Tips for Weight Loss on Paleo?
CatProvost
Posts: 2
Hi all! I'm 3 weeks into a Paleo lifestyle and though I'm pretty impressed with myself and the diet for what I've been able to achieve thus far, I'm finding the scale is creeping back up after an initial weight loss. I think lack of variety and adjustment to the Paleo lifestyle is starting to get difficult. Does anyone have suggestions and tips for someone looking to lose weight on Paleo and still have energy for work and the gym?
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Focus on health, not weight loss. A healthy body will shed excess fat but it won't necessarily be fast and calorie/scale obsession is a complete fail (i.e. loss of lbm and slowed metabolism).
Eat lots of delicious foods with lots of healthy fats. Lift heavy things. Have fun.0 -
Recipes on Pinterest. Free and yummy!!! Great way to beat boredom for me is to make a new recipe!
http://www.pinterest.com/carrierowland77/paleo-ish/
http://www.pinterest.com/carrierowland77/recipes-ive-tried/
http://www.pinterest.com/carrierowland77/paleo-soup-and-salad/
http://www.pinterest.com/carrierowland77/paleo-veggies-and-sides/0 -
Paleo/primal definitely requires getting out of your comfort zone (or rather, my own comfort zone) and cooking! There are countless recipes for you to try! I've found paleo cookbooks to be pretty expensive so I just search for them online. One of my favorite websites is paleomg.com. Everything I've made from hers has been delicious (but be careful using almond/coconut flower recipes often, I consider those recipes "treats"). The diet gets boring real quick if you don't cook and I doubt would be sustainable. I use the crock pot a lot to make meals for the week.
As for the weightloss part...I know it's difficult,but don't focus on it. If you focus so much on it, you're missing the point of paleo/primal... achieving a healthier way of living. I agree with Akima. Try not weighing yourself for a week or two. You will be eating nutritious, whole foods and that counts for something. You will probably feel better than you thought was possible. Stay active doing something you enjoy. I enjoy long walks outside. Weightloss isn't linear and doesn't always come when we want it to!0 -
I echo with what has been said, and I understand the need to get on the scale for validation, but it’ll drive you bonkers :sad:
As far as energy goes, you’ve been at it for 3 weeks now, are you experiencing low energy? If so, what do you eat pre-workout?0 -
Good for you, it's awesome you've found a healthy lifestyle that works for you no matter what your motivation. nomnompaleo is one of my favorite recipe sites and I just got the book Paleo by Season and it looks very promising.0
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If weight loss is your goal, I'd track your calories just to make sure that you're not eating a lot more than you think you are. You can definitely overeat on the Paleo diet especially if you're doing a lot of nuts and fats (harder to do with a lot of veggies). I also think it's a good idea to cut down on your carbs. I try to keep mine below 100 g/day personally, but some even go full blown keto on Paleo. It's not a requirement by any means, but what many have found to help out with shedding more pounds. And, of course, some good exercise -- lots of walking/hiking, lifting heavy a few times a week and a session of weekly sprints will really help with the weight coming off.0
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I am in a similar situation to the OP. I have been doing Paleo and also been 90% dairy free except for milk in my coffee x1/day as there is no substitute worthy. I have been doing this for 2 weeks now and there has been no noticeable weight loss. I find it pretty difficult to stay at 1200 calories a day doing paleo as protein foods seem to be so much higher in calories and fats etc than other foods.
Also it is getting kind of boring especially seeing I am doing mainly dairy free. But I should add why I started this paleo diet. I was googling how to naturally get rid of my acid reflux/heartburn. I can honestly say that it is 98% gone.
I was under the impression that I would start losing a fair bit at least at the start and then it would continue but slow down. I have about 65 lbs to lose. Perhaps my age is a factor as I am 56 years old.
Sure could use some help myself!0 -
New to Paleo myself, so take all this with whatever salt grains you consider necessary.
If you are a data addict (I am--I weigh myself often, not to beat myself up about it, but to collect data on how I'm doing) try also taking measurements every so often in addition to looking at the scale. There are times when I don't lose anything over 1-3 weeks, but my waist measurement is slowly but surely decreasing. Or try focusing on how your clothes fit. If you have a pair of pants that weeks ago was a little bit tight and now they are comfortable, that's success! If you haven't seen muscles in your thighs for a while and now you do, that's huge! It's not all about the poundage or kilos.
As far as energy, I find that my energy is more stable when eating paleo. Until I started experimenting with paleo, a typical start to a day would look like:
wake up
exercise 1 - 1.5 hours
eat breakfast: oatmeal and raisins, fruit
half an hour after breakfast: huge energy crash, to the point where if I didn't have to leave the house I'd often fall asleep sitting up.
Now, after eating a breakfast with a lot of protein and minimal carbs, I don't get that sudden crash after breakfast that makes it difficult to function. I have (for me) pretty stable energy all day. Lately I've been focussing on minimizing my carbs and emphasizing protein--maybe this goes without saying on Paleo, idk. I have been pleasantly surprised at how far protein calories go compared to carbs. Iow, I can function happily much longer on 300 calories of chicken breast or tuna salad than I can on 300 calories of toast.
I am sure others more knowledgeable here can give you more sophisticated, paleo-correct analyses of what's going on, and everyone is different, so it may take a while to find what works for you. As a new-to-paleo person, I have found Danielle Walker's "Against all Grain" cookbooks helpful. I also like Nom Nom Paleo. In addition to these, there are many many other paleo recipe sites and blogs out there for information and inspiration.0 -
Cate1898-if you are still doing dairy you may not have 100% results. Milk is the worst too! It has latose, casein and whey, ALL cause problems for people to varying degrees. I like to use coconut 'cream". I take a can of full fat coconut milk, open the ottom slightly and drain the liquid, then use the sold like part in my coffee and creamy recipes. It doesn't taste coconutty this way.0
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Cate1898-if you are still doing dairy you may not have 100% results. Milk is the worst too! It has latose, casein and whey, ALL cause problems for people to varying degrees. I like to use coconut 'cream". I take a can of full fat coconut milk, open the ottom slightly and drain the liquid, then use the sold like part in my coffee and creamy recipes. It doesn't taste coconutty this way.
Or a version of Bulletproof coffee.
I use a teaspoon of butter (which is usually well tolerated-it's all fat- from grass fed cows preferably) and a teaspoon of coconut oil per cup of coffee. The secret is to make sure it is completely emulsified which is easy with an immersion blender.
I agree that dairy is problematic but most people excuse it away: "I have no problem with dairy". I was one of them and when I finally gave it up for a month I found out that I do indeed have problems with dairy, most notably my addiction to it. It's a constant struggle but I have at least recognized it's not a healthy food for me. Right now, I'm allowing myself a small amount of dairy max twice per week.0 -
About 7 years ago I tried going to a Naturopath and had food allergy testing done. I did test positive to casein. I guess I have not taken the Naturopath's advice to stay away from products with casein in which I believe is milk, cheese, yogourt, etc. I love my morning coffee (and sometimes one in the afternoon) and don't want to give it up.
I will definitely try the coconut 'cream' from a full fat coconut milk can. I have always shaken the cans before I open them, so I will have to stop that! If that doesn't work I guess I could try bulletproof coffee but it doesn't sound very appealing. I have a Vitamix so that should be able to work instead of an immersion blender.0 -
About 7 years ago I tried going to a Naturopath and had food allergy testing done. I did test positive to casein. I guess I have not taken the Naturopath's advice to stay away from products with casein in which I believe is milk, cheese, yogourt, etc. I love my morning coffee (and sometimes one in the afternoon) and don't want to give it up.
I will definitely try the coconut 'cream' from a full fat coconut milk can. I have always shaken the cans before I open them, so I will have to stop that! If that doesn't work I guess I could try bulletproof coffee but it doesn't sound very appealing. I have a Vitamix so that should be able to work instead of an immersion blender.
Don't pre-judge something before trying it. BP coffee is delicious and very quickly I came to prefer it. I have a Vitamix too, but the immersion blender is quicker and easier. Why dirty the Vitamix just for coffee… and watch splashing!
I didn't like coconut milk/cream myself, so if you don't either, try BP.
The best way to approach the changes of a Paleo lifestyle is to have an open mind. BP coffee, fermented foods, organ meats, etc are all things worth trying, and more than once. To develop a taste for something it takes far more than one try in my experience.0
