Greetings from Northern England! (and some quick questions...) page

[englishrose]

Ok, so, finally plucked up the courage to join in!

Been reading the forums for a couple of months now, and in a couple of days ill have been 100% primal for 30 days...

Thing is, Im not loosing weight!

This time last year I was 13 stone, (5 foot 3) and very unhappy. Over a few months I got down to 9.5 stone using a traditional calories in/calories out method - but found to keep the weight off, I was having to starve myself. A friend pointed me in the direction of this lovely website.

I love weight lifting, and I do karate training twice a week, and IM eating cleaner than I ever have before -and loving it. No grains, no more milk, no white potatoes, I made it through the carb flu and am now eating between 30 - 70g carbs a day although im not strict about it, this is just where it falls, with some leafy greens, other veggies and maybe an apple/banana. sweet potatoes if I know im going to be doing alot of fighting at karate. Even thrown the odd IF in there. generally i eat brekkie and then nothing till dinner time. makes it so much easier not having to take a packed meal to work with me.

Now. I feel im maybe getting a tiny bit trimmer, but my measurements/weight have not changed in the last month, if anything i've put on a couple of pounds, and although im quite strong, and my arms dont look too bad due to my lower body my bf is at about 30%. my BMI is in the healthy range, at about 23.4.

What am I doing wrong? am I missing something?

My hubby is eating the same as me - but with a few extras (all still primal, except he still has milk in his coffee) and the fat is just melting off him....

Anyway. was not supposed to be a moany post!

Becky

[SoccerGrok]

Hi englishrose...First of all, congrats for going Primal. You've made the right choice(IMHO) Patience is very important when first starting. Don't stress about it, and remember that this is a Lifestyle change, and not a Diet. It takes longer for some to lose the lbs/see differences than it does for others. And men typically lose faster.

How is your sleep? Sometimes this has an effect on the body.
What are your proteins/fats. Are you snacking?

Keep up the good work, and remember, there are lots of great people here to help/advise you. Rock Out with your Grok Out!

[englishrose]

Hi, Thanks for replying!

Sleep lately is ok, (i know it could be better) but not amazing, as Ive got exams - which are stressful!

Proteins wise, im eating about 90g a day, which is roughly 1g per lb of lean mass - about 30 - 70g carbs and the rest as fats.

Snacking wise, Some days i dont snack at all, and have 2 meals (whenever hungry) and thats all I need, and other days (like today when its been glorious outside and all I've wanted to do is go outside for a ramble through the woods) Ive snacked when I really didnt need to - all primal foods, but more than needed. Snacking because im bored and frustrated stuck in the house working for my exam, on my own as hubby is at work. Emotional eating, I guess!

Hopefully after my exam tomorrow, i'll feel a bit more "balanced". Treated myself to a pair of vibram fivefingers today! cant wait to try them out - I'm sure i'll get some odd looks!

[SoccerGrok]

Good on ya for the Vibrams:-) I have 5 pair and love em to death. Just smile and prance on by when "They" give ya the look:-) Just go easy at first, and only wear them for a bit at a time. I wouldn't suggest running in them straightaway, or your calves will howl like mad at ya.

[SoccerGrok]

And Btw, the eating looks good. I would just try to cut the snacking, and maybe eat more at your regular meals. Also, drinking water will help to curb the hunger.

[Dragonfly]

Welcome!

Patience is key--your metabolism will take time to adjust. I lost 4 pounds of water weight immediately, then I didn't start losing again until 4 months after going Primal.

Also, definitely get your Vitamin D level tested. Over 70% of Scottish (and likely N. England) residents are deficient. Not always easy in the NHS (I lived in Scotland for 7 years), but truly important for fat loss & overall health. More information here.

[matt22]

Hi from Somerset. I love my vibrams, I bought them in the states a few months ago, I find them really comfortable, I just play and do light jogging in them. Who cares about funny looks huh. Good luck on your journey.

[englishrose]

Thanks Guys, Its nice to hear from other like minded people!

Vit D is gonna be hard, I think, as we are going into that part of the year where we leave to go to work in the dark, and get home in the dark, and I work 90% of the time in an artificially lit, windowless office. Gonna start braving the weather and taking myself out for daily lunchtime walks, I think. get some movement, and some sunlight in there. I tend to not eat at lunch time, anyway - my hunger seems to follow the pattern of a moderate sized brekkie, and a nice big evening meal and nothing inbetween, so maybe thats the way forward.

Becky xxx

[Melbouch]

Hi ER

I'm the same as you on the daylight front during the working day even though I'm on the South Coast. I've just started going for a 20-25 min walk at luchtime and it makes a huge difference. I fell better and am more alert during the pm also cutting all the bad carbs has stopped the post lunch narcolepsy too! Looking forward to getting my Vibrams tomorrow (boss got them for me in USA) and to hell with the funny looks!!!

On the weight front I snack too when bored and that's where most of my weight came from (that and red wine) I have tried to cut down on the nuts during the day. If I'm really bored then I go for a 5 minute wander and then get back to work, a little non-fag break seems to work for me!

Mel xx

[megalodon]

Hi and welcome,i'm from Manchester area and have the same problem regarding Vit D synthesis due to lack of sunshine in our part of the world.
I supplement with Vitamin D3 ,specifically "Natures Answer" that can be found on Amazon.This, IMHO,is good quality stuff that gives you 4000iu daily.

Vitamin D is,i believe,extremely important to health and well being.Good Luck on your journey.