Just my curiosity. How long have you been primal, AND.... page 6

[Greensprout]

Primal for over 2 1/2 years, hubby was on board, albeit slowly at first, within the first month or two. I don't ever seeing returning back to grains and legumes. I mean why? When there's lovely meat, amazing produce, and tasty fat?

I had my last medical at about 9 months primal. Cholesterol numbers had all been "very good" before, and this time were even better. Higher total cholesterol, but huge increase in HDL and decrease in trigs (alas, no VAP test,, so although LDL was a bit up, I have not doubt it was the good stuff). My doc was impressed. Hubby had been on statins, due to slightly elevated lipid panel and family history (mom had a heart attack in her 50s). Within a year of decreasing statin dosages for improved labwork, he has now been off statins for well over a year, and all looks great. He's due for repeat labwork soon, and my next medical is coming up, which I expect to be just as good as last time.

[Misabi]

I hope no one minds me putting this here

"Depends how cold it is..."
"That's what she said"
"Said the actress to the bishop..."

[cori93437]

Primal as of the week before Christmas 2011(so just over 10 months), that's when I was diagnosed with a debilitating chronic brain disorder.
One that generally rules peoples lives for YEARS.
Only a few months ago the doctors told me I was just a step away from brain surgery for shunt placement and I was making out wills, advanced directives, and making sure that plans were in order so that my husband wouldn't have to decide what to do for a burial if it came to that. (I'm 38 yrs old.)
I've just about whipped it...

And in that time I've also nearly put to rest a chronic pain disease I've been living with, and that has been whipping my ass, since 1997.
I've had 10 surgeries for it...

And lost 30lbs.
Incidentially... because that certainly was not my main focus here!
But I'm not done with that yet either.

Would I ever quit this because of some 'number' a doctor showed me on a piece of paper...
Oh HELL no!
Do you have any idea how many times they have looked me in the eye, given it their best shot and been completely f*king WRONG?!
Seriously........ just plain 100% WRONG.

Sorry.
I'm a lifer.

[Damiana]

Since March. I don't know if I'll stay grain-free forever, but I am definitely never eating processed crap again.

[Jena]

Since May... and I am absolutely never going back to the SAD diet. I would definitely not do so based on my Dr.'s recommendation! I know my body better than she does.

[Metric]

Since May 1, 2012. Haven't felt this great in ages! Definitely this way for life. Occasional non-primal splurges here and there (ie: for Canadian Thanksgiving, I had a bun and pumpkin pie with sweetened whipped cream).

[Misti]

Since late 2009, so about three years. My family made our way here through dropping foods that made us feel bad, and only later (through recipe searches) dound our way to primal. No, no way we'd ever start eating the way we did before -- we feel too much better now. Actually, we did a 90 day VLC this summer to help my husband deal with a systemic fungal infection -- and we find that we really don't want to go back to the high strach vegetables at everuy meal we ate a few years ago...again, we feel far too much better with fewer carbs.

That said, on holidays, we do bake pseudo-primal treats like pies (with walnut crust) and cookies, and that probably won;t stop while we have children in our home. (And I'm the biggest kid of all.)

[Kelmar]

Another lifer here....went Primal in January 2012...there is absolutley no way I could back to SAD, even when I take a weekend off I start to get depressed and twitchy feeling, not to mention what crap food does to my stomach. I feel like I have finally healed my gut (which has been messed up my entire life) got my depression under control (most of the time) and I just look and feel so much better. And really it just makes sense, we come from mother earth, we will return to mother earth, the resources she provides for us are just obviously (IMO) what we are supposed to eat, what we thrive on, what keeps us healthy and connected. The End, that is all...

[jakey]

june of 2011. i honestly feel, at this point, like "go back to what?" i can't imagine being more satisfied with the foods i eat, or missing grains and vegetable oil. i didn't exactly come here from SAD though, so maybe it's easier.

[Iron Fireling]

That seems kind of silly to me. These will be close to my baseline numbers, I was talking to a doctor who specializes in blood, and he said that it takes 10 weeks to 12 weeks ( of a new way of eating ) to get a good feel for what's in your blood. So, I had my numbers done early in the year, and all were pretty good except my A1C. The next time I will have my blood work done is in early 2013. I plan to think of those as my baseline numbers after eating primaly for about 16 weeks.

I think the point she's making is that your numbers can get WORSE while you're losing weight because of the extra fat in your bloodstream (that you're burning because you've released it from your fat cells)... or at least that's how I understand it . This is why there isn't much point in getting numbers done WHILE you're in the process of losing weight. Once the weight has gone and you're stabilised, your blood should also stabilise and you'll get a more accurate reading.

I'd hate for someone to start going really well on primal, only to quit because their numbers looked bad just because they were in the process of losing weight!! Honestly, if you're set on getting your blood checked, then go for it... but don't quit primal right away, no matter what the numbers say!