Primal Testimonials
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I receive daily emails from Mark’s Daily Apple readers thanking me for the blog and for my advice. Some notes are touching, others just downright inspiring. Many of them are too good to keep to myself, so I’ve created this page to share these kind words and amazing transformation photos (with the readers’ permission, of course) with you.
The photos and personal accounts are a testament to how powerful the Primal Blueprint really is.
If you have a story you’d like to share or photos that show how the Primal Blueprint has changed your life please drop me a line. Besides bringing a smile to my day (few things make me happier than seeing my readers better their lives through the Primal Blueprint) you can also take joy knowing that it may be your testimonial that encourages someone else to begin living a Primal lifestyle.
(This page is a work in progress. I’ll be adding new testimonials in coming months.)
SuperMike - Ripped at 55
Mark,
I turned 55 last week. And thanks to two years of EF, I feel like I’m getting younger.
I’m working out less and enjoying life more.
I got a book on Hatha yoga and added yoga stretch days to my week. Now I’m hooked on it.
Thank you for a fabulous website. I look forward to it every day.
And I pass it on to people whenever they ask what my secret is. People always seem to think there’s some secret diet or drug, don’t they? And yet the Evolutionary Fitness/Primal way is so simple. And delicious. We’re using your recipe for grilled pork tenderloin tonight.
Keenan - “High Fat, Less Cardio” Transformation
I have two pictures of me and two stories. The first was taken in 2005 at age 20 after I finished a big bulking session. I had spent the previous 4 years working out like a bodybuilder. I ate little to no sugar, only “complex” carbs (brown rice, baked/sweet potatoes, wheat bread, etc) and followed typical bodybuilding low-fat high-carb diet. I worked out 4-5 times/week, did steady state cardio (swimming, usually), etc. This picture is here:
Around this time, I started developing severe anxiety and panic attacks, both of which are disorders of serotonin regulation. Serotonin is largely affected by insulin and messed up serotonin often goes hand in hand with insulin resistance. You can barely tell from the picture that I had substantial musculature, because it is so covered by fat. I weighed about 175lbs and I could bench 240 and squat 300. Not bad, but not great either. A week after this picture was taken, I had appendicitis and then an appendectomy,followed by the mother of all panic attacks. For over a month, I was completely incapacitated and could only sleep for 1-2 hours each night. After months of trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with me, I stumbled upon the Paleo diet on Art DeVany’s website.
I dropped the “complex carbs”, upped my fat consumption, worked out less, and did less cardio.
After only 2 years of this, here’s a second picture taken a few months ago at age 22:
I weighed about 160 in the 2nd picture, and my lifts are the same as when I was 175, except that I have more power and control of them now. Panic attacks are non-existent because my insulin levels are low and regular, keeping my serotonin levels low and regular. There is much, much more to the paleo lifestyle and diet then “getting big”; it’s about physical and mental health, sustainability, and quality of life.
You’re absolutely welcome to use those comments and pictures. I’ve greatly benefited from reading your site, and I appreciate the opportunity to “give back” a bit.
