[ekdumas19]

So this week I started the Paleo Diet--not only to shed some pounds but to maybe figure out why after a few years on a celiac diet I still feel sick all the time. So I am on my fourth day now-with no cheating-and I feel as fat as EVER! I thought when you cut out carbs you rapidly lose!? Could I be eating too much fruit? Too many nuts? It's very discouraging and I am about two seconds from going back to rice and potatoes! Help!

[eKatherine]

Sure, you rapidly lose a few pounds, and after that, your weight loss crawls.

Some people lose weight when they switch to a gluten-free, scd, paleo diet. But it's not a guarantee.

[Nancym]

Too much fruit will slow you down. You can add it back in after you lose the weight. Also avoid the starchy stuff too (bananas, potatos, yams, parsnips).

Here's a message forum devoted to Paleo dieting, they might be able to give you some help: http://forum.lowcarb...splay.php?f=107

Oh yes, I also wanted to add, some people don't lose weight quickly or effortlessly no matter the diet. I am one of them.

[Ursa Major]

After initially losing the water that has been swelling you up (which accounts for the rapid weight loss at the beginning, which you may not get, since you were gluten-free already), it would be VERY unhealthy, possibly dangerous, to lose more than about two pounds a week.

And you are ready to give up after only four days? If you haven't lost any weight and felt better after about four WEEKS I'd think it isn't working. You need to be more patient, it's too early to get dramatic results!

Plus it would be beneficial if you stopped being so focused on weight loss. Think about getting WELL, if you lose weight, it would be a bonus. And don't make the mistake of weighing yourself every day, or even every week. You will be adding too much stress to your life if you do.

So, don't look at the paleo diet as a weight-loss diet, but as a getting-well diet. And throw out your bathroom scales.

[Mayflowers]

Yeah, he cautions about the nuts. My weight starts creeping up when I eat too many nuts. I'm following
Dr. Atkins' Age Defying Diet now, except I'm not eating too much red meat because it flares up my arthritis. I'm eating fish and turkey. wow. If I give up the turkey, I'll be semi-vegetarian! That's the best I can hope for...my only problem is I'm not crazy about fish...ugh.. I do love seafood but it's really expensive. One of my favs is scallops at $14.00 a pound...YIKES!

[corinne]

There are 4000 calories in a pound of fat. So just to lose 2 pounds a week, you need need a calorie deficit of 1100 calories a day. That is, you need to burn 1100 more calories than you consume each day. Unless you are very overweight, losing more than a few pounds of fat a week is not healthy. Patience! Also, are you excercising? Walking a half hour a day (or something else you enjoy) can wear off 1400 calories a week plus will up your metabolism.

[Mayflowers]

Isn't a pound of fat 3500 calories? That's what I read.

I'm down 6 pounds now from when I started going gluten free. My weight fluctuated wildly at first because my body was adjusting to the new diet and healing. Now I'm starting to lose a pound a week. This week I lost 2 pounds. (Go Dr. Atkins!) I like losing 2 pounds a week. I adheard more strictly to his age defying recommendations. I didn't eat so much potatoes only had them twice this week and I cut out the beans..(making my arthritis flare up and even coffee does but I'm working on that!) I made a recipe for his chicken chili and I sub-ed ground turkey instead and it was soooo good! He has great recipes. I hope he hears me in heaven!

[Nancym]

Mayflowers, on Oct 5 2006, 05:00 PM, said:

Yeah, he cautions about the nuts. My weight starts creeping up when I eat too many nuts. I'm following
Dr. Atkins' Age Defying Diet now, except I'm not eating too much red meat because it flares up my arthritis. I'm eating fish and turkey. wow. If I give up the turkey, I'll be semi-vegetarian! That's the best I can hope for...my only problem is I'm not crazy about fish...ugh.. I do love seafood but it's really expensive. One of my favs is scallops at $14.00 a pound...YIKES!

How about chicken? Its a staple for me. I get these grilled, frozen chicken strips at Trader Joe's and heat them and put them on top of a big, lucious salad. I also get frozen chicken breasts and make chicken based curries. And occassionally I get a whole chicken and broil it with wonderful spices and rubs. *drool* I'd better get some lunch, I'm going nuts with this food talk.

[corinne]

Fat contains 9 calories per gram and there are 454 grams in a pound so there are 4086 calories in a pound of fat.

Just for interests sake - protein and carbs are both 4 calories per gram and alcohol is 7 calories per gram.

Being a geeky scientist is occasional useful.

Losing 1-2 pounds a week is great.

[KerriAnne]

corinne, on Oct 8 2006, 10:53 PM, said:

Fat contains 9 calories per gram and there are 454 grams in a pound so there are 4086 calories in a pound of fat.

Just for interests sake - protein and carbs are both 4 calories per gram and alcohol is 7 calories per gram.

Being a geeky scientist is occasional useful.

Losing 1-2 pounds a week is great.

In case any one is interested.
Here's some info on the discrepancy between the commonly reported 3500cal/lb fat, and the calculation of 4086cal/lb fat...

"Q. In books on nutrition, I'm told that to lose one pound of fat it's necessary either to reduce my food intake by 3500 calories or to exercise so that 3500 calories are burned. How is the value of 3500 determined? If fat contains 9 calories per gram, and there are 454 grams in a pound, then there should be 4086 calories in a pound of fat-- not 3500.

A. The nutrition books are correct-- 3500 calories per pound of fat is not an absolute amount, but it's very close. However, your math is correct, too. Here is the story.
When we burn fat, or other nutrients, heat is produced, which is measured in calories. As you note, each gram of fat generates 9 calories, and 454 grams equals one pound. But a pound of fat is not all fat. It's about 10% water. All of our body tissues--fat, muscle, bone, skin--contain some water. And water has zero calories.
In addition, not all the nutrients we eat are completely absorbed from the digestive tract to meet metabolic needs. In the case of fat, roughly 5% is eliminated in the feces. This 10% water content and 5% non-absorbed fat accounts for the 15% difference between your calculated 4086 calories and the actual 3500 calories in a pound of fat.
Two other minor points: The calories can be reduced when the meal is high in fiber. Fiber speeds the movement of food through the digestive system, there is less time for the nutrients to be absorbed before they are eliminated. So the non-absorbed fat could be a bit higher. Also, the amount of heat generated from fat differs a little for various foods (depending on fatty acid content). For example, there are 9.50 calories in one gram of meat compared with 9.30 calories for vegetables and fruits and 9.25 calories for dairy products."

from another Geeky Scientist

[Mayflowers]

Oh! So that's where I get the 3500 calories from...Thanks for the info!

Are those frozen chicken strips at Trader Joes salty? That's why I don't by the Purdue or Tycson brands...too salty.

[Nancym]

Mayflowers, on Oct 17 2006, 05:54 AM, said:

Oh! So that's where I get the 3500 calories from...Thanks for the info!

Are those frozen chicken strips at Trader Joes salty? That's why I don't by the Purdue or Tycson brands...too salty.

I don't find them overly salty.