Starting from Zero
With yesterday’s launch of this year’s Primal Challenge, I hope you’re all feeling as pumped and excited as I am. Whatever your biggest goal coming into it (e.g. weight loss, stress management, fitness performance), you’re in great company. Thousands of readers every year find the annual Challenge a powerful catalyst for transforming their well-being. Having made the initial commitment, we’re now on the journey itself. This is where the rubber meets the road, folks. Rush turns to focus. Vision becomes reality one day at a time. For some readers, however, staring down the path might seem especially long and arduous. The road side, so to speak, might be littered with the psychological scraps of past disappointments, long-term illness, or emotional issues. Some folks can feel like they’re starting their journey from a formidable zero.
You might be in the worst shape of your life. You might be tipping the scale at an all-time high. You might be fighting a serious health condition you never dreamed you’d encounter. You may have battled disordered eating. You might not remember when/if you ever had a good self-image. My good readers, how many of you felt this way before going Primal? A good percentage of our Friday Success Stories tell this story. An inspiring number of our 2012 Success Stories in the Making reflect the same.
In all my years talking with clients and readers, I’ve heard people often say they’re starting from zero, from rock bottom, with no baseline at all. I understand where they were coming from. Everyone is beginning this journey with a different level of fitness and health. I get that. Yet, I have never in my entire career met anyone starting with nothing. The concept defies physiological reality.
You might get winded walking up half a flight of stairs. You may have lost significant muscle mass. You might struggle to simply sit with (let alone carry) around the extra 50, 75, or 100+ pounds you’ve put on. However, your body is still made to move. It still craves it. I ran across a quote recently “If you have a body, you’re an athlete.” I’d second that. It’s feels harder to train at times, but – make no mistake – living and breathing within you is that pure physical force, that Primal Grok, that evolutionary extraordinaire. Choosing to live Primally – with the right fuel, the expected movement, the necessary sleep and sun – simply allows you to live out the full measure of that vital potential.
And let me say something else about one’s “baseline.” When beginning a journey like this, baseline is about much more than VO2 max, mile time, bench press weight, or lipid profile. Numbers don’t tell your story, and they don’t determine your prospects for success. Think for a minute about what else you bring to the Challenge. What about the motivational power? What about the emotional stamina? What about the social strength of friends, family, and Primal community? What about the force of full-on personal investment or raw will? Those count for something. In fact, those often count for everything. Your physical baseline determines the particular level you start from, but it doesn’t define the trajectory of your journey or the fulfillment of your experience along the way.
Along these lines, let me offer a few suggestions and invite each and every one of our readers to give their own perspective and encouragement.
Invest in Support
As you begin the Challenge, make sure you’re taking full advantage of the support system you have. Not everyone in your life is on board with the Primal Blueprint, it’s true. Regardless, look to those in your life who bring a Primally sympathetic or just open mindset. Some friends, even if they can’t understand why you’re eating so much fat, will support you because they want to simply celebrate any investment you make in your health and happiness. Embrace that. Open yourself to the support of folks in this community. Participate in the comment boards, join the forum, and you’ll see what I mean. Finally, if you feel like past issues like disordered eating still have a grip on you, enlist the professional help you need and deserve.
Develop Big Picture Perspective
Sometimes people get caught up in a particular goal and lose sight of the full process. Embrace daily Primal living and not just specific Challenge goals. (For some people, this might be an important Challenge focus itself.) Going Primal will get you to the destination you have in mind, but it’s not the deprivation-focused, white-knuckle experience you might be used to. Use the Challenge to transform your life as well as you physiology. Relish the myriad of benefits going Primal offers. It’s more than the weight loss and lean muscle mass. Notice the better quality sleep, the more even mood, the sharper focus, the more consistent energy in your day. On that note…
Prioritize Feeling Good (Primally Speaking) Every Day
You’re making a point of eating real, ancestral-worthy food, of adding an exercise regimen. Rest assured, you’re remaking your physiology in the process. You will absolutely reap the benefits long before this Challenge is over. But also make a point of doing something (or several things) that make you feel good today. These healthy “indulgences” can help get you through a rough day of low carb flu or unexpected stress. Relax in the sun. Relish turning in early for a full night’s sleep. (Remember what that feels like?) Share a walk with a good friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Play. Enjoy an old hobby. Take a personal retreat. Make a masterpiece dinner and savor it in real ambiance. In other words, let yourself enjoy the process. Make the Challenge an indulgence as well as an investment in yourself. And make sure you have good Primal fun every day.
Grokkers, please chime in – whether you identify with the “starting from zero” or want to support those who do. What perspective and advice do you have? Thanks for reading today, everyone. Check back tomorrow for the 8 Key Concepts you need to understand for a successful Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge.
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
Thanks to all, just what I needed right now , mentally and physically . 21
I didn’t start from rock bottom – not weight-wise anyway. Mentally, now that is another story. My sister is my support. I’ve lost count of how many times she has defended me against those who don’t accept my lifestyle.
I am just over the hurdle of a month of Primal eating. After 32 days, I had my lipid panel re-done. I am proud to say that over the course of one month, my triglycerides have dropped from 311 to 184! I have not lost any weight eating primally and still need to get my LDL down, but I consider the drastic change in my triclycerides a VICTORY!
Also, my rock bottom was in April of this year when I severely injured my back. I couldn’t walk for a few months and couldn’t take care of myself. Now, I’m walking 5 miles at a time and lifting heavy things. Grok on!
You can lead a horse to water…
The best way to get started for me was to just read “the primal blueprint” book – a few hours of time when on the bus or train.
What amazes me is that when people ask what sort of diet/exercise I have, I direct them to buy the book – some do, and never bother reading it, or complain they don’t have time to read it – I don’t get it.
The book explains everything you’ll need to know – you can ditch your fitness instructors and take control of your own destiny – but some people just can’t accept that you can achieve your goals without paying huge dollars to a personal instructor, and surely you need a balanced diet which has heaps of wholegrain – read the book ?
I started primal 2 years ago at age 50. I’m still amazed at how far I have come. And still a long way to go. Anytime is a good time to start tho!
Not zero, but close to it. I’ve set a short term goal (the 21day challenge), a mid term goal (look better in holiday pictures)’ and a long range goal (bikini by this summer).
At this point, I’m just taking it one day, one meal at a time
For me, the biggest challenge is (and always has been) lack of community. I’m working on that through meetup groups, etc., but I would say when you’re starting out, hit the forums for reassurance. Also, hit the forums to find other Primal-minded people in your area, and get together with them. Being a part of a community makes it so much easier.
Not exactly starting from zero… I’ve eaten mostly-Primal for some time now, partly by necessity. But I’m starting from my highest weight in years and my lowest level of fitness.
My partner doesn’t eat grains etc. either, so I think that support will be great when it comes to putting more effort in.
I have been down near rock bottom, having suffered with depression and some (relatively minor) health issues for a number of years, but just recently I have started to realise that if I am alive there is hope, and that I have to make small changes often, in order to achieve my long term goals.
I have recently started to have some fairly big problems with the skin on my face (severe perioral dermatitis), but rather than feel down about how it looks and how sore it is, I am taking it as being a sign of what is going on inside my body, and using it as a tool to motivate myself to adhere to a more primal way of life.
Love this. Really wanted to start my Primal Journal but still don’t have the ability to do so. I am still being told I can’t post. How do I get this privilage? I was so excited about my first day!
“Numbers don’t tell your story.”
I like that. Just yesterday, I took a quiz about my health in order to secure lower rates from my health insurance company. At the end of the quiz, I was given my results–I’m “high-risk” because I don’t do 30 minutes of cardio every other day (never mind that I’m on my feet all day at work and I walk miles and miles up hill and down when I hike), and I’m “high-risk” because I don’t know what my fasting blood sugar levels are. I was irritated because, firstly, what a way to judge my health! But also, what a way to motivate people (NOT). Focusing on the positive, and all the ways in which I am already strong, and all the good things I already do… that motivates me to do better.
Haha I discovered something pretty cool today
. I haven’t really discussed the PB much with my husband (he lives 1.5 hours away from me and I only see him every other weekend). He had seen me read the books, and knew the way I was eating though (basically… I pretty much said I no longer eat grains and sugar). Anyway, today I had to go and see him, and lo and behold, I go use his computer and one of his tabs is open to MDA!! Obviously something’s sinking in 
. He also said that for the last few days he’s been eating steak sandwiches for lunch, without the bread component 
.
And this is a guy who I used to argue with constantly about weight loss, and how 80% of your weight is down to your eating habits and not your exercise (he was convinced that if you’re overweight all you need to do is exercise more…), so I think things may slowly be sinking in!
Starting from 0.5 maybe….Done well with weight But i want to move now and play .. eventhough i walk a lot everyday with my dogs i guess i feel the need to speed up the rythm a little since i have regained the energy. Will try following the weekly plan …this is where i would need a bit of support, i must ask a friend to join me!
I am going to do this!21 days…how hard can it be:) I had a babygirl 8 weeks ago, and while my eating in general is ok I am such a sugarjunkie! Can not help my self, and I eat some dark chocolate every day:( In the weekends I completely fall of the wagon andd will eat pretty much every sweet I can get my hand on. I promise myself every weekend that I won’t but my craving is always stronger than my mind. I am also going to try to get more sleep, and exersice. Both can be quite a challenge with a newborn baby hanging in my boobs practically the whole day:) Wish me luck!! And good luck to each and every one of you who are also doing the challenge!
Starting about 7 years ago, when I was 39 years old I knew that I was on the road to a knee replacement. Those of you that have known me for most of my life know that for most of that time I was dealing with one injury or another, and it finally caught up with me. My weight was at an all time high at 242lbs and I knew that once that knee got replaced, that extra weight was going to put a lot of strain on the new knee. I read the book “Good Calories, Bad Calories” by Gary Taubes and was convinced. I changed WHAT I ate, stopped worrying about calories and started avoiding those foods that humans never evolved to eat: grains, manufactured “foods”, etc., and dropped 50 pounds. The I came across the web site Mark’s Daily Apple and got more active and actually got to the point where I was riding a bicycle to work 3 days a week at about 28 miles round trip! All was great until an aortic dissection nearly killed me earlier this year. I’ve lost so much muscle mass and health that it’s hard to get motivated to get moving again. Now I feel like I’m starting from zero.
This article inspired me. I have some personal goals set for next year, including being able to ride my bike to work again, but it’s going to be a long haul.
Like all journeys, it starts with the first step…
Just though I would chip in and maybe help people stay motivated.
As an NLP Master Prac I have helped lot withmotivation and sticking to goals, myself included.
The best advice I can give is to see your self doing all the things you want to achieve, even all the little steps that get you there. By this I mean make a video in your mind where you see your self eating primal, going for walks, sprinting, lifting weights, laying in the sun, drawing, sleeping well etc. When you make your mental video add in sound and realy connect with the feelings og achievement and remember if you have a blip, just see yourself getting back to it straight away. Think in terms of process goals. The declaration we have all made for the 21 Day challenge represents out outcome goals, eg loose weight, play more, stop eating grains etc. But the process goals represent the “How” we need to get to where we want.
Remember 1 wrong meal does not undo 20 correct/primal meal.
Stick to it it is worth it. Since Christmas I am 25lbs lighter and my immune system is the best at has ever been by eating primal.
All the best, each step forward is a step closer to sucsess.
Beware if the (little devil on someone’s shoulder)! I have been eating Primal for a few month’s and there’s this guy that comes into the health food store that I work at, he is friends with the owners and we see him often. Over the 2 years I have worked there he often brings in cookies and sandwiches, soups and such from the deli’s he frequents. I very rarely eat what he brings in as they are laden with bad fats and sugars. He is a high pressure salesman none the less and tries to make it personal. Monday he brought in deli sandwiches and kept accusing me (in a passive aggressive joking manner) that I was no longer his friend because I wouldn’t eat a half of sandwich. I have to say I don’t get people that push food. I really don’t have a problem saying no, but I know these types of people pop up whenever you try to improve your life in any way!
Thanks to this board for all the people that encourage one another to keep on the right track, we see the results in our health. BTW this mans wife and daughters are very overweight, I guess he provides the food, hey?
What really finally brought me on board to this lifestyle was to keep myself accountable; and I accomplished this in two distinct ways. First, my partner and I started keeping a weekly calendar of meals and what we were cooking and eating for each day. Removing any ambiguity allowed us to be successful in our dietary needs. Second, we started a blog. It was not really meant for public consumption on the outset, but rather as a way to keep ourselves honest about how and what we were eating–and to challenge us to still have delicious and fun foods. Now we keep it up, enjoy a small readership, and reap the benefit of being that much more involved in the community. Best of luck to everyone, regardless of where they are in this journey!
Brent, I really like that calendar idea – it reminds me of when I was in grade school and I would look at the lunch menu, except is all foods I like
I’m going to try that. I bet it’ll get me thinking about different foods, too – I’m kinda in a food rut – and get me to be more creative and less inclined to pick foods that are not primal when I get bored, because I’ll have an interesting array of stuff! Thanks!
My son started primal. Then my daughter. Since I lived with my daughter for a while after she had her baby, I had no choice but go primal. I am glad I did.I have lost about 20#. Now down 2 pant sizes. Has been difficult since coming home. My husband is not fully on board. Hardest part for me is getting the liquids and protein I need. One day at a time. Even cheat days don’t go too far off. Had some delicious buns the other night and paid for it in bloating not feeling well. I have a sensitivety to wheat. Arthritis flares. Love reaching all your comments. Thanks
I have been eating Primal since July 2012. I went from 186 to 172 in about three weeks. I have been real good about eating primal. I noticed my stomach still bothers me from time to time so I eliminated most nightshades (its hard to deny lycopene filled tomatoes) and stick to mostly low fodmaps. although onions and garlic are prebiotic so i allow those as well. Im trying homemade beef liver pate and bone marrow broth as well as coconut milk kefir this week. We can do this! We will all be laughing when were 122 and still alive and well and on this site spreading the good word!
Oh yeah, definitely starting from zero, but with just following my food restrictions (intolerant of gluten, eggs, all cow’s milk products) 80% of the time, I’ve already lost 10 lbs – WITHOUT EXERCISE! My goal is to have plenty of energy to burn, drop another 10-15 lbs, and finally finally get off my thyroid meds
One day at a time is my focus so I don’t get overwhelmed, and even if I only manage 80%, that’s still 80% better than I was doing before 
My rock bottom was June 2011, 185 lbs on a 5ft5 frame and menopause breathing down my neck. I had tried to follow CW doctor endorsed “healthy” eating for years. Weight loss was always minimal and painful. My stepson found MDA first and had amazing results, I was intrigued but unconvinced. Until I started to read the success stories and combed through the forums and comments from the community. You, the community, is what convinced me to make this journey. This is the most supportive group of people I’ve ever run across in the blogosphere. I’ve lost weight, lost health issues and gained strength, stamina and a playful attitude. This community fueled by Mark has added years to my life and allowed me to make it so much more enjoyable. Thank you MDA community, you are my heroes. Grok on!
Like what Rachael said about finding joy and liking oneself no matter what. I’ve just started on the eating primal – don’t need to lose much but need lots of energy. Today I’m having the carb flu but will push through.
I run every other day and I like doing it so will add some wind sprints and start to carry heavier things more often. I believe I will start playing on the equipment at children’s playgrounds as no one else seem to be using it.
I’m 68 and it is never to late to change and feel better. I’m starting to notice some good difference.
Cheers
Yeah it’s all about the big picture “Develop Big Picture Perspective” I go to the gym to look my best and feel my best. Cause i do that i sleep better, i feel like i have the energy of an animal , and i feel like I’m more of an outgoing person.
Spam isn’t primal bro! Looks like all that sodium nitrate is leading to the production of carcinogenic nitrosamines, which is killing all your brain cells! Yiiikes!