Paleo Inspiration <3 Help a girl out ;-)

AnDCorby09
AnDCorby09 Posts: 24 Member
So all you lovelies out there... I love Paleo!! Its day one of my 4th week today and I have lost 25 lbs from it. I'm very happy, and I feel GREAT! However, I have a couple of people commenting about my calorie intake. I don't want to make it private because I have nothing to hide. I mostly stay on here for the support of you awesome people, to track my foods to make sure I am staying Paleo, and to track my weight/measurements. Since I have started my calorie intake has gone way down... I just don't get hungry anymore and when I do I eat because my body is telling me to for a reason, but it doesn't take long to fill up! When I fill up, I stop eating for that particular meal. I don't want to go into my old ways of forcing myself to eat more. I finally have that self control (got it after day 4) to get up and walk away knowing I CAN'T eat more unless I wanna feel like a brick is sitting in the it of my stomach. Feel free to check out my diary BTW....Anyway, I have read that some people fast 1-2 days on this diet.... that is something I have yet to do. I feel like I should be eating at least something (like I said... following my own cues ;-) ) Has anyone here done the fasting? How did it work for you? So anyway, I am taking in about 300-700 calories on average... depending on wether or not I eat nuts as a snack cuz we all know how high in "calories" they are. They are very nutritious though so when I need a snack I go right for those :) (the approved ones of course) Am I really eating too little? I also heard it was ok to skip meals, which I also so because at lunch... I am still full from breakfast! I feel like I am doing really good though!

Replies

  • laciz
    laciz Posts: 2 Member
    I have been paleo for over a year. I did not have a weight issue, lots of other ones, but not a weight one. I just joined here to try to lose that infamous "last 10 pounds" and thought that it was time to blend paleo with some calorie/portion control. I think that you are experiencing very common effects of a paleo diet. You do seem to self regulate food cravings and hunger when avoiding all the fake foods, grains and sugars. I think that if you aren't hungry, you are still losing weight that you shouldn't worry too much about your intake.

    IF Intermittent Fasting is very popular among a lot of my paleo friends, and I have experimented with it. It is great to be able to go hours without eating, if that happens to pop up in your schedule. Previously I would have gotten low blood sugar or so grumpy I couldn't think clearly. However, I have read a lot of paleo stuff that says IF is really for people who are in good shape as far as not being too stressed or otherwise. I am a mom to two kids and have some adrenal fatigue so I don't think IF is for me, right now.

    Sounds like you are doing great. My friend has lost over 80 lbs from paleo in 9 months, 15 of those coming off in the first 3 weeks. She just started exercising and is doing great.

    I keep a paleo food blog if you would like to read it, www.picketfencepaleo.com

    Best of luck!
  • AnDCorby09
    AnDCorby09 Posts: 24 Member
    Wow!!! What a great diary!! Thanks so much for sharing!!! Thank you for your post and confirmation as well!! Yeah I started off big :-/ I am a down a totally of 34 lbs cuz I had lost 9 lbs of failed dieting that I thought wasn't going anywhere so needless to say... the two pant sizes down keeps me inspired and seeing the scale keep going down keeps me inspired. Yeah I don't think I am ready for IF as I do have a 22-month-old and I am still really heavy so the food I am not eating needs to eat away at this stored fat that I hope keeps going away little by little. If I were 120 lbs I would obviously need to eat more for energy, but man on man... all I can say it on day 3 of my Paleo experience my enegey levels increased dramatically and are still there. I love my new life.... I really do.
    I have been paleo for over a year. I did not have a weight issue, lots of other ones, but not a weight one. I just joined here to try to lose that infamous "last 10 pounds" and thought that it was time to blend paleo with some calorie/portion control. I think that you are experiencing very common effects of a paleo diet. You do seem to self regulate food cravings and hunger when avoiding all the fake foods, grains and sugars. I think that if you aren't hungry, you are still losing weight that you shouldn't worry too much about your intake.

    IF Intermittent Fasting is very popular among a lot of my paleo friends, and I have experimented with it. It is great to be able to go hours without eating, if that happens to pop up in your schedule. Previously I would have gotten low blood sugar or so grumpy I couldn't think clearly. However, I have read a lot of paleo stuff that says IF is really for people who are in good shape as far as not being too stressed or otherwise. I am a mom to two kids and have some adrenal fatigue so I don't think IF is for me, right now.

    Sounds like you are doing great. My friend has lost over 80 lbs from paleo in 9 months, 15 of those coming off in the first 3 weeks. She just started exercising and is doing great.

    I keep a paleo food blog if you would like to read it, www.picketfencepaleo.com

    Best of luck!
  • MikeFlyMike
    MikeFlyMike Posts: 639 Member
    I IF now and again. I took on the ESE approach. 24 is a challenge on certain days. but you know skipping a breakfast or lunch - who cares. If your body has switched to burning fat, it is no problem to start skipping meals.
    Those calories "might" be low, but it is your body that should tell you. If you feel hungry and deprived, its not working. You should feel satiated.
    I have to remind my friends that are trying it, to make sure to get enough good fats with their meal, otherwise they feel like they are really giving up something.
    When I do IF I try to work out at the end of it. (then power down some high quality protein immediately).
    My MFP calories tended to be 1200-1300 calories although I all was managing was carbs and lots of protein - not eating to calories.
    I did not enter starvation mode, burn muscle or damage my health.
  • kecarlto
    kecarlto Posts: 49 Member
    Hey, AnDCorby, I literally just sent you a message about this... I will just agree with MikeFlyMike and recommend keeping your healthy fats up. Listening to your body is important and most people don't even know what their body is trying to tell them because of all the extra crud they have in their system. Keep it up, chica!
  • sapalee
    sapalee Posts: 409 Member
    I'm glad you're loving Paleo! It is true that the calories drop very easily when switching.

    Take this with a grain of salt because I am no expert on drastic weight loss. If anyone has something better to contribute please do:

    As far as how few calories you are eating: Using your bodies cues as to when you are hungry is great. The calories you are currently eating are extremely low, I think you're probably alright short term with the amount of weight you are losing but I would absolutely up the calories as you continue to lose. You will have less stores for your body to use and will need those calories. You don't want to do more harm than good. Maybe focus on adding 100-200 calories a day, something very easy to do with a handful of nuts without feeling stuffed. And maybe add lunch or another small meal?
  • AnDCorby09
    AnDCorby09 Posts: 24 Member
    Thank you very very much!! I love all you guys on here!! Great words of wisdom and advice. I will be focuses more on the good fats and protein from now on as the major part of my diet :):)

    Ps. Im soooo sorry. I accidentally hit report post (I'm on my cell and the buttons are small :( )
    I'm glad you're loving Paleo! It is true that the calories drop very easily when switching.

    Take this with a grain of salt because I am no expert on drastic weight loss. If anyone has something better to contribute please do:

    As far as how few calories you are eating: Using your bodies cues as to when you are hungry is great. The calories you are currently eating are extremely low, I think you're probably alright short term with the amount of weight you are losing but I would absolutely up the calories as you continue to lose. You will have less stores for your body to use and will need those calories. You don't want to do more harm than good. Maybe focus on adding 100-200 calories a day, something very easy to do with a handful of nuts without feeling stuffed. And maybe add lunch or another small meal?