The Perfect Storm (a.k.a. How I Lost Those Last 10 lbs)
It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!
Female, age 45, 5’ 2”
Starting weight: Flirting with 130 lbs
Goal weight: 120 lbs
Current weight: 117 lbs
I’ve always eaten a fairly “healthy” diet (according to the latest conventional wisdom) and exercised regularly (cycling, hiking and BodyPump™twice a week), but as the years were going by my weight was creeping up. I was still at the high range of “normal”, but I was puffy and didn’t feel like my efforts with BodyPump™ were showing.
In April 2011 I stumbled upon Mark’s Daily Apple. It just clicked for me. I adopted the Primal way of eating immediately and had no trouble giving up grains and sticking to the 80/20 rule. In 2 months I had lost 5 lbs without even “trying”. My husband was skeptical.
In June 2011 my husband was diagnosed with Leukemia. He was in the hospital for 6 months. I stopped working and was by his side the entire time. This would have been an easy time to abandon the Primal lifestyle, but it was just what I needed. A little project to keep my mind busy. I read everything I could…books and online about Primal/paleo. My food choices were limited at the hospital cafeteria…hard-boiled eggs and bacon for breakfast was easy. For lunches and suppers I usually walked to a grocery store to hunt and gather. It gave me a purpose and reason to get out of the hospital, move slowly and clear my mind. Despite the stress of the situation the Primal Blueprint kept me sane and healthy. I continued to lean out and people started worrying that I wasn’t eating. I told them I was eating more than usual, but they didn’t believe me. My staples included avocados, mini cukes, cherry tomatoes, berries, tinned sardines and salmon, nuts, full-fat cheese, smoked chicken thighs, liver pate, coconut water, coffee with heavy cream, dark chocolate and plenty more! My occasional treat…good quality vanilla ice cream (and it’s still my weakness).
My husband had a stem cell transplant in November 2011. I’m thrilled to report that he has completely recovered from his illness. He’s back to work and we’re cycling again. Although he thinks I’m a little extreme on following “the cult”, he’s totally supportive. He’s even started to adopt some of the Primal ways (although it will be a while before he gives up his muesli for breakfast before work and his sandwich at lunch). Between us we have 3 “normal weight” teenagers. I feed them healthy meals at supper time, but for the rest of the day they make their own choices…often not very smart ones. As they get older I hope they become more aware of the connection between their diet and their health. In the meantime, I love it when they ask me, “Is this Primal?”
Stephanie Turner
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
Well done to you Stepheanie,you look fabulous. Do hope my arms can reveal themselves like yours have! And great news that your husband has recovered. My husband has chronic illness & I have spent lots of time at the hospital over the years. But his last 2 week stay was the first after I went primal. The hospital cafe has “healthy food” but not much primal food. I cooked roast meat, or slow cooked primal stew so I had something healthy to eat at night all week, and did’t have an excuse to buy junk at the hospital or on the way home. I reckon it helped me cope with stress better too.
What a great example you are setting fort those teenagers of yours. Congratulations.
Wow, you look great! And younger (always a bonus!) Congrats on your success and on your husband’s recovery
Love this story! Fantastic how you were able to latch onto Primal in such a difficult time of your life.
Bravo.
When a family member of mine was dying, Primal got me through healthy and strong. I’m sure I would have become sick on the SAD. You look like a fresh 25 Y.O. HOT, I might add!!!
Wonderfull story. Enjoyed reading. You look great
I keep looking at your photos and it’s amazing. What an accomplishment. And I’m so happy your husband is better.
You are straight out of ‘Kill Bill’ and I bet you could kick Uma’s butt.
“[...] I continued to lean out and people started worrying that I wasn’t eating. I told them I was eating more than usual, but they didn’t believe me. [...]”
LOL I can totally recognize this! My soon-to-be mom in law keeps telling me I should be careful, I’ve lost too much weight already as she tells me… I keep telling her that I eat plenty of protein and vegetables, but it doesn’t sink in!
Isn’t it amazing how much youth you can reclaim with a few simple choices
Stephanie – amazing! You look fantastic. I’d love to hear what the “more” is in your diet. What does a typical day look like for you? Glad to hear your husband is doing well, too.
thanks again everyone! the staples I described in my story were the things I ate while my husband was in the hospital…easy, little prep work, single serving for the most part. Now that we’re home I love to prepare more elaborate meals. I’m a member of a CSA (community sponsored argiculture) program so get a bounty of fresh veggies and a dozen free run eggs every Monday. I’d say I consume at lease 80% of the produce myself and my goal is to eat it all by the next week and NEVER let anything go to waste. Steak on the barbeque is a favourite but we also love beef and chicken liver.
I hope I wasn’t the only one that hoped she meant ‘mini cakes’ instead of ‘mini cukes’
I learnt something new today!
a typical weekday would be
BREAKFAST: 2 cups of coffee (with heavy cream or blended with virgin coconut oil). 2 eggs fried with fresh sage OR a whole avocado. I also take a shot glass of kefir every morning.
LUNCH: usually a) large chicken souvlaki salad from the “food court” in our local city market(with hot sauce of course) OR b) a piece of salmon with a side salad and a large peppermint tea.
SUPPER: meat and veggies. Occassionally a glass of dry red wine and a couple of squares of dark chocolate or a small serving of fruit.
SNACKS: I rarely snack between meals or in the evening but if I do it’s a) handful of almonds b) a tin of sardines with mustard c) left over raw or cooked veggies d) a chunk of good cheese.
TREATS: my rare treats are approx 20 plain pringles or a small bowl of ice cream or a small cookie. In the past I tried some primal/paleo baking recipes… I never felt they compared to the “real thing” so I decided that if i’m going to induldge it would be a true indulgence.
Sounds like Bulletproof coffee. Do you use Upgraded Coffee? I’ve been thinking about trying that.
It sounds great but 18.95 for 12 ounces is a good amount. I will also need to buy some kind of grinder for the beans and a coffee pot.
I’d love suggestions for a good cheap pot and grinder if anyone has any.
Btw great story
Thanks Jonathan. I think bulletproof coffee is made with raw grass fed unsalted butter which I cannot get in Canada. I guess coconut oil is a variation on the idea. I use certified organic beans roasted close to my home. I buy my beans pre-ground. The package is vaccum sealed and comes with a little valve to let all the air out after you open it. Pretty nifty and tasty!
Great story and you look amazing. Grok on!
What a great story. I’m so happy for your husband’s recovery and your before and after photos are great.
Thanks so much for sharing!
That was indeed an inspirational story with very inspirational before and after pics.
Congratulations on your husband’s recovery.
I had the same issue for months following primal.I lost a few inches but nothing on scale. I kept my carb in take below 40 and ate no dairy. I then went and had live blood analysis done (google it). I was told my body isn’t processing fat or protein. That my hormones were shot ,i was retaining alot of water and all this was causing an inability for my body tolose weight. So i have begun taking alot ofsupplements to heal my body still eating primal with some added dairy. Hopefully it all helps. Already i feel immensely better in two months, way more energy, chronic migraines gone and much more. No weight loss yet but more inches. I wanted to share my story because its an aspect to weight loss on primal that i have yet to see here. Hopefully i will have success story in 6 months and can be a missing puzzle piece in someones journey on primal.
Karen… it must be comforting to know that you may have identified the problems! good luck and keep us posted.
Awesome! At times I think, maybe it’s my age or that I’m different. NOPE…it’s just being dedicated and knowing that it’s a long process. It’s a lifestyle.
This is an awesome story. Thanks so much for sharing. My mom has the mentality that she is too old in her late 40′s to do anything physical, because she gets “out of breath”. I think it’s so sad and such a shame that she thinks that. I’m 28 and have been primal for around 3 months, but my biggest motivation is to be the opposite of my mom at that age – and your story has given me more inspiration!
Stephanie R. You are very lucky to have found Primal at an early age and it’s such a shame that you’re mother feels that it’s too late for her. I’ve always felt young and I plan on cycling, hiking and lifting weights the rest of my life (they’ll have to pry that barbell out of my cold fingers lol). Have you heard of Ernestine Sheppard? She’s my role model!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OR-6y-8-nM
oops typo^ it’s a shame that YOUR mother…
Thanks for the encouragement
Ernestine Sheppard is an amazing woman!
BodyPump instructor here! Going Primal is helping me out so much in my teaching!! I’m lifting heavier and have more energy during class. =D
First, it is wonderrful that your husband made a full recovery! It was refreshing to read that you did not abandon your eating plan. Most Americans would have. I am a fitness instructor and it is hard to get folks to get out of the “all or nothing” mentality. We are either working out, or we are not. We are on a diet, or we are not. Again, congrats for sticking to your own eating plan even thought you were in a challenging time of your life.
This is an inspiring story. I’ve been researching ways to eat healthier and just discovered this blog.
I find myself gravitating more to fruits and vegetables. I’ve been eating alot of fish this past week, but I don’t crave red meat like I used to. Perhaps I’m
Looking forward to learning more from you. Thanks!
…’strewth mate’….thats bloody bonza!
Wow Stephanie,
what an inspiring story!!! Atta girl!!!
You’re so lean it looks like you lost more than just “those last 10 lbs.” You look great!
Thanks Deanna! You pile 13 lbs of butter on the table and image that on my 5’2″ frame…it had nowhere to hide! That being said, I assume what’s happened is that I lost more that 13 lbs of fat and added some muscle. When I started leaning out it was the inspiration I needed to push myself and lift heavier at the gym because I was finally able to see those muscles that I’d worked so hard for. They were there all along just hiding… I’m much stronger since going primal. I don’t know the science behind it but have to beleive that a high protein diet is conducive to building muscle.
…high protein and low protein-destroying adrenaline/epinephrine from no longer having to deal with reactive hypoglycaemia (and 99% of overweight people have to deal with low blood sugars at least to some degree from a broken carb metabolism)
Perhaps the reduced inflammation also helped…
first, congratulations on your husband’s recovery.
second, WOW! you look like a completely different person. i’m sure you feel amazing too.
well done.
My wife at age 45 said she can’t lose her “pooch” because she’s past that. Thanks for the pictures and story that it can be done! I finally got her to give up her morning oatmeal in favor of eggs with spinach, we’ll see if it makes a difference!
Just back from holiday in Itlay – ever tried to be primal in Italy? But managed to stay clear of pasta
) and stories like this have motivated me to get back on track. You look great and I want your stomach – now!!! Well done.
That’s amazing. Well done. I like a story with a happy ending
We are soul sisters! My husband was just diagnosed with Leukemia in May 2012 and I too had just started primal and struggled to find options in the hospital cafeteria. I haven’t been as diligent as you and your story is exactly the motivation I need right now. Thank you! I hope to be a success story one day with your same good news that my husband is cured!
dear Missy… so sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis. I hope that your story has a happy ending like ours. Everyone’s different…eating primal helped me cope but another person might find it more stressful. One thing I can say for sure is that it kept me healthy and by his side in a time when his immune system is low. Had I caught a cold or other bug that they would have kept me away from him. Keep us posted on how you and your husband make out
If your husband still has a functional immune system he can go zero-carb/ketogenic and starve his cancer while feeding his immune system… cancer cells won’t be able to handle the immune response, much less chemo without their sole fuel source.
Cancer cells must deactivate their mitochondria to disable programmed cell death; without doing this they wouldn’t stand a chance in hell against your immune system.
But without mitochondria, cancer cells cannot burn ketones, fat, or even glucose combined with oxygen/cellular respiration – they must rely solely on glucose fermentation.
This is an inefficient process and means they can only burn sugar and its fermented byproducts… to compensate cancer cells will put up large amounts of insulin receptors and as they constantly multiply, they never become insulin resistant; they always gobble up all the carbs you feed them.
This is why cancer is a disease of civilization – our whole bodies, the entire function and biology of multicellular organisms hinges upon programmed cell death. Without cell suicide, all the cells in your body would rebel… they’d be pissed that brain cells gobble up excessive amounts of energy while only gonad cells get to spread their DNA… The fact that cancers can survive long enough to kill us is a freakish anomaly of modern carb-laden, insulin-spiking diets.
Cancer cells and white blood cells are fighting a cold war, a tonnage war against each other. Cancer cells are inherently disadvantaged as they can’t burn fat/ketones.
Why would you want to throw a banquet feast for your cancer by feeding it carbs and insulin-like growth factors? Especially as this can also suppress your own immune system.
Mike Eades blogged about a study on ketogenic diets stabilizing/slowly reversing end-stage brain tumours in patients that were no longer responsive to chemo (basically at death’s door)
But the basic science of this stuff is sound; you don’t need to read a study as much as you need to understand basic cellular biology and biochemistry to understand this…
Even radiologists use irradiated molecules that mimic sugar to detect cancers – they know the cancers will gobble up the fake sugar before any other cells get a chance to…
Look up the warburg effect…
Congratulations, Stephanie! Your story is inspiring, you look amazing, and so happy that your husband is doing great!
I’ve been primal for a little under 2 years. My husband is completely on board, and my 15 year old is, as well. He was my pickiest eater, who refused all vegetables. Now, he eats everything. I soak kale in coconut milk and then stir fry it in coconut oil…..both my 13 yo & my 15 yo think it’s amazing. I think it just takes time, allowing them to try things, but also refusing to buy certain things. I got to the point with my 13 yo daughter that I just won’t buy the stuff she wants me to buy. So, she has to try what I cook….and guess what? She likes most of what I make…..it’s amazing how much better veggies taste cooked in fat.
Stef, you said that you arent satisfied with paleo baked goods. Have you ever tried Raweos? They are soooooo good. I cant help but splurge the $7.50 every time I see them in the store and all the ingredients are paleo.
PS, For those that have sensitive stomachs like I do, or for those that just want the most nutrition out of coffee, look into cold brewing tea and coffee. I do cold brew both coffee and tea. I find that it tastes the best, it has way less acidity that you get from heating coffee or tea. And its gonna have more of the antioxidants etc that coffee and tea has. Mmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm!