Reality check: Counting calories page 6

[Paleobird]

I would like to add that hormones make a big difference. Between PMS and water gains, I can plus up 2-4 lbs monthly for a week or more. Since you've posted your medical history, I hope it's OK for me to suggest that that could have something to do with it? I'd ask you to look at any maintenance meds also, especially anything hormone regulating, such as estrogen suppressing drugs? I'm not a fan of deprivation for deprivation or calorie counting sake, but if you're not hungry and don't eat, I don't see it being a problem. I wore a bodybugg for awhile in the summer and think I will dig it out as I'm finding myself spending too much time this winter sitting in front of my computer, I need to get off my rump more and am hoping this will help with that. I found the calorie expenditure of moving slowly all day vs sitting around shocking, just FYI. Maybe just ramping up your slow activity level will help?

I'm post menopausal so PMS and such are history. I do take a post breast cancer drug that may be a hormone blocker of some kind.

That Bodybugg sounds like a great invention. Must go goole now

[HazelH]

I agree that finding the right balance is key. I spent too long being extremist. Yeah, I find it funny how I eventually grew to eat nothing but meat after never wanting it for so long. I like it fine now, but I like veggies and fruit and tubers more. I don't eat fruit or tubers as of yet, but I'm considering it once my body gets used to eating veggies again. I want to see if this calorie restriction works before I try adding more carbs. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I'm still going to be researching more about a higher carb approach, one that includes tubers, and see if that would actually instigate weight loss. Best of luck, one tall girl to another.

[NutMeg]

I think a lot of the 'calorie in, calories out' discussion for me comes down to the fact that it isn't ALL that matters. So many people in the CW mindset say that all you need to do is create a calorie deficit. I know for me that is absolutely wrong. I spent years on a CW 'healthy' diet with a calorie deficit anywhere from 250-1000 calories a day and barely lost weight. When I first found this eating style, all I had to do was switch. I quit eating grains, beans and potatoes and easily lost weight. I ate about the same number of calories as I was before, sometimes even a little more. I would say over the average week I had about a 1000 calorie deficit per week. Which according to CW should not have equated to 1-2 pounds of weight loss, but that is what I was losing.

Now that I am closer to my goal, I have about 15-20 more pounds I would like to lose, I find that I do need to pay attention a little to my calories. Does this mean I need to go hungry the way I did when I was trying to lose before TPB? No, but it does mean if I want to lose weight I need to stick between 75-100 grams of carb and be at about 1900 calories. According to weight loss sites with my height, weight, age and activity level I need to eat about 1400-1800 to lose weight. So, PB still lets me eat more calories to lose weight, but I do indeed need to create a calorie deficit to lose.

Now, I personally can do it without counting calories. But, I spent 3.5 years weighing and measuring food so I think I have it in my head and do it without thinking much about it.

What i love about this lifestyle for me though, is I know I can routinely go FAR above in calories on Primal foods and NOT gain weight. So once I get to my goal, maintaining is a breeze.

[marcadav]

I just got home from running wind sprints on the beach in a jogbra and shorts with my dog.

Reading this makes me miss San Diego. Our high today was 43.

[jammies]

I do take a post breast cancer drug that may be a hormone blocker of some kind.

Any chance you are taking tamoxifen? I think a fair percentage of people have water retention and weight gain issues on tamoxifen. Maybe things will just go more slowly for you? I think losing a pant size seems like pretty good progress.

It does seem that calorie counting/restriction is necessary for some people here. I don't fit exactly in to any of the groups you listed. I came here to heal - but I have been slowly but steadily losing weight with PB since starting without intentionally restricting cabs or calories.

Good luck.

[brahnamin]

I'd take a week and *count* calories before you start cutting calories. Just to see where you're at - especially with multiple 24 hr fasts in a given week. Just a thought. I have no real advice for you. My wife completely bellyflopped on primal last year when we gave it a go together, while I actually did very well.

In fact, my wife almost never loses weight unless she is counting calories.

Reading this post (and several others that track along a similar path) I begin to wonder if PB really just works better for males than it does females (I'll exclude the extremely athletic females like Batty and Erica (of the *bazillion alternative pizza recipe* fame) from this observation). Maybe serious heavy workouts are necessary for real success in that last stack of pounds.

Maybe when I've been here a little longer and know the regulars better I'll start a thread that covers that question. Because I'd really like to hear from the women on this forum and find out how many succeeded in reaching their goal weight on standard primal and how many had to amp it up a bit (and how many aren't even there yet and the struggles they've faced like what you've posted here).

My primary interest lies in the fact that I know my wife is very likely to follow in my footsteps despite her current vegetarian ways should this truly turn into a success for me (previously she has been much more adept at losing weight than I am and it will totally get her goat if I start losing faster than she does - not a criticism, I just know the woman).

[NutMeg]

HazelH, I have to stay above 50grams of carb to lose weight. I am sure I am not the only person that works this way!

[lexsi340]

I think the thing with calorie-counting is, as Mark & Gary Taubes have pointed out - it is IMPOSSIBLE to accurately count calories, and calories are utilized differently by your body depending on the substance.

I understand where you're coming from - for instance, you can't eat completely excessively just because it's good food. I just think calories are a bad way to measure "excessive".

[brahnamin]

@NutMeg - You're not. My wife won't do PB (again) but she has never had decent success on a low carb regimen (beyond losing the initial water weight - which makes her mad because it comes right back).

[Paleobird]

Any chance you are taking tamoxifen? I think a fair percentage of people have water retention and weight gain issues on tamoxifen. Maybe things will just go more slowly for you? I think losing a pant size seems like pretty good progress.

No, it's called Arimidex. I think Tamoxifen is the one they give you if you are still pre-menopausal.
Yes, going from tight 12s to comfortable 10s is pretty cool. I think it mostly has to do with my abs tightening up.