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Your Personal Paleo Code book

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washingtonred
washingtonred Posts: 25
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I'm reading "Your Personal Paleo Code" by Chris Kresser and I just wondering in the book he states that calories should be about 15-16 calories per pound of your body weight.

I've been doing TDEE - 15% = 1800. If I go by the book then I would need to eat around 3050 calories.

I don't know if I can eat 3000 calories worth of paleo food and not feel like a blimp!!!

So what are your thoughts?

Red

Replies

  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    At first I gave this book a big recommendation, but based on the online "bonus" material I have unequivocally decided to no longer align myself with Chris Kresser. The book itself is still useful though.

    I think the calorie recommendation are fairly accurate for me, but I'm no athlete either. I think the low calorie mentality that has gotten pounded into our heads does more damage than good. It's more about the macros and micronutrients and other lifestyle factors.

    I don't understand the "feeling like a blimp" comment. Perhaps just do what works for you, shake things up a little from time to time (aka try something different) AND try to rid yourself of negative self talk. :flowerforyou:
  • caribougal
    caribougal Posts: 865 Member
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    Can you give more context to what he says? Is that 15 cal/body weight for maintaining your current weight, or to gain/lose? I'm betting it's to maintain your current weight. So if you're trying to lose, you would eat somewhere less than that. What about your LBM? Wouldn't that factor into it? Seems a pretty broad statement.

    According to that, at 135 lbs, I would eat 2,025 cals and maintain that weight. To lose weight, I need to eat less than that. That would be correct for me, especially if I'm pretty sedentary, and for my height and proportions. Although I personally need to target below 1800 to lose, which is probably due to the fact that I'm too lazy to measure things and I just pick things in MFP that are close to what I ate. So I figure sometimes my estimates are lower (or higher) than reality. In general, people usually underestimate their caloric intake, so I personally take the approach to aim a little lower and assume I'm a little higher in reality.

    So then according to his guideline, when I'm down to 125, I can eat 1,875. That also seems relatively accurate, although probably at the high end of my cal range to maintain that weight. And that's without crazy exercise.

    So... probably this makes sense, but I'd be interested in the full story. And of course, that's 15 cals/body weight of nutrient-dense foods, right? Not waffles.
  • washingtonred
    washingtonred Posts: 25
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    At first I gave this book a big recommendation, but based on the online "bonus" material I have unequivocally decided to no longer align myself with Chris Kresser. The book itself is still useful though.

    I think the calorie recommendation are fairly accurate for me, but I'm no athlete either. I think the low calorie mentality that has gotten pounded into our heads does more damage than good. It's more about the macros and micronutrients and other lifestyle factors.

    I don't understand the "feeling like a blimp" comment. Perhaps just do what works for you, shake things up a little from time to time (aka try something different) AND try to rid yourself of negative self talk. :flowerforyou:

    I do like the book, but I was just curious about the calorie thing. And when I said "blimp" I meant feeling bloated after eating over 3000 calories.

    I think I'm going to stick to TDEE -15% as it works for me.

    Red
  • washingtonred
    washingtonred Posts: 25
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    Can you give more context to what he says? Is that 15 cal/body weight for maintaining your current weight, or to gain/lose? I'm betting it's to maintain your current weight. So if you're trying to lose, you would eat somewhere less than that. What about your LBM? Wouldn't that factor into it? Seems a pretty broad statement.

    The 15 cal/body weight was for losing and not maintaining. I don't have the book here with me, but I think 17 cal/body weight was for maintaining.

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