Thank you, Janet! I've been through a lot of the ropes and for the most part have eaten real, whole foods for many years. Only during times of stress and hardship have I grabbed at anything within reach and gotten sick and fat. I spent a lot of time and effort overcoming my emotional eating.

Doing whole foods, plant based (no meat, scant oil/fat), I discovered many food sensitivities and issues. I know without doubt that beans and grains are off the plate. I jumped into Atkins from there still loving potatoes, rice, pasta, corn on the cob ... induction really helped me rid myself of cravings for that stuff. I also realized, diving head first into cheeses and yogurt, how bad dairy is for me. I don't have overt symptoms; they build up - constipation and congestion and a sinus infection. Ouch! I dumped the dairy. I can live without it. Other creamy nondairy things satisfy me just fine.

So there you go - no wheat or other grains, no sugar, no cakes or cookies or breads or pastas, no rice, no dairy - starting to sound a lot like paleo! I did follow primal loosely for a couple of years but found it hard to stick to for several reasons, mostly because there are so many gray areas. That's why I think paleo will be good for me. I'm going to scan the threads, compare notes and jump in. Looking forward to the journey.

P.S. Mark Sisson's carbohydrate curve works well for me. I like being fat adapted yet not in ketosis, at least not all the time. Everybody's different and every body's different! Whatever works.