HELP! 1st week eating primal and ZERO weight loss...what am

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jody0912
jody0912 Posts: 33
in Food and Nutrition
So I lost 10 pounds the first 4 weeks on MFP eating under my calories and low-fat, with anywhere between 130-190g carbs a day. Last week I began eating primal, and I weigh EXACTLY the same as the day I started.This is the first time since I started MFP that the scale won't budge.

Did anyone else experience something like this their first week eating primal? Please look at my diary and tell me if I'm doing something wrong! Before going primal I was losing a few ounces every few days, and around 1.5 pounds a week. I wasn't eating too many processed foods before, so my main changes have been cutting out grains and dairy, and significantly increasing my healthy fat intake.

So frustrated and wondering if I should go back to low-fat????

disclosure - I only worked out twice this week, but that's not totally abnormal for me and I still used to lose that way.
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Replies

  • heatherseona
    heatherseona Posts: 49 Member
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    Your diary is not public.
  • TrishJimenez
    TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
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    can I ask what is eating primal?
  • jody0912
    jody0912 Posts: 33
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    oops! diary is public now - sorry about that!

    since I just started primal, I'm not quite the expert to explain it - but if you're interested, there's tons of great information on MFP if you search for primal, as well as great info here: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I am no expert on primal eating, but the big question is, are you getting enough fiber which turns into the second big question...are you having regular bowel movements? You might need to supplement with fiber, if you're not tracking it now, start doing it and see where you are with it. Good luck!
  • FabiolaEnvy♥
    FabiolaEnvy♥ Posts: 730
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    oh one of my friend does that
    he loves the blueprints

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/stevemcknight

    send him questions maybe he can help you on that.
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
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    oops! diary is public now - sorry about that!

    since I just started primal, I'm not quite the expert to explain it - but if you're interested, there's tons of great information on MFP if you search for primal, as well as great info here: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/

    You need to track sugar and salt along with calories fiber protein and carbs. I bet your over doing salt or sugars. But also remember that your body does need to adjust.
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
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    Fad Diets generally do not work and They dont work long term. If you do get results when you switch back your eating weight gain is generally going to happen.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    I was just going to ask if I could see your sugar.

    Are you doing resistance training? Your Diary looks pretty good but I'd really like to see your sugar and may ask you to dump the larabars or whatever their called.
  • vulrich93
    vulrich93 Posts: 99
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    Most likely, your body is at a plateau and adjusting to the weight loss. This could happen after a month of weight loss. I don't think you're doing anything wrong. Just be sure to watch the portion sizes and the amount of 'extras' you are eating, such as butter. I would agree that you should get more fiber in your diet. Fiber helps slow down the absorption of carbohydrates into your body, so it actually decreases the amount. For example, a nutrition label make look like this:

    Carbohydates: 22g
    Sugar: 19g
    Fiber: 3g

    What I've learned from dietitians (I'm a summer student at a health center) is they actually subtract the fiber amount from the total carbs. So the total they would count is 19g, not 22g. It wouldn't hurt to get some in your meals.
    Another possibility is that your body is retaining water weight due to increased amounts of exercise (2 days per week). Look at the inches, not the scale! To lose inches faster though, I would suggest trying to increase exercise to 3 days/week.

    & like above, add the 'sugar' and 'salt' content onto your calorie counter. It could be anything, really. If the diet doesn't work switch back.
  • jody0912
    jody0912 Posts: 33
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    okay I added sugar and sodium to my diary. also, the larabars are gluten-free, vegan, etc. the ingredient list for instance for the cherry pie bar is: dates, almonds, cherrys. I thought that would be okay, but if not, I'll totally stop buying them.

    thanks everyone so far for the replies - I really appreciate it.

    * edit - now that I've added sugar to my diary, I see that the larabars are putting me over to around average 50g daily. could this be it?

    For those asking about my fiber intake - I average about 20g a day (can't track carbs, protein, fat, sugar, sodium, AND fiber - annoying!) according to the report. Is that enough? Could I add a fiber supplement like Benefiber or should it really be from food?
  • atsteele
    atsteele Posts: 1,358 Member
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    Is it possible that your calories are too high? In order to maintain my weight loss my calories are set to 1250 per day and then I exercise six days per week so I can eat more. I'd try lowering the calories per day by 100 and I'll bet that you'll start losing again.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    Ok, looking at those bars you can see they are most of your sugars and carbs.

    Here is what I will suggest.

    1. replace those bars with pure protein bars. They might not taste as good but they are only 2 gms of sugar and less carbs.
    2. increase your protein to 40-50% of your calories
    3. do less cardio and swap that time for resistance. More muscle will burn more calories.

    Do it like this.
    3 days a week 60 minutes of strength.
    3 days a week 30 minutes of HIIT style cardio.

    Over 30 minutes of cardio will start to burn muscle for energy and lower your metabolism.

    4. Make sure you're eating in your calorie range and that includes exercise calories.
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
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    okay I added sugar and sodium to my diary. also, the larabars are gluten-free, vegan, etc. the ingredient list for instance for the cherry pie bar is: dates, almonds, cherrys. I thought that would be okay, but if not, I'll totally stop buying them.

    thanks everyone so far for the replies - I really appreciate it.

    * edit - now that I've added sugar to my diary, I see that the larabars are putting me over to around average 50g daily. could this be it?

    For those asking about my fiber intake - I average about 20g a day (can't track carbs, protein, fat, sugar, sodium, AND fiber - annoying!) according to the report. Is that enough? Could I add a fiber supplement like Benefiber or should it really be from food?

    you will get your fiber if your eating fruit veggies and whole grains. You really dont need to track the fat. Beacuse if your eating clean foods they will already be low in fat
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
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    Track fiber instead of the Fat
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    If you want more fiber get some Optimum Nutrition Fitness Fiber. I love it. I think I remember you getting over 20 grams a day so you're pretty good. 25 or more is good.
  • dmcb24
    dmcb24 Posts: 56 Member
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    Hi, I am doing primal as well. I thiink your carbs are too high. I only scrolled through a few days of yours and your carbs were at 80+ for the most days. I would tweak your carbs a bit lower, say dont go above 50 grams per day. Do this until you reach your goal, then slowly ease it up to 100g. I am carb sensitive and I dont lose if I am not eating anything above 50 grams of carbs.

    Good luck!!
  • ltf304
    ltf304 Posts: 132 Member
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    I was just going to ask if I could see your sugar.

    Are you doing resistance training? Your Diary looks pretty good but I'd really like to see your sugar and may ask you to dump the larabars or whatever their called.
    You should do some research on larabars. They usually consist of only a couple of ingredients.....fruit and nuts. Not processed whatsoever and nothing wrong with it.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    I was just going to ask if I could see your sugar.

    Are you doing resistance training? Your Diary looks pretty good but I'd really like to see your sugar and may ask you to dump the larabars or whatever their called.
    You should do some research on larabars. They usually consist of only a couple of ingredients.....fruit and nuts. Not processed whatsoever and nothing wrong with it.

    I saw the sugar content of them. Doesn't matter where the sugar comes from. Sugar is sugar and promotes fat storage. She is trying to shrink the waist. more then 15 -20 grams of sugar a day is not going to help her do that.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    Ok, did research on Larabars. Wouldn't eat them. Sugar is around 20 grams per bar. That's like 5 teaspoons per bar.
    My pure protein has 2 grams. Thanks but no thanks. I'll stick to mine.
    I know they use healthy ingredients but in trying to trim the belly....lose the sugar.
  • RagtimeLady
    RagtimeLady Posts: 172 Member
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    So I lost 10 pounds the first 4 weeks on MFP eating under my calories and low-fat, with anywhere between 130-190g carbs a day. Last week I began eating primal, and I weigh EXACTLY the same as the day I started.This is the first time since I started MFP that the scale won't budge.

    Ummm.... maybe that should be telling you something! :huh: That primal thing seems like someone's opinion and not based upon real science. I don't like the high-fat component. I'd weight a ton! If your job is doing physical labor, yeah, but not if you have an office job. If it were me, I'd go back to what worked for you. (File that under "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"):bigsmile:

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