hola! new to primal

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booyainyoface
booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
Hey everyone, I am very new to paleo/primal and am going to make the shift into primal today :) i stocked up on meats and fats and am going to have to learn to do a little cooking now :)

anyways, i didn't buy or read the book as i feel there is enough information on the internet, so i have just a few questions.

calories?! i have been eating TDEE -15% (so 1850 calories a day- im a 5'5 145 lb female that does weight training) and losing inches- with the primal menu, i am guessing i should still be eating around the same number of calories? maybe a little less? due to the "intensity of cooking meals" i am also going to try to eat 3 meals a day and then have eggs/nuts as snacks.

my last question is about macros. i set it up 50% fat, 30%pro, 20% carbs (keep carbs under 100g) is that right? is there one thing you monitor more than the others such as not going over in carbs?

i guess that is about all- thanks everyone!

Replies

  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
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    Welcome!! I am new as well!!
  • GalaxyDuck
    GalaxyDuck Posts: 406 Member
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    Welcome!

    Continue trying to aim for your calories as you were before, that part doesn't change too much. You have your ratios set as I have mine set, so just try them out for a little while and see how it works for you. Adjust if you don't feel full enough. Some days you may find you need to eat a bit more fat & protein and fewer carbs in order to get enough calories in, just make sure they're healthy fats and you'll be set!

    The only things I monitor besides protein, fat & carbs are sodium (try to keep it at or under 1500mg) and sugar. I'm not overly concerned though if I go over either of those, just really track to keep an eye on them and pinpoint why I may be feeling bloated (too much sodium) or low-energy (day after too much sugar normally).

    Good luck!
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
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    awesome- thanks :) That is what i was thinking, but always second guess myself. i am excited to see how this treats me!
  • Cerebrus189
    Cerebrus189 Posts: 315 Member
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    Hey everyone, I am very new to paleo/primal and am going to make the shift into primal today :) i stocked up on meats and fats and am going to have to learn to do a little cooking now :)

    anyways, i didn't buy or read the book as i feel there is enough information on the internet, so i have just a few questions.

    calories?! i have been eating TDEE -15% (so 1850 calories a day- im a 5'5 145 lb female that does weight training) and losing inches- with the primal menu, i am guessing i should still be eating around the same number of calories? maybe a little less? due to the "intensity of cooking meals" i am also going to try to eat 3 meals a day and then have eggs/nuts as snacks.

    my last question is about macros. i set it up 50% fat, 30%pro, 20% carbs (keep carbs under 100g) is that right? is there one thing you monitor more than the others such as not going over in carbs?

    i guess that is about all- thanks everyone!

    I've been Primal now for 7 months and generally my macros are around 60% fat, 25% protein and 15% carbs. I've found that the more fat I have, the better I feel and the quicker the weight comes off. But everybody is different. I just upped my calories so I'm eating to hunger usually around 1900-2100 calories and I'm not gaining, so that's huge in my book. I think I'm not losing due to my dairy reliance, so today is my first day in doing the Whole30 challenge. I'm also working out regularly so that surely helps. The biggest thing to remember in the beginning is to just try to keep your carbs under control, despite the other percentages. If you find that you're not losing, look at your macronutrients and tweak them. Many times, the culprits are fruit and nuts.
  • caribougal
    caribougal Posts: 865 Member
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    What Cerebrus said... she's been my inspiration. Roar!
  • pattyproulx
    pattyproulx Posts: 603 Member
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    Welcome!

    Ya, no need to drop your calories. You'll probably find that it'll be easier to stay under your calorie goal because you'll be much more satisfied with your meals. You'll probably aslo need to snack a lot less.

    Those macros sounds great. Mine are 50/35/15, but play around and see what works best for you!
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
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    awesome everyone, thanks for the support and information :)

    day two is completed. two things. i am sooo full and didn't want to snack... and i might be addicted to barleans coconut oil. it literally tastes like dessert. yum!

    i look forward to continuing my journey while gaining support from this community!

    -kelli
  • mistybkarma
    mistybkarma Posts: 30 Member
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    Today is my day 2, and I feel fine. Yesterday was an awful day though. I laid down for 3 hours in the middle of the day, which is something I never do. Today I am a little irritable, but I isolated myself.

    Have you had any problem with nausea?I try to eat enough, but I constantly feel like I'm going to throw up.
  • lostredsock
    lostredsock Posts: 24 Member
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    Today is my day 2, and I feel fine. Yesterday was an awful day though. I laid down for 3 hours in the middle of the day, which is something I never do. Today I am a little irritable, but I isolated myself.

    Have you had any problem with nausea?I try to eat enough, but I constantly feel like I'm going to throw up.

    Sugar Detox. Was nauseous, had a headache. It was a few days and then it passed.
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
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    day 3 done. nah i feel good... full from all the fats, but i never really ate too much sugar and crap. i mean im 30 years old and have never had a twinkie... and ate taco bell for the first time last year :) i grew up very rural!
  • lmr9
    lmr9 Posts: 628 Member
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    Bump! I want to learn more about primal/paleo. Going to read these later. I was hoping to find some things I could read online without having to buy a book. Thanks! :flowerforyou:
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    Welcome. I am quite new too, but not new to struggling with my health and weight.

    For me, if I eat primally, my appetite naturally decreases, my metabolism increases and I don't really have to focus on calories. My carbs are higher than I'd like sometimes, but it's mostly from vegetables. I don't eat legumes or any starchy veggies (for now). I am careful about seeds and nuts, but since they are healthy I do eat small amounts. I would do best to drop dairy but because I love it so much, I still have a bit of full fat cream, cheese, and occasionally, greek yogurt. I'm not against fruit, and I eat berries, but I do have to be careful with them.

    Above all, I try to eat unprocessed meats and fats as much possible. Organic and free range are ideal but hard to get where I live. However, I do get access to wild meat occasionally. Yum. Also, I purposefully add coconut oil and manna to my diet daily. It's a super food imo.

    It's hard to imagine why I give into food addictions and compulsive over eating when it makes me so sick. One day at a time, I guess. I feel so GOOD eating primally. It's about health even more than weight loss for me.