Obligatory forum Introduce yourself thread page 305

[Lova]

Your location: Stockholm

Age (If you want): 23

How Primal are you: I do my best.

Do you consume dairy: Some - I use some butter and cream occationally.

Do you drink coffee or tea: Green tea

Motivator for switching to Primal: Tired of being constantly hungry and still carry around too much weight.

Favorite exercise: Heavy lifting and long hikes with my primal dog. Hate sprint training but do it anyways (can't deny the awesome results from that one)

Favorite Primal food: Elkmeat in any form, and deer and eggs, meat i hunt and gather myself it would seem?

Best part about being Primal: That I am allowed to eat when I'm hungry and skip meals when I'm not. That my workouts feels so much better and that I (and others!) can se some amazing results both musclegain and fatloss - I got killer shoulders as soon as I went primal, without actually changing my workoutroutine! Now I'm starting to catch a glimpse of what might be my abs - I'm never giving this up!

Worst part about being Primal: Well, In the beginning I had a wierd mourningperiod from the abscense of sugar. When I realized how good i felt without sugar I actually felt sad about the fact that I probobly wouldnt eat it again. Now I'm quite over the loss - the worst part right now are the not so understanding friends and relatives taht seems to think I will die from lack of candy and cookies.

[hannah2016]

Your location: Orange County

Age (If you want): 26

How Primal are you: probably about 80, but that's because of budget: can't afford organic/farm raised everything

Do you consume dairy: I'm avoiding it for my breastfeeding baby right now and, although I feel better too, I'd like to be able to cook with cheese and butter again someday.

Do you drink coffee or tea: tea, and coffee in social situations

Motivator for switching to Primal: my husband switched a year ago and I went along with it but cheated a lot because I was pregnant (excuses) but I'm on board now because 1) Improved mental heath, 2) Improved energy, 3) Being a good example to my kids, and 4) my husband looks so good and I want to look good too!

Favorite exercise: walking

Favorite Primal food: eggs, almond butter pancakes, coconut milk shakes

Best part about being Primal: knowing that I'm in charge of how healthy I am, and my husband cooks so much more now!

Worst part about being Primal: always having to explain why I'm eating/not eating something and the weird reactions I get. Makes me feel like a food snob a little bit.

[Mama_Jane]

Your location: Virginia

Age (If you want): 31, will be 32 in three months

How Primal are you: In the early phases, probably 80/20, no grains/legumes in over three weeks, need to cut back excess nuts, fruits and dark chocolate

Do you consume dairy: full fat cream in coffee, butter and various cheeses- all from good milk sources

Do you drink coffee or tea: both

Motivator for switching to Primal: Mother to four young children, over weight from most recent baby, auto-immune disease (skin related), yeast,aches and pains, IBS... I feel like this Primal way of eating is the next step after following the Sally Fallon/ Weston A Price way of eating for five years (it was such an awakening and drastically improved our health- but the grains, even sprouted and fermented, need to go). I love how balanced this seems - nutrition, exercise and fun!

Favorite exercise: I love to run and lift, but I will take anything I can squeeze in... I love playing sports with my oldest child.

Favorite Primal food: Meat! Eggs! Coconut! Most veggies

Best part about being Primal: My guts feel good and I don't feel puffy (that was immediate)... too soon to tell... I've got about 40-50 lbs I'd like to shed, but I am nursing...so we'll see how this Mommy body reacts to all this... I truly do not miss the bread, cereal etc...

Worst part about being Primal: My husband is not very supportive, he feels like I have taken this food thing too far... My extended family also thinks I'm bonkers and that it's unhealthy to not eat grains/beans...it makes me frustrated! I think I have a sugar addiction - dark chocolate and coconut dates... I have a hard time stopping at one...

Wish me luck!

[NewForNow]

Your location: Philadelphia, PA

Age (If you want): 26

How Primal are you: 80/20. The 20 is mostly booze and drunken mistakes! (Although, I've gotten really good at having snacks handy for intoxicated evenings! Bacon and almonds...mmmmm, a drunkards cuisine!

Do you consume dairy: Very little. Have severe lactose issues. Shredded cheese in an omelet is my max and even that is pushing it.

Do you drink coffee or tea: Both. Coffee sometimes in excess. (grad school...ugh)

Motivator for switching to Primal: I was 25 (June '11) and in the worst shape of my life. I felt like crap and looked like crap. I'm a lifelong "skeptic" "atheist" and believe very strongly in evolution, so when a friend told me about this evolutionary based diet I was intrigued...the rest is history! It truly was a turning point in my life and has changed every aspect of my life.

Favorite exercise: Honestly, my biggest thing now is incorporating more primal exercise...so it's my priority now to discover my favorite. (even though with minimal exercise...i lost 45lbs in 4 or 5 months!)

Favorite Primal food: Primal Shepherd's Pie!!! (and of course bacon!)

Best part about being Primal: Feeling great! This has seriously changed my life for the better. In 4 or 5 months I lost 45lbs! Been maintaining the last couple months and now I'm gonna lose another 25 or 30...and I know I can do it. (and how!)

Worst part about being Primal: Having to constantly tell people, "This is not a diet like weight watchers or atkins or south beach!!!!!"

I'm very excited to be Primal and look forward to being active on this site and helping others experience what I have!

[Terry H]

your location: Springfield, Illinois

Age (If you want):53

How Primal are you:90-95% diet-wise

Do you consume dairy:heavy cream, sour cream, occasional cheese

Do you drink coffee or tea:both

Motivator for switching to Primal:type 1 diabetes. This just seems to make sense, to put it simply.

Favorite exercise:clubbells

Favorite Primal food:coconut milk, coconut manna, etc

Best part about being Primal:I'm learning how to cook, which is a way for a diabetic to take control.

Worst part about being Primal:The explanations that are forthcoming while my mouth is full.

i came to the blog after reading a review of club-swinging by Mark S. There are lots of intelligent people here that one can enjoy and also learn from. I recommend the blog and forum heartily and frequently to others.

[Uprock]

Your location: Sydney Australia

Age (If you want):36

How Primal are you: not very, reading and planning the 21 day diet to start on febuary

Do you consume dairy: Yes

Do you drink coffee or tea: Yes

Motivator for switching to Primal: Lack of energy

Favorite exercise: Gardening

Favorite Primal food: Not Sure yet

Best part about being Primal: Eating new foods

Worst part about being Primal: Having to cook

[Aristotelian]

Your location: Berlin, Germany

Age (If you want): 31

How Primal are you: I'm just starting. I have done two weeks of the Primal diet (I am a skinny fat type) coupled with Joe Defranco's WS4SB and there are dramatic changes in my energy levels and physical appearance.

Do you consume dairy: Yes - Milk with a morning coffee, cream with berries, butter in sauces for steaks and so on

Do you drink coffee or tea: Both - usually 1 or 2 small coffees a day, and teas (fruit teas or ginger/lemon tea) when I'm taking a break from the cold

Motivator for switching to Primal: I honestly believe that the vast amounts of misinformation over the past decades (eggs are bad because they have a lot of cholesterol! No wait, that cholesterol isn't the problem - saturated fat is the devil! No wait, actually eggs are fine! Resume consumption!) gets people worrying too much about sculpting a "healthy diet" as opposed to eating what their grandparents might have eaten. My grandfather would probably be unable to understand why I used to eat an entire tub of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie for "breakfast" when I was a student, and his inability to understand (on my view) is an indicator that I was doing something ridiculous (not that I needed that analysis - but I was just trying to show an example). I want to become Grok, essentially. That's the reason.

Favorite exercise: Jogging through rural Germany barefoot or in VFFs. Also - chinups, because for me they are so ridiculously challenging, and I like a challenge.

Favorite Primal food: Massive amounts of locally grown organic in season berries, since I have stopped processed carbohydrate consumption. I simply can't believe how great they taste!

Best part about being Primal: A new found savagery between the sheets.

Worst part about being Primal: I won't lie - I do miss pasta the most. I had just perfected my ragu bolognese, too. I'll try to figure out a way to enjoy my meat sauces without the pasta - perhaps in lettuce cups? Hah.

Nice to meet you all.

[River Song]

Hi All!

I've just joined, although I found this website a few months ago and have been learning everything I can since then.

Your location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Age (If you want): 47, soon to be 48

How Primal are you: Very, only thing I can't always do is get good organic foods, not always available here at good prices.

Do you consume dairy: yes - no milk but cream, sour cream, butter and occassionally cheese

Do you drink coffee or tea: yes, drink no more than 4 cups of coffee a day, this is my one indulgence

Motivator for switching to Primal: My health. 5 years ago my husband and I discovered we had IBS, leaky gut and candida overgrowth. Took care of the candida, got a lot healthier and lost a lot of weight, but the IBS wouldn't go away and I have badly swollen ankles and problems with my knees. After lots of online research, I found the concept of low-carb eating and how it could help me, then I found MDA!

Favorite exercise: Walking

Favorite Primal food: Lamb LAMB, LAMB! And cream. Wasn't able to eat either before I switched diets due to my IBS.

Best part about being Primal: Not being hungry all the time, being able to eat things I haven't eaten in decades

Worst part about being Primal: Having to explain it to other people

[Project-Frankie]

Doctor Who fan also?

[Asmodeuskraemer]

Hi all! I'm new so I wanted to fill this little doohickey out.

Location: Wisconsin
Age: 26
How Primal: I dunno. A bit? 75%? I don't eat much dairy as it is because I'm lactose intolerant and while I like carbs they don't hold an "OMG NOMNOMNOM" factor over me. My biggest downfall will be sweets. I LOVE sugar.

Dairy?: Sometimes. The past two days I have had a meaty egg veggie scramble with once slice of cheese for flavor. I love the flavor cheese lends things but I am not fond of a cheesy texture, IE super cheesy pizza.

Coffee or Tea?: Yes. I want to love tea but have never had a great experience with it.

Motivator: I HATE (violently hate, want to rip-throats-out-with-my-teeth-and-shake kind of hate) hearing "Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day" and the implication that I have to exercise my ass into oblivion to loose weight.

Favorite Exercise: Actually, walking I think. As a casual activity I really like disc golf and there is a large course in my town where I can sprint from "tee" to tee or jog slowly or whatever I want. Unfortunately, its winter and there's snow. I'm not much of a snow person.

Favorite Food: Chicken thighs. Ha, funny story: When I was young in a program called Head Start (for poor kids), the teachers asked us all what our favorite foods were. My mom told me that I was the only one who yelled "MEAT!" I love the juicy fattyness of chicken thighs. Mmm.

Best part?: Not being hungry all the time. Not being as tired. Being happier. More energy. Eating good food.

Worst part?: I love sugar. I will have to have a day a week to eat my favorite sugary things so that I don't binge during the week. I'm also wondering how I tell my coach about this. I started working out at a local gym doing super cardio workouts and he gave me one of those "5-6 small meals a day" diet plans and I don't wanna. My body says no. HELL no. How do I explain this?