I eat when I'm hungry but usually end up between 1300 - 1500 calories.

Read Mark Sisson - Calories matter.

EDIT TO ADD : I've got around 90-100 lbs to lose still so am able to carry a big deficit and feel fine.

I have been doing Paleo since December 2011 and using MFP at the same time, I used adjusted my macros to represent my new diet. I eat around 1700 calories a day, always above my BMR. As you can see I've been very successful with it!

my BMR is 1440, and my TDEE is 2200 (im on my feet a lot, and work our regularly) and i eat about 1850 a day and don't track on the weekends but always go over after eating out and cocktails are factored in. im losing inches, but not weight... and my hips and estrogen dominated fat areas seem to be getting a lot smaller...

more importantly, I FEEL GREAT!

kelli

I'm not actually sure what my BMR is, but I generally eat around 1800-1900 calories. 5'9", 220 lbs. Been doing primal for about 7 weeks and have lost about 10 lbs. I'm feeling more slender, and my clothes are fitting nicer even though the scale hasn't moved very much. Kind of nice because when I was doing weight watchers, it took me a 40 lb loss before I could move to a smaller size. I'm thinking in another 10-15 lbs I'll be able to do it. I really like Primal. :-)

BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate - you can find out what yours is in the tools section of the website. At 5'9 I would imagine you are about right. *sigh* this 5'6 girl would love to be 5'9, tallness rocks.


I always feel tired so I'm guessing I don't eat enough but I struggle to manage to get enough in unless I eat pork then I'm ok lol.

scared of upping calories but I've been bouncing around the same 4 lbs for ages!

Definately do whatever works for you, but a huge deficit over a long period of time can do harm to your body, and there is plenty of research to back me up.....If anyone hits a plateau and is eating below their BMR, just try upping your calories to like 100 above your BMR and see what happens, you will STILL be maintaining a deficit so you won't gain weight! YOu may gain a pound of two initially because your body is readjusting but then the weight will come off again. For me, this is a lifestyle change, I plan on eating paleo for the rest of my life, and I'm not just doing this as a diet, then planning to start eating bread and legumes again once I'm at my goal weight, personally I think that without adopting a lifestyle change, I would continue to yo yo up and down forever. But again, it's just my opinion. I tried doing Paleo at 1200 calories a day and I felt like I was going to faint all the time. But I do recognize that different things work for different people, but if anyone has questions about upping their calories, Paleo, TDEE, Macros, plateaus or BMR feel free to message me.

Of course calories matter but the primal/paleo lifestyle doesn't advocate strict calorie counting. I do because my food diary does it for me otherwise I just keep it to stay accountable. Carbs seem to be the biggest factor for me so they're the things I watch carefully. A typical day for me is between 1300-1600 cal's. I mostly eat at home and I plan my meals out. I exercise but am not overdoing it. My philosophy is that 'something' needs to be done daily. I am toning up and I suppose losing weight but I put my scale away and only weigh in once a month or so. For me, the paleo diet has way for health/energy benefits than anything else.

I destroyed my metabolism on a VLCD ( very low caloriediet) I am doing paleo/primal since a few days ago. I have eaten at BMR and gained 8 pounds , stalled out for the last two months. I am eating at 1200 - 1500 calories again. My BMR is around 1646...

I am pretty discouraged but will keep at it until my weight starts going back down. I am reading everyone's posts like a sponge....you give me hope people! :flowerforyou:

I just love eating. :-D

I try not to focus on calories, but on fat/protein/carbs. Running 3 days a week, HIT 3 days, becoming more lean and still losing. MFP had me at 1200 calories, but I upped it to 1400 and I wind up around there most days.

i try to eat around 1700. More on my CF work out days. i am 6 feet tall and 150 pounds. i have been down it 143. but that was with really strict eating. it's much easier to stay where i'm at now and my clothes dont fit different. good luck and to everyone.. and don't eat too low.. your body will hold on to fat and not burn it.