Paleo Weight Gain
5 Easy Tips to Avoid Gaining Weight When Starting The Paleo Diet
You've heard about the Paleo Diet; the caveman diet where you only eat caveman food. The people doing the “Pay-Lee-Oh” diet are losing fat, looking like Brad Pitt in fight club and all the while eating mouthwatering, meaty food that makes even a vegan hungry.
Obviously this is appealing so you decide to switch to the Paleo Diet. You buy healthy grass fed beef and Omega 3 eggs and some veggies. You read fruits and nuts are Paleo foods so you pick up some of those too and begin "Goin Paleo". Hell Yeah.
Unfortunately this is where some people go wrong. Instead of losing weight and building a lean, muscular physique, the Paleo dieter will make a few simple mistakes and end up gaining weight on the "paleo" diet. Well now you're going to know better. Check out these 5 tips and you'll be alright. |
Paleo Tip #1 - Don't fall victim to the Faileo Diet
The caveman (dieter) practicing the Faileo Diet is bound to fail. The Faileo diet is when the dieter justifies eating unhealthy foods because they have been eating healthy, Paleo foods.
When this happens, the Paleo dieter’s caloric intake goes through the roof. The Paleo diet is not a low calorie diet (it can be), and due to this it can't be mixed with other unhealthy, high calorie foods like fast food, cookies, etc.
Paleo foods are not magical, and they definitely won’t offset the bad foods. Make sure you think about what's important to you, and make decisions accordingly - both dietary but also life decisions as well - if you don't know what you want or where you want to go, you'll never get there.
When this happens, the Paleo dieter’s caloric intake goes through the roof. The Paleo diet is not a low calorie diet (it can be), and due to this it can't be mixed with other unhealthy, high calorie foods like fast food, cookies, etc.
Paleo foods are not magical, and they definitely won’t offset the bad foods. Make sure you think about what's important to you, and make decisions accordingly - both dietary but also life decisions as well - if you don't know what you want or where you want to go, you'll never get there.
Paleo Tip #2 - Restrict Nuts and Other Fats in Your Diet
The Paleo diet is a blueprint for healthy eating. That being said, just because a food can be labeled as Paleo doesn’t mean you can eat it in excess.
The diet suggests protein and veggies as the staple for your diet. While nuts and healthy oils (like virgin coconut oil) are Paleo foods, they are also calorically dense and which can raise daily caloric intake over daily expenditure if not careful.
Nuts in excess can raise carbohydrate count higher than most people realize. If weight loss is your primary goal, restrict nuts and fatty meats and consider other means for a snack. Try a hard boiled egg, very filling and will take a while to digest.
The diet suggests protein and veggies as the staple for your diet. While nuts and healthy oils (like virgin coconut oil) are Paleo foods, they are also calorically dense and which can raise daily caloric intake over daily expenditure if not careful.
Nuts in excess can raise carbohydrate count higher than most people realize. If weight loss is your primary goal, restrict nuts and fatty meats and consider other means for a snack. Try a hard boiled egg, very filling and will take a while to digest.
Paleo Tip #3 - Limit Fruits from your Diet
Fruits are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals and by no means should you eliminate fruit. If weight gain is a concern of yours, I would however restrict fruits while on the Paleo diet.
In the paleolithic period, the fruits cavemen were eating were much smaller, had less calories, more seeds, and were much more difficult to find than today. Not to mention they were only available few months out of the year.
So while fruits may be packed full of vitamins and minerals, like a double-edge sword they are also packed full of sugars (fructose). In this blog, I suggested how fructose is likely the leading reason for unwanted fat gain.
Choose your fruits wisely. Packed full of vitamin C, Kiwis are a great choice when choosing which fruits to include on your Paleo food list. Berries are also a great choice, full of anti-oxidants to fight against all of the toxic, cancer causing cells within our bodies!
In the paleolithic period, the fruits cavemen were eating were much smaller, had less calories, more seeds, and were much more difficult to find than today. Not to mention they were only available few months out of the year.
So while fruits may be packed full of vitamins and minerals, like a double-edge sword they are also packed full of sugars (fructose). In this blog, I suggested how fructose is likely the leading reason for unwanted fat gain.
Choose your fruits wisely. Packed full of vitamin C, Kiwis are a great choice when choosing which fruits to include on your Paleo food list. Berries are also a great choice, full of anti-oxidants to fight against all of the toxic, cancer causing cells within our bodies!
Paleo Tip #4 - Protein Only Breakfast
Wheaties for breakfast to fuel the day? Think again. Science shows that a carbohydrate rich breakfast will lead to hunger much quicker than a protein rich breakfast.
A protein only breakfast will keep your mind off hunger while shedding off pounds. If you eat carbs for breakfast, expect to be hungry much quicker than if you were to eat those steak and eggs. Here is a great Paleo Breakfast. A protein shake with almond milk is a Grade A Paleo breakfast! |
Paleo Tip #5 - Food Journal
Creating and updating a food journal sounds like a lot of work, but myfitnesspal makes it simple. Free and easy to use, myfitnesspal allows you to quickly add the foods and meals you eat each day and counts the calories for you.
Myfitnesspal counts calories, shows macro-nutrients, and shows how many calories you need to lose weight. It literally is “your-fitness-pal”. You can change serving size to fit your actual meal size.
Do this for 2 weeks so you can see how many calories you eat each day in relation to how many calories you should be eating to lose weight.
Myfitnesspal counts calories, shows macro-nutrients, and shows how many calories you need to lose weight. It literally is “your-fitness-pal”. You can change serving size to fit your actual meal size.
Do this for 2 weeks so you can see how many calories you eat each day in relation to how many calories you should be eating to lose weight.
The Paleo Diet is one for weight loss, lean muscle gain, and lifetime fitness. The Paleo diet is the best diet available and when done correctly will provide a healthy, lean, muscular physique. If that is not the results you are currently seeing, try these tips and go from there.
Have any questions? Like what you read? Comment below!
Have any questions? Like what you read? Comment below!