Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I'm F 27 140lbs, active.

I've been low carb for almoust 2 years off and on but on average no higher than 80-100g. 2 mths ago I decieded to go Paleo. I really like the concept and it just made sense. I wanted something that could be more of a lifestyle change than a diet.

I felt fine for a month and the last month I have been seriuolsy sick. The muscle ache got so bad I couldnt hardly function. Other syptoms I have are severe fatigue, tiggle in muscles, mood swings, pale poop/dirahea, irregular sleep patern. 2 weeks ago I started taking magnesium, potasium,fish oil and nothing. I don't feel like they have helped much. I also started drinking a lot more water this week thinking I was de hydrated. I even cheated and got some whole grain bread to carb up a little to see if it helps.

I feel a little bit better now but still not great. Any ideas on how I can rebuild my diet to see whats making me sick or what I'm doing wrong?

While Paleo I've been eating: Fat - 50-60% Protein - 30-25% Carbs - 15-20%

I basically eat meat, fruit, eggs, tons of veggies. so most of my carbs are from fruit. I eat about 1500 Calories a day. Any imput would be most welcome.

flag	asked Aug 18 2011 at 15:21 Kasia 51●4

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Am I understanding correctly, that you went from 80-100g of carbs to over 200 (that would be 15-20% of 1500 cals/day)? Also, 1500 cals sounds slightly low to me; at 150, I eat about 1800. – Rose Aug 18 2011 at 15:26

are you getting enough calories a day? – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Aug 18 2011 at 15:31

the 300 calories I increased 2 mths ago are mostly fat. I still eat about 80-100 carbs. the 1500 sample day I described was about 80g carbs, 82 grams protein, 100g fat. I don't count the calories daily just since I havent been feeling good once in a while I'll use the calorie counter website to doublecheck the nutritional values of what I usually eat. I do eat when I'm huntry and stop when I'm full. Since I've been sick I havent felt like eating much. – Kasia Aug 18 2011 at 16:36

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My gut instinct would be to experiment with upping your carbs to 150g~ with tubers. I get some of the same symptoms as you when I don't get enough carbs (and calories in general), and reaching at least 150g of carbs with sweet potato and some fruit resolves those issues for me. – Phoenix Aug 18 2011 at 17:25

Dragonfly · Answer 1 · 2011-08-18 17:09:47Z UTC

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Your symptoms sound like you caught a virus. How's your vitamin D level?

answered Aug 18 2011 at 17:09

Dragonfly
31.2k●1●8●41

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Nice question. It's all too easy to attribute every health change to diet alone. – Rose Aug 18 2011 at 17:13

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Vitamin D was low so I've been taking a supplement last couple weeks. I went to see a Doc and they are going to test me for mono. Maybe that's what it is.It's just odd all this started 3 weeks after I changed my diet. I should have results soon. – Kasia Aug 19 2011 at 12:11

curly16 · Answer 2 · 2011-08-18 15:45:36Z UTC

eat more!! 1500 is too little if your consuming 50-60% fats. 2 table spoons of almond butter is 200+ calories. I don't monitor calories i just eat when hungery and stop when i'm full or sometimes soon after i'm full. calorie in calorie out doesn't matter. it's about the TYPE of calorie. do you eat an array for veggies and fruits?

also, what types of proteins? it almost sounds like your getting too much protein based on your symptoms.

i'm 5'4" 125 and can't even beging to tell you how many calories- paleo should count calories.

but here is a sample day

530am black coffee 16oz 11am 2 eggs over hard with left over veggie from previous night- zucchini, broccoli slaw onion cooking in coconut oil.

large spinach salad with flax seed oil and lemon juice carrots, tomatoes 1 whole tomatoe, carrots, slaw, red peppers and 1 whole chicken breast

1/2 burger ( 2 1/4 burgers) grass fed beef over lettuce with tomatoes and spicy mustard!! salad- larger like lunch with a fried egg on top!

bowl of berries and peach or nectarine, pecans and a ton of almond butter!!!

Eliz · Answer 3 · 2011-08-18 15:42:41Z UTC

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My initial impression is not enough food, not enough carbs, too much protein. I'm about your age and weight and the macros you described would make me feel like crap too. I've also found I do much better getting my carbs from cooked starch - fruit and veggie carbs don't seem to "count" to my body.

answered Aug 18 2011 at 15:42

Eliz
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That great imput thanks! Would you mind sharing what an average day would be for you ? What you eat? I though I had this figured out an obviously I don't since I'm feeling sick. – Kasia Aug 18 2011 at 16:18

I used to skip breakfast or have eggs and maybe fruit, a big salad with ~8oz meat for lunch, and another ~8oz of meat for dinner along with two nonstarchy veggies, fat to taste, snacked on fruit and nuts. I had almost exactly the macros of cal/fat/pro/carb you described and i started to feel like total garbage. Cont'd – Eliz Aug 18 2011 at 18:27

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Now I cut way back on my meat and i eat a lot more starch, mainly potatoes and rice and even Ezekiel bread - I don't seem to get any bad effects from gluten and i like toast or bread crumbs sometimes. So a day might be a piece of Ezekiel toast with butter, a banana, and some Greek yogurt for breakfast, some kinda one pot meat/veggie thing over rice for lunch, and ~4oz meat plus a reasonable serving of nonstarchy veggies and a big pile of potatoes for dinner, again all meals with fat to taste, snacks are generally fruit but i've mostly given up on nuts. – Eliz Aug 18 2011 at 18:33

I also do fried rice for lunch a lot if i have leftover rice. I just saute a bunch of veggies, then add the rice and some tamari and rice vinegar, finish it up with a beaten egg or two and some scallions and/or seaweed. – Eliz Aug 18 2011 at 18:34

Feeling sick on Paleo :(

3 Answers