I need help! This just isn't doing anything and I'm stuck for ideas. page 6

[Eve2206]

Thanks Omni - I thought I was going bonkers for a while there

[noodletoy]

what people are "on" about is that you say you're kind of following pb, but that you're not really, and it's not "working".

so re-read the book, look through the wealth of info mark gives on here, for free, and actually do the pb. commit, for at least 30 days. eat clean, move around, get proper sleep, etc. it's all of a piece.

for those looking at this to be a quick fix diet, well, in a few weeks or months, they'll be on to something else, complaining that this doesn't"work". just like the bajillion other "diets" they have tried.

500-1000 cals, and very low protein, and you're body is probably cannibalizing muscles and keeping its fat stores for a real emergency, which is why you remain a "little blob". you're not exercising, so not burning glucose or fat, nor building muscles.

i'm not sure why increasing calories to you equates increasing krap carbs? veggie calories are very low, and even mountains of greens are low in carbs. you need more protein and more real food.

btw, i never liked meat as a child. as soon as i moved out i became a "vegetarian". grain- and fruit-itarian more like. even though i was always sick, i thought that was "normal". it took many years to catch up with me for real, but when i hit 42, it sure did. after cutting out grains and junky carbs, there are plenty of days now where i crave meat or liver, and i know i must need it.

[Eve2206]

OMG - I'm so sorry for getting out of my tree back there. I was tired and misinterpreted your posts. I know you were all trying to point me in the right direction whether that was WW or something else. I'm really sorry for being rude.

True PB from now on - all advice fully taken on board. I will let you know how I get on in a month or so.

thanks everyone

[JackieKessler]

Something that's taken me a long time to appreciate is that losing weight and eating healthfully are two separate goals. They can intersect -- especially when first starting TPB and hitting all the concepts -- but they are two separate things. So my question to you is: Are you trying TPB to lose weight, or to be healthier?

I always thought that I wanted to lose weight. Probably due in no small part to being bulimic when I was younger, I have a questionable perception of myself, so even when I got within 1 pound of my goal weight, I still saw myself as fat. I wound up hitting the wall, reverting back to a SAD way of eating, gained back 15 pounds (for me, that's quite a lot of weight, since I'm just under five feet tall), and then spiraled into depression. After a lot of soul searching (only part of which had to do with my diet/lifestyle), I've come to realize that I want to be healthy first and foremost. Once I've not only hit that goal but maintained it comfortably, if I want to lose some weight, at that point I'll work on reducing calories/reducing consumed fat/etc. But for now, for me, it's all about getting healthy first.

Just wanted to share.

Also, a tip: If you really miss the bread/toast, try baking an oopsie roll. The ingredients are eggs, cream cheese and cream of tartar (which is a spice; I never cooked or baked before TPB, so I had to look that up ). Here's a great recipe for oopsie rolls, which I make on weekends and freeze. Instead of using the non-stick spray, I use coconut oil to grease the baking sheet; the rolls stick a little, but I don't mind. Anyway, I find this really hits the spot when I'm in the mood for a primal-approved sandwich.

I basically never cooked/baked before going primal. That, for me, was one of the ways I knew that eating this way was right for me: I actually **want** to prep foods myself, and do the cooking/baking. (I don't want to do the clean-up, but hey, life is tough. )

[Eve2206]

I am trying to be healthier. I've done a ton of reading this weekend and I've realised that many of the 'ailments' I have (which are relatively minor compared with some) appear to be diet related. I have been eating crap for so long and have been 'conditioned' to try diets, as though weight gain and ill health was all my fault. Today, finally, the penny has dropped. It's not me, it the food I eat.

It's like a light bulb moment. I feel so happy like I've been set free. I'm going to have at least a month of not counting anything, just eating really clean, unprocessed, fresh foods. No junk, no grains. taking the advice here about big fresh salads, olive oil, fish, eggs etc. I'm looking forward to the journey. And I will be ordering the PB book - not just for me but for my family too. I don't want my daughter, and her daughter etc to get caught in this same trap and mind conditioning I've been stuck in for years.

And yes, I will learn to cook and pick up some recipes from here. How hard can it be???

[magnolia1973]

Yay!
Just don't get discouraged. A great cookbook is Well Fed. as it is simple and her spice mixes are spot on. Always have plenty of your favorite fruits, vegetables and proteins on hand, plus staples like butter, coconut milk etc.

Cooking primal is really easy- learn to grill fish and cook veggies, then learn some simple sauces and you can have a really interesting week of meals assembled in no time!

[Omni]

I am trying to be healthier. I've done a ton of reading this weekend and I've realised that many of the 'ailments' I have (which are relatively minor compared with some) appear to be diet related. I have been eating crap for so long and have been 'conditioned' to try diets, as though weight gain and ill health was all my fault. Today, finally, the penny has dropped. It's not me, it the food I eat.

It's like a light bulb moment. I feel so happy like I've been set free. I'm going to have at least a month of not counting anything, just eating really clean, unprocessed, fresh foods. No junk, no grains. taking the advice here about big fresh salads, olive oil, fish, eggs etc. I'm looking forward to the journey. And I will be ordering the PB book - not just for me but for my family too. I don't want my daughter, and her daughter etc to get caught in this same trap and mind conditioning I've been stuck in for years.

And yes, I will learn to cook and pick up some recipes from here. How hard can it be???

Imagine how bright your life will be when all the other lights in your rooms are switched on, and I'm not talking just primal here, it's about your life journey.

Be aware, one month is usually just enough time for the initial adjustment to the diet, three months is well settled and most people continue to see gradual change for a few years. There is a number of changes required, your body must adapt to a different dietary mix, but your mental/emotional behavioural patterns will also begin to change, sometimes it will be your body adjusting sometimes it will be your headspace sometimes both, most of the time you probably won't know which one it is. So keep it gradual and gentle, be good to yourself, don't try to do it in leaps and bounds, just steady forward steps, don't forget lifestyle, relax and remember to have fun.

[sbhikes]

what people are "on" about is that you say you're kind of following pb, but that you're not really, and it's not "working".

so re-read the book, look through the wealth of info mark gives on here, for free, and actually do the pb. commit, for at least 30 days. eat clean, move around, get proper sleep, etc. it's all of a piece.

for those looking at this to be a quick fix diet, well, in a few weeks or months, they'll be on to something else, complaining that this doesn't"work". just like the bajillion other "diets" they have tried.

500-1000 cals, and very low protein, and you're body is probably cannibalizing muscles and keeping its fat stores for a real emergency, which is why you remain a "little blob". you're not exercising, so not burning glucose or fat, nor building muscles.

i'm not sure why increasing calories to you equates increasing krap carbs? veggie calories are very low, and even mountains of greens are low in carbs. you need more protein and more real food.

btw, i never liked meat as a child. as soon as i moved out i became a "vegetarian". grain- and fruit-itarian more like. even though i was always sick, i thought that was "normal". it took many years to catch up with me for real, but when i hit 42, it sure did. after cutting out grains and junky carbs, there are plenty of days now where i crave meat or liver, and i know i must need it.

This. Thanks for saying it better than me.

[s-piper]

Eve: I'm glad you're going to try it. Eating too few calories can seriously harm your health. You do lose muscle which isn't just an issue of strength or looks because the heart is a muscle too.
I didn't want to be rude, but yeah you have to cook with this way of life. There's no getting around it.
Good luck!

Noodletoy: possibly, but it doesn't really matter. I was never a big fan of rice even before Primal.

[noodletoy]

and cream of tartar (which is a spice; I never cooked or baked before TPB, so I had to look that up

not to get all wine/food geeky on you but as a sommelier, i'll just tell you that cream of tartar is a by-product of the wine-making process, not a "spice". it's more technically known as potassium hydrogen tartrate and has many culinary applications. it's the powder that forms inside wine barrels during fermentation. it comes from tartaric acid, a naturally occurring substance in grapes and some other tart fruits.

it's commonly used in baking to stabilize whipped egg whites, like for meringues.

the rest of your post was very good.