Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I have been primal/paleo for over a year now, and I've lost a significant amount of weight on it. I've been lacking in energy lately, but on the past few days where it's been warm and the sun is shining, I've felt much better. Anyway, my question is about my midsection.

I currently weigh about 185 pounds, and the scale I have (which is probably not very good, but still) says that my body fat is around 27%. Most of that is carried around my waist. The fat there is very loose and is the only thing that keeps me unhappy with my body image. I've experimented with getting more sleep and adding in some carbs like berries, parsnips, and sweet potatoes to lower cortisol, but so far they haven't had any effect.

I'm pretty strict paleo: 3:1 or better on my 6:3 ratios; about 2500 calories daily, 50-70% fat, 20% protein, and the rest mostly from safe starches; no nuts, grains, legumes, or dairy; I take a magnesium and D3 supplement and I just ordered some probiotics; I aim for 1 pound of grass fed or wild-caught meat per day. I'm on my feet five hours a day at work, mostly moving around 10-60 pound weights. I just can't figure out why I look like this with all the work I feel I've put into this. I know it's vain, but it's very frustrating.

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flag	asked Mar 10 2011 at 16:22 Sgroh87 842●5●17

I have just about the same problem. I've dropped about 50 lbs in a span of about 8 years. Going paleo almost a year ago finally helped me lean out and I have recently put on some muscle. I even have a bit of a four pack right under my chest, but have plenty of loose skin/fat in the midsection. My guess is a long period of strict paleo, IF-ing, lighting heavy, sprinting, walking, good sleep and very low stress will do it, but I'm not sure how effective all of that'll be and will have to wait until after I graduate. I'm really trying to avoid a mini-tummy tuck... Let me know what works for you! – henrydrn Mar 10 2011 at 18:09

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+1 for the old school Atari Boxers... Epic. – Todd Mar 10 2011 at 22:27

Thank you very much, sir. ;) – Sgroh87 Mar 11 2011 at 1:00

Stephen-Aegis · Answer 1 · 2011-03-10 20:45:00Z UTC

285 to 180(and back up to 206lean)

First of all, it's not loose skin, it's skin being pulled on by fat and Will tighten up after the fat on it is gone.

I had some stalls during my journey and a number of different factors eliminated my stalls.

no fructose, none.
no nuts.
super avoidance of omega 6.
If your doing dairy, stop for now, test how you react after you're as lean as YOU want to be.
9+ hours of sleep with 2 hours of non electronic downtime beforehand.
fasted high intensity training. 20 minutes tops, you have to sweat breathe hard and smile or you're doing it wrong. Time of day isn't important, but do it before you eat for the day.
only eat when hungry. If this means you only eat once a day, so be it. ONLY when actually hungry.
Drink water before eating to ensure you're not confusing thirst with hunger
Walk fasted. Morning walks or walks 6+ hours after eating. Non intense non cardio simple movement. Go as far as feels good to you. If you font feel like walking, don't.
no snacking! If you get hungry eat a meal, if you can't eat a full meal, wait suck it up and eat a full meal when you can.

I had great results with very low carb to lose the weight and then adding tubers after I was lean for athletic performance / muscle gain. The journey from 285 to visible abs took appx 9 months doing low carb paleo with the above. And I looked just like you mid journey.

You can do it. Work hard now, and then enjoy super easy paleo cruise control after you get the results you are happy with wherever those may be.

Fruit nuts dairy etc are an individual thing. I recommend full avoidance during lean put then reintroduction one at a time after to see how you look and perform.

Brad · Answer 2 · 2011-03-10 16:58:41Z UTC

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What are your workouts like? You might need to add some intensity there, in the form of some heavy lifting in short sessions, or sprinting once a week or so.

answered Mar 10 2011 at 16:58

Brad
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I don't really work out right now. When I'm at work, sometimes I have to pull wheeled weights of up to 1600 pounds, but that's not very often. Sprinting is out for a little while because I just had an ingrown toenail removed, and it's still in the process of healing. – Sgroh87 Mar 10 2011 at 17:22

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Remember, you can "sprint" on an elliptical machine or a stationary bike, if you have access to those. They might be a lot easier on your toe. – Brad Mar 10 2011 at 17:59

Ben · Answer 3 · 2011-03-10 16:24:26Z UTC

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How much weight did you lose? Sometimes with rapid weight loss, it can take skin a while to gain it's old elasticity back.

answered Mar 10 2011 at 16:24

Ben
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In 2006 I weighed 285 pounds. I was down to 265 in 2008, then 235 in 2009. I started primal in September of 2009, but I got serious about it in February of 2010. By May of 2010, I was down to 180. I maintained that weight until November, then between November and mid-January, I cheated a lot and gained back 10 pounds. I have since been trying to get back down to 180, but it hasn't happened yet. Let's say I lost 50 pounds in six months, then maintained my weight for another six. – Sgroh87 Mar 10 2011 at 16:48

That is, I lost 50 in six months on paleo. I managed to lose 50 more before that over the course of three years or so. – Sgroh87 Mar 10 2011 at 16:49

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Wow! Congrats! I stand by my original answer. Do you think some of this could be extra skin? – Ben Mar 10 2011 at 17:34

Thanks. :) I thought that at first, but then I saw this on MDA: marksdailyapple.com/the-unconquerable-dave If he can lose that much in 1.5 years and not have loose skin, especially at his age, then I hesitate to blame my fatty appearance on loose skin. Some of it is, but there is definitely still a lot of chub in there. – Sgroh87 Mar 10 2011 at 17:41

Good point!! I'm stumped ;-) Good luck! – Ben Mar 10 2011 at 17:48

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sarah-ann · Answer 4 · 2011-03-10 17:04:59Z UTC

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I find intermittent fasting loses belly fat when straight cal restriction won't.

answered Mar 10 2011 at 17:04

sarah-ann
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	My work schedule isn't incredibly conducive to regular IFing. I work from 10-3 every day and try to get to bed by 10, which would only give me a 4 or 5 hour feeding window. Eating at work is frustrating because we don't get a lunch break; we work while we eat. Upside: we get paid during lunch, downside: we have to graze on our meals. – Sgroh87 Mar 10 2011 at 17:29
	@Sgroh87, you could have your first meal before work, say at 8:30 or 9:00, and another (your last) at 4:30 or 5:00. Personally, when I do IF is usually from an early dinner to breakfast: I'm much hungrier in the a.m. than in the p.m., don't mind eating my last meal at 3:00 or 4:00, but cannot skip breakfast. – Paola Mar 11 2011 at 10:11

sharon · Answer 5 · 2011-03-10 17:05:25Z UTC

burn it by focusing on getting into deeeeep ketosis with coconut oil and tons of bacon and eggs and butter every day. go on a super high animal fat, zero carb diet for a while and lift really heavy weights every four days or sow. have you ever heard of slow burn method of exercising where you move v e r y slowly? so you take like a minute to do one squat. there is a much more accurate description of the method in the books and online, fred hahn is the guy who i know of that does it.

ETA yeah i second intermittent fasting too.

Efaitch · Answer 6 · 2011-03-10 19:49:06Z UTC

After gaining weight & losing it, then two pregnancies, I have a belly overhang! As well as exercise/nutrition suggestions, I'd add in dry skin brushing.

There's a lot of info around debating whether this skin is loose skin or abdominal fat (shrunken, but not completely). I've found the combination of low carb AND body brushing is helping me lose the excess/loose skin.

A natural bristle brush is needed. Sorry, via FB page feed, so no linkies!

Curtis · Answer 7 · 2011-03-10 20:27:29Z UTC

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5 hours is plenty of time to eat. I usually only use 3 hours. Look at http://www.fast-five.org/ . IF is great for reducing belly size!

answered Mar 10 2011 at 20:27

Curtis
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Help me hack my midsection

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