Eating Paleo. Am I starving myself?

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.

Yep, eat more fat.

cook in coconut oil and eat almonds.

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.

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:

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.