just looking at what you ate 800 seem high for that meal.... I do eat about 1500/day and I go out for lunch ocassionally and am able to stay under if I try. I do eat nuts....

I agree it does seem high for what you ate. That said, skipping breakfast to accommodate the meal was the right move. Intermittent fasting is, IMO, a natural progression after going paleo.

I actually have the opposite problem, eating more than about 1350 cals a day is hard for me. I don't eat dairy though, which I know is calorie-dense especially if you do full-fat.

If you want to open your diary, we could probably help a bit more.

You click on the link that says "settings" on the top of your page, it'll be in blue, then click the link that says diary settings, then scroll to the bottom of the page, and change your settings from whatever they are currently to public. Aaaand then you save your changes and you're done!

My diary is set to 1400, but I usually eat between 1400-1500 each day.

That meal probably was truly high if it was at Ted's... everything is slathered in butter, probably.

Don't consider that day to be typical... you're not going to eat at Ted's everyday. Just learn and move on. On a regular day, you won't have problems eating to 1500 on paleo/primal. If you're short on cals, eat a handful of nuts. I don't stress about it.. If I'm over or under on a particular day, it's ok as long as it's not becoming a trend.

You're not really supposed to count calories or limit portions, just eat what you need when you are hungry, which for me is mentally IMPOSSIBLE after a lifetime of frustrating low fat, calorie counting behavior.

So, just stay the course. It will happen.

I'm a 5' 5" tall female, who has always been reasonably thin. When I began eating Paleo, April 2012, I weighed 132.

Within 3 months I had lost 15 pounds and another 3 came off in the next couple months.

5'5", 115 lbs

And yes, I cheat for special occasions, and sometimes for the fun of it!

Good luck! It's a fun journey

You're not really supposed to count calories or limit portions, just eat what you need when you are hungry, which for me is mentally IMPOSSIBLE after a lifetime of frustrating low fat, calorie counting behavior.

Ideally, this is true - however, for a lot of us it takes a bit before we figure out the plant to animal ratio of what we eat. If someone starts Primal/Paleo with the idea that they can eat nothing but steaks and bacon, then they are still going to gain weight. That happened to me in the beginning - I was "what? I have to add MORE veggies to my plate?" It took a while to get used to it - now I wouldn't have it any other way.

I occasionally track for a few days/weeks just to make sure my calories and percentages haven't strayed too far.

I had to start tracking because I wasn't losing weight, and in doing so, I found out that I was netting about 800 calories a day. I have to track to make sure I eat enough. It also helps me get my macros balanced correctly.

If anything I'm probably eating too little, because protein fills me up for hours. I wouldn't focus on how much a restaurant meal is. What are the calories for most of your meals? You probably don't go to Ted's everyday, so are you always going over? What are some of the higher calorie foods that you're eating?

I find myself in a similar situation. I've been counting calories for awhile and struggling to keep it below 1500 calories a day, but ever since switching to a paleo diet I find it hard to eat more than 1300... meats and veggies are super filling. I rarely skip breakfast though, always wake up starving and my meals average around 300 calories each.

I've skipped all the responses, but to answer OP:

I've not really counted a calorie. It's really unlikely that you need to.

Plateaus are normal. Sometimes they're temporary. If it's for several weeks, perhaps start to consider things.

Granted I am not a woman, but 1500 calories sounds a bit low to me, unless you're a desk jockey.

I'm a firm believer that when a lot of us enter into the paleo realm, we have an awful lot going on under that hood that we'd never be aware of. For example, when you're in severe caloric restriction for a decent period, your body begins to cannibalize healthy tissues you're carrying around for energy. This includes your vital organs. I expect people in the beginning to have some wacky fluctuations.

Carbs post workout. Never in the morning.

You mentioned tomatoes. Have you tried removing potential gut irritants al la the Robb Wolf autoimmune protocol? I cannot do legumes or nightshades.

I forgot if you mentioned dairy. It seems to be a particular problem for women.

Lastly, dump the effing scale. Do a mirror-check, see if your clothes are fitting better.

Realize this is a long-haul deal. Keep at it, and play with things. What will work for you one year may not serve you as well the next. We are dynamic systems.

<snip>
At the moment Ive started tracking macros and calories to try and reduce bodyfat. My calories are set to 1600 a day. I usually have 3 slices of bacon, 2 eggs and some mushrooms for breakfast. Lunch is a sweet potato and fish/chicken salad. Dinner is meat and veg (last night was chicken, ratatouille and roasted butternut squash with goats cheese crumbled on top. For snacks I have a banana, a protein shake and maybe some almond butter or fruit.

Even ignoring the "lots of avocados", as "lots" is vague enough that I can't comment on it, dropping the bananas, fruit, and protein shakes are absolute no-brainers. Almond butter can be problematic, as it's very calorie-dense. That's why the common recommendation is no more than a handful of nuts a day, and preferably buy them with the shell still on.

I'm having a hard time figuring out what to aim for calories wise. Eating clean makes it harder to hit 1200 sometimes. I'm thinking of upping my intake to 1500. I'm 5'1 and don't do a lot of cardio. Primarily strength train.

I'd appreciate feedback my diary is set on public.

<snip>
At the moment Ive started tracking macros and calories to try and reduce bodyfat. My calories are set to 1600 a day. I usually have 3 slices of bacon, 2 eggs and some mushrooms for breakfast. Lunch is a sweet potato and fish/chicken salad. Dinner is meat and veg (last night was chicken, ratatouille and roasted butternut squash with goats cheese crumbled on top. For snacks I have a banana, a protein shake and maybe some almond butter or fruit.

Even ignoring the "lots of avocados", as "lots" is vague enough that I can't comment on it, dropping the bananas, fruit, and protein shakes are absolute no-brainers. Almond butter can be problematic, as it's very calorie-dense. That's why the common recommendation is no more than a handful of nuts a day, and preferably buy them with the shell still on.

I would if being lean was my 'main' concern, but its not. Strength is my absolute priority, and dropping fruit for me personally, is just not something I am willing to do in order to get leaner

Thanks for the advice though.

I guess your goal of "to try and reduce bodyfat" was misunderstood, then. I will also assume you are referring to absolute strength and not relative strength. Which is also not congruent.

You're welcome.

Carbs post workout. Never in the morning.
/quote]

I hear this all the time, but what if your workout is in the morning?