Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Hi everyone, I have been on Paleo for nearly a month, since my initial weight loss of 10lb. I was at 345lb, now sitting between 333-335lb, weight fluctuates daily. I have been having difficulty losing additional weight. My diet is consist of mostly omelet, bacon, chili (no beans), chicken, no-carb sausages, and variety of veggies. I keep my net-carb <50g, I train 3-4 times a week in strength training, lifting heavy 4-8 reps x 4 sets, and on my non-lifting days perform light cardio, about 2-3 times per week for 30 min sessions. I supplement with omega-3, multi's, and glucosamine.

I am not sure if my body is recomping; therefore, the adjustment period, but it would be nice if it would start shedding some fat.

TIA!

EDIT:

JUNE 24, 2011

So I've basically followed everyone's advice in this thread, cut my carbs down to less than <20g of carb per day, I've continued to exercise on a regular basis, and have also tried a week of not exercising at all, yet I still can't figure out why I am still stalling.

I am currently at 329lb, dropped 4 lb since I started this post, but I've stalled again for 2 weeks now. Most of my diet is very natural with little processed foods, except with the occasional Coke Zero. I've replaced the processed bacon with unprocessed pork belly. I get plenty of rest, but I don't understand why I haven't been dropping any weight at all.

TYPICAL DAILY MEAL:

Breakfast - Coffee/Tea (a tsp or 2 of Heavy Cream), 3 Eggs, 2 slices of pork belly

Lunch/PreWorkout - A small bowl of taco beef (ground beef, taco seasoning, with a little bit of salsa), slice of melted jack or cheddar cheese on top (used to be on Keto, so I eat a bit of cheese here and there).

Dinner/PostWorkout - a small bowl of slow cooked pork shoulder (basically cooked in smoked sea salt and liquid smoke).

Snack - Almonds or Coke Zero (cutting that out), or Coffee or repeat Breakfast.

I drink at least a cup of Coffee or Tea per day, drink lots of water.

Thanks for everyone's help so far.

edited Jun 26 2011 at 8:04

asked May 24 2011 at 22:37

AsianXL
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You will have times when this occurs. Keep staying the course. It's due to hormonal changes in fat tissue regulation. – The Quilt May 24 2011 at 23:37

Take us through a typical day for you, what do you usually eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner? Also, cut out the Coke Zero. Artificial sweeteners still spike insulin – B-man Jun 25 2011 at 14:13

Cut out supplements. – Edward J. Edmonds Jun 25 2011 at 16:52

Yeah can you give us your menu? I agree that weight loss is NOT linear but I do understand your frustration. So you made the changes and then dropped 4 lbs in 2 weeks then nothing for the past 2? 1 pounds a week is not bad but at your weight I would expect a little bit more of a loss than that. – Shari Bambino Jun 25 2011 at 18:27

ben61820 · Accepted Answer · 2011-06-26 12:59:05Z UTC

Firstly, if you are trying to lift heavy weights in a recorded, increasingly resistant manner then I don’t believe less-than-20grams-carbohydrate is a good idea. Too little.

Everyone’s weight fluctuates daily so don’t monitor it like that. Think about it this way, after my workout I drink 16 ounces of fluid, as coconut water but it doesn’t matter. 16 ounces of liquid like that equals one pound of weight. If I weighed myself immediately after drinking it I’d weigh one more pound. Don’t monitor like that, you’ll drive yourself crazy.

Coke zero, even occasionally? Forget that. Drop it immediately. And get rid of junk like pork belly, etc.

Looking at your typical daily menu, I can immediately see that there is no real tracking. You don’t know how much you’re eating. “A tsp or two of cream” etc. Well, which is it? “A small bowl of pork shoulder?” How much?

Eating "clean" is not enough to get to a low level of body fat. There must be a strategy in place to force the body into using more stored fat as fuel. When I ask someone how many grams of protein, carbs and dietary fat they consume the answer is usually very far off from reality. Without recording consumption there is no way to really know the totals of what are consumed. While many eat much more than they assume, a large percentage also eat far less than they think which causes a sluggish metabolism over time.

Going further into details I find that very few people eat correctly every day of the week. Some take an entire day to eat whatever they want- this will not work if you want to lose body fat. Others eat lunch or dinner out a few times per week and ignore the facts of what they are consuming. How about the snacks you grabbed in the office this week? Did you count those? Recording a week of eating is a real eye opener. My point? There has to be a plan in place to reach a specific set of goals.

Your days do not need to be filled with tedious measuring, after a week or so of keeping track of what you are eating you will have a better eye for portion sizes, etc, to ensure accuracy of what you are doing.

Shari Bambino · Answer 2 · 2011-05-25 15:15:45Z UTC

Just wanted to add a bit of congrats for hanging in there on your plan even though you have been so frustrated. Most people would have bailed and decided to just be fat because they "can't lose weight no matter how hard they try." You didn't and that puts you way ahead of the pack.

Just keep tweaking until you find your sweet spot. I am not sure if cutting carbs is your answer but I'm petty sure that's the best place to start looking for it. Try to get by each day with as few as possible and then when those days come when you need more because you are hungrier than usual or just needing to eat for whatever reason then chow down on the veggies. If you find yourself feeling like you are suffering then maybe look at doing some carb cycling where you allow yourself those 75-100g carbs once day a week or you throw in a sweet potato or two for one meal a week. You have a long road ahead of you so figuring out some strategies for staying on the path but feeling happy and satisfied is well worth your time.

You will find your answers so keep the faith and just keep going. Many of us here have walked the road you are walking right now and lived to tell the tale. And so will you.

Rose · Answer 3 · 2011-05-24 23:05:54Z UTC

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This probably won't be a popular answer, but the first place I'd look is the carb count. For many of us who are/were obese, carbohydrates are indeed the enemy. I lost 30 pounds the first few months I went low-carb, stalled for well over a year in the low 190s/high 180s (I'm 5'5", female, 47yo) and didn't go down any further until I cut carbs to under 5g/day, or virtually zero-carb (not technically, of course; only breatharians can claim to be truly zero-carb). I've been zero-carb for over two years, and maintain pretty easily at close to my ideal weight.

Twice I've tried adding some veggies and "safe" tubers back, and watched my weight soar back up. Some of us just can't handle carbs at all, even "safe" paleo ones. I have no idea if you're like that, but it's worth considering.

answered May 24 2011 at 23:05

Rose
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I'm with you on this, Rose. I almost certainly was prediabetic before I started (and very lucky to not become obese before changing my diet), and even now I'm very vulnerable to any amount of sugar in any form. If an ingredient has any added sugar I don't buy it. Even nuts and most cheese are too 'carb' for me and I'm compelled to overdo both. Don't touch fruit except the occasional berry. Salami has too much added sugar... and so on. Also unpopular to some: I eat plenty of extra fat. My biggest weight drops are always after I start adding more fat (butter!) to my diet. Weird, huh? – CaveRat May 24 2011 at 23:18

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Yep, CaveRat. My experience with dietary fat was similar for a long time, until I started to get within around ten pounds of what I felt was an optimal weight. Then my appetite for fat began to decrease on its own -- I'd never ever left fat from a ribeye on the plate before, lol. But that wasn't conscious; it just kind of happened. A few months I did a totally-dairy free challenge on the Dirty Carnivore forum and got down to 146, my lowest weight since I was twelve years old -- so now I'm trying to get rid of the cow crack again. But yes, I totally relate to your experience. – Rose May 24 2011 at 23:36

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From meat, silly. ;) Ounce for ounce, meat beats the pants off plants. And if you eat organ meats, I don't see what anyone would need veggies for at all, aside from flavor and personal taste. I don't miss them. – Rose May 25 2011 at 1:32

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By the way, I was extreeeeemely skeptical when I tried zero-carbing. I only did it out of desperation; eating "purist" Protein Power (pretty much a paleo woe) didn't work, and Kwasniewski's Optimal Diet DEFINITELY didn't work. I figured I wouldn't die from a broccoli deficiency for one month, so why not try it? I did, and the results were spectacular. Not just weight loss, but health improvements. It's not a guarantee; I've seen some people fail. But it worked miracles on me. – Rose May 25 2011 at 1:34

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Sorry for the triple post -- I just want to amend my above statement to say "I've seen it fail some people." The people themselves didn't fail. :) – Rose May 25 2011 at 1:36

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Shari Bambino · Answer 4 · 2011-05-24 23:50:46Z UTC

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Many advised you to drop your carbs last time you asked this but it looks like you decided not to do that? Did you implement any of the suggestions?

I agree with lowering your carbs. 50 NET carbs can be quite a lot for someone with metabolic issues. I have to cut carbs to the bone to lose. Under 30 and that's not net. I can maintain at a much higher level but to lose forget about it. Carbs must go.

If you look at what all the other formerly morbidly obese people like me are telling you it's pretty much the same. Try it maybe and see what happens?

answered May 24 2011 at 23:50

Shari Bambino
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Yep yep yep. That's all. :) – Rose May 24 2011 at 23:56

Many advised me to drop my carbs, but I wasn't aware that it was the OVERALL carbs they were referring to, and not the NET-carbs. I notice that many users on this forum have a tendancy not to specify which. – AsianXL May 25 2011 at 0:42

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There's no difference between net or whatever carbohydrate. It all counts. Not that I think you should drop your intake, just saying that carbohydrate content is carbohydrate content. – ben61820 May 25 2011 at 1:47

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Because we just do. Coming from the low carb community where net carbs are usually what's referenced I had to learn that in the paleo community that is not the case. True they are not absorbed but that doesn't matter so much. It's just a different point of comparison. Can you tweak your menu to get your total carb counts below 50 which is where many of us believe is the fat burning sweet spot at least for those wanting to maximize fat loss. You may even want to see if you can manage to be happy under 30g. – Shari Bambino May 25 2011 at 3:26

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There is also the factor of bulk in the intestines causing gut distension which can raise blood sugar, if a person has abnormal blood sugar regulation. Dr. Richard Bernstein explains this in his book, Diabetes Solution. – PaleoGran May 25 2011 at 19:17

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miked · Answer 5 · 2011-05-24 23:07:09Z UTC

I gave a similar answer to a similar question not too long ago (so search my history for mor detail): when you're starting a big weightloss journey, it's best to not do any real activity, especially the 30min cardio sessions. Weightloss (and fitness) is 90% diet. So just work on that. If you get restless, go for a nice walk (in the sun). Once the weight starts coming off, then start gradually adding in some weight training or something like that. But for now, diet and proper sleep are the most important things in your life.

Julie · Answer 6 · 2011-05-24 22:58:49Z UTC

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If you are judging progress just by the number on the scale, you might be disappointed. Have you seen changes in how your clothes fit, or in your body shape in general?

answered May 24 2011 at 22:58

Julie
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Simibee · Answer 7 · 2011-05-24 23:49:50Z UTC

I would cut back on (if not completely eliminate) the bacon and chicken. Both meats contain a large proportion of O6 PUFA, and will prevent you from achieving the correct O6:O3 ratio, which is so important for weight loss. Eggs also contain significant O6, so watch your intake of those as well. Favour fish and ruminant flesh for your protein/fat calories. Total calories from PUFA should not exceed 4%, at a ratio of 1:1 to 1:4 in favour of O6.

Most people are deficient in vitamin D (which is important for weight loss). Your multivitamin won't contain sufficient amounts to get your levels up to an optimal level. Ideally, get your levels tested and buy a separate vitamin D supplement according to how deficient you are.

Aughra · Answer 8 · 2011-05-25 03:00:14Z UTC

I keep my carbs under 20 grams a day. I'd gain if I went up to 50. I only really eat veggies at dinner and keep it o all animal foods for breakfast and lunch. Some days I don't have veggies at all and instead get my carbs from liver. I'd cut the carbs for sure and maybe even start tracking your calories on fit day. I stalled out for a month because I was overdoing the cream and coconut milk. It was putting me WAaaaaaay over what my body needed.

Kim The Nourishing Cook · Answer 9 · 2011-05-25 03:13:50Z UTC

What other ingredients are in your food? Are you eating a lot of processed foods, prepared outside of your house? The chili, sausages and bacon could all have MSG in them. Every time I get into the MSG my weight loss stalls. Nothing can replace the quality of home cooked food.

LivingPaleo · Answer 10 · 2011-05-25 05:01:26Z UTC

Everyones answers are right on point. But as Kim The Nourshing Cook states, home cooked food is best! When you are trying to lose those unwanted pounds you MUST be aware of everything that is going in your mouth. Not to mention that chili, sausage, and bacon are VERY high in fat, and msg (sodium=bloat). These are really not the best foods for weight loss. I lost 66 pounds and drinking water was my vice...it flushes toxins, impurities, and fat from our bodies. You should be drinking 1/2 to 1 gallon a day, depending upon how much you sweat, etc. But really drink, drink, drink, clean pure water.

Rogue Nutritionist · Answer 11 · 2011-05-25 18:32:43Z UTC

Try drinking one ounce of water per pound of body weight, capping off at about a gallon and a half. If you haven't already, I would cut out nuts, fruit and dairy for a month and see if that helps(it usually does). Also, you may want to look into incorporating intermittent fasting into your plan...I'm newly experimenting with IF, and am pretty blown away by my experience thus far...good for you for getting on a healthy track, patience and perseverance will pay off!

Atkins-witha-loincloth · Answer 12 · 2011-05-25 22:33:39Z UTC

It has been my experience that taking GLUCOSEamine can stall you. I had a 90lb weight loss from Dec 99 -Set 02, and have maintained it since, other than about a 10lb gain in 06 when I added occasional gluten free low carb bread and soy based pancake mix. (BIG mistakes.) Over just a few months, I a massive return of joint pain (I am the survivor of 3 diagnosed and 2 other "iffy" autoimmune disorders, none of which i have now :) ) and about a 10lb weight gain. I pulled the wheat and soy and began taking glucosamine + chondroitin for the joint pain. Inspite of low carbing (which I had never strayed from anyway) and working out 3x/wk, no wt loss over many months. I began researching and found others who had the same experience with glucosamine. I pulled the glucosamine, which per some sources can raise blood sugar, and the months long stall immediately stopped.

It's worth a try...

http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/arthritis/a/Glucosamine.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/807.html

http://www.jarretmorrow.com/glucosamine-diabetes-blood-sugar-levels/

Note that at least one of these links refers to recent research which concludes that glucosamine does NOT affect blood sugar and another one gives it an "iffy." But, I find it very interesting that both still direct that diabetics should closely minitor their blood sugar while taking it. So, what may be true is that it does raise blood sugar for some and doesn't for others.

And there is the following link which states that while glucosamine doesn't affect blood sugar directly, it may promote insulin resistance over time...Argh!

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA400108

invisible ink · Answer 13 · 2011-06-25 15:03:02Z UTC

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A stall is not defined as not losing for 2 weeks. Your body will take time to adjust to the weight loss, it's not like it will all just melt off instantly and consistently. It took time to put it on and it takes more time to get it off, just keep with it and don't give in to temptation. Some people find that increasing their water intake can help jumpstart weight loss again but seriously, a stall is when you're stuck for way longer than a week or two.

answered Jun 25 2011 at 15:03

invisible ink
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	My overall stall has been well over a month now from my original day of creating this post. – AsianXL Jun 26 2011 at 8:05
	Quoting from your post, "I am currently at 329lb, dropped 4 lb since I started this post, but I've stalled again for 2 weeks now." - If you're dropping weight, you're not stalled. If I'm misreading that, I apologize, but that's how it is reading from my end. – invisible ink Jun 26 2011 at 12:41

Kirsten · Answer 14 · 2011-06-25 16:37:12Z UTC

Just thought I'd ask about a few other potential factors... How's your sleep and stress levels? Have you gotten your thyroid thoroughly checked? How about vitamin D levels? How much water are you drinking? Any meds that may be making it harder to lose weight?

Also, since you're really focused on the scale, do you weight yourself daily or just once a week? Do you weight yourself first thing in the morning? Do you always use the same scale? I think it's a good thing to track, but as someone else pointed out, 2 weeks isn't really long enough to be called a stall...

I'll also add my voice to others: maybe switch your meats more to unprocessed grassfed beef instead of chicken and sausages. best of luck!

Lady Cadaver · Answer 15 · 2011-06-26 11:47:20Z UTC

Has there been any change in your body composition at all? You may not be shifting on the scales but has your body changed shape at all? If you're working out, you may be gaining muscle at a similar rate to losing fat. This happened to me a while ago when I was very strictly eating low-carb, high protein and playing sport. I didn't shift much on the scales but my body changed shape. Muscle weighs more than fat. Get a measuring tape, just in case your eating habits and workouts aren't in vain after all!

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