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Hey everyone,

I´m on a Paleo Diet for about 2 months now, and lost about 10 lbs in the beginning, starting at 152 at a height of 5'8". Then there was a Plateau about 1-2 weeks ago and I didn´t loose anymore. So in the last few days I´ve started intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast and I ate a lot less Snacks than I did at the beginning (I ate much Greek Yoghurt oder Cottage Cheese with Berries, Nuts or generally, fruit.)

Mainly I eat eggs, grass-fed Beef, mostly green Veggies, 100% Cocoa, low Carb, high Protein, moderate to high Fat.

Since then the pounds are going off quicker than ever. Now I weigh 136 lbs, which is great, but I wonder how it can be that quick? I startet just about 5 days ago with the new eating pattern, and everyday I weigh about 0,9-1 lbs less! So in the last 5 days, I lost a total of 4lbs. Is it possible that there is lean muscle that´s burned? I do a little bit of workout, mainly strength training for my back, abs, arms etc. I read on the Internet that burning more than 2 lbs per Week is an Indicator for Muscle Reduce, but I feel that the muscles are building up rather than going away!

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12 Answers

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The $64k question is how much is true FAT loss. No doubt the great "whooshing" of retained water in the first couple weeks of going paleo- particularly if you're going LC paleo is a good booster to keep on plan. However, true fat loss usually happens at about 1-2 lbs a week, maybe more if you have a lot of weight to lose.

As far as losing muscle goes, if you are keeping your protein intake in the range of .7-1g/lb of lean body mass, then you should have minimal muscle loss if any at all. If you are strength training during this period and are a relative beginner, you may actually GAIN muscle during this process.

The main concerns while losing weight(by the way at your height, it doesn't seem like you had a lot to lose or should be losing any more weight) is to keep inflammatory substances out of your body and keep yourself properly nourished with organ meats, bone stocks and such. Also, if you are active, you may want to consider using at least moderate amounts of starches in your diet from potatoes, sweet potatoes and rice, if tolerable.

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That´s what I thought too, with the Water, thanks a lot! If I loose 3 or 4 lbs that would be fine with me, my Hips a still a little chubby, but if not, that wouldn´t be too bad either.. I just feel better with less carbs I must say, I only eat Sushi for the Taste maybe once a month, otherwise I feel too bloated and full with too many Carbs other than Berrys or Diary. – Severine Dec 22 2011 at 15:55
If you're feeling good with what you're doing, then keep doing it:-) – luckybastard Dec 22 2011 at 16:32
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Lose not loose. – Sue Dec 23 2011 at 13:09
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are you effing serious? we have the grammar spellcheck police around here now? i here their's alott of kiddies on facebook who cud yuse yer services... – luckybastard Dec 23 2011 at 14:25
"Effing" isn't a word. – Dualhammers Nov 22 at 9:31
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I'd guess that your weight loss is largely water weight loss from using up the glycogen that was stored in your liver and muscles. Glycogen is a stored form of carbohydrate in the body. For every gram of glucose in glycogen there are ~ 4 grams of water. So as the body uses up the glycogen, you lose water. This is typical when one reduces the carbs in their diet, and you should see that taper off.

Keep in mind that that the reverse is true ... if you have been LCing and increase the carbs in your diet, you will likely see that weight come right back on.

As far as how much weight loss per week is possible, well, quite a bit if you drastically reduce your calories and drastically increase your physical activity. But I certainly wouldn't recommend The Biggest Loser-style bordering on exercise bulemia as a healthy rate of weight loss!

Me, I like the idea that a healthy rate of weight loss is about 1% per week.

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That´s very helpful, thank you! I´ll see the next days/weeks probably.. I started with Slow Carb (Tim Ferris) before I found out about Paleo, so I´ve been relatively Low Carb and Gluten-free for 2-3 months now.. I´m feeling much better with my eating now, I´m not even trying hard to loose weight at the moment, I just want to get a litte fitter and maybe a bit leaner :) – Severine Dec 22 2011 at 15:57
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At this point, you should worry less about weight on the scale and more about body composition. If you focus on increasing lean body mass, you'll take care of both any excess fat and how good you look in your clothes ;). – Beth-WeightMaven Dec 22 2011 at 17:50
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A long time ago people realized the fastest way to lose fat is starvation. The problem was people lost oodles of lean body mass as well.

So someone came up with the idea of fasting/starvation + protein/EFA to meet the minimal body needs. With this approach, lean body mass loss is minimized subject to maximized fat loss.

This is called a protein sparing modified fast (PSMF). It's described very well with practical recommendations by Lyle McDonald Rapid Fat Loss. He also prescribes heavy weight lifting due to its protein sparing effects.

All being said and done you could lose 1/2 to 2/3 lb fat per day. Untrained people, especially if fat, will be expected to lose very little muscle mass. You will certainly not gain muscle mass unless you are obese on such a starvation diet.

A couple things:

1) This approach is not sustainable, unless you are extremely obese you will not be able to keep it up for very long (maybe 2 weeks for someone moderately lean, 1-2 months for someone pretty fat, and several months for the extremely obese).

2) You cannot do a lot of activity. If you try and crossfit with this you will die. Okay not really but it's a stupid idea. You'll be creating a ~1000-1500 kcal (1/3 to 1/2 lb) daily deficit with your diet, what's a couple hundred more on top? If you don't listen you will lose lean body mass.

3) I can't really do this justice, if you're serious about losing fat very fast while minimizing lean body mass loss then read the book.

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Oh conciliator, you and your precise and correct answers. – Kamal Mar 21 2012 at 16:19
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I think the most are getting me completely wrong here. Again:

My focus IS NOT on weightloss!

I just feel better at the moment without Breakfast, I eat a lot (meat with Ghee, Veggies with sauce Hollandaise, Fish and so on) during the day.. I was just wondering why I lost so much the past few days, that wasn´t even my intention, I just wanted to try it out and I actually feel better with fewer carbs (I don´t eat many Carbs since MONTHS, because I started off with Slow Carb, so there is no big changing there) and wanted to understand what is going on with my body, that´s all! :)

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why would that be downvoted?! – Severine Dec 23 2011 at 5:48
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pulled you out of that hole. it happens sometimes when people don't have anything better to do... – luckybastard Dec 23 2011 at 14:26
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Here is John Berardi's weight loss calculator (scroll down a lot), which should give an indication of long-term expectations.

You can determine if you're losing muscle mass by tracking your performance on big lifts (deads, squats, bench). It's not perfect, but combined with body measurements and mirror will give a good idea.

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It is also possible that the Greek Yoghurt, Cottage Cheese, Nuts & fruit caused inflammation and you lost that when you cut back on them. I could never lose the last 15 lbs on any diet until I eliminated dairy and all gluten, then the extra pounds fell off.

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It is possible to lose more than 3 pounds per day on a water fast, in the first few days. But most of the weight is water. On a thirty day water fast, about 1/2 pound of fat is lost per day and an equal amount of water, consistently, every day. This assumes a very obese starting point. And I'm not recommending this at all - it's just the most that can be lost...

http://healthcorrelator.blogspot.com/2010/10/amounts-of-water-carbohydrates-fat-and.html

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Your focus on weight loss is, may I suggest, misguided. This "how much can I lose" is the stuff of self torture, hence for most who practice it, chronic unhappiness. (Some people like being unhappy so torture themselves for fun.) If you must pursue weight loss at all costs (i.e., regardless of other factors) then go about it effectively. To wit: Google whatever method was endorsed by P. T. Barnum, then follow the method without fail. That is, follow it until you fail. Did I mention fun?

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My focus ISN`T on weightloss as I mentioned above :) I just feel better at the moment without Breakfast, I eat a lot during the day.. I was just wondering why I lost so much the past few days, that wasn´t even my intention, I just wanted to try it out, and I actually feel better with fewer carbs and snacking habit and wanted to "hack" what is going on with my body, that´s all (: – Severine Dec 22 2011 at 17:18
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I wouldn't worry about muscle loss as long as you plan on doing some weightlifting to get it back after you're done losing weight. Muscle memory has been proven real, so it will take only a few weeks to gain back whatever muscle and strength you lose from dieting. It took me only 3 weeks to recover the 40lbs I lost from my bench press after losing 31 lbs in under 3 months, though that did include 3 heavy training session each week. It probably won't be quite that fast for a female, but's it's still more efficient to focus on getting down to the bodyfat % you want, and then start focusing on strength.

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When I want to cut water weight to make weight for an athletic event, I cut out carbs for 3 days or so.

Whoosh! There goes 5-10 pounds depending on how carb heavy I have been eating in the days prior. But it's not due to fat loss or anything like that. Carbs follow water, this is essentially water weight plus the weight of stored glycogen that has been burned for energy.

After the event, refeed on carbs. Zing! There are all of those pounds back to say hello in the over the next 3 days. It isn't magic, it just has to do with the way your body stores fluid. Fluid can weigh a lot, and it can also make you appear more 'toned' when you shed water- think of an orange getting all dried out. But it's just an illusion.

Just make sure you are getting enough to drink and enough calories, and you won't be losing real weight- just water. Don't worry too much unless you lose more than 10 pounds- after that, it's likely not water weight anymore and you are running a calorie deficit and losing fat/muscle somehow.

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I am experiencing the same thing! I started the paleo lifestyle 9 days ago and I have lost 7 lbs. All I am doing differently is eliminating grain and reducing my sugar intake. I can't believe how fast the weight is dropping, like it is being eaten while I sleep. Incredible, but almost to a concerning point. I have faith however that it is just my body getting rid of the excess CRAP that I was putting in it for the past 31 years. I'm sure in a week or so I should even out and begin losing a steady 1 lb a week until my body is balanceed.

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Actually measuring up your body with folks out the primary area might not deliver the results.

The quantities of over weight and also being overweight in a region, including the United States of America or perhaps England, are a lot higher than in The Netherlands. Consequently a Dutch could strive for a smaller recommended weight when compared with an American in case just about all he or she managed to do is usually to contrast him or her self for other men and women.

You'll find Three ways to assist you determine whether or not your own body weight is perfect, and also exactly what your own focus must be if it isn't. You'll be able to determine your own Bmi, Weight-Height Ratio, as well as Human body Fat Percent.

Bmi and also WHR can be determined effortlessly at home. WHR is much more precise when compared with Bmi. Nonetheless, Body mass index can be a beneficial signal if you're "standard" individual - no sportsperson or even a committed bodyweight coach.

In case you attempt a weight reduction program which includes eating and working out, please remember the workout will likely raise your muscular mass, that might build up your bodyweight, despite the fact that your current waistline might reduce. Muscle tissue weighs about over body fat.

More Info - www.howmuchshouldiweighchart.com

It could be preferable to strive for specific midsection, hips and also chest muscles dimensions. The Waist-hip percentage objective is achievable. If you believe genuinely devoted, look at your Body Fat Percent; if you're not very pleased with the actual reading, go over a reasonable focus together with a expert in nutrition, athletics science tecnistions, as well as fitness trainer and so do it!

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