Obligatory forum Introduce yourself thread page 13

[geekfish]

Hi all, Thought I would introduce myself.


Your location: Upstate New York.


Age (If you want): 35


How Primal are you: Trying to follow fairly completely in eating. Moving toward more primal in excercise. Eliminated all grains and legumes. Still haven't found a good source of grass-fed beef that is economical in this area. Buying Organic foods locally when I can.


Do you consume dairy: minimal, a cup a week, a little cheese occasionally.


Do you drink coffee or tea: coffee


Motivator for switching to Primal: Really have a goal to change my life this year. Started at 408lbs (6'2") and the heaviest of my life. Down 50 lb since Feb. Always liked low carb concept, but finally found a sustainable way and an explanation and philosophy that makes sense to me.


Favorite exercise: Following Body by Science now, also took up running this year. Like sprints.


Favorite Primal food: Meat of any kind


Best part about being Primal: The stable mood and energy level, not being hungry. I have always been hungry on any diet or eating regime, always. Carbohydrate cravings always. I have felt more free and for the first time have started to think about skipping a meal and it not bother me. I never understood someone that said "I could eat or not", now I do.


Worst part about being Primal: I miss Mexican food, eating out, and trying to explain to my friends.

[kjake55]

Hi Everyone,

I am brand-spanking new to this but here it goes:


Your location: Northern NJ, USA


Age (If you want): 44 (for a little while longer anyway)


How Primal are you: Transitioning and learning from the Blog (can't wait for my book to arrive--soon I hope, I ordered it about 1 week ago)


Do you consume dairy: Yes. Milk, cheese and yogurt (do I really have to ditch them? I like milk)


Do you drink coffee or tea: Yes, both. Hot and cold varieties and alot of them. (Do they get ditched to?)


Motivator for switching to Primal: Well that's an on-going story. In May 2006 I quit smoking. I weighed 200 lbs. Afraid to gain anymore weight I watched what I ate and lost 9 lbs by Oct. In Oct I joined WW and over the next 2 years lost 55 lbs more and reached my goal in Oct 2008. I learned portion control, healthy eating choices etc etc. They really helped educate me. I was also experimenting with various workout routines and finally hit on Crossfit in Nov 2008. Crossfit has changed my life and it was through my trainer that I got turned on to Mark and this blog. As I said, I only just started about 1 week ago but already I have burned through most of the Archives and have begun to realize that CW did me in. Although I am comfortable with my new weight I'm not happy with the way it looks on me or the way I feel achcy much of the time. I chalked it up to being over 40 but I really wanted to bring myself to the next level. With the PB I think I can achieve that level.


Favorite exercise: Deadlifts and wall-balls.


Favorite Primal food: Salad. I eat salads everyday as or with a meal. Crisp bright veggies make me happy.


Best part about being Primal: haven't gotten far enough into it yet to know but for right now the excitment of going to that next level of wellness is pretty cool.


Worst part about being Primal: again, too new to know but I am a little scared. I've fought many demons (not just physical ones) to get to my weight. It's going to take quit a bit of mental retraining to eat full fat anything and not worry about getting heavy again. I haven't been as heavy as some who post here but I've seen my worst and don't want to go backwards in the name of trying to be healthy. Oh, and the limited fruit thing isn't going to be easy for me either. I'm a 6-8 portion per day kind of gal.


Sorry for the really long answers to the questions. I am actuall hoping for some feedback to some of it, as I said I'm new. I look forward to learning and living more Primal. Thanks Mark and all those out there who are already living the Grok life!

[tallguy]

The Questions:


Your location: Cheshire, England

Age (If you want): 40

How Primal are you: I'll guess at 75%

Do you consume dairy: Cheese + splash of milk in coffee


Do you drink coffee or tea: 2 cups per day


Motivator for switching to Primal: Being diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 30 my body started going downhill. August 2008 my 40th year, I made a pledge to myself to reclaim my body and get a six pack !! I've lost 45lbs my bf is approx 13%. Primal seemed the next logical step in my devlopment. As with BigBeck i started doing the musclehack.com MANS CKD diet but the carb ups were just killing me, so i've dropped them to become more primal. And hopefully coming closer to our human roots may improve my PD.


Favorite exercise: Press ups with my 7 year old on my back !!!


Favorite Primal food: Ham joint !!


Best part about being Primal: I'll tell when got started properly !!


Worst part about being Primal: As with most people, social is a killer, the dreaded finger buffet, 1 sausage roll is too many, a million is not enough !!!

[rarrr]

Hello!

Your location: Tokyo, previously London

Age (If you want): 27

How Primal are you: 65%

Do you consume dairy: yes

Do you drink coffee or tea: not regularly

Motivator for switching to Primal: fitness

Favorite exercise: martial arts

Favorite Primal food: sashimi

Best part about being Primal: feels great

Worst part about being Primal: rice everywhere!

[brycebolt]

Your location: Spokane, Wa

Age (If you want): 29

How Primal are you: 75%

Do you consume dairy: Some

Do you drink coffee or tea: Tea

Motivator for switching to Primal: Better overall health

Favorite exercise: Lifting heavy things

Favorite Primal food: Salmon

Best part about being Primal: The food!

Worst part about being Primal: Friends and family who don't understand

[SullynNH]

Your location: Manchester, NH

Age (If you want): 33

How Primal are you: 80-90% Just getting the nutrition dialed in, was already lower carb and fitness was already a part of daily life

Do you consume dairy: Only Yogurt and Kefir (lactose intolerant)

Do you drink coffee or tea: No

Motivator for switching to Primal: Family history of Heart Disease, have low total cholesterol to include below normal HDL and to work on lean mass gains

Favorite exercise: Bodyweight exercise, especially on my elite rings

Favorite Primal food: Bacon

Best part about being Primal: Not tied to some regimented plan, hey I even learned to eat eggs

Worst part about being Primal: Trying to explain it to others

[hannahc]

Hey I'm glad I saw this thread! Hi everyone


Your location: Cincinnati, OH


Age (If you want): 24


How Primal are you: 95% for the past 11 days (no cheats so far)


Do you consume dairy: a bit of greek yogurt and raw milk cheese, may give that up though


Do you drink coffee or tea: coffe sometimes (black), green tea 2-3 cups per day


Motivator for switching to Primal: Was eating very healthily (according to CW) for nearly a year and a half before hand, doing lots of varied and intense exercise (5-6 days per week) including running, lost at least 30 pounds over 2 years. While training for a half-marathon I actually gained about 9 pounds, maybe even 11...I was so upset! I couldn't believe with all the extra running, all while maintaining my supposed calorie maintenance level, I gained that much weight. Started the cycle of chronic cardio and chronic hunger, and decided there had to be a better way for me to lose those extra pounds and maintain my weight without being in the gym for 60-90 minutes a day. Enter Mark's Daily Apple...and I can't believe how much better I feel already.


Favorite exercises: Sprinting/Walking/Hiking (can't wait to get my Vibram Five Fingers on Friday!!!)


Favorite Primal food: Oh geeze...either chicken with the skin on (amazing!) or farmer's eggs (fried, runny, scrambled, hard boiled, soft boiled...doesn't matter!)


Best part about being Primal: I'm not hungry! I was ALWAYS starving before, no matter how much I'd eaten. This balance of protein and fat keeps me so satiated.


Worst part about being Primal: Hmm...probably feeling slightly weird around others with regard to food. Haven't been in too many social situations while eating this way yet, so I haven't had any practice with having to explain why I don't want the pasta/breadsticks/pizza/etc. We'll see how that goes later I guess

[JMG]

Your location: Northern New Jersey

Age (If you want): 26

How Primal are you: Mostly

Do you consume dairy: Yes

Do you drink coffee or tea: Both, two cups/day

Motivator for switching to Primal: Overcome cravings & improve overall health

Favorite exercise: Heavy lifting and hiking

Favorite Primal food: Whole eggs, salmon, almonds, fresh produce

Best part about being Primal: Peace of mind

Worst part about being Primal: So far, so good!

[Meggilizz]

Your location: Fayetteville NC


Age (If you want): 28


How Primal are you: I'm pretty new at it, so I think 80/20 fits for me.


Do you consume dairy: I stopped dairy in May and have noticed a marked decrease in sinus problems. If I do have dairy, it's whole fat milk in my tea or a piece of extra sharp cheddar or bleu cheese.


Do you drink coffee or tea: I stopped drinking coffee in May also, now drink green, black & red tea.


Motivator for switching to Primal: My Crossfit trainer! I've been doing Weight Watchers for 1.5 years and got stuck. I asked him for some advice & he told me all about PB/Paleo, I was sceptical at first but now am embracing it!


Favorite exercise: CROSSFIT!


Favorite Primal food: BACON


Best part about being Primal: Being able to eat real food and not carry 4-5 tupperware dishes with me to work. Oh and BACON!


Worst part about being Primal: The closest good health food stores are 1.5 hours away.

[Catalina]

Hi. . .I've been checking out this site/forum for a few weeks now--read Paleo, then got here, then got the book.


The questions:


Your location: Southern California


Age (If you want): 57


How Primal are you: Well, it's just been a few weeks, and I'm going for as Primal as I can. I haven't had any grains or sugar (unless a bit came into a purchased sauce). I have had 1 beer or about 4 oz. of wine a few days a week.


Do you consume dairy: Not at the moment--I'm considering getting some raw, pastured butter for my veggies.


Do you drink coffee or tea: Right now, I'm drinking low-acid half-caf coffee (1 mug in the morning), plus green tea, plus herbals. Considering dumping the coffee.


Motivator for switching to Primal: Health and weight loss. I haven't had any huge issues with health yet, but my older brother and mother died in their 60's of cancer (both from smoking, but I figure it's just that the cancer got them there because that was their weak spot.) Weight loss--I'm figuring about 30 lbs, but won't know till I get there.


Favorite exercise: Hiking, walking, dancing


Favorite Primal food: Coconut oil. And bacon. And coconut oil.


Best part about being Primal: It feels so natural--I haven't had any huge carb cravings (and trust me, I could eat a whole bag of chips before).


Worst part about being Primal: Well, I haven't encountered any social problems yet, but I'm anticipating. Since I live in SoCal, most folks are used to someone doing new and different things; what I'm anticipating is that my being so "clean and healthy" will tap into their guilt, and that's where the pressure will come from to join them (if that makes sense. . .)