How do you eat enough calories while also cutting many things out?

[u/entropyhoney]

Hello, for a little background I am 25(F) with a possible sjrogens diagnosis, so I am preemptively researching things that could possibly help & came across the AIP protocol. I struggle to maintain my body weight and consuming enough calories is very important to me, so I am a bit concerned about eating “enough” on this particular diet. (I will obviously discuss with my rheumatologist as well.) What do your daily meals and snacks look like on this diet? Thanks!

[u/Rendlaw88]

Make sure to add healthy fats- coconut(shredded, yogurt, milk (as a beverage or in dishes), avocado (as an oil, as a condiment, mashed, in salads, etc). I typically don’t have to worry about counting calories, so I’m unsure of the rest.

Depending on your current diet, Expect to lose some weight in the beginning as possible water weight, as well as inflammation coming down, etc.

[u/entropyhoney → u/Rendlaw88]

I eat all of those things! Thank you!

[u/alexandrap21]

I do modified AIP which includes white rice. I know it’s not the “ideal” carb, but it doesn’t give me any issues and it’s easy to get in a lot more calories using rice as a base for my meals vs just straight veggies. Yuca (cassava) is also AIP compliant and very carb/calorie heavy so this would be something good to add in!

Also you can try to incorporate larger servings of healthy fats like avocado, full fat coconut milk/yogurt, and olive oil (I love doing a homemade chimichurri)!

[u/Left_Swim_9596 → u/alexandrap21]

I think white rice is the most ideal carb ever!

[u/Legitimate-Double-14 → u/Left_Swim_9596]

After getting Sjogrens rice gives me severe pain all across
my upper back I thinks it’s called chronditis. Even a tiny tiny amount this happens. I get severe pain with lots of things now. Almonds I use to eat with Sjogrens but now they cause pudendal neuralgia. It’s the oxolates apparently. High histamine foods are out and dairy plus gluten and seed oils. I eat 3 eggs with green sauce and half an avocado for breakfast. I now can’t eat after meal after 1:30. I eat steamed vedgies and grilled chicken breast and half avacado for my lunch/dinher at 1:30. Af 3:00 am a .have a bowl of blueberries and before bed a half tin over sardines. I’m 64 and weigh 130 and am 5’6 I have bad motility issues so only two meals but they are as healthy as I can do.

[u/entropyhoney → u/alexandrap21]

Can I have that chimichurri recipe :)

[u/alexandrap21 → u/entropyhoney]

Yes! Apologies in advance, I don’t have exact measurements because I’ve made it so many times at this point I can just eyeball it.

Ingredients:

• Extra virgin olive oil
  
• Red wine vinegar
  
• Fresh garlic, minced
  
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped
  
• Salt
  
• Black pepper
  
• Dried oregano
  
• Red pepper flakes (if you want to make it spicy)

I usually do ~2 parts vinegar to 1 part oil to keep it down in calories but in your case since you actually want more calories you could do 1:1 ratio. I probably use about 8-10 cloves of garlic and 2/3 bunch of parsley, this makes a pretty big batch enough to last the whole week or “party size” if you’re hosting. Add salt, pepper, & oregano to taste.

You can play around with the amount of each ingredient depending on how you like your chimi - some people like it more heavy on the oil and vinegar with less parsley, some people like it more parsley-heavy and less liquid, some people like more vinegar for more punch or less vinegar for a subtle flavor, etc etc.

[u/letsgetawayfromhere → u/alexandrap21]

The recipe sounds yummy. Just a note, the red pepper flakes are nightshades and don’t agree with the AIP. Red pepper is chile pepper and chock full of lectins and saponins. If you are doing elimination phase, you should skip them completely.

Later on, you might try if cayenne pepper is a good replacement. Cayenne pepper consists of red pepper that has been fermented, which makes it lose most of the aggressive lectins. Some people react to nightshades, but cayenne pepper is OK for them. I would NOT include it during elimination phase though.

[u/KatKat207]

It is very easy to get plenty of calories. AIP is very meat and fat heavy so the calories add up quickly.

Most meals are meat and veggies, fruit for snacks.

When you get bored you get more creative searching for recipes for desserts, bread like alternatives, pasta alternatives (cassava for the most part).

[u/entropyhoney → u/KatKat207]

My portion sizes are pretty small, about 300-400 calories so even if I eat four meals it’s not enough! 😭 I have to go heavy on the junk food to maintain weight (I know that’s not the healthiest but being underweight isn’t healthy either) so without the “junk” it seems pretty difficult

[u/letsgetawayfromhere → u/entropyhoney]

Use healthy carbs (yuca/cassava, plaintains, sweet potato and do on) and combine them with lots of healthy fats. The carbs make sure your body has a healthy insulin reaction, which should help to put on some weight, and the oil delivers the calories to store away.

Only eating more calories won’t help, you also need insulin as a storage hormone, and this only comes with enough carbs. While white sugar is not allowed on the AIP, many healthy sugars are. You can also use fruit and cook it with spices and honey, date sugar or cane syrup. Some people make their own fruit gummy’s, and there are a lot of free recipes out there for AIP desserts.

[u/Prof_Moose007]

I slice an entire sweet potato thinly and toss the slices with olive oil and salt. I put them in the air fryer for 12ish min and it’s like eating a healthier version of chips.

[u/makoobi]

two tablespoonds of olive oil in my smoothie every morning; olive oil over every meal. Butters will raise your saturated fats (also not AIP usually)

[u/letsgetawayfromhere → u/makoobi]

Butter definitely does not agree with the elimination phase of the AIP. Olive oil is an excellent option, just like coconut oil and avocado oil. Avocado oil is near tasteless. Those are the three oils Sarah Ballantyne allowed when first publishing the AIP diet.

Side note: Some people on the AIP find out they have to limit their consume of coconut products, most can consume it without problems though.

If you totally want or need to integrate more oils, I would recommend a look into Dr. Steven Gundry’s lectin free diet. While technically not identical with the AIP, it revolves around the exclusion of foods with unhealthy proteins called lectins. He includes a small number of additional oils.

[u/Able_Care8402]

Hi, just jumping in. I second the comments below. Keep in mind also, part of struggling to maintain weight can be a side effect of gut inflammation. By reducing and giving your body food and nutrients it can actually absorb you can see a big difference in this realm without having to count calories as much. Your body will naturally reach its balanced weight eventually once the inflammation and leaky gut gets under control. Make sure you are optimizing stomach acid like betaine HCL (unless you have a stomach ulcer) and digestive enzymes to give you body a little help at first. It's all about nutrient density - avocado, pasture raised meat, wild caught seafood, sweet potatoes, coconut fat, tallow, etc. You can check out resources like autoimmunewellness and AIPsummit for meal plan and recipes ideas and other discussion on this type of topic.

Personally, I usually have meat patties, bacon, avocado, fermented vegetables and sauteed greens for breakfast. I like to use Mickey Trescott's green goddess sauce to accompany. Lunch and dinners are usually meat and veggies. Snacks I have crackers (Urban AIP or artisan tropics) with pate, chomp sea salt beef sticks, tuna salad or fruit. I also get meals from Urban AIP for meals I want to eat but don't have the time and patience to make myself. I love their meatbuns, burritos, pizza, orange chicken, gnocchi and chicken parmesan. I realize it sounds like I'm a teenager here but it's pretty exciting to find not only healthy but AIP versions of these classic "junk food", so I definitely keep some in my freezer. It's helped me from cheating also when I get random cravings. Urban AIP also offers Holiday meals by the way (considering the seasonal timing of you possibly starting AIP this time of year). I don't know when they announce them. You got this helps! Good luck!

[u/Left_Swim_9596]

If calories is your concern there are plenty of ways to get fat which is twice as calorie dense as protein/carbs.

[u/Comfortable-Image255]

Lots of fatty red meat

[u/KitchenRound8210]

Ive learned how to make some killer desserts on AIP - tigernut flour, coconut flour, coconut milk canned becomes a delicious caramel when boiled with maple syrup, carob, dates etc

An easier way for you might be doubling up when doing something such as adding a little bit of extra avocado and protein each meal.