Paleo Primal or just whatever?

lostalykat
lostalykat Posts: 683 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am struggling because I do crossfit and Paleo is a big thing. I love the way I feel on paleo but I did not lose weight. I tried primal but feel about the same. Recently I have been eating quinoa as my breakfast then eating mostly primal the rest of the day. for some reason I feel like I need to go back to paleo or primal since I have read so much about how good it is for you. Does anyone else struggle with this? I want to be healthy for life and I want to lose weight now.

Replies

  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Eat in a way that is sustainable long term. For me that means not eliminating anything.
  • KnM0107
    KnM0107 Posts: 355 Member
    To lose weight you need to be in a deficit. What foods you eat is a personal preference. There really is no need to label your eating plan. Just eat foods that you like, foods that make you feel good and foods that help get you to your goal. Somehow I managed to lose 130lbs and have never had a name for my style of eating.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I am struggling because I do crossfit and Paleo is a big thing. I love the way I feel on paleo but I did not lose weight. I tried primal but feel about the same. Recently I have been eating quinoa as my breakfast then eating mostly primal the rest of the day. for some reason I feel like I need to go back to paleo or primal since I have read so much about how good it is for you. Does anyone else struggle with this? I want to be healthy for life and I want to lose weight now.

    Just eat a balanced and diverse diet and maintain a deficit to lose weight. No need for unnecessary restrictions that have questionable benefits to the population at large
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    I am struggling because I do crossfit and Paleo is a big thing. I love the way I feel on paleo but I did not lose weight. I tried primal but feel about the same. Recently I have been eating quinoa as my breakfast then eating mostly primal the rest of the day. for some reason I feel like I need to go back to paleo or primal since I have read so much about how good it is for you. Does anyone else struggle with this? I want to be healthy for life and I want to lose weight now.

    If you really want to eat in a primal way, maybe the best thing to do would be start logging what you are eating as well as eat LCHF.

    If you are not losing weight it maybe down to the fact you are not in a calorie deficit. Even on a LCHF diet you need to be in a deficit to lose the weight.

    I personally eat primal and I know MD does suggest making small changes to transition into it and also advocates the 80/20 rule.

    If there are certain foods you really like, but don't quite fit into the primal eating style, I would suggest not cutting those things first (that's if you really need to cut them at all).

    Good luck.
  • FitMe758
    FitMe758 Posts: 177 Member
    Weight loss is a matter of being at a caloric deficit. Simple as that.

    With that said, I feel a hell of a lot better eating 1,400 calories worth of fruits, veggies, meat and legumes. Than I do eating 1,400 calories worth of Big Macs (hmmmm, Big Macs)

    I've noticed that a lot of exercise "movements" usually have a diet type associated with them. For example, Crossfit and Paleo, Tracey Anderson and her macrobiotic -900 calories-a-day diets.
    People say that each type of workout is better complemented by a strict way of eating blah, blah. I think most of it is trendy hype.

    Eat what makes *you* feel your best. Track your calories, if having a deficit is important to reach your particular goals. But eat whatever makes you feel great.
    If that means eating small amounts of regular, non regimented food, then do so.
    If it means eating only whole foods for your entire journey, do that.

    The point is, there's no correct universal answer. Because everyone's body is different and everyone has a different psychological response to food.

    One of my cousins is a raw food vegan. She is in fantastic shape and it works for her.

    My favorite food is porterhouse steak, so I could never be a raw food vegan. But I pair it with a great salad now, instead of more steak and many beers, like I used to do :P

    I think it all comes down to finding balance.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    To lose weight you need to be in a deficit. What foods you eat is a personal preference. There really is no need to label your eating plan. Just eat foods that you like, foods that make you feel good and foods that help get you to your goal. Somehow I managed to lose 130lbs and have never had a name for my style of eating.

    Your diet was called the MDMR diet! lol
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    If you like the way you feel on a paleo diet and don't find it restrictive, I see no reason not to stick with it. But, if you do, I think you'd be best served tracking what you eat and monitoring your daily calories. If you want to modify it to suit your preferences (e.g., having some grains for breakfast), there's absolutely no harm to that.
  • beachgod
    beachgod Posts: 567 Member
    Eat in a way that is sustainable long term. For me that means not eliminating anything.

    But this is sensible and simple. Surely there's something I can do to muck it up?

    edit for grammar blunder.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Try eating the foods you enjoy in reasonable amounts and maybe even a different workout. Good luck.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    If you like the way you feel on a paleo diet and don't find it restrictive, I see no reason not to stick with it. But, if you do, I think you'd be best served tracking what you eat and monitoring your daily calories. If you want to modify it to suit your preferences (e.g., having some grains for breakfast), there's absolutely no harm to that.

    Drink ALL the booze...
    Eat ALL the watermelon!!!

    reverse-1319650698_drunk_puking_fish_melon_head.gif
  • CassandraBurgos83
    CassandraBurgos83 Posts: 544 Member
    Most of my friends who crossfit have been at it for a couple of years and not one of them are any type of a strict or special diet and they're in amazing shape...gals and guys. For me, I will go crazy in a bad way if I eliminate my goodies. I try to eat everything in moderation so I don't go hog wild out of desperation with my sweet tooth :)
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I am struggling because I do crossfit and Paleo is a big thing. I love the way I feel on paleo but I did not lose weight. I tried primal but feel about the same. Recently I have been eating quinoa as my breakfast then eating mostly primal the rest of the day. for some reason I feel like I need to go back to paleo or primal since I have read so much about how good it is for you. Does anyone else struggle with this? I want to be healthy for life and I want to lose weight now.

    There are a multitude of ways to be healthy for life - essentially a balanced and varied diet that meets your macro and micronutrient needs and getting regular exercise is the underpinnings of all of them.

    Losing weight is about eating under your calorie goals.

    You can meet your macro and micronutrient needs on paleo. It sounds like you need to track calories too, though. However, a healthy diet isn't limited to paleo/primal. There are hundreds of cultures with diverse food ways that have maintained healthy populations for thousands of years.
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
    I am struggling because I do crossfit and Paleo is a big thing. I love the way I feel on paleo but I did not lose weight. I tried primal but feel about the same. Recently I have been eating quinoa as my breakfast then eating mostly primal the rest of the day. for some reason I feel like I need to go back to paleo or primal since I have read so much about how good it is for you. Does anyone else struggle with this? I want to be healthy for life and I want to lose weight now.

    IMO, SOME Paleo people tend to make lots of spurious claims, like you don't need to count calories to lose weight on Paleo or that Paleo is the way we evolved to eat or that grain is bad for everyone. I'm sure one can be healthy eating Paleo, but it isn't the only way to go, and most of their superior health claims are unjustified by science. If you like it, eat it, but don't expect it to be a miracle cure for all that (real or imagined) ails you.

    Just remember, to lose weight, no matter what plan or lifestyle you chose, you still need to be in a deficit.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    I am struggling because I do crossfit and Paleo is a big thing. I love the way I feel on paleo but I did not lose weight. I tried primal but feel about the same. Recently I have been eating quinoa as my breakfast then eating mostly primal the rest of the day. for some reason I feel like I need to go back to paleo or primal since I have read so much about how good it is for you. Does anyone else struggle with this? I want to be healthy for life and I want to lose weight now.

    IMO, SOME Paleo people tend to make lots of spurious claims, like you don't need to count calories to lose weight on Paleo or that Paleo is the way we evolved to eat or that grain is bad for everyone. I'm sure one can be healthy eating Paleo, but it isn't the only way to go, and most of their superior health claims are unjustified by science. If you like it, eat it, but don't expect it to be a miracle cure for all that (real or imagined) ails you.

    Just remember, to lose weight, no matter what plan or lifestyle you chose, you still need to be in a deficit.

    I eat primal, I don't count my calories and have lost 25lb in 5 months (feel free to check my diary).

    You don't have to count calories to eat in a deficit, which is why I have lost weigh. So not really a spurious claim!
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
    I eat primal, I don't count my calories and have lost 25lb in 5 months (feel free to check my diary).

    You don't have to count calories to eat in a deficit, which is why I have lost weigh. So not really a spurious claim!

    I lost 40 lbs in about 6 months before I found MFP not counting calories (and not eating paleo/primal). I've maintained for 2 years now without counting calories, other than odd periods here or there. So I know it is possible.

    Bu the claim I was referring to is that it is impossible to eat too much while on paleo/primal to gain weight. That calorie counting is simply not required. Not simply that it is possible.

    e.g.: http://www.nerdfitness.com/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet1/
    Fortunately, if you can expand your horizons and remove certain types of food from your diet, you can stop worrying about counting calories FOREVER (sorry, the Count – ah ah ah). I’d love to suggest a particular type of eating that doesn’t require counting a single calorie AND allows you to eat as much as you want. Oh, and it will help you lose weight, build muscle, and get in the best shape of your life.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    I eat primal, I don't count my calories and have lost 25lb in 5 months (feel free to check my diary).

    You don't have to count calories to eat in a deficit, which is why I have lost weigh. So not really a spurious claim!

    I lost 40 lbs in about 6 months before I found MFP not counting calories (and not eating paleo/primal). I've maintained for 2 years now without counting calories, other than odd periods here or there. So I know it is possible.

    Bu the claim I was referring to is that it is impossible to eat too much while on paleo/primal to gain weight. That calorie counting is simply not required. Not simply that it is possible.

    e.g.: http://www.nerdfitness.com/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet1/
    Fortunately, if you can expand your horizons and remove certain types of food from your diet, you can stop worrying about counting calories FOREVER (sorry, the Count – ah ah ah). I’d love to suggest a particular type of eating that doesn’t require counting a single calorie AND allows you to eat as much as you want. Oh, and it will help you lose weight, build muscle, and get in the best shape of your life.

    I personally do not make that claim and that claim is not made by the primal diet. I can't speak for any other type of paleo style diet, but I should think they also advocate weight lose through eating in a deficit (as primal does).

    I think what people are trying to say is that you can eat till you are full and satisfied, as opposed to having to stop eating just because you have reached your calorie target.

    This claim would be probably accurate because on a LCHF diet the types of food we eat would likely leave us feeling satisfied before we reached a calorie surplus -this is what I personally experience, I certainly do not feel as hungry as I did on a medium to high carb diet.
  • Veroniqueavery
    Veroniqueavery Posts: 2 Member
    I've been Crossfitting for two years now and have done strict paleo in the past. When I logged all my foods (to the tee) and kept my sugar down, calories at the amount prescribed by myfitnesspal, and carbs under around 70g I lost weight RAPIDLY! I mean obviously water weight initially- to the point where I would have to pee 3-4 times in the middle of the night and started seeing a significant change in my body comp within 14 days (I was only 10 pounds away from where I wanted to be anyways). However.. One taste of a high carb gluten-filled cheat meal sent me spiraling into a 6 month long binge that resulted in a 15 pound weight gain and having to really reevaluate my relationship with food. It was really similar to what I've reAd bodybuilders can go through after their prep is over. I don't think being that low in carbs is really meant for cross fitters. "you don't pr on paleo". in my opinion, its for those that are mostly sedentary. It may have worked out differently if I hadn't been so strict and maybe thrown in an extra sweet potato a day or upped my cals a little more but that was just my experience :)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I've been Crossfitting for two years now and have done strict paleo in the past. When I logged all my foods (to the tee) and kept my sugar down, calories at the amount prescribed by myfitnesspal, and carbs under around 70g I lost weight RAPIDLY! I mean obviously water weight initially- to the point where I would have to pee 3-4 times in the middle of the night and started seeing a significant change in my body comp within 14 days (I was only 10 pounds away from where I wanted to be anyways). However.. One taste of a high carb gluten-filled cheat meal sent me spiraling into a 6 month long binge that resulted in a 15 pound weight gain and having to really reevaluate my relationship with food. It was really similar to what I've reAd bodybuilders can go through after their prep is over. I don't think being that low in carbs is really meant for cross fitters. "you don't pr on paleo". in my opinion, its for those that are mostly sedentary. It may have worked out differently if I hadn't been so strict and maybe thrown in an extra sweet potato a day or upped my cals a little more but that was just my experience :)

    A six month binge?

    I've seen that done with cocaine, but never with food. Wow. Color me impressed.

    +_f0cb5b39cff8d22d7b09b0e90998d018.gif

    And you only gained 15 pounds during this time period? Wow!

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