our bodies when ingested in large amounts. And most every vegetarian I know bases his or her meals on grains. I do think that the 80/20 principle, making sure we’re only ingesting a bit of the bad with a steady diet of the good, is the most effective way to feel healthy, look good, and lose weight. Using this rule as a guideline (see Chapter 8), most any food can have a place in our lives.
1Not to burst your bubble, but no, you’re not. Here’s a good test: If upon hearing your goals friends either laugh or give you a pitying look and place a hand on your shoulder and say, “Of course you will!” you may not have set a realistic goal.
2Don’t judge me. This was before Google so there was no way to know most beer was nonvegetarian.
3This is not true of everyone. I have numerous committed vegetarian friends who admit they still find it hard to live without bacon, and who look longingly at a steak while eating their braised tofu salad.
4Can you eat all these things and still stay lean and healthy? Yes, with caveats. We’ll cover that in Chapter 8: Cheat Days and the 80/20 Principle.