Eating Paleo. Am I starving myself?

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ShannonKirton
ShannonKirton Posts: 304 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So this week I decided to go Paleo. I was stuck around the 160lb mark (give or take) for over a month now and I couldn't seem to get my weight to budge. After doing plenty of research on what I could and could not eat etc, I decided to give this thing a go. So far I'm very happy with my small success, as this morning I weighed in at 158.2 however, every time I put in all my foods during the day I still seem to end up under my calorie budget which is 1200. I would average that I get to about 1000 calories a day or so on the paleo plan.

Having said all of that, I am still eating my three meals and two snacks but obviously I have switched out my refined carbs for veggies and lots of them. I also work in my fruits and eggs etc. I am always content after my meals and I'm never left feeling hungry. I'm also drinking plenty of water as required and this evening I will break my paleo plan just for one meal to make up some calories. As I'm new to this, does all of this necessarily mean that I'm "starving" myself, or is this normal for people on the paleo diet?

Replies

  • rlv2680
    rlv2680 Posts: 289 Member
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    you prolly need more fat. think whole avocados, handful of olives, coconut oil, full fat coconut milk in coffee or whatever. even bacon if it's nitrate free
  • runner_gurl76
    runner_gurl76 Posts: 37 Member
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    If you're concerned about calories....which you shouldn't be....eat more fat.
    You'll get the most bang for your caloric buck that way - Coconut Oil, Clarified Butter, Avocado, etc.
  • ArtsyLaurie
    ArtsyLaurie Posts: 39 Member
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    Have you read Mark's Daily Apple? It's a blog on paleo/primal diets and there are a ton of good articles. If you aren't hungry, you are probably fine. Your body is using your stored energy (fat) like it is supposed to. But, if you do want more calories, riv's suggestions are good.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    Yep, eat more fat.
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
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    it is virtually impossible to overeat on the paleo diet .. I know that for sure, but it is all to easy to undereat. the paleo diet is more about health than anything else, so as long as you are getting all the vits and minerals you need from the the food you are eating then you are ok.

    eating too few carbs also dulls your appetite .. you might possibly find you should be eating more.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
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    cook in coconut oil and eat almonds.
  • Elicur
    Elicur Posts: 78 Member
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    Can't say I'm going to be much help here. But I've really been struggling within myself over taking over Paleo, and stinking to my "I'm never going to diet again" promise. That being said, perhaps you should ease yourself into Paleo, and not dive headfirst into something you're probably not gonna do for the rest of your life.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    I don't know I don't really get paleo and probably should stay out of this thread. The only reason I'm gonna comment is because I've been watching my husband do paleo for months and yes I was completely concerned that he was starving himself. Still am sometimes. I do know that he eats potatoes which he says people who are losing aren't supposed to eat so I can't imagine without that how I'd feel about him doing it? I get low carb diets though I did one in the past but it emphasized fats and allowed dairy so that was different. I feel like he doesn't really like the foods he is eating that much and is therefore not eating very much. I guess if you love all the foods it allows then you might be eating a good amount but it sounds like you aren't? 1,000 calories is not enough for anyone. He doesn't allow me to count his cals because "it's not necessary" on paleo. But then again is that so that noone ever knows that they are actually losing weight by underconsumption of calories?

    I will be curious to hear what calorie levels other paleo dieters are achieving who bravely like you are tossing that "no cal measuring necessary" divit aside and getting in there to see what's really going on here.
  • msjersey73
    msjersey73 Posts: 182 Member
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    Good For You!
    eat more if you are hungry, otherwise, eat more fat. I get uncured bacon and sausage from a local butcher for more fat. pig fat is loaded with vitamin D.
    there's no "right amount of calories. i eat about 1000 to 1500 calories per day, depending on how i feel. your body will tell you what it needs. I notice that i dont eat much in the summer, it's too hot, lol.

    and read up on Mark's Daily Apple website, he's got loads of info on there, you can search his site to help answer your questions.
    keep it up.
  • ShannonKirton
    ShannonKirton Posts: 304 Member
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    Thanks for all your suggestions. I will try adding more fats for cooking etc. What I'm doing isn't the absolutely strict paleo because I still have things like yoghurt and I use margarine at this point because I haven't had a chance to buy my other oils as yet but I will try to do that this weekend. Some days I feel more hungry than others and every now and again I plan to throw a little something "un-paleo" into the mix (like this evening's dinner) just so my body doesn't think that it'll never see anything called flour etc again.
  • ShannonKirton
    ShannonKirton Posts: 304 Member
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    Ok, so another question or two here for you. This afternoon at lunch I was having chicken with my veggies and I guess out of habit, I took off the skin and just ate the meat. Is this necessary?

    And apart from fried chicken, does it really matter all that much if there is a bit of BBQ sauce or other seasonings on it that aren't ENTIRELY paleo?
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I have always counted calories, and yes it is indeed possible to overeat on paleo foods. By overeat, I mean exceed what I need in terms of a caloric deficit. I don't know about those who are eating at or above maintenance calories, because I've not been in that position yet.

    Re: fat, skin, etc. I eat the skin and the fat if the meat is from an animal that was grass fed, organic, or if it was something caught in the wild. If not, I don't.

    I don't eat things like bottled BBQ sauce as I make my own, and think it just tastes better.

    Paleo is not meant to be a strict set of rules--just guidelines. You find a way that you're happy with eating and do that, don't worry about the Paleo Police types who will tell you otherwise. If you like that bottled bbq sauce or whatever, and it doesn't cause you any sort of issues, eat it. I can't eat gluten and have issues with most dairy, so I eat the way I do out of necessity. Not out of some fear or compulsion to follow arbitrary rules. There is no ONE Paleo diet, anyway. Look at the books--they all include and exclude different things. Don't get caught up in worrying about that. Eat in a way that is healthy and happy FOR YOU.

    :flowerforyou:
  • ShannonKirton
    ShannonKirton Posts: 304 Member
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    Thanks Lupercalia :)

    I was looking through various recipes on different sites from many different people and like you said some people use things that others don't. Some of the foods they use my brain goes "no go area, that's full of fat or sugar" etc, but I guess when it comes down to it, you have to do what suits you. The carbs are hard to leave alone as I love pasta, but since I've left them out for a few days now I don't find I'm bloated and feel heavy so maybe it's a good thing for me. I will eat it occasionally, but certainly not every day.

    I am not a huge fruit fan, but I do eat the ones I like for the benefit they provide. As for most of these recipes, I really don't like to spend too much time in the kitchen and the less ingredients and the less cooking time required, I'm game!

    I also don't want to spend my entire paycheck on this food, so the simpler I can get is the better it is for me. Food in Barbados is exceedingly expensive compared to the US so I need to keep my grocery bill in check so I can afford to eat until the next payday! I guess I'll just figure things out as I go and work on it from there :)
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    Thanks Lupercalia :)

    I was looking through various recipes on different sites from many different people and like you said some people use things that others don't. Some of the foods they use my brain goes "no go area, that's full of fat or sugar" etc, but I guess when it comes down to it, you have to do what suits you. The carbs are hard to leave alone as I love pasta, but since I've left them out for a few days now I don't find I'm bloated and feel heavy so maybe it's a good thing for me. I will eat it occasionally, but certainly not every day.

    I am not a huge fruit fan, but I do eat the ones I like for the benefit they provide. As for most of these recipes, I really don't like to spend too much time in the kitchen and the less ingredients and the less cooking time required, I'm game!

    I also don't want to spend my entire paycheck on this food, so the simpler I can get is the better it is for me. Food in Barbados is exceedingly expensive compared to the US so I need to keep my grocery bill in check so I can afford to eat until the next payday! I guess I'll just figure things out as I go and work on it from there :)

    i think you are supposed to have fat. I think you need that to be satiated on that diet. Lupercalia is a good resource and a smart cookie with the paleo. SHe has been on my FL a long time and is still hanging tough. I'd listen to her version of Paleo and if I see any of my other smart paleo friends in here I'll point them out by quoting with no comment.
  • Cherry_T
    Cherry_T Posts: 62 Member
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    Honestly, I can`t take this diet seriously. Just because cavemen were FORCED to eat this way(and lived to like 30) doesn`t mean it is optimal nutrition. Check out ``eating for energy``. It`s based around actual scientific research.
    http://choppysreviews.com/eating-for-energy/
  • ShannonKirton
    ShannonKirton Posts: 304 Member
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    So instead of starting a new topic, I thought I would just expand on this one. So far my paleo is going great and I'm enjoying the food. Most days I am satisfied but occasionally I have (like most people) those days where I'm more hungry than normal. Apart from those trouble days and after doing some research, I've seen many people advise that you should aim to limit your carbs to 100g a day in order to lose weight on the paleo diet. Now this seems easy enough but when I factor in the fruits and veggies I'm eating, I find those carbs add up quickly. Should I be trying my hardest to stick to 100g a day, or should I be a bit more lenient on myself because of the type of healthy carbs I am consuming? Advice please!
  • SJVZEE
    SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
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    I had the opposite experience and started gaining weight, due to the high calories in all the meat and fats I was eating. Good fats are necessary and a good way to get your calories up, but be careful-butter, nuts and evoo add up super fast!

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