Hi from New York City -- land of the rough tough thin & sexy LOL page

[lukestormnyc]

Hi everyone!! I was so happy to get an email from Mark himself telling me I've been accepted into the Success Story In The Making 2012 Primal Challenge!!

I've read a lot of primal and paleo and low carb eating and living, and have had a bunch of false starts. I also have not had the best of health over and above my tendency to gain weight in the form of fat around my middle. I was a small skinny child who stayed short as an adolescent but gained fat in places---too young to have that happen, and after a hundred doctors and tests coming up with little, I decided not to feel sorry for myself for the past and how I was then, but to make choices and do things now at age 39 (just had a birthday!) so that my next 40+ years would be better, happier, and healthier than the first.

I am giving up my curiosity of why many co-workers and acquaintances I see every day can have sandwiches, wraps, bagels, and Starbucks with sugar and not gain weight. If I do those things, in one week I could be several pounds heavier! So I did not get much support or even understanding from friends--a lot of them believe the CW and some of them eat the SAD every day. Instead of explaining myself and feeling let down, I turned to Mark's Daily Apple and am now ready to get support from all of you Grokkers instead.

So where should I start? How can I get over the fears and self-criticism? Which app should I use to keep a real list of all the things I am eating each day? Thanks everyone!

[curlygirl]

Congrats on starting this journey! Your body will be so glad you did. There are a lot of fitness/food apps out there. I have the spark people app on my mobile and really like it. I have to admit to not using it so much after going paleo. I don't really have to count calories. But it is also good for tracking your exercise, goals and nutritional breakdown.

I'm into blogging, and reading other paleo blogs. I find them to be a great source of ideas and inspiration. Found some friends there too. You might come up with a list of them you like. I think there is a sticky thread somewhere on this forum with a list of paleo blogs. Good luck!

[BeachTeach]

Congrats on embarking on this lifestyle!

My best advice to you is to stay off the scale and concentrate on how you feel and how your clothes are fitting. Our bodies go up and down in weight because of hormones, salt, and a hundred other things. Daily or even weekly weighing can make you doubt yourself and this way of eating.

Also, don't strive for perfection. I love Mark's 80/20 approach, because it's human. We don't do all or nothing very well. I gave myself permission to eat outside of the boundaries for one meal a week, usually the one hubby and I eat out. What I've found is that I really don't want to because Paleo is delicious and I feel like hell if I overdo off-plan stuff, especially wheat. It also doesn't taste very good. So, I limit myself to a couple bites of hubby's dessert or pasta, and I enjoy my steaks and gourmet hamburgers (no bun) and veggies.

This is a marathon, not a sprint. A way of life, not a diet.