Determining Goals

mjslazak

So I've just gone through and calculated my TDEE and have re-set my goals to up my caloric intake (another 400 calories/day) and re-adjusted the carb/fat/protein levels to skew toward fat and protein and well away from carbs to really try to get myself into the correct primal mindset (more veggies, fewer fruit and of course, steering clear of processed stuff and grains).

In reality, I know that I don't need to obsess over calories and the macros slavishly as long as I am eating primally most of the time because I'll naturally feel full. But, as a long-time yo-yo dieter (for many of those years, on Weight Watchers), I still mentally feel the need to try and log and watch my intake carefully. At the core, the whole concept of eating more calories and in fact, more fat, is something that goes against everything I've done until now. It's kind of scary.

So my question to you, my friends, is how did you determine your calorie and macro goals? I'd love to hear what pushed you in one direction or another, and any advice you have for me as I push myself to this higher-calorie plus higher-fat level, which, according to what I've calculated, should be more in line with good health and weight loss than where I've been.

Thanks!!

MikeFlyMike

I didn't really look at the macro percentages. I manually set my protein to 140g and my carbs for 50g. then typed in a number for fat until I got to 1400 cals. I never obsessed over the calories, but did make sure to eat at least my protein for the day and tried to keep my carbs at 40-80 for the day. Once I changed my eating style, it came pretty easy and naturally.

Zeromilediet

When I first came here just used MFP ratios. When I decided to take the paleo challenge, changed the macros to 20/50/30 C/F/P and this has worked well for me. I know others who eat more carbs and others who eat more fat etc. What will work for your body is individual with the underlying premise to avoid processed foods and ensure the fats you eat are healthy.

This important because fat makes up such a significant portion of paleo calories. For me that's fatty fish and animal fats in general (duck fat .... swoon!), cold pressed oils like coconut, olive, avocado, and ghee because I like the flavour of butter without the milk solids. While I eat bacon once a month, it's a treat ...it's hard to find nitrate free bacon. A friend is going to show me how to smoke pork bellies so can have homemade :-)

missyyclaire

If this helps to know, I still log in my food intake everyday, though almost all the time I'm over in calories. Sometimes waaaay over. I like the methodism of logging it in as a way to be accountable to myself. It's shocking how many calories I'm eating, and how much fat I'm eating and yet seem to be losing weight. As you know, I'm super low carb for 20 days now. After a slow increase in my weight in March, I decided something needed to be done. A friend of mine was reading "Why We Get Fat", and is also doing low carb. I read the book cover to cover and chose April 7th as the beginning of very low carb because of what I read in Gary Taubes book. 20 days later I'm down 6 lbs.

Years ago I had done Atkins but didn't have a huge amount of success with it, even though I stayed on it for a year. What I'm doing different this time is I'm eating all unprocessed foods. No protein bars, no sweeteners of any kind, no fruit even for now. Just meats, fowl, pork, fish, eggs, veggies, nuts and butter. I'm limited on what I can buy as I'm traveling 100% of the time, so everything I get is either from a restaurant or what I can find in a grocery store that can be microwaved (most of the time I don't even have a microwave). On Atkins, I ate lots of sugar free chocolates, sugar free ice creams, Atkins bread products, protein bars, sweeteners and gallons and gallons of diet sodas.

The way I eat now feels so much cleaner, and so far seems to be working. I've really weeded out the carbs this month and my body seems to like this. I know I like dropping weight while eating ground beef, ribeyes, eggs, a little cheese, salads with dressing, veggies and tons of butter. Oh, and macadamia nuts, yum.

I'd recommend getting the book listed up above, it's scientific yet very understandable. It takes the onus off of what we assume are eating disorders and instead just shows us exactly what triggers our body to store fat and to release it. Which has nothing to do with addiction and disorders but instead on our hormonal response (insulin) to the foods we eat. Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

mjslazak

If this helps to know, I still log in my food intake everyday, though almost all the time I'm over in calories. Sometimes waaaay over. I like the methodism of logging it in as a way to be accountable to myself. It's shocking how many calories I'm eating, and how much fat I'm eating and yet seem to be losing weight. As you know, I'm super low carb for 20 days now. After a slow increase in my weight in March, I decided something needed to be done. A friend of mine was reading "Why We Get Fat", and is also doing low carb. I read the book cover to cover and chose April 7th as the beginning of very low carb because of what I read in Gary Taubes book. 20 days later I'm down 6 lbs.

Years ago I had done Atkins but didn't have a huge amount of success with it, even though I stayed on it for a year. What I'm doing different this time is I'm eating all unprocessed foods. No protein bars, no sweeteners of any kind, no fruit even for now. Just meats, fowl, pork, fish, eggs, veggies, nuts and butter. I'm limited on what I can buy as I'm traveling 100% of the time, so everything I get is either from a restaurant or what I can find in a grocery store that can be microwaved (most of the time I don't even have a microwave). On Atkins, I ate lots of sugar free chocolates, sugar free ice creams, Atkins bread products, protein bars, sweeteners and gallons and gallons of diet sodas.

The way I eat now feels so much cleaner, and so far seems to be working. I've really weeded out the carbs this month and my body seems to like this. I know I like dropping weight while eating ground beef, ribeyes, eggs, a little cheese, salads with dressing, veggies and tons of butter. Oh, and macadamia nuts, yum.

I'd recommend getting the book listed up above, it's scientific yet very understandable. It takes the onus off of what we assume are eating disorders and instead just shows us exactly what triggers our body to store fat and to release it. Which has nothing to do with addiction and disorders but instead on our hormonal response (insulin) to the foods we eat. Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks! I'll browse thru your diary and look for the book. I must say you are already my road-warrior hero for all the travel you do and the ability to still stick to the primal/paleo guns, so to speak!

Also with you next week on giving this an extra push into keto (hopefully!)!

mjslazak

When I first came here just used MFP ratios. When I decided to take the paleo challenge, changed the macros to 20/50/30 C/F/P and this has worked well for me. I know others who eat more carbs and others who eat more fat etc. What will work for your body is individual with the underlying premise to avoid processed foods and ensure the fats you eat are healthy.

This important because fat makes up such a significant portion of paleo calories. For me that's fatty fish and animal fats in general (duck fat .... swoon!), cold pressed oils like coconut, olive, avocado, and ghee because I like the flavour of butter without the milk solids. While I eat bacon once a month, it's a treat ...it's hard to find nitrate free bacon. A friend is going to show me how to smoke pork bellies so can have homemade :-)

I need to try duck!

mjslazak

I didn't really look at the macro percentages. I manually set my protein to 140g and my carbs for 50g. then typed in a number for fat until I got to 1400 cals. I never obsessed over the calories, but did make sure to eat at least my protein for the day and tried to keep my carbs at 40-80 for the day. Once I changed my eating style, it came pretty easy and naturally.

Thanks Mike. I've been at Paleo/Primal for a bit now, but it's still really hard to get into the correct thinking. Thanks for the ideas!

missyyclaire

Thanks! I'll browse thru your diary and look for the book. I must say you are already my road-warrior hero for all the travel you do and the ability to still stick to the primal/paleo guns, so to speak!

Also with you next week on giving this an extra push into keto (hopefully!)!

Gosh, what a kind thing to say. Thank you.

Tuesday here we come!!!

oldmanswife

Feel free to check out my diary. I do eat homemade almond flour baked goods and some fruit and lots of dairy. It seems to he working for me. My macros are set at 100g carbs, 100 fat, and 100 protein. I ALawYS go over, but I am not so obsessed with the number on the scale, moreso my body fat %.