Paleo? Yes or no?
lmccarty94
Posts: 19 Member
Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
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Replies
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Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lol
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lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?5 -
Have you tried eating the calories mfp has given you and using a food scale for all solid/semi-solid food, and using cups and spoons for liquids only? For at least a month?
Weight loss is not about the type of food you should or shouldn't eat, it's about calories.
This was my experience as well. Never again!crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lol
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Pros...it emphasizes whole foods
Cons...it then turns around and demonizes some whole foods...which I've always thought to be absurd.
I just eat a balanced and varied diet consisting largely of all the whole foods and have pizza night on Fridays...I don't need some "approved" list and bull crap like legumes and lentils are bad and somehow a sweet potato is so much better than a potato...it's just a load of BS at that point. I'm just not into saying some whole foods are good or bad...they're all pretty good.13 -
Whatever way you eat, you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. Different people enjoy different foods and are satiated by different foods and macros. So the key is going to be finding a way to eat that you enjoy and keeps you satisfied at the right calorie level.
I've never tried Paleo as it cuts out a lot of the foods I enjoy and I don't think I could eat enough meat to follow the program. Honestly I've only ever seen people on their blogs or in magazines who say they lost weight and stayed on the diet long enough to maintain. I've known a few IRL who tried it but couldn't stick to it. Hopefully more people who have tried it or had success with it will chime in
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I'm going to do a slightly different pro/con list:
Pros: Lots of whole foods, clear dietary parameters for those who like that sort of thing to keep them on track, and the food choices can be good for those with digestive issues
Cons: The "clear dietary parameters" can make it difficult to eat at restaurants or events, the reasoning for including certain foods but excluding others can be largely useless for people who don't have digestive issues
A calorie deficit is needed for weight loss, but if the style of eating appeals to you and you think it would help keep you on track to maintain a deficit, then it might be worth it for you. You can also just adopt the aspects of the diet that appeal to you and work for your life - if eating a paleo breakfast and lunch work with your life, but you need more flexibility with dinner, just do that. Or if you really enjoy one of the "non-approved" foods and it isn't causing you any issues, just include that food.6 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
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lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
I see you've cut out foods and have a balanced diet, but are you counting calories?6 -
lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
How many calories do you take in? All that stuff is great, but it doesn't necessarily default to a calorie deficit. I eat very healthy and have put on 10 Lbs over winter due to the fact that my calories coming in have exceeded my expenditure regardless of the fact that it's mostly whole, nutritious food sources.2 -
lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
You are not counting calories and you are not weighing your food to make sure you are in a deficit. Eating healthy, cutting out junk and working out still don't mean you are eating less than you burn....
Do this and "it will work"....
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Try reading through this thread, OP.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p11 -
Eating "paleo" is fine if it helps you stick to a calorie deficit I guess.
I suppose it should since there is not much you are "allowed" to eat on the diet...
Problem is that it blacklists stuff that you probably should be eating, nutrition-wise.
And it trying to bulk on it or to eat enough carbs to lift heavy is really harder then it needs to be.
If it works for you then fine, but don't get all preachy and make a big deal about it.
That annoys people.
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Paleo seems really hard to me. Really, anything that requires me to exclude entire food groups stresses me out. I focus on weighing my food on a digital scale and eating all sorts of foods as long as I stay in my calorie goal.0
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Works amazingly well for me. Stops bloating, lose weight easily, get to eat lots of yummy meat. It's not for everyone but I am a big fan.0
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lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
Not once have you mentioned calories. Weight loss is all about eating less calories than you burn. Paleo, Keto, LCFH, etc are different methods that people use to help them maintain a calorie deficit, but it's the deficit that counts.
Are you tracking your food intake? And if so, how?
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I'm not much of a meat person and I need my carbs to fuel my workouts so no, paleo would not work for me. I know others it has worked for so to each his own I say!1
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Been paleo for 3 years now no cheats ever ( sweetness)its great helped me with alot of things energy wise digestion skin allergies and stuff i would agree with people above though you dont nesseacrily need to do it if you want to lose weight just track calories and have will power however for me and my freinds who are on it we've found and ime its very easy to eat at maintenance or below on it and bulking is very hard lol like the foods are way too filling provided you dont binge on nuts which I did plus drinking olive oil to gain weght on it (really) put yeah anyway you could just up your veggies to increase feeling of fullness and try to eat somewhat clean while occasionally eating your favourite foods1
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OP, please answer those who have been asking if you've been counting calories. Thanks. You mention trying everything, but the truth is, if you were counting calories accurately you would be losing weight. No matter which way of eating you choose, calories are always king when it comes to weight loss/maintaining/gaining.
Working out and cutting foods isn't necessary for weight loss. One can still lose weight even if they eat "junk" food/eat at fast food joints and all since all that is needed for weight loss is a calorie deficit. As you have so little to lose, you should chose to lose half a pound per week.2 -
My ancestors will haunt me if I cut potatoes from my diet.8
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lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
What's your stats? How many calories are you eating?
The kinds of foods you eat don't matter for weight loss-the amount of calories you're eating does. Same with exercise-if you're not in a calorie deficit you're not going to lose weight, regardless of what kinds of exercise you're doing.
For what it's worth-I lost around 50lbs and went from size 14 jeans down to size 4s, and I did it while eating fast food several times a week, all sorts of 'processed' foods etc. And I didn't exercise at all either. Lost the weight no problem and also improved all my health markers/blood work panels as well. The only thing I focused on was making sure I hit the correct calorie deficit that I needed for my weight loss goals. I'm also now one of the very few people who are successfully maintaining weight loss long term, and my #1 focus continues to be my calorie intake.1 -
lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
The only thing that works is being in a caloric deficit. Drinking has nothing to do with it, smoking has nothing to do with it, fast food as nothing to do with it. You need to consume fewer calories than you burn.
Paleo won't work either unless you eat fewer calories than you burn. And it really won't work if you don't want to stick with it forever.
Weigh your food, count your calories and if you're not losing you need to eat less, move more, or both.3 -
My version of the paleo diet is just not eating anything that's processed or not fresh. Stick to eggs, meat, fruits and veggies, and nuts. I do rice, bread, peanut butter, and even pretzels but my goal is to keep that as processed as it gets.0
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janejellyroll wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
I see you've cut out foods and have a balanced diet, but are you counting calories?
This! How would any way of eating help you if you are not in a deficit?1 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lol
Amen! Also, I developed gluten intolerance from it, and because I was never sensitive to it before, it took me months to realize the culprit (it was hell) Looking back, I don't know how I survived that long on such a low carb diet, I would probably wilt up and die if I had to do it again. CARBS ARE LIFE!! I highly recommend trying a higher carb, lower fat ratio for a bit. Unless of course, that was one of the things you tried before without any results. Everybody is different but as a hclf vegan, never in my life have I felt this amazing!
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Don't go on 'diets' that you don't intend to be on for the rest of your life is really the only solution.5
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I've done Paleo a couple of times (at my gym we do a few food challenges a year). I was actually a lot more successful on the Zone Diet (fancy way of saying macro counting basically- but each meal is broken up a specific way). Now that I've learned what works for me, I've been macro counting for 6 months and haven't looked back.
For me, eating Paleo is impractical. Every "challenge" we did, I gained back the weight I had lost pretty quickly. It always felt like all of us were "counting down the days" until we could have ice cream, beer, etc. and talking about how we couldn't wait for the first cheat meal after the challenge was over (or cheat week...you get the idea). Plus, I always found that I was making Paleo treats with coconut and almond flour- and adding a lot of fat to my diet. Just because it was "Paleo" didn't make necessarily equal a "healthy" treat. Part of this was to compensate for the lack of carbs I was eating because my energy was so low and I was losing strength at the gym too.
I also really like dairy, and having Greek yogurt and cheese. I don't really believe in cutting out entire food groups unless you have some sort of allergy or something to it.
The definite pro of Paleo for me was it taught me a lot about clean eating and being mindful of what I am putting in my mouth. I still eat pretty clean, but don't feel bad when I don't either. It kicked my soda habit, and I haven't had any in 5 years, I don't even miss it anymore (and I used to drink 3 cans a day). It also helped with discipline, I learned how to meal prep and plan accordingly, and that I didn't necessarily have to stop to pick something up because I could easily prepare a quick dinner at home. I also discovered that I liked having things like unsweetened almond milk in my protein shake, and it opened me up to trying a lot of new foods I would have scuffed at before.
The cons of it for me where it really did give me an unhealthy relationship with food and affected my social life too. It was hard to go to dinner with friends, and I always ended up feeling guilty when I "cheated". Eating wasn't enjoyable. It also made me kind of obsessed with what I was eating- if I was out to dinner- is that just grilled chicken? Is it cooked in some type of "non paleo" oil? I also found myself not eating when I was hungry if I didn't have a Paleo compliant snack around- I'd make myself wait until I found something I could have. Sometimes, I would log at the end of the day and find that I went over my calorie allotment by hundreds of calories just in fat alone, and other days I'd find myself eating somewhere between 1000-1200.
Just my thoughts!1 -
The only time I eat Paleo is when I am cutting, and that's only because I literally eat nothing but tuna and chicken breast during those weeks.
I have discovered that I enjoy potatoes, oats and cheese too much for that nonsense otherwise.2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
I see you've cut out foods and have a balanced diet, but are you counting calories?
Yes I do using this app and a food scale.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
How many calories do you take in? All that stuff is great, but it doesn't necessarily default to a calorie deficit. I eat very healthy and have put on 10 Lbs over winter due to the fact that my calories coming in have exceeded my expenditure regardless of the fact that it's mostly whole, nutritious food sources.lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
You are not counting calories and you are not weighing your food to make sure you are in a deficit. Eating healthy, cutting out junk and working out still don't mean you are eating less than you burn....
Do this and "it will work"....
I do count calories and I do measure my food and I eat around 1600 a day with macros set at 45% protein, 35% carbs and 20% fat. I'm doing everything as per my trainer.
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janejellyroll wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
I see you've cut out foods and have a balanced diet, but are you counting calories?
This! How would any way of eating help you if you are not in a deficit?extra_medium wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »crzycatlady1 wrote: »Been there, done that and developed some nasty digestion issues and also spent an insane amount of money on the 'approved' foods. After a few months I realized it wasn't for me lolkommodevaran wrote: »lmccarty94 wrote: »Thinking about trying out a paleo-style diet. Everything I've done just doesn't seem to be working. Any suggestions?
What do you mean by working, what is your goal, what have you done to achieve it, and how long have you done those things?
I've been consistently working out since November. I cut out fast food and 80% processed foods, I don't drink or smoke, I increased my work out from 2 days a week to 3-4x a week and have a pretty balanced diet. I'm trying to lose 30lbs or 2 pant sizes (whichever comes first). But I'm not seeing any changes other than physical performance.
The only thing that works is being in a caloric deficit. Drinking has nothing to do with it, smoking has nothing to do with it, fast food as nothing to do with it. You need to consume fewer calories than you burn.
Paleo won't work either unless you eat fewer calories than you burn. And it really won't work if you don't want to stick with it forever.
Weigh your food, count your calories and if you're not losing you need to eat less, move more, or both.cerise_noir wrote: »OP, please answer those who have been asking if you've been counting calories. Thanks. You mention trying everything, but the truth is, if you were counting calories accurately you would be losing weight. No matter which way of eating you choose, calories are always king when it comes to weight loss/maintaining/gaining.
Working out and cutting foods isn't necessary for weight loss. One can still lose weight even if they eat "junk" food/eat at fast food joints and all since all that is needed for weight loss is a calorie deficit. As you have so little to lose, you should chose to lose half a pound per week.
I do count calories and I do measure my food and I eat around 1600 a day with macros set at 45% protein, 35% carbs and 20% fat. I'm doing everything as per my trainer which is why I'm so frustrated. I'm doing everything by the book. Counting calories, keeping track of macros, burning more than I intake, so and so forth. I've lost 7lbs in total but have been at a standstill for over a month. I started at 185lbs and I'm down to 177 in 4 months but it stopped. I stopped losing. And I haven't stopped doing anything of the above things mentioned.
For anyone good with stats, here are mine currently:
Weight 177lbs
Age 22
Female
Height 5'5"
1600 cals a day
45% protein
35% carbs
20% fat
I started at 1400 calories but was always hungry and never satisfied so I increased my caloric intake by 200cals but I'm burning roughly 400-550 cals at the gym 3-4 days a week (recorded by Apple Watch and Fitbit)
If by all means any of this is wrong, please help! I want to get over this hump.1
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