Counting calories? Newb here!

grrl77

Just had a couple questions - do you guys count your calories and have that be a primary focus? I was pretty religious about counting calories before, and really focused on watching salt intake, fats, etc. Just "keeping everything in the green," basically.

I also hear a lot of people talking about "adjusting macros." No idea what that means. How do I do it and how do I know what's right for me? I'm a pretty hefty gal, if that matters.

vancityduck

Counting calories isn't really important once you start eating paleo. Just make sure your sources of food are from primarily protein (meat, fish, eggs) and veggies with fruit and nuts/seeds. You'll find you are less hungry once you start feeding your body what it really needs. That being said, it is an adjustment, and at first you might feel carb depleted. Sweet potatos are great for that. Make sweet potato fries in the oven and get creative with baking. Coconut and Almond flour are great to make muffins/loaves/pancakes with and still give you that carby feel and are great for eating before exercise (I find).

Also - become friends with OILS. Coconut, Olive oil etc. Cook your veggies in oil and garlic or grass fed butter, etc.

I really wouldn't worry about calorie counting unless you are really worried you're over-eating. Sorry, not so sure about macro this or that, I've read a little about it, but I find it a bit complicated. I just eat proper foods and try and keep really hydrated with water. I lost weight immediately. Good luck!!

Eat2Live2Run

I'm logging my food just for the sake of being accountable of what I eat, but not necessarily for calorie counting purposes. If that makes sense. I have a binge eating problem, so logging helps me in that way, but it is interesting to see what I come up with calorie and macro-wise eating Paleo.

grrl77

I definitely get it. I think what I'm excited about is actually listening to my body. I think before, I would say "Okay, I have 1500 calories to blow today!" and eat whatever, low-cal food, low-fat food, down a couple diet sodas - hey no calories, right? I think tracking would definitely be helpful, if anything just as a reference point to see when I'm actually full.

So things like olive oil, coconut oil are your friends, yes? You guys have any sweets recipes you like? I'm a fan of chocolate. I'm sure that's out, except on special occasions!

grrl77

Oh girls. One more thing.

Red wine.

Please tell me I don't have to give this up entirely. =P

ichorica

I don't log anything since paleo. I have gotten to a good place where I don't need the visual. I make sure I eat when I'm hungry lots of fat, veggies and ect. But I would recommend you start off by tracking initially and after some months decide to continue tracking or not. My macros initially were set at 50% fat, 35% protein and 15% Caribs. You can adjust those where you change your goals. The percentages vary for some but I believe most of us focus on 50% and above fat.

I don't believe the red wine is paleo. I know there is some debate on this. I am not a drinker of alcohol so ill leave that one to someone else.

JohnNull

Generally not considered a "girl", but I'll offer this up:

A little red wine is fine now and again.

You do better without it overall, but you don't have to be a prisoner.

primalkiwi

If you are eating Primal then a little red wine and dark chocolate are considered okay to have every now and then. I think they are out for primal eaters.

For setting your macros go to the option where it lets you set your goals then choose the option to set them for yourself rather than the guided option. Some work on fat others on carbs first. I'm aiming for 30 - 50 g of carbs daily so choose a percentage value that will reflect that, then I set my protein for 1g per pound of lean body mass using the US Military method - http://www.free-online-calculator-use.com/military-body-fat-calculator.html. The remaining gives me my fat intake for the day.

I don't worry too much about calorie intake (from memory my percentages are set using 1800 calories daily). I've found that eating this way I've learnt to listen to my body when it's had enough and I find that I naturally eat less because the fat and protein leave me feeling satisfied.

JohnNull

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For setting your macros go to the option where it lets you set your goals then choose the option to set them for yourself rather than the guided option. Some work on fat others on carbs first. I'm aiming for 30 - 50 g of carbs daily so choose a percentage value that will reflect that, then I set my protein for 1g per pound of lean body mass using the US Military method - http://www.free-online-calculator-use.com/military-body-fat-calculator.html. The remaining gives me my fat intake for the day.

I don't worry too much about calorie intake (from memory my percentages are set using 1800 calories daily). I've found that eating this way I've learnt to listen to my body when it's had enough and I find that I naturally eat less because the fat and protein leave me feeling satisfied.

Wonderful post!

My added $.02: I naturally overeat some days and undereat on others. Just going by my hunger.

meghanner

I disagree with some of the others. If you are new to healthy paleo eating and want to lose weight I think it's important to log/track your calories. Many paleo foods are highly caloric, and although they create a optimal insulin response in our bodies that favour fat burning rather than carb burning, if eaten in excess (eg. nuts/avocado) they can hamper weight loss.

Set your macronutrients to 45% fat, 35% protein and 20% carbs in the "customize' settings section of MFP, choose a caloric goal that will allow for slow steady weight loss (not more than 1 lbs a week), increase your exercise, sprint or interval train every once and a while and start to incorporate some weights into your routine (bodyweight stuff works great!)

meghanner

Oh, one more thing, a few glasses of red wine a week is still paleo/primal