I have a question for Palelo/primal blueprint followers...

Bethany28
Bethany28 Posts: 263
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
***Please do not turn this into a fight....I am just looking for information about primal and palelo...not why not to do it. ***




I know that you don't count calories, but I am wondering what do you do when you work out?


Let's say I ate all primal foods and ended up at 1500 calories for the day, but after I work out I am at 1000 net calories...does that matter?

Those who have had success on Palelo or primal can you share your story with me please??

Replies

  • Aurelina
    Aurelina Posts: 197 Member
    ***Please do not turn this into a fight....I am just looking for information about primal and palelo...not why not to do it. ***




    I know that you don't count calories, but I am wondering what do you do when you work out?


    Let's say I ate all primal foods and ended up at 1500 calories for the day, but after I work out I am at 1000 net calories...does that matter?

    Those who have had success on Palelo or primal can you share your story with me please??

    This is generally not advocated by the multiple Holy See of the paleo world (joke), but I have to count calories. My internal metabolism ticker is broken. Maybe it will work nicely later on? I don't really trust whatever I put into the exercise calculator, so I enter it and then kinda sorta use it while noticing my appetite. The values for the food and the exercise are never going to be exact - it's likely that I underestimate the food and overestimate the exercise so I take that into account too. I'm also trying to learn the ratios and kinds of foods that better sustain me; more fat? less fat" more protein? Which veggies make me feel better?

    There's a very good argument for NOT counting calories which is the following. We can trigger a starvation perspective in our minds, up the stress of eating, and provoke addiction triggers. Plus, it's best to learn to take cues from our bodies. Yup, sounds excellent! But what works for me is to enter my food, have a record to look back at to learn from, and have the structure to help me keep focus.

    So far what has been working for you? Do you need the structure at this point? Do you lose weight and feel good when you eat the estimated exercise cals?
  • Zeromilediet
    Zeromilediet Posts: 787 Member
    I don't worry about it and don't work out anything like I used to--at least not in the 'work out' sense; now is mostly gardening, kickboxing, yoga, in-home exercises, or walking (I live 3 km from anything I could possibly want). I don't eat the calories (or not eat them) and most times don't even bother recording the activity.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    I record my calories, but to tell the truth I really don’t need to because I’m hardly ever close to going over. I do add in my exercise but again I hardly ever eat them all back. I figure if I’m not feeling hungry all the time why eat all the calories, it can only help with weight loss faster.
  • ales1979
    ales1979 Posts: 269 Member
    hi :)

    I'm a noob to the primal/ paleo eating plans and I find that Mark Sisson's www.marksdailyapple.com usually answers most of my noob questions in the 'start here' tab then go to 'paleo101'

    heres some blog posts of his talking about the context of calories in the plan.

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-to-the-primal-eating-plan/
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-context-of-calories/

    they may not contain the EXACT answer you were looking for, but I hope they help!

    I do count my calories still, because I'm new to the lifestyle so I don't follow it 100% yet (though I HAVE cut all grains, white potatoes and dairy) because it takes a while to adapt to the changes in eating habits!

    I know that when I was still eating grains and dairy, that calorie counting still worked for me when I wanted to lose weight!

    I ALWAYS eat as close as I can to ALL of my exercise calories and I'm losing weight at a resonable rate of between 1 and 2lbs a week for the last 5 weeks(hoping loss is more body fat than water and muscle mass!)

    I'm still learning myself to be honest!

    good luck :) x
  • Bethany28
    Bethany28 Posts: 263
    Ok thank you everyone! I will check out MDA again....it is a bit overwhelming. I wish I could just sit one on one with the dude and he would walk me through this.
  • Bethany28
    Bethany28 Posts: 263
    I record my calories, but to tell the truth I really don’t need to because I’m hardly ever close to going over. I do add in my exercise but again I hardly ever eat them all back. I figure if I’m not feeling hungry all the time why eat all the calories, it can only help with weight loss faster.

    Are you saying eating them back will make you lose faster? I just want to be clear...so I do the right thing. Thanks
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    I record my calories, but to tell the truth I really don’t need to because I’m hardly ever close to going over. I do add in my exercise but again I hardly ever eat them all back. I figure if I’m not feeling hungry all the time why eat all the calories, it can only help with weight loss faster.

    Are you saying eating them back will make you lose faster? I just want to be clear...so I do the right thing. Thanks

    Not eating them back, helps "me" lose faster, I don't subscribe to the starvation mode theory so I figure the less I eat the faster I will lose. But I'm not starving myself at all, I never let myself get hungry. I find with this diet I don't need to eat as many calories to be full.
  • BodyByBrusselSprouts
    BodyByBrusselSprouts Posts: 49 Member
    Like a few others here I still record my meals here so I know my calorie count. I do it more so I know my carb fat and protein numbers. I am really never over on calories especially if I count my exercise calories. I follow the mantra eat when I am hungry and since I am eating a lot more fat and protein I'm not nearly as hungry as often.

    I will say this. On the days I bike to work (28 miles round trip), it says I can add back in something like 1900 calories. But on those days (and the day after usually) I do find that I am far more hungry, so I do eat a lot of those calories back (but not all).
  • Bethany28
    Bethany28 Posts: 263
    I record my calories, but to tell the truth I really don’t need to because I’m hardly ever close to going over. I do add in my exercise but again I hardly ever eat them all back. I figure if I’m not feeling hungry all the time why eat all the calories, it can only help with weight loss faster.

    Are you saying eating them back will make you lose faster? I just want to be clear...so I do the right thing. Thanks

    Not eating them back, helps "me" lose faster, I don't subscribe to the starvation mode theory so I figure the less I eat the faster I will lose. But I'm not starving myself at all, I never let myself get hungry. I find with this diet I don't need to eat as many calories to be full.

    OK thanks!
  • ResilientWoman
    ResilientWoman Posts: 440 Member
    My experience is unlikely to be a good fit for you. I started out at 352 lbs. Now I am 255. I count my calories but not to restrict them. Mostly because tracking carbs improves my medical issues. I think it is *really* helpful to learn to trust our bodies. I am learning slowly how to nourish myself. My daily goals are set to 85% Fat, 10% Protein, 5% Carbs. When I see red because I ate 25% Protein one day, I don't freak out. I just note that I needed more that day. When my Carbs are higher than perfect for me, I note that I might plateau or see an uptick until I drop my Carbs back down. I train when I am happy, when I feel like it. Not because I feel that I ought to train. Eating back my exercise calories? Hardly ever feel the need but once in awhile, yes. Every day? No.

    Listening to my own body has become so much easier in this lifestyle.

    You're not alone here. If you'd like more support, just friend us. I have made lots of great connections here. :)
  • ales1979
    ales1979 Posts: 269 Member
    Ok thank you everyone! I will check out MDA again....it is a bit overwhelming. I wish I could just sit one on one with the dude and he would walk me through this.

    I also found out yesterday that Robb Wolf (the paleo solution) has a free podcast on ITunes!

    In the first few casts he's answering a lot of exercise nutrition questions, so might be helpful! I agree with the poster that said you have to learn to listen to your body though! If you're hungry then eat! If you're not then don't! I'm greedy so always eat my exercise cals! but I don't do a lot of 'exercise' in the traditional sense!

    xx
This discussion has been closed.

Categories