Really.. no counting calories?? Im scared!!

Jxnsmma

Ive read a whole whack of articles on the paleo lifestyle, picked up the whole 30 book and am ready to start my 30 days. Everything I read says to eat if youre hungry and stop when youre not and dont count calories. Im having such a hard time with that. Ive read the science behind it but Im having a hard time believing that there is not SOMETHING to the calories in, calories out theory (with quality of food being ultra important). If I plug in all the food I was planning to eat today, which my eye measure isnt alot (my chocolate chili looks like nothing and its 500 calories!!! I made scotch eggs and was going to eat 2, but thats like 800 calories!!) and I'd be waaaayyyyyyyyy over... With all the added fats everything is so calorie dense! They say the fats make you more satiated blah blah... sigh.

So tell me, do you still count calories on paleo? I know everyone is different but Im a 5'8 bigger framed woman. 177 lbs. I have myself set at 1800 cals and only eat back a little of my exercise calories if Im really hungry. I work out 5 days a week, about an hour each time lifing weights with usually a run day in there somewhere. How much are YOU eating in a day and still finding positive changes in your body?!

LittleTrollCupcake

I do count calories/macro nutrients on paleo, even if it is a Whole30. You'll see on a lot of paleo forums people complaining about how they're not losing weight, not seeing results, etc. Well, they then post their diet and you realize just how much they're eating. Calories in/calories out still does apply. It's just significantly harder to get in those same calories without processed foods. Too many people take this eat all you want thing literally... it's just not true, and it's unfortunate.

Edit: I eat roughly 1200-1400 calories a day, my "goal" calorie intake is closer to 1500. I am not doing heavy lifts right now though because of a disc tear in my back. If I was lifting heavy, I'd be intaking 1500. I am losing weight every day with this number and not hungry at all. The best part is I'm not getting foggy headaches when I do get hungry.

Tanja_CHH

Im counting calories because I don't trust my own body enough as the thought of food can make me hungry. My aim is to repair my body and mind to one day not have to count calories and just eat when Im hungry, but untill I get there I am counting calories. However Ive changed the fact that I used to plan my day out before hand and then Id constantly be thinking "I should eat that now or I wont be hungry by xx" and then overeat again, so now Im eating when hungry and then counting the calories to get a picture of how much Im eating, not to follow a certain set. Also its good to count macros and by during that through this website you automatically get the calorie count aswell

skwidlund

I don't count for a couple of reasons, but the main one is that I tend to focus more on numbers than actual nutrition or listening to my body. I also tend to start working in foods that I shouldn't be eating just because I can make them work with the final numbers (which is probably why I tend to not lose weight when I'm counting)...and I have a rather obsessive compulsive bent that makes it a bit unhealthy psychologically. It's just not productive for me.

I do log my foods in the Food Notes section for accountability, but in the year and a half I've been paleo it's become obvious for that that I lose far more consistently when I take the numbers out of the equation. I get why others can have success counting and tracking macros, and I think it's important for each of us to experiment and see what works best as individuals. Keep in mind that just because you're more comfortable tracking closely right now doesn't mean you will forever.

I don't seem to have problems getting enough calories in, either. I did the numbers on my breakfast the other day and by the time I count all the clarified butter I cook my eggs in and the coconut milk I put in my coffee, I average around 700 calories for that meal alone. I would guess that my final numbers end up anywhere between 1700 and 2000 calories per day, with a half hour to hour workout 5 or 6 days a week (lifting and starting to run again).

I think I've finally hit the right and most sustainable balance for me, but it's taken time and work to get here. Just keep working at it and you'll find your sweet spot!

hilliardjoe

I started eating primal ( a less strict version of paleo - I think) Jan 2 and I've lost 17 pounds since then with no exercise.

I think the biggest thing for me was ditching the grains and sugar. Once I got off the blood sugar roller coaster it became very easy to not eat to the calorie target on MFP. The only carbs I'm eating now are from veggies (I've never been much of a fruit eater).

I mainly use MFP to track what I am eating so that if there is something I ate that I thought would be good for me and turns out not to be I can cut back or eliminate it.

When shopping now I just don't buy anything with an ingredient I can't pronounce or if there are too many of them. Most of what I buy now has one ingredient on the list, the item itself.

I also started listening to my body more since I wasn't a slave to blood sugar roller coaster anymore and needing to eat every 2-3 hours. I found that I can go through a whole day at work (leave home at 7:15 am, get back at 4:45 pm) without eating at all or even feeling the need to. I did stock my desk with some nuts though in case I do feel hungry just so I don't run to the vending machines.

It is hard to describe just how different your body feels when eating this way.

ajourney2beme

I've been doing more Primal eating for almost 2 weeks now and I track because it's new. I want to see what I'm taking in compared to how I feel. I'm sure I won't track for the rest of my life, eventually (could be months could be year) I will be comfortable with Primal eating that I won't have to track but for now I do it. I just don't let the number rule me. If I'm eating something questionable (like the pizza I had this weekend cause we had guests) I will look more closely at the numbers to make sure I stay under my ultimate calorie 'goal', but for every day normal life (we lead a boring life and don't do anything so it's weird to have those 'special' days for us) I eat when I'm hungry and stick to some protein and a ton of veggies (depends on what I want in what that will consist of).

Good luck!

33runnergirl

I believe calories in/calories out is key to weight loss but since eating paleo, especially after completing the 21 day sugar detox, I feel now that I am much more aware of my body's hunger signals and I follow them accordingly. It feels almost impossible to overeat. I've only been hard core paleo since Jan 1 and am slowly and steadily losing weight.

There is nothing wrong with counting calories if you feel it keeps you in check but I think eventually you will realize that your body will tell you when to eat and when to stop eating.

breeanreyes

i think that since this is more of a lifestyle than just a diet, you need to do whatever makes this sustainable for you! If that means tracking your food and weighing yourself, then do it most likely you'll get to a place where you trust this lifestyle and know that you are only eating what your body needs.

twinmom01

I think a lot depends on your frame of mind and what you hope to accomplish...

if it is just a matter of eating healthier, whole foods and you are fine elsewhere then you probably don't have to account for your food choices.

If you are sensitive to certain things then you may need to at least write down what you are eating - I know for me if I want to loose weight I HAVE to be sensitive to both my calorie AND carb intake.

Cerebrus189

Ive read a whole whack of articles on the paleo lifestyle, picked up the whole 30 book and am ready to start my 30 days. Everything I read says to eat if youre hungry and stop when youre not and dont count calories. Im having such a hard time with that. Ive read the science behind it but Im having a hard time believing that there is not SOMETHING to the calories in, calories out theory (with quality of food being ultra important). If I plug in all the food I was planning to eat today, which my eye measure isnt alot (my chocolate chili looks like nothing and its 500 calories!!! I made scotch eggs and was going to eat 2, but thats like 800 calories!!) and I'd be waaaayyyyyyyyy over... With all the added fats everything is so calorie dense! They say the fats make you more satiated blah blah... sigh.

I don't necessarily count them. They are just there and I observe them. I used to be obsessive about my macros, getting it just right, and counting calories to get within a range, but then I let go. I typically eat between 1600-2500 calories a day. I am 5'11" and 155 lbs and workout only a few times a week for no longer than 45 minutes each time. My macros are set at 60/25/15 f/p/c (I think) but I typically get between 70-80% of my calories from fat. From my experience, the more fat I eat, the easier I lose and the better I feel.

Typically my meals are between 800-1200 calories each plus a snack between lunch and dinner.

Shadowknight137

I count, only to ensure I eat enough, though. Why? Because I IF (eat within about four hours, all teh foodz) and you'd be surprised how much food would not meet my intake; a kilo of potatoes, a pound of bacon covered in cheese, salsa and guacamole doesn't cut it - I need dessert, and I need to know what I need to add to my dessert to make it match or exceed my intake a bit.

IMO, that's the only real reason you should be counting calories on Primal/Paleo. To make sure you're hitting your macros and meet ing your intake. What it's not there for is to go waaaaaay under an arbitrarily assigned 1200kcal and say "I couldn't possibly eat anymore", despite, hey, knowingly counting those cals and making a retarded deficit. This doesn't help, all it does is-
-Uberhkendfunvkudfnvuid. Sorry, mini rant. Someone on MDA does this and it made me giggle and ticked me off at the same time. /endrant.

There's no reason why you *shouldn't* count calories. It can be suseful short term; as you settle further into Primal/Paleo, you'll get a general idea of your portion sizes and whatnot,, and it"ll be fine. However, you're not meant to count on the Whole30 because it's kind of... to let.your body relax and synch with your mind - eat when your hungry, eat all natural. It's quite the experience.

AMBlass

For my first 2.5 weeks on Whole30 I didn't calorie count at all. But being a type 1 diabetic, I have to count carbs and I've been using MFP to look stuff up but not saving anything. Then I realized it might be helpful to just see how I'm doing. One thing that has surprised me is that I can eat much less calories on Paleo and not get hungry. I never feed myself to reach some MFP number, I just eat when I'm hungry and what we have planned. I have noticed that when I work out, I feel a little weaker when I haven't had as many calories. Not that I want to carb-up, but I think even just increasing my fat / protein intake on workout days might help me feel a bit better and stronger. If I wasn't exercising, I probably wouldn't have thought much about calorie counting but I'm starting to wonder if it would make a difference in how I feel.

But like others, I'm using this more as an observational tool, not as a benchmark of something I have to meet or stay under. I also don't look at it until the end of the day, usually. It's not something I track to see how much I ate, but to see how I felt on eating that many calories / types of food (not enough protein, etc.)

Christie0428

bump

Akimajuktuq

I do count calories/macro nutrients on paleo, even if it is a Whole30. You'll see on a lot of paleo forums people complaining about how they're not losing weight, not seeing results, etc. Well, they then post their diet and you realize just how much they're eating. Calories in/calories out still does apply. It's just significantly harder to get in those same calories without processed foods. Too many people take this eat all you want thing literally... it's just not true, and it's unfortunate.

Edit: I eat roughly 1200-1400 calories a day, my "goal" calorie intake is closer to 1500. I am not doing heavy lifts right now though because of a disc tear in my back. If I was lifting heavy, I'd be intaking 1500. I am losing weight every day with this number and not hungry at all. The best part is I'm not getting foggy headaches when I do get hungry.

Personally, the only paleo/primal people that I EVER see complaining about not losing weight or feeling well are not adhering well to their own lifestyle choice. All of my paleo/primal friends are doing very well. In fact, if one is eating primal or paleo, I find it hard to believe that they could be over eating UNLESS their carbs are too high and fat too low. Paleo and primal is eat all you NEED, not all you want, especially for those prone to eat too much sugar (fruit = sugar).

I keep track of my macros, and so that shows my calories. It's very important for my own health concerns that I eat a high fat diet. If my fat goes too low, I struggle with hunger and I don't feel as well. So that's the biggest reason that I keep track. I do look at the calories and plan within my budget, but if I'm hungry, I EAT. I have found my calorie goal most important in telling me when to eat MORE. My goal is currently at 1550 (soon to reduce to 1500) and I get 40 minutes of exercise (my feet are my only transportation in the winter) almost every day. But I certainly don't spend much time worrying about how much I exercise; I just live and do what I feel comfortable with.

It really is more important WHAT you eat. If you are eating enough fat, you will NOT over-eat. However, if one looks at my meals, since I only eat two big meals per day, (sometimes a night snack, sometimes not) they might think I over-eat. Sometimes I have a single meal that is 1000 calories. But my daily total is always reasonable and except for my vacation in November, I have lost weight every single week for the last six months (avg of 1.5 pounds per week, but now slowing as is normal).

I know that Paleo promotes not keeping track, but I think you can decide what works for you the best. The point of not keeping track is to trust our bodies. I plan to stop keeping track after I have maintained a healthy weight for a long period of time. It is very clear to me that if I avoid grains and keep the carbs low and the fat high, I can stop keeping track some day. But without tracking right now, my fats get too low and that doesn't work for me.

bostonwolf

What I've found is that when you severely limit carbs and stick with natural foods it becomes very, very difficult to eat as many calories as you were before. You are more than satisfied, but just don't have the cravings that carbs create.

Christie0428

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hilliardjoe

What I've found is that when you severely limit carbs and stick with natural foods it becomes very, very difficult to eat as many calories as you were before. You are more than satisfied, but just don't have the cravings that carbs create.

This is what has happened to me also.

I've been able to easily walk past the 'treat table' at work without problem. Before I would always grab something.

JohnNull

I skipped the responses. To answer OP:

No, you don't need to count calories. And I've known people bigger than you and bigger than your frame that have done very well on paleo. No counting.

I think this is a relevant video if you really want more information:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/54861706

Either way, I think many would benefit from some of the AHS videos:

http://vimeo.com/ancestralhealthsymposium/videos

Past that, maybe pop in something like "Robb Wolf leptin" in a search engine.

Don't freak out. And you probably don't need that volume in your workouts. Play with it.

marilyn6180

Your experience is exactly the same as mine. Once I quit eating any foods with sugar or sugar subsittute of any kind I literally do not feel hungry - ever! I don't need snacks, I eat pure, bare naked foods, no artificial ingredients and I am satisfied. It works for me.