Coming off Paleo. PLEASE HELP ME THIS IS DESPERATE

1442802

I've been Paleo for a year now and I've lost 30 pounds, but now it is time for me to stop being Paleo because of financial reasons. I have joined my fitness pal because I want to lose about 30 more pounds ( im 5'8, 18 years old, female, 168-70 pounds ) but now I have to eat normal. I'm switching to the MFP plan, where you can eat normal but just stay within your calories, carbs, sugar, etc count and you'll lose weight. I've got a limit of 1,230 calories which doesn't bother me.

Anyway, I was wondering how this will affect me? Am I going to gain weight even though I am eating now like a normal person? Peanut butter, plain oatmeal, regular Cheerios and my mom's lactose intolerant milk? Things of that nature are how i eat now. I still go to the gym for 45 minutes and work out good and hard, every day except Sunday. The only thing that is changing is my diet, and I just want to know what to expect.

Thanks!

itsbasschick

1230 calories is fairly low calorie, so i'd skip the peanut butter except in small amounts. at 1200 calories, you could have a 300 calorie breakfast, 300 calorie lunch, 450 calorie dinner and have 150 calories left over for snacks.

what you really need to make this work is an accurate food scale. it will make a huge difference in how accurate your food logging is - people who don't use a scale tend to log less calories than they eat - and for wet ingredients, a set of measuring spoons and cups is extremely useful.

i eat 1200 net calories per day and i've been losing a pound per week or a little more every week. i drink non-fat lactose free milk, eat potato chips, non-fat greek yogurt, egg whites or egg beaters, but i measure EVERY bite. i can eat a serving of mashed potatoes, frozen hash browns or a small burrito. all it has to do is add up to 1230 calories per day plus you can eat back some of your exercise calories.

the only reason you'd be gaining weight would be if you are eating too many calories - it's really that simple. good luck!

kgeyser

1230 calories is far too low for your stats and activity level. Set your MFP goal for a more realistic 1 lb loss per week, since you only have 30 lbs to lose.

As for whether or not you will gain weight eating like a "normal" person, whatever that means, you lose weight from being in a calorie deficit. If you stay in a calorie deficit, you will lose; if you have a calorie surplus, you will gain. There are people here who have bulked on a paleo diet, it's not the type of food you eat.

Read this, it is very helpful: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

shmerek

Putting your stats into a BMR calculator it comes up with 1592. You are eating too few calories, you aren't eating enough to maintain your health. Eat more. Calculate your TDEE and then take a 10-20% deficit from that number.

Oi_Sunshine

123it calories is far too low for your stats and activity level. Set your MFP goal for a more realistic 1 lb loss per week, since you only have 30 lbs to lose.

As for whether or not you will gain weight eating like a "normal" person, whatever that means, you lose weight from being in a calorie deficit. If you stay in a calorie deficit, you will lose; if you have a calorie surplus, you will gain. There are people here who have bulked on a paleo diet, it's not the type of food you eat.

Read this, it is very helpful: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Beat me to it!

As long as you are eating at a deficit, you will lose weight. Paleo may have helped you be at a deficit because you have to be very aware of your food to achieve a paleo, and all its restrictions most likely helped you achieve a deficit. 1230 is very low for your height and age. I'm 5'3" and 32 years old, and sedentary to lightly active, and it is far too low for even me. 168-170 lb. isn't too far from a healthy weight for you so your deficit should not be as big as if you were needing to lose more weight. Please follow that link up there to figure out the best calorie goal for your needs.

DebbieLyn63

The 'normal' female in America today wears a size 14, and is at least 30 lbs overweight. So if you are eating like a 'normal' person, be prepared to stay at the weight you are now.

Why can you not afford to eat Paleo anymore? If you were very strict Paleo and only eating grass-fed beef, and organic everything, then I can understand the cost factor. But just because you can't afford the high end generic foods, doesn't mean you have to abandon every aspect of a plan that was working for you.

You can also modify the plan to fit your budget and personal preferences.
But you don't have to start eating the standard american diet that got you overweight in the first place.

Find lower cost alternatives. Chicken, pork, and some fish can be purchased fairly cheaply. Frozen veggies are just as good as fresh organic ones, and much lower cost. You don't have to go to a diet of cheerios and potato chips. Eggs are super cheap and a great source of protein. And will keep you fuller, longer, than a bowl of cheerios in the morning.

Check out Mark's Daily Apple, which promotes a flexible Paleo plan he calls Primal. Even peanut butter is ok for some people who have no issues with it, just be careful with portion control. And you can have dairy on that plan as well, as long as you are not intolerant.

No need to panic. Like others have pointed out- you will not regain your lost weight unless you start eating more calories than you burn. Altho adding in grains and other higher carb foods, will cause a few lbs of water weight in the beginning, so you may want to increase those gradually, or just keep the grains out of your diet if you do well without them.

Meerataila

As others said, if you stay in a sensible deficit, you'll lose weight. But your workouts might suffer if your diet isn't nutritious.

Perhaps a multivitamin? Cheap for what you get, if not as good as getting your nutrients from food.

Also, if beans don't bother you, they're very cheap. You can get them dried, soak them overnight, pour out that water, rinse thoroughly, get rid of that water, then cook them in a pot or slow cooker. Then maybe find veggies and fruits on sale where and when you can to go with the beans.

sarah2954

I advise you to slowly add in the foods you've not been eating. Initially, grains may make you retain water and feel bloated, and dairy may muck up your digestive track. Adding sugars again may increase your cravings for more sugar.

I'm sure you'll be fine reintroducing foods, just go slow as to minimize possible negative effects.

Fit_Chef_NE

You will be fine, but will likely see an initial weight gain. Don't let it freak you out. Grains often make you retain water, but that isn't REAL weight gain, it's water weight. Your body needs more water when you eat them.

I ate paleo for a time and added foods back in slowly. First legumes, then dairy and then the occasional grains. I still rarely eat grains because I'd rather spend my calories on more nutrient dense foods that are more satiating. I hate being hungry an hour after eating a bowl of pasta. It feels like a waste and usually ruins my day. You can still keep the parts of the paleo diet that worked for you and eat the things you want.

I eat potatoes and rice instead of bread and pasta. I still get my carbs but they cause far less of an insulin spike for me and are pretty cheap as well. I used to be a total carbohydrate junkie, so I really try not to overdo it on the simple carbs.

Also, eat lots of veggies and beans. The beans are filling, cheap and stretch really far on a budget. Proteins can be very expensive, but they will be more filling than eating a bunch of bread. Also, make sure to do some meal planning so you can know what you want to get before going to the store and limit your impulse shopping.