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MyFitnessPal Community

How to set goal calories and macros for the paleo?

qkcam

Just got suggested to do paleo and want to set up my cals and macros in MFP.. any suggestions ? i know how to adjust them but i have no idea where to set them protein fat carbs (veggies/fruit)
thanks !

Replies

cindytw

marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/#axzz3ZQOlFwK5
It will be personal, but that is the simplest thing I can give you. You will have to adjust on your own. In general, start there, then add protein, I do 125g, then fat for the rest. People do different things depending on their body and goals.

Akimajuktuq

Generally, the spirit of Paleo is just to eat healthy food and abandon the rest, and that's the best advice for most people especially if they are committed to sticking to the best foods for their body. How you feel will be the best way to gauge things, maybe with eliminating things, adding them back in and observing the effects.

I still liked to see my macros until recently (still tracking now due to a new WOE experiment), but the calorie recommendations on MFP really suck. They failed for me metabolically, so I would really recommend giving up the calorie counting, but carbs may be a useful thing to continue tracking depending on any metabolic issues you may have. My metabolic issues don't really allow for any carbs, which took me three years (actually, all of my life) to figure out.

I always think MFP fat default is WAY too low and carbs WAY too high.

fitchick256

I agree with the above. Mark's Daily Apple recommends between 100-150 grams of carbs per day for maintenance and 50-100 for weight loss.

I have been paleo for two years and find that even 50 grams is too high for me to maintain my weight and have switched to 25 grams (total, not net) per day. It keeps the cravings at bay and my energy levels are high. I also am a runner, but don't increase my carbs to cover activity - after about a month of agonizing workouts I became fat adapted.

I think it takes experimentation and time to figure out what works best for you.

And, as I've learned, what works at one point may not be the "final" solution.

qkcam

by carbs is that meaning veggies? i wish there were a seperate way to track veggies (carbs) from fruit and starch (carbs)

fitchick256

What I'm speaking about is any kind of carbohydrate, whether it comes from fruit, starches, or non-starchy vegetables. To keep my carb count low I avoid fruit and starch. For vegetables, I focus on many different kinds of greens, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. I include onions and other "topping" veggies as well. The real key is to get enough FAT and enough protein. I still struggle with getting to my targets on fat.

I have gone through periods where I eat fruit (berries only) and sweet potatoes at 1 serving per day. For the most part, eating those foods really makes me crave sugar. It's something I'll try to re-introduce again, but for now I am happiest doing what I'm doing.

Does that help?

qkcam

yes that is a big help! I may have to knock back somethings- but it may be a process for me.. or i had another question. where does the coconut and almond flours fall in? do you mind if i ask how much fat you are trying to get in a day? I have so much to learn. i am on day 2. i couldn't eat as much today as i did yesterday it seems.

Dragonwolf

Coconut and almond flours aren't necessary, or really encouraged for more than rare treats. Try to change your mindset on meals and treats in general, which helps with long term sustainability.

I can't speak for the others, but I generally get 100-140g of fat each day (depending on hunger and activity levels). Your amount may vary, depending on how many calories you need, but don't be afraid if it's over 100g.

ascrit

I found it really hard to stop logging and watching my calorie intake. Going by "your body will tell you when to stop" never really worked for me and to this day I am almost never not hungry. I can eat and eat and eat and eat!

jrosto

I set my protein macro first. Basically 1 gr protein/pound of lean body weight. Then I set my carb macro. My upper limit on carbs is 125 gr/day. I usually end up 85 - 90 gr/day. Whatever % that is left goes to fats.

I am maintaining a very stable weight, have lots of energy, and am very satisfied with my intake with these macro levels. When I was in weight loss mode my carbs were much lower, less than 50 gr/day.

qkcam

that is an interesting idea jrosto.. would i use 1 gr of protein /pound of lean weight if i am trying to lose weight? oh i just realized my "lean muscle" is different than my total body weight. .

qkcam

do the carbs from veggies count? like i have 7 grams of carbs from green veggies and cauliflower, and then 4 grams of carbs from a meat.. are those counted too?

jrosto

It is easiest to track total carbs. Personally, I also keep a general eye on sugars.

The best part of the primal/paleo lifestyle is that it is easy.

homesweeths

qkcam wrote: »

that is an interesting idea jrosto.. would i use 1 gr of protein /pound of lean weight if i am trying to lose weight? oh i just realized my "lean muscle" is different than my total body weight. .

I remember reading from the "Paleo Diet Solution" (or maybe it was "Primal Blueprint" -- I read both pretty much at the same time), that you multiply your lean muscle weight by .8 to 1, depending on how fit you are and how much you exercise, and if you're male or female, I think. I found a lean muscle mass calculator online and used it to calculate my lean muscle mass, then multiplied the result by .8 (I'm female and fairly sedentary due to joint issues).

Using Mark Sisson's carbohydrate curve (I think it's called), I next set my daily goal for carbs at 75g (smack in the middle of the 50-100g sweet spot he talks about). Sometimes I'm higher, sometimes lower. It's a point to aim at.

Then the rest goes to fats. I think it works out to a little over 100g a day, at 1500 calories. I don't fret if I go over 1500, to 1700 or 1800, but I do keep an eye on calories to make sure I don't go under 1200, which is easy to do. When I started eating this way, I stopped feeling hungry.

I still don't get hungry. I get kind of a hollow feeling if I've fasted more than 20 hours, but I don't feel hungry. I just feel as if it might be a good idea to eat something healthy.

qkcam

easy food/lifestyle sounds good to me! i looked a bit at mark's daily apple last nite- and found a lean body mass calculator somewhere on line last nite can't remember where- i have been having alot of oils today and so far my fat is at 90grams according to the macros i set i have only 6grams left of the fats..carbs are only at 36 so far. but am only on meal 3, got a late start to the day. i have to learn to be more keen with veggies i guess! for some reason i was really hungry for the 3rd meal today, starving- and i still feel hungry but i also did quite a bit of movement yesterday. does the good oils and fats help with your joint pain?

homesweeths

I think the whole package helps with my joint pain. (Limiting carbs, cutting out grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, and nightshades -- but that's me. It can look different for different people. Some people can manage dairy and nightshades, for example.)

It's okay to go over on fats, I think. At least, having more fats than my macro usually doesn't make me gain water weight, the way going over on carbs/sugars can.

If you're only on day 2, be aware that (especially if you've been eating high carb before this) you may experience "carb flu" while your body is adjusting. It can take a week or ten days -- but if you can stick to it, you'll come out the other side with more energy and better sleep, and maybe even (this happened for me) no more cravings and hunger. (Note to others: what does "carb flu" feel like? It's been three years, and I don't remember.) Because I'd been pretty much grain free and low sugar before starting paleo -- due to blood sugar issues and celiacs in the family -- I think I went into (is it called?) ketosis -- fat burning -- fairly quickly. And I can stay in fat-burning mode on as high a carb level as 80g a day average. Not everyone can do that. Some people need to eat 30g a day or less to experience this, some need more. (At 30-50g I feel lethargic. My body apparently doesn't function well at ultra-low carb levels.)

You have to learn to listen to your body.

I had to learn to like vegetables, too. I didn't much like them when I started. I'm not wild about them, even now, but I don't mind eating them now. And there are some that I've come to really like! For example, I now prefer cauliflower rice, to the real thing. It gives me the same mouth feel as rice, but doesn't make me feel sick the way rice does. I absolutely adore steamed artichokes. I enjoy a small serving (about a cup) of sweet potato a few times a week. Today I feasted on organic fresh berries that tasted as sweet as sugar to me. Only a cupful, but it was plenty.

Also, investigate the Whole30. It readjusts your attitude towards food. One of the things you don't do on Whole30 is count calories or grams of various foods... you eat off the list of foods, as much as it takes to satisfy your hunger. You don't weigh yourself during the course of 30 days. Someone else can probably tell you more about it than I can, and better -- my way of eating these days is pretty close to the Whole30, with the addition of occasional super-dark chocolate, or a glass of wine if it's a birthday or anniversary, and I do it without thinking. It's just habit, because I feel so much better eating this way.

I'm very distracted tonight, so I hope this makes sense.

homesweeths

p.s. if you're worried about fat, watch the following movie (Fat Head). Yeah, it's showmanship, but my experience over the last few years tells me there's something to what he says about fat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evcNPfZlrZs

qkcam

i will look into the :the whole 30" thank you. i looked up carb flu, i have those symptoms all the time anyway- lol! i am a bit behind in these forums.. i did feel as hungry yesterday .. and found on my shelf a book called "eat fat lose fat" of course i have all these books and dont read much- but it has some interesting recipes in there. thanks for the support

qkcam

i just turned on the movie- it is a long one! i will take a look at it later this evening.. thank you!..

qkcam

that movie was really informative- I learned alot! what about the dairy and heavy cream ? what i learned from the movie is high healhty fats good ..and carbs low/ // grains bad.

qkcam

i liked the follow up video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRkcSI9P1_I

homesweeths

Thanks for posting the follow-up video, I hadn't seen that!

homesweeths

Another good lecture by the same guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=30&v=KzPnnDDCIjo

qkcam

for some reason i couldn't look at the video- ??

homesweeths

qkcam wrote: »

for some reason i couldn't look at the video- ??

How odd. It's on youtube, with the name "Diet, Health and the Wisdom of Crowds" -- hopefully you can find it.