Primal Snacking/Diet Tips page

[npatel]

Hello all,

I am relatively new to Primal Lifestyle and had some questions.

1) What are your opinions on snacking? I started a thread a while back re: how i was not losing any weight on the primal diet and many people responded that i was snacking too much, yet i have read many posts and forums on paleo/primal living and many people are snacking throughout there day

2) Also if you suggest snacking what are some good ideas of snacks that you have tried? I am physician and have hectic hours and so eating a proper meal can be difficult at times but i dont want to make excuses and am looking for support and guidance in planning out my daily snacks.

3) What are some foods that you eat to obtain your daily fat intake? I saw some interviews with Mark Sission and he mentions olive oil, ghee, nuts and seeds but i cant seem to eat too much at one time and wonder if i am getting enough fat in my diet

4) I am currently on Day 29/30 of the Primal Challenge and have not lost any weight. I realize that all bodies are different but i thought after not eating traditional carbs i would have lost some degree of fat but have not noticed much of a difference. Any thoughts?

Any help is much appreciated and look forward to connecting with many of you.

[Silvergirl]

I have been doing this diet for 5 months. Lost all my goal weight plus more, never going backwards. I don't have the experience of the others on here but for me what works is no snacks whatsoever. I have 3 meals a day and sit down and eat really slowly. If I do this I tend to find that I want to stop eating early. Meat is very dense so it takes a while to catch up. I use all the fat mentioned. I add coconut oil, coconut cream and clarified butter to my coffee instead of cream. Also if I feel a bit tired or low on energy before dinner then I have a spoon of coconut oil. I add fat to soups and veggies too.

Good luck

[Sambo712]

I've been going strong for almost 2 months now and have seen a great improvement in body composition. Right this moment I am snacking on a little brick of 88% dark chocolate, one of my favorite desserts. I find that when you get started and go off the carbs, it is good to have lots of snacks available, and to more or less indulge whenever you feel hungry. However, as of late I have had very little need for snacks. I now start my days with bullet proof coffee (butter, coconut oil and coffee blended) and that keeps me going till around 2:00, but sometimes I go until dinner at 6:00. I simply don't feel the need to snack when I keep that fat content up in the morning, which is amazing because up until 2 months ago I had to carry around an arsenal of snacks in my backpack to keep my energy up. With time, I'm sure you will be able to go without snacks, but until then, here are some ideas:
Macadamia nuts (expensive, but super filling)
Avocado with salt
tuna (wich comes in little bags, and is often times lightly flavored)
Jerky
Almonds
Pumpkin seeds
Left over veg from dinner
hard boiled eggs
MORE COFFEE (which is what I usually do around noon if I'm hungry, I usually use heavy cream)
Nut Butters
string cheese (if you do dairy)
I hope this helps, I know it can be frustrating when you don't loose any weight, my girlfriend is going through the same thing.

[jumperdono]

Meat is very dense so it takes a while to catch up.

[Fitness Wayne]

My favorite snacks for losing weight are carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. If you are on the go then nuts and freeze dried fruit are good paleo/primal snacks. If you do decide to snack on nuts, weight out 1 oz of nuts with a food scale and put them in a ziplock bag to take with you. Nuts have a lot of calories and it is easy to eat 500 to 600 calories (or more) worth of nuts before you realize it. If I eat straight from the back, I typically 500+ calories for a snack.

If you are still having problems losing weight, then try intermittent fasting and ketosis to help burn more fat. To get my daily intake of healthy fat while in ketosis, I cook my vegetables in ghee or coconut oil. I eat an avocado per day and I eat about 2 ounces of macadamia nuts per day.

[Sandra in BC]

1) No Snacking. If you're hungry, have a meal and eat till you're full. If you're not, don't eat.

2) A meal doesn't have to be a 4 course hot cooked meal. It can be a bunch of cold stuff. Hard boiled egg, jerky, pepperoni, veggies, fruit, nuts, salad. Planned leftovers can be reheated in under 2 minutes...soups, stews, etc.

3) Bacon, bacon fat, butter, avocado, olive oil, meat, full-fat dairy, cream in my coffee, fats used in cooking meat and veg.

4) You're snacking too much?? You haven't adopted any other parts of the Primal lifestyle? You're close to your goal weight already? You're not eating enough?

[Damiana]

You may not have lost weight because you're snacking too much on the wrong stuff. A few pieces of celery is one thing. A few handful of fruits/cheese/nuts will really sabotage you. Going without food for awhile is fine. It's not necessary to maintain a state of fullness. I also recommend intermittent fasting.

[npatel]

Thank you all for your advice. I am not much of a coffee drinker but as for the snacking i see what everyone means. I will lay out my day:

530a: wake up and make a smoothie for breakfast: water, 1tsp of carob powder, 1tsp of stevia, 1 scoop of sun warrior brown rice protein, 1 tbsp of barleans fish oil, 1 spoon of coconut oil, and handful of frozen berries

7a: go to work, MY work day is hectic and sitting to eating a meal slowly is almost near impossible. Im sure most people will say you have to make time, but there just is not truly a large amount of time at most i have 20mins. This is why i snack. Since there are days where i cant eat a proper lunch i snack.

6p: come home from work.

630p: have a salad consisting of either lettuce or kale as the base. Olive oil and sea salt for the dressing. ! avocado, scallions and tomatoes.


My workouts are about 3-4 times.weekly varying from 40mins of a slow walk or yoga

For meat i prefer: eggs, salmon, tofu or chicken

I would appreciate any help in terms of ideas of recipes that keep you full thru the day or if anyone else is in a restricted schedule as I am and have had success with the pale lifestyle in losing weight and feeling better, and how you did it.

Thank you in advance for all your help and support.

[Silvergirl]

I do think drinking carb. calories a bad idea. There are other fast ways. One thing I do is make a huge batch of Mark's nutty protein balls and if I need to eat on the run I take one with me. I actually make them into bars and double the recipe then I freeze them. Just google the recipe. There are lots of interesting bars you can make online Also things like very eggy muffins etc. I can't hardly eat eggs so not for me, but lots out there, good luck. Just don't consider this a snack because it is on the go. Have a proper portion ready and eat that as your calculated meal.

[Sandra in BC]

If you have 40 min for yoga or walking, you have time for food. Or more specifically, you have time to *prepare* food that is quick and easy to consume when time allows.

Also, there is nothing wrong with being hungry until your next eating opportunity. Primal hunger is not the same as low-blood-sugar-crabby-butt-disorder.