What Should My Calorie Intake be if I'm on the Paleo Diet?

What Should My Calorie Intake be if I'm On a Paleo Diet?

It all depends on what your goals are.

If you want to gain weight, you need to be on a caloric surplus. If you wish to remain the same weight, you just to maintain your calorie intake. If you wish to lose weight, you should be at a caloric deficit.

The key point to note is that the paleo diet does not decide your calorie intake.

You do. Your goals do.

Firstly, you need to know what your daily calorie requirement is. You can find out form this link. http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

If you wish to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than your daily calorie requirement. This is for people who are underweight or if you’re trying to build muscle and bulk.

If you’re happy with your body and don’t see any need to get bigger or smaller, you just need to maintain your calorie intake. Then you will need to consume your paleo foods in the right proportion to meet your calorie intake.

There is no exact number as far as macro nutrients go with the paleo diet. You will need to adjust your macros to suit your needs. 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat is a common macronutrient ratio recommended for paleo. It helps to know exactly how many calories you are consuming with each meal.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to be at a caloric deficit of about 500 calories a day. Generally, most people say that it is much easier to lose weight on the paleo diet because sugar, hydrogenated oils and processed foods are not allowed on the paleo diet.

Suddenly, the fat is a lot less stubborn to burn. That’s because your body is not fighting an uphill battle. Most fat loss is difficult because even though people reduce their calories, they are still eating unhealthy food, unknowingly, and sugar creeps into many foods without any obvious signs. A good example will be tomato sauces and other sauces that have high sugar content.

If you are an athlete, your calorie requirement will be much higher than the average person. You will need to gauge how many calories you are expending during your workout and eat accordingly.

The paleo diet does not allow the consumption of rice, bread, grains and starchy fruit. So, if you are training hard and not consuming enough carbs, you may end up feeling lethargic. Or you may lose weight rapidly and end up looking gaunt.

The aim of the paleo diet is to make you look and feel healthy. In order for it to benefit you, you must know its limitations and restrictions so that you can adjust and get the best out of the diet.

While a high degree of compliance is necessary as far as avoiding the “harmful” foods, there is some room for flexibility. You may consume bananas or potatoes if your workouts need more carbs. The rules are not set in stone. Use common sense and make the diet work for you and do not end up a slave to the diet. Then you would have truly mastered the paleo diet.

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

for

The Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry

Caveman in the Kitchen: Protein Cake

In this episode, I make a protein cake from scratch with ingredients on hand. 

It turned out good and gave me another nutrition packed source for this week’s meal plan.

Watch the video to see the ingredients. It is all good, healthy stuff.

Eric Dempsey
Master Sergeant, US Army Retired
MS, ISSA Master Trainer
Dempseys Resolution Fitness


for


The Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry

What Kind of Carbs Can I Eat if I'm Living the Paleo Lifestyle?

What Kind of Carbs Can I Eat if I'm Living the Paleo Lifestyle?

The paleo diet is often associated with low carbs and a heavy met consumption. This does not necessarily hold true. Unlike the Atkins diet, the paleo diet is not focused on reducing carbohydrates. It is more about inclusion and exclusion of foods.

It is recommended that you only consume foods that are allowed on the paleo diet and avoid foods such as processed foods, grains, dairy, sugar, artificial additives, etc. Just by eliminating these foods or foods that contain these ingredients wipes out a whole bunch of choices that we have.

The average person consumes a daily diet that has almost all these forbidden ingredients. If you can’t eat grains, that means, rice, bread, pastas, cakes, etc. are all not allowed. Of course, your carb intake will drop significantly.

Now that most of the “normal” carbs are not a part of your diet, you have a small list of carb choices that you can choose from. Even these carbs are not as starchy. So, it will be really difficult to get fat with the paleo diet.

Some sources of dense carbs that are allowed in the paleo diet are taro root, plantains, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, parsnips, yams, lotus roots, beets, carrots, pumpkins, onions, squash, rutabaga and a few more.

Even with carbs, there is a grey area. Bananas and potatoes are generally not recommended. Frankly, if you think that you need the carbs, then by all means, eat these. The rules are not set in stone. Eating bananas is no way as harmful as finishing up a tub of ice-cream. So, some leeway can’t hurt.

Generally, most people who start on the paleo diet, just want to lose weight, get in shape and become healthier. As long as they cut out the foods on the “no-no” list, they will achieve all their goals. There is no need to split hairs about the level of starch in the different vegetables.

Taking things to the extreme is never beneficial. The paleo diet is meant to help you. You are not supposed to feel enslaved to the diet. Stay true to the core concepts such as eating wholesome foods and avoiding the junk. That’s really all there is to it.

You might be wondering how much of your diet should be comprised of carbs. 20% would be a reasonable estimate. If you are an athlete who engages in endurance training or high-intensity training, you may increase your carb intake.

There are a few instances where people may wish to cut out all carbs and opt for a ketogenic diet which is high in fats. This technique is usually employed by bodybuilders so that the body burns any remaining fat stores. This will reduce their bodyfat percentage further into the single digits. They will be ripped and in shape for competition.

The average layman has no such concerns. So, you do not need to be overly concerned about your carb choices. Just stick to the list and eat in moderation. As long as you avoid rice, bread, pastas and grain based carbs, your carb consumption will not lead to massive weight gain or spiked insulin levels.

That pretty much says everything that you need to know about the paleo diet and carbs in a nutshell. If you wish to delve into the matter more deeply, you should grab the paleo book "Living Life the Paleo Way" and immerse yourself in it.

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

For 

The Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry