Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I've been on Paleo for nearly a year (late August 2010). At the time I'd just lost 10lbs and so I was looking for a way to maintain that weight loss. I was happy at 125lbs. Going Paleo, I lost an unexpected 10lbs and so I was down to 115 (my weight in high school).

My biggest concern is that I'm having trouble keeping the weight on. I'm hovering at around 113.5 now, and I'm not sure how to change my eating habits. I eat when I'm hungry, there's no such thing as portion control for me. I'm not low-carb, not afraid of fat, yet when I tally up the calories at the end of the day I can barely break 1800. I want to get back up to 115! I can start to see the outline of my ribcage on my chest (between my boobs), and to me that's getting too skinny.

Sample day:

Breakfast-- 3 eggs, double espresso (black), whole fruit (banana, apple, pear), munch on nuts (cashews, walnuts)

Lunch-- Varies, sometimes it's leftovers from last night or we go out to eat, skin-on roasted chicken quarter with heap of veggies in ghee

Dinner-- 10oz 70/30 ground beef, cooked to medium & seasoned, zucchini, carrots and onions sauteed in ghee/pan grease or a baked sweet potato

Please help, I'm getting a bit freaked out about this :/

EDIT: I've been making a more concerted effort to eat plenty of carbs with every meal, and I'm averaging around 200g a day. Hopefully this helps! Thanks everyone :)

edited Jul 29 2011 at 13:20

asked Jul 27 2011 at 11:46

Nemesis
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Hi Nemesis, just checking in to see if you can give us an update on how you're going? I am in the same boat as you were when you wrote this question.... bit scared that I can see rib & hip bones that I've never been able to see before... but otherwise feeling strong and healthy. Has your increased carbs helped? – Stefanie Mar 30 2012 at 3:03

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Hi Stefanie! Yes, eating plenty of carbs has helped my weight level off at 115lbs. Starch is my friend :) – Nemesis Mar 30 2012 at 11:02

That's great to hear, thanks! – Stefanie Apr 2 2012 at 0:38

turkeytyme · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-27 12:23:09Z UTC

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Eat more carbs. Tally it up in Fitday and you'll see that you're really not getting a lot. According to Mark Sisson (and my own experience), 50-100 g a day is the "sweet spot" for weight loss and I'd be willing to bet there are a lot of days when you aren't reaching 100. Even when you have a sweet potato, you are probably only getting around 150 at the most.

answered Jul 27 2011 at 12:23

turkeytyme
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	Should I be aiming for around 200g of carbs a day then? Holy cow, not sure how I'm going to do that lol. – Nemesis Jul 27 2011 at 12:35
	Do you have Fitday? It's an awesome application. Try tracking what you are eating for awhile and concentrate on adding in more fruit, sweet potatoes, etc. Watch how your weight - and appetite - reacts. You'll soon find your own personal "sweet spot" for weight maintenance. It doesn't necessarily have to be at 200 g. Play around with the numbers. – turkeytyme Jul 27 2011 at 14:44

ben61820 · Answer 2 · 2011-07-27 12:28:51Z UTC

You simply must eat more calories. I’m glad you tracked your intake and found that you’re taking in about 1800. You’ve found the reason! Eat more of those calories. Try 1-2 weeks of getting maybe 2000 every day. Be consistent and regular about it and you will see results.

The way you write that you can barely break 1800 it sounds like you don’t really like the act of eating too much. If that’s the case I’d say using liquid fat like coconut oil would be the most tolerable way to sneak in extra cals. You won’t even know it’s there, just dribble one tablespoon over your food once or twice per day.

Don’t get freaked out; don’t overthink it. You are not eating enough food to maintain weight so eat more food.

Josh M · Answer 3 · 2011-07-27 13:59:41Z UTC

It is possible that according to your genes your best body weight is not what you think it should be, genetics is independent of the mind. Given healthy food, sleep, exercise the body will express itself physically as it is biologically programed to do. Being the healthiest one can be is key.

invisible ink · Answer 4 · 2011-07-27 14:58:04Z UTC

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Have you had your thyroid checked? I'd want to rule out any chances of hyperthyroid if I were in your boat.

answered Jul 27 2011 at 14:58

invisible ink
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cliff · Answer 5 · 2011-07-27 11:51:46Z UTC

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Add butter and some sort of starchy carb to every meal.

answered Jul 27 2011 at 11:51

cliff
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Jules K · Answer 6 · 2011-07-27 11:54:52Z UTC

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Do you have dairy issues? I wonder if maybe adding some high-quality dairy would be beneficial; it seems to help folks gain.

answered Jul 27 2011 at 11:54

Jules K
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I made some whipped cream in the blender last night, out of heavy cream. I could only eat half of it (about 1/2 cup) before I started to get an upset stomach. It was so rich! I'll see about tracking down some goat's milk, I've heard it's more tolerable than cow's milk :) – Nemesis Jul 27 2011 at 12:08

Liquid calories are great for gaining weight. If you start out slow with cows milk and build your way up eventually you should be able to tolerate it according to ray peat. – cliff Jul 27 2011 at 12:18

Kelly · Answer 7 · 2011-07-27 13:46:57Z UTC

the things that usually add weight are generally: dairy, nuts, fruits.

So on top of what you are consuming now, add that plus some starchy veggies, tubers, sw. pototoes.

Keep adding good fats, like avocado and coconut oils, coconut shredded.

Don't try and eat big servings of anything, mix it up and do a variety to avoid digestive issues and perhaps a few snacks in there as well.

UncleLongHair · Answer 8 · 2011-07-27 14:07:45Z UTC

Aside from what the scale says, how do you feel? Good energy, sleeping well, etc? If you feel good, then 115 might be closer to your body's set weight i.e. ideal weight. I know you're freaking out, but if you look good, feel good...

For what it's worth, I am 6' 215#, trying to get down to 205#, and I eat about the same amount of calories as you! I am usually in the 1500-1900 range per day, including working out 3-4 times per week. I am totally jealous of your metabolism!

I agree with other comments, try to boost your level of carbs. Many Paleo folks go for tubers (i.e. sweet potatoes), which have excellent nutrition and fiber along with the carbs. You mentioned that you sometimes have one with dinner, try having more. You could probably find some reasonably healthy prepared foods that use sweet potatoes (chips, etc).

Also what are you doing for exercise? If you aren't already, you could do more strength-building type exercises such as CrossFit, kettlebells, floor exercises, etc, and try to put on a few pounds of muscle. On the Paleo diet, I am pleasantly surprised by how quickly my muscles respond to this kind of exercise.

My wife is also thin and tends to get more thin if she doesn't eat well, something she used to eat to keep her weight up is banana and avocado smoothies. You could also add chocolate to them...

animalcule · Answer 9 · 2011-07-29 16:25:36Z UTC

You just have to eat more. You can easily regain 5 lbs or so if you just up your intake each day. 1800 calories is not a lot of food, specially if you are lean and active. If 800 of that 1800 calories is carbs, there is a lot more room for fat, so I'd make that my first consideration. More butter on your potatoes, more coconut oil to cook your eggs and make sure to eat it, etc. Total calories are much more important than in my own weight gain and maintenance than ratios, and fat is the easiest way for me to get more calories in.

Smoothies are a fantastic and simple way to add calories. Drink a good-sized one every evening with banana, frozen berries, heavy cream, coconut meat, and whey protein (this is what I put in mine, it's delicious!). And if you want to gain weight, you can't just eat when you're hungry and stop when you're not - you have to give yourself that 'stuffed' feeling at least once a day.

Mike Gruber · Answer 10 · 2011-07-29 16:57:51Z UTC

You are the same weight as in high school, which usually means you're at the weight you were before you started getting fat on the SAD. How is your physical condition? Are you as strong as you were then or stronger? If so, then don't worry about it. If not, then work on getting stronger/leaner and let the weight take care of itself.

I have always contended that most people really shouldn't gain any weight after high school, or college at the latest if they were late maturing. The vast majority of people don't improve their health and fitness after that, so the weight they gain is 99% of the time just fat.

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