Switch to paleo diet?

[Carlos Daniel]

I've just commited a sin, haven't I?

Seriously, I've done some reading and I came to the (probably wrong) assumption that calories in vs calories out is the determining factor, and the macros just set you up better. Get enough protein, and you won't lose your muscle/strength. Eat fats, and you'll stay full longer. Have carbs (milk) in the morning and post workout. Isn't that the general outline?

Yes it is, the thing is that some people disagree for strange reasons.

[denbrkln]

I've just commited a sin, haven't I?

Seriously, I've done some reading and I came to the (probably wrong) assumption that calories in vs calories out is the determining factor, and the macros just set you up better. Get enough protein, and you won't lose your muscle/strength. Eat fats, and you'll stay full longer. Have carbs (milk) in the morning and post workout. Isn't that the general outline?

Most of this is correct. The protein thing isn't, though. The body's amino acid pool is not the limiting factor for protein synthesis in healthy individuals eating enough food. Eating carbs would probably have a bigger per-gram muscle-sparing effect (out of a 2000 and over calorie diet) than protein because in the process of stripping amino acids of the amine group, about a quarter of the energy provided by its oxidation is used. This means only 3 out of the 4 calories in a gram of protein can be used for energy.

[hatmanii]

I'm far from a Paleo apostle, but the change in body composition I've experienced, and the change in my wife's composition (who at the moment leads a far from active lifestyle and was far from overweight to begin with) convince me of the hormonal and body process benefits that a paleo diet provides.

My wife is consuming many more calories than she was nearly 2 1/2 months ago, yet somehow her waistline is shrinking. How does this work if it's all about calories?

If WEIGHT LOSS is your goal, maybe another approach is better. But it's hard to argue against the efficacy of a paleo/ketogenic/carb cycling/low carb diet approach if a change in body composition is your desired end result.

[Tamara Reynolds]

I am proof that a Paleo diet can get you meth addict skinny with teh abz if you so desire.

[Ron_Hendrix]

I am proof that a Paleo diet can get you meth addict skinny with teh abz if you so desire.

I'm gonna be giving a modified paleo diet a go...I just can't go without milk.

[Carlos Daniel]

I'm gonna be giving a modified paleo diet a go...I just can't go without milk.

I did this for a short while and it worked.

[dsp]

I just think of milk as my treat. I had to cut out the peanut butter though. Armed with a spoon, that shit packs on calories. Just drink a glass of milk when you wake up, after the gym, and after you've "earned" it (some light cardio?)

[dsp]

I'm far from a Paleo apostle, but the change in body composition I've experienced, and the change in my wife's composition (who at the moment leads a far from active lifestyle and was far from overweight to begin with) convince me of the hormonal and body process benefits that a paleo diet provides.

My wife is consuming many more calories than she was nearly 2 1/2 months ago, yet somehow her waistline is shrinking. How does this work if it's all about calories?

If WEIGHT LOSS is your goal, maybe another approach is better. But it's hard to argue against the efficacy of a paleo/ketogenic/carb cycling/low carb diet approach if a change in body composition is your desired end result.

With a non restricted carb diet, your wife was probably getting the munchies and snacking out under the radar. People also have a tendency to "blank out" their calorie counting (everyone does it to a degree in their head) during this feast. If it's not about calories in vs calories out (at the most basic level), then how do we determine weight loss? Why do we count calories? Why do I pay extra for the "lean" ground beef?

edit- I eat eggs, ham, ground beef, chicken, fish, and veggies. never pasta, sometimes breaded meat. is this considered paleo?
edit 2- and chili. mm cant live without chili.

[Patrick]

I think paleo is far more flexible than most people acknowledge. About a year ago I was eating strictly paleo and sitting at 205-210 for about five months -- Christmas time nom noms broke me of the strictness -- with only increases in performance coming with time. I am still eating paleo now and I've dropped probably 10-15 lbs of actual tissue weight in the interim, which coincides with a layoff from the gym and a blunting of appetite that I'm rebounding from. Paleo with milk has always been incredibly good for adding weight on me (your mileage may vary) and, quite simply, bread and pasta make me into a doughy fucker pretty quickly. But paleo is certainly not an exclusively weight-loss focused diet.

Tbone is right, paleo can make you meth addict skinny. It can also keep you John Welbourn big -- and that's a big, active man. So it might be that your particular application of paleo needs to be tailored for your goals... that is, you need to maintain adequate protein and up the fat to make sure you're eating for growth, while taking in enough of the stuff that grows on trees to stay good with vitamins and minerals.

Also, and I hate to poke this particular bee's nest, it should be said that nutrient absorption is a direct function of gut health. I mention that because "calories in minus calories out" is a pretty good paradigm... provided that "out" calories reflect what you shit out as well as what you sweat out, and improved gut health is one of the primary concerns of paleo advocates. To be honest, I dunno about that because I am only so geeked out on the science behind it, but I'm probably not the only one who noticed a fairly major change in the composition of my stool on a fully paleo diet. Anyway, try it and see if it works. Worst case is you lose a few weeks and best case, it's exactly what you were looking for.

[Patrick]

With a non restricted carb diet, your wife was probably getting the munchies and snacking out under the radar. People also have a tendency to "blank out" their calorie counting (everyone does it to a degree in their head) during this feast. If it's not about calories in vs calories out (at the most basic level), then how do we determine weight loss? Why do we count calories? Why do I pay extra for the "lean" ground beef?

edit- I eat eggs, ham, ground beef, chicken, fish, and veggies. never pasta, sometimes breaded meat. is this considered paleo?
edit 2- and chili. mm cant live without chili.

Nothing breaded. And the chili is fine if you don't have beans.