Am I eating too few cals with a Primal / Paleo lifestyle?

tjnahm · October 2011

Thanks for looking everyone! A few details to lay out first before the meat of the question... get it... MEAT! I crack myself up... haha :P

I am 40 years old, former minor league athlete (hockey) that got himself fat after nine surgeries and moderate depression over the past ten years of "retirement" from sports. I am 6'2", currently 307.6 as of this morning, and have lost 81lbs since 22 June, 2011... a little over 15 weeks. I walk approximately 2 miles a day, strength train 2-3 times per week, sprint once a week, and do a CrossFit style high intensity workout 1-2 times a week.

As mentioned in the subject, I eat a Primal / Paleo style diet and love it. No sugars, no grains at all, no processed food. I only eat beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs, veggies, fruits, nuts, and limited dairy. I eat a large breakfast, moderate lunch, and light dinner. Sometimes I will eat a fruit snack after dinner, but that is really only if I am hungry.

I eat when I am hungry and I stop when I am full. I do not count calories or macro-nutrients on a daily basis, though I do typically average a week of tracking per month to see where I am in hindsight.

I have been tracking this week and I am finding that I am hitting the following approximate numbers on average for the week:

Calories: 1200
Protein: 90gr = 35%
Fat: 75gr = 55%
Carbs: 45gr = 10%

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/tjnahm

So the question... Even though I am eating when hungry and stopping when full. On the days I have a particularly strenuous workout (estimated 800-1000 cals burned), my net caloric intake for the day is sometimes near zero.

So, am I eating enough? Or do I not worry about it right now as I am still obese and still losing weight at an average of 5.2lbs per week for the past 15 weeks?

tlynnweb · October 2011

Don't know much about this diet but calorie wise and your size---I'm gonna venture and say you should be eating more to lose more but that's just me! Have you tried playing around with that idea? Try eating more calories and see what happens??

trelm249 · October 2011

I would tend to guess not enough. Normally on Primal getting lots of calories is easy due to higher fat consumption. Are you going out of your way to keep it super lean?

FairyMiss · October 2011

if you are not hungry and feel good, i say why worry?

Drunkadelic · October 2011

I'd say if you feel fine and your workouts aren't suffering, to just not worry about it.

But you could EASILY eat more. I suggest higher calorie stuff like nuts or avocado. Some people will even take coconut oil straight.

To be honest with you, I still count calories and I think it's holding me back. I'm sure if I just ate till I was satisfied, I would eat a lot less.

I suggest you just listen to your body. It will let you know if you need more fuel

fitaliciag · October 2011

I am not an expert, but i can't say that it's a healthy thing to do for a long period of time. losing weight the healthy way is the way to go for sure. I think you should eat more. even if it's just veggies (which is better anyways)

Erin_26 · October 2011

Hi there. I am following the Dukan Diet, which is low-carb.

I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full as well. I average 1000 cals per day. I do not feel deprived. I feel full and satisfied after every meal. The fact of the matter is, you just get more food for the calorie price when you omit carbs/fruit.

So to answer your question, I don't think you're eating too few if you really aren't hungry and feel satisfied.

Drunkadelic · October 2011

I just read your food diary and it looks really balanced and healthy. The only reason you would ever want to eat more is if you were trying to build muscle.

Oh and those coconut, almond date rolls??? ***drooool***

Feel free to add me. I love finding new Primal friends :glasses:

erickirb · October 2011

I have been tracking this week and I am finding that I am hitting the following approximate numbers on average for the week:

Calories: 1200
Protein: 90gr = 35%
Fat: 75gr = 55%
Carbs: 45gr = 10%

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/tjnahm

So the question... Even though I am eating when hungry and stopping when full. On the days I have a particularly strenuous workout (estimated 800-1000 cals burned), my net caloric intake for the day is sometimes near zero.

So, am I eating enough? Or do I not worry about it right now as I am still obese and still losing weight at an average of 5.2lbs per week for the past 15 weeks?

1200 Net is the minimum a woman should get, since you are a rather large guy you should not be eating less than 1600 Net (1600 plus eating back what you burn from exercise) weight loss that fast is not healthy or sustainable and a large protion of it is probably muscle due to the huge caloric deficit. Set your goal on MFP to lose at most 2 lbs/week and use that as your intake and be sure to eat all of the calories you burn back.

Hunger is not the best indication of your body's nutritional requirements. Please eat more, much much more. On the days you burn 1000, you should not be eating less than 2600 cals.

erickirb · October 2011

I just read your food diary and it looks really balanced and healthy. The only reason you would ever want to eat more is if you were trying to build muscle.

Oh and those coconut, almond date rolls??? ***drooool***

Feel free to add me. I love finding new Primal friends :glasses:

Actually a good reason to eat more would be to avoid losing a lot of muscle as you lose weight. A deficit too large will result in the loss of lean muscle.

biznurse · October 2011

What you will do with that much of a calorie restriction my friend is cause your body to conserve and STOP burning calories. I'd bump up the cals.,... Linda/RN

FairyMiss · October 2011

again i would not worry about if you are feeling well and not hungry

if i caculate my bmr by my height and goal weight it has me at that weight eating 1069.
and technically when we explain to owners how to use the feeding guides on dog foods
we tell them to fed to the weight he SHOULD be not the weight he is.

tjnahm · October 2011

Thanks for the fast comments already!

We are eating mostly chicken, eggs, beef, bacon (baked not fried), and salmon (in that order) for our proteins. My wife prefers the mean to be the more leaner cuts and our bacon is baked again out of preference and for ease of cooking.

We cook with butter, ghee, and bacon fat the majority of the time.

It is possible that I am undercounting the cals from the fats... but not by much.

mrmanmeat · October 2011

if you are not hungry and feel good, i say why worry?

Because if he wants to lose more weight he needs to eat more. Plain and simple.

mrmanmeat · October 2011

Thanks for the fast comments already!

We are eating mostly chicken, eggs, beef, bacon (baked not fried), and salmon (in that order) for our proteins. My wife prefers the mean to be the more leaner cuts and our bacon is baked again out of preference and for ease of cooking.

We cook with butter, ghee, and bacon fat the majority of the time.

It is possible that I am undercounting the cals from the fats... but not by much.

Time to hit up some peanut butter

FairyMiss · October 2011

if you are not hungry and feel good, i say why worry?

Because if he wants to lose more weight he needs to eat more. Plain and simple.

lose more than .......

So, am I eating enough? Or do I not worry about it right now as I am still obese and still losing weight at an average of 5.2lbs per week for the past 15 weeks?

sounds like he is doing pretty good

erickirb · October 2011

Thanks for the fast comments already!

We are eating mostly chicken, eggs, beef, bacon (baked not fried), and salmon (in that order) for our proteins. My wife prefers the mean to be the more leaner cuts and our bacon is baked again out of preference and for ease of cooking.

We cook with butter, ghee, and bacon fat the majority of the time.

It is possible that I am undercounting the cals from the fats... but not by much.

measure and weigh everything that you eat, that way you know. But please eat more, about double what you are eating is what you need.

erickirb · October 2011

if you are not hungry and feel good, i say why worry?

Because if he wants to lose more weight he needs to eat more. Plain and simple.

lose more than .......

So, am I eating enough? Or do I not worry about it right now as I am still obese and still losing weight at an average of 5.2lbs per week for the past 15 weeks?

sounds like he is doing pretty good

more than 2-3 lbs/week is not healthy weight loss.

PrimalMorningMoon · October 2011

Having once lost a lot of weight on a low carb eating style, I, of course, have an opinion. I think it is a totally different way of eating and counting calories isn't very useful while eating that way. It sounds like you are not hungry and are eating reasonably.

You must have energy to do all those workouts. Do you feel good after working out an any time during the day...not drug out and exhausted or anything?

Are you losing weight at an expected rate for the type of diet you are practicing? Men lose weight so much easier (damn them

) than most women, and the paleo diet can make for higher regular weight loss amounts for anyone.

I, as someone else mentioned, think you should be avoiding doing low fat while you are doing a paleo diet. The two do not compliment each other. But healthy fat...the avocado and nuts are great suggestions. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds, too.

Other than that, probably you would serve yourself better to go by how you feel rather than the kcal count.

Like I said, just my opinion.

BTW, congratulations on the amazing weight loss so far!

aiyana1228 · October 2011

My vote is no. You are not eating enough. 5 lbs per week is relly high. I know it probably feels really good to be 81 lbs lighter but you need to let your body repair itself as you go. I believe this is about the level of a gastric bipass patient post op. (That is not part of your story is it?) The negatives of going too fast is that you will end up with a lot more skin issues and I am concerned about eating fat stores from the wrong places. I know as a pro athlete you understand how to do this but I think for your heart, liver and kidneys you could slow it down. Be patient young padawan... I also want to say good job on working this out. I think that the young pro athlete life would have to be one of the hardest things you can deal with-money and fame when you are not mature enough to understand it and then one injury or a little age and its all gone. Gotta be tough. It sound like you have a tremendous amount of strength. That will serve you well..

McKayMachina · October 2011

1. Why in the world are you only eating 1200 calories? That canNOT be what MFP has you set at.

2. You need to net NO fewer than 1200 per day. NET!

3. Eat a whole lot more.

Am I eating too few cals with a Primal / Paleo lifestyle?

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