> I don't know.  Maybe, but I find it tiresome.  As I've said
> before, there seems to be a predictable trajectory: a strong
> start, a reasonable period of stasis, followed by a period of
> increasing restlessness and a sense of needing to fight to
> maintain vigilance.  Am I the only one who experiences this?
> Todd Moody
> [log in to unmask]


Todd,
Judging from your posts that I have read over the past year, my metabolism
seems to be similar to yours, but I have found some success in managing
it.  I switched to paleodiet about a year ago.  At one time, my cholesterol
was 278 and blood pressure was 156/100.  While taking cholesterol lowering
medications, my cholesterol was 238.  Currently, unmedicated for one year,
my cholesterol is 178 (HDL = 64; LDL = 107; TG = 38) and blood pressure is
120/78.  I have lost 40 lbs, and my weight only fluctuates within a 5 lb
range.  I would like to lose some additional weight, but have not been
successful with that yet.

It seems my diet philosophy is different, however.  I do not always concern
myself with calorie counting, but if I begin to gain weight, I revert to
counting calories.  I also count grams of carbohydrates just to satisfy my
curiosity.  When wanting to lose weight, I keep my calorie intake below
2000 calories a day (moderately active, 5'5" female).  I average about 1800
calories a day.  Some days I eat up to 2200, and other days I eat 1600
calories, but I do not restrict calories too much, because for me, it is
not sustainable.  I have also found that I cannot successfully restrict
carbohydrates for an extended period.  Some days I eat only 5 grams of
carbohydrates.  Other days, I eat 120 grams of carbs.  Within these
guidelines and adhering to a paleodiet, I eat whatever types of foods I
want.

I contribute the success I have experienced regarding my blood lipid
profile to the advice of Loren Cordain to eat only lean meat from grain fed
animals, and eat grass fed meat whenever possible (daily for me).  When I
add oil to my diet, I use only nut, avocado, olive, and fish oils.  This
philosophy has helped me develop dietary guidelines that do not create
cravings, and that I can live with for the long term.

Marylee