Share a triumph! page 137

[Shelli]

I'm not panicking any longer about hunger pangs. It's ok to have a rumbling stomach. I actually sleep more soundly if I go to bed a little hungry. So at dinner if I'm not hungry, I don't eat. Or I eat just a tiny portion.

[hpsnickers1]

These are some amazing stories.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in September 2010. I"ve had digestive issues since my teens (I'm 40) that consisted of IBS, constant gas/bloat, constipation, hiatal hernia, indigestion, lots of intestinal cramps and pain. I've had eczema, dental issues - my teeth have literally been falling apart. I've had sinus and ear issues through most of my 30s. So my goal started with eating healthy (My diet was BAD!) and that with exercise helped get rid of the pain - couldn't afford the meds and I really didnt want to rely on pills to help my FM and "to regulate my IBS". And that doctor told me to increase my whole grains and eat less red meat. Interesting...I wasn't eating a lot of red meat - and most of that was lean venison.
I wasn't overweight but heading in that direction - at one point I hit 140 but "starved" myself down to 130. Sugar is my addiction. My goal changed to losing 10lbs (130 to 120. I was a very chubby and unhealthy 130 and I'm 5'2"). I lost 9.6lbs in six months and hit my goal. BUT - with diabetes in the family I decided to start looking into low-carb options. I came across MDA at the end of April 2011 and all the confusion from past researching went away. A light bulb turned on above my head. SO MUCH LOGIC AND SENSE. I hit 110.6 4 months later. I am back up to 115 but only because my body wasn't happy at 110 and fought back (I wasn't eating enough and the sugar cravings kicked in full force). I've got them back in check an I'm happy. I was 136 at 14 years old and haven't been below 120 since so to be 115 - well I just can't complain about that - I now wear size 2/4 pants. I'm still battling the sugar monster but to finally feel NORMAL at 40? Damn the government and all of their "nutritional experts"!! - What I would give to have felt like this in my teens and twenties (and thirties!!)

[sbhikes]

Here's a new success: I went on an overnight backpack trip the other day in the snow. I had to posthole, but only up to my shins or knees, so not too bad. Thing is, anytime I've had to do that I just don't have the energy. This time I never felt tired. I was out in front, breaking the trail (well, following bear tracks so Mr. Bear actually broke much of the trail) and had what felt like limitless energy. When my boyfriend who was with me suggested we stop and have lunch it was like oh yeah, I suppose we could eat something. It was like I could totally manage without feeling hungry or tired from the effort and just go and go and go.

Another bonus: It seemed my food weighed less and tasted much better. It wasn't pure primal, but it was all calorie dense and heavier on the fat and protein than carbs. No more hiking on cookies and candy (aka energy bars) for me.

[Corvidae]

Last night we went out for thanksgiving dinner (yeah I know, but we do home-thanksgivings a lot too but didn't have enough people to come around this year) and since it was a special occasion I wanted to order dessert, so ordered a chocolate mousse. It came as this little round cake, maybe three inches in diameter and two inches high. I was like sweet! But then I got tired of eating it after only eating about a third. I couldn't believe it, this huge mound of delicious tasty chocolate fluff in front of me and I was just...done. I actually felt embarrassed I had eaten so little, so I forced myself to eat more, then when that became too much of a hassle I offered it around the table. By the end there were still a good three bites or so left and I just didn't feel the need to eat them. The waitress was visibly surprised when she came to take it away.

[MamaGrok]

Awesome, Corvidae!

My triumph is making it through Halloween, Thanksgiving, vacation, two of my children's birthday parties, & a family reunion without falling off a cliff. I actually didn't eat anything for Thxgiving dinner at all. I had already had a big yummy bkfst of eggs & sausage, and was full, so the dry turkey, cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, etc. just didn't call me.

I was in shock, but so thrilled. Best of all, through all of this, I haven't felt deprived. At all. I'd been WAPF for four years, primal for 1.5, and still fighting sugar addiction daily until I started addressing this leptin issue, and I simply can't believe the change in me. No more fighting cravings all day. I just don't have them, or just have minor ones here and there and easily dismiss them. Crazy, crazy!

[bwhit]

I skipped the pre-dinner crackers, passed on the rolls with the meal, had just a small portion of stuffing, gorged on turkey, potatoes, and salad and had just a tiny slice of pie for dessert. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as my whole family rubbed their bellies and complained about eating too much. I felt fine.

Meanwhile, I got the following compliments:
Mom: this is the best you've ever looked
Dad: you look sculpted
Brother: every time I see you you look healthier

I'm thankful for MDA.

[opalinesque]

Broke my plateau earlier this week by suddenly dropping three or so pounds and an inch off my hips over two days, just in time for me to get hired after a long period of unemployment. Best timing ever- I've dropped down to a medium/size ten and all of my clothes are sized XL or larger!

[Uppy]

Today begins month three of being primal - woke up at 285 this morning, the lightest I've been since college. Only down about 3 lbs for the month of November, and I'm OK with it mostly because I started lifting again and I know I'm already much stronger than I was at the beginning of the month, especially in the legs. Also am down to the last notch on my belt - hoping to hit 280 by the end of the year.

It's amazing how once the weight starts coming off the ambition starts stacking back up...a lot of goals and dreams are coming back into focus!

[mixie]

I made a GORGEOUS, pretty much totally Primal T-day feast, including nut crusts on all the pies and a coconut flour "cornbread" base for the oyster/sausage/apple stuffing. It's Mr. mixie's favorite holiday and I always make a stupid amount of food because we never really know how many people are coming by. We've been eating leftovers all week, for every meal, and pie at least once a day (this is me confessing to sweet potato pie for breakfast on at least two occasions). I haven't been stuffing myself stupid or anything but definitely haven't been attentive to truly eating to hunger/IFing, etc. And there have been lots of mashed Yukon Golds in my life this week. Lots. Packed with grassfed cream and grassfed cheddar and roasted garlic. And yams, sweetened with maple syrup. Mmm... yammity yams...
I weighed myself this morning more out of curiosity than anything--I'm down another five pounds! Did I ever mention how much I f*kin love the PB?

Also, T-day was great. Everyone practically wallowed in the food, couldn't believe there was no bread in the stuffing, and even though we stuffed ourselves silly, we were remarking to each other late that night that we couldn't believe how sick we did NOT feel. No bloated, queasy feeling. No gas, no nothing. We were full of a great feast, and that's that.
Best. T-day. Ever.

[VeloCity.X]

I can almost see abs!

Granted they're still covered in a pretty thick layer of fat, and it's got to be when I'm pumped up after some core work and it's not like I can see them in the mirror or anything, it's got to be the foreshortened view looking down, but I swear there's ripples there. Fat and skin following the contours of muscle below. I swear they are there.

And that's a start.