Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

3

Hey guys,

Alright so I'm a 24 year old female, athletic build but have always had more hips, ass, and thigh fat. I've always had a lot of muscle but hang on to about 22 to 23% fat at 154 - 156lbs. I got some advice to cut fat completely (good and bad) and that is the "asshole" way to lose weight but it works.

It did work but I know its definitely not the healthiest way and we NEED good fats to train right. I'm back and square one and am currently competing in the open. I would at least love to be in the 140's and much leaner than I am now. Is it just consistency with portions of protein, fat, carbs (meat, good fats, veggies) and limiting fruit and nuts daily that is really that simple to lose those last few pounds or am I missing something? And eating like this 5 or 6 times a day?

I really want to be as lean as I can for competing and just get lighter in general. I train about 5 times a week pretty consistently. I'm clearly driving myself crazy and wanted to know if any other women out there (or anyone with good suggestions) have any idea what I need to do. Any advice is welcome, thanks guys!

flag	asked Mar 21 2011 at 20:12 Erica 31●1

	Hi Erica! Welcome! How tall are you? – gilliebean♦ Mar 22 2011 at 1:47
	Hi gillie bean! I'm 5'6 about 155 pounds and athletically built (just got some extra junk!) – Erica Mar 24 2011 at 22:09

nnunn · Answer 1 · 2011-03-21 20:36:17Z UTC

2

Intermittent fasting is what finally worked for me. I followed the lean gains protocol http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html and lost that last 10 pounds while totally killing my WODs.

answered Mar 21 2011 at 20:36

nnunn
503●2●10

Kirsten · Answer 2 · 2011-03-22 01:25:03Z UTC

Sounds like you have divergent goals here. You want to lose weight, but you mention that you're competing in the (crossfit?) open. If your goal is competition, now isn't the time for going for a calorie deficit. That's what the off-season is for. Fuel yourself with good food to train and compete at your best. Once you're ready to lean out, be prepared to see some backsliding in performance. And then once you're leaned out you can eat smart and start working on performance again.

When it comes to fat, I feel it depends a lot on your past eating habits. It seems like a lot of people who've been eating processed food for years and years (like me) find it very easy to overeat when there's fat involved.

Dana · Answer 3 · 2011-03-21 20:40:20Z UTC

No idea what to tell you with not knowing what you're competing in (it sounds like bodybuilding but I have no way of knowing for sure), what your height is, what your bodyfat goal is and how you define "good fats."

I'm hesitant to tell a woman she needs to lose fat just because she has it on hips, ass, and thighs. You're supposed to have fat there. Especially if you're intending to have kids at some point. And you're in your mid-20s, as well, and you're not going to be scrawny like you might have been as a teenager (as so many of us were).

Paola · Answer 4 · 2011-03-22 00:40:15Z UTC

Agree with Dana. If you loose too much body fat you may loose your period as well. At least limit your lean periods to competition times and don't keep your body fat too low all year round.

That being said, and against what many users of this site believe, for most people lowering fat intake works beautifully for fat loss, at least in the short run. It is not a coincidence that body builders reach such a lean body by ditching the fat and eating only chicken breast, egg whites and protein shakes as sources of protein. But they limit this to competition times, especially women, because it is not optimal. Cutting fruits and nuts helps too. Not a happy diet.

Competing and losing last few pounds on paleo!

4 Answers