Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I’ve been doing a paleo-adapted diet for about two months, and this site is a great source of inspiration and knowledge for me. Now I come to you for suggestions about what to eat so I don’t get hungry (and I apologize about my english, it's my second language - I'm brazilian). I know there are a lot of similar questions already posted, and I am reading all the answers. But I hoped you guys could take a look at my particular situation, since I don't eat red meat and hardly ever eat chicken. I only eat fish and some other sea creatures, like shrimps.

By what I read here, I figure Paleo shouldn't leave me feeling hungry – nevertheless, I am. I read some of you saying you eat 3 eggs in the morning and eat again only at night and I wonder how on Earth is this person not hungry...

So, what do I eat?

Before training, yogurt (sometimes low fat) with berries.
After training, usually 2 eggs with coffee and maybe some avocado. If training is specially hard I’ll eat a banana or a small serving of a starch, like sweet potato or cassava (very common in Brazil). Training used to be only running, now is running some days and crossfit some days. By now it’s 9am.
By 12 I’m very hungry. My stomach is growling. For lunch I usually eat salmon, which is the fattiest fish easily available on restaurants, with green salad and veggies. If salmon is not available I’ll have to do with whatever fish they have, and white fish tends to be very lean. I usually also have some fruits like strawberries and pineapple if they are available (I usually have lunch in restaurants).
Then somedays I have to eat again by 5 or 6pm. Usually some fruit with an egg or nuts (sometimes all these).
At night I usually eat fish again, either salmon, tuna or a shrimp preparation with veggies or curry. And I finish with strawberries with heavy cream. Sometimes I eat a starch (sweet potato or cassava), to help the training next morning.

So, as you can see, I'm eating too often - and I'm still hungry.

I try to use coconut oil when possible, but I find that cooking with it sometimes adds a sweet taste not always wanted. And I try to include coconut – fresh, shreded, milk etc very often. In Brazil coconuts are easily available.

During the weekend I’ll have some more liberal meals, adding tapioca and cheese. The tapioca I'm talking about is a very common food in Brazil, I make it myself or buy at the farmer's market. It uses only cassava flour mixed with water, passed through a strainer - and then cooked on a pan to give it form. It resembles a pancake, which you can fill with shredded coconut, cheese, butter - you name it. It looks like this:

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and it's delicious.

I know I should be eating more fat! But what kind of fat may I eat? Since I don’t do red meat? How do I eat butter without bread? (I love butter and wouldn't mind eating more of it). And what else can I do not to be hungry all the time?

I've lost about 4 pounds in two months and I still have about 5 pounds to go.

Thank you very much!

flag	asked Nov 24 2011 at 21:49 alefrombrazil 21●2

sage_ · Answer 1 · 2011-11-24 23:17:29Z UTC

3

i eat butter with cinnamon mixed in by the spoonful .

answered Nov 24 2011 at 23:17

sage_
10.3k●1●5●22

panteleimon · Answer 2 · 2011-11-24 22:31:56Z UTC

It sounds like you could do with more fat, if you want to feel less hungry. Have you tried frying the fish (gently) in butter? That is a delicious way to eat more butter!

It also sounds like you might still be adapted to burning glucose rather than fat. To make the switch you might need to reduce some of the fruit and starches as well as increasing the fat. (If you just increase fat and don't reduce carbohydrates, you might end up eating too many calories overall and store them as fat.)

But nobody can really tell you what will be best for you - everyone is different - you need to experiment to see what works for you!

Good luck,

Rhubarb · Answer 3 · 2011-11-24 22:49:04Z UTC

Wow, that tapioca pancake looks awesome!

I think you're on the right track suspecting you're not getting enough fat, it looks a little light on in what you're eating. You may also do well with a little more protein.

Some easy ways to bump up the fat intake is to drizzle foods with olive oil, or melted ghee/butter. Eat salads with with an olive oil based dressing.

I can eat coconut oil by the spoon full, YMMV, so a table spoon a couple of times a day+ is any easy way to get more fat and coconut oil into the diet. I've heard of people doing this with dark chocolate to increase the yumminess.

I would also definitely increase your fat and protein intake at your post workout, 2nd breakfast meal. 2 eggs and fruit is pretty light on, I would consider I a nice serving of fatty fish to go with this, maybe some sardines with an extra egg.

Nance · Answer 4 · 2011-11-24 22:55:02Z UTC

I think you know the answer, you're just uncomfortable with it.

A high-protein, low fat regime is going to leave you hungry because your body is not satisfied. If that's what you want to eat, then it's hard to give you suggestions but I'll try:

Before training, yogurt (sometimes low fat) with berries. ALWAYS CHOOSE FULL_CREAM YOGURT.

After training, usually 2 eggs with coffee and maybe some avocado. If training is specially hard I’ll eat a banana or a small serving of a starch, like sweet potato or cassava (very common in Brazil). Training used to be only running, now is running some days and crossfit some days. By now it’s 9am. MAKE THAT 2 EGGS PLUS 2 MORE YOLKS; COOK IN BUTTER OR BACON FAT OR COCONUT OIL.

By 12 I’m very hungry. My stomach is growling. For lunch I usually eat salmon, which is the fattiest fish easily available on restaurants, with green salad and veggies. If salmon is not available I’ll have to do with whatever fish they have, and white fish tends to be very lean. I usually also have some fruits like strawberries and pineapple if they are available (I usually have lunch in restaurants).

PUT LOTS OF BUTTER ON THE FISH; CAN YOU GET SARDINES? OLIVE OIL ON THE SALAD

Then somedays I have to eat again by 5 or 6pm. Usually some fruit with an egg or nuts (sometimes all these). NOT VERY MUCH--AGAIN, CAN YOU GET CANNED SARDINES?

At night I usually eat fish again, either salmon, tuna or a shrimp preparation with veggies or curry. And I finish with strawberries with heavy cream. Sometimes I eat a starch (sweet potato or cassava), to help the training next morning.

EXTREME OPTION: Not paleo but ancestral, you could consider well-soaked legumes. I do that occasionally and it doesn't seem to derail my progress.

I’m hungry! suggestions needed

4 Answers