Advice for newbies page

[naiadknight]

I've been there. I know the fog, the impatience, the outright frustration of the first few days/weeks/months. I'm also tired of watching new folks learn through trial and error the same mistakes we all made, way back when. So, for all you struggling folks that are new, here's several hints I've thought up while responding to the same 5 threads over and over.
1) Fat is fuel. The answer to being tired, having no energy, and generally feeling BAD isn't always add more fat, but for most new folks, it is. Those feelings generally indicate you aren't giving your body something it needs. Calculate out what you're eating. if your calories are low and you've met your protein/carb needs, eat more fat. YOU CANNOT GO PRIMAL WITHOUT EATING FAT!
2) You gotta give it time. The first few days/weeks are likely going to be carb flu. You will most likely feel like you've been put through a wringer both mentally and physically. This is normal, it's your body switching fuels. If you make the switch all at once, it'll pass quicker. If you follow true primal for a couple months and carb flu is still there, you have a break somewhere that needs to get corrected. The forum is a great sounding board for that, AFTER you've given it time.
3) This is not a quick- fix, flash in the pan, yoyo diet. This is a way of life. Treat it as a diet du jour, and you'll just fall off the horse for the 5 bajillionth time. You gotta treat it as something you're bent on sticking with.
4)Organic, while better than regular, is not absolutely required to go primal. If you can't afford it and find it, use what you can get.
5) People will try to talk you out of it. Read the story of the monkeys and the dangling banana and you'll see why. They will try to "make you see reason." If you want to try to convince them, Mark has 5 million studies referenced throughout his site. Otherwise, "do not argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level and beat you with experience."
6) Do not tinker with your Primal diet until you've given your body the time it needs to adjust. I'm not talking just until carb flu is over, either. I'm talking long haul. Give true Primal several months. Once that stops working, look at your cheats and possible food reactions. If you fix those and still have problems,THEN start tinkering with VLC and such.
7) Eat when you're hungry, don't if you're not. It's lunchtime and you're not hungry? Then don't eat. Dinner rolls around and you're famished? Eat. Dont restrict too much, but don't gorge, either. Listen to your body. Just 'cause you're fixing this huge meal for your family doesn't mean you need to take "your share."
8 ) Your cholesterol will most likely go up. D not be alarmed. Read Griff's cholesterol Primer for more info on that.
9) Do not be alarmed at any medical maladies changing (diabetes, hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, etc.) If it gets worse, talk with your doc. If it gets better, run with it, but watch and make sure you don't need to tinker with your meds.
10) Life goes on. You will most likely slip up some. That's not an excuse to eat every pastry and bag of cereal in the house. You fell off the horse. Look the horse dead in the eye, tell it who's boss, and get back on. It's not the end of the world. It's not another diet, where you'll be berated for being human and flubbing up. Get over yourself, get back on the horse, and get back to feeling good.

Anyone else got any more hints for new folks?

[Grumpycakes]

11) No, seriously, read the above. You're not a unique snowflake.

[batty]

i'd like to propose an edit to #7:

7) Eat when you're hungry, don't if you're not. It's lunchtime and you're not hungry? Then don't eat. Dinner rolls around and you're famished? Eat. Dont restrict too much, but don't gorge, either. Listen to your body.


only because I tire of reading about people eating only 3oz of fish at lunch and wondering why they cleared out the krispy kreme store 4 hours later.

[naiadknight]

True, Batty. Edit made.

[lizch]

Dinner rolls around...

It's taken me a couple of reads to realize that "rolls" is a verb, not a type of bread. The sentence "Dinner rolls around and you're famished? Eat!" is a little eyebrow raising when you make that mistake

[queen_sheba]

excellent post. Everything you said

: -)

[jmw280]

Where is Griff's cholesterol primer?

[naiadknight]

JMW-
Here.

[jmw280]

Thank you!

[Grizz]

naiadknight

I still have questions re: # 1

* We have meat everyday [a source of fat]
* We have Olive Oil in our salads every day
* I eat a handful of nuts every day
* Mrs Grizz cooks with bacon grease or Coconut Oil
* We put a tablespoon of Flax Oil in our smoothie

I assume we are, therefore getting more than enough fat.

Opinions?

Best of health to all,
Grizz