Comments on: Off the Wagon

By: Martin P

Martin P — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:53:14 +0000

Very inspiring words, Mark.

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:57:27 +0000

I’ve been on the PB style diet for about 10 months now and it has changed my life magnificantly. I first started when I had a rather bad break of my arm, and wanted to do everything I could to regain feeling, repair bone and get back on the saddle as soon as possible. It worked wonderfully, and I have to thank you Mark for putting the information out there. The physio and doctor was quite impressed at my recovery considering it looked like I’d need a bone graph and lose function of my thumb. I now have full feeling (I’d have to say PB is best for nerve repair) and my thumb is about 1/2 strength which is pretty good considering where I started.

I never faltered for about 7 months. Even when I started Intermittent fasting I was going great guns.
My grandmother had a stroke around the time Uni started back up again and it was really hard seeing her in such a state, making all the trips to the hospital for a month and being given a massive workload.

I now understand why people can get quite obese when something traumatic has happened in their lives, because I started overeating and eating the wrong things left right and centre among other bad habits. I had no self control. My sleep habits were also went quite bad which I think contributed greatly.
I went from unbreakable hero to zero.

I’m getting back on the wagon now, sick of feeling like crap and hating myself for splurging. Time to be healthy and live my live to the fullest. I realise now theres no reason to punish myself with the bad foods (commonly called comfort foods), or by staying up too late. I’m going to start treating myself to a good, happy life.

By: judy

judy — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:22:08 +0000

Marg, so true! I get so many family members that make fun of me, and they think this is just a phase I’m going through. It’s been 8 months now and this is my way of life, whether they like it or not! One family member tells me that it’s ok to not eat flour, but I must eat whole grains, they’re part of a “balanced” diet. Another family member (vegan) has a closet full of soy products and processed things, and says too much protein is harmful to the kidneys. The sugary desserts are fine, since they’re vegan! Another family member, who was just diagnosed with “pre-diabetes”, is popping diabetes pills, following the American Diabetes Association food plan, and wondering why the pizza and pasta still make him sleepy. It’s frustrating to me to see the people I love harming themselves. That conventional wisdom certainly has a grip on so many people. I will quietly continue eating my way to a healthy body, and give advice when asked.

By: Marg

Marg — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:06:41 +0000

Mark — This is an observation of “off-the-wagoning.” I’m 63 years old. I’ve eaten low-carb since 2002 — lost it, kept it off. (Gained it, by the way, by being menopausal and quitting smoking.)

I have many friends who have asked me to help them get on and stay on low-carb eating.

The single most common derailment and reason for their falling off the wagon in my experience can be summed up as follows:

When overweight persons go on a low-fat (high-grain) diet, they can get support from their families, their friends, their trainers, their [overweight] doctors, television, radio, newspapers, magazines, Oprah (how’s that workin’ for ya, Oprah?), the AHA, the ADA, pay-by-the-meal-or-the-month diet “plans,” the obese Kelly Brownell and his ilk, and a myriad of other folks and sources. But it doesn’t work very well (understatement).

When these same people go on a low-carb diet/way-of-eating/whatever, they get no support, just flak — from all of the above plus warnings about their health and state of well-being — “but your kidneys,” “but your heart,” “but your cholesterol,” “but cancer,” “but [insert disease here].” My recent fave was from a friend’s trainer — “I am gravely concerned about your lack of carbs before a workout.”

It’s really hard to help one’s friends through that wall of resistance.

The second most common source of derailment I’ve observed is the “reward” trap — “I hadn’t eaten carbs for a week, so I ate two cups of Ben and Jerry’s. What can it hurt?

And to wrap this, every single person I’ve known, including myself, IF they have followed a low-carb program, have both lost weight and dramatically improved blood profiles. Those things don’t seem to be as convincing as all the conventional wisdom repeated above.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:27:47 +0000

Mark – Thanks much for the reply and encouragement. Refueling with veggies and fruit has been a big part of my nutritional strategy. Once I’m past October I’m going “all in.” I think the extended break in over the next 2 months will make it easier to go full Primal once I get there. In the meantime I know there are a lot of simple things I can do to improve my health even while I help my friend reach his marathon goals. Thanks again.

By: Kali

Kali — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:57:06 +0000

Thank you! This was uplifting! Been on the primal diet ever since mid-March, when I got a diabetes diagnosis (insulin resistant) at the hospital (glycemia was very high!) I decided then and there that I’d do everything within my power to get rid of this condition, even if it meant eating lettuce for the rest of my life.
So I started researching about sugar, carbohydrates, insulin and glycemic index. Whitout knowing it, I was soon following the PB diet! I found that out when I stumbled on this blog two months ago.
Finally, got my blood test results last month : blood sugar is normal (yep: “normal” as in “for a non-diabetic person”!)and my cholesterol figures have improved. My doctor has reduced the Metformin to half the dose and I hope to be off it by Christmas.
I’ve lost over 50 pounds… a bit too fast though, as the doctor remarked. My blood pressure plunged. I still struggle a bit with too high and too low blood pressure but am not taking any medication for that.
It may have been due to the quick weight loss (or to Metformin or to both), I lost half of my hair (hope to get it back eventually). I am just starting to feel some energy. For several months, I felt weak and would not exercise.
I still struggle to get myself to exercise although my weight is near normal now for a woman of my height. I’ve stopped shedding pounds for the last month but I could use losing another 5 to 10 pounds. Yet if I try eating less, I get hungry and I hate being hungry… Is there hope?

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:42:45 +0000

At least it wasn’t Fran…

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:30:49 +0000

Pork rind (Fried pork skin)! Find it in Asian or Hispanic stores. Probably too much salt, yes, but a good substitute for me.

By: Wiwo

Wiwo — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:03:33 +0000

Fell off the wagon a couple of weeks ago when my father treated me to a tremendous homecooked pasta dinner with garlic bread on the side. My IBS symptoms (which have otherwise been totally vanquished on the primal diet) came back with a vengeance and my fiancee didn’t even want to sleep in the same bed (or room) as me. Now that’s incentive.

In addition, I found myself remarkably sluggish the next day. I reminded my body of what real food looks like by cooking steak and eggs with a green salad on the side for breakfast.

By: Mark Sisson

Mark Sisson — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:02:15 +0000

Don’t bail on your friend. Keep your carb levels as low as possible while still being able to fuel your activity levels. Still get your carbs from veggies and fruits (sweet potato, banana etc). Once the marathon is over scale back on carbs and go full Primal!