Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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So, I started on Paleo on Monday, it's Friday and my stomach has shrunk a lot, I've lost 5lb and I have a lot of energy, things could not be better. I am active - I have a waitress job, I do HIIT 3x a week and weights 3x a week. I'm 20, female, 128lb (now) and 5ft7 - my question is, why am I seeing such amazing results so quickly? Once I am in ketosis (no idea if I am or not yet) will this result in more fat loss? And is it normal to eat morning and night but not feel hungry during the day? (this means im only getting 700-1000 calories a day and i burn around 800 daily) Will this effect weightloss/slow my metabolism down later on? Any answers to any o my questions would be greatly appreciated. :)

flag	asked May 18 2012 at 18:58 Leanne 11●1●4

	I suspect water weight loss as well (you'll level off at some point). IMO, I've been able to keep the weight loss going steadily for just over 3 months of Paleo. As for the "never feeling hungry" well that wore off after month 1 to 1 1/2, lol!!! Now, am I starving all the time, nah, I just like my Paleo/Primal foods/meals. Definitley a life changing diet for me (dont plan on eating a SAD diet anytime soon!). Good luck ; ) – MotoMoto May 18 2012 at 19:37
	Thanks for ur answer. Good to know my hunger will come back. Feels mental not eating during the day and pigging out on chicken and veg at night. Lol – Leanne May 18 2012 at 20:32
	I've been doing this for 2 weeks myself and I'm getting great weightlos results as well. I understand about what you mean though about eating in the day. I'm struggling eating more than 1000 calories – Julia May 18 2012 at 22:42
	I think maybe temporarily having a very low intake of calories is ok as long as u reintroduce them slowly and in the right way, it shouldn't affect the weight loss process. (at least that's my opinion) I'm more wondering how I can get my cals up, I've read some things on here people have said up the protein if u work out a lot, some say up the fat. I think the fat is a good one cos it's higher in calories and if thats what we burn on low carbs then it will be used up as fuel. Means I could easily get over 1000 cals just by adding olive oil on my salads throughout the day. – Leanne May 19 2012 at 7:48

MissBrenna · Answer 1 · 2012-05-18 19:38:32Z UTC

Girl, you really need to eat more. Even though that is all you are hungry for, 700 cal and tons of activity, paired with VLC, will put your body through the ringer- in a bad way. Plus your body will get used to it and when you try to raise it back to a normal level, you will pack weight back on. Ketosis can be helpful for some but you know it's not necessary to lose weight, right? Especially for a young, active healthy person. I am 24, 5'3, 115 lbs with a similar activity level to yours and my 'weight loss mode' cals is about 1400, maintenance is 1700 ish though on particularly active days I can take it to 1800 ish without gaining. It is impossible to get adequate nutrients on 700 cal, plus your adrenals can't handle all that stress. Honestly if you have no appetite but want to continue working out so much, I highly suggest you try upping your carbs, try in the 50-100 range to start and see how you feel. This will help boost your appetite too. Unlike many others here, you and I are fortunate enough to have strong, healthy bodies... Don't try to fix what isn't broken, you could do more harm than good. Good luck with your journey!

Lyndsay · Answer 2 · 2012-05-19 01:06:31Z UTC

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So, lemme get this straight: you are 5'7 and weigh 128lbs, and you're worried about weight loss? That is very skinny. If you have excess fat, than maybe you should lift heavy, do some calisthenics and pilates and tone up. You're fine, doll, really, you're fine!!!

answered May 19 2012 at 1:06

Lyndsay
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She said she is lifting 3x a week and doing HIIT 3x a week as well. I think she is plenty active in all the right ways- if anything, she could stand to take a couple days off a week since the goal is weight loss. – MissBrenna May 19 2012 at 1:18

But I agree, she is healthy and fine :) – MissBrenna May 19 2012 at 1:19

I have been doing my exercise routine pretty strictly for a few months with no visual results. (other than I put 5lb of muscle on as my bfp stayed the same but I gained weight) but this was not really reflected in my image. I don't really want to lose weight - but getting my body fat down would be great. That's my goal really. I know I'm slim, it's just vanity lbs left that don't wanna shift. – Leanne May 19 2012 at 7:42

missionman · Answer 3 · 2012-05-18 19:17:23Z UTC

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Could be water weight you've lost. I'm also sure your burning more than 800 cals a day. Just your basal metabolic rate would be much higher. At 5ft7 and 128lbs plus your activitity level, you should be consuming way more calories or that great feeling will be fleeting.

answered May 18 2012 at 19:17

missionman
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	That was on average. Some days it's less and some days (like today) is a lot more - 1400. How can I up my cals but keep carbs low? I find it difficult to. – Leanne May 18 2012 at 19:24
	not sure you need to keep carbs low as your height and weight seem to indicate your at a healthy level. Most people here go low carb for weight loss, my advice to you would be to stick with safe starches like sweet potatoes. There may be many who will argue about potatoes or rice, but you don't need to be low carb to be healthy, quite the opposite in fact if you are already at a healthy weight. – missionman May 18 2012 at 19:31
	It probably is water weight, and maybe even a little muscle since you are eating so little. Frequent weight training is almost pointless with that large of a calorie deficit- unless you don't mind catabolizing/losing your muscle. – MissBrenna May 18 2012 at 19:41
	I'd hate to lose muscles I've been weight training for ages to get toned. Basically, I don't wanna lose weight but would like a flat stomach and lose the last bit of stubborn fat. (my bfp is 21.4 last time I checked and would like to get it down to 19-20%) any Paleo foods I can eat to get my calories up you could suggest? I hear nuts, oils and butters are good for this. – Leanne May 18 2012 at 20:27
	Personally I would save the nuts for maintenance, save maybe a couple per day if eating them makes you happy. Which brings up the subject of happiness: try to relax. Getting a ton of sleep and getting my mind off of my weight or my next workout and onto sleeping or relaxing with friends tends to lean me out (it's hormones, especially belly fat. I struggle a bit with this too.) – MissBrenna May 18 2012 at 20:44

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Kim · Answer 4 · 2012-05-21 01:56:54Z UTC

Insulin makes the kidneys store salt and in turn the body fluid. When people first start paleo or lower carb and your insulin stays lower and stable the body rapidly starts dumping water. So I vote water weight. My first week I dumped 8 lbs of water weight.

Veriria · Answer 5 · 2012-05-21 02:03:59Z UTC

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I lost 10 pounds in my first week of eating paleo/primally!

answered May 21 2012 at 2:03

Veriria
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Also, paleo or primal is not about eating low carb -- it's more about eating whole, nutrient dense foods...Just some people USE it to eat low carb. – Veriria May 21 2012 at 2:06

New to Paleo: general questions about weight loss

5 Answers