Hello from Christchurch, New Zealand page

[PrimalJayne]

I have just started the primal way - 2 days so far - and well, I was expecting to be starving but I'm not. I've been up for 3 hours now and I'm still not sure if I want breakfast lol

This way of eating sounds perfect and I guess I was meant to find it eventually. I tried Atkins years ago but it felt wrong to deliberately eat so much cream and dairy and fat. Vegetarian has lots of fruit and veg but I really like my meat. So, here I am.

I have 3 kids, 1 is 20 and off doing his own thing, leaving me with a 17 yo boy and a 14 yo girl at home. I'm the only one doing this at the moment so I can't just empty the pantry as every book seems to advise you to do. Hopefully, It'll just sneak up on them hahahaha as I have more healthy options available and cooked.

Oh, one other thing, I am very proud of this too. I had read about giving up sugar and had said to myself NO WAY I could do that - but yesterday I decided to just try one cup of tea without sugar - and it wasn't so bad. So then all day I would just try the next one without sugar and guess what?? I did it!!! Super proud of that

Looking forward to this journey to wellness and to looking much better naked lol

x

[NZ primal Gwamma]

Jayne, fantastic that you have begun your journey, and welcome to MDA. You will find an amazing array of support, advice, and a bit of butt kicking if you need it.
I am about 14/15 weeks in now, am losing count, and cannot believe the changes that this has made to my life. Anyway, if you need some local support I will private message my details to you. feel free to contact me anytime.

have the best 2nd day in !

[PrimalJayne]

Thanks some local support would be great.
I have a long way to go and have not started this as 'pure' primal as I still have milk/cream in my tea/coffee (ditched the crappy skinny milk tho) but decided that all the grains/bread/pasta/spuds can go and now the sugar.
Just made a meal of fried onions, mushrooms, a couple of bits of bacon and an egg. YUM
Vegies for dinner with some fish.
As you say ...... small steps .......

[NZBee]

Hi Jayne, I'm in NZ too and newly primal. The whole household starts officially tomorrow - 1st of Sept, beginning of spring, new beginnings etc etc. But I've been easing myself into it slowly naturally for a few weeks, haven't quite ditched sugar yet though so well done with that! A few months ago I went gluten free hoping that would help my arthritis, which it has a bit. But it was so new to me that I was buying so much prepackaged stuff which really doesn't sit well with me, so started scouring the net for GF recipes, found quite a few paleo blogs which lead me here. I have struggled with my weight my entire adult life even though we ate fairly healthily by conventional standards so I bought the book and it resonated with me - especially since my experiences going GF and being in total agony when I slip and eat gluten. I have been poisoning myself and probably the family too all these years. I want better for myself and my 12yr old daughter and the Mr is (admittedly reluctantly) coming along for the ride too (its either that or starve lol). So we've commited to trying this whole heartedly for 3 months and then we'll re-evaluate. I'm expecting to continue on this path for much longer if not forever but baby steps for the family - DD is willing to give it a go but she's a carbaholic so if I said right now no bread or pasta ever again there would be huge resistance!

[Lizzielou]

Hello Kiwi ladies.

Nice to see some newbies joining in. I've been here for about 6 months now, and I'm finding Primal super easy to follow - after failing to stick with WW maintenance cause I can't be arsed counting points for ever and ever.

Havn't got my family on board yet. The husband just can't imagine how any man can continue to function without high levels of carbs and I've given up arguing with him. I've served him up plenty of primal meals though and he hasn't even noticed TBH. He gets shirty about my 'diet' choice limiting the food we have in the house, but there is nothing stopping him from going out and getting what he wants. He's still waiting for me to give up on this way of living, but I think he'll be waiting for a long time yet. I'm not sure about the kids going primal. I don't want to be one of those mums that is forever saying 'oh no my child can't eat such and such...' so it needs to be something that they choose, and they're only 3 and 6 so not something they're overly concerned with at present. They eat a very low processed diet anyway, just a bit much pasta, bread and homemade biccies for my liking.

[NZ primal Gwamma]

LizzieLou, I so have the same with my lot. They all eat the food, but dis me whenever they can !!!!
I too do not believe that I will fall off this wagon. It's such an amazing way of life.
As for the children, feel your way. You are doing great !
I love the Kiwi can-do attitude....keep at it

[PrimalJayne]

Hi there

Wow - I'm impressed that you are starting out with your whole family on board!! Big ups to you!!

I'm hoping that by reducing the amount of crap food in the house and by cooking more and more paleo type meals the kids will just end up doing it - sneaky eh? However, given that they're both teenagers and supporting the sugar and carb industry, I think it will take a while. lol

Good luck to you for tomorrow. I'm hoping September will bring big changes to my body as well.

Keep in touch
x

[PrimalJayne]

Hi Lizzielou

6 months!! so what are some of the benefits for you so far?? What was the hardest part?

I recently joined Weight Watchers but like you couldn't be bothered with the counting bit. Also, all their food has aspartame in it which I'm loathe to eat as I've read a lot of really scary things about it over the years. The thing that finally made me quit from WW was having to hand over my hard earned cash to stand on a set of scales - I can do that for free at home, and make better food choices - all I needed to to was find a lifestyle diet that made sense. So far this is it.

Hope you'll stick around to help us newbies.

x

[NZBee]

I am an old hand at weight watchers as well, I always ended up so obsessive about it and I hated how processed everything they recommended was. I did have some success but as soon as I stopped exercising like a fiend the weight would come back.
I too have been feeding the family primal for weeks without them noticing, although we have been having rice occassionally and gluten free pasta very occassionally so we're pretty much 1/4 of the way there already. Both get some compromises - the Mr his one coke a day (not fantastic but if it gets him on board with the rest of it then I'll call it a win!) and DD one hot chocolate a day (and again, if she's giving up lollies, juice and nutella sandwiches by the loaf then I reckon we are winning) and they'll also get potatoes whenever they want as they are both more active than me and I don't want DD to lose weight, just stop gaining until her height catches up with her iykwim. and all bets are off when they are out of the house, I just hope DD in particular will choose wisely. We'll just play it by ear really, I won't force them to eat this way but I'm not buying junk anymore so if they want it they'll have to make the effort to get it.

[NZ primal Gwamma]

NZ Bee, good luck for tomorrow. I had some serious illnesses going on for a while 3 years ago, hospitalized etccc. Anyway long story have ached and been really unwell for last three years. I went totally primal all in a day - no sugar, no processed, no grains and only 1/4 cup of milk in morning coffees. Within a week my aching had gone ! Blood tests certainly showed that I wasn't arthritic, however something was making me ache, and my Doctor continually fobbed me off.
14/15 weeks in I still dont ache, no more mouth ulcers, restless legs almost nil, ditched the indigestion meds, asthma much better, regular vomitting/diahorreah bugs non existant ( and no they werent hygiene related) etcc..... I cannot believe the change.
you might just find that the sugar isn't helping with the arthritis - anyway just a thought. Keep us posted