What worked for me? Why? page 3

[sunsis]

I'm with the others. It really is a worthwhile book. If you like what you've read, buy his cookbook or 30 minute meal book, write a list of ingredients and do some groceries. Purge your house of everything not primal. Best way to start. Maybe make up a few weekly meal plans with grocery lists to make life easier for the transition on a day when you haven't got too much going on, and you're feeling motivated.

[@lex]

Stick to the basics and ignore any internet theories until you find what works for you, because it really is an individual thing. Hell, my version of the diet works for me, but other people would probably do piss poor on it, because it's adapted for me and my life. Another thing, if it seems gimmicky, then stay away until you've spent more time learning. I swear there are people out there that would wear a top hat and soak themselves in their own urine if they thought it imparted some sort of weight loss advantage.

[palebluedots]

First of all, it sounds like your wife is sabotaging your efforts. She's probably not even doing it consciously, but can you ask her to not bake, or to maybe start creating some paleo friendly treats instead? It's very hard to be around junk food when you're trying to kick the habit.

Second, yes, you should read the book, but I haven't found it to be the complete success to my weight loss. I make it a rule to not 100% follow the advice of someone who is making a great deal of money off of their enterprise UNLESS it works for my body. It's my theory that most start out with very good intentions, but by the time they are making a lot of money, I feel that they won't be in an objective enough state to publicly change their opinions. It's a great idea to read what everyone has to say, but then really listen to your body and be honest with yourself and you will be able to figure out what works for you.

For me, I ate the standard american diet until I was in my early 20's and extremely obese. I then switched to vegetarian, believing that was healthier. That didn't result in much weight loss, so I switched to vegan and stayed that way for 13 years. I totally bought into the idea of it being healthier, and I did lose some weight, but never could get to the point where I was even close to a normal weight. So then I decided to become a raw vegan. I lost some weight doing that at first but quickly stalled. So I thought I needed to be more extreme and became low-fat raw vegan, which basically meant I was eating boatloads of fruit and lots of lettuce and other raw veggies. That resulted in even more weight loss, but then my hair started falling out and my stomach was constantly hurting. It was at that point that I decided I would never again buy 100% into a diet guru's teachings (or way of life, or whatever folks want to call it). I had gone to so much effort and still was overweight, it was very discouraging. So, I looked back at my history and realized that being a vegan was doing nothing for me. The next day I ate some eggs and was astounded at how great I felt. Then I slowly incorporated meat back into my diet, and I kept waiting for the scale to go up, but it never did. I also started religiously tracking my food intake at Cronometer.com, which I have continued to this day. And then I found this great website, read Mark's book, and most of what he had to say made sense to me. So I slowly started trying adding items back into my diet, and was able to figure out what types of foods trigger weight gains for me, what makes me feel ill, etc., etc. I also still read every nutrition book I can get my hands on in an effort to stay as educated as possible. And then I use myself as a guinea pig, trying out different things and seeing what is successful and what is not. And I always keep my mind open to new possibilities. I refuse to be pigeonholed into doing something just because some author says I should. And I'm better off for it. I am down nearly 200lbs from my heaviest.

At this point, I eat:
-zero dairy (no, not even butter)
-zero grains (not even white rice)
-zero potatoes
-zero corn
-avoid all forms of sugar (i also do not eat any fruit at all)
-limited quantities of walnut and olive oils
-limited quantities of nuts and nut butters (the pre-measured Artisana packs are great)
-three eggs for breakfast cooked in 1tsp of walnut oil
-a raw vegan lunch each day, usually a big salad with lettuce, raw veggies, nuts, and an oil/vinegar dressing
-some type of meat with dinner with a whole lot of steamed veggies
-avoid like the plague anything that is pre-packaged, even if it claims to be gluten free or labels itself as healthy
-i drink a lot of green tea each day, sometimes coffee
-i religiously track my food intake at cronometer.com to make sure that my vitamin and mineral levels are appropriate
-i don't worry about calories as I always eat to satiety
-i eat three times a day, and i do not snack between meals (this is a biggie for me. if i snack, i will not lose weight)

[ez2cy]

Thanks for the comments.

I have started reading the actual book, and not just snipits from internet.

took my measurements this morning, bf, weight etc and recorded them.


do not think I'll have a hard time with the food part, just wondering about the only eating when hungry? Meals are an important "family" time here as we Foster.

Thanks again.

[paleodutch]

Sitting in icewater is also not part of primal blueprint. Just something some people do if.other things fail. I never have and never will , i prefer staying warm

[cantat]

You don't need to eat to be present at a meal...in fact, you'd be setting an excellent example if you sat down at the dinner table and said, when someone asked why you weren't eating, that you just weren't hungry. Eating when you aren't hungry is only bad. And I'm sure they would love to know that you're then there specifically because you want to spend time with them!

[Sandra in BC]

[QUOTE=ez2cy;985460]

I've been reading a lot, and I'm not sure what is different from the 4 hour body to Primal? Both talk about not eating refined, less exercise etc. Only differance I've seen so far is 4 hour uses legumes, Primal doesn't.

Am I missing something?

You're missing the part about PB not being a "diet".

This is a lifestyle, and EATING REAL FOOD is just one facet of an overall optimal way of living.

There is no ONE thing. No magic beans, no late night TV fitness DVD promo, no brand name workout, no ONE food that will turn the tide.

Stop looking at life as either being on a diet, or not being on a diet. Eat real food, learn to recognize true physical hunger vs. cravings, and PLEASE read the book.

[SophieScreams]

Hmm... you lost weight eating protein and veg?

Sounds suspiciously like Primal...