Making a difference page

[honeybuns]

I came to MDA through my hiking buddy. I have known this man over a decade, been hiking with him for several years now and trust him completely. Watching his primal journey has been educational, not only from his loss of 60 pounds (which I didn't think were there) but also seeing the medical problems that have plagued him for years become non-existent. Because my husband knows him and trusts him as well, changing how we eat met with no resistance from him.

It has been just over a month since we have gradually weaned back on grains. I didn't see the sense in going cold turkey and getting the carb flu. I haven't consumed much in the way of processed foods for a few years now so the transition has not been too hard. DH is thrilled as he has dropped 20 pounds and now notices how many men he sees are carrying a large gut where before it just didn't enter his radar. In my case I haven't noticed much weight loss on the scale but my belly, back and thigh fat are all reducing. On the advice of my hiking buddy, I upped my fat intake and am starting to see the scale drop.

I'm starting this journal to keep myself from getting discouraged that slow and steady wins the race when I wish I had WOW results! I would much rather have a sustainable lifestyle ith steady progress than an unsustainable one with quick results.

I have shared MDA with two sisters, a nephew and a friend. We'll see what happens. I have urged all of them to read the Primal Blueprint for the nutritional information alone, whether or not they choose to go Primal.



Today was a typical exercise day for me. Pulling hoses, mowing with a push mower, climbing ladders to clean the gutters. Oh, wrangled a big root mass from a tree we took out and got that out of my front yard. Definitely used some back muscles on that one!

[honeybuns]

It has been very frustrating over the years following the no-fat/lowfat way of thinking, let alone the smaller and smaller portions and having the scale stay the same. Even more frustrating was losing 20 pounds only to put it all back on in ten days because of some medical issues. How about walking six to ten miles a day and having nothing change? It doesn't help that I have a sister who could be my twin in everything but body type. She, of course, assumes that I am overeating and that is why nothing has changed. I have eaten less than she does for several years now!

One of the benefits I hope to get from being primal is to be able to keep up with a lady 20 years my junior who climbs mountains. She and I have a hike in our future and I DO NOT want to be the stereotypical middle-aged lady holding everyone back.

Best thing about primal eating? YUMMY meals! We are eating better now than we ever have!

[SugarBaby]

Welcome honeybuns! You've got good company here in your experiences. Many of us, myself included, did the CW way and watched health and weight get worse with the passing years. Remember the path has ups and downs, so keep at it, and keep sharing.

[honeybuns]

The thing that I think is absolute nonsense is the thinking that menopausal women are going to get fat and there is nothing that they can do about it. BULL!!! Accept it or fight it every step of the way? Hmmm...let me think....no brainer! If I don't feel old on the inside why should I accept being old on the outside?? PMA is such a strong influence on life, I think. My nephew is 32, former Marine, and keeps telling me that I will never be old because no one else's aunts climb trees. I really want to take him up hiking in the high country but he is afraid he won't be able to keep up. Dang! If I feel this good already, how am I going to feel now that I no longer eat grains?
Probably doesn't hurt that I am a country girl and am stubborn like my Mom.

[Digby]

The thing that I think is absolute nonsense is the thinking that menopausal women are going to get fat and there is nothing that they can do about it. BULL!!! Accept it or fight it every step of the way? Hmmm...let me think....no brainer! If I don't feel old on the inside why should I accept being old on the outside?? PMA is such a strong influence on life, I think. My nephew is 32, former Marine, and keeps telling me that I will never be old because no one else's aunts climb trees. I really want to take him up hiking in the high country but he is afraid he won't be able to keep up. Dang! If I feel this good already, how am I going to feel now that I no longer eat grains?
Probably doesn't hurt that I am a country girl and am stubborn like my Mom.

I'm in my sixties, retired last summer and can walk the legs off most young people. My dad is 91, goes hunting--got two deer last fall which is his primary food, goes fishing, goes to visit the "old" folks in he nursing home, is very sharp mentally. No we don't have to age into a pill popping old age. I'm planning a parachute jump for my b-day in the fall.

[honeybuns]

Yay, Digby!! My DH is 65 and while he is limited by bad knees (three surgeries) and needing a shoulder replacement, he doesn't let anyone tell him he can't. We helped my BIL reroof the barn and his 30 year old friend was outworked by DH!! I will never let him fall into the 'I'm so old' mindset. If you think you are old and falling apart, you will BE old and falling apart. PMA all the way!

Today is an RPR day! Cool, cloudy and just right for spending three hours scrambling about in the woods. Oh, RPR stands for Run Puppy Run. This is an activity that my dogs really enjoy. About a mile from the house are hundreds of acres of forest land and logging roads. I've been exploring this area for over a year and haven't even seen a quarter of it yet. I love the joy of discovery and love the offroading, which is where we go off the beaten path, scramble over downed logs, follow game trails into the ravines and back out again. Lots of deep, steep ravines so I know I am getting a workout. I have so much fun while I am out there that it sure doesn't feel like exercise. The dogs come back just exhausted and very, very happy. No matter how tired they are, if I say the word HIKE we are up and going again!

First, primal scramble for breakfast of red peppers, shallots, chinese cabbage and ham sauteed in butter with eggs to bind it all together topped with roma tomato. YUM! After that, off to town to buy a flat of local strawberries before the season ends, to the farm stand to stock up on veggies. What new thing shall I introduce this week? DH can be very picky about trying new things so I feed it to him first and then tell him what it is. Kale was a successful introduction last week.

It is going to be a bangup day!

[Pebbles67]

Good Luck Honeybuns. I'm going to be following your progress.

[honeybuns]

OMG! Have you tried berries with clotted cream? I am in serious lust with this!! This will be one I'll have to be sure not to overindulge on.

Little bit about me. I am one of seven, was raised on 17 acres of forested land and was always outdoors. 5' 10" and was very thin through my teens and twenties. 120-135 pounds. I don't ever want to see that weight again unless it happens naturally. My working career saw me between 145-160, all muscle. Between caring for the livestock at home, including putting hay bales in the barn every winter, and my extremely physic al job maintaining healthy body composition wasn't too difficult. 2004 we moved to a different state and I "retired". I went from LOTS of physical stuff to none at all as we boarded the horses and I wasn't even doing those chores any more. Weight went up but I did not own a scale so I cannot tell you where I went. October 2004 my DH had a heart attack and overnight we went to lowfat/ no fat CW and ate steel cut oats every morning as a way of increasing fiber quickly (again CW). December 2007 moved back to my home state (where we are now). Finally bought a scale and freaked. Got my weight down to 173 back into a size 14 pant, was feeling good and then hemmorhaged from uterine tumors. Opted not to have a hysterectomy as I was so close to menopause but the shot they gave me ballooned my weight up.
Forward to five weeks ago when I got serious about doing this. 201 pounds. Big gut. All these years I thought it was middle-age fat turned out to be ginormous tumors!! Now that the tumors have shrunk away to nothing I know what is belly fat and what isn't. This morning? 192 pounds! Better yet, the bulgy areas are actually looking pretty darn good!

Self confidence is high today and I have shared it with every one I met while running errands!!

[honeybuns]

Had a kickass time on the RPR in spite of getting rained on, taking the wrong hill and sliding down on my keester. Did I mention how different everything looks in July than it does in January?? Thank goodness I have a dog that never forgets how to get us back!


Journals are for recording ones thoughts, right? So, here is something I have been thinking about since I read on someone's journal that at 180 pounds they are in a size 8 pant. I think that is fantastic and I am happy for them. I just cannot lose sight of the fact that everyone has a different shape. Heck, at 120 pounds I was still in a size 12! All of my weight goes on between my waist and my knees and I have broad hips. Since my upper body doesn't carry the weight it has been easy to fool myself into thinking that everything was just fine!

Note to self. Celebrate the successes of everyone no matter what the weight or pant size!

[honeybuns]

190 this morning. WHAT?!? Seeing the scale go down quickly is so strange. This has never happened before but I like the result. Only time will tell if this is the way it is going to be. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing the scale go down and know that FINALLY something I'm trying is working.

Eating the CW way my husband always had a precipitous drop in energy in the afternoons especially when he was on a project. Absolutely no energy, shaking, trembly hands........now that he is eating primal all of that is gone. major plus in his book.

I think that I will start weighing once a week instead of every day. Now that i am in a downward trend i won't need to check as frequently to make sure it isn't going back up.

Off to explore Primal Recipes for dinner.