Not counting calories... really?

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 seeing positive results?

laurelderry

I still count calories purely for my macros (fat, carbs, protein), however I did begin to gain when I was eating 2,200 cals a day. That however could have been because I was allowing in GF foods that were not Paleo I am 5'0 and 128 lbs and my BMR is 1376. I have since lowered my goals and am losing again. Once again though, this could very well be since I'm doing the Whole30 and eating ultra clean. It does make me wonder though!

ichorica

I stopped counting months ago. Before that I was eating 1800 or so a day. Now...if I guessed a little less on non workout days and about that when I train! I was so happy about getting to the point where I trusted myself enough not to count! It really is a beautiful thang to not worry about the numbers! I wouldn't recommend to just stop if you are new to paleo/primal, give yourself time to learn what you need to do to make it work! You may end up preferring to count now and into the year, do what works! Btw I am 49 lbs from goal and have been losing about 2 lbs average a week.

SnicciFit

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 seeing positive results?

And... this is WHY you shouldn't count calories. Because now you are second guessing yourself and you're (possibly) going to alter your daily intake based on this. TRUST THE PROGRAM. Try it. For 30 days. If it doesn't work, you can go back to calorie counting.

That being said, I do occasionally track my food only to keep my macros in check. But I've done 3 Whole30s and have been eating mostly paleo for nearly a year. I didn't track my food for the first 9 months or so and never during a whole30 (except for the last week of my third just to see what my macros looked like).