Started Paleo - Some Questions

mmanewbie

I've just started Paleo and am 7 days in. It’s not as difficult as I had thought it would be but I’m finding that I lack serious energy.
My main aim of doing Paleo is to increase my energy and lose fat? I’m a 5” 6” male, weigh approx 154 lbs and do starting strength three times a week. Here’s my usual nutrition.

Calories 1,787 Fat: 84.5 Carbs: 116.9 Protein: 154.6
Some Questions

• Is this normal to lack energy starting off and if so, how long does that feeling typically last?
• Should I be limiting my carbs or does it matter too much?
• Obviously Alcohol is not recommended. How much will alcohol once every two weeks impact?

DublinWorkout

Hey buddy,

Congratulations on making your decision and getting straight into action.

Yes, your aim is to increase and, what' more important, stabilize your energy throughout the whole day (insulin...remember?).
At the start you might well feel tired. Your body needs time to get used to the new energy source - fat is harder for it to burn than carbs. Give it some time!

As for your plan. You need to really drop your carbs down for the first 10-14 days. By 'down' I actually mean lower than 50g per day or even 20g per day. They should all come from green leafy veggies (spinach, broccoli also avocado...).

Then what about fat? It must be high-quality stuff. Extra-virgin olive, coconut oil, coconut milk, grass-fed butter, avocados once again.

So, your questions.

- Yes, that's normal. Around 10-14 days, given you supply yourself with good, HQ fat. Too little fat won't help with transformation into fat-burning machine. Coupled with excessive protein consumption you might find yourself in the middle of 'rabbit starvation'

- Yes, below 50g or even 20g, if fat loss is your goal. With 86g of carbs no wonder it's not hard for you

- It will kill your brain cells and they will never recover. If you need to 'relax' come to St Green Park at 10am on Sunday - we move, play and have fun.

Any questions - please go.

PS I have been on Paleo for three years now.

mmanewbie

DublinWorkout wrote: »

Hey buddy,

Congratulations on making your decision and getting straight into action.

Yes, your aim is to increase and, what' more important, stabilize your energy throughout the whole day (insulin...remember?).
At the start you might well feel tired. Your body needs time to get used to the new energy source - fat is harder for it to burn than carbs. Give it some time!

As for your plan. You need to really drop your carbs down for the first 10-14 days. By 'down' I actually mean lower than 50g per day or even 20g per day. They should all come from green leafy veggies (spinach, broccoli also avocado...).

Then what about fat? It must be high-quality stuff. Extra-virgin olive, coconut oil, coconut milk, grass-fed butter, avocados once again.

So, your questions.

- Yes, that's normal. Around 10-14 days, given you supply yourself with good, HQ fat. Too little fat won't help with transformation into fat-burning machine. Coupled with excessive protein consumption you might find yourself in the middle of 'rabbit starvation'

- Yes, below 50g or even 20g, if fat loss is your goal. With 86g of carbs no wonder it's not hard for you

- It will kill your brain cells and they will never recover. If you need to 'relax' come to St Green Park at 10am on Sunday - we move, play and have fun.

Any questions - please go.

PS I have been on Paleo for three years now.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Wow. Less than 50g carbs seems impossible? Unless you're not including veg in that?

How much fat per day should I have? I was thinking 60g coming from coconut oil, almonds & cashew nuts?

DublinWorkout

Impossible? Sorry, my English is terrible - I don't know this word.

You can tap into Mauro di Pasquale's work on Metabolic Diet - it's very similar to paleo, but he uses insulin response, when increasing carb intake once every 5-7 days to promote lean muscle growth. He insists on 20g per day during low-carb periods.

But your goals are different. Less than 50g per day will do the trick.

Start with protein source first. Every meal should have some sort of it ~ 150-200g.
Add some green leafy stuff - that way you will hardly exceed 50g per day limit.
Good amount of olive oil on top of that.

If you feel tired, add more good fat.

Tips:

- Don't try restricting calories especially at the start
- Don't COUNT your calories: eat when you are HUNGRY, not "when everyone else eats"
- Avoid nuts, if significant weight-loss is your goal
- Cashews are not nuts
- Learn labels - carbs come from all sorts of places

Please, ask more, if you need.

runawaybishop

DublinWorkout wrote: »

- It will kill your brain cells and they will never recover.

Not true, brain cells do regenerate. You can rest easy now

Alcohol isn't beneficial and has negative effects, but it wont ruin your diet if you are sensible. Drink spirits and diet mixers in small amounts and you'll be grand.

Transform

keep in mind that paleo is NOT designed as a low carb approach and more of a way to help with food quality

You say you are strength training 3 days a week? Whats your current (weight) deadlift, chin ups, dips, squat etc are you doing metcons or conditioning work also?

Hows your sleep?

Do you drink coffee and how much?

mmanewbie

Thanks for all the replies.

I’ll keep carbs to a limit of 50g per day.

I weight approx 70kg. Here are my latest Starting Strength lifts (3x5)
- Squat 90kg
- Bench 60kg
- Overhead press 40kg
- Bent over rows 50kg
- Deadlift 90kg

I have to admit that I’ve been slacking on the dips/pull-ups lately. In terms of cardio, I do boxercise once a week.

Sleep is OK. I usually get 7.5-8hours per night.

Drink instant coffee around three times a day.

I was hoping to try Bulletproof Coffee to combat the fact that I’ll have no energy due to low carbs. Any advice on this?

I’m having serious trouble finding unsalted KerryGold in Dublin. Does anyone know where I can pick it up?

runawaybishop

Are you trying to get into keto? You'll have plenty of energy from fats for day to day purposes and you can do a carb up every so often if you want.

Transform

mmanewbie wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

I’ll keep carbs to a limit of 50g per day.

I weight approx 70kg. Here are my latest Starting Strength lifts (3x5)
- Squat 90kg
- Bench 60kg
- Overhead press 40kg
- Bent over rows 50kg
- Deadlift 90kg

I have to admit that I’ve been slacking on the dips/pull-ups lately. In terms of cardio, I do boxercise once a week.

Sleep is OK. I usually get 7.5-8hours per night.

Drink instant coffee around three times a day.

I was hoping to try Bulletproof Coffee to combat the fact that I’ll have no energy due to low carbs. Any advice on this?

I’m having serious trouble finding unsalted KerryGold in Dublin. Does anyone know where I can pick it up?

age?

how long have you been training like that and were your energy levels ok before you started paleo?

mmanewbie

I'm 25 and I've been

connollys

mmanewbie wrote: »

I'm 25 and I've been

...abducted mid post???

mmanewbie

connollys wrote: »

...abducted mid post???

Ha! Damn mobile playing tricks on me.

Anyways, 25 and been doing starting strength for a good 18 months.

Energy always seemed to be an issue..my eating habits are up and down and I can't remember that time I wasn't trying a diet.

amazingemmet

Transform wrote: »

keep in mind that paleo is NOT designed as a low carb approach and more of a way to help with food quality

This needs to be restated, over and over.

Transform

amazingemmet wrote: »

This needs to be restated, over and over.

I know dude and bloody sick of people saying it e.g. an old client mailed me looking for paleo recipes because she wants to follow a 'no-carb diet'.

Was thinking - "Christ, girl did you listen to a thing i have ever said"

Can lead a horse to water etc

Transform

mmanewbie wrote: »

Ha! Damn mobile playing tricks on me.

Anyways, 25 and been doing starting strength for a good 18 months.

Energy always seemed to be an issue..my eating habits are up and down and I can't remember that time I wasn't trying a diet.

so basically you are using a close to keto diet or approach for someone that just needs to get stronger and work on your conditioning.

You have ZERO need to be that low in carbs - bump it to at least 100-150g/day, keep getting stronger and do some metcons or conditioning to bring your fitness up.

amazingemmet

Transform wrote: »

I know dude and bloody sick of people saying it e.g. an old client mailed me looking for paleo recipes because she wants to follow a 'no-carb diet'.

Was thinking - "Christ, girl did you listen to a thing i have ever said"

Can lead a horse to water etc

When I was in london I was doing some one on one acro skills with a girl who wanted to up her game as CF competitor. She was doing ~9 work outs a week mix of met-cons strength work and skill work. Total carbs per day 20g if even but it was ok as she "eats 100% paleo":pac: End of story her CF coach got her to up her carbs to 200g and suddenly she's improving again

Transform

amazingemmet wrote: »

When I was in london I was doing some one on one acro skills with a girl who wanted to up her game as CF competitor. She was doing ~9 work outs a week mix of met-cons strength work and skill work. Total carbs per day 20g if even but it was ok as she "eats 100% paleo":pac: End of story her CF coach got her to up her carbs to 200g and suddenly she's improving again

no top level cf athlete eats less than id sat 200g carbs per day. and zero of them are strict paleo

strict paleo should be reserved for those with serious medical conditions

mmanewbie

Transform wrote: »

so basically you are using a close to keto diet or approach for someone that just needs to get stronger and work on your conditioning.

You have ZERO need to be that low in carbs - bump it to at least 100-150g/day, keep getting stronger and do some metcons or conditioning to bring your fitness up.

Thanks for the response.

100-150g of carbs? Even when trying to lose fat?

I always thought that I have to eat less than 50g of carbs for approx 2 weeks so that my body starts using fat for energy. Maybe I'm but that's how I understood it?

Transform

mmanewbie wrote: »

Thanks for the response.

100-150g of carbs? Even when trying to lose fat?

I always thought that I have to eat less than 50g of carbs for approx 2 weeks so that my body starts using fat for energy. Maybe I'm but that's how I understood it?

get your strength numbers way up THEN worry about fat levels.

Under 50g/day i think is way too low for your needs.