Need Encouragement page

[iwantit]

Hi guys! This is my first time posting. I probably should have posted somewhere else but I thought what better place to get this info than from people who've had success. I've been eating primal, around 90/10 for about a month. My ratios have been around 25% protein, 55% fat and 20% carbs. I am a huge emotional/stress eater and recently gained almost 20 pounds in 3 months. Since going primal I haven't had the sugar cravings and haven't gorged like I used to, which I think is a success. However, I've only lost 3 pounds. I do notice a little more definition in my shoulders but not really changes anywhere else. I'm writing because I really believe in this method but I'm trying not to get discouraged. Did anybody else start their journey like this? How did you handle it and how long did it take to really start noticing changes? I really don't want to give up! Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Paleobird]

First of all welcome.

Second, you lost three pounds in a month. That's not so bad. Getting rid of the cravings and binging behavior is a huge step forward.

You may be replacing some of your fat with muscle as you are getting more active.
I would suggest you take tape measurements to keep track of your progress instead of relying only on the scale.

Also, Primal eating makes it easier to cut back on calories without feeling like you want to gnaw your arm off but the macro ratios alone are not magic. You still have to keep an eye on your total caloric intake. Are you tracking at all? There are a lot of programs such as SparkPeople and Chron-o-Meter that can be very helpful.

Stick it out. You can do this.

[U2sandrah]

hi there! im going through exactly the same! one month, improving on discipline, getting towards 80/20
eating, no scale budging!
i too see my arms getting more definition as you say, but the problem areas are basically the same (inner thighs, inner arms, ugh!). i read in a thread that women usually lose fat outwards-inwards, so besides arm/shoulders/calves getting toned, the rest is going to take much longer! but if you stick it out, it WILL get better!!
i also recommend to do a little food tracking, to keep an eye on sugars and percentages.
the other thing that appears to work is to fast through a whole meal at least. im not there yet. so i cannot give much advice on that matter, but check out some articles and threads with good info!
keep going strong! this can be done.

[Mr. Anthony]

Here you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2HcRl4wSk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBktYJsJq-E

[jfreaksho]

*snip* i read in a thread that women usually lose fat outwards-inwards, so besides arm/shoulders/calves getting toned, the rest is going to take much longer! but if you stick it out, it WILL get better!!
*snip*

This is true for everyone. It's hard for your body to put fat in your hands or feet and then move it around. The last to go will be the stuff nearest your center of mass.

Be patient, though. It's sometimes hard for your body to drop weight when it is healing, which might take several weeks or a couple of months. Start walking, as much as you can, and keep up with the eating right.

[Mitch]

Try figuring out your total carb intake; Mark's chart is a good guide. Try getting your carb count very low for say a week, or two, or three and see what happens. Be careful about hidden carbs even in veggies, for example bright colored peppers have more than green and so on. Carrots are relatively high carb as well.