I am on an Atkins type diet but am exploring all the differnt Low carb options. I noticed that in the Paleo/Neanderthin section of this Forum there are not many people over 200 pounds. As a matter of fact only one in the first 5 or so thread that I browsed.

So my question is is anyone out there losing significant amounts of weight on a paleo type diet? It seems to me mostly what I would consider already moderately thin people who are losing smaller amounts of weight but maybe I am mistaken or just happened upon some threads by thinner people?

There's no reason it can't work.

Just keep your carbs low and give up all dairy and grains (some folks keep some dairy). Stick to 1-ingredient foods for the most part. Use grass-fed, free-range meat and eggs if you can afford it, otherwise do what you can to make sure the meat is good.

Fruit and starchier veggies are allowed, but best avoided to lose weight.

Really, other than excluding a few of the foods you might use on Atkins, it isn't all that different for weight loss.

I follow Atkins with a lean towards whole foods, Paleo type eating. It got me to goal and maintenance for 3 years last round. And it's working again this time.
Like Nancy said, fruits and starchy vegetables aren't great for loss, but worked well for me in maintenance.
I think I'd have to drop, maybe 5 or 6 things, that I have regularly, to go all the way Paleo.

Yes, I'm doing a blend as well. I eat very low carb (and have healed my insulin resistance doing so) but have always eaten primarily home cooked whole foods instead of processed. I'm now embarking on adding more carbs, but know I have to avoid grains and legumes. I do eat small amounts of dairy, so I suppose I'm primal, rather than strict paleo.

Interesting it seems to me that in order to lose significant amounts of weight Paleo dieters must be much more strict than most.

Doesn't that sort of mean that Paleo targeted toward major weight loss is basically atkins with a focus on unprocessed food? Or am I missing something?

You might be onto something about mostly thinner people being on Paleo. It's possible that most people don't jump straight into strict Paleo or even Primal after years of the Standard American Diet. It would be quite a psychological and physical leap to go from 300 or more sugary-grainy carbs a day to none at all, and quit dairy, and start sourcing grass-fed, free-range food. Primal was something I morphed into after losing all my excess weight on South Beach. By then I was comfortable with the low carb life and ready to take it to the next level. Maybe a lot of people transition to it who have already lost weight on other plans.

Interesting points, Whofan. I don't see Paleo as so much of a weight loss plan as it is a plan for better health. As it turns out, there is overlap with Low Carb, and sometimes practitioners of one or the other combine the two, or even switch camps.

That's about right. Just less/no carb counting on Paleo. And Atkins works best with a focus on unprocessed foods, IMO.