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Nutmeg76
Nutmeg76 Posts: 258 Member
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Hi all! I just intoduced myself in the intro thread and thought I would jump right in with a post. I see the group hasn't been very active, but I hope that can change :D If not, I suppose I can go join the "primal" group, but I really identify more with PHD lifestyle.

So, it is that time of year! When the "treats" come out and the pounds pack on. I am sure I can't be the only one that wants to avoid that this year. Since I have a fitness test in January, I actually have to lose weight/inches over the next few months...so my meals even for hte special occasions need to be clean. I have also recently started back to exercising regularly.

There is the small part of me that still thinks I am too high with my carbs. And I know I can clean up little areas in my diet, which I am working on.

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  • alexotica
    alexotica Posts: 24 Member
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    Hey, I'm new here (the PHD board) and here (myfitnesspal in general), too.

    Good luck with your goals!
  • Nutmeg76
    Nutmeg76 Posts: 258 Member
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    Thanks! I decided on my eating plan, hopefully it works the way I plan for it to.

    I used to use sparkpeople to log/track my food, but then I just got beyond frustrated with the dietitian that is on that site, she kept telling me I was going to die becuase I wasn't eating 50% of my calories from carbs and that a low carb diet (I was eating about 150 grams per day) was going to kill me. I am not a fan of super low carb, but I do have quite a bit of abdominal fat to lose, so I don't like to go too high either.

    So, the plan is to eat lower carb in the mornings, get a bunch of protein in my belly. I think I have been lower on protein than I need to be. The other day I only got about 75 grams. So, I am focusing on protein in the morning and then getting the carbs in at dinner. Someone suggested that I not eat rice or potatoes, but I feel good when I eat them. So, I'll keep the starchier foods for dinner and after workouts. Previously, when I was losing weight I was eating a lot of veggies and some fruits to get my carbs. The starchiest thing I was eating was green plantains. Since those aren't easy to come by here, I'll so the rice or potatoes instead.

    I think this will get me to about where I was when I first went "paleo" and lost a bunch of weight in no time at all. Keeping straight during the holidays is a challenge though.
  • alexotica
    alexotica Posts: 24 Member
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    PHD views white rice and potatoes as safe starches. And IIRC our blood sugars are naturally higher later in the day, so insulin spikes are less drastic.

    I've had some luck with weight loss during an 18-month low carbohydrate diet (before I found out about PHD), but because I was over-focused on carbs vs protein and not even considering my fat intake, it might have contributed to my having cortisol issues after a year or so of low carbohydrate + low fat (can be an unhealthy combination, apparently). I think one of the revolutionary things for me about finding the Perfect Health Diet (and, more broadly, Paleo/Primal and WAPD) was the idea that I should pay more attention to the amount and types of fats I was getting in my diet.

    While I have some bodyfat to lose, the main reason I'm using myfitnesspal is less for calorie counting and more to get those protein-fat-carb ratios in line with what might be best for my longterm health. (I've also needed to increase fat slowly because my body just wasn't prepared for such a drastic change in diet.) YMMV.
  • Nutmeg76
    Nutmeg76 Posts: 258 Member
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    I use MFP for the same goal. I want to make sure I get enough protein, I rarely have trouble getting in the fat. Of course I came to "paleo" from a bad place of strict dieting, so when I was told that it was okay to eat real baconinstead of turkey bacon and beef jerky for snacks instead of bland chicken, I was ALL over it. I had been dieting for 3 years and only losing 1 pound a month, I was ready for a change.

    So, I am shooting for macros and not worried about calories. I know I can eat a good amount of calories and still lose. I quite naturally calorie cycle if I let my body tell me what to eat. Getting more on exercise and heavy lifting days, or the day after and then less when I am not exercising. I end up with a good average in take that way.

    The change to limiting carbs to later in teh day is also from looking a tmy old logs. I was eating lots of eggs, bacon and steak for breakfast and then getting more carbs at lunch and dinner. So, if it worked for me four years ago and the only reason for being overweight now is I was pregnant and then in a high stress job (which I am no longer dealing with that stress), I think it should work again.
  • shar140
    shar140 Posts: 1,158 Member
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    From other sources I've read (too many to remember! romanfitnesssystems.com is one, and I think Ben Greenfield also just posted about it), a lot of others also recommend eating/saving your starches later in the day and post-workout (same time of day for me, fortunately) - it helps with sleep if eaten in the evening.

    I'm all for posting here more! I do eat rice and carbs in general (edit: safe starches as much as possible, of course!) more than most primal folks, but it works for me. I can't eat as many carbs as PHD recommends if I want to drop the bodyfat, but I can keep it around 100. I used to also use Spark, but yeah - I'm not a fan of that dietician, either, LOL. I use mfp to track macros and calories, loosely - I try to go for a weekly average calories, rather than focus on the same number every day. Like you, Nutmeg, I can cycle based on my hunger and activity levels. I actually try to somewhat limit fat (in that I don't eat copious amounts, but I still probably get almost 2x what "experts" recommend :laugh: ) but moreso to control my overall calorie intake, but keep my protein up and carbs at a normal/consistent level. I can drop my carbs lower, but only if my activity level is low. Unless I want to feel like a zombie!

    I actually was able to drop weight last year over the holidays - the first time I hadn't GAINED probably ever! I still indulged a bit, but kept it gluten-free for the first time. That made a big difference. No lie, the 2011 holidays I went back to eating wheat and put on 10lb in 2 weeks. :noway: Took forever to get it back off, too.
  • janemcd67
    janemcd67 Posts: 35 Member
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    Hi I too joined this group a couple of months ago even though it did not seem active. The moderator is great. It is great to see some activity here!

    When I joined I was just dabbling wiht PHD. I think I like it a lot. It was so great to eat carbs which I had been restricting for 10 years. Sweet potatoes and butter are unbelievably delicious, and I think I am doing okay with not overeating on it. I have lost a very small amount of weight since I started PHD but it is a loss, and I will take it gladly. The thing that has me sceptical is that I got a cold shortly after starting that has turned into a series of about 5 different colds, and I have never gotten over it. I thought that the carbs were supposed to boost the immune system somehow. At least low carb is implicated in immune supression according to Ray Peat. I look forward to getting over this ongoing cold and being able to evaluate what happened. It hasn't stopped me running at least and I am going for a personal best in a 5K race on Thanksgiving day (before the cheesecake & pumpkin pie) ..

    I am interested in doing the 5:2 fasting. At least today I am fasting in preparation for Thanksgiving. Kudos to you all who lost weight over the holidays. It seems to me that if I am going to acheive that I will need to be working in the fasting days.

    The starch later in the day is not something I have tried, and I may switch to that also.

    Good luck going into the holidays!
  • Nutmeg76
    Nutmeg76 Posts: 258 Member
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    Jane, how much cardio do you do a week? That may be contributing to your weakened immune systems.

    We went to visit my MIL for Thanksgiving and the food choices were abismal....needless to say I think I gained 20 pounds. Back to eating clean. I can't afford any weight gain.
  • claston77
    claston77 Posts: 103 Member
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    I know this thread is old but I'm just checking in as I'm back to PHD with a healthy dose of Ray Peat. I was just counting calories and doing well, I don't have issues with losing as long as I am diligent with counting. I just don't feel "right" and I'm still searching for an energy boost, insomnia, etc. I'm going to recommit for at least the next three months and see where I end up.
  • bethanylaugh
    bethanylaugh Posts: 237
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    Hiiii!!

    Yes the group is moderately active but there's not a lot of posting... I think a lot of us use it to find friends and interact in our news feeds more than anything else. Imma friend you!

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