Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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okay so I started PALEO after the new year... Have been going about 95% strong since then. Unless there is something I am unaware of (have done my fair share of researching thought). Need some advice primarily from the active people out there.

my days are looking like this

monday, wednesday, and friday light cardio occasional light weight training (kettlebell)

tuesday and thursday I ramp it up a little (hit the gym for a 45 minutes followed up KRAV MAGA class which I can burn upwards of 600 calories during a class.

saturday is pretty intense also KRAV and JIU JITSU.

basically the days that I am working hard (TUES,THURS,SAT) I am in need of help. I am doing my best to live as carb free as possible, but should I be eating sweet potatoes and yams these days. I am still overweight and in need of losing weight (loving the OMEGA3 daily to help). I am trying to lose about 30lbs by summer. WHAT SHOULD I DO??

flag	asked Jan 13 2011 at 20:42 ReformedVEGAN 294●1●9

TigerJ · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-14 21:19:55Z UTC

It seems there are a couple people who commented on the kettelbells (ie,drop them) without knowing what they are. Sure they are 'lighter' but for overall strength and conditioning they are awesome. If you like doing them and have the energy you can include them in your program.

HOWEVER - I think you want to arrange your schedule so you are working out hard 3-4 days a week tops. This is so you can have some post-workout carbs - and not need them every single day. Seriously, weights + k-bells and krav-maga on top of that is plenty - and should be intense enough so that a rest day is optimal from both a body recovery standpoint and giving you 3-4 days a week of lower carbs.

Looking at your schedule, a lot depends on how vigorous you are doing the k-bells. If you are only swinging a light bell for 5 minutes maybe that isn't enough to qualify as a 'workout' day and you can do lower carb days MWFSun. But if you are doing a full on swing/snatch workout that breaks a real sweat then you are doing glycogen depletion MTWThFSat and that isn't going to be sustainable.

Last point, it seems you are thinking the more you exercise the more calories you will burn and therefore the more you will lose. This isn't how it works. The more exercise you do, the more hungry you will get, the more you will eat. The things that result in weight loss are:

overall caloric deficit
periods of time without eating, ie, IF
(note: many people find lower carb paleo diet best for #1 and #2)
fasted training
sprint HGH workouts

Read leangains and check the examples. Most of Martin's clients do 3 short gym sessions a week and even stay away from glycogen depleting exercise. I happen to love k-bells and once a week do some sprints, and also have a short duration barbell/bodyweight program; but I'm not doing glycogen depletion every day and make sure to get at least 2 full rest days per week. Then a 3rd day is pretty light, and a 4th day is a sprint workout that is 15-20 minutes tops. I only go heavy (ie barbell + kbells) 3 times a week and the barbell portion of that is very short.

Stephen-Aegis · Answer 2 · 2011-01-14 10:08:17Z UTC

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ditch the banana, train fasted, youll get over the keto adaptation hump faster.

Refeed with Tubers post workout. go low carb on non workout days.

answered Jan 14 2011 at 10:08

Stephen-Aegis
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	Do you think refeeding with tubers post workout is good even when someone is first starting to try to lean out? I know you didn't really add them back in until more recently. – sherpamelissa Jan 14 2011 at 13:50
	I do, the glucose post workout get preferentially shuttled tp muscle glycogen. – Stephen-Aegis Jan 14 2011 at 14:57
	Good to know. I think a lot of people are afraid of potatoes! I'm actually super happy where I'm at, but I "help" others who want to lose weight sometimes. – sherpamelissa Jan 14 2011 at 15:45
	@Stephen, curious as to what BCAA you use preWO. i think imma do the LG approach for a few months and see if i can drop a bit of midsection chub. I've read about purple wraath and Xtend but i know that you're having great success so i'd love to know what product youre using. Cheers. – ben61820 Jan 14 2011 at 16:07
	Tried the wrath, now I just have a cup of black coffee or green tea for some caffeine. Didn't notice enough diff using bcaa's and too expensive. – Stephen-Aegis Jan 14 2011 at 16:19

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Travis Culp · Answer 3 · 2011-01-13 21:06:57Z UTC

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To be honest, you don't need any exercise at all to lose fat if you're cutting back on your carbs and restoring your hormone balance. A post about everything you eat would be far more enlightening.

answered Jan 13 2011 at 21:06

Travis Culp♦
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	Depending on your body comp to start, you could end up skinny fat without exercise. Also, it depends how overweight the OP is, sometimes I think exercise is necessary to get things moving. – sherpamelissa Jan 13 2011 at 21:11
	"To be honest, you don't need any exercise at all to lose fat if you're cutting back on your carbs and restoring your hormone balance. A post about everything you eat would be far more enlightening." I agree. – Aaron Curl Jan 13 2011 at 21:12
	sherpa, your point is well-taken, which is why I do a simple full-body workout MWF and the walking that comes with life, but I have a strong aversion to anything that one might consider "exercise" in the cardio sense. If there is a particular activity that you must accomplish for whatever reason, then it makes sense for you to have the appropriate level of conditioning to accomplish it, but endless toil with no aim but to lose weight should be avoided. – Travis Culp♦ Jan 13 2011 at 21:35
	I'm 215lbs 5'9" somewhat muscular, but have a pudgy gut – ReformedVEGAN Jan 13 2011 at 21:54
	I'd refeed with potatoes/tubers before the heavy workouts. This way you'll get more time glycogen-depleted. This is the targeted ketogenic diet and while it hasn't been studied as much as other variations, it is very effective from what I have read. – Harfatum Jan 14 2011 at 22:27

Jake · Answer 4 · 2011-01-13 21:47:51Z UTC

Congradulations, your body is starting to shift from burning sugar to burning fat. I usually call this the "yucks" because it doesn't always feel like you're getting the same power/strength in there. Your body is adapting to the way it's supposed to eat, and this takes time (especially if you're 'cheating' occasionally). Speaking as a fellow martial artist I can say that my power and strength went way down for about a week, or so, at about 2-3 weeks in. After that though, my strength and stamina shot through the fracking roof. It's worth it. And if you're not training any real endurance (read as: 100 mile+ biking or running. Massive blackbelt testing days or anything where you'd think about refeeding stations) you don't need anything other than what you're ingesting.

PrimalEric · Answer 5 · 2011-01-13 21:58:09Z UTC

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If you're trying to lose some weight expect your performance to go down. Usually you can't have both at the same time. Skip the carbs as much as you can until you lean out.

answered Jan 13 2011 at 21:58

PrimalEric
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sherpamelissa · Answer 6 · 2011-01-13 21:05:02Z UTC

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You don't need the light cardio and light weight training sounds like an oxymoron to me. I would switch that up to a 15/20 minute HIIT type workout on M/W/F.

What are you doing at the gym for 45 minutes on Tues/Thurs?

I think training fasted would help more than carbs afterward when you are trying to lean out. If you can make that work, do it.

answered Jan 13 2011 at 21:05

sherpamelissa
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	tuesday and thursday day weight training – ReformedVEGAN Jan 13 2011 at 21:54
	i eat just one banana prior to workout – ReformedVEGAN Jan 13 2011 at 21:55
	One plateau I was on we poured over my food logs and couldn't come up with anything I was doing "wrong". We decided to take out the banana I was eating every morning (after workout) and swap it with a protein. Within a week I started losing weight again. I'm not sure exactly why, but it was the only thing I changed. I would probably try just the weight training one week and then just the HIIT the next week. And drop the banana. :) Keep it up for a month though, before you try something new. – sherpamelissa Jan 13 2011 at 23:29

Natasha · Answer 7 · 2011-01-13 21:05:44Z UTC

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The book Paleo Diet for Athletes is a good one for pre- and post-workout nutrition. I personally do sweet potatoes (or any starchy veggie) and a protein immediately following a hard workout. Also check out http://whole9life.com/

answered Jan 13 2011 at 21:05

Natasha
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Aaron Curl · Answer 8 · 2011-01-13 21:11:11Z UTC

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Do you feel like you have a lack of energy on the hard training days? What is your current diet? If you are trying to lose then I wouldn't add any potatoes and keep carbs low. Train in a fasted state. Go to leangains and read Martin Berkhans ideas on fasted training.

answered Jan 13 2011 at 21:11

Aaron Curl
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	i have had a serious lack of energy. on the harder days. eat a banana prior to workout – ReformedVEGAN Jan 13 2011 at 21:56
	feel like fasted is rough when i train for almost 2 hours – ReformedVEGAN Jan 13 2011 at 21:57
	I don't think you should train for almost 2 hours. – sherpamelissa Jan 13 2011 at 23:30

Sara · Answer 9 · 2011-01-13 21:19:29Z UTC

I have been training in a semi-fasted state (first thing in the morning) for the past six months. I do Crossfit, though, so very short high intensity work outs and lots of olympic weight lifting. I've been doing Paleo + sweet potatoes, I try to eat the sweet potatoes in the morning after my workouts rather than whenever. This has been very effective for me, I haven't lost any weight but I've lost 3 dress sizes, so clearly paleo is the way to go. I think that without the Crossfit I would have just lost weight, rather than also gaining as much muscle as I have.

I'd say only eat the carbs after a really intense work out. Ditch the "light" weight lifting and the long cardio workouts and hit Crossfit or something similar!

HELP MY TRAINING DIET!!!

9 Answers