Confused...to count or not to count calories?
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kellyb1285
Posts: 17 Member
so I'm really new to this way of eating. Iv really had huge mixed messages about counting and keeping calories. What's the truth do I still need to watch it closely to lose my weight or being sensible along with this diet help?
Any advise would be great please
Any advise would be great please
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Replies
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To achieve a decent rate of weight loss while following a Primal/Paleo lifestyle, the most important factor to consider is your carb intake. Maintaining between 50 and 100 gr of carbs / day should result in a decent rate of weight loss.
Next in importance is protein intake. 1 gr of protein / lb of lean body mass is a good goal. This will help ensure that your weight loss is primarily fat and not muscle.
Then eat enough healthy fats to keep satiated and maintain your energy levels.
You will be eating very nutrient dense foods and after awhile many people will just naturally eat fewer calories as they are satiated by much less bulk.
As you are keeping an eye on macros, you will naturally track calories. Energy in vs energy out is still important so if you consume an average of 3500 cals /day, you will most likely gain weight unless you are much more active than the average bear. So try to stay somewhat close to the recommended daily calorie intake, but don't sweat it too awful much. This is supposed to be easy
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To achieve a decent rate of weight loss while following a Primal/Paleo lifestyle, the most important factor to consider is your carb intake. Maintaining between 50 and 100 gr of carbs / day should result in a decent rate of weight loss.
Next in importance is protein intake. 1 gr of protein / lb of lean body mass is a good goal. This will help ensure that your weight loss is primarily fat and not muscle.
Then eat enough healthy fats to keep satiated and maintain your energy levels.
You will be eating very nutrient dense foods and after awhile many people will just naturally eat fewer calories as they are satiated by much less bulk.
As you are keeping an eye on macros, you will naturally track calories. Energy in vs energy out is still important so if you consume an average of 3500 cals /day, you will most likely gain weight unless you are much more active than the average bear. So try to stay somewhat close to the recommended daily calorie intake, but don't sweat it too awful much. This is supposed to be easy
Can I ask another daft question???
What is the ideal macro rate then ? As I noted that MFP has put my carbs at like 178g or something a day...
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MFP always puts you carbs way too high. I would adjust your % to look more like the post above. As the numbers depend on your body I can't give you exact numbers, but I have mine set for around 100 g of carbs and am at 20% carbs, 25% protein, and 55% fat.0
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Like 17JayR mentioned. You can set your macros by grams. Set protein at X, carbs at Y (100 or so would be a good max to start with) then fats will be Z based on what you set your P and C's.
Follow that ratio for a couple of weeks and adjust carbs as necessary after you give your bod some time to get used to your intake.0 -
JRosto has good advice! 50-100g carbs/ day is the sweet spot for burning fat. I did not know about MFP or counting calories when I first started Paleo, but I dropped 18lbs in the first 3 weeks on the diet. Joined the site bc I wanted to see where my carbs were at. MFP sets the carb goals way too high and fat way too low. This way of eating makes it easier to lose weight without counting calories, but common sense should inform anyone that overeating and indulging in too many treats, Paleo or otherwise, will not be conducive to weight loss. The high quality, nutrient dense food that you'll be replacing your low quality calories for should give you more energy, a sense of well being, and more motivation to move your body!0
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I do Paleo on a moderate carb as well.
It works out to be about 1800 calories a day for me.
I do feel more full eating more fibrous food. The veggies fill me up. Meat is satisfying.
If I eat the right types of filling nutritious foods the calories work out.
It isn't that calories don't matter.
I am proof that when a guy eats 5000 calories a day... He gets fat!
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I too am torn by this. Sometimes I count and sometimes I don't. Like others when I do log it's mostly to focus on getting the macros where they should be, especially carbs.0
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I think logging is an extremely useful tool and is a great way to assess what you are eating but I don't see it as a permanent thing. It makes you aware that even if you are eating healthy food, you are probably eating too much.0
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I think logging is an extremely useful tool and is a great way to assess what you are eating but I don't see it as a permanent thing. It makes you aware that even if you are eating healthy food, you are probably eating too much.
My story
I found healthy foods and ate them in excess.
Except for veggies for some reason
If I make myself eat veggies I tend to eat less overall.
The old trick of eating a cup of mixed veggies from the microwave while making dinner works for me. It helps me feel full
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whispering so no one can hear- congrats on being out of jail.
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Good Mirning Leena
Xo
Sabine is the resident criminal now!
She is soooo bad!!
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Oh Sabine, that is so sad!! You are such a good person - well obviously a good person gone bad.
I'm in shock and annoyed I missed all the fun.
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