The Unconquerable Dave
Dave first emailed me about a year ago. He had just bought the Primal Blueprint Cookbook and was seeing some real results. Occasionally I’ll get an update from him. One can really get a sense of Dave’s energy and excitement for life from his emails (often written in all caps), which I’ve reprinted below. Read on to catch a bit of Dave’s enthusiasm and spirit. It’s contagious.
If you have your own Primal Blueprint success story and you’d like to share it with me and the community please contact me here. Have a wonderful Friday, everyone, and thanks for reading!
September of 2009…
March 19, 2010…
HI MARK
JUST GOT YOUR BLUEPRINT AND AM AWAITING THE COOK BOOK. WHICH I INTEND TO TRY TO ADD TOO!
AFTER 25 YEARS OF RAISING A FAMILY AND NOT DOING THE “GROK” ANY MORE IT SHOWED BIG TIME….
TALK ABOUT “THE LIVING DEAD”…
I’M A SUPER COOK AND BAKER AND JUST ABOUT SLAYED US ALL….LOL
IT’S BEEN ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS OF EATING AND THINKING MORE PALEO… IF I CAN’T KILL IT- FIND IT-OR GATHER IT… I DON’T EAT IT…. SO IT’S REAL EASY TO EAT WELL. JUST THINK ABOUT GROK AND WHAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT. SIMPLE!… AND THE WIFE AND KIDS STILL AROUND ARE IMPRESSED WITH MY NEW ATTITUDE AND LOOK.
HAVE LOST AT LEAST 20 POUNDS OFF A HEAVY BONED HUGE BEAR FRAME…
6′-1″ AND HEADED FOR THE LOWER 200′S. I HAVE 18 “ARMS AND THICK CHEST AND THE ABDOMEN AND CORE ARE COMING RIGHT ALONG…!!!
LEGS ARE FEELING STRONG AGAIN. ASS IS TIGHTENING UP AND I’M INTO A 38 JEAN.
YOUR BODY TELLS YOU WHAT IT WANTS, AND IT WANTS REAL AND STRONG AND ABLE.
WHICH = SMART!!… HEAD AND BODY ARE TUNING IN WELL…
TIME TO BUY NEW CLOTHES…ALMOST!
LATER BROTHER
STAY IN THE LIGHT
GROK RULES!
DAVE PARSONS
April 22nd…
40 LBS LIGHTER IN 6 MONTHS…no problem and lovin’ it!
53 Y.O.
6’1″-240LBS AS OF 4-20-10
AND STILL SHEDDING THE EXTRAS….36 JEANS…AIMING FOR 34′S.
and a solid 220 of all muscle!!!!
YOU are ONe…of MY Two INspirations!!!!
Thanks Mark…
and if you don’t get enough hugs brother…
davegrok sends hug to Mark!!!
Illumination……..so much fun to re-learn again….still…always….
Grok on
July 18th…
HI FOLKS-
OCTOBER 1ST 2009 TO JULY 10TH 2010.
FROM 280 LBS DOWN TO 210 LBS.
JUST FROM THE PALEO DIET AND MILD EXERCISE.
ROCKIN’ THE HOUSE!!!!!!
ALL LEAN MUSCLE MASS AND NEVER LOOKIN’ BACK….THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE INSPIRATION-GUIDANCE-AND ONGOING WAY OF LIFE.
DAVE
September 9th…
IT HAS BEEN AN EXCITING AND COMPLETELY DIFFERENT YEAR NOW.
I HAVE GOTTEN IN WAY BETTER HEALTH. LOST 80 POUNDS. CAN RUN AND CLIMB AGAIN. AND AM GOING ON 54 YEARS OLD. LIFE HAS THROWN THE CURVE BALLS. THE UPS. THE DOWNS. ALL THE WORK AND LIFE RELATED “FOR BETTER- OR FOR WORSE” ISSUES…YOU GET IT. BUT THE DAILY APPLE AND THE PRIMAL LIFE GOES ON…EVERYDAY. IN ALL THE CONFUSION…IT REMAINS A SOLID PLATFORM TO WORK WITH AND ON. I READ THE APPLE….EAT THE APPLE AND EVERYDAY YOU JUST MAKE IT OKAY TO BE WHO I AM…AND BE A MEMBER OF THE PRIMAL LIFE CLAN….
NO MATTER WHAT COMES ALONG…
I KNOW SOMEONE OUT THERE IS MY FRIEND AND WE THINK ABOUT THE SAME STUFF.
THANKS MARK
THANKS BEES
THANKS TO MARK’S WIFE FOR BEING ABLE TO HANDLE THIS!
YOU HAVE NO IDEA …….OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME.
I SALUTE YOU ALL
DAVE
December 10th…
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND ALL THE CREW!!
Santa got a lot thinner!…hohohohoho!
Dave
January 3rd…
primal work outs…. your approach (WAY BETTER) and actually more of a primal way than a gym gorilla. I have my Paleo gym of trees and rocks and stuff….
check it out…54 in a month and 6 ft and 205 lbs.
a 404 lb dead lift…kickButt!!!!
Thanks Mark
January 26th…
DEAR MARK AND ALL THE PRIMAL PEOPLE OUT THERE,
I’M NOT GOOD WITH SPEECHES SO I FIGURE IF A PIC IS WORTH A 1000 WORDS.
I WILL BE 54 THIS FEB. 8TH.
TALK ABOUT PRIMAL. THAT’S ABOUT 300…DOWN TO 200…RIGHT THERE TODAY JANUARY 19TH…AND THERE AIN’T MUCH LEFT TO LOSE…..SIZE 44 TO SIZE 34.
I REMEMBER THIS….I WAS THIS SIZE WHEN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD….I THINK I MAY BE STRONGER NOW!
GROK ON AND THANK YOU FOR THE ILLUMINATION!
DAVE PARSONS
—
To steal words from Walt Whitman…
“I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,
I sound my barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the world.”
A transformed man, arms to the sky, wearing flip flops in the snow. If ever there was an image of the verve and indomitable spirit of going Primal, this is it. Dave, today half a million people heard your YAWP. May it echo to half a million more. Grok on, brother. GROK ON!
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
Dave, How did it effect your family? Did they go all the way with you?
No….Im the only one who stays in the middle of the path…they still have their own mind set for foods. I run my body…they run theirs…saves trouble.>>>
Wow! That is one hell of a motivating story.
This is utterly amazing! As I sit here with tears in my eyes, I am so grateful for this community and Mark for sharing these wonderful stories. This example has lit a fire inside of me to ditch the excuses and fully commit to a primal lifestyle. Congrats Dave! You are AWESOME!
What a motivating , inspirational story. You rock Poppa Grok!
Wow…Just wow! I am so inspired by this! Thanks so much!!!
WOW! WOW! “Yatta” in Japanese.
You and Mark have inspired me to never give up.
A nice big womanly HUG to you.
I’ve been toying with the idea of going primal recently, weighing in at over 300 pounds and just 23 years old this has inspired me! If a man over twice my age can do it, so can I! Grok on Dave!
I JUST read THIS week’s Dave II follow up and didn’t realize Dave was this big. AMAZING!!! WAY TO GO
What determination. great job!
An inspiration to all!!!
Great inspiration!!I’m in pursuit of my own success, I have lost 100 pounds since July 21, 2011, still have aways to go. I went to a fat doc and he put me on phentermine/prozak, I know I know very un-grok like, but I couldn’t seem to get started. I read Marc’s book as soon as it came out and really like the program, even though I don’t believe in evolution, you seem like a pretty good group, hope that doesn’t get me shunned. I have been following a very low carb approach, ala Atkins/Taubes, which from what I can gather is very close to a primal way of eating (btw, the doc doesn’t really know I’m doing that and he didn’t recommend it) so anyway I weigh in every 3 weeks, and the weight continues to fall off, my main exercise is walking, but I walk in the mountains and I rock and roll with it, I came across a black bear the other day, but he was more scared of me than I was of him. Anyway been a lurker here for awhile, I use you guys and Marc’s great info for learning and motivation, I think I’ve got it this time. Looking fwd to ditching the drugs.
Wow!!! Your story is quite an inspiration to a beginner of the Paleo program. I’m thinking I can make this plan work, where most others I’ve done for a few weeks and failed.
I’m happy I searched for “beard,” and found this.
Fck me man, you’ve lost a sh*te load of weight and looking good. Well done
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GREAT JOB!!
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This is so incredibly inspiring!!! Grok on!
Amazing! My Mom recently turned me on to this lifestyle… I’m hooked, and seeing Dave’s story is inspiring! How could it not be? Thank you so much for sharing!
Im still around!!….Even if you dont go and be the exercise monster of the block…this way of life will sculpt the body that reflects what you do…and it will look GOOD!!!…GROK ON Everyone and have a SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON..EAT WELL -SLEEP WELL- BE WELL AND Enjoy life every day!>>>
WOW, i just got the 21 day transformation book and this guy was my size, I’m impressed!
Dave, You are a Grok Star! This is possibly the most inspirational thing I’ve ever read regarding physical transformation. I was thinking man starting this Primal thing is going to be difficult for me at 48-years-old. Thank you for blowing that thinking out of my head! Grok on!
Way to go Dave! I am heading into week 3 and your story just re-ignited my fire stick…Grok on, brother!! Thank you so much…your legacy continues on!
Unconquerable Dave makes me want to run around the world and cheer and beat my own skinny little chest! The sheer joy of the man from MINUTE ONE of your journey!
Love your work Papa Grok! You are a true inspiration!!!
Holy Crap Dave!!! That is the best transformation that I have ever seen. I keep going through these posts getting more and more stoked. Thanks for sharing and thanks for showing what is possible.
THE PAPA GROK IS ALWAYS>>AROUND THE CAve some place..or out in the rock and tree zone..GROK ON EVERYONE!!>>>
Dave, I pinned your story to my Pinterest board and it has gotten many many likes and shares.
Your story really helped me in the begining of my journey. It was your mention of having so much energy and feeling strong at your age, that hooked me in. I felt so tired all the time and could not see how I was going to make it to 60 or 70 if I was this worn down in my 40′s!
Thank you for sharing, and know that it has meant the world to many people
Sarah
Wow! av you look like a different person. Thank you SO much for sharing your story with us. Truly inspirational.
I have been on PB 9 months now (59 YO F) and lost 40lbs from a start of 270. A long way to go but I have never felt better, and you’ve given me just the inspiration I needed at this point.
Amazing
Fantastic!!! And you look so great and healthy now!!! Best regards from Sweden!!!
Dude you sir are my new hero. I love the beard, a man should have a beard, it is just just…. right.
Booyeah
Thanks…I still have it>>> GROK ON>>>