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Friends who want to go "semi" paleo, is that legit?


paleoforit

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I have been paleo for about a year, and have recently embarked on an 8 week Whole30 junket with my gym.

Many of my friends and coworkers are non-paleo but express interest in sort of doing it or trying it out. The thing is, I feel like it's pointless for them to try it and not go whole hog. Doesn't it negate the benefits if they eat clean during the week and go nuts on the weekends? Here are two examples:

Friend 1: Eats "paleo" (I don't even know what that means to her) during the week, allows weekends off.

Friend 2: Wants to eat "paleo-lite" which means: keeping rice and potatoes (in moderation) and alcohol (not in moderation). They want to eliminate grains and sugar.

Ugh!This frustrates me so much. I used to tell my friends,"Don't bother, just keep eating how you're eating" because people who are wish-washy bother me. But since the New Year I've been more like,"That's great! Let me know if you have questions. Make sure to eat lots of veggies with your protein."

What do you suggest? And does it even make sense for these people to try to go paleo at all why semi-hanging on to their old lifestyles or is it doing more harm than good?

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Some improvement is better than no improvement at all in my opinion, but the sad fact is that half measures may not yield even half results. Part of why the Whole30 demands full compliance is that going off plan even a little can stop the magic from happening. From experience, I know that going full on is the most rewarding way, but some people have to drag things out. Oh well.

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I don't know what the experts say, but I think baby steps are better than no steps! When I first learned about Paleo last August, I started to shift my eating habits -- not completely eliminating cheese, still relying too heavily on sugar, but avoiding grains at meals and eating a solid fat and protein-based breakfast. Even those "half-measures" made me feel SO much better over the fall that I was very ready to start my first Whole30 in January.

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I think it absolutely makes sense for them to try it out. Not everyone is a "rip the band-aid off" kind of person, and that's ok. Let them ease into it and find it in their own time. If a friend wants to give up grains and sugar, then I will be their biggest cheer leader. Take the small victories when you can!

That being said... I generally have little to no patience if a friend complains of less than amazing results when they were only giving a half effort. This is when you can gently remind them of the amazing benefits of an all in Whole30 with no cheats :)

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I did this before I started foing W30's

http://www.stumptuou...t-really-trying

I did one step a week and the good steps stacked up, maybe that is something you could share with them?

Thanks! I just shared it with one of my friends. All of your guys' advice is awesome. I will just keep leading by example. Also, that link didn't work for me, but this one did: http://www.stumptuous.com/how-to-go-primal-without-really-trying

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I think any attempts at eating healthier are better than eating what they normally eat. It seems like there are so many paleo-police out there. Who cares if someone eats clean during the week and then eats whatever they want on the weekend? For five out of seven days they put good food into their bodies. Surely that has to be better than eating pizza and pasta for all seven days. Don't let it get to you. Be happy that you have inspired them to change they way they eat, even if it's just a little.

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Many years ago I was advised that, unless I could commit to at least a full hour of cardio each and every day, there was no benefit and no reason to bother exercising at all. We now know that even minimal amounts of exercise, say 20 minutes of walking, have great benefit compared to being completely sedentary.

I think the same "all in or why bother" approach to dietary changes can be troubling. Perhaps they won't get spectacular results from their half-in approach, but if they learn that they feel better while eating paleo, that can be strong motivation to make further good changes.

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Bonnynancy makes a great point. The all-or-nothing approach really turns a lot of people off of healthful living, specifically when it comes to diet or exercise. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress in these matters.

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