Is it really about low carb or calories in/out?

[QUOTE=VeggieLover;924768]thats true, thanks so much for the advice. I get so caught up with what I am supposed to eat/not eat, but I know for a fact that I do really well with a lot of fats. I do HORRIBLE on low fat diets, which is why macrobiotics never worked for me or raw food diets. I came to Paleo because it makes sense to me after trying a million different ways to heal digestive problems and other health issues.[/QUOTE]I like your avatar name, as I called myself a "veggie lover" for many years, & I also used to say to people, "I never met a vegetable I didn't like..." Macro in the beginning worked to do some healing as it was such a clean diet, as did raw vegan, but in the end I was suffering: too little fat, too little protein, too much grains(macro) causing me to binge on sweets & oily foods, seeking calories mostly. I was rail thin, ribs poking out. I've since known for some time that I do really really well on high fat & sometimes on high animal protein (when I crave it, I Grok all out on meat).

[QUOTE=VeggieLover;924768]I guess part of me just worries about how my body is going to start responding to this diet, but maybe I am coming back here now because I realize my body is craving these types of foods again.

Really appreciate all of the help on this post and will continue seeking advice and other questions that I may have[/QUOTE]Please do apply yourself fully as possible. I endorse & practice full ketosis. Paleobird informs me from her extensive,recent research that 65% fat, 25-30% protein & 10-5% carb is better than 80/10/10 as it gives you more meat on a daily basis & still keeps you in true clinical ketosis. Some/many people on MDA bash or dislike ketosis, but the literature & testimonials are strong. I am sold on it for at least a 2 week period of strict adherence, & it's working for my mom too. It's not something I'd recommend for any shorter nor longer than 2 week stretches, unless you have a neurological disease or brain injury, for which it's often medically prescribed & quite effective for...

[QUOTE=VeggieLover;924768]thats true, thanks so much for the advice. I get so caught up with what I am supposed to eat/not eat, but I know for a fact that I do really well with a lot of fats. I do HORRIBLE on low fat diets, which is why macrobiotics never worked for me or raw food diets. I came to Paleo because it makes sense to me after trying a million different ways to heal digestive problems and other health issues.

I guess part of me just worries about how my body is going to start responding to this diet, but maybe I am coming back here now because I realize my body is craving these types of foods again.

Really appreciate all of the help on this post and will continue seeking advice and other questions that I may have[/QUOTE]I think you've 'got it' ~ You're going to do great! :D

[QUOTE=ChocoTaco369;924090]Did you actually read the post or did you skip the entire middle? I was on a 3,000 calorie a week caloric deficit. That's why I lost weight. There was nothing more going on. I took in a 5,000 calorie deficit over 5 days and lost fat, then would go on a 2,000 calorie caloric surplus while performing hypertrophy to put on muscle. The net result was a 3,000 calorie deficit each week over 6 weeks, resulting in a significant loss of weight.[/QUOTE]

Yes I did...was particularly impressed with your quote "you can only do this with a carbohydrate". Why? If a calorie is just a calorie it should not make a difference. If a calorie was just a calorie you would achieve the same goals getting your calories from ANY source, but according to you that is not the case.

It's all about calories, without a doubt. Low carbs just happens to be another strategy that can be implemented in order to achieve the goal of creating a calorie deficit. Personally I have found intermittent fasting to work much better for creating a calorie deficit.

I have actually heard of cases where people were able to lose weight and improve their health markers while eating junk food, because they were in a calorie deficit. It can be done. The problem however is that for someone who loves to eat, its just going to be too darn hard to restrict calories while eating junk foods that are calorie dense. The better bet is to go with foods that are highly satisfying but low in calories. That way your calories will be low without the need to feel hungry.