Started Paleo/Keto diet Monday- too much weight loss?

kikokikai · April 2014

Hello Everyone,
I'm new here and hope you can help me

I'm a 5'4" lady with a petite frame and started out at 117 pounds on Monday. My goal is 110, and/or less body fat.

After reading an article in a magazine over this past weekend about the Paleo diet being much healthier for you and it leading to quick fat loss, I decided to try it starting this past Monday. I researched it a lot on the web because of the huge amount of fat intake. I am concerned about counting calories since it's hardwired into me. I read you aren't supposed to track calories on Paleo because you will eat less anyways from cutting out refined stuff.

For the past year I have religiously been eating between 1200-1400 a day with not much weight loss. I started out at 123 last May and stalled at 117 in August. The foods I had been eating were pretty much all processed with little produce. Cutting out refined sugars and carbs is something I've never done before, but clean eating completely makes sense.

I found a keto calculator, keto-calculator.ankerl.com My BMR is 1200 calories a day. My body fat percentage is 28%; 32.8 pound is fat, 84 is lean. I would like the fat to come down about 5%. The site showed me a proper ratio for a keto diet which is 50 grams carbs 60 grams protein 84 grams fat a day. I chose 50 grams of carbs because I read that is ideal for weight loss that isn't too extreme. I am using this website's food diary to follow those numbers. I exercise 4-5 days a week either on the elliptical for 30 minutes or doing T25 workout for 25 minutes.

The keto calculator website summary says I will lose about 2 pounds in 1 month following this plan. Surprisingly, I have lost 1 about pound a day. This morning I weigh 113.4. That's almost 4 pounds in 3 days. Is that too fast? Is it water weight? If it is too fast, what should I increase to slow it down- more carbs, more protein, more fat? My squishy parts are tighter and the measurements are slightly smaller- by about 1/4".

Also, I have been not sleeping well because I get hungry in the middle of the night. Last night I woke up at 2am nervous, hot, and very hungry. I got up and ate some salami, a few bites of leftover steak, a spoonful of almond butter, and half a banana. When I got up for the day, I again am very hungry. Is this from not eating enough or from stopping refined sugars and carbs cold turkey? Most of my calories were from sugar and carbs before Monday.

Sorry to be so long winded. I'm not exactly sure what to do. Thanks for the help!

sayhitostephz · April 2014

Hi!

My first reaction was to say it was water weight, but when you mentioned being super hungry in the middle of the night it led me to believe you aren't eating enough. Try adding more protein to each meal - 60 g seems low. The most widely accepted standard is 1 g per lb of body weight, so you would need at least 110 g a day to retain muscle mass while losing weight. This will also help with satiety.

Beside the point, I did low calorie dieting for a long time and simply switching to Paleo/Keto didn't do much for me (besides water weight loss from lack of carbs) on its own. I had to also track my calories to make sure I wasn't going over (or under). I switched to Paleo for health reasons and not fat loss though.

tennisdude2004 · April 2014

If you've cut back on carbs then it is likely to be water weight you have lost.

You can very easily count calories and do paleo (especially using the MFP app).

As you only have 7lb's to lose are you looking to do Paleo as a lifestyle change or as a quick fix.

If it's not a lifestyle change then I would not consider going that route and just keep doing what you are doing.

In regards to keto, you do not necessarily need to do paleo to do keto and vice versa. Remember you will lose quickly to start with as it will be water weight, if you go back onto the carbs you will get that back.

kikokikai · April 2014

Thanks, sayhitostephz! I think you are right; adding more protein is the right way to go. I think I am blindly following that keto calculator. In fact, my body was craving protein even though I just had a coconut milk and whey smoothie, so I just cooked a filet. I feel much better after eating. I felt like I was in fog. It does feel strange to eat so much meat and fat.

I'm so surprised how many pounds came off right away. It took me months to lose 5 pounds last year while eating about the same amount of calories. I'm also not craving carbs and I thought I would.

kikokikai · April 2014

Hi, tennisdude, great advice! I am going to make a Paleo lifestyle change. Diabetes, high blood, cholesterol, gall bladder and kidney problems, and cancer are in my family on both sides. I'm 36, and those family members who got sick were in their forties and fifties. It's high time I become responsible for my health. I thought just losing weight was good enough, but after researching so much in the past few days, I see that I have to change my eating habits.

Do you think increasing protein will help my hunger? If so, do I need to increase the fat, too, to balance it out?

PaleoPath4Lyfe · April 2014

Hello Everyone,
I'm new here and hope you can help me I'm a 5'4" lady with a petite frame and started out at 117 pounds on Monday. My goal is 110, and/or less body fat.

After reading an article in a magazine over this past weekend about the Paleo diet being much healthier for you and it leading to quick fat loss, I decided to try it starting this past Monday. I researched it a lot on the web because of the huge amount of fat intake. I am concerned about counting calories since it's hardwired into me. I read you aren't supposed to track calories on Paleo because you will eat less anyways from cutting out refined stuff.

For the past year I have religiously been eating between 1200-1400 a day with not much weight loss. I started out at 123 last May and stalled at 117 in August. The foods I had been eating were pretty much all processed with little produce. Cutting out refined sugars and carbs is something I've never done before, but clean eating completely makes sense.

I found a keto calculator, keto-calculator.ankerl.com My BMR is 1200 calories a day. My body fat percentage is 28%; 32.8 pound is fat, 84 is lean. I would like the fat to come down about 5%. The site showed me a proper ratio for a keto diet which is 50 grams carbs 60 grams protein 84 grams fat a day. I chose 50 grams of carbs because I read that is ideal for weight loss that isn't too extreme. I am using this website's food diary to follow those numbers. I exercise 4-5 days a week either on the elliptical for 30 minutes or doing T25 workout for 25 minutes.

The keto calculator website summary says I will lose about 2 pounds in 1 month following this plan. Surprisingly, I have lost 1 about pound a day. This morning I weigh 113.4. That's almost 4 pounds in 3 days. Is that too fast? Is it water weight? If it is too fast, what should I increase to slow it down- more carbs, more protein, more fat? My squishy parts are tighter and the measurements are slightly smaller- by about 1/4".

Also, I have been not sleeping well because I get hungry in the middle of the night. Last night I woke up at 2am nervous, hot, and very hungry. I got up and ate some salami, a few bites of leftover steak, a spoonful of almond butter, and half a banana. When I got up for the day, I again am very hungry. Is this from not eating enough or from stopping refined sugars and carbs cold turkey? Most of my calories were from sugar and carbs before Monday.

Sorry to be so long winded. I'm not exactly sure what to do. Thanks for the help!

First of all, being a woman, you don't want to get your body fat percentage down to 5%. That is very unhealthy range for a female due to hormones and such.

If you are getting hungry like that, then you are not eating enough. Up the fat and protein intake would be my first recommendation. Make sure you are hydrating yourself well.

Don't stress about calories. Focus on the quality of the food your eating.

J72FIT · April 2014

First of all, being a woman, you don't want to get your body fat percentage down to 5%. That is very unhealthy range for a female due to hormones and such.

^^^This...

kikokikai · April 2014

Hi PaleoPath4Lyf! I'm sorry, my writing wasn't very clear. I want my fat to come down 5% to about 23%. I think that's an attainable and healthy goal.

I do need to let go of calorie counting, but it is so ingrained in me. It's like training wheels. Maybe after this initial week, I'll be able to relax, or after I keep waking up hungry.

Faye_Anderson · April 2014

To reduce your body fat, as you only want to lose a few vanity lbs, I'd suggest eating at TDEE and doing some heavy lifting :flowerforyou:

AsaThorsWoman · April 2014

I think different diets work differently for different people.

I personally find Paleo to be perfect for me, but I do primal like Marks Daily Apple, and I have dairy.

I recently went off of my Primal style eating to try a TDEE style diet and rapidly gained weight.

I know TDEE has plenty of scientific research supporting it, and others have had success with it, so I'm not saying it's terrible and doesn't work. I'm saying it's terrible and doesn't work FOR ME.

On TDEE I felt my life was wrapped in numbers, and it felt very unnatural to me.

I don't truly believe I was designed to eat 1,600 exactly every single day.

Some days I was force feeding myself, some starving. I like Paleo.

With Paleo I eat when I want. No one cares if I have 1,200, 1,400 or 1,600 kcal in a day.

With Paleo, it's way easier for me to stay within my calorie goal, so it's really working TDEE and Paleo ideas!

A lot of people hate the word "Paleo" because it is true that with enough number crunching and calorie restriction, you are bound to lose weight. For me personally that was HARD.

If I went over my calories I had to skip dinner or gain a couple of pounds, and my family was NOT happy about that.

It's true that the Paleo diet isn't Paleolithic, that's marketing.

That doesn't change the fact that for ME choosing Paleo foods, recipes, and lifestyle is tremendously rewarding for weight loss, energy levels, and quality of life.

Some of the smartest folks on here are hard core IIFM, TDEE and Paleo.

I'm sure their way works like a charm for them.

I'm not negating their success or their research.

I am sharing my own story. It works for me.

I'm relatively simple. I'm not calculating macros and calories all day because I am a single mom with a full time job.

It's so simple.

I just pick a recipe, cook it, eat it, log it, and 9 times out of 10 I'm below the calorie goal, low-carb, and losing weight.

Good luck.

PS

It is worth noting I am VERY allergic to gluten and came to Paleo from an already gluten free diet.

So, I am allergic to wheat, I live without legumes and other grains (easily!) and have dairy.

I switched from TDEE to Paleo/Keto Sunday and have lost 4.9 lb in 4 days.

It sounds like you have the carb flu, I'd recommend just giving it more time, or Googling Carb-Flu as it is common at first when you go low carb.

Dragonwolf · April 2014

Hi!

My first reaction was to say it was water weight, but when you mentioned being super hungry in the middle of the night it led me to believe you aren't eating enough. Try adding more protein to each meal - 60 g seems low. The most widely accepted standard is 1 g per lb of body weight, so you would need at least 110 g a day to retain muscle mass while losing weight. This will also help with satiety.

Beside the point, I did low calorie dieting for a long time and simply switching to Paleo/Keto didn't do much for me (besides water weight loss from lack of carbs) on its own. I had to also track my calories to make sure I wasn't going over (or under). I switched to Paleo for health reasons and not fat loss though.

1g/lb of lean body mass, not total weight (though some do, and you'll get pretty close at low body fat percentages, anyway).

But yeah -- a few things are in play here:

1. Not enough protein probably. Make sure you're getting about 1g/lb of lean body mass.
2. Not enough food in general. 1200-1400 seems kind of low, especially if you're working out and not eating to fuel it (using MFP's method)
3. Adjusting to the lower carbs, especially if you're switching from sugary, processed carb sources. Sugar can stimulate a lot of different receptors in the reward center of our brain, plus, your body is still used to the glucose spikes from sugary meals. Cutting off that supply, then, can cause the brain to freak out for a while and cause you to experience withdrawal-like symptoms. This is common and known as "carb flu." It will pass in a week or two. In the meantime, feed it plenty of protein and fat (I wouldn't worry too much about restricting calories right now, because calorie restriction and switching diets are both pretty heavy stressors to the body, you don't need to compound things).

To reduce your body fat, as you only want to lose a few vanity lbs, I'd suggest eating at TDEE and doing some heavy lifting flowerforyou

I completely agree with this. Lifting is awesome for shedding body fat.

kikokikai · April 2014

Thank you so much Faye_Anderson, AsaThorswoman, and Dragonwolf! I am starting to see that I need to increase my calories by adding more fat and protein. That should along with lots of veggies fill me up.

I used two different TDEE calculators. One said 1650, and the other said 1450. I'll chart my calories to see how much eating more protein and fat I need until I'm satiated to choose the right amount of calories to consume. I will stick with paleo right now since I just started it. If I don't like what's happening to my body, I'll try out TDEE.

What kind of heavy lifting can I do to reduce my hips and thighs? I'm pear shaped, so that's where the bulk of my fat is. I have very weak wrists and arms that easily get injured, so I can't use them to lift. My wrist doctor banned me from yoga a few years ago because I kept getting tendonitis and overuse syndrome. I don't think he would like me to lift weights with my arms. My legs though are perfectly healthy.

I do think I entered the carb flu stage today after reading about it! I thought I was in the clear by some miracle since I wasn't affected on Day1. Hopefully it will clear up soon. I mean, I was eating Pop Tarts, toaster strudels, and microwave mac and cheese cups daily as 200 calories snacks as late as last week. I don't know why I thought I'd get a carb flu pass?!

AsaThorsWoman, I'm happy that you lost so much weight so quickly, too! I don't feel like I'm doing something completely wrong with the diet now.

PaleoPath4Lyfe · April 2014

Hi PaleoPath4Lyf! I'm sorry, my writing wasn't very clear. I want my fat to come down 5% to about 23%. I think that's an attainable and healthy goal.

I do need to let go of calorie counting, but it is so ingrained in me. It's like training wheels. Maybe after this initial week, I'll be able to relax, or after I keep waking up hungry.

My apologies for mis-reading the sentence.................when I read it, I was like WHOA, no way.............

I have been near that point (was down to 8 1/2% body fat) when I was in the Army. I messed myself up horribly in the hormonal department if you know what I mean.

somefitsomefat · April 2014

Water weight.

Ang108 · April 2014

Hello Everyone,
I'm new here and hope you can help me I'm a 5'4" lady with a petite frame and started out at 117 pounds on Monday. My goal is 110, and/or less body fat.

After reading an article in a magazine over this past weekend about the Paleo diet being much healthier for you and it leading to quick fat loss, I decided to try it starting this past Monday. I researched it a lot on the web because of the huge amount of fat intake. I am concerned about counting calories since it's hardwired into me. I read you aren't supposed to track calories on Paleo because you will eat less anyways from cutting out refined stuff.

For the past year I have religiously been eating between 1200-1400 a day with not much weight loss. I started out at 123 last May and stalled at 117 in August. The foods I had been eating were pretty much all processed with little produce. Cutting out refined sugars and carbs is something I've never done before, but clean eating completely makes sense.

I found a keto calculator, keto-calculator.ankerl.com My BMR is 1200 calories a day. My body fat percentage is 28%; 32.8 pound is fat, 84 is lean. I would like the fat to come down about 5%. The site showed me a proper ratio for a keto diet which is 50 grams carbs 60 grams protein 84 grams fat a day. I chose 50 grams of carbs because I read that is ideal for weight loss that isn't too extreme. I am using this website's food diary to follow those numbers. I exercise 4-5 days a week either on the elliptical for 30 minutes or doing T25 workout for 25 minutes.

The keto calculator website summary says I will lose about 2 pounds in 1 month following this plan. Surprisingly, I have lost 1 about pound a day. This morning I weigh 113.4. That's almost 4 pounds in 3 days. Is that too fast? Is it water weight? If it is too fast, what should I increase to slow it down- more carbs, more protein, more fat? My squishy parts are tighter and the measurements are slightly smaller- by about 1/4".

Also, I have been not sleeping well because I get hungry in the middle of the night. Last night I woke up at 2am nervous, hot, and very hungry. I got up and ate some salami, a few bites of leftover steak, a spoonful of almond butter, and half a banana. When I got up for the day, I again am very hungry. Is this from not eating enough or from stopping refined sugars and carbs cold turkey? Most of my calories were from sugar and carbs before Monday.

Sorry to be so long winded. I'm not exactly sure what to do. Thanks for the help!

The statistically " normal " weight range for a 5'4" woman with a very slight frame is 114-127 pounds. Why would you want to be underweight ? Maybe it would be better for you to eat normally and lift weights instead of doing what you do....you are already in the lower range for your height.

PaleoPath4Lyfe · April 2014

Thank you so much Faye_Anderson, AsaThorswoman, and Dragonwolf! I am starting to see that I need to increase my calories by adding more fat and protein. That should along with lots of veggies fill me up.

I used two different TDEE calculators. One said 1650, and the other said 1450. I'll chart my calories to see how much eating more protein and fat I need until I'm satiated to choose the right amount of calories to consume. I will stick with paleo right now since I just started it. If I don't like what's happening to my body, I'll try out TDEE.

What kind of heavy lifting can I do to reduce my hips and thighs? I'm pear shaped, so that's where the bulk of my fat is. I have very weak wrists and arms that easily get injured, so I can't use them to lift. My wrist doctor banned me from yoga a few years ago because I kept getting tendonitis and overuse syndrome. I don't think he would like me to lift weights with my arms. My legs though are perfectly healthy.

I do think I entered the carb flu stage today after reading about it! I thought I was in the clear by some miracle since I wasn't affected on Day1. Hopefully it will clear up soon. I mean, I was eating Pop Tarts, toaster strudels, and microwave mac and cheese cups daily as 200 calories snacks as late as last week. I don't know why I thought I'd get a carb flu pass?!

AsaThorsWoman, I'm happy that you lost so much weight so quickly, too! I don't feel like I'm doing something completely wrong with the diet now.

You can use the IIFYM.com site to calculate your macro ratios for eating Paleo. Then you can set it on My Fitness Pal by customizing your goals.

Dragonwolf · April 2014

What kind of heavy lifting can I do to reduce my hips and thighs? I'm pear shaped, so that's where the bulk of my fat is. I have very weak wrists and arms that easily get injured, so I can't use them to lift. My wrist doctor banned me from yoga a few years ago because I kept getting tendonitis and overuse syndrome. I don't think he would like me to lift weights with my arms. My legs though are perfectly healthy.

Depending on what kind of yoga you were doing, it was probably the nature of the movements less than the weight-bearing aspect, since you're a normal weight (torque, not doing the poses right, etc, or trying to do too advanced poses too quickly), and your diet may have had a lot to do with it (Pop Tarts, strudels, and mac & cheese do not a balanced diet and healthy body make). You know your body and your doctor better than I do, but I'd consider getting a second opinion. If you're getting tendonitis repeatedly, then something is wrong, and stopping exercise isn't going to cure the issue, but just mask the symptom by avoiding a trigger (which can be worthwhile to do to keep from further injury until the underlying cause is found and addressed, but shouldn't be used as the cure).

That said, squats are hands-down the best exercise for hips, glutes, and thighs. You should be able to do a traditional barbell squat, even with your wrist problems, as long as you make sure to do them right (your back should be supporting the bar, your hands are primarily to keep the bar stable). If you can't, though, look into a weight vest. You could also use a leg press machine, but it's quite a bit less effective as it doesn't engage the stabilizer muscles or the core. Another alternative is bodyweight squats that progress to 1-legged, or pistol squats. This one has the added bonus of greatly improving your balance. ( http://www.fitness666.com/2012/06/squat-progression.html )

kikokikai · April 2014

Hi PaleoPath4Lyf! I'm sorry, my writing wasn't very clear. I want my fat to come down 5% to about 23%. I think that's an attainable and healthy goal.

I do need to let go of calorie counting, but it is so ingrained in me. It's like training wheels. Maybe after this initial week, I'll be able to relax, or after I keep waking up hungry.

My apologies for mis-reading the sentence.................when I read it, I was like WHOA, no way.............

I have been near that point (was down to 8 1/2% body fat) when I was in the Army. I messed myself up horribly in the hormonal department if you know what I mean.

No worries! Thanks for looking out for me; I really appreciate it!

kikokikai · April 2014

Hello Everyone,
I'm new here and hope you can help me I'm a 5'4" lady with a petite frame and started out at 117 pounds on Monday. My goal is 110, and/or less body fat.

After reading an article in a magazine over this past weekend about the Paleo diet being much healthier for you and it leading to quick fat loss, I decided to try it starting this past Monday. I researched it a lot on the web because of the huge amount of fat intake. I am concerned about counting calories since it's hardwired into me. I read you aren't supposed to track calories on Paleo because you will eat less anyways from cutting out refined stuff.

For the past year I have religiously been eating between 1200-1400 a day with not much weight loss. I started out at 123 last May and stalled at 117 in August. The foods I had been eating were pretty much all processed with little produce. Cutting out refined sugars and carbs is something I've never done before, but clean eating completely makes sense.

I found a keto calculator, keto-calculator.ankerl.com My BMR is 1200 calories a day. My body fat percentage is 28%; 32.8 pound is fat, 84 is lean. I would like the fat to come down about 5%. The site showed me a proper ratio for a keto diet which is 50 grams carbs 60 grams protein 84 grams fat a day. I chose 50 grams of carbs because I read that is ideal for weight loss that isn't too extreme. I am using this website's food diary to follow those numbers. I exercise 4-5 days a week either on the elliptical for 30 minutes or doing T25 workout for 25 minutes.

The keto calculator website summary says I will lose about 2 pounds in 1 month following this plan. Surprisingly, I have lost 1 about pound a day. This morning I weigh 113.4. That's almost 4 pounds in 3 days. Is that too fast? Is it water weight? If it is too fast, what should I increase to slow it down- more carbs, more protein, more fat? My squishy parts are tighter and the measurements are slightly smaller- by about 1/4".

Also, I have been not sleeping well because I get hungry in the middle of the night. Last night I woke up at 2am nervous, hot, and very hungry. I got up and ate some salami, a few bites of leftover steak, a spoonful of almond butter, and half a banana. When I got up for the day, I again am very hungry. Is this from not eating enough or from stopping refined sugars and carbs cold turkey? Most of my calories were from sugar and carbs before Monday.

Sorry to be so long winded. I'm not exactly sure what to do. Thanks for the help!

The statistically " normal " weight range for a 5'4" woman with a very slight frame is 114-127 pounds. Why would you want to be underweight ? Maybe it would be better for you to eat normally and lift weights instead of doing what you do....you are already in the lower range for your height.

Really the weight doesn't matter to me. The My Goals section made me put in a goal weight. Seeing the pounds come off quickly these past couple of days scared me a bit especially since I woke up in the middle of the so hungry and with brain fog this morning. Now I know that's probably carb flu/water weight loss mixed with not enough calories. Again, I think it is so strange that eating the same amount of healthy calories as opposed to processed bad stuff caused such a change in my weight. I have been eating the same amount of calories (1200-1400 a day) with little change in weight but just about everything was junk.

The amount of fat I've amassed around my hips, thighs, and lower stomach is what I'm trying to get rid of. I would be happy at any weight as long as those areas become toned. From your's and other's advice it sounds like I need to try weight lifting to achieve that goal since all cardio isn't cutting it. I need to bulk up my muscles and reduce the fat to get where I want to be.

kikokikai · April 2014

Thank you so much Faye_Anderson, AsaThorswoman, and Dragonwolf! I am starting to see that I need to increase my calories by adding more fat and protein. That should along with lots of veggies fill me up.

I used two different TDEE calculators. One said 1650, and the other said 1450. I'll chart my calories to see how much eating more protein and fat I need until I'm satiated to choose the right amount of calories to consume. I will stick with paleo right now since I just started it. If I don't like what's happening to my body, I'll try out TDEE.

What kind of heavy lifting can I do to reduce my hips and thighs? I'm pear shaped, so that's where the bulk of my fat is. I have very weak wrists and arms that easily get injured, so I can't use them to lift. My wrist doctor banned me from yoga a few years ago because I kept getting tendonitis and overuse syndrome. I don't think he would like me to lift weights with my arms. My legs though are perfectly healthy.

I do think I entered the carb flu stage today after reading about it! I thought I was in the clear by some miracle since I wasn't affected on Day1. Hopefully it will clear up soon. I mean, I was eating Pop Tarts, toaster strudels, and microwave mac and cheese cups daily as 200 calories snacks as late as last week. I don't know why I thought I'd get a carb flu pass?!

AsaThorsWoman, I'm happy that you lost so much weight so quickly, too! I don't feel like I'm doing something completely wrong with the diet now.

You can use the IIFYM.com site to calculate your macro ratios for eating Paleo. Then you can set it on My Fitness Pal by customizing your goals.

This website is very helpful. Thank you!

kikokikai · April 2014

What kind of heavy lifting can I do to reduce my hips and thighs? I'm pear shaped, so that's where the bulk of my fat is. I have very weak wrists and arms that easily get injured, so I can't use them to lift. My wrist doctor banned me from yoga a few years ago because I kept getting tendonitis and overuse syndrome. I don't think he would like me to lift weights with my arms. My legs though are perfectly healthy.

Depending on what kind of yoga you were doing, it was probably the nature of the movements less than the weight-bearing aspect, since you're a normal weight (torque, not doing the poses right, etc, or trying to do too advanced poses too quickly), and your diet may have had a lot to do with it (Pop Tarts, strudels, and mac & cheese do not a balanced diet and healthy body make). You know your body and your doctor better than I do, but I'd consider getting a second opinion. If you're getting tendonitis repeatedly, then something is wrong, and stopping exercise isn't going to cure the issue, but just mask the symptom by avoiding a trigger (which can be worthwhile to do to keep from further injury until the underlying cause is found and addressed, but shouldn't be used as the cure).

That said, squats are hands-down the best exercise for hips, glutes, and thighs. You should be able to do a traditional barbell squat, even with your wrist problems, as long as you make sure to do them right (your back should be supporting the bar, your hands are primarily to keep the bar stable). If you can't, though, look into a weight vest. You could also use a leg press machine, but it's quite a bit less effective as it doesn't engage the stabilizer muscles or the core. Another alternative is bodyweight squats that progress to 1-legged, or pistol squats. This one has the added bonus of greatly improving your balance. ( http://www.fitness666.com/2012/06/squat-progression.html )

Since childhood my wrists have always been my Achilles tendon. For whatever reason, my fingers and wrists are very delicate, loose, and prone to injury. All the doctors I have seen pretty much tell me that's how my body is made. I am an artist, so the constant fine motion of my hands wears on my ligaments and tendons from my fingers up to my neck and shoulders. I am supposed to stop and do stretches every hour, but often I get so wrapped up on a piece that I don't stretch. Yoga was exacerbating an already existing problem which is why weight lifting using my arms makes me nervous that I might injure myself.

I didn't know that changing to a healthier diet might positively affect my wrists. All the more reason for me to keep it up. Thanks for pointing that out. A weighted vest sound like a great idea! I have tried the leg machine at the gym a few times, and I agree that it just doesn't feel like a good workout. Thank you also for the link to the exercises. There are a lot of squats and lunges in the cardio workout that I do, but none like the ones on that site where you have to be in such control. I'm sure these will help me out so much!

Dragonwolf · April 2014

Since childhood my wrists have always been my Achilles tendon. For whatever reason, my fingers and wrists are very delicate, loose, and prone to injury. All the doctors I have seen pretty much tell me that's how my body is made. I am an artist, so the constant fine motion of my hands wears on my ligaments and tendons from my fingers up to my neck and shoulders. I am supposed to stop and do stretches every hour, but often I get so wrapped up on a piece that I don't stretch. Yoga was exacerbating an already existing problem which is why weight lifting using my arms makes me nervous that I might injure myself.

I didn't know that changing to a healthier diet might positively affect my wrists. All the more reason for me to keep it up. Thanks for pointing that out. A weighted vest sound like a great idea! I have tried the leg machine at the gym a few times, and I agree that it just doesn't feel like a good workout. Thank you also for the link to the exercises. There are a lot of squats and lunges in the cardio workout that I do, but none like the ones on that site where you have to be in such control. I'm sure these will help me out so much!

Avoiding exercising still doesn't sit well with me (in part because one of the ways I've helped the compressed and herniated discs in my back is exercise, and I've helped my husband deal with his weak/easily-rolled ankles by getting him to go barefoot more and wear Vibrams whenever possible). Are you at least doing physical therapy type exercises to help strengthen the supporting muscles and keep the tendons flexible? Doing even some light exercising of the areas prone to tendonitis will help the supporting muscles do exactly that - support things - and help keep the tendons flexible (making them less prone to injury).

If not, here's some references that might help:

http://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/Images/Wrist Tendinitis Exercises_tcm28-181404.pdf
http://www.livestrong.com/article/323646-exercises-for-wrist-tendonitis/
http://www.american-gymnast.com/shop/Handling-Wrist-Tendonitis-Rehab-Exercises--W38.aspx
http://saveyourself.ca/articles/frictions.php (not exercises, per se, but an alternative therapy that may be worth exploring)

PaleoPath4Lyfe · April 2014

Thanks, sayhitostephz! I think you are right; adding more protein is the right way to go. I think I am blindly following that keto calculator. In fact, my body was craving protein even though I just had a coconut milk and whey smoothie, so I just cooked a filet. I feel much better after eating. I felt like I was in fog. It does feel strange to eat so much meat and fat.

I'm so surprised how many pounds came off right away. It took me months to lose 5 pounds last year while eating about the same amount of calories. I'm also not craving carbs and I thought I would.

When your eating enough protein and fat the carb cravings go away because your belly and brain are satisfied.

kikokikai · April 2014

Since childhood my wrists have always been my Achilles tendon. For whatever reason, my fingers and wrists are very delicate, loose, and prone to injury. All the doctors I have seen pretty much tell me that's how my body is made. I am an artist, so the constant fine motion of my hands wears on my ligaments and tendons from my fingers up to my neck and shoulders. I am supposed to stop and do stretches every hour, but often I get so wrapped up on a piece that I don't stretch. Yoga was exacerbating an already existing problem which is why weight lifting using my arms makes me nervous that I might injure myself.

I didn't know that changing to a healthier diet might positively affect my wrists. All the more reason for me to keep it up. Thanks for pointing that out. A weighted vest sound like a great idea! I have tried the leg machine at the gym a few times, and I agree that it just doesn't feel like a good workout. Thank you also for the link to the exercises. There are a lot of squats and lunges in the cardio workout that I do, but none like the ones on that site where you have to be in such control. I'm sure these will help me out so much!

Avoiding exercising still doesn't sit well with me (in part because one of the ways I've helped the compressed and herniated discs in my back is exercise, and I've helped my husband deal with his weak/easily-rolled ankles by getting him to go barefoot more and wear Vibrams whenever possible). Are you at least doing physical therapy type exercises to help strengthen the supporting muscles and keep the tendons flexible? Doing even some light exercising of the areas prone to tendonitis will help the supporting muscles do exactly that - support things - and help keep the tendons flexible (making them less prone to injury).

If not, here's some references that might help:

http://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/Images/Wrist Tendinitis Exercises_tcm28-181404.pdf
http://www.livestrong.com/article/323646-exercises-for-wrist-tendonitis/
http://www.american-gymnast.com/shop/Handling-Wrist-Tendonitis-Rehab-Exercises--W38.aspx
http://saveyourself.ca/articles/frictions.php (not exercises, per se, but an alternative therapy that may be worth exploring)

Dragonwolf, I never said that I avoided exercise. I mentioned in a few posts that I exercise 4-5 times a week. I also mentioned the stretches/exercises I do multiple times daily specifically for my weak areas in my last post. My doctors, physical therapists, chiropractor, massage therapists, and I know limit of weights, pressure, exercises, stretches, and work I put on my wrists hands and arms, as well the history of my injuries.

Also, different stretches/exercises affect the areas either positively, negatively, or not at all. A trained professional who has seen and diagnosed the actual injuries should be the one teaching physical therapy stretches and exercises. There are so many different tendons and ligaments in the body and so many different ways they can get injured, a person can do more damage if they aren't doing the right stretches/exercises for their ailments. Doing stretches/exercises found on the internet can harm rather than help without professional guidance. Thanks for your concern, and I'm happy that your husband was able to find relief!

kikokikai · April 2014

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I upped my calories by eating more protein 104g and more fat 93g andy kept carbs the same at 50g. I fell asleep easily and slept through the night and even woke up an hour late! I also didn't wake up so hungry, and there is no brain fog. My weight is pretty much the same as yesterday, too. I really appreciate all the help!

Started Paleo/Keto diet Monday- too much weight loss?

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