An anecdote to think about page

[Grumpycakes]

Grumpycakes:

2003 - 260 lbs, said enough is enough. Started eating less junk, working out on the elliptical. No notion of "primal," still eating bread and high carb. 60 pounds melted off in a year.

2006 - introduced to paleo via DeVany and Sisson. Lost an additional 25 lbs by 2008.

2008-2012 - Maintained primal lifestyle, weight did not budge despite having another 20 or so pounds to lose. I could have amped up the exercise and gone nutty Whole 30, but it never made sense to start something I was not willing to maintain. I hate "exercise." I love play. It's hard to find people to "play" with.

2012 - Frustrated. Screw it, I'm eating what I want. Carbs way up, eating wheat often. Actually eating pretty indiscriminately based on foods that I enjoy and that make me feel good (breaded ginger beef and donairs and cookies make me feel good. It's okay to admit it. Go on).

2013 - Have not gotten any fatter, health has not suffered, feeling good.

So what's going on?

Shortly before my initial resolve to lose weight, my father died. He was a source of an incredible amount of stress in my life. The weight came off so easily. In 2008 I had to move back home and did not have the means to live on my own for long until now. My father's death revealed the incredibly damaged and stressful relationship I have with my mother, which I have been enduring and which has seeped into all areas of my life. Despite being active and careful about what I ate, my spare tire would not bulge. Neither is the weight budging now that I am much more relaxed about what I eat.

I am convinced that emotional stress plays an enormous role in fat storage. Far larger than Sisson acknowledges. If you have been thinking that it's all about wheat and carbs yet are not getting anywhere in your diet, it might be good to look at other areas of your life and to resolve past and present issues that are plaguing you.

[Zach]

Love it!

180degreehealth.com FTW

[Neckhammer]

Sorry to hear of your emotional distress, but eating shit for a year and not dieing neither proves 180 or disproves that primal is optimal.

I can agree with your assertion that emotional well being is overlooked. Physical, chemical and mental stressors all contribute to ill health. But, IMO they compound and multiply their effect when present in multiple areas. In the end eating well only removes one stress, but it also enables you to handle the other stresses better.

You really do have to frame the way you have decided to eat in a way that is not stressful. If you look at every piece of food that is good for you as a way of loving and caring for yourself rather than depriving yourself your whole outlook will change. Eating primal doesn't have to be a mental stress.

[Paleobird]

I totally agree that stress is overlooked too often in the mainstream but I don't think you can accuse Mark of doing that.
He has posted on this subject many times and things like play and sleep are right up there with diet and exercise in the PB plan



The Physical Toll of Negative Emotions | Mark's Daily Apple
Nov 29, 2012 ... In recent years, studies have highlighted the role stress, emotions, and personality traits play in serious health risks. For example, research ...
The Physical Toll of Negative Emotions | Mark's Daily Apple

Weight Loss: The Emotional Element | Mark's Daily Apple
2 days ago ... Weight Loss: The Emotional Element. Welcome! If you want to lose weight, gain muscle, increase energy levels, reduce stress or just generally ...
Weight Loss: The Emotional Element | Mark's Daily Apple

17 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight | Mark's Daily Apple
Jan 26, 2010 ... The stress response system is subconscious; it responds to stimuli and nothing else. Emotional stress, physical stress, financial stress, ...
17 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight | Mark's Daily Apple

The Physical Benefits of Positive Emotions | Mark's Daily Apple
Dec 6, 2012 ... Aside from the cognitive advantages, the primary physiological benefit of positive emotions is the “undoing” of negative stress induced ...
The Physical Benefits of Positive Emotions | Mark's Daily Apple

[Grumpycakes]

If you look at every piece of food that is good for you as a way of loving and caring for yourself rather than depriving yourself your whole outlook will change.

Including so-called junk food.

[Urban Forager]

You really do have to frame the way you have decided to eat in a way that is not stressful. If you look at every piece of food that is good for you as a way of loving and caring for yourself rather than depriving yourself your whole outlook will change. Eating primal doesn't have to be a mental stress.

This is the best advice. Be a kind and loving parent to yourself.

[Damiana]

The human body us resilient. There are plenty of people out there who don't do primal or paleo and feel fine. It's just up to what you choose to do for your body. I think we know that you can survive on a CW diet just fine, but some of us do better than others.

[Crabbcakes]

Whether you eventually decide to ditch Primal or whatnot, I really wanted you to know that I know parental stress, and you have all the good Karma I can muster for you.

I have seen stress do incredible things to myself and the hubby, so you don't have to convince me that is can negatively equalize gains made by a good diet appropriate for you.

But, please, don't go thinking that you are invincible to the real junk food for long - no matter what WOE you ascribe to or not, there just isn't enough nutrition in that stuff to sustain you!

Grumpycakes, I wish you the best in dealing with your mom. My old man is Messed Up, and I shudder to think what I will deal with eventually irregardless of which one goes first, as my mom is long since codependent. Big Virtual Hugs.

[Stephanie]

My third son was born with biliary artresia (no bile ducts in the liver) and quickly went into liver failure and spent the last year wasting away, dying. You can imagine the stress. It was unbearable. During this time I went full paleo and ate very healthy despite everything going on. My weight would not budge. Not even a pound. Boy was I frustrated. 6 months ago he had a liver transplant. The transformation has been amazing. He's healthy and happy. And my weight is literally melting off...I'm a fat burning machine now, still primal/paleo with good amounts of carbs, raw milk, bone broths, lots of fats, etc, etc.

[Terry H]

Allow me, also a parent, to say how glad I am for you and your family and thanks for sharing that.