Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

2

I have been reading almost every post on here that talks about losing the last 10lbs. And something occurred to me from a post from "Dragonfly"..

I have been eating high fat,low carb ( and i think way too much protein) and I am gaining not losing. So i'm going to try and switch things up..Here are my options, would love to see what everyone thinks is best : Letters are for Diet numbers are for exercise..

An answer could be A1 or B3...

27 yr, 5'9, 145 - Goal 135lbs ( I was 135 a few months ago but stress put 10lbs on.)

A) Stay high fat, low carb under 50g, but lower protein to under 100 grams per day

B) Go back to Low fat, carbs under 100g, moderate protein (say 1g per lb)

c) Incorporate fruit, for some extra energy, lean proteins, with a starch (sweet potato) Have NEVER tried this, I've been starch free for over a year

d) Change the kind of fats currently mostly coconut (so Sat) try focusing only on Avocados, fish oil, flax, pile oil etc..

e) Intermittent Fasting - which I am doing - only eat 12noon-8pm- but how to not stress the adrenals would be a great tip if you think this is best

f) longer fats - 24-48hrs?

Exercise :

Continue what I'm doing, morning fasted hour long walks on incline low intensity, with 2-3 times per week ending in full blast sprint intervals
HIIT (i have cortisol issues so this one seems tough) do short 12-15 min high intensity interval workouts a couple days a week
lift weights and walk
Yoga, or pilates, or jogging (something to change it up)

Couple extras :

If i want to go low fat, lowish carb. mod protein - how do i avoid snapping and bingeing like last time? can you eat low fat and still achieve satiation?

Again, i think by eating the high fat that i have been (because I don't have a lot of weight to lose, its too much fat and not using the last bit of fat from my body stores, is this accurate?)

Thanks for any fun input...

flag	asked Mar 5 2012 at 17:21 Paleo4ever 1,430●3●19

	I'm doing fine on the lower fat & no impulse to binge at all! Ground turkey & mashed potatoes for breakfast today. Down 1/2 in my waist in 3 days... – Dragonfly Mar 5 2012 at 18:05
	What are your macros? How much fat and from what source? What carbs mostly potatoes? – Paleo4ever Mar 5 2012 at 18:28
	You missed one other option: keep doing what you're doing but reduce calories. – a mesmerizing trickster Mar 6 2012 at 1:28

Ralph Furley · Answer 1 · 2012-03-05 17:56:09Z UTC

First of all, I'm glad to see that you didn't include the other option: G5 (two week cocaine fueled bender, running from the cops).

Seriously though, my opinion is that you are not really over weight. You are somewhat active. I think that any of the above options will work for you to lose those 10 pounds by summer. You just need to reduce calories a little and/or increase activity. This could be done with any of the options listed above. Since you said that you have some cortisol issues, I will say that you should probably lose these 10 pounds slowly. Perhaps let it take 10 weeks to drop the weight. You'll be finished just in time for opening day at the local swimming pool.

Jeff · Answer 2 · 2012-03-05 18:01:59Z UTC

3

C4

IFing is a stress on the body, and not a good thing for people with cortisol issues. Same goes for HIIT and heavy weight training.

If you know you have cortisol issues, let your body rest and don't stress it more by going super low carb or doing intense exercise.

answered Mar 5 2012 at 18:01

Jeff
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Low carb stresses the body? Coukd you clarify that a bit? – Paleo4ever Mar 5 2012 at 19:38

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Search around on here for Ray Peat, and/or google him as well. He talks a lot about how low-carb causes stress. I added orange juice and fruit to my diet after reading about him and it changed my life!! Low-carb was leaving me a stressed-out mess. – killerbee Mar 5 2012 at 20:50

Yeah check out ray peat. One way to look at it is that gluconeogenesis is a stressor. In normal cases it is a healthy stress (like exercise for your liver), but if you're too low carb, and too many stress hormones are released (catecholamines) it can overstress the gluconeogenic pathway. – Jeff Mar 6 2012 at 3:01

Mazer · Answer 3 · 2012-03-05 17:45:51Z UTC

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No need to over-think things here. If you're gaining, you're eating too much. I would try 1-2 24 hour fasts per week. I find that I lose easily with two, and maintain easily with one. Throw in some weights two to three times per week, and make sure to get lots of walking or biking in.

answered Mar 5 2012 at 17:45

Mazer
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Thanks. Any advice on how to keep my cortisol down while IFing? – Paleo4ever Mar 5 2012 at 17:49

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If you have cortisol issues, I would avoid IF, at least until you have cortisol and stress under control. I have loads of issues with cortisol and stress, and I didn't realize that my IF days were making it a lot worse. Maybe try IF out, and if it makes you feel stressed out, then it probably should be removed from your list of options, but if you feel ok then Mazer's suggestion is a really good one. – killerbee Mar 5 2012 at 20:58

thanks killer i'll check it out. – Paleo4ever Mar 5 2012 at 21:13

Dragonfly · Answer 4 · 2012-03-05 18:08:21Z UTC

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You are so funny!

B+ C+ 3 gets my vote, lol!

answered Mar 5 2012 at 18:08

Dragonfly
31.2k●1●8●41

	dragon, do you use coconut oil still with low fat? I've never done this before... so you eat. len chicken/turkey/tuna - and potatoes and green veg? that kind of thing... what fats do you include and how much? Thanks – Paleo4ever Mar 5 2012 at 21:15
	I use minimal butter (less than a tablespoon) to coat the pan for eggs & steak. Ground meat cooks in its own fat & then I pour off the excess & feed it to my dog. Potatoes and spinach get reheated in the juices remaining in the pan or with some added water. – Dragonfly Mar 5 2012 at 23:09

Annie · Answer 5 · 2012-03-06 01:03:08Z UTC

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Another option: Stay high fat and lower your carbs to under 20 (you mentioned under 50) OR lower your fat and lower your carbs to under 20. Combine either option with any of the above mentioned exercises.

answered Mar 6 2012 at 1:03

Annie
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	thanks annie, if i lower fat and carbs the last time i tried it, i felt like i was going to binge, how do you think i can help that? – Paleo4ever Mar 6 2012 at 4:25
	Well the fat does help with feeling full and helping to avoid binges, no doubt about it! That's why I usually go with the first option of higher fat and very low carbs, though I have heard of some fat adapted folks being successful with the lower fat version. – Annie Mar 7 2012 at 2:00

The last 10…choose your own adventure!

5 Answers