Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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Hello all,

I have been looking though the various questions about weight loss and see that questions about it often have similar answers - 'give it time' and 'ditch the scales' :) I have been eating Paleo for two weeks after year's of on off dieting.

I weigh 179lbs and am 5'9 and I would like to drop 20lbs. In the last two weeks I have dropped and regained 3lbs which doesn't seem to make sense to my 'diet mind' as I have revolutionised meal times and my exercise regimen.

I am eating veg stew, chard and beef patties for breakfast, chicken or tuna salad for lunch, an apple and 6-10 nuts as a snack, chicken and greens for dinner. No dairy, nut butters, no alcohol or other 'cheats'. I have also upped exercise so am doing three CV classes a week (step and body attack), two weight training sessions per weekly an hour each, one 60 min run and a 40 min swim each week...I am moving every day.I also drink 1.5-2 litres of water a day.

My portions seem normal. A handful of proteins and the rest of the plate made up of veggies...I am just seeking a bit of reassurance that I am doing things the right way and that things will start to shift. I also wonder if the exercise is stalling scale weight? I have lost a couple of inches so far and somehow look longer?!

How long will it take for my new habits to reassure my body that it can afford to drop some of the fat lurking around it?

Any advice would be very welcome!

Angie

flag	asked Sep 29 at 8:41 Angie Browne 5●1●1

aseafish · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-29 14:50:24Z UTC

One big reason for ditching the scale is that it means so little and can be discouraging. Muscle weighs more than fat, as I'm sure you're hearing often.

As others have mentioned, you may want to be sure you're getting enough healthy fats, other than sounds, it sounds like you're on a good course. It should not be a problem to add a few more carbs, though you don't want them to be the bulk of your diet, of course.

PaleoUK · Answer 2 · 2012-09-29 12:52:37Z UTC

Sounds like you're on the right track if you're losing inches. The scales don't mean anything, really, and that weight you lost right away is most likely water as you dropped refined carbs.

It always takes my body a relatively long time to adjust to changes in diet/ exercise. So, I can eat badly and won't affect my body composition/ weight for about 6 weeks. Likewise the other way. Be patient and keep doing what you're doing. If you really feel it's not having any impact, then play around with your carb-protein-fat ratio.

reluctantMANGO · Answer 3 · 2012-09-29 10:58:24Z UTC

Lots of lean meats in there - are you cooking with healthy fats? I might add an avocado here and there for fuel. Also, with all of that exercise, you may want to consider adding some starch after your workouts - sweet potato, winter squash, etc.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you noted that you've lost inches. If you're building muscle, you body composition is likely changing and the scale will not necessarily pick upon that. Keep tracking your measurements, and listen to how your body feels!

miked · Answer 4 · 2012-09-29 15:06:41Z UTC

Your volume of exercise seem like too much. A 60 min run plus a 40 min swim puts you in that long-slow cardio which tends to promote your body getting more efficient (i.e., less fuel used for the same work - not what you want) and also promotes a bit of cortisol induced middle fat storage. If you like working out, then cut it down to 20 min max (including warm up and cool down), with about 5-10 minutes of that at HIGH intensity. More is not better in this case. It's physically impossible to be at high intensity for more than 5-10 minutes, anything longer is clearly in the oxidative (aerobic) pathway and not helping you get stronger, raise your metabolism, put on muscle, or even burning much in the way of fat.

Newbie of two weeks - curious but not frustrated yet!

4 Answers