OK I'm going to say it - beer

iwillrun2

I'm relatively new to the paleo/primal world - started eating clean on May 12/14. I was hugely surprised how easily I could let go of breads, pasta, cookies, etc. My sweets are non-existent - no chocolate, desserts, etc. I'm a believer in this lifestyle. But I'm getting a bit discouraged as I'm only down just over 4 lbs in 6 weeks. I am keeping my carbs around 80 for the most part and calories (even though I don't need to count) are about 1600 on average. I DO however enjoy a ice cold beer on the patio in the summer. I checked the beer (Brava) and it came in at only 9 carbs which surprised me. I have read that alcohol slows your metabolism, so could this be my problem? I'm having maybe about 5/week. I want to make paleo/primal my lifestyle, but would still like to enjoy a drink once in a while. I have been on and off about tracking, but swear on a stack of bibles - no grains, sugar. I had started with about 2 fruit a day and have changed to 1 and sometines no fruit. My only guess is that I should be working out more - I'm doing about 30 minutes fast walking about 5 days/week.
Looking for your comments.

Akimajuktuq

You don't have a lot to lose.. how much faster do you expect to lose? By trying to lose faster you may lose muscle and slow your metabolism. Been there, did it, and am now wishing I'd done it differently at the start two years ago. Losing weight more quickly serves no long term benefit at all. Four pounds in 6 weeks is quite quick for your current weight.

The issue for beer is double: the alcohol and gluten. I've never been a huge fan of beer but do like a dark ale occasionally. I would think 5 per week could certainly affect your progress, but I also don't know what's right for you. I can mostly live without beer, but if I absolutely loved it and life sucked without it, I would find a way to enjoy it occasionally.

Try to add in exercise that will help you maintain muscle. Frequent walking is great but our body needs some high intensity activity, for short bursts, as well. Bodyweight exercises are a good idea. I was negligent in preserving my lean body mass and I'm paying for it now with 7months of no fat loss, and my body is even trying to store fat while in a supposed calorie deficit. Slowed metabolism plus less muscle is a bad, bad combination. Yup I lost very fast in the beginning too, and am regretting it.

Dragonwolf

How about swapping out the beer for a different fermented drink? You could learn to ferment your own beer (or different drink, like mead), or soft drinks (water kefir, root beer, etc). You could also swap it out for a glass of high quality red wine, which has a bunch of antioxidants and whatnot in it that are beneficial.

I'd say take a look at your reasons for why it means so much to you, then try to swap it for things that are more compliant but still retain the aspects you value. If nothing else, you can do that for some evenings, so you're not totally giving up your beer (especially if you can't find a suitable replacement).

Other than that, I agree with Akima, 4lb in 6 weeks isn't bad with as little as you have to lose, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Besides, a lot of the big losses you hear about are actually just water weight from the drop in carbs (even if doing a higher carb Paleo, 150g is a jump down from the 250g+ that most people consume).

You can also try tracking for observation purposes for a couple of weeks. Don't worry about calories or anything, just eat like you would, and log it to see where you stand. That way, you can see if there are any patterns that you're currently missing, or any tweak opportunities.

Sabine_Stroehm

About 12 years ago I swapped beer for white wine (and sometimes red). It made a lot of difference for me back then with only about 25LBS to lose.
I'll have a (delicious) beer from time to time now, usually on holiday. Or on a hot summer day. But mostly, I'll drink wine. I get it. A cold beer on a summer day is a beautiful day. And perhaps, after you've lost the weight, that can be your regular treat... but see what swapping it while you're losing does... or, keep doing what you're doing and see if you can get the last pounds off. I couldn't.

smallpalehuman

I'm a huge beer-fan too!

I don't drink alcohol often, nor do I drink more than 2 drinks at any one time (my body can't handle it) but I do enjoy a beer every now and again.

My favourite beer is an organic & gluten free beer called Daas Blonde which is 2grams of carbs per bottle. Tastes clean & doesn't give me a tummy ache the next day!

http://www.planetorganic.com/daas-org-gluten-free-blond-beer.html

If I'm in a pub, I will order a Coors Light, since it's low in alcohol and about 4 grams of carbs per bottle.


:drinker:

iwillrun2

Thanks all of you for your comments. I guess I shouldn't be watching the scale so much and just concentrate on clean eating. I will be incororating for muscle building /strength training now. I've just been procrastinating. I usually get up before work 5:00 a.m. to do that, so I had better just do it. I find after work, I'm too tired to get motivated. Anyway, I appreciate all you info on this and will keep at it.

Akimajuktuq

Thanks all of you for your comments. I guess I shouldn't be watching the scale so much and just concentrate on clean eating. I will be incororating for muscle building /strength training now. I've just been procrastinating. I usually get up before work 5:00 a.m. to do that, so I had better just do it. I find after work, I'm too tired to get motivated. Anyway, I appreciate all you info on this and will keep at it.

Don't sacrifice sleep for exercise though. If you are going to get up earlier, you should go to bed earlier. Both sleep and exercise are important; however, there are ways to get huge benefits from short workouts, even just 10 minutes (The Calorie Myth by Jonathan Bailor has some great strategies, and I'm sure there are others). It's more about quality than quantity- just like with food.

However, I'm no exercise expert and I prefer outdoor activities to scheduled work-outs. But I love my sleep. I never skimp on sleep for any reason.

ChoiceNotChance

There is a reason they call beer "liquid bread."