Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I am big guy, 6'6" and my RDI for weight gain is 4k cals a day. This is proving quite difficult without carbs. I can down a bunch of fatty beef but this is putting my fat calorie percent at like 75%. Is there anyway to get to 4k without eating all day long or eating a disproportionate amount of fat?

flag	asked Oct 3 2010 at 6:27 Tora 111●4

75% sounds pretty perfect to me... I aim for my fat intake to land somewhere between 70% and 80%, though I struggle unless I'm going zero-carb. – Girl Gone Primal Oct 3 2010 at 11:40

Zev Averbach · Answer 1 · 2010-10-03 07:01:19Z UTC

Five words: Gin with a marzipan chaser. Wait, hear me out:

Shockingly, fossil records from Namibia show that this was the staple diet of late paleolithic groups there--shocking because almonds aren't even thought to have existed at the time, let alone Italians.

It should be no surprise that distant ancestors of ours subsisted primarily on this diet, though, since a baseball-sized serving of marzipan soaked in gin provides a whopping 9,500 calories of sustenance. Sure, there's a fair amount of o-6 fat in there, but it's all offset by the drunkenness.

Ambimorph · Answer 2 · 2010-10-03 07:46:38Z UTC

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I'm finding it a bit hard to make sense of your question. In the literal sense, the answer is no. Fat is the highest source of calories by weight. If you want the same amount of calories from protein or carbohydrate, you have to eat more than twice as much.

If you are not eating carbohydrates, and it isn't clear from your question why you are not, (though I certainly don't think they are needed), then you do want a good proportion of your calories to come from fat -- 75% is practically ideal, not "disproportionate" at all.

On the other hand, if you do decide to eat carbohydrates, then you will probably find it easier to consume more calories, even though they are less caloric, because they will stimulate your appetite, whereas restricting them will suppress it.

answered Oct 3 2010 at 7:46

Ambimorph
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really ? 75% is ideal? I mean I love me some fats I guess I just have a hard time getting over my indoctrination from standard medical media saying that fat is bad – Tora Oct 3 2010 at 9:09

Not everyone thinks it's 'ideal.' I don't know if we know for sure what is 'ideal.' However, most paleos feel that most stable natural fats are healthy and natural food items and we are not afraid to eat them as needed and as our bodies seem to request them. For some, especially those who don't do well on carbs, that means a high fat diet. It seems to work quite well for many. If you really look into the research, scientists have found no link between natural healthy saturated fat intake and disease. It's the grain oils that cause the problems. – Eva Oct 3 2010 at 15:31

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Also, he probably can't eat too much more than 250g protein per day. (I'm guessing on his weight, but presumably he doesn't weigh a whole lot even at 6'6" if he's trying to gain more weight...) so that's 1,000 calories from protein. if he's intent on eating 4,000 calories per day without eating any carbs, well then he's going to eat 75% from fat. I would say he should start eating some starchy veggies and low-fructose fruit if he's so intent on gaining weight... – Kirsten Oct 3 2010 at 22:27

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Let me put it this way: if you are not eating carbs, and most people agree that the ideal amount of protein is 20-30%, then the ideal amount of fat must be 75%, must it not? – Ambimorph Oct 4 2010 at 8:59

ACEKING · Answer 3 · 2010-10-03 06:56:44Z UTC

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Pemmican! Tasty and high-calorie.

answered Oct 3 2010 at 6:56

ACEKING
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Grocket · Answer 4 · 2010-10-03 15:15:17Z UTC

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At one point Robb Wolf suggested drinking large quantities of milk for weight gain. If I remember correctly, he believes it is more effective than protein shakes. Might give it a shot.

answered Oct 3 2010 at 15:15

Grocket
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	I don't think drinking large quantities of milk is paleo. Nor would I suggest it as a first thing to try. Many people do not digest cow milk properly. – Eva Oct 3 2010 at 15:33
	It's a fair point that drinking milk is not paleo but then neither is doing a weight gain. Without some type of carbohydrate, I imagine it will be difficult to put on significant lbs. – Grocket Oct 3 2010 at 15:46

high calorie source other than fat?

4 Answers