My name’s Sri, and I’m a 29-year-old physician. During my high school and college years, I was on the “anti-primal diet”. Growing up in a South Indian vegetarian household, it was carbs, carbs, and more carbs. Rice, sugary cereals, pasta, ice cream and cake and cake. Probably 500 grams a day for years. No meat. Little-to-no protein. I was 5’7?, a bit over 200 lbs, with terrible asthma. It took me 12 minutes to ‘run’ a mile, and my confidence was at rock bottom. In 10+ years of college, medical school, and residency, I tried *everything* to chip away at my weight. Protein shakes, crash diets, cabbage soup, diet pills, two hour cardio sessions, two hour weight training sessions, zone bars, more diet pills. I put on some muscle, I lost a couple inches, but I was still out of shape and facing my physical (asthma) and emotional (mood swings, anxiety, depression) hardships every day.

I stumbled onto CrossFit last year after getting tired of a traditional weightlifting routine that was getting my nowhere with strength, size, endurance, or fat loss. The intensity and unpredictable nature of the workouts was a revelation. Around the time that the members of my gym were embarking on a “Paleo Diet Challenge”, I found your website and purchased The Primal Blueprint. It was your book that helped to convince me that there was a healthier, truer, more natural way to eat, something that would genuinely treat my body as a vessel of God and honor its creation. As a scientist myself, I was intrigued by the physiologic arguments for a low-carbohydrate high-fat diet, and the theories on the importance of epigenetics are very interesting. Add to this that your outlook on a healthy, fulfilling life is FUN! Low stress! Full of flavor and playfulness and experimentation!

I love cooking now, and I love sprinting in my Vibrams. I love being out in the sun with my shirt off and (after much soul searching) I love eggs and chicken thighs. I don’t beat myself up over the occasional high-fat dessert.

Numbers: in three months of the Primal lifestyle, I’ve lost 15 pounds – mostly fat. I was 175 lbs with 22% body fat and a 32-inch waist. Now I’m 160 lbs with 15% body fat and a 29-inch waist. I can almost see my abs! I’m no longer self-conscious about my body, and I look great in small athletic-fit polos. Most of all, this lifestyle is sustainable long-term, good for the earth and for my sanity. I’ve recommended your book to plenty of friends and patients, who will hopefully have as much luck and enjoyment as I have! Grok on!

Sri

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