Marks Daily Apple Forum Forum: Meet and Greet

Marks Daily Apple Forum Forum: Meet and Greet - Recent Topics http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/forum/meet-and-greet Just another bbPress community en-US Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:45:13 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.1 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/search.php RachelMoonbeam on "Hey, it's fun!" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/hey-its-fun#post-81333 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:56:18 +0000 RachelMoonbeam 81333@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I've just started on the PB a little less than a week ago and while I am not noticing any real changes yet, I feel fantastic. While mostly this is for my health, I have to admit that like many people, part of this is vanity. I've never been overweight (I'm 5'8 and 135lbs at 24 years old) but have probably gained about 10lbs since I moved to Chicago three years ago. I think most of it went to my upper arms and, to an extent my legs, which I'm self-conscious about. Mostly though, this is a serious effort to make sure everything that goes into my stomach is as real and good as can be. The transition wasn't difficult since grains were never a huge part of my diet to begin with, and chucking everything in my fridge with HFCS in it was cathartic. The biggest challenge, unfortunately, will be finding more time to exercise. I already walk nearly everywhere. It's the heavy lifting part that I will have to focus on most. Also, fruit is my kryptonite and I'll have to make a real effort to cut down on it. Today I had: -2 eggs in a smidge of butter, a dollop of greek yogurt with blueberries and 2 strawberries -Handful of olives -Asparagus, yellow pepper and broccoli seared in red wine with ground bison -Small piece of 85% dark chocolate and some wine The best part of the PB? I'm more passionate about food then I've been in a long time (and that's saying something, because I am very passionate about food.) Making sure I cook my own food as often as I can is FUN. I always try to get friends together to cook a few times a month. Perhaps it'll be a bit harder to convince them that full-fat is the way to go. Anyone in Chicago want to join us for good eats? Mindi on "Newbie - been a veggie - feeling sick eating meat" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/newbie-been-a-veggie-feeling-sick-eating-meat#post-80075 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:07:43 +0000 Mindi 80075@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Just read the book and it makes so much sense! I was recently tested and as I long suspected am allergic to gluten, dairy, and eggs, (also avocados and almonds?) I'm not allergic to any meats. Problem is I have been a vegetarian for many years. Have been eating a little meat now and it makes me feel nauseated and heavy. Also have basic gross out that I am eating a cow, pig, etc. Anyone else have these problems and/or suggestions? How about any alternative non-dairy, non-meat protein sources? Help and thanks! tooround on "Primal Journal - tooround" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/primal-journal-tooround#post-77535 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:37:38 +0000 tooround 77535@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hi, my name is Susan. I'm a wife, mother, grandmother, nurse and I'm 49 years old. In 1976, I lied about my weight on my passport. By the time I was in my early 40's I'd wobbled my way up to 165 lbs on a dainty 5' 3" frame. For a friends wedding I bought a size large "I give up dress" with a shruggy sweater. It hung to my chubby feet. I had cabbage souped, 3 day'd, atkinsed, calorie counted, slim fasted, cardio'd, heavy lifted, half starved my way all the way to high blood pressure, weariness and joint pain. I was old and appropriately frumpy. I used 1200 calories and walking to get to be 124 by my 44th birthday. For one brief shining moment I was 119 lbs. tired and sickly. Since then I have been under 125 lbs twice. My worst bounce was in early 2008 when I had back trouble, a hysterectomy and was diagnosed with arthritis. I went back up to 162 lbs. Choosing my favourite parts of blood type, lowish carb and body for life ... I was 135 lbs on Monday March the 8th, 2010. Then I read Primal Blueprint. It, so very nicely, encompassed many things I already believed and knew would work for me and (the big AND) would help me overcome my inability to maintain. 2LiveAgain on "My low fat diet made me SO fat. Primal is the way to go!" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/my-low-fat-diet-made-me-so-fat-primal-is-the-way-to-go#post-80808 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:05:57 +0000 2LiveAgain 80808@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hi everyone! I found this websit last weekend and just can't get enough of this! I have been heavy all my life, and grew up eating tons of flour and sugar in the traditional "country" way. I have been on every diet imaginable. My mother started dragging me to her weight watcher meetings when I was only 14 years old and forced me to eat low fat, higher carb foods. I have spent my entire life trying desperately to get healthy and feel "good". By the time I graduated from high school, I was 180 lbs and felt like a little barrel with legs. By the time I graduated from college, I weighed 230 lbs and felt aweful physically and emotionally even though I was maintaining a low fat, fake food (lol) diet. Then I got married and started having kids (3 beautiful babies, lol). Now in my 40's I am only 5'3" and weighed in at a whopping 281.5 lbs. The last diet I was on (my medical doctor put me on this, gasp!) was a 1000 calorie, low fat, high carb diet in which I ate fake food (some type of bar). I was literally dying on this diet because I had NO energy, mood swings, and stayed in bed to the point that I had to miss school. I felt horrible!!! Of course, I know that type of diet really was killing me! So on Wed., March 17, 2010, I decided to throw the bars in the trash and give this a go since my low fat diets only made me fatter and more unhealthy than ever. I started eating the Primal way that day and I am in love with this "diet" already. For one thing, it really isn't a diet at all, it's a great way to eat for life. It is absolutely incredible that I have already lost 5 lbs in only THREE days!!! Also, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, and hypothyroidism which after doing lots of research, is probably directly related to all the wheat products that were in my diet for forty years. I am really excited to see where the Primal way of eating takes me as I will no longer deprive myself of healthy fats, nor will I fill my body with wheat and grains! Meats, fats, low carb veggies, and low carb fruits are my new staples! Thank you Mark for creating this website!!! I hope to be known in the future as the incredibly shrinking woman who quit dieting and got her woo-sa on, the healthy way! timconradinc on "Obligatory forum Introduce yourself thread" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/obligatory-forum-introduce-yourself-thread#post-280 Fri, 15 May 2009 13:19:17 +0000 timconradinc 280@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ In other forums I've been a member of in the past - at least for small communities - there's been a 'introduce yourself' thread with some questions that people can answer. I know that there are people reading this forum that are fully primal, partially primal, and are considering it. I thought that I'd put some questions together to cover these things just to get an idea of who's out there. The Questions: Your location: Age (If you want): How Primal are you: Do you consume dairy: Do you drink coffee or tea: Motivator for switching to Primal: Favorite exercise: Favorite Primal food: Best part about being Primal: Worst part about being Primal: prib81 on "Intro - gaining from underweight" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/intro-gaining-from-underweight#post-80942 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 08:46:09 +0000 prib81 80942@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I'm in a bit of a different position than most. As I mentioned in <a href="//www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/obligatory-forum-introduce-yourself-thread/page/16#post-80939"">my intro post</a>, I've had health issues that have ultimately left me approximately 50 lbs underweight. I was turned on to the PB by a couple friends who have both had significant success losing weight following it. After reading Primal Body, Primal Mind and Primal Blueprint, I concluded that I needed to give it a try and officially "went primal" in December of 2009. I don't want to just pack on fat (although at this point I suspect that my BF percentage is too low). I am pretty strict nutritionally - no grains at all except white rice (my n=1 experimentation has shown it not to be troublesome and it does make eating out a bit easier) and this only occasionally. No industrial vegetable oils whatsoever. I do eat goat and sheep cheese rather liberally and drink goat kefir daily, but avoid cow dairy as it tends to irritate my sinuses. I eat grass-fed meat/eggs as much as I possibly can. I've tracked my nutritional intake on FitDay and typically eat 2500-3000 calories a day but suspect I probably need a fair bit more to gain serious mass. I also probably need a bit more sleep as I get 7-8 hours nightly (usually closer to 7 than 8). I have been able to do some bodyweight exercises that have given me decent strength (but not mass so far) gains in just a couple weeks. I like Tabata sprints on the exercise bike - I have started with just 2 20-second sprint cycles and hope to slowly work up to 8 and increase the resistance from there. I'd welcome any suggestions and am particularly interested in hearing the stories of any others out there who face or have faced returning to a healthy weight from the severely underweight end of the spectrum. JustinKN on "Starcraft 2 Beta" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/starcraft-2-beta#post-64798 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:24:41 +0000 JustinKN 64798@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ So the Starcraft 2 Beta has just started and I was wondering if anyone actually is playing it and has a beta key. I know some people showed some interest in it a month or so ago, so I thought I'd go out on a limb and just see if anyone is playing? Matt Forrester on "Possible Atlanta meet up" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/possible-atlanta-meet-up#post-78197 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:49:38 +0000 Matt Forrester 78197@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Any Hotlantans up for a meet and greet? BayouPrimal on "BayouPrimal's Primal Experiment Journal" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/bayouprimals-primal-experiment-journal#post-76421 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:25:52 +0000 BayouPrimal 76421@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I normally don't post on online forums, but the last month here on MDA has convinced me that this must be the friendliest, most supportive, best spelling bunch on the internet. So I thought I'd pitch in on my experiences with being Primal. Background: I'm 27, married with one 5 month old son, and work a desk job as a mechanical engineer. I found my way here from Boing Boing who had a link to Free the Animal's article on not using shampoo. His site referenced MDA. I read a while, bought Mark's book, and decided to experiment with going Primal. About 2 years ago my wife was diagnosed with hereditary high cholesterol. To keep her off meds, we switched to a whole food diet and got off of red meat. When we made that change I dropped some weight from college. I was never very overweight, probably 5'10" and 180 at the time. Not overweight, but soft. I've been eating 90% primal for about a month now and have dropped from ~175 lbs to 163 this morning. Most of the weight seems to be from my love handle area which is where I tend to keep my extra weight. The afternoon crash is almost non-existant now. I sleep better and have more energy in the morning. After a few days I lost my cravings for sweets, bread, and pasta (I do make an exception for a piece of my wife's homemade artisan bread). My next step is to get back in to lifting heavy things to build my muscle back up. I haven't done much strength training since college. All in all, I've been pretty pleased with my experiment so far. maranne on "Any UK "Primals" around?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/any-uk-quotprimalsquot-around#post-3432 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:46:48 +0000 maranne 3432@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I just noticed that Graeme is from my area and I was wondering if there are any other Uk people on here. M x Tish on "Oh hey there :)" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/oh-hey-there#post-80248 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:59:43 +0000 Tish 80248@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ So, I've been primal since february, and I've been creeping this site for a bit longer, it just so happens, me and technology don't mix (so I really hesitated about actually making a profile.) But I sucked it up, and here we are! Since eating primal, I feel a billion times better and my stomach is no longer disagreeing with EVERYTHING I eat. I've also lost some weight, which was kind of a bonus! Not that I was fat, but there's definitely a huge difference from being thin and being leaaan :) Oh, and if anyone can explain to me how I actually get a picture up, that would be superrrr ! NorthStar on "Primal Journal - NorthStar" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/primal-journal-northstar#post-77145 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 02:42:48 +0000 NorthStar 77145@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hello all! Let's see, where to begin? I've had weight problems most of my life, and most recently in the last few years. I was misdiagnosed as a type 2 diabetic two and a half years ago, and spent a year VERY sick as the doctors tried to push me into that "diet/exercise/here's a few pills" pigeon hole. Unfortunately, I was a type *1* diabetic -- in other words, my pancreas was failing while they were telling me to just eat better! I lost 40 pounds in two months as my body cannibalized itself for survival and, while I was sick as a dog, I was very happy with my weight. Then, I went on insulin -- gained it all back. I have to totally agree with Mark on the whole "it's all about insulin" thing. As a type 1, I know way more about this than the average person -- I know exactly how much insulin my body uses on a daily basis, thanks to my nifty insulin pump. I know how much insulin I'll need for any given meal, and how much I need to "drip" even if I eat no carbs. I'm also VERY insulin resistant -- I need to inject way more insulin than the average type 1, and it's all the fault of my weight -- and the carbs I was eating. To start with, I'm a 29-year-old woman, 5'7" and 219 pounds. WAY too heavy. I carry the weight really well and am still not in plus-sizes, but c'mon! I knew about the low-carb thing from my diabetes forums friends and found that going LC kept my blood sugars in GREAT control, but I kept falling off the wagon after a few days. I wound up absolutely addicted to carbs -- like, heroin-addicted. If I swore off sugar, I was shaking by nightfall, unable to think about absolutely anything else except running to 7-11 for Reeses or ice cream. So I researched. Found MDA totally by accident, and didn't just jump in -- I read up on it for a few weeks, evaluating. I'd already read Good Calories, Bad Calories and a few other works on the cholesterol conspiracy, so none of this was shocking -- but it was innovative. My husband and I conferred, and he OFFERED to go on the diet with me! (Usually we just agree that, whatever diet I'm on, dinner has to be diet-friendly, but that's it.) I was really good for a solid week. I lost 5.8 pounds, felt better, and some shirts that were juuuust a little bit too tight had started to fit again. I had NO cravings -- none, whatsoever. I ate a little bit of sweet each night -- organic full-fat yogurt, a dash of vanilla, and a few dark-chocolate chips. Yum! My sugars were excellent -- until my insulin resistance dropped and I suddenly needed WAY LESS insulin! Which is a great effect, except it caused me some very dangerous lows for a few days. But my insulin use dropped 40-60%. Then I rediscovered caffeine. I'm also a caffeine addict. I made a concious effort to quit about three weeks before I started the diet. When I got my caffeine again after that one week, all of my cravings came back full-force and I felt absolutely helpless in the face of them. It took me four days to realize what was going on, another two for the caffeine to leave my system. By that point, all physical progress had been reversed to nothing. And to top it off, my husband's unemployment check hadn't gone through so we had NO money for groceries and had to live on what was in the house -- which was absolutely NOT Primal! I hit my real low yesterday when there was a birthday at work and someone brought in bagels. I used to eat bagels every day. The one I had yesterday hurt my stomach until I went to bed last night. No more bagels! I'm taking a deep breath and letting go of guilt. This whole thing was a learning experience. Sugar is bad for me. Caffeine is bad for me. Bread is bad for me. I'm going to plan tomorrow. I'm going to put together a week's menus, and shop accordingly. And hopefully I'll drop some of that re-gained weight. Suse on "Suse the newbie" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/suse-the-newbie#post-78384 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:56:41 +0000 Suse 78384@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ hi Have been checking out marks website and finally bought his book which arrived in the mail yesterday. Everything seems to make sense to me, I had a late night reading! Oops failure on one of the steps about getting enough sleep. :-) I'm 47 and probably carrying about 4-5kilos (about 9-12 lbs) of extra weight, all around my middle. I have no waist to speak of anymore but am mostly tiny everywhere else. I feel lethargic and bloated most of the time. I do not want to continue feeling like this. I am going to start with a vengeance come 1 April ( on the PB. At the moment I am in the middle of home renovations and have no kitchen for at least another week or 2. I also figure that if I have the low carb flu thing, it will be best when I am at home over a long easter weekend and not having to come to work. I think I will find it hard as I dont eat fruit, and am not really big on salads. Perhaps I just need to get more creative. I love meat though and my vegetables cooked. My partner and I tried a few days "carb free" about a month ago and it was hard, although we probably didnt eat enough fat then. We are more mentally prepared for it now and have decided we need to have a meal plan. I dont want to be going down a heavy duty path of calorie counting or figuring out ratio's. I just want to feel healthier and happier about myself... and have a waist again :-) I would be grateful for any advice that anyone has to give. DebFM on "Pagan & Primal?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/pagan-primal#post-68602 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:52:33 +0000 DebFM 68602@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Are you Pagan? If so, what's your focus? As for me, I'm mainly a Goddess initiate. I work a lot with the energies as expressed in some ancient Egyptian dieties as well as some ancient Greek - both male and female. Right now I do a lot of work with plants using shamanic techniques, but that's a whole other ball o'wax. :) Would love to hear what other people are into. Tiger on "St. Patty's" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/st-pattys#post-79121 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:29:52 +0000 Tiger 79121@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ How's everyone celebrating St. Patrick's Day? Me, I'm wearing my kilt! thehallowprince on "What I Want Out Of Primal Living... (What Do You Want?)" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/what-i-want-out-of-primal-living-what-do-you-want#post-75564 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:17:05 +0000 thehallowprince 75564@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I'm about 10 days into this and this is what I want: 1) More leveled energy through my day. Not just spirts and crashes... 2) The disappearance of my gut. 3) The disappearance of my man-boobs. 4) A way of live that is easy to follow and doesn't come crashing down because of one little mistake. (I think I can check yes to this one already to be honest...) 5) The disappearance of my second chin... I only need one!!! mcallit on "Greetings" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/greetings-1#post-79771 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:10:26 +0000 mcallit 79771@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Greetings all PBers! Thanks to an old college friend of mine (who now lives in Florida), I have been introduced to this fantastic book and lifestyle. Four years ago, I was 240 pounds, mostly fat; I was lazy, ate anything I wanted, and generally felt awful. In 2006 I decided to change that, so I went on a "conventional" diet following the best "conventional wisdom," and I worked out regularly. It actually worked for me; I dropped to 170 pounds. Then I got lazy again (big oops!). I didn't balloon in weight, but I did raise a little. I started working out again and watching what I ate (again, based on conventional wisdom) and eventually dropped down to 150. I felt great, but I am as skinny as lamppost and my friends and family seem to enjoy picking on me about that (most of family carry around a substantial gut!). When I talked to my college friend, he told me to get off all the carbs and sugars I ate in the morning for starters. He suggested going back to basics (basic workouts including push-ups, pull-ups, full body squats, etc.). He also told me to check out The Primal Blueprint. I've been living process carb free (only fruits, vegetables, and a little dairy for carbs) for nearly a week! I feel amazing! Right now I'm trying to convince my wife to take the same approach (she has struggled with her weight since I've known her (i.e. the last 7 years)). I have a couple of questions, however: 1. Organic foods are a bit expensive, as Mark points out in The Primal Blueprint, and thus far I haven't been FULLY organic in everything I eat. Do any of you eat some occasional conventionally grown meat and produce? Or should I switch fully to organic only? 2. I live in the midwest where corn-fed beef is the standard. Does anyone know where to find grass-fed in, say, the greater Kansas City area? ToniWA on "ToniWA Journal" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/toniwa-journal#post-74986 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:15:29 +0000 ToniWA 74986@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I didn't realize some folks kept journals on here, but I see it as advantageous since I'm at my best when I'm accountable :) I was introduced to PB by my CrossFit coach and it took me a good 2 weeks before I committed, but was surprised at how easy the transition has been. I was carb cycling before to lean out for a bodybuilding/Figure competition and my body reacted well, but I still felt "fluffy". Today is day 9 (started on the 1st so this timeline will be easy) and I noticed a difference in just days. I get my bodyfat checked tonight so I'll have more of a gauge. I do know that I'll have to cut the fruit as the competition gets closer, but I've been under 80g carbs consistently. I'm dreading giving up my bacon for the last 2 weeks...too much sodium. Dammit! But it's short-lived and I will be basking in my bacon aroma soon enough :^D From the book, I read that a high carb day (250-300g) will enhance insulin sensitivity and "keep the body guessing" which is what I need to keep the fat coming off. I did a 23 hour fast the following day which wasn't too difficult. The last hour was too much, obviously since I didn't hold out for the full 24 hrs. Unfortunately/luckily, I had a bag of mixed nuts handy. :/ This website has been fantastic at keeping me motivated with such a rich and diverse community. I'm going to try and make it to the Seattle meet-up next weekend for sure! Thank you all ahead of time for being open and honest about your trials and tribulations along our journey to better health ~ and nice abs :^) Til next time, FAT2PHAT on "Intro...Primal newbie in Texas" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/introprimal-newbie#post-79387 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:58:43 +0000 FAT2PHAT 79387@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hi all, I have been lurking for quite a while. I am just now learning how to incorprate the PB into our daily lives (with young kids). I look forward to learning more and getting lean. Thanks, F2P Charles_M on "New PBer in the CA Bay Area" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/new-pber-in-the-ca-bay-area#post-79188 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:18:04 +0000 Charles_M 79188@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hello everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm from the Easy Bay area (closer to San Jose). I've been PBing for close to 2 months now and I want to say how great I've found it. More energy, more stamina, less weight fluctuations, less hunger, overall satisfaction with my diet (notice the small d in diet) and just a better quality of life. I frequently find myself looking around the MDA site during the day, so I may leave a comment here or there, hopefully I can get to know some of you fellow PBers out there. See you all on the forums! Primal Chica on "Any Scottish (Esp Glasgow) PBers out there?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/any-scottish-esp-glasgow-pbers-out-there#post-73832 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:47:51 +0000 Primal Chica 73832@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hi Fellow PBers, First post (eek!) I've been reading the site since last summer and took the plunge on eating more primally around 7 months ago but have never really ventured into the forum before so thought it was about time I did. I'm based in Glasgow, Scotland and I'm just wondering if there are any more Glasweigan/Scottish PBers out there?! It would be great to meet other Scottish primals and exchange tips on being Primal here. Also if there are any more UK/Scottish-centric Primal/Paleo forums I'd be grateful to hear about them. Thanks, Primal Chica FourStringWiz on "Location curiousity..." http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/location-curiousity#post-78957 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:55:26 +0000 FourStringWiz 78957@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Any Groks or Grokettes from Kentucky. I haven't noticed anyone stating this on the forums. I'm a beginner, but have drank the kool-aid. Or should I say...creek water? hmmm? becalive on "G'day" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/gday#post-78344 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:21:50 +0000 becalive 78344@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I've always been interested in health and eating healthy food, but its only in the last 2 years I was introduced to Nourishing Traditions (Traditional Food)....which has really opened up to me how we need to go back to the original ways and how screwed up the food system has become by allowing all this so called food in the market place.........anyhow in the past months I have discovered this website and read more about Primal living in the last weeks.............I really believe both of these realms overlap adamantly believe that if we were meant to eat low fat milk/cheese etc God would have made us the low fat cow.....he didn't so I'm going to continue to believe that he instead we eat real cheese, butter and milk with cream on top. I'm Rebekah.....a 26 yr old and a 4 yr resident of USA and arrived from Australia.... 5'2ft, 117lbs (can't say I was 'fit' but I walked every day from the train station etc and active on Saturdays with some sport/beach activity).....3yrs later, 135lbs.....then had baby and post baby I am 145-150lbs. Still same height though ;) So I am trying with all my might to get back to 135 and back down to at least 120lbs. I really haven't lost a thing since having the baby...... which has been quite disheartening at times...... I dont eat boxed cookies/crackers/chips, avoid HFCS like the plague, dont drink soft drinks/juices, eat real fats - no vegetable oil )cept when eating out and at the inlaws..... I eat eggs for breakfast w/ CO.....lunch is usually leftovers, and dinner is meat, lots of veggies, salad, some sort of carb- in the last week I have tried to decrease my intake. My downfall is eating candy/chocolate "lollies" - from Australia in the evening, habit and boredom more then anything?? Since its warming up I have been walking everyday for a minimum of 30 mins.....I have some 3lb and 15 lbs weights I have been lifting... so thats a little insight of where I am atm.... AlamoJack on "PB rookie needs some advice" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/pb-rookie-needs-some-advice#post-76699 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:14:50 +0000 AlamoJack 76699@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hi, I'm just embarking on the PB lifestyle and am glad to see so many helpful people on the forum. I'm a lifelong carb-lover but am committed to eliminating the bad stuff. I'm in the first few days of adopting PB, so can someone please tell me how long it takes the overwhelming cravings for the simple carbs to go away? At times it's all I can do to not devour a (large) bag of Doritos. mommydog on "Mommy the Newbie" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/mommy-the-newbie#post-78391 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:10:40 +0000 mommydog 78391@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I'm a 57 year old woman who has been yo-yo dieting for most of my life. I discovered Cross-fit about 5 months ago and I absolutely love it, even if I am th oldest person in my class. My trainer strongly recommends paleo so I thought I'd try. Here's my issue: I had my REE tested (resting energy expenditure) and at 140 pounds, my body only uses 940 calories a day, as opposed to 1400 hundred which would be average. So, I'm dealing with a seriously messed up metabolism. Is there anyone out there like me who has had success with Paleo? Thanks. Debbie JA on "Houston, TX meetup Group" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/houston-tx-meetup-group#post-78223 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:35:14 +0000 JA 78223@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hey guys! I have been following and educating myself in the Primal Lifestyle for two years. I love it! I am getting a community together through meetup.com in Houston, TX. I was wondering if anyone on here is from Houston and would like to join come on it. <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Paleo-Eating-in-Houston-TX/" rel="nofollow">http://www.meetup.com/Paleo-Eating-in-Houston-TX/</a> BTW I love your book Mark and have given it to many as a gift. Thanks! JA erstad17 on "Seattle Meet Up (yes, again)" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/seattle-meet-up-yes-again#post-59909 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:43:37 +0000 erstad17 59909@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hey guys/gals. The next one on tap is really going to get the heart pumping and the taste buds salivating. The first part will be at Sky High. The second part will be a dinner meet up held at a members house. The exact date/times are being finalized so make sure you're on the list! Hope to see you there. <a href="http://sea.jumpskyhigh.com/" rel="nofollow">http://sea.jumpskyhigh.com/</a> For info:grokinseattle@yahoo.com MandyGirl77 on "Is anyone on Facebook?" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/is-anyone-on-facebook#post-34558 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:40:37 +0000 MandyGirl77 34558@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ I am! Come find me! :) <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/CheshireKitty77?ref=profile" rel="nofollow">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/CheshireKitty77?ref=profile</a> jonnasaays on "Hello! this is my intro" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/hello-this-is-my-into#post-77303 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:55:03 +0000 jonnasaays 77303@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hello everyone! My name is Cana, and I'm new to this forum. I look forward to getting to know some of you! I have just finished reading The Primal Blueprint, and I feel like it has some key similarities to my current lifestyle of the past few year and even more so recently. However, there are definitely some eye-opening ideas and information that I am thankful to have read in this book and have started to implement immediately upon finishing it. I am also thankful to have browsed through this forum! I have read through many website's health and fitness forums, but rarely stumble across many where people aren't attacked often, so I usually steer clear of joining. However, I really enjoy the open-mindedness, acceptance of different ideas, and general politeness in the posts I have read, and am excited to gain some valuable advice from you all! Here is a little of what has led me to this point, and some goals I would like to achieve on my primal journey. I am 21 years old, and began altering my diet off and on since I was 14. This was mainly because of weight issues, I gained weight off and on and always felt a little heavier than my friends (was 134 at my heaviest, which is big for me), and I was self-conscious about it. Sometimes I went to extremes; starving for long periods of time and binge eating ... I am so glad that stage of my life is over. ANYWAY, at age 19 is when I started to have some painful health problems. After two years of ridiculous amounts of time researching, I finally have been able to find LARGE relief from these problems (doctors were no help) through a diet that eliminates all monosaccharide’s called the "specific carbohydrate diet" (not for weight loss, for gut related illnesses) This diet is similar to Primal Diet in that it doesn't allow any hcore starches (potatoes, yams, plantains), no sugar, but it does allow unlimited fruit, honey and cultured dairy (no- very limited lactose) Feeling guilty, and knowing I wasn't doing myself a favor by guzzling bananas, grapes and honey, I still let myself do it because it helped me transition off of having absolutely zero grains or starches. This was really hard the first 2 weeks, (starving a lot) but I got used to it. However I yearned for a lifestyle that was more balanced, and a guide or teacher that was consistent with all aspects of health. That’s when I remembered the Paleo diet, because I knew it didn't allow grains and limited starches (like the one I was on) so I could maintain the improvement, and I could take it a step (or many) further. Somehow, googleing the Paleo diet, I came across Mike's Daily Apple, and I was so impressed with what I read, I had to buy the book immediately. After reading it, I feel very relieved that THE WHOLE THING makes sense. There’s not some section that okay's artificial sweeteners or endless honey, or starches that makes me feel less than optimal while following it "because I know it's just not right." I've only been on the diet for 4 days. Changes for me have been giving up honey (SO HARD was eating it in and on a lot) and eating much less fruit, and upping fibrous veggie intake. I have been eating organic, and naturally raised meats, eggs and dairy (grass-fed, pastured only) as well as organic, mostly locally grown veggies for over 2 years now, so that has stayed the same. This has been quite a challenge. I didn't realize the effect some honey and fruit could have on me! I’ve been extremely fatigued, craving sugar worse than I thought possible, have headaches, muscle cramps, and hungry all the time. I am NOT under-eating, have lots of fat, protein, and according to my calculations, around 50g carbs a day made up of mostly veggies, and limited fruit (1-2 ½ servings in the morning) Here are some changes I would like to make: Although I am not overweight, I still would like to be more toned, and greatly improve my mid-section fat (typical insulin resistance style roll at the bottom, have NEVER gotten rid of it, even at my thinnest.) I would like to have more energy! Seems hard to believe with my fatigue at this point, but I was always fatigued before beginning anyway :/ I would like to get back into an exercise routine that consists of HIIT routines, like sprint sessions under 20 minutes. (Dr. Al Sears PACE program is where I first learned about this style of exercise) and weight lifting. I did this for 6 months and lost about ½ a pound per week and a half. Then dropped it slowly, school maybe?. Any comments or suggestions anyone has will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and nice meeting you all! Cana sarah on "new girl here!" http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/topic/new-girl-here#post-77813 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:44:34 +0000 sarah 77813@http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/ Hi everyone, I've been reading this site for a while now, and thought I'd get around to introducing myself. I've spent the last year trying to diet and count calories, even tried being a raw vegan for a month, and am actually 10 pounds heavier than I was a year ago! The idea of eating so much fat kind of freaks me out, but I am ready to commit to it for 30 days. I love to workout - I lift heavy twice a week and do intervals twice a week as well. I'm 32, 5 9 and 177 pounds (eeek!) I love to eat - and this primal eating sounds way more delish than my calorie controlled 6 tiny meals per day! anyway, looking forward to diving into this and seeing where it takes me. talk to you all soon! sarah