The widely reported Paleo message is that if you follow a strict Paleo diet, you will effortlessly lose weight. I’m reading more and more comments on Paleo forums from disappointed people, reporting that they have not lost weight – and in some cases have even put on weight. This was my experience too, until I finally understood the missing piece to the Paleo weight loss puzzle.
Portion Size - It Matters
When I initially changed my diet, at that time to more of a Primal diet, I very quickly lost a lot of weight and several dress sizes, effortlessly. Looking back, I think a large part of this was due to replacing high calorie, refined foods, with more satiating whole (Paleo) foods. However, without apparent reason the weight loss reached a plateau after a few months. I remained strictly Paleo, I reduced my fruit intake and stopped eating nuts. I continued to work-out. Yet my weight would not budge; very frustrating.
Over Christmas I began to think more and more about portion sizes – the one variable I had overlooked before. Most of the key Paleo bloggers and experts did not come to Paleo overweight. They were often unhealthy and unwell, but rarely overweight. Whilst not expressly stated, the “Paleo message” that could be construed is that provided you eat the right things (i.e. Paleo foods), you can eat as much as you like (perhaps even “the more you eat, the more beneficial the effects become”). From what I’ve read, it appears that when you are overweight the hormones and signalling in your body become distorted – meaning that what works for someone of a “normal” weight, will not work in the same way for someone who is overweight. At least, not until they restore the balance and signalling. I’ve been particularly interested in reading Dr Jack Kruses Leptin Reset ideas in this regard.
For the last six weeks I’ve been challenging and significantly reducing my portions. I’ve not been weighing and counting calories, nor have I changed what I eat. I’ve simply been eating a lot less. For example, where I’d have had three serving spoons of soup or beanless chilli, I now have two – and I don’t have seconds. Where I’d have had three rashers of bacon and two eggs, I now have two rashers of bacon and one egg. When I Intermittently Fast, I’m careful not to expand the size of my first post-fast meal to compensate.
I’ve lost 7kg in the last six weeks (15 pounds) and finally smashed through that plateau. I think this is proof enough that a Paleo diet – with reduced portion sizes, is the essential combination for weight loss.
I don’t know what happens at the right body weight, but I am expecting to find (when I get there) that I will be able to eat as much Paleo food as I like, with no adverse effect on my weight or body composition. In the meantime, it’s clear that reducing portion sizes is the right approach.
Essentially, I think the Paleo diet needs are very different for an athletic individual, compared to an overweight individual.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this – have you had similar experiences? Do you agree that portion control is essential for weight loss, on a Paleo diet?
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the info, interesting read and congrats on busting through your plateau.
I went strict paleo 51 weeks ago and have had a consistent weight loss and health improvement journey. I follow the autoimmune version, though have tried some nightshades in the last month or so and egg as part of paleo pancakes else been off dairy, legumes, grains, fruit, nuts, seeds, egg, nightshades all this time.
The results have been phenomenal, 35 kgs gone! When I think I’ve finally hit plateau my body seems to suddenly drop another 2 kg, I generally weigh once a month, though lately am doing fortnightly – start of month + middle.
The portions are considerably less, but so very filling. Most times my meals are served in a bowl, or bread and butter plate, rarely do I grab a dinner plate anymore. As the food is more nutrient dense I also only have 1-2 meals a day, and that’s while training for triathlons. My coach & paleo guide (Mark Pomery – http://www.swimcyclerunonline.com) just explained it so well to me when we started – eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full, no weighing or counting calories. THAT was music to my ears as in efforts to lose weight before had sucked the life out of me as I was always trying to plan and consume 4-6 food pyramid balanced meals. Since ditching that process, and ‘philosophy’, life is much more enjoyable.
My goal started out with wanting to improve my health, the weightloss I was expecting to be a 2-3 year process. I am still flabbergasted by the results, and couldn’t be happier on the improvements choosing a paleo lifestyle has had for me.
What a fantastic year you’ve had Therese! I think that’s a key point you make about how your portions are less, but very filling and nutritionally dense. Agree counting calories and weighing food is no fun at all – and fortunately just not needed to lose weight.
You must look and feel completely different from this time last year!
Wow, well done on losing 7kg in 6 weeks, that’s fantastic!
I switched to eating (mostly) paleo in November last year and have been very slowly losing weight since then (although you wouldn’t know it from the scales, I’m hoping it’s because of added muscle from Crossfit), but my clothes definitely fit better and people have commented on my shape changing.
The weight loss has not been as dramatic or quick as I would have liked and I know it’s most likely because of the same things you mentioned, too much fruit, too many nuts and generally portion sizes that are too large.
I’m currently just over halfway through my first Whole30 and have definitely lost weight just in the last 2 weeks, but I know I could stand to reduce my nut intake a lot (such an easy snack though!) and reduce my portion sizes and it’s something that I’m actively trying to work on. I’ve already reduced my fruit intake to one serve a day and I think that has helped a lot because I started to notice that eating fruit makes me hungry about an hour later, which isn’t really useful for weight loss!
So it’s a work in progress, but I completely agree that you will lose weight eating paleo, if you have weight to lose, as long as your portion sizes are not over the top. Your post has definitely motived me to try a bit hard controlling my portions though, 7kg in 6 weeks is brilliant!
That’s great you’ve moved to a more Paleo diet Emma! Added muscle will almost certainly be playing a part. I find exactly the same with fruit, it always makes me hungrier. I find it best just to avoid nuts now, I’d rather have none than just 5 or 6!
Good luck Emma!
Thanks
No nuts! Hrm, I think I’m slightly further away from trying that out
What do you eat for snacks? (If anything)
Yes – I avoid nuts now! I don’t really have snacks anymore – I don’t feel I need them either now I keep my blood sugar levels stable woth a relatively low carb version of Paleo.
THANK YOU!!! …so much for posting this!!! I’ve been following the paleo way of eating, with the idea that I could eat however much I wanted and that my body would naturally tell me when I was full (said with air of sarcasm and bitterness). But, the scale hasn’t budged except for 1/2 a lb. I had decided it was just not working for my body, that it worked for some but not all. Doesn’t your post and our experiences just prove that calories are what matters when it comes to weight loss? I mean, eating paleo may be great for your health, but for weight loss the amount you put in your mouth is really what counts? Aren’t all “diets” really the same when it comes to calories?
Thanks Rhonda! It seems like it’s a very common situation. Calories definitely count. However, I do think the same number of calories of nutritionally dense Paleo food is a lot more filling (and meets your bodies micro nutrient requirements) than the same number of calories of SAD food – which makes eating less calories a whole lot easier and more managable.
Hope it works out for you – I’m sure it will!
Great post Suz. There have been two things that I have been struggling with Paleo for the past 10 months or so and you have nailed one of them. So, two things I have learned on the ‘paleo journey’. (1) Portion size is still important when it comes to weight loss (as you have well described above) and (2) glucose is important depending on health issues. Have still been struggling with burn out issues, and have had real problems with low carb Paleo (i.e. all carbs only coming from vegetables). I haven’t really been able to get rid of the sugar/refined carb cravings when stressed, but after reading http://www.perfecthealthdiet.com (Paul Jaminet), have realised that some safe starches are fine (which I was avoiding to try and get through the plateau) and so am eating more sweet potato or a banana when the cravings/stress hits and feel much better for it. If you haven’t read Paul’s book (which is now on Kindle), I suggest a read. It is still Paleo, but suggests that going very low carb (i.e. veggies only as a carb source) may not be the best to achieve perfect health.
That’s really interesting Caroline. Safe starches seem to be getting a lot more Paleo press lately. I’ll have to get a copy of Paul’s book, sounds like an interesting read.
I’ve been paleo/primal since nov 2011 and have lost 4-5kgs but my clothes are fitting better, feels like I’ve lost more weight so this means my body fat% is going down. I’m gluten intolerant, and had gluten free foods, my digestive system still wasn’t the best, bloating, gurlging and not regular. That changed with primal/paleo not more bloating or gurlging and regular every day. I feel heaps better and more awake. My exercise is minimal. Instead of looking at the scales and going by the numbers, think about how you are feeling, how good your skin looks, your energy levels. In other words the overall effect this way of eating and living has on your body and life.
You’re so right Brenda, the scales start to get quite meaningless – particularly when you gain muscle. They certainly don’t tell you how healthy you are, either!
hmmm…I have been following a paleo lifestyle/diet for past 2 months and have been extremely disappointed that not a gram has been shed on the scales- and for the first few weeks i was keeping track on a food diary which consistently gave calorie counts of 1200-1500/day so I would have thought that which ever way you looked at it by rights I have should have lost weight and of course you hear all thses stories of people who just cut out bread/reduce carbs etc etc who shed kgs in the first few weeks. Then I stopped obsessing so much cos I thought that was just adding to my stress…I do feel well and definitely almost eliminated cravings but beginning to wonder what I need to do to get the scales to shift??? i barely eat fruit and I think portion control is reasonable too
Hi Debbie, females definitely do seem to have a harder time losing weight than men. It’s great you feel better – do your clothes fit better? I think that’s a better measure than the scales.
A lot of people swear by intermittent fasting for weight loss. Might be one to bear in mind?