Sugar vs Fat

[Bazza20]

For what it's worth, I don't usually eat very many carbs, but when I reduce them further, I have a difficult time keeping weight on. As much as I love fatty meats, I can't eat enough of them to keep weight on.

Each to the own. I was at my fattest when I ate low carb.

[mstrofbass]

Each to the own. I was at my fattest when I ate low carb.

How do you explain the fact that paleo works so well for so many people, and without actively counting calories?

[AndyL]

For what it's worth, I don't usually eat very many carbs, but when I reduce them further, I have a difficult time keeping weight on. As much as I love fatty meats, I can't eat enough of them to keep weight on.

I feel the same way. If I didn't eat a good amount of carbs every day I feel like I would waste away.

I don't know why people have a hard time accepting that different approaches will bring different results in different people. Restricting carbohydrate is clearly a useful approach to weight loss for many people, many studies demonstrate this. This doesn't mean it's the only way to lose weight, or that it'll work well for everyone.

Saying 'it's just calories' is true in a certain sense but misses the point because it ignores why people eat the amount of calories they do.

[Bazza20]

How do you explain the fact that paleo works so well for so many people, and without actively counting calories?

Paleo cuts out huge groups of foods that you are allowed I eat. This alone will drop the calorie intake for many people, doesn't mean paleo is anything special for fat loss. Just means you are cutting out huge food groups you are allowed to eat. It's still easily possible to get fat if you eat enough. A paleo diet can be fine if that's what people want to eat all the time but it's not sustainable or required if you want to eat other types of food.

You could have a chicken breast and broccoli only diet without counting calories. Pretty much no one could get fat on that diet without counting calories. Doesn't mean it's a good diet though. The more food groups a diet cuts out the harder it is to gain fat but the harder it is to sustain in the long term.

[mstrofbass]

Paleo cuts out huge groups of foods that you are allowed I eat. This alone will drop the calorie intake for many people, doesn't mean paleo is anything special for fat loss. Just means you are cutting out huge food groups you are allowed to eat. It's still easily possible to get fat if you eat enough. A paleo diet can be fine if that's what people want to eat all the time but it's not sustainable or required if you want to eat other types of food.

You could have a chicken breast and broccoli only diet without counting calories. Pretty much no one could get fat on that diet without counting calories. Doesn't mean it's a good diet though.

So, people are less hungry when they cut out food groups from their diet?

[Bazza20]

So, people are less hungry when they cut out food groups from their diet?

It's going to depend on the person. Some maybe some maybe not.

You can easily be hungry on paleo but while motivation is high it's easy to avoid foods you are craving.

The best diet is one you can stick to long term. If someone only wants to eat paleo type foods it will be fine for them but for the bulk of people excluding there favourite foods totally is not sustainable in the long term. There is nothing magical about eating paleo.

[shaddix]

You need to read some more, try archevore, wholehealthsource.

[LudwigVan]

Bazza is on the mark. I don't want to eat paleo because I like to eat lots of non-paleo foods. Therefore I am happy that I can be lean and strong without eating paleo.

[Philbert]

ColoWayno:
Lower carbohydrate intake and lower GI carbs will improve TG numbers some. Taking 10 grams of fish oil a day will also help. Fish oil is so good for lowering TG that there is a patented drug made from the fatty acids in fish oil.

[AndyL]

I'm struggling to see how eating a diet composed of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts is a hopelessly unsustainable way of eating, yet apparently keeping track of every calorie you eat in order to maintain your weight is perfectly normal and sustainable. Are you going to do that every day for the rest of your life?