She-Groks Only.......... cuz it works different for us page 149

[teach2183]

Hi ladies I've been browsing this site/ post for quite a while now and just wanted to say hello. My name is Zoe and I'm 34 yrs old from the uk. I have been primal for 5 weeks and have lost 15lb so far but aside from the weight loss I FEEL FAB, I never dreamed I'd be able to follow this lifestyle but it has come so easy (apart from my love of vodka and diet coke ). I just need to start exercising now but with two daughters and a job don't have a lot of time or money, any suggestions xx

PBF is great! I SAH with a 2 and 4yo. We go in the basement and they play while I exercise. We go the park and they chase me or slide while I sprint. I think it's a great opportunity to show them how exercising is a natural part of life. Each session only takes 30min or less.

[PHaselow]

Ladies.......... I'm getting frustrated looking through all these posts and finding 80% are from and about men. I want to start a thread just for us girls. We can post things here that are relevant to living primal from a female point of view.

So --- if you're interested, post some basic info about you and your experience with the PB.

OK --- your turn.

So I think this is fun. The guys usually butt in and offer unwanted advice. Not really, but this is still fun.

Moi: I'm 47- married for 18 yrs/together 25 yrs. Three children: 15, 14, 11. Boys on both ends; youngest child has Autism. Stress from that issue alone has messed with my body. Marriage is on the rocks right now, which only adds to it.

I am an eating disorder kid. Spent my 16th birthday in a hospital where the main goal was to put on weight (drink butter out of bottom of vegetable dish or drink Ensure; things like that) Anorexia progressed to bulimia to avoid obvious detection of my problem. Spent 15 yrs enmeshed in calories until my first child was born. Realized it was not all about me any more.

Have always maintained a normal weight. Hit 40 and my body went berzerk. Got teenage acne, undiagnosed rapid heart rate went out of control (PSVT) and my waist disappeared. I weigh within 5lbs range for the past 25 years but clothes fit differently. Most probably understand! Low level depression has dogged me since childhood, but I manage it with diet/exercise/luck. Sugar is my downfall. I don't miss bread at all on the Paleo diet.

Typical diet for past 7 weeks: skip breakfast but drink decaf coffee with either ghee or coconut oil. Lunch is some type of salad with avocado or bacon or leftover meat. Handfuls of nuts or trail mix in afternoon with regular additions of dark chocolate (70% and higher). Little to no fruit; typically dried fruit added to salad. I always keep a Primal Pac in my bag for emergencies. Dinner is lots of roasted or sauteed vegetables with red meat, pork or salmon. Not a fan of chicken, but trying to work on that. I do not count carbs, but thinking I should start. I rarely drink alcohol. If I do, I love tequila.

My goal is not to lose weight, but to gain lean muscle. To this date, I have not lost a pound. To be honest, I feel like my ideal weight is around 3-5lbs less than what I weigh, but I have had weekly 'bad days' with too much chocolate or just eating way too much protein/fat. I can polish off a 16oz steak without a problem. I also snack too much. LOVE nut butters and coconut.

I exercise regularly: 4-6 days/week. Do interval training with friends. I vainly try to keep up with the 30 somethings, and sometimes succeed. I look forward to the day where calories don't leap into my brain while eating, but for now I am still plagued by old habits. Baby steps.

[Lizzielou]

PHaselow - OMG, there is a siggy to aspire to: "BACK PAIN FREEEEEEEEE since living the PB (mild scoliosis)"

Tell me how you do it? Do you think its all diet and lifestyle or is there something else? I neeeeeeed to know, my scoli has been bugging me something major for the last few weeks and I'm going nuts! Osteopath and Krill oil have helped lots, but I'm still really sore.

[tomi]

So I think this is fun. The guys usually butt in and offer unwanted advice. Not really, but this is still fun.

Moi: I'm 47- married for 18 yrs/together 25 yrs. Three children: 15, 14, 11. Boys on both ends; youngest child has Autism. Stress from that issue alone has messed with my body. Marriage is on the rocks right now, which only adds to it. Baby steps.

Welcome! There's lot of great support and encouragement here! And it looks like you've already got one person looking to you for a little advice! Stick around --- the subject on this thread is constantly changing -- but its all about us ladies!

[PHaselow]

PHaselow - OMG, there is a siggy to aspire to: "BACK PAIN FREEEEEEEEE since living the PB (mild scoliosis)"

Tell me how you do it? Do you think its all diet and lifestyle or is there something else? I neeeeeeed to know, my scoli has been bugging me something major for the last few weeks and I'm going nuts! Osteopath and Krill oil have helped lots, but I'm still really sore.

I believe the inflammatory response from some non PB foods was the culprit, plus the fact that I was started back at my cross fit classes after a 5 month absence due to illness/injury. Core strengthening is very important! Chiropractic adjustments and massages seem to have a lasting effect now. I am going to blame sugar and (all)grains for now, since that is what I eliminated or reduced greatly since going PB.

I have an "S" curve that starts in my mid-back and ends in my low, low back. Today I do feel some extra pulling of my muscles to the right where my curve goes, but that might be due to camping/air travel for 5 days last week. I was unlucky enough to have chosen non-reclining seats TWICE on the plane for 3 hr flights. Ugh. I need a massage!

Core exercises! Anti-inflammatory foods. Continued chiropractic care. All good for this girl's back FINALLY!!!! I wish you relief. My biggest fear is having to put on a shiny track suit and becoming a mall walker due to my back issues. I will fight that one to the death!

[PHaselow]

Welcome! There's lot of great support and encouragement here! And it looks like you've already got one person looking to you for a little advice! Stick around --- the subject on this thread is constantly changing -- but its all about us ladies!

Thanks, tomi. I love how women connect. Support and advice from more 'seasoned' women (older. ok, older) is especially needed.

[Debbie]

I started reading this yesterday. I got to about page 12 and hopped to the end so forgive me if I ever ask something that was already covered, and direct me to where I need to go.

I am 49, divorcing, and have two adult sons. Mentally and emotionally, I am in a great place but it was a long ass haul to get here. Part of the reason I like this post so much is because I recognize what everyone is saying: it's validating and encouraging.

I just want to reaffirm for those that suspect that huge stress and SAD are contributing to their binges that, yes, that is what it was for me. As I discarded beliefs/values that crumbled in my real life circumstance, the old comforts lost their power. I also learned something in the last year that has helped me with every. single. struggle. It is this: ask yourself, "What is the need?"

That question helps me with my own weaknesses AND helps me to understand why others are, um ... jerks. I am not saying that it makes everything rainbows and lollipops. I am saying that it helps stupid stuff make sense.

So, I am reading and watching and learning from all of you. Thank you =)

[noodletoy]

welcome to those newly posting to this thread. it can be quite a mountain, but there is loads of good info here.

i've already put this in the EAT MOAR FAT thread, but since thursday, when i cut protein and upped fats i have lost 2 pounds. that is lightning-fast for me. even more amazing because i am having TOM. between that, and finally getting my hormones somewhat balanced i feel SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better and more able to concentrate on this. (on everything, really.) i won't lie, visually, the protein portions "seem" small, but i guess only in relation to what i was having previously. i am doing it with red meat, eggs and fatty fish, so i definitely "feel" full after i eat. lol -- just not as full. piggy, piggy, i guess. crapola, i'm italian!! i do like to eat.

am also realizing that at my age (48) and size (5'2") i just don't need as much food as i once did. that's a tougher program to get behind, lol. but if the scale continues to go down, i can feel more positive. this is the lowest weight i have been since last may.

[cavequeen]

Argh, started getting a sore throat yesterday and now feel yucky today with a headache as well. Not sure if it is allergies (ragweed) or a cold. Thank goodness it's a holiday and I don't have work. I also have lots of bone broth so I am going to start drinking a cup every day, along with some hot tea with local honey, my vitamins and green pastures fermented fish oil, keifer. Anything else I am missing to boost my immunities?

[onalark]

I just need to start exercising now but with two daughters and a job don't have a lot of time or money, any suggestions xx

Two things:

1) Read Mark's workout. It's free (you have to sign up for a newsletter that you can then unsub), it's all body-weight exercises (no gym!), and it's good. It's not grunt grunt 100# backsquat grunt grunt, but it's going to get your body conditioned. The exercises consist of: push-ups, plank, pull-ups, and squats. If you can't do pull-ups, find some other similar exercise or get creative. We bought a pull-up bar, but it's currently in storage due to impending movage. I've been doing 8# arm curls -- not really the same at all, but it's better than nothing.

2) If you can't exercise all at once, then don't exercise all at once. Do it over the course of a day. So if you've got a minute while the kids are getting their shoes on, do 10 squats. Make a note. Work toward getting 50 in a day. Yesterday I just dropped and did 20 push-ups right before my shower. That was my 20 for the day. Easy.

Good luck!