Really confused about calorie intake page 8

[Drumroll]

This is a brilliant thread. Really enjoying the debate



That's actually a really good point. I became totally carb-phobic when I got into this diet, but the reality is that any diet works if you adhere to it. The difficulty is in keeping off the weight once you lose it and return to your regular eating habits, and maybe that's where Primal (not specifically low carb) has an advantage, cos people view it as a lifestyle, and an education.

The water weight is just the INITIAL weightloss. You do lose REAL, honest-to-God body fat on a lower carb diet if you stick to it long enough. This is not to say that this kind of diet is for everyone but it's not simply a woosh of water weight. That's what happens at the beginning (even Mark admits as much), but then again, you won't lose any kind of fat on any diet if you aren't able to stick to it.

Sticking to the plan has significantly lowered my body fat and I've seen it do the same for a good number of other people as well. The point is, no diet gives instantaneous weightloss. If that's what you want, then too bad, it's not happening. Low carb works, but not overnight. Although I don't see what's wrong with shedding a few pounds of unnecessary water from your body anyway.

[Phillykid]

Yea i did lose some weight and i noticed i had more energy. I'm usually drained before work is about to end, now i'm not as tired. I think it has mostly to do with eating a lot more. I have to admit though, the first few days i counted calories, but after reading threads and asking questions, people we're shocked when they saw my first sample eating plan that totaled 1300 calories, now i'm aiming for 1900-2100. I still do think calories matter in a way, but i'm not stressing/counting every meal anymore

[Drumroll]

Calories are important. Eat to lose. I tend to think 90% of weightloss is diet and the remaining 10% is activity level and exercise.

But you don't have to obsess about it at all. You kind of get into a "grove" that just feels right and that is all you need to be at a proper caloric intake. Your body is sort of able to self-regulate itself that way. Cool, no?

You might want to eat closer to the upper end of that scale (2,100 calories) on heavy workout days though. But beyond that, just eat until you are full.

[RichMahogany]

1. I thought you were a girl when I read this. You eat like a girl on a diet.

Boom.

2. Your food contains too much "diet food" and not enough real food. Eat the whole egg. Don't buy egg whites in a carton. Eat bacon, not bacon bits. Eat actual turkey that you roasted in the oven, not turkey bits. Eat some beef and salmon, not just chicken breast. And for crying out loud, you actually count your cherry tomatoes? Stop doing that.

Seriously. I've cut down to 130 to fight MMA at your same height and I was eating actual food in much larger quantities than you're talking about.

3. You are a 135lb man who is 5'6" tall. You are way too small for a grown man. You need to build a manly body. You should get some manly exercise. Either do the Primal Blueprint fitness program or go lift some weights. Eat WAY more food so you can grow. Put on some weight as muscle. Whatever fat you have now can be ignored because it probably isn't very much. It's just that you have so little muscle to balance it out.

Good luck.

You have become a wise lady. I hope the OP gets the message.

[Phillykid]

I was used to following meal plans from reading men's health and they always said multiply weight x 10 and that was how many calories i had to eat. Pretty sure i'm not the only one which is why i made this thread to learn more about PB

[RobinNM]

I was used to following meal plans from reading men's health and they always said multiply weight x 10 and that was how many calories i had to eat. Pretty sure i'm not the only one which is why i made this thread to learn more about PB

You have to keep in mind, though, that most of those "health" magazines are focused on conventional wisdom and the normal "diet" rules. A lot of these are the same ones that say that the Primal or Paleo "diet" (they say diet, we say way of life) is not good for you.

Experiment a lot with what works FOR YOU. If you don't want to lose actual pounds, just get leaner, you don't want to cut calories. I've found that Neckhammer and Drumroll generally give very good info and what they have to say makes sense for me. I'm not a young man trying to lean out, rather a middle aged woman trying to lose weight, but it all still applies.

[RichMahogany]

I was used to following meal plans from reading men's health and they always said multiply weight x 10 and that was how many calories i had to eat. Pretty sure i'm not the only one which is why i made this thread to learn more about PB

Taking diet and fitness advice from Men's Health is like taking personal grooming advice from National Geographic. It really isn't advisable.

[Gorbag]

I was used to following meal plans from reading men's health and they always said multiply weight x 10 and that was how many calories i had to eat. Pretty sure i'm not the only one which is why i made this thread to learn more about PB

That's a standard set-up for weightloss yes, some start out a bit higher from 12 kcal X pound of bodyweight, but it is only a startingpoint and must be adjusted when stalls kicks in...

[Phillykid]

I'm glad I found this website/forums. I have been eating a lot more. I feel a lot better and never binge eat and if I do crave something, i just eat it with no guilt.

[Paleobird]

Taking diet and fitness advice from Men's Health is like taking personal grooming advice from National Geographic. It really isn't advisable.

Very true. Hehehe...

I'm glad I found this website/forums. I have been eating a lot more. I feel a lot better and never binge eat and if I do crave something, i just eat it with no guilt.

Yay! Good to hear. Welcome to the Primal tribe.