The Paleo Diet is an extremely popular diet plan being used by millions of people around the world. It is based upon alleged scientific principles that seem to mimic the better parts of the Adkins Diet and most ketogenic diets. As a person who has tried many different types of diet plans, I wanted to present the reasons why I dislike the Paleo Diet. Please understand that I am coming at this from the perspective of someone who has used the plan (and many others like it) and just want there to be no misinformation spread about it.

Paleo Diet: Controversial Viewpoint

I have avoided this topic for a long time because I didn't feel like stirring up controversy, but lately I am seeing more and more people going on this diet plan. As someone who tries to stop misinformation in the bodybuilding community, I cannot be quiet any longer. While my viewpoint may be controversial to some, it has to be put out there for all to see at this point.

Paleo Diet: An Overview

The idea is to help people eat like cavemen did during the Paleolithic Age. The recommendation is to only eat meats, vegetables and fruits. Specifically, it instructs you to stay away from grains, nuts and seeds. In fact, the Paleo Diet presumes that we have (as a society) become too dependent upon grains–bread, pasta, rice, corn, etc. In addition, the Paleo Diet claims we should avoid sugars (I have no issue with that) and processed foods (I have no issue with that either). Finally, the Paleo Diet claims that we should completely avoid dairy. The foods recommended by the Paleo Diet are:

• Meat
• Fowl
• Fish
• Eggs
• Vegetables
• Oils (natural)
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Tubers (sweet potatoes and yams)

The Paleo Diet proposes that we eat a high percentage of quality fats. 

The Paleo Diet: The Issues

No Calorie Restrictions

The very first problem I have with the Paleo Diet (and it is something easily overcome) is that it encourages people to eat as much as they want. The people on this plan are encouraged to just eat and not track calories. This is a recipe for a very fat and overweight body. Any time you eat in excess it is going to be converted to fat at some point.

No Dairy

I want to be sure you understand that some people have issues with dairy. Their body reacts in a negative way. If that is you, by all means avoid dairy. On the other hand, I have no issues with dairy. My body loves dairy. I drink non-fat milk once a day. I eat cheese (a healthy fat) and yogurt (good source of protein). To me, avoiding dairy means reducing the amount of calcium you take in. For women this can eventually lead to osteoporosis. Yes, you can always supplement with calcium supplements, but we all know that no supplement can replace getting your calcium directly from a natural food source.

No Grains

For some reason carbohydrates have been given an extremely bad name. People look upon them as though they are evil. Somehow people believe that carbohydrates will instantly cause you to get fat. Think about that for a moment. Most bodybuilders include carbohydrates in their diet year round. Do they look fat? Quite the contrary, the carbohydrates are used by their bodies to build muscle. Muscle is a metabolic tissue and helps to burn fat from the body. Carbohydrates also provide us with energy.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that carbohydrates should be consumed in moderation and at the right times. I actually think the timing of carbohydrate intake is the most important aspect. Cutting carbohydrates out completely just doesn't make sense. I've tried it many times. What I would up with was a completely messed up metabolism in desperate need of repair. I learned a lot about nutrient timing from the book Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition and highly recommend you pick up a copy to learn more. It will change how you think about the various nutrients you take in on a regular basis.

Yes, I believe in lower carbohydrate dieting, but I do not agree with no carbohydrate dieting at all. I am in the best shape of my life and I got here by eating carbohydrates in moderation.

Fruit

Fruit is very high in sugar. I find it to be very helpful to kickstart the day and to give energy prior to a workout, but to suggest that we can eat unlimited amounts of fruit is dangerous. I find it odd that the Paleo Diet advises against sugar in the diet, but supports eating a lot of sugary fruit. That, to me, is a contradiction.

Paleo Diet: The Positives

There is a lot about the Paleo Diet that I like, but to change one thing would no longer make it the Paleo Diet. To me it is a far stretch to assume that cave men were thin and healthy with a low body fat. There just is no proof of that assertion. 

It is definitely a great idea to include a lean protein source with every meal, but you should also include vegetables and complex carbohydrates as well. Eating a lot of vegetables is a great piece of advice as well. Including healthy fats in the diet is also essential. Beyond that, I cannot recommend the Paleo Diet. It is, to me, just a fad that falls short when really examined closely.

Paleo Diet: If Not, Then What?

My recommendations are really simple. I think you should include a lean protein source at every single meal. You should eat 6 meals a day (small meals). You should include vegetables in every single meal. You should include complex carbohydrates in the early part of the day and phase it out in the later part of the day. You should eat the correct amount of calories for your activity level and your lean body mass. You should stick to a macronutrient ratio (protein/carbohydrates/fat) of 40/40/20 if you are trying to lose fat. If you want to gain mostly muscle (ie. you are already fairly lean) then switch to a macronutrient ratio of 50/30/20. How does this convert to real numbers? Let's take me for an example. I weigh 230 lbs. right now. This means I will be taking in 3300 calories to maintain my weight, but I want to gain muscle, so I should be eating 3600 calories a day. Using the 40/40/20 ratio, I would be eating 360 grams of protein, 360 grams of carbohydrates and 80 grams of fat every day. 

The basic premise here is that you don't need some funky named plan in order to get into shape. This is far too important a topic to ignore. 80% of your results will come from how you eat, so pay attention to it.

What are your thoughts on the Paleo Diet? Please share them in the comments below.

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Tell someone “count your calories” and you will likely elicit a strange response. Some people quake at the thought of counting calories. Other people actually give up on eating right because of calorie counting. The words “count calories” brings fear out of people because they see a huge job. They envision themselves tethered to an app that will track their food. They see themselves as a slave to the process. This is why I decided to write this article. I want to change your perception of calorie counting forever.

Plan to Succeed or Plan to Fail

Nutrition is a process of planning things out carefully to achieve the desired results. The key thing is the plan. By definition, a plan is something done ahead of time. It is a fact that if you do not plan to succeed then you plan to fail. What does that mean?

Assume for a minute that my client weighs 240 lbs. and is 30% body fat. He wants to lose the weight and the fat. I will likely start him out on a 2700 calorie meal plan. Now, if I used the approach “Hey there client, I want you to go out and eat 2700 calories. I want you to eat 6 meals a day. Those meals should consist of protein, starchy carbs and vegetables for the first 3 meals and then protein and veggies for the final 3 meals. Now go do it” he is not going to achieve the kind of results I would expect in the time I would expect. If, instead, I wrote up a detailed meal plan that executed the very same thing, but had the calories and macronutrient ratios all planned out, the results would skyrocket.

In the first instance, I was planning to fail because there was no real plan. In the second, I was planning for success because I dialed in everything for the client. Thus, by planning to succeed I will avoid the failure in the long term.

Calorie Counting 101

Now that you see a plan must be in effect for there to be success, let's talk about how that plan interacts with calorie counting. The fact is that the plan is the calorie counting. It is wrong to start out your day and just pick foods and track the calories. You have no guarantee of hitting your calorie and macronutrient goals with this type of approach. However, by planning what you will eat ahead of time, you are going to guarantee that you hit your calorie and macronutrient goals. The calorie counting will be done for you. It is a no-brainer. When it is meal 4 and you still have 750 calories to go to meet your goal there doesn't need to be any stress at all because you have already planned your final 2 meals and you know you are going to hit the goal you have.

Steps to Counting Calories Correctly

The first step in counting calories correctly is to plan the specific things you are going to eat for the day. This starts the night before (at the latest). The easiest way is to use an Excel spreadsheet. That approach means you just set up a template one time and the rest of the work is done for you. 

The next step is to add up (or review if you are using an Excel spreadsheet) the calories and the macronutrient ratios. If you've hit your numbers at this point then you are done. If not, you have to go on to the next step.

If your numbers need adjustment, make those adjustments. Add food if necessary, change portion sizes if necessary–just do what it takes to hit your goals. The goal, of course, is to hit the numbers as closely as possible. Do not get obsessive about the macronutrient ratios. They are very important, but if you are aiming for 40% protein and you hit 42% protein that is good enough. My advice is that if you are getting close to the macronutrient goals then just be sure you hit your calorie number and all is good.

What Happens Now?

After making the adjustments to the plan you've created you now set to work on cooking up the food you planned out for yourself. This will insure that you can eat to plan because the food will be ready for you when you need it. One big barrier is always the time to cook. If you leave the cooking until you need the food it is possible that you will either go off plan or just skip the meal–both undesireable outcomes.

The Outcome

By following the above plan you are much more likely to reach your goals. Remember that eating is 80% of the results you will produce. That makes the eating principles the most important part of your plan. Even for me, in a bulking phase right now, the plan becomes even more important because it is very difficult for me to eat 3500 calories of clean food. The plan gets me there.

Eliminate the Fear

Follow these guidelines and eliminate the fear of counting calories. The job will be done for you and there will be nothing for you to fear at all. 

Do you have any tips for counting calories? Leave us a comment below.

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