Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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So a little about me to give you background.....I am female, probably about 140lb, 5'4", 21 years old. I have done a ketogenic diet (30g of carbs or less) before and lost a 3 pounds in a week but had to stop due to some stuff going on...and I am really hoping to get this going again.

I do strength training 4 days a week (~45ish min) and cardio (HIIT for ~30min) 4 days a week.

My question is, what would be more beneficial and/or what would you recommend I start with? ZC or V/LC?

Thanks for your help!

EDIT:

Goal is to lose bodyfat while maintaining as much muscle mass possible [obviously, with fat loss, some muscle will be lost too] and I plan to be eating 1200-1400 cals a day paleo style of course.

edited Mar 5 2012 at 5:11

asked Mar 5 2012 at 2:24

Nichole
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I would say keep some carbs in so I guess VLC, of your two options. But I'd day skip both options and just eat strict paleo and watch your portions and calories. Slow and steady weight loss wins the race. ZC and VLC are short term things but they are not sustainable for most people. – ben61820 Mar 5 2012 at 2:27

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With your activity level I would not recommend starting at too low of carbs. I would do at least 100g on the days you work out. You might need more, but you have to experiment and see what works best for you. – Paleo2.0 Mar 5 2012 at 2:29

I am planning on doing vlc only for about 4 weeks just to jumpstart fat loss and then re-evaluate at that time. 100g of carbs on both cardio and strength training days? – Nichole Mar 5 2012 at 5:12

DFH · Answer 1 · 2012-03-05 02:35:59Z UTC

The people who really may need ZC or close to it have problems to repair. I'm not sure you should care.

In spite of all the Paleo is not low carb talk lately, save that for when you are at your target weight, or if you stall and add some to experiment.

The whole point of doing low carb I think is to become keto-adapted to burn fat. Hold back carbs and manage burning fat instead.

Your calorie requirements go down if you lose weight too, so plan for it. Sometimes you get some success and stick to exactly what worked, but the better it works, the less you need.

pjnoir · Answer 2 · 2012-03-05 02:29:19Z UTC

very low. Zero carbs is for some diabetics and for larger dudes looking to go frrom cut to shredded. You can be in Ketones with Low and you are more than likely a fat burner already, so the low carbs shouldn't be a problem. Stay with strength training at all cost.

Eric · Answer 3 · 2012-03-05 04:26:38Z UTC

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Skip the ZC. VLC or LC are better choices for you. What foods do you like to eat?

answered Mar 5 2012 at 4:26

Eric
22.5k●1●17●68

	Well, if i am doing v/lc then i def would stick to paleo-friendly foods that have more protein and fat. I'm gluten intolerant anyways so i usually eat things like eggs, vegetables (peppers, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, meat). I am trying to stay away from fruit bc i've been noticing i get pretty bloated. i've also been eating normal food [and tracking calories usually in the 1200 to 1500 range] and gaining weight! which is why i'm def switching to paleo lifestyle and also doing a short term bout with vlc diet. – Nichole Mar 5 2012 at 5:16
	If you can find carbs you like that work for you then you might like LC best. I think that three days of VLC is a good way to kick off a diet regardless of what you choose... – Eric Mar 5 2012 at 5:26

PrimalDanny · Answer 4 · 2012-03-05 12:12:10Z UTC

ZC is practically impossible to achieve, you'll inevitably pick some up here and there unless you really restrict your food options. Don't go out of your way to add more carbs in but don't stress about a few turning up occasionally. And if it starts getting difficult then, for your goals, I'd suggest taking a break for a few days or a week even from the intense exercise - not the diet.

Recommendation? ZC or V/LC?

4 Answers