Diet Advice

[Riverman]

I am new to caveman and I wonder what everyones thoughts are on "my" variation of a caveman diet and if it will hinder weight loss attempts.................
I am 45yrs, 5'11" and 195lbs.  Not bad shape but bodyfat is definitely higher than I want.
Quit drinking (drank way too much) and started eating rite (at least I think)
Typical Day:
8am Banana, Grean Tea, 9am 2 eggs and tuna, 12pm salad and salmon, 3pm salad and nuts, 6pm grilled portion of meat and veggies/salad, 9pm protein of some sort. Drinking lotsa water and grean tea.

Aiming for around 150-180grams protein.
Thanks 

[houmax]

Why so many meals?

If you want to drop some faster cut back a little more. Maybe something like no food till lunch(lots of water) then something like a salad and a piece of fruit. If you get too hungry before dinner have a few unsalted nuts. Then have a hearty paleo meal for dinner.

It's weird at first but after a few weeks it seems very natural and with a little exercise you can drop excess fat pretty fast.

[Riverman]

Thanks for the input!!!!!!!  To answer your question I was always told if your body thinks it is going to be starved it will hold storage and if it gets small meals often it will be like adding small branches to a fire and it will burn more?  Really thats why all the small meals of protein and veggies (little fruit and no starch, carbs, cereals etc)

[COMA]

That is what I thought at first. I decided to try it for a week and lost 12 pounds. the weight loss has slowed but after the first week I was feeling amazing more energy through the day and sleeping better at night. it sounds Counterintuitive but everything kind of fell into place for me.

[Riverman]

Well right now its two to one so I guess I will need grazing foods tomorrow lol.  I will definitely cut back and see how the next week goes!  Thanks!

[Bellator]

Thanks for the input!!!!!!!  To answer your question I was always told if your body thinks it is going to be starved it will hold storage and if it gets small meals often it will be like adding small branches to a fire and it will burn more?  Really thats why all the small meals of protein and veggies (little fruit and no starch, carbs, cereals etc)

Well, I eat 1 meal a day and I'm losing weight. So that's a myth. If you think about it, it makes no sense. If your body is "starving" it will use the fat reserve it has for energy, thus burning fat. Why would it save the fat? Less food equals fat loss, not more food

[houmax]

A friend of mine in his mid50's, X military, and has been eating just one meal a day all his adult life. He's in great physical shape.

Funny, as pet owners we're told just feed our dogs one meal a day or they'll get fat, yet we eat 3, 4, 5 a day and wonder what's going on 

[Lilnicki]

I'm like you in that i graze all day ( I eat roughly every 2 hours)...... as long as your meals are small i don't see a problem with it!!....... I find that it evens out my blood sugar levels too so i never get that "weak" feeling .

Sounds like you're doing just fine...... remember it's best to find what works best for you...... different strokes for different folks!!

Nicki

[ajcurly]

Eating small meals throughout the day is a myth (unless you still consume sugar)! We have been told so many myths over the years it's hard to determine the real truth. Eating smaller meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism going....bullcrap! I think CW tells us that so we eat and buy more grain! I eat twice a day...sometimes once a day and live at about 7-9% bodyfat. If you eat a diet high in sat. fat you don't need to eat every 2 hours...blah...blah blah. I have ate every imaginable way you can think of.....you need to experience for yourself what works and not listen to CW.

[Riverman]

Ok thanks everyone for the input........obviously a contraversial subject.  I was told when I was trying to lose that last 8% BF (to get to around 10%) about 5 years ago that your body would use muscle before fat if it felt deprived.........certainly not saying that advice was accurate but thats what I was told.  As I said it was a no sugar, startch, carb diet.  Now it it didnt do what I wanted so hey let's try to improve on that.  Startin today I will reduce my food intake to light grazing for the day and a one large healthy evening meal split into two (5pm and 9pm).  Thanks again!

[aka_s2h]

I have to say I feel alot better for only one meal a day and dont feel like going back. For a family event I have some chicken and salad for lunch and that night I felt sick. Ate the left overs for dinner the next night and felt great so it wasnt the food. To me it was my body telling me that it did not want food then and dont do it again please. Give it a go how is says and if it doesnt feel right adapt it to what does. Good luck.

[Riverman]

Well yesterday was my second day of grazing throughout the day and then a tuna salad split into two portions in the evening........went surprizingly well.  Really didn't miss the "food habit" during the day. Did cheat and have one bite of steak at 1am though   Still at around 195lbs after 3days but I feel good!

[Bellator]

Well yesterday was my second day of grazing throughout the day and then a tuna salad split into two portions in the evening........went surprizingly well.  Really didn't miss the "food habit" during the day. Did cheat and have one bite of steak at 1am though   Still at around 195lbs after 3days but I feel good!

Yeah, you won't see a big difference after 3 days. Atleast I didnt....after 2 weeks you will see a surprising difference I bet

[Riverman]

Hello All,
Well Day 7 on the Official diet and all is well.  Grazing throughout the day and an nice evening meal of mixed salad (romaine, cucumber, slightly steamed brocoli, avacodo, tomato, red onion) and big chunck of bbq salmon or occasionally bbq meat of some sort.  Even eliminating the 9pm snack pretty much!
And the best news, down 3 pounds, yeah!

[houmax]

Hello All,
Well Day 7 on the Official diet and all is well.  Grazing throughout the day and an nice evening meal of mixed salad (romaine, cucumber, slightly steamed brocoli, avacodo, tomato, red onion) and big chunck of bbq salmon or occasionally bbq meat of some sort.  Even eliminating the 9pm snack pretty much!
And the best news, down 3 pounds, yeah!

Great news, congrats on you success.

[Riverman]

SOOOO frustrated!  It's been a week on this diet of grazing during the day and a large meal in the evening and I have only lost 2 lbs!  Haven't cheated once, in fact my evening meals are lean meat or fish and a large mixed salad.  THe only thing I can think of is maybe a few to many almonds during the day or because I am fairly lean already it will just take more time?? Any thoughts?

[Tony Bondioli]

What's wrong with 2 lbs. a week?  As a rule of thumb, if you're losing more than that, you're probably losing a significant amount of muscle.  A weight loss rate of 1-2 pounds per week is generally considered healthiest, and is statistically more likely to represent sustainable weight loss, compared to the rapid loss of huge amounts of weight.  Keep it up, and a year from now you could conceivably be as much as 50-100 pounds lighter than you are today, if you so choose.

[Riverman]

Thanks so much Tony!
I guess you are right, I can see a difference.  I am now 193lbs and hope to reach 182 by this July.
I will keep at it.

[Riverman]

On the second week of the diet should you take in animal fat?  I am eating only fish for protein and I am wondering if that is going to effect the results?

[houmax]

On the second week of the diet should you take in animal fat?  I am eating only fish for protein and I am wondering if that is going to effect the results?

I eat steak 3 nights a week, other nights fish, shrimp, eggs, bacon, or deer sausage.

[Tony Bondioli]

I don't advocate a fat-free (or even necessarily a "low-fat") diet, by any means, but you don't need to go overboard eating fat, either.  Stick to fish, poultry, and lean cuts of meat most of the time, and occassionally indulge in fattier cuts of meat, organ meats, etc.  I'm also a big fan of eggs, and don't think Frank Zane was exaggerating much when he said, "An egg is the healthiest thing you can put in your mouth."  An egg or two a day does a body good, in my opinion.  I'm not big on worrying about the numbers, but if I had to break it down, I'd say a diet comprised of roughly 60% (mostly complex) carbohydrate, 20-30% protein, and 10-20% (mostly unsaturated) fat is a good standard to shoot for.  Drink plenty of fresh water and be adequately physically active, and you should be just fine.

[aka_s2h]

I lost nothing the first week but then lost 5kg the next. Dont be disheartened especially if you are feeling better for it

[Riverman]

Thanks everyone for the support, it means alot!  I do feel great especially quitting the alcohol after way too many years.  Tony where do the complex carbs come from in our lifestyle?

[Tony Bondioli]

where do the complex carbs come from in our lifestyle?

Vegetables, fruits, and nuts.

[Riverman]

Well two full weeks into the diet and its going great.  While I haven't lost much weight (4lbs) I have not cheated once!  Today is the first day back at the gym and also the first day of fasting.........just water so far today!  Perhaps this will kick start a bit more fat loss and I can break that 190lb barrier.