Hello Mark, I thought I would finally make good on my promise to send you some pics and a more understandable story for my Primal testimonial.

Let me start this with a disclaimer: I am no Supermike or Mark, but I have made advances in the last couple months that are amazing to me and have no doubt that my health and wellness will only continue to improve on The Primal Blueprint. I am no doctor, nor do I claim to be a fitness guru or sexy model icon. 😉

That being said, here is my story:

As a kid, I was always very active and fit. I ran 5k’s, won several triathlons and was a successful tennis and soccer player. I got into lifting weights when I left for college and would have considered myself in very decent shape at a very muscular 6?4? 245 pounds and about 12-15% body fat. I then moved to Southern Cali at ages 19 and 20 and lived successfully as a personal trainer. After 9/11 happened, I joined the Army doing what I thought was my patriotic duty. While training in the Army, I got very very sick with a laundry list of ailments including pneumonia. I was medically discharged from the army at a very sickly 188 pounds. For a couple years after this, I played around in film and television and worked as a bouncer in bars – also working the occasional odd job. Finally fed up with living check to check, starving and being permanently flat broke… I decided to join the corporate world.

This leads us to my story of deteriorating health.

A successful corporate career led to a terrible diet, tremendous amounts of stress and bad habits like smoking. The first set of pictures is from Labor day 2007. You can see I still had some of my muscle hidden under a tremendous amount of fat. I was a very unhealthy 230+ pounds and a smoker and heavy drinker. I lived on fast food and drank too much beer all too frequently.

Shortly after this, my health got even worse. I ballooned to almost 250 pounds and still got no exercise. I avoided cameras and being seen publicly like it was a disease… hence no pictures of this time. I would not allow it.

By the time I was getting married in June of 2008, I realized that I had to do something about my terrible health. I looked terrible, I felt terrible and my doctor was talking statins for my cholesterol. I am only 27 years old! I had to do something. I had already quit smoking, but this only helped me gain weight if anything. I began working out twice per day 5 days a week. This had some positive effect. You can see from the second set of pictures from my honeymoon in July 2008 that I was back down to the 230+ range but my body was shutting down and my stress was even WORSE than it was before! I never had any time! What I was doing just did not feel sustainable.

At this point I desperately reached out for help on the internet when I lucked across your site and The Primal Blueprint. It seemed almost too extreme for me at the time but I was desperate so feeling that I had nothing to lose, I went Primal towards the beginning of August 2008. I started working out less, dropped cardio for walking and occasional sprints and started eating Primally.

Lets look at now, only a couple months later. These pictures were taken just Oct 14th 2008. I am 194 pounds! My doctor no longer worries about my cholesterol. I ENJOY my workouts. I have virtually NO stress! Its amazing, I feel great! I love the food that I am eating, the workouts that I am doing, the people that I have met online. Most of all, I love how much more time I have. My wife and I get to hang out a lot more now and I can enjoy a hobby here or there or just relax sometimes! Also, my wife has lost weight and is looking great!

You know how most fitness trends and fads always have the disclaimer “results not typical”? I think The Primal Blueprint lifestyle should have a disclaimer “Results ARE typical”.

I will keep up the Blueprint as it is SO easy and update you again down the road!

Thanks again Mark,

Son of Grok

Update – 01/09/09:

I wanted to update you on my progress. I am now five months into going Primal. I am still going strong and loving it. I am now at about 188 which is pretty ideal for me. That constitutes a total weight loss of about 57 pounds.

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