Not eating enough

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Quinnstinct
Quinnstinct Posts: 274 Member
I'm starting week 5 of primal/paleo and am gaining this week. I don't think I'm eating enough and probably have to drop wine for awhile (yes, I know it's neither paleo or primal). I'm getting to the point meat is not appealing to me so I need to change up how I'm eating, what and when.

How do you get fat in?

What's your favorite go to foods when you are in a slump?

I do cook A LOT and have really enjoyed all the new recipes, I just got a pressure cooker and can't wait to try it out this weekend!

Replies

  • KellyUVA
    KellyUVA Posts: 255 Member
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    I try to eat avocado at least one a day and use olive oil fairly liberally.
  • Cerebrus189
    Cerebrus189 Posts: 315 Member
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    If you open up your diary, it would be easier to see where you could use some help. I eat close to 150 grams of fat a day, and am 5'10" and weight 158 lbs, just to give you an idea. Your fats should be at least 60% of your daily calories. Keep in mind that a gram of fat equals 9 calories, so even though it seems like a lot, it should be relatively easy to eat fats. Carbs and protein are 4 calories per gram.

    Do you like fish? If so, get the Starkist Selects tuna in olive oil and eat it all without draining it. That's a healthy dose of fat. Other fats for me come from olives, olive oil (salads, for cold use only), avocados, cheese, butter or ghee, coconut oil, beef tallow (cooking fat that you can render yourself), and nuts.

    Favorite go-to foods are usually tuna, salmon, and grassfed beef/bison burgers.

    Pressure cooking a whole chicken takes less than a 1/2 hour, once it's at full pressure and rocking.
  • Quinnstinct
    Quinnstinct Posts: 274 Member
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    I think I opened my diary and I'm for sure not eating enough, especially fats. I'm still shaking off a lifetime of weight watchers and need to be more liberal with the oil and avacado and ghee!

    Thank you for the advice.
  • Cerebrus189
    Cerebrus189 Posts: 315 Member
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    Yes definitely try to up your fats. It sounds like you might be fat adapted at this point but if you're denying your body fats, it's confused as to what energy source it needs to use. When fat adaptation happens (around 3 weeks), your body switches from using glycogen to using fat to run your engine. If you decrease your fats, you'll struggle with it and most likely plateau. I know how scary it can be. The way I had to look at it in the beginning was that I was going to try it for a few weeks, see if I gained or lost, and how I felt and if it didn't work, I could always go back. Do you know how to change your macros?

    Yvette
  • ronja2
    ronja2 Posts: 36
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    Fats are fairly easy - avocado, olives/olive oil, coconut in any form (milk, oil, butter, dried, shredded, raw), nuts and nut butters, ghee, grassfed butter,...basically what Cerebrus189 already said :)

    I have been eating too few calories apparently (1350) for the last 5 weeks and while I felt great, energized, etc. I didn't see any weight loss either. So I am going to up my calorie intake to around 1800 and add protein shakes. Feel free to add me and keep us posted on how it'll go with your increased fat-intake!
  • Quinnstinct
    Quinnstinct Posts: 274 Member
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    I don't know how to change my macros and don't know what to change them to . . .

    I'm eating around 1200 calories (I only know this because it totals it for me I haven't been watching calories) so I know I need to up that number and get more avacado/coconut oils in. Great advice!
  • justaspoonfulofsugar
    justaspoonfulofsugar Posts: 587 Member
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    I don't know how to change my macros and don't know what to change them to . . .

    I'm eating around 1200 calories (I only know this because it totals it for me I haven't been watching calories) so I know I need to up that number and get more avacado/coconut oils in. Great advice!
    1200 calories would be too little I think.A lot of people complain at this level of being tired and not well.
    To change your macros,click onto goals and you can your macros.
    There seems to be quite a movement of using tdee-20%
    try the scooby calculator:here it is http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    I would also say,lots of people don't calories on paleo/primal and prefer to listen to your body cues.Eat when you are hungry and don't if your not.
    Good luck!
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I just upped my calories to 1500 - 15% carbs; 25% protein and 65% fats. I also try to focus on getting less than 50g carbs and 25g sugar. (not always sucessful!) So far, so good.

    To change your macros, go to the My Home tab above, then the goals tab, then "custom."
  • Quinnstinct
    Quinnstinct Posts: 274 Member
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    Wow. Just chaning the macros really made me change thinking about how I am eating. It's amazing the influences those numbers have on attitude even if I thought I wasn't really paying attention to them. Thank you all.
  • cityjogger
    cityjogger Posts: 4 Member
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    60% fat! I woulda never guessed that high!