Going Primal over 50 .... Any hope for me? page

[greentree2]

Greetings.

I've been dabbling in Primal lifestyle for about five years. While it's had a great result in my blood tests (LDL, HDL, glucose), and I've gained muscle, strength, and improved fitness, I've also gained 20 lbs of fat during this time. I have about 40 lbs of fat to lose.

Is this because I'm over 50 and female? Reading Mark's books and blogs, I see amazing stories of change after people go Primal, but these people seem to be all young: under 30 or 35, often in their twenties. I haven't found a single case study of a woman over 50 starting primal and losing more than a few pounds of fat.

There are two obvious explanations for this: 1. Primal works better in younger people. 2. Only younger people are doing Primal.

I'm now in Day 3 of stopping the dabbling and going Primal full-time. Question is: Is there any hope for me? I'm in perimenopause and also have low thyroid as a result of being treated for Graves disease and having my thyroid killed by radioactive iodine. I have to take replacement thyroid (Levoxyl) but my thyroid level is still below optimal level. My doc, who is pro-Primal, is trying to figure out why I'm not responding to the thyroid replacement drugs as I should.


Does anyone have any real experience in Primal success for women over 50 and/or for people with low thyroid? Is there any hope for me?

[crackedpot]

Hi & Welcome - Though I haven’t had to deal with the same issues you have I say never give up hope!! Making a step forward for health is always an A+. I'm 52; I started reading MDA the first of this year and joined in April. I've seen slow but sure changes, starting @ 168lbs - this morning I weighed in @ 150lbs – yeah
Best advice I can give is to be patient and be honest with youself – My biggest stumbling block has been nuts, seeing all the good recipes for desert & pizza using almond flour was just another way to fall into bad habits. Some do okay, not me - everyone is different.
There is a lot of good information on this site - read and make it work for you -

Val -

[vatuck]

I'm anxious to hear replies as well. I am 46, but I am also perimenopausal. I tested for very low levels of test, est, and prog. I have been "dabbling" too for a few weeks. My son came to visit for a couple of weeks and then we went on vacation, so it really wasn't the best time to make big changes. I had one really good week and lost about 3 pounds the week before my son came to visit, so I believe it works. I agree about the nuts, though. I am giving those up for a while. Weight loss stalls for me when I am eating nuts. Also, I do not do well if I snack, so I stick to three meals a day. It makes me want to munch more if I snack (insulin issue I am assuming). I don't know if you have been snacking at all, but that could be something to consider as well. I have restarted today and am really anxious to see how things go.

[namelesswonder]

Don't "dabble". Do a Whole-30 trial. The more you comply with primal/paleo completely, the easier it will be to see how your body responds and what adjustments you need to make. Set controls so you know what might be causing problems (ie. protein-filled breakfasts at a specific hour, waking up the same time everyday, no snacking whatsoever, no eating after a certain hour etc.). Remember that you are not one-size-fits-all and you might need a different regimen than someone else (maybe it ends up that you need multiple meals through out the day instead of 3 strict meals/day).

And keep reading! There are many +50s out there, even here on the forums, that are primal and succeeding. I've even seen people in their 70s around here. You might want to read into Adrenal Fatigue or do a forum search for it.

I hope this is somewhat helpful and/or encouraging I think it's funny that you seem to think that only young people are doing primal because 1. you're not old and 2. I thought the opposite when I first joined!

[greentree2]

Don't "dabble". Do a Whole-30 trial. The more you comply with primal/paleo completely, the easier it will be to see how your body responds and what adjustments you need to make. Set controls so you know what might be causing problems (ie. protein-filled breakfasts at a specific hour, waking up the same time everyday, no snacking whatsoever, no eating after a certain hour etc.). Remember that you are not one-size-fits-all and you might need a different regimen than someone else (maybe it ends up that you need multiple meals through out the day instead of 3 strict meals/day).

And keep reading! There are many +50s out there, even here on the forums, that are primal and succeeding. I've even seen people in their 70s around here. You might want to read into Adrenal Fatigue or do a forum search for it.

I hope this is somewhat helpful and/or encouraging I think it's funny that you seem to think that only young people are doing primal because 1. you're not old and 2. I thought the opposite when I first joined!

My naturopathic doc is actually treating me for adrenal fatigue, using flaxseed, sunflower seeds and high doses of fish oil and evening (or is it morning? whatever ....) primrose oil. I'm not sure why this treatment is being used.

Good advice about trying an entire 30day trial. My question here was whether there are any documented cases of women over 50 seeing good results after starting primal lifestyle after age 50? This would be encouraging.

And, yes, I know I'm not that old. But reading all the case studies in Mark's book and on here, I seem to be in a great minority. In the new "21 Day Transformation" book there are, I believe, three case studies and they're all much younger than me -- 20s and early 30s. This doesn't count Mark and his wife who have been living primal since they were much younger.

[namelesswonder]

^...That's weird.
About sunflower seeds: A Quick Guide to Edible Seeds | Mark's Daily Apple. High in O-6 so I don't know why you'd want it.
Also the O-3 in flax seed is generally not as digestable as it is in animal (fish or fish oil) form. It's a different type of O-3 than the stuff in fish oil and it's not as easily converted to what our bodies can use.

I recommend this book Amazon.com: Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome (9781890572150): James L. Wilson, Johnathan V. Wright: Books because that's what I've seen recommended here.

Definitely search the forums for "adrenal fatigue". I know there are people here who have been diagnosed with it and have written about their treatments and whatnot. I'm pretty sure some of them have recovered from it to some extent, as well.

[Yvonne PHX]

I have to take replacement thyroid (Levoxyl) but my thyroid level is still below optimal level. My doc, who is pro-Primal, is trying to figure out why I'm not responding to the thyroid replacement drugs as I should.


Does anyone have any real experience in Primal success for women over 50 and/or for people with low thyroid? Is there any hope for me?

I am not in my fifties, but I have some experience with low thyroid. Many people don't respond to the synthetics. Talk to your doc about Armour Thyroid. Getting rid of gluten grains will help your thyroid. Be vigilant about avoiding even trace gluten. Adrenal fatigue and thyroid problems often go hand-in-hand. I definitely echo the recommendation to research Adrenal Fatigue. I found that Wilson's book reads like little more than an infomercial. One gentleman on the board cured his AF by eating actual bovine adrenal glands. A quick search of the forum should get you a link to his source.

[marcadav]

Greetings.

I've been dabbling in Primal lifestyle for about five years. While it's had a great result in my blood tests (LDL, HDL, glucose), and I've gained muscle, strength, and improved fitness, I've also gained 20 lbs of fat during this time. I have about 40 lbs of fat to lose.

Is this because I'm over 50 and female? Reading Mark's books and blogs, I see amazing stories of change after people go Primal, but these people seem to be all young: under 30 or 35, often in their twenties. I haven't found a single case study of a woman over 50 starting primal and losing more than a few pounds of fat.

There are two obvious explanations for this: 1. Primal works better in younger people. 2. Only younger people are doing Primal.

I'm now in Day 3 of stopping the dabbling and going Primal full-time. Question is: Is there any hope for me? I'm in perimenopause and also have low thyroid as a result of being treated for Graves disease and having my thyroid killed by radioactive iodine. I have to take replacement thyroid (Levoxyl) but my thyroid level is still below optimal level. My doc, who is pro-Primal, is trying to figure out why I'm not responding to the thyroid replacement drugs as I should.


Does anyone have any real experience in Primal success for women over 50 and/or for people with low thyroid? Is there any hope for me?

I am a 54 year old hypothyroid, perimenopausal woman. I've lost 50+ pounds and kept it off for almost 2 years. I lost the weight eating low carb and by going primal.

There are a few threads dealing with females 50 and over. Here are two:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread19095.html
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread32701.html

In regards to thyroid-- What does "my thyroid level is still below optimal level." actually mean? Do you have test results you can share? If so, please include reference ranges. These ranges can be found can be found next to your result, usually in parentheses-- TSH 3.2 (.35-5.0).

Also are you being treated based on TSH or does your doctor treat by testing freeT4 and freeT3? Also, how are the following things:
1. Your vitamin D level
2. Your ferritin level
3. Do you get 200mcg selenium a day?

Finally, are you on hormone replacement for the perimenopause. If you are it can impact how your body uses thyroid meds.

[kahiba]

Hi and welcome Greentea. I'm 66 (67 next April). I lost 58lbs mostly using CW and calorie restriction but had so much trouble keeping the weight off and binge eating that I felt something was not right with what I was doing. About 3 months ago I found Mark's Daily Apple and started eating primal. It was the best thing I ever did. My weight is stable and binges don't happen. I feel so much lighter that I would say I was depressed compared to how I feel now. Hubby has come on board as well (he is 72) and the arthritis pain in his hands has all but disappeared. He no longer has frequent bouts of indigestion and we can't believe how much better we feel. When out walking it's like I could just break into a run with the joy of living. It's never too late.

[roromisty]

Hi Greentree2! I'll be 53 next week, and I'm perimenopausal. So far with primal I'm down 51 lbs. since mid-April. I feel so much better - more energy, no more constant aches & pains, no more GERD, my skin and nails are improved, and more! I still have 34 lbs. to go, but this is a ridiculously easy way to lose weight (for me, at least). No feelings of deprivation, eating delicious natural foods, and feeling healthy and alive for the first time in years!