Obligatory forum Introduce yourself thread page 303

[Kunko]

Your location: Gwangmyeong (technically part of Seoul) South Korea

Age (If you want): 22 gonna be 23 soon

How Primal are you: literally just started Wednesday so easing into it and starting hardcore Monday

Do you consume dairy: Yes, originally from Wisconsin so you kinda got to, but I'm really cutting back on it

Do you drink coffee or tea: both, slowly easing into drinking them both with minimal sugar or none at all

Motivator for switching to Primal: Well I am an 12 year post op kidney transplant recipient and the medication I am on causes diabetes. This I have learned the hard way greatly limits my already limited options. I wanted to do a summer program in India before I graduated college, but was told flat out no because "Where would you store your insulin?" and I almost didn't get to study abroad period or get this really nice job in Korea because "what about your insulin?" So I'm hoping with the help of going primal and the new advances in insulin (yay for the pen!) that I can slowly wean myself off of it, I'm not classified as insulin dependent yet, and really start living my life. I also hope to get in better shape because after my kidney transplant I really cut back on the sports.

Favorite exercise: Dancing, particularly bollywood it is the best!

Favorite Primal food: Eggs

Best part about being Primal: I can eat a lot and just from doing it mildly the past 2 full days I have a lot of energy

Worst part about being Primal: I'm an Asian in Asia.....it is fricken hard to avoid grain when I eat lunch with my kids and half the lunch is some type of rice or carb. Also it is hard to find a lot of the add on primal options like Coconut butter or coconut products besides the overly sweetened kind.

[inesenite]

Your location: Brussels, Belgium

Age (If you want): 29 (for another couple of months)

How Primal are you: Just started in December (minus Xmas to New year period). I would say I am about 70-80% primal (normally 90-100% on working days, around 70% on weekends and often not primal at all during my "gourmet" holidays when I just prefer exploring all the weird and wonderful (or less so) food I can find in a foreign place)

Do you consume dairy: yes, grass fed butter, sometimes a little hard cheese and heavy cream

Do you drink coffee or tea: very little - one cup of coffee, a couple black or green teas a week... I prefer water and herbal teas.

Motivator for switching to Primal: I lost some weight (over 15 kgs) a year ago by counting calories, eating pretty low GI and exercising like a madwoman. Have kept it off since but I would like to find a sustainable and easy way of being lean and healthy. Primal seems like the way to go. I did research it for a very long time - probably under a year before deciding to have a go, so I am pretty sure it is the right choice for now.

Favorite exercise: indoor climbing (occasionally), mountain/hill trekking (on holidays) and weightlifting

Favorite Primal food: almost any fish and Black Angus Irish steaks

Best part about being Primal: general wellbeing, being lean and feeling strong

Worst part about being Primal: I miss eating a lot of fruit, especially dried fruit. I used to be able to polish off 1 kg of varied fruit in one Saturday afternoon (after a visit to the local market). Another thing - I like having the best food there is, so it is very expensive (vegan would be cheaper, huh?)

[theprimalcajun]

The Questions:


Your location: the great state of Texas!

Age (If you want): will be 57 next month

How Primal are you: I have only been Primal for a week & 3 days

Do you consume dairy: very little

Do you drink coffee or tea: tea

Motivator for switching to Primal: nothing else has worked to help me lose weight so after seeing a new chiropractor/naturopath/nutritionist, who gave me a suggested 'diet' to try that recommended gluten free/grain free/sugar free & easy on the legumes & fruit...like our hunter/gatherer ancestors ate & I wanted to know more. I am very big on finding out the "why's" of things...so went home & started researching the whys of being gluten free & grain free. I know of several people that have gone gluten free but was curious as to why no grain. I had been seeing "blurbs" about the primal diet...The Paleo diet...but what little bit I had seen turned me off. Who wanted to eat like a caveman & go back to living in caves? But my research brought me a link to Mark's website & all the pieces of the puzzle started to fit! It all made such sense! I am at very high risk for Type 2 diabetes...ALL my family on my father's side (the Cajuns!) come down with Type 2 diabetes in their 50's...& my younger brother was just diagnosed last week. I absolutely didn't want to succumb to the family disease!! So off to the bookstore to buy books! I bought Robb Wolf's & finished it in two days...am now reading Cordain's & Mark if you're reading this I have ordered your book & its on its way to me!! The top 3 books on going primal if you ask me!! This is definitely my go to website tho! What a wonderful, supportive community! My mom is now reading one of my books & seeing my new chiropractor as well. She has just started going primal. We are going to try & convince my brother to consider it.

Favorite exercise: Due to a bad knee which limits what I can do (I can't even walk normally)...I have a couple of dvd's called Chair Dancing. They are wonderful for folks that can't exercise "normally". They have one for yoga which I am ordering soon.

Favorite Primal food: all of it!!! I love meats...vegi's & fruits!!

Best part about being Primal: Even after only 10 days I feel fantastic!! The inflammation in my joints is better...my knee doesn't feel the size of a basketball & my fingers don't hurt! And I have energy that I forgot I had!! I am even able to get into some clothes I haven't been able to wear in years!!

Worst part about being Primal: I guess you could say giving up the junk food...but I don't dwell on that much. I dwell on how much better I'm feeling & seeing the numbers going down on the scale! Bad Food is unhealthy & makes you feel like s*&t...Healthy Food makes you feel light & fabulous! I don't want to feel like a slug anymore!!! I want to reclaim my health! I will probably continue to eat some rice...as that's in my genetic code!! lol I am Cajun after all!! Grok on!! (or in French: Laissez les bon temps rouler!

[hlodecello]

Hello, my name is Heather.

Your location: Davenport, IA

Age (If you want): 34

How Primal are you: I started the 21 Day challenge on Monday. I've been reading Mark's blog for a couple of months and finally took the plunge after some holiday binging.

Do you consume dairy: Right now I'm trying to stay away from it. Last time I didn't eat diary, I lost 5 lbs in a week, which makes me think my body doesn't like it.

Do you drink coffee or tea: Both! Two cups of coffee in the morning and then herbal teas the rest of the day.

Motivator for switching to Primal: I'm starting to feel arthritic twinges, and I feel as if I'm allergic to everything. I'm hoping that eating primally will get my body back on track. I also want to lose 5 lbs (of course).

Favorite exercise: I love slow jogging outside along the bike path by my house. I run a super speedy 11 minute mile.

Favorite Primal food: Avocado!

Best part about being Primal: More energy and fewer hunger pains.

Worst part about being Primal: I have to plan ahead more to have good food in the house, so I don't resort to Cheez Its and cookies (my husband is not primal, so I can't banish all the bad stuff from the house).

[BeeRex]

Your location: Ontario, Canada

Age (If you want): Just turned 29 not too long ago.

How Primal are you: As primal as I can be, given that I just started this whole thing today. Have been doing a lot of reading over the past few days.

Do you consume dairy: I have a half 500ml tub of Greek Yogurt to finish. After that, I'm going to cut it out as it's possible my eczema is a product of either a dairy sensitivity or wheat.

Do you drink coffee or tea: Yes. I'll usually have one cup of coffee in the morning, a cup or two of tea (black, green and herbal, depending on what I feel like) during the day.

Motivator for switching to Primal: Overall health and energy. I'm fairly young and at a good weight (would like to trim fat, gain muscle), and even though I'm a PhD student, I shouldn't feel this 'off' as much as I do. I also have a sweet tooth and being able to kick that would be very helpful. What really directed me here is my switch from 6 years as a vegetarian, to a hunter (new, only my second season this year). To me hunting speaks to something humans have done for a long, long time and satisfies a part of me that the modern world wants to cover-up. Even though I haven't been successful in a hunt yet, just getting out is enjoyable and now I want to take the next step(s) towards eating/living the way humans were designed to eat/live.

Favorite exercise: Walking/hiking/hunting for small game (which usually means a good 5hrs of walking slowly through the bush). I'm sure as I continue with this and get more versed in different primal exercises/movements, I'll have more.

Favorite Primal food: Red meat (beef, venison, moose, duck), rare. I also love a good roasted leg of lamb.

Best part about being Primal: Too early to tell, but I do like the sounds of the 'back to basics' and the simplicity of it. From what I gather, the 'best part' is being the best you can be and clearing yourself of all the junk that the big-(ph)farm(a) corporations try to sell.

Worst part about being Primal: Again, too early to tell. A little worried about the cost, I'm a PhD student on a very limited budget, so I really have to make my dollar stretch and get the best I can with what I've got.

[Skootz]

Your location: Iowa (California native)

Age (If you want): 32

How Primal are you: 75% and will be eventually be 100%

Do you consume dairy: Yes

Do you drink coffee or tea: Yes

Motivator for switching to Primal: Easy to follow meals, eating and thinking. Conventional eating doesn't work for me.

Favorite exercise: Weight Lifting

Favorite Primal food: Beef, Chicken, Turkey & Pork.

Best part about being Primal: Fulfilling

Worst part about being Primal: I have not found one yet.

[brightLaser]

Hi all,
getting back to the primal lifestyle after being hammered by some flu strain for most of november and then the holidays...lost some focus.

Your location: Hartford, CT

Age (If you want):50

How Primal are you: depends on if i'm on the road, which is most of the time. protein is easy to find, vegetable not so much

Do you consume dairy:yes

Do you drink coffee or tea:yes

Motivator for switching to Primal:lose body fat, feel better

Favorite exerciseushups, running

Favorite Primal food: pork chops

Best part about being Primal:
losing weight without trying
Worst part about being Primal: doesn't fit in well with the go-go lifestyle of a road warrior at times

[mattrogers55]

Your location: Aubrey, TX (North Dallas)

Age (If you want): 25 this month

How Primal are you: I eat as Primal as I can. I still eat the regular meat because it's so much cheaper and we're on a budget.

Do you consume dairy: High quality cheese, I'm thinking about expanding once I reach my goals.

Do you drink coffee or tea: I drink hot tea with no sweeteners

Motivator for switching to Primal: It makes sense, still get to eat all the best stuff

Favorite exercise: Burpee-Pullups

Favorite Primal food: Steak(rare of course!)

Best part about being Primal: Visible health benefits. It's like fixing something you didn't even know was broken, but now that it's changed you can't imagine going back.

Worst part about being Primal: I used to LOVE loaded baked potatoes

[Sandy33]

The Questions:


Your location: Maine

Age (If you want): 62

How Primal are you: Very

Do you consume dairy: only 1 TBSP of cream in my one cup of coffee a day

Do you drink coffee or tea:

Motivator for switching to Primal: My health

Favorite exercise: Hauling in wood for the wood stove

Favorite Primal food: Meat, meat and more meat

Best part about being Primal: I no longer have acid reflux and have lost over 20 lbs

Worst part about being Primal:[/QUOTE] I can't think of a thing!

[Bamboozel]

Your location: Thailand (at the moment) but I'm from Australia

Age (If you want): 31

How Primal are you: Beginner! nearly 2 weeks into this journey but loving it so far.

Do you consume dairy: At the moment, no. I am currently travelling in Cambodia so dairy is scarce but have switched to black coffee when its available.

Do you drink coffee or tea: Drinking black coffee, jasmine tea

Motivator for switching to Primal: Better health, more energy, lose weight and also feel great! My boyfriend and a very close friend are also doing the 30 day trial Primal so its a good motivator.

Favorite exercise: Haven't yet got to the exercise section, but I love bike riding and kayaking

Favorite Primal food: Big bowl of steamed vegies. Living in Thailand means I have access to locally grown, sustainably farmed produce that is incredibly cheap.

Best part about being Primal: I have to wait and see, but 1.5 weeks in and I have energy and focus.

Worst part about being Primal: In asia it would be the looks on peoples faces when you decline rice or leave it on the plate...hard to explain no rice/no noodles sometimes!