Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I'm naturally petite, and that paired with a healthy lifestyle and regular, rather gentle walking and hiking has meant I have never worried about my weight. I was a vegetarian for 12 years before starting to eat meat again. Once I started eating meat I did not notice any change in weight, but I was only eating it occasionally. Since starting to eat mostly Paleo, or rather I should say in cutting out grains (I was gluten free before this and only eating quinoa, brown rice, and mostly "healthy" grains) I have noticed a huge change in how I look (I look thick and heavy) and have gained 5lbs. I am not eating drastically different other than eating meat more frequently and protein more frequently.

Do I need to be exercising more with all this added protein/meat... any ideas how eating mostly Paleo could lead to weight gain?

FYI I am nearly 100% sugar and dairy free and 100% organic and have been prior to Paleo. Only thing that has changed is now low-grain, more meat/eggs/fish and probably a bit more fat from butter/ghee/coconut oil.

NOTE: I'm not concerned with being/looking thin but rather wondering why my shape has literally changed in a months time to one I have never had before. I have had phases of eating tons of raw milk, butter, organic ice cream and other fatty/high calorie foods and then phases of juicing/raw food and have done a 30 day juice fast and I have always retained the same shape and weight regardless. So I wonder if there is something happening hormonally due to the increased meat consumption/decreased grain consumption that is literally shifting my body shape....

edited Jul 10 at 20:06

asked Jul 10 at 17:31

kris
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RaiseFitness · Accepted Answer · 2012-07-10 19:52:28Z UTC

I agree that your body very well could have been slightly malnourished as a vegetarian, and that you have reached a more preferred homeostasis. As far as exercising more, it probably won't hurt, but without further info, can't say for sure. What was your weight before you gained 5 lbs?

Ryan · Answer 2 · 2012-07-10 17:56:29Z UTC

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Maybe some of it is in your head. Even on a petite frame, I wouldn't think 5 pounds would totally change how you look.

Also, it could be you reaching a healthy homeostatis, which for women is a higher bodyfat percentage than media leads people to believe is healthy. Please read this great post from Melissa:

http://huntgatherlove.com/content/why-women-need-fat

answered Jul 10 at 17:56

Ryan
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I am female but not petite and 5 pounds can definitely change how you look. It's about being comfortable in your skin and in your clothes. When I increased my fat intake last fall, I gained 5 pounds that I cannot seem to lose. I think eating the right fats is more important than adding extra fat. – wickedween Jul 10 at 19:51

Hi Ryan thanks for the link- I suppose I didn't convey my concern accurately. I'm well aware of societal demands to be thin and the fact that we need good fat to be healthy and thrive. However I am concerned because my weight literally remains at a set point no matter how I eat/exercise (even on a 30 day juice fast!) My concern is that suddenly my body shape is literally morphing into one I do not recognize. I am wondering if this could be due to some hormonal shift or something like that due to suddenly consuming so much meat after 12 years veggie....or as you said healthy homeostasis??? – kris Jul 10 at 19:52

Rebecca · Answer 3 · 2012-07-10 18:03:09Z UTC

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Paleo is not a weight loss diet. If someone comes from an unhealthy diet with loads of processed foods, then yes they loose weight, but if you were already a very clean eater, I wouldn't expect you to loose weight. You may be overdoing the calories or not exercising enough.

I'd be interested to know your approximate daily protein consumption before you started eating meat and after.

answered Jul 10 at 18:03

Rebecca
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I'm not trying to lose weight nor do I think of Paleo as a weight loss diet- I think of it as, hopefully, a health gaining diet. I've never counted calories, carbs, protein..so I'm not sure. I do know that prior to this I was eating whey protein in the morning, eggs and raw milk regularly as well as lentils.... but I am still eating those things, minus the lentils and plus the meat so think protein intake has definitely skyrocketed... – kris Jul 10 at 20:12

JoshKrouse · Answer 4 · 2012-07-10 18:03:50Z UTC

As a previous vegetarian, there is a highly probable chance, that you were previously malnurished and what's happening now is that your body is allocating space to allow your frame to be able to process the nutrients that you have been missing all along, you will soon find that as you move around, excercise and eat right that your weight will normalize and you will feel great. One thing that can't be stressed enough is the fact that you should be eating a very carefully balanced Omega 3 to Omega 6 fat ratio, if anything I'd focus more on the Omega 3 fats like Salmon and Fish roe just to make sure you have a good amount of Omega 3 fats circulating thoughout your body, they are very critical in balancing your weight and mood. Another thing is you should be sure you have enough pro-biotics in your diet such as kimchi, sourkraut,yougurt, and kefir. I hope I was able to help, I've been Paleo since Thanksgiving, and it took me about a month before I felt comfortable eating this way but now I feel great and I have no regrets.

Rebekah · Answer 5 · 2012-07-10 18:40:04Z UTC

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this happened to me too at first. it's really easy after being a vegetarian to be accustomed to volume eating, and the paleo diet isn't as easy to volume eat because it's so dense (and you don't need to!). try eating more vegetables and backing off added fats for a while to let your tummy adjust, if you think this might be your issue too!

answered Jul 10 at 18:40

Rebekah
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	Hey Rebekah....Yes I think this could be it- I'm finding I just don't know how much to eat anymore- before it just seemed natural- so I may be over-eating meat and fat and not realizing it... I'm going to look into how to balance proportions..never had to think about it before! – kris Jul 10 at 20:11
	totally normal! i was a raw vegan/fruititarian for a few months and i am still relearning satiety signals years later. hang in there!!! – Rebekah Jul 10 at 21:23
	also, i definitely gained weight switching to paleo. after eating years of "diet food" that is designed to trick our bodies into ignoring hunger, once i started eating real food, it has taken me a while to learn which foods worked for me. don't give up! – Rebekah Jul 11 at 23:06

Team Oberg · Answer 6 · 2012-07-10 22:05:44Z UTC

Also, you said low-grain, not no-grain, perhaps this contributes to you ganing weight as well because if you have enough calories from fat and protein your body will store the excess grain as fat. Of course the whole process is a bit more complicated than that, but you get the idea

Bill1102inf · Answer 7 · 2012-07-11 00:42:20Z UTC

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You can most certainly gain weight, either fat OR muscle while eating Paleo. IMO, you should work out if you are concerned about your body shape, as only positive results would come from it. Plus, its great for the mind too.

answered Jul 11 at 0:42

Bill1102inf
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Jane B. · Answer 8 · 2013-06-14 20:47:04Z UTC

I am also in the same situation. I'm gaining a lot of fat on my stomach which I know isn't healthy. It's gotten to the point where I am considering going back to a more conventional diet of calorie counting and keeping low carb but not necessarily eliminating grains and most fruit.

What is the average amount of time for a body to normalize to Paleo and to shed unhealthy fat? I am currently exercising at least 30 mins everyday with alternating days of running. (In the beginning few weeks of training up to running a half-marathon...) Also, how does everyone deal with the constant weird acidic taste in the mouth that comes with ketonic fat burning?

Weight Gain (Body Shape Change) on Paleo

8 Answers