HELP! 1st week eating primal and ZERO weight loss...what am

jody0912

So I lost 10 pounds the first 4 weeks on MFP eating under my calories and low-fat, with anywhere between 130-190g carbs a day. Last week I began eating primal, and I weigh EXACTLY the same as the day I started.This is the first time since I started MFP that the scale won't budge.

Did anyone else experience something like this their first week eating primal? Please look at my diary and tell me if I'm doing something wrong! Before going primal I was losing a few ounces every few days, and around 1.5 pounds a week. I wasn't eating too many processed foods before, so my main changes have been cutting out grains and dairy, and significantly increasing my healthy fat intake.

So frustrated and wondering if I should go back to low-fat????

disclosure - I only worked out twice this week, but that's not totally abnormal for me and I still used to lose that way.

heatherseona

Your diary is not public.

TrishJimenez

can I ask what is eating primal?

jody0912

oops! diary is public now - sorry about that!

since I just started primal, I'm not quite the expert to explain it - but if you're interested, there's tons of great information on MFP if you search for primal, as well as great info here: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/

MB_Positif

I am no expert on primal eating, but the big question is, are you getting enough fiber which turns into the second big question...are you having regular bowel movements? You might need to supplement with fiber, if you're not tracking it now, start doing it and see where you are with it. Good luck!

FabiolaEnvy♥

oh one of my friend does that
he loves the blueprints

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/stevemcknight

send him questions maybe he can help you on that.

ProTFitness

oops! diary is public now - sorry about that!

since I just started primal, I'm not quite the expert to explain it - but if you're interested, there's tons of great information on MFP if you search for primal, as well as great info here: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/

You need to track sugar and salt along with calories fiber protein and carbs. I bet your over doing salt or sugars. But also remember that your body does need to adjust.

ProTFitness

Fad Diets generally do not work and They dont work long term. If you do get results when you switch back your eating weight gain is generally going to happen.

laddyboy

I was just going to ask if I could see your sugar.

Are you doing resistance training? Your Diary looks pretty good but I'd really like to see your sugar and may ask you to dump the larabars or whatever their called.

vulrich93

Most likely, your body is at a plateau and adjusting to the weight loss. This could happen after a month of weight loss. I don't think you're doing anything wrong. Just be sure to watch the portion sizes and the amount of 'extras' you are eating, such as butter. I would agree that you should get more fiber in your diet. Fiber helps slow down the absorption of carbohydrates into your body, so it actually decreases the amount. For example, a nutrition label make look like this:

Carbohydates: 22g
Sugar: 19g
Fiber: 3g

What I've learned from dietitians (I'm a summer student at a health center) is they actually subtract the fiber amount from the total carbs. So the total they would count is 19g, not 22g. It wouldn't hurt to get some in your meals.
Another possibility is that your body is retaining water weight due to increased amounts of exercise (2 days per week). Look at the inches, not the scale! To lose inches faster though, I would suggest trying to increase exercise to 3 days/week.

& like above, add the 'sugar' and 'salt' content onto your calorie counter. It could be anything, really. If the diet doesn't work switch back.

jody0912

okay I added sugar and sodium to my diary. also, the larabars are gluten-free, vegan, etc. the ingredient list for instance for the cherry pie bar is: dates, almonds, cherrys. I thought that would be okay, but if not, I'll totally stop buying them.

thanks everyone so far for the replies - I really appreciate it.

* edit - now that I've added sugar to my diary, I see that the larabars are putting me over to around average 50g daily. could this be it?

For those asking about my fiber intake - I average about 20g a day (can't track carbs, protein, fat, sugar, sodium, AND fiber - annoying!) according to the report. Is that enough? Could I add a fiber supplement like Benefiber or should it really be from food?

atsteele

Is it possible that your calories are too high? In order to maintain my weight loss my calories are set to 1250 per day and then I exercise six days per week so I can eat more. I'd try lowering the calories per day by 100 and I'll bet that you'll start losing again.

laddyboy

Ok, looking at those bars you can see they are most of your sugars and carbs.

Here is what I will suggest.

1. replace those bars with pure protein bars. They might not taste as good but they are only 2 gms of sugar and less carbs.
2. increase your protein to 40-50% of your calories
3. do less cardio and swap that time for resistance. More muscle will burn more calories.

Do it like this.
3 days a week 60 minutes of strength.
3 days a week 30 minutes of HIIT style cardio.

Over 30 minutes of cardio will start to burn muscle for energy and lower your metabolism.

4. Make sure you're eating in your calorie range and that includes exercise calories.

ProTFitness

okay I added sugar and sodium to my diary. also, the larabars are gluten-free, vegan, etc. the ingredient list for instance for the cherry pie bar is: dates, almonds, cherrys. I thought that would be okay, but if not, I'll totally stop buying them.

thanks everyone so far for the replies - I really appreciate it.

* edit - now that I've added sugar to my diary, I see that the larabars are putting me over to around average 50g daily. could this be it?

For those asking about my fiber intake - I average about 20g a day (can't track carbs, protein, fat, sugar, sodium, AND fiber - annoying!) according to the report. Is that enough? Could I add a fiber supplement like Benefiber or should it really be from food?

you will get your fiber if your eating fruit veggies and whole grains. You really dont need to track the fat. Beacuse if your eating clean foods they will already be low in fat

ProTFitness

Track fiber instead of the Fat

laddyboy

If you want more fiber get some Optimum Nutrition Fitness Fiber. I love it. I think I remember you getting over 20 grams a day so you're pretty good. 25 or more is good.

dmcb24

Hi, I am doing primal as well. I thiink your carbs are too high. I only scrolled through a few days of yours and your carbs were at 80+ for the most days. I would tweak your carbs a bit lower, say dont go above 50 grams per day. Do this until you reach your goal, then slowly ease it up to 100g. I am carb sensitive and I dont lose if I am not eating anything above 50 grams of carbs.

Good luck!!

ltf304

I was just going to ask if I could see your sugar.

Are you doing resistance training? Your Diary looks pretty good but I'd really like to see your sugar and may ask you to dump the larabars or whatever their called.

You should do some research on larabars. They usually consist of only a couple of ingredients.....fruit and nuts. Not processed whatsoever and nothing wrong with it.

laddyboy

I was just going to ask if I could see your sugar.

Are you doing resistance training? Your Diary looks pretty good but I'd really like to see your sugar and may ask you to dump the larabars or whatever their called.

You should do some research on larabars. They usually consist of only a couple of ingredients.....fruit and nuts. Not processed whatsoever and nothing wrong with it.

I saw the sugar content of them. Doesn't matter where the sugar comes from. Sugar is sugar and promotes fat storage. She is trying to shrink the waist. more then 15 -20 grams of sugar a day is not going to help her do that.

laddyboy

Ok, did research on Larabars. Wouldn't eat them. Sugar is around 20 grams per bar. That's like 5 teaspoons per bar.
My pure protein has 2 grams. Thanks but no thanks. I'll stick to mine.
I know they use healthy ingredients but in trying to trim the belly....lose the sugar.

RagtimeLady

So I lost 10 pounds the first 4 weeks on MFP eating under my calories and low-fat, with anywhere between 130-190g carbs a day. Last week I began eating primal, and I weigh EXACTLY the same as the day I started.This is the first time since I started MFP that the scale won't budge.

Ummm.... maybe that should be telling you something! :huh: That primal thing seems like someone's opinion and not based upon real science. I don't like the high-fat component. I'd weight a ton! If your job is doing physical labor, yeah, but not if you have an office job. If it were me, I'd go back to what worked for you. (File that under "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"):bigsmile:

suellentobler

I know the frustration I have been doing this diet for 45 days working out 3-4 times a week and have only lost 4 pounds. Got so depressed I ate a Sonic Blast last night. I try to eat food cooked at home so I can control what goes into the food. I guess it is my age (45 yrs). I thought about just giving up and beeing fat for the rest of my likfe

Barneystinson

NUMERO UNO REASON: If you've upped your fat intake (and you probably have if you're eating primally) you may not properly be measuring or accounting for the excess in fat calories. Fat is a tricky one. Yes, it's beneficial, but it's also very easy to underestimate.

If you read primal cookbooks, recipes, etc., they're very calorie dense. Don't eat large portions. You'll be getting more than you bargained for.

We don't absolutely need the recommded daily allowance of fiber on here to successfully take a healthy crap. Yes, that's my brutally honest typing there. What's REALLY important for our bowels to function is our fat intake. It really is.

We also don't NEED grains to function. I eat them sometimes, but again, don't NEED them. We won't die without whole grain consumption. Or dairy consumption.

Barneystinson

So I lost 10 pounds the first 4 weeks on MFP eating under my calories and low-fat, with anywhere between 130-190g carbs a day. Last week I began eating primal, and I weigh EXACTLY the same as the day I started.This is the first time since I started MFP that the scale won't budge.

Ummm.... maybe that should be telling you something! :huh: That primal thing seems like someone's opinion and not based upon real science. I don't like the high-fat component. I'd weight a ton! If your job is doing physical labor, yeah, but not if you have an office job. If it were me, I'd go back to what worked for you. (File that under "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"):bigsmile:

If someone is staying within their calorie goals, then macros are pretty individual to body composition. Generally the problem that arises with primal eating (and I can say this from my own experience) is that I was doing a poor job of accounting for / measuring the fat intake. It's easy to overdo it.

However...

Some people function better on a lower - moderate carbohydrate / higher fat diet. Yes, we can lose weight on any reasonable caloric deficit, but macro levels are much more individual preference.

bhawkins0617

I agree with other posters who suggested that you drop the Lara bars and hence drop the overall carbs for the day. Lara bars taste great and are totally all-natural but still contain way too many carbs/natural sugars for the beginning stages of a primal diet. Once you've hit your goal, that will be a great treat to add in occasionally.

Instead, stick to low glycemic fruits such as berries or a small apple. Also, keep in mind that taking grains out of the diet does reduce bulk fiber and may affect your "regularity". If that is a problem, try eating a prune or 2 a day.

DianaPowerUp

I agree with other posters who suggested that you drop the Lara bars and hence drop the overall carbs for the day. Lara bars taste great and are totally all-natural but still contain way too many carbs/natural sugars for the beginning stages of a primal diet. Once you've hit your goal, that will be a great treat to add in occasionally.

Instead, stick to low glycemic fruits such as berries or a small apple. Also, keep in mind that taking grains out of the diet does reduce bulk fiber and may affect your "regularity". If that is a problem, try eating a prune or 2 a day.

I agree. I started eating primally about 6 mos ago, and just started losing weight like crazy. The results speak for themselves. But you HAVE to watch your sugar intake - whether it comes from your carbs, or "healthy" snacks like fruit or Larabars.

janiepumphrey

Fad Diets generally do not work and They dont work long term. If you do get results when you switch back your eating weight gain is generally going to happen.

I don't consider the paleo diet to be a "fad" diet at all...and it does work long-term...it worked quite well for human ancestors for millions of years.

TK421NotAtPost

Larabars are not the problem here. If you have been tracking total calories properly and the only change you've made is going to a primal/paleo eating plan and your weight loss has stalled, it most likely because you aren't carb sensitive.

It sounds like you belong to a relatively smaller but lucky group of people who do better eating a good amount of starchy, but healthy carbs on a daily basis.

The paleo diet has helped a lot of people, but it isn't for everyone. Some people, believe it or not, do poorly when eliminating cereal grains from their diet. I should know...I live with one of those types of people!

Eats_With_A_Fist

Same thing happened to me....Lost a few pounds pre-Primal, then the week I started eating that way I only lost a pound, this past week (week 2) I dropped 4. No guarantee that it will be consistent like that, but yeah the same thing happened to me. I definitely feel better in just over two weeks of doing it...more energy, able to push myself a little more in my workouts. Give it some time and see what happens. It may be like TK421 said though...some things just don't work the same for all people. Take the time and do some research/experimenting to find what works for you.

walkingshoes

speaking of the larabars you are having at night, that reminds me that my personal trainer friend said it is bad to eat carbs at night. She recommended this peanut butter with chocolate and says she had some every night. I was surprised how high in calories it was to eat a wopping tblsp or 2 before bed, but she said it was fine and to stay under 1500 cals a day. Just mainly no carbs before bed.

jody0912

thanks everyone for all the replies!!

after a day away from the computer and time to think, I realize I may have been overreacting this morning. I'm going to give it time, cut the larabars, watch and carefully measure my healthy fat intake, and stop obsessing about the scale.

it's so nice to have a community of people to pose these questions to!