What a journey this has been! I'm a 6 foot tall, 32yr old male, that weighed 183 lbs on Jan 10, 2012. In three months eating 100% paleo, I've come down to 162 lbs (21 pounds burned!). Almost all the fat came off my belly! Incredible! My body figure was kind of like Roger from the cartoon American Dad (skinny arms and chest with a little round belly popping out). For the first time in my life, I can see my ab muscles. I'm proud to say I've finally lost weight in a healthy and effective way! Ever since I was 18, I've been experimenting with every diet pill on the market and trying every stupid flush-the-fat diet out there - none of them ever worked. Of course, I was eating bread, pastries and cookies all the time too. But as soon as I tried the paleo diet - BOOM! - the fat was gone!
Funny Story: The weight loss has happened so fast, that I ran to the doctors the other day worried that I had an inguinal hernia forming on my right side which turned out to be an overdeveloped muscle (one side being larger than the other) which I never knew I had under all that jiggly stuff - I don't even recognize my own body anymore. The nurse thought my diet was awesome and gave me a fist-bump after reassuring me it was just a big-old muscle. My blood pressure has also come down since my last visit from 150/90 to 124/76! YES!
I've been eating lean meats 3 times a day (salmon, chicken, turkey) with 1/2 pound of grass-fed burger once a week as a fatty treat. I also eat tons of macadamia nuts as well as walnuts and almonds. My salad servings are huge; I literally eat out of a mixing bowl! Originally, I cut out fruits but starting adding apples and grapefruits back in 2 weeks ago in hopes of slowing the weight loss down. But it hasn't stopped. I keep loosing weight!
I don't want to disappear or turn into a twig. I'm happy where I am at a size 30 jeans and want to build muscle now. I work out 3-4 days a week lifting weights and while I haven't lost any strength, it doesn't look like I've gained any muscle either during the past 3 months.
Any suggestions on how I can keep the fat off but gain weight as muscle while still eating paleo? Is it time to add starches? If so, what kind and how much? Will my body know when to stop burning off fat or am I somehow under eating? I've been losing 1 pound per week in the last three weeks which might not seem like a lot but it makes me wonder - how much more can I really go? Am I meant to be 155 lbs and don't know it? :-/
Thanks in advance for you suggestions!