Greetings from Yorkshire page

[jonnyhollis]

Thought I'd do the courteous thing and introduce myself before posting in the other forums.

I am Jon, from Sheffield in Yorkshire, England. Age 41.5.

I've been trying to be low carb and now Paleo, for about a year.

I've not yet managed to kick my carb addiction. It goes wrong most days at about 10 or 11 pm. So I'm going to increase my fat intake and lower the carbs further, especially on an evening and see how that helps. The other avenue I'm exploring is best described by the title of a popular book on Amazon called 'Get The F@ck To Sleep'.

On a positive note, even though I've not managed to kick the carbs fully, I've done enough to shed about 24 lbs. Most recently by adding in intermittent fasting. That's got me down to around 10% body fat, with no apparent loss of muscle. And that's me now at 11 stone doing big ass weights in the gym.

Over the next few weeks I hope to transition to some form of stricter Paleo. One that includes dairy and some refined sugar but that's it. I have started and I'm thinking that the key to success is having enough Paleo food and variation of it, on hand, for meals and snacks at all times.

My other problem is the huge amount of cheap, battery farmed chicken that I eat and that I need to reduce. So I've just got me a big bag of lamb's liver and onions. I never had a problem with this in my teens. I just seem to think in my older age that if it's cheap it's bollocks. Which really is boll...

I also have another goal. That's to be Paleo and put on muscle mass. The traditional dogma is that this is best done in the presence of carbs. I disagree. I think if you're lean, which promotes muscle gains and you drip feed yourself enough fat and protein throughout the day, then your body should have everything it needs. I mean, you'll be healthier for a start, so that's got to count for something, right? So putting on size whilst in some form of ketosis is my goal. I'll log it over the next 2 months and post the results.

Jon.

[Feverdiva]

Hey Jon, I'm a newbie too from NE England. I'd be interested to see how you get on-please pass any tips my way :-) I find having shedloads of celery and carrots on hand is the key to snacking. I need to break the habit, I only do it cos I'm bored but I want to get my head fully around PB before I start restructring anything else. I've lost 12lbs in 3 weeks so I'm doing something right......keep me posted :-D
TTFN x

[Nigel]

I also have another goal. That's to be Paleo and put on muscle mass.

Welcome Jon. You need to be aware that some people do not put on a lot of muscle mass, they just get stronger. It's only about 1% of people who will end up looking like Arnie Doodah if the pump iron.

I've hit a weight loss plateau at present. I've lost 44lbs since early March and believe I've got over a stone of blubber to go. But, I am hopefully putting on some muscle which as we know is heavier than fat. At 5'11" and 196lbs it is just possible that I can take off the fat and put on that amount of muscle weight. As long as I can get into a pair of 36" trousers for Christmas and feel like I'm looking like the right shape, I'll be happy as I know that there are people who can weigh more than I do now who look good.

[Gary Conway]

Welcome Jon! I would try getting in more protein and veggies at your evening meal so that you are full till you go to bed. Especially if your getting through the rest of the day ok.

[jonnyhollis]

I don't have any issues with my protein intake and frequency of it. In fact trying to be Paleo means I can snack on cashews all day, where as I would have previously frowned upon such a high fat 'luxury'. I've also got my omelletes and I've doubled my meat and fish intake in order to be more Paleo.

All I want to do is see if I can increase muslce mass whilst being Paleo and compare it to when I've done it on high protein and high carbs in the past. I'll be switching the carbs out for more protein, more fat and more complex, leafy green vegetable stuff. As well as some sweet potatoes / yams.

What I'm thinking is there's got to be some advantage to come from the enormous health benefits of cutting out the gluten and ending the cycle of insulin spiking. I can feel the energy benefit and I reckon my system should be optimal. None of which applies to the carbtastic, crap sugary protein powder drinking, rolled oat guzzling, antinutrient fest of current bodybuilding doctrine.

Will I get stronger and bigger as quickly as I have done using traditional poisonous food regimes? Maybe the answer is no and you're just not really meant carry any more mass than's written in your genes. If you Google such topics, the available bro-science also says no and you need the carbs.

[IanG]

You sound like you have your head around this far better than I have Jon. Welcome to the forum, good luck

[Goldie]

Jon, I would just like to say that I think you're hot.

(Don't tell my husband I said this! )

And you have the cutest kids!

[Pudpud]

Yep I agree Jon! HOT! :-)

[shinydragon]

Hi, Jon, another from Sheffield here *waves*