I'm on day 5 and have lost 9 pounds so far. I'm shocked, I have never lost that much weight that fast on any 'diet'! I only have 52 pounds to loose anyway. I am eating as much as I want and making sure I'm not starving because I'm also still breastfeeding my 9 month old. I haven't bought any of the Paleo books but plan to this weekend. Any you recommend?

I still feel a little sluggish esp when I am trying to do my workouts in the morning. I assume this will get better in a few days? Before starting Paleo I ate massive amounts of carbs (big sweet tooth) so maybe my body takes a few days to adjust?

Hot flashes and insomnia are driving me crazy right now too...I had a miscarriage last month because of low progesterone so I'm sure it's because my hormones are trying to get back in balance. I'm estrogen dominant from all the crap I have been eating since I had my son. Has any other woman experienced hormone adjustment while eating Paleo?

And last question.....I am really wanting to stick to Paleo with the possibility of a small cheat in April for my sons first birthday (I love making cakes and have to make sure I flavor the icing just right for it...seriously lol). Then we are also going on a disney cruise later in the spring......that will be impossible to stay Paleo. Is there any tips on how to handle these situations such as eating something before cheats to help not feel so icky from them?

You don't really need a book; I got all the information I needed from this site when I started paleo in 2008.  The books all have various issues anyway.

If your workout is primarily aerobic, you just need to wait a few weeks for your body to adjust to burning fats instead of carbohydrate for aerobic fuel.  If you are doing weightlifting or other strength training, a small amount of fruit just before or after the workout will help maintain the glycogen stores in your muscles.

We had some cake on special occasions for the first year or so, but eventually we didn't like it enough for it to feel special any more.  I might make a special roast for my son's second birthday in a couple weeks; he doesn't really like sweet things much anyway.  Eating out, one can stick to meat and vegetables and throw the rest away, though getting enough fat can be problematic.

Good job on the breast feeding by the way - keep it up!

With regard to the cruise, they probably have a gluten-free menu, I'd ask for that. At least that way you won't get any wheat. Cruises usually give you twice as much food as you actually need, so even if you only eat half of it you'll probably be quite well fed.

I usually self-cater on holidays as it's often easier than finding suitable food out, and paleo food is pretty simple to cook. I do go more relaxed though if I have to eat out, eg I don't worry about whether something's been cooked in vege oil at a Chinese place (it will have been) I just avoid the rice and noodles, go for meat and veg dishes, and don't sweat the rest. I don't eat out very often so I'm not too concerned about upsetting the overall balance of my diet when I'm out.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is very good for hot flashes, not sure if the herbs are OK to take while breastfeeding though. A good TCM practitioner would be able to tell you.

I've found the longer I've been paleo the less I have enjoyed sweet things. I had a couple of expensive chocolates the other day and they were gross! The only dessert-type things I enjoy any more are things I've made myself so I can dial the sweetness right down. eg for my husband's birthday I made a cake that was just 72% chocolate, eggs and a little butter. It was kind of like a baked chocolate mousse, and we all enjoyed it with heavy cream and berries. It worked out at about 10g sugar per serving, and that was quite sweet enough.