I need a kick in the butt page

[magda]

Hi All,

I guess I just wanted to rant a bit about how silly I apparently am... I first came across all this primal stuff about 3 months ago and decided to give it a try. I never stopped eating dairy. I tolerate it quite OK and can't imagine my life without greek yogurt I go for fermented dairy, raw and organic when possible. After starting PB I felt awesome. Lost some weight (not much, but I don't have too much to lose) and gained some muscle. I loved my workouts and generally was feeling fantastic.

And somehow I still couldn't stick with it... After about a month I had some "slips" when I ate bread or rice not because I was starving and it was my only option, but because I wanted bread and thought "what the hell". And then I entered "what the hell mode" and ate more bread/cookies/pasta/whatever...

Well, now that I had gone for some time without grains and legumes, I can really feel that my body doesn't like them. Bread + hummus = GI disaster. Pasta or pizza = upset stomach for the rest of the day. Plus I literally go to sleep immediately after I have rice or bread. And knowing it all, I STILL eat this stuff more often that I like to admit...

I've been pretty consistent with workouts though and I see a lot of muscle gain, so that's awesome. However, my new fantastic muscle is hiding under more and more of mush, especially on my belly. Also, I've noticed that when I do the bread+hummus thing, I'm much weaker during my workouts than when I go on meat, fish, dairy and veggies... Case in point, today. I couldn't do 300 rope jumps without stopping. Now, I know that it's all relative and not everyone is able to do it, but it was no big deal for me when I tried a few weeks ago...

I'm not obese, not even overweight according to BMI standards, but I feel I look like a heap of pudding if you know what I mean

Sooo, I think I just need someone to tell me to toughen up, be a big girl and do the right thing now that I know what the right thing is... Thanks in advance

[Lewis]

Well, now that I had gone for some time without grains and legumes, I can really feel that my body doesn't like them. Bread + hummus = GI disaster. Pasta or pizza = upset stomach for the rest of the day. Plus I literally go to sleep immediately after I have rice or bread. And knowing it all, I STILL eat this stuff more often that I like to admit...

OK. So I think the solution ot this may be to listent to Dr. Thomas O'Bryan talk about autoimmunity. There's a number of podcasts around on the internet in which he does. Here is a recent one:

Autoimmune Disease with Dr Thomas O'Bryan 07/10 by DrLoRadio | Blog Talk Radio

If you're getting that kind of strong reaction, then it has to be a possibility that you're gluten-sensitive. If you are, then you could well be producing antibodies to ... well, God-knows-what body tissues. You're talking about silent, but potentially catastrophic, long-term damage there. And I think Dr. O'Bryan said in that interview that an autoimmune reaction to a gluten-exposure can last for something like 6 weeks.

I've been pretty consistent with workouts though and I see a lot of muscle gain, so that's awesome. However, my new fantastic muscle is hiding under more and more of mush, especially on my belly. Also, I've noticed that when I do the bread+hummus thing, I'm much weaker during my workouts ...

O'Bryan also says in that interview that fatigue is one of the commonest symptoms of autoimmune problems.

Sooo, I think I just need someone to tell me to toughen up, be a big girl and do the right thing now that I know what the right thing is... Thanks in advance

Hope the interview linked above helps to persuade you in the right direction.


BTW, since you're posting from Poland, did you know a Polish Army doctor was one of the low carb/paleo pioneers?

Australian Homo Optimus Society Homepage

He's a bit low-carb even by Primal standards, but it's certainly interesting that this guy was around and exchanging letters with Dr. Atkins all that time ago:

http://www.cybernaut.com.au/optimal_..._vs_atkins.pdf

Since I'm now in an expansive mood can I also add the irrelevant comment that I just read this?

http://www.amazon.com/Story-Secret-S...dp/1931541396/

That's an amazing book. I hadn't known the half of the gallantry of the Polish people in the Second World War, including being the only occupied population to refuse to cooperate with the occupiers at a basic civil level at great cost.

You can do this. I think you people can do anything!

[primal pete]

Ok - we've all been there. Here's my advice as a chronic "burn out syndrome" sufferer.

1. Have specific goals - having an eye on the prize is highly motivating

2. Have action oriented goals - this keeps the results 100% in your power, and you are in control of whether or not you succeed

3. Plan ahead - planning workouts and such kind of sets them in your mind as things that will need to happen, not as things that you feel like... ugh I know I should do this but I don't want to right now.

4. Recognize that life makes it impossible to be 100% perfect. If you "slip up" and have a piece of bread, oh well. One slip up a week and you're still 99% ahead of the game then if you do nothing.

[magda]

Thanks for reading

I'll be sure to download & listen to this podcast. I wanted to do it now but since it's over an hour long and it's getting late over here, it will have to wait until tomorrow. Actually, the more I read about autoimmune diseases in relation to diet, the more I think that I could have some kind of autoimmunity issue. Surely it's not very serious if I've lived for 30 years without any grave health problems. The reaction that I have to grains now surprises me, because I used to eat "normal" diet with a "healthy" twist, which meant including a serving of whole grains in almost every meal. And I don't remember feeling crappy for the most of my life But now, after I have some bread or pasta, my stomach usually goes crazy. I can oats though and feel rather OK after that...

I heard of dr Kwasniewski and his diet (which I think is a bit too hardcore ), just didn't realize he had something to do with the army...

Lewis, if you got interested in this book, you might want to look at books by Norman Davies if you haven't already. I'm not very much into the history of the Second WW (or history in general, to be honest ) but I've heard his books are really good.

Primal Pete, the problem with my "slips" is that when I do have bread, it's not a slice once a week. It's 3 slices with peanut butter & jam followed (maybe not immediately ) by a slice of pizza and a piece of cake. Which pretty much puts me in a coma. So for me it's more like "almost all or nothing"

[NZ primal Gwamma]

hi Magda. I am a newby too, (8 weeks primal) and have had my fair share of addictions over that time. And yes once I start with the addictive food (sugar, bread etcc...) I can't stop....so.... I have started preparing little daily snacks for exactly that reason. When I am absolutely desperate for something neolithic I first drink a large glass of water, then one of my primal snacks, and usually by the time I have downed this first - the craving has passed. I have done this now for all my 8 weeks and am noticing that I am not getting those cravings as regularly.
My snacks include
2 x boiled egg, mashed with a little butter
salmon pieces
piece of cold, cooked the night before rump steak.

I find that if the snack is protein based, It wards off the hunger and addictive pangs quite quickly.
Anyway good luck my girl, and if you really want someone to kick some serious butt, come and stay with me and my family in NZ. Cos this old grumpy grandma is great at kicking butt !!!!!!

....small steps....

[Lewis]

Thanks for reading

I'll be sure to download & listen to this podcast. I wanted to do it now but since it's over an hour long and it's getting late over here, it will have to wait until tomorrow. Actually, the more I read about autoimmune diseases in relation to diet, the more I think that I could have some kind of autoimmunity issue. Surely it's not very serious if I've lived for 30 years without any grave health problems. The reaction that I have to grains now surprises me, because I used to eat "normal" diet with a "healthy" twist, which meant including a serving of whole grains in almost every meal. And I don't remember feeling crappy for the most of my life But now, after I have some bread or pasta, my stomach usually goes crazy. I can oats though and feel rather OK after that...

That's interesting. Oats are gluten-free, although you often get cross-contamination because of the way they're grown, harvested, distributed, and stored. If you don't get self-sown gluten-containing grains in the field, then they're often moved in a lorry that's just been used for wheat ...

If you don't get a reaction from oats, but do from wheat, then gluten does begin to look like a culprit. Two points on why OK for 30 years? First, the damage can be slow manifesting itself: that talk I linked talks about evidence that antibodies can be found in your blood years before you suffer symptoms. Secondly, it seems possible that what someone previously got along with might suddenly become a problem because some other factor caused them to have "leaky gut" -- antibiotic use, say. Once you've got that condition then food sensitivities are far more likely.

I heard of dr Kwasniewski and his diet (which I think is a bit too hardcore ), just didn't realize he had something to do with the army...

He does seem to be! I guess the information on autoimmunity that is feeding into the Paleo view of things has probably passed him by, too. I wish his book was more easily available in translation, though. I'd like to hear what he's got to say.

Lewis, if you got interested in this book, you might want to look at books by Norman Davies if you haven't already. I'm not very much into the history of the Second WW (or history in general, to be honest ) but I've heard his books are really good.

Thanks.

Here's another resource for people who find wheat just to tempting -- or perhaps (literally) addictive:

Wheat Belly Blog | Lose the Wheat Lose the Weight

[Pudpud]

So glad i'm not the only one! It so obvioulsy works and I feel great when i'm on it. but then for no apparent reason i slipped back into eating heaps of sugar! DOH! I think for me it's quite largely habit but also really severe sugar addiction. I find i can skip the grains without feeling at all deprived, they really are pretty boring food choices, but sugar is literally like crack cocaine for me. the pull is sooooooo intense!

[Metric]

Question: How is your fat intake? Low Med High? I find if I don't eat high fat, mod protein, I start craving bread, pasta, chips, popcorn, etc.... When I don't get enough fat in I start craving these foods and that's when I nearly slip up. I've learned this and now it's something I watch for. I recommend checking if this is something that happens to you too. Do you have a food log that you could look back on?

[magda]

Hi

I listened to the podcast and it was really an eye-opener. I also have problem with sugar and as Metric is saying - I don't crave it so much when I get more good fat (mmm, avocado ). Coconut milk (full fat) also does the trick for me.

To fight my sugar addiction, I decided to do the Whole30 program for the month of August. I hope it will help me to fix my "food issues" - obviously carb cravings, but also overconsumption of nuts and some other not so healthy behaviors.

[Tom B-D]

HEY, TOUGHEN UP, BE A BIG GIRL, DO THE RIGHT THING!!
There!

But seriously, you're doing the right thing to reach out to this awesome community, the Primal Web Family. And helping us to realize that we do the same things too. I wanted to share what mark Lauren, author of You Are Your Own Gym (I've been doing the bodyweight training course) said: 1. Write down your goals (want to lose .5lb body fat per week, want to do 12 pull-ups, 50 squats, whatever); 2. Write down your excuses for not pursuing those goals. Know Thy Enemy! Then when you hear those evil voices, you're in control.

I was going to suggest a 30-day thing so you have a definite date to stay clear of sugar, wheat, etc., so your Whole 30 should be a great way to go. Also, similar to Metric's comment, I found I needed to up my protein intake; my fat was already OK, but when I got the protein up, my cravings pretty well ended.

You can do it! Let us know of your success!