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I recently figured out that the unease I've felt in regards to Paleo-style eating is that it is fairly heavy eating. I feel weighed down when I eat mainly meats, nuts, and eggs. I do eat vegetables with lunch and dinner, but I find that when I don't have protein along with them I'm not very satiated.

I usually eat anywhere from 30g carbs to 80g carbs, depending on the day. I've tried lower than that and it didn't work for me, higher than that and I'm exhausted. My fat intake is moderate (heavy cream in coffee, avocado on salad, butter on veggies, cook everything in butter or olive oil, cheese here and there, ect.)

I'm thinking that perhaps more raw/lightly cooked veggies added in could alleviate the heaviness? I generally eat either a salad w/meat in it or steamed veggies with a side of meat as both my lunch and dinner, plus sometimes some greens in my eggs. Afternoon snack is either hard boiled eggs or nuts.

Ideas? Suggestions? Experiences?

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5 Answers

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More veggies, and only eat till you're full. The paleo model is that you fill your plate 2/3 with veggies, 1/3 with protein. If you're still hungry after finishing that plate, go make another similar plate. But that's a TON of veg, which should give you all kinds of stuff that the meat doesn't. For me, as a non meat lover, I find that eating 2/3 of a plate of veg permits me to enjoy the meat as a delicious accent, rather than feeling overloaded by protein.

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That's usually the ratio of veg to meat that I have, actually, and I don't eat past being full. – Jayme Mar 16 2012 at 18:20
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 There is no paleo model...... – Korion Mar 16 2012 at 18:39
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How often are you eating? I'm currently getting into fasting for 16 hours daily (breakfast is bulletproof-ish coffee) and I feel AWESOME.

Perhaps if you eat fewer meals you won't feel as weighed down.

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 +1 for intermittent fasting and bulletproof coffee. I've done the same lately myself. – Canis Minor Mar 16 2012 at 18:16
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Were you eating primarily vegetarian prior to switching to Paleo?

I've found my experience to be the opposite of what yours has been. I feel "heavy" when I eat refined carb-y junk food like pizza or pasta. Starchy tubers don't have the same effect as starchy grains do. Meat and veg are satiating, and do not make me feel "heavy" or gross/bloated.

Everyone's physical make-up is different, and some folks thrive on a primarily plant-based diet. There's no hard and fast rule about how much meat you should eat while on Paleo. Find out what works best for you!

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Yeah, but it's been a year since I ate primarily vegetarian- I started eating paleo-esque last June. Hmm, I guess "heavy" can definitely mean different things for different people! Refined carbs make me want to immediately sleep and overly full, which is why I tend to eat low to moderate carb and I don't eat grains whatsoever. I don't feel bloaty or gross when I eat meat and veggies, it's just more like I'm a bit weighed down by them? Kinda hard to describe. – Jayme Mar 16 2012 at 18:23
Perhaps the heaviness is more of a perceived sensation than a physical one? If you're used to lots of greens and veggies as the basis for your diet, then eating meat may seem heavy in your stomach, but it's really just a different way of feeling full that what you were accustomed to. – Nemesis Mar 16 2012 at 19:44
I wasn't primarily vegetarian for a very extended time, though. More on and off through out my teen years, then SAD eating from 17-21, then kinda vegetarian for part of 21 and now I've been eating paleo-ish for 6+ months and I'm 22. – Jayme Mar 16 2012 at 21:13
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I think both HA and Nemesis made great points.

The only time I feel "heavy" is when I eat processed foods. I feel "lean and mean" on whole foods. I eat one main meal per day that may or may not be supplemented with a light morning/mid-day meal. I am done eating between 5-6 pm so I have plenty of time for digestion and recovery before eating again.

I agree with HA on the 2/3, 1/3 although I think my protein volume is even lower. I eat a whole grapefruit, a 4-5 cup leafy salad (or, as my grandkid says, "Huge!") PLUS a dinner plate that is half cooked veggies and half meat. I think my true meat portion is more like 20%. The large meal volume is important for me because I have a long history of binge eating.

I never feel heavy or bloated, since so much of my large meal is low-density, and within an hour or so I can move around and have high energy--which takes 4 hours or more after processed food.

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Like you, I have a history of binge eating. I prefer to have my meals onsist of mainly vegetables and only a small amount of meat. I also don't eat processed foods, and if I do it's something like a Larabar(once a week, MAYBE) or uncured organic and/or grass fed sausage (2+ times a week, possibly.) – Jayme Mar 16 2012 at 18:24
Okay, so I may have a better understanding now of how you were using "heavy." Since a good portion of your total blood, muscle and immune system resources are involved in digestion, you will feel your main meal for at least an hour or so. In my case, they don't make me drowsy or "drugged" but I don't feel like sprinting down the block either. I usually feel a return to high energy between 1-2 hours after my main meal depending on just what I ate. But the impact of eating is why I prefer to eat only once or twice per day. – Nance Mar 16 2012 at 20:03
It seems like a lot of people on PH eat meat at more than one meal a day, which seems heavy to me. I only eat meat at one meal, if that. Usually just one large-ish meal a day, the rest of the time it's kefir and fruit. I just don't feel like eating more than that most of the time. – gydle Mar 16 2012 at 20:27
That might be related to portion size. In a week, some days I eat meat 2 or more times adding up to 6-8 oz; most days, one 6-8 oz portion, some days none. – Nance Mar 16 2012 at 21:57
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You're not trying to gorge on large amounts of meat at a single sitting are you? 4-6 ounces is nutritionally adequate and highly satiating, no need to overkill with 8-16 ounces of meat at a sitting. I never feel "heavy" eating paleo, even eating safer starches.

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Nah, not at all. Like I've said to some of the other people that have responded, I usually have mainly vegetables with a small amount of meat (for example, half a chicken thigh diced on a salad.) – Jayme Mar 16 2012 at 18:26
I have no idea how that could be considered "heavy". – Matt Mar 16 2012 at 23:02
It's not the food itself, it's the feeling after eating. – Jayme Mar 17 2012 at 3:38
Too much veg then? or the wrong types that are making you bloaty? – Matt Mar 17 2012 at 15:25

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