First day in, killer headache, but thats day one down! page

[shifty1]

Hey Guys...

I just learned about the Primal Blueprint, and love it enough to give it a shot. I read the book in a day, and then discovered MDA. Unlike others, I hate doing research, and love to jump in with both feet. Doing is the best learning, and Im sure Grok didn't research his tasks... He went with his gut!

I only wish I learnt about the PB earlier. Let me share my story with you, cause if I do, then I have said it out loud, making it a bond and a contract. And to be honest, I need the motivation

A few years ago, I had a drastic life change. (Right now I am 37, and the life style change happened at 35) One of the main things I discovered was that I was using food as a source of pleasure, and had put on almost 140 kg... I was huge, and in fact, I have photos to prove it. What really scared me was that I thought I looked good. I never wanted to see myself for what I was at the time. I look back at a picture I took of myself when I was in Hawaii and sunburnt a few years ago, and I want to be sick. I was so fat, that the only part of my body that didnt bulge out, was where my diaphragm was.

Moving on with my life, I joined a volunteer group where sports and MA was a huge component. It took a few years to get to speed, but I ended up running 20 minutes a session 4 times a week, 2 hour long MA sessions which were killers, and for fun I played a heap of squash. At my best, I was playing an hour of squash every day... (Cardio, Cardio Cardio!)

I slimmed down, and in fact was chosen to go overseas to compete and train. Before that trip, I was eating little to no sugar, drinking and exercising. When I got back from that trip, I had no gut, I was wearing pants from when I was 16, and for the first time ever, saw myself in a positive light when it came to my physical stature.

Two things happened on that trip that helped and hindered. First we were training 9 hours a day, so we were feed heaps, and given alot of sweet drinks and the likes. After three weeks of it, I found myself craving sugar, and a year later, that craving is still going on.

The other is that I got injured the first day back from the trip, and tore my right ankle's capsule. It looked like I broke my ankle, but in fact, I did alot more damage than if I had broken it. This meant that all the activity I was doing came to a screeching halt. (It was the best Ultimate Frisbee game of my life though, and the game is still at a draw! )

During this time, a few more personal developments made me rethink the picture of my life, and I found myself in Israel at a seminary. In fact, thats where I am today. Why I tell you this is because when you spend your days studying, you don't get as much exercise in. I never thought I would go this route, but I'm here, learning and I am surrounded by people who indulge there eating. The food here is far from great, full of oil and fat, but the plan was only to be here for 6 weeks. Im coming up to a year. Beacuse I planed for 6 weeks, and have been living of my savings, I eat when I can, and this has grown into a "eat everything you can now, cause you don't know when the next chance will be attitude" that I hate, and I have been doing my best to change it...

Because I'm here I have a few limitations. I live in a room with five guys, so exercising there is a little bit of an issue, more for me than for them. Im sensitive to my weight issue, so I have been looking for a room or a place where I can exercise with out and audience. I think I might have a place, but I need a routine that I can do alone. No equipment, until I can find a gym.

I also tend to starve myself out of guilt. I just don't know how much food is enough (till now), and therefore think that if I starve, that may help the weight come off. Of course, after a day, I feel dead, lethargic, and when I do eat, I start hating myself for it. I don't have a fridge,but thats high on my list of priorities so I can get some clean primal food and go from there!

I want to get back to running, just for the fun of it, but more than a few minutes has me out for hours. I know that will change, it has in the past, but I had my friends around me last time, and here I'm alone.

Wow, I just read what I wrote, and it sounds like I am very negative. I want you to know thats not the case. I know its going to be hard, but I am also very motivated. Just to be able to share this to you has helped in a big way...

My short term goal is to loose my belly. My long term goal is to be happy with my body image, and smash p90x, and live a happier playful life.

So thats it. Right now I am back at a belly size of 115 cm, which is 110kgs. At my best I was 82 kgs, and had a flat belly. No six pack abs, but that is the final goal. ALl the success stories have motivated me not to do this on my own, and at the end of the first day, I have a killer headache, but cut out all grain and sugar! I have also spoken to friends of mine who live and prepare their own food, to see if they can help me with veggies and salads, as they are not readily available in the commissary where I eat! (Can you imagine that! All frozen foods, and deep fried! Yuck!)

You all have been where I am, maybe not in the same way, but you have been their! Would love any advice, words, anything that would make this go as quickly and honestly as possible. If I know I can share, I know I cant cheat!

Love you all... you just didn't know it!

Day One Down! Bring on the Play!

-Shifty

[belinda]

If you start with the primal blueprint bodyweight exercises and get 20 min. of walking in each day (and stand as much as you can otherwise!) you'll be off to a good start from an exercise standpoint.

There's a free fitness e-book on this site. Check the link in my signature.

[shifty1]

Thanks for the heads up Belinda.... Really appreciate it

Day Two is about to begin! (Its nice to wake up excited about the day!)

Now to forage me some breakfast!

-Shifty

[shifty1]

Checking in at the end of the second day!

I dont know if it was just excitement or eating right, but I woke up feeling allot better this morning, and headed out for breakfast, which consisted of some tomatoes, cucumbers, and cottage cheese! I have a feeling that this will be my staple, cause these three things are always available when I study! I had to really fight of the temptation to grab some cornflakes and honey oats, but by the end of it, I was full, happy, and off to my first class.

Lunch was Hamburgers in celebration of fourth of July, so I grabbed a few, and ended up eating four, with some salad on the side. Not really salad more Tomatoes and cucumbers, with a little shredded carrot. I have to admit I was feeling bad about eating so much meat, but then reminded myself that I was going primal... Grok would eat what he found, and so would I, within reason!

After lunch I found the chef, had a chat to him and have free range of the schools fridge. There are not allot of fruits and vegetables, but its a start. I will be going out and grabbing extra food so I can keep primal and on track.

Had to fight my urge to eat what I could find in the afternoon. I have a block of chocolate I need to get rid of, as well as some muesli bars. Dinner at the school was frozen pizza rolls, and it was a challenge, and I can safely say, I'm happier not eating them!

Now as I write this I find myself with a headache starting, but I have yet to eat dinner. I two egg omelette will be waiting for me after I finish this post!

Now I have to move on the exercise. Was planing to go on a 20 minute walk today, but I will pass until the carb flu passes. I will exchange it for a full nights sleep, and groove on till tomorrow!

As mentioned before, would love any advice, words, anything that would make this go as quickly and honestly as possible. If I know I can share, I know I cant cheat!

Love you all... you just didn't know it!

Day Two Down! Cant wait till Day Three is here!

[shifty1]

Coming to the end of day three, and heres the quick update!

Skipped dinner last night. As much as I wanted to help myself to a nice tribal omelette, by the time I would have had eaten, it would have been passed 10pm, and I wanted to put in practise the idea off skipping a meal if needed. As I went to bed that nihgt, I had the starts of a headache, but fell asleep very nicely.

Woke up with my headache still present, and it took me a little while to get out of bed. Some unexpected house routines held me up, ad I thought about skipping breakfast, but once I was up and about, I felt sluggish and weak. So I headed down to the kitchen, and made myself a tomato, olive, and onion salad, topped of with cottage cheese! I know what your thinking, but it tasted so good. I was feeling better and I headed off to class.

Lunch was more tomato, chopped up egg and red peppers, this time with a little hummus mixed n to give it a little bit of a different flavour and texture! (Im afraid to ask, but anyone know if hummus is primal or not?) Added with a few glasses of water, and I was off for the rest of the day.

A handful of nuts and fruit kept me going at 4pm, and then dinner was a few chicken wings (lots of fats), and two pieces of chicken. Totally lucked out here, cause it was dinner for everyone, and I could join in. Chicken was baked.

So that coupled with running around all day added up to my primal day. Still feeling a little sluggish, but chalking that up to carb flu. One thing I did this morning was measure myself around the waist. I had done this on Friday of last week, well before reading Marks book PB, and I was at 115cm. Today 107cm! Im chalking it all up to bloating! No way I could loose that in three days, right?

As mentioned before, would love any advice, words, anything that would make this go as quickly and honestly as possible. If I know I can share, I know I cant cheat!

Love you all... you just didn't know it!

Day Three Down! Cant wait till Day Four is upon me!

[shifty1]

Day Four wrap up....

Woke up and was wide awake instead of sluggish this morning! Headed off for my now normal breakfast of tomatoes, and red peppers, topped of with cottage cheese! Does anyone know how much cottage cheese is too much? I know Mark sometimes has CC with some greens, but is every day going to slow down things? Please let me know

Had class, and then the school headed down to the beach for some play time. There I ate some more salad, and three plums, and packed some watermelon for a snack. But by the time I got there, I realised I was really hungry, and finished of the watermelon, and was still looking for something to eat. Snacks were provided, but ti was break sticks, potato chips and the likes! No way...

So I headed off for a stroll, and then took the opportunity to turn it into a Grok stroll, walking up the sand dunes, and walking on the soft sand. I finally found a store that was open, and grabbed the only bag of nuts they had on offer. Throwing some into my mouth, I chewed them up and then saw that they were Peanuts! Packing them into my backpack I headed back, and gave them to my classmates. Total round trip time, 1 hour!

It took us all a long time to get back home, and when dinner was served, it was chicken schnitzel. Now after going the last 5 hours with nothing more than a piece of watermelon and a few nuts, I cleared off the breading and ate the chicken. I guess it was not the best thing to have, but I tried my best to make it as primal as possible.

So today, I learned some very important rules. I need to make sure I have enough primal food with me when I get active, cause what I thought was not going to be an issue, became one. Also, if your hungry, and I mean really hungry, you start making mistakes.

So all in all, my first real hurdle experience. That and I am getting kinda tired of the same salads twice a day. I am still working on getting a fridge, so I can mix things up.

As mentioned before, would love any advice, words, anything that would make this go as quickly and honestly as possible. If I know I can share, I know I cant cheat!

Love you all... you just didn't know it!

Day Four Down! Day Five is just around the corner!

[Griff]

Hummus is not primal; it's made of legumes, which are inherently not primal. Otherwise, sounds like you did pretty well today.

[shifty1]

Thanks for the tip Griff...

In fact, at the beach today, I re-covered the chapter where Mark talks about legumes. Sometime and in small quantities, but here in Israel, its everywhere! <sigh>

The more you learn, the more questions you have! Thanks for the kind words! (And I threw out my scales today too! )

-Shifty

[sarahz]

Sounds like your off to a great start, and I am a big fan of cottage chesse but nearly everyone I know hates it!

[shifty1]

Thanks Sarahz... Hows Perth treating you. I am a Melbourne boy born and bread!

Cottage Cheese has been saving me in the morning... BUt Im worried that what Im eating is too much! :P