October Whole 30 for Paleo/Primal Support Peeps

nmbasilico

Great! Thanks

busywaterbending

again, for the paleo researchers and those who want to understand what we are talking about please read

READ ME

Please consider educating yourself and remember, here, everyone's opinion is free and only worth that much. It's up to you to educate yourself, and make sure you listen to your body to get healthy! Enjoy, some links to get started, and your mind will be blown:


Here's a must see video
on stanford ct. nutrition phd (and long time vegan) explaining the ins and outs of becomming and staying healthy with a low carb, high fat diet - he states that studies have shown that too much protein is actually a stressor to the kidneys, as is carbs / sugar.
*** http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eREuZEdMAVo#t=167s

** http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
Mark's Daily Apple is a great resource. Lots of diverse topics, daily posts, very readable information. This 101 page has a number of links to learn more.

** http://chriskresser.com/beyond-paleo-moving-from-a-paleo-diet-to-a-paleo-template
Chris Kresser also has a very readable blog and offers reasoned and level-headed advice


Here are more links with info on low-carb diets and Type II diabetes prevention. If you are storing fat, you are diabetic type 2. Really.
http://www.diabetesnewsstand.com/vissue/vernon/titlepage.html
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3M75cYpx2w

If you have a fatty liver and are being told by a doctor to go on a Low Fat diet, see how your doctor is wrong, and your high carb diet is the cause!
**http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/06/fatty-liver-reversal.html

Also, man made "veg. oils" like corn, canola, safflower are practically indigestable. These are man made oils - you just can't squeeze corn to get oil, you have to crack the grain and refine it, the same way we do to make gasoline. Always use coconut oil or beef fat / tallow instead when frying up foods. You may want to research that process of how insulin resistance releases triglycerides into the blood stream from your own fat stores in the body and thus leads to fat storage in the liver.

Triglycerides are caused by your body's reaction to not being able to handle carbohydrates in the diet NOT by EATING FAT. A diet that is too high in Carbs, and insulin resistance causes fatty liver, not fats. And inflamaiton of the joints is another symptom of too many triglycerides.

Plant based omega 3's are great! best wishes. Peace to all, happy hunting on your journey of gathering info. and good food!

Sp1nGoddess

again, for the paleo researchers and those who want to understand what we are talking about please read

READ ME

Please consider educating yourself and remember, here, everyone's opinion is free and only worth that much. It's up to you to educate yourself, and make sure you listen to your body to get healthy! Enjoy, some links to get started, and your mind will be blown:


Here's a must see video
on stanford ct. nutrition phd (and long time vegan) explaining the ins and outs of becomming and staying healthy with a low carb, high fat diet - he states that studies have shown that too much protein is actually a stressor to the kidneys, as is carbs / sugar.
*** http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eREuZEdMAVo#t=167s

** http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
Mark's Daily Apple is a great resource. Lots of diverse topics, daily posts, very readable information. This 101 page has a number of links to learn more.

** http://chriskresser.com/beyond-paleo-moving-from-a-paleo-diet-to-a-paleo-template
Chris Kresser also has a very readable blog and offers reasoned and level-headed advice


Here are more links with info on low-carb diets and Type II diabetes prevention. If you are storing fat, you are diabetic type 2. Really.
http://www.diabetesnewsstand.com/vissue/vernon/titlepage.html
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3M75cYpx2w

If you have a fatty liver and are being told by a doctor to go on a Low Fat diet, see how your doctor is wrong, and your high carb diet is the cause!
**http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/06/fatty-liver-reversal.html

Also, man made "veg. oils" like corn, canola, safflower are practically indigestable. These are man made oils - you just can't squeeze corn to get oil, you have to crack the grain and refine it, the same way we do to make gasoline. Always use coconut oil or beef fat / tallow instead when frying up foods. You may want to research that process of how insulin resistance releases triglycerides into the blood stream from your own fat stores in the body and thus leads to fat storage in the liver.

Triglycerides are caused by your body's reaction to not being able to handle carbohydrates in the diet NOT by EATING FAT. A diet that is too high in Carbs, and insulin resistance causes fatty liver, not fats. And inflamaiton of the joints is another symptom of too many triglycerides.

Plant based omega 3's are great! best wishes. Peace to all, happy hunting on your journey of gathering info. and good food!

Sp1nGoddess

This is good stuff, thanks!

yummummum

Do you think eating 20-30 carbs is too few?

Should I be aiming higher?

I am eating Paleo except basically no fruit. I eat clean organic veggies, meats, nuts, eggs and some cheese. I eat dairy but try to limit it.

ResilientWoman

Good Evening, everyone! This morning when I finally got my backup laptop up and running, I found that my MFP mailbox was full of concerned October Whole 30 members. We've been so successful at sharing our journeys that we have attracted quite a bit of new traffic here to our humble little thread and it would seem that we need to remind everyone of why we're here. I realize that not every new reader or poster to this thread has the time to read through the entire month of over 300 posts. So in hopes of preserving the sancity of our intentions and the sanity of my dear co-challengers, I'm going to post our guidelines again.

For new folk who want to learn more about Paleo and Primal lifestyles: this is not the place for Paleo/Primal 101. Please buy and read Robb Wolf's book, The Paleo Solution or Mark Sisson's book, The Primal Blueprint. For those of you who prefer one interpretation of Paleo or Primal over another, please keep that to yourself or to another thread. In the future of this thread, we will tolerate no dissing of any author's or poster's interpretation of Whole 30, Paleo or Primal. This means, if you prefer Primal, no cutting down folks who have a Paleo outlook. If you prefer Paleo, no claiming moral superiority over the Primal crowd. This thread is a combined thread for those taking up a 30 day challenge in any strict interpretation of Paleo or Primal. This thread is for the Whole 30 Challenge participants who have already decided that they are making a serious personal commitment to the Whole 30 concept.

Here's the 411 - we'll post our successes, experiences and questions (after checking out appropriate FAQs) here. Recipes are great and should be 100% Paleo/Primal. If you include dairy in a recipe, please put non-dairy in as an option for the non-dairy folks. We'll lament our 'oops-es' elsewhere (our food diary notes or wall). No one need do this perfectly. This is about progress in choosing healthier fuel sources and in living our best lives.

[Note on dairy: If it makes you sick, don't do it. If raw dairy is your religion, continue guilt free but understand one person's medicine is another person's poison. I do dairy to my health but would quit it in a heartbeat if it failed to improve my chances of living my dreams.]

Please post your weight and other health metrics (PRs, etc.) at Day One of your challenge, if not here than in a safe place so that you can evaluate your progress in building, reducing or otherwise transforming your health and wellness. Not all of us are here to shed pounds. Some of us are here to gain strength, improve endurance or have other serious health goals

[For example, I used my weight from the doctor's office (Sept. 29 - 248.0) and measurements from my coach (Oct 4) for my starting stats.]

In between now and then, *no scale*. The scale is being put away so we can focus on how our bodies feel. [Note: If you are a competitive athlete or your physician or trainer requires you to weigh in during that time, no problem. Just don't talk about it on this thread until you've completed your Whole 30 Challenge.] Reporting your muscle, strength and endurance gains, weight loss or other health improvements will only happen once at the end of your 30 days.

So far this is the list of committed October Whole 30 Challengers that I have. If is missed you, please reply to this post and cut and paste the current list plus yourself and the appropriate data. By doing this, you are agreeing to the intentions here. We are not judgmental. We ask that you only respect why Grokette created and I have attempted to moderate this thread - to help people gather together on one MFP thread that were already committed to taking the Whole 30 Challenge. Other websites where people are already gathered for this, such as Mark's Daily Apple do not always have intake tracking options. Because MFP does, because we're all here already and because we seek out the company of those already dedicated to the same way of life, this thread exists.

If you are not looking for the Whole 30 experience or not ready to put your whole self into it for 30 days, that's fine but please do not post here. This is a closed group for people changing their health and life by committing to the Whole 30 process. Curiosity is great but please use other threads here that are more appropriate to your goals and needs. If you are ready to make this commitment, please remember as several of our posters have reminded us, that you get out of this what you put into it!

Username (aka Name, this is optional and I included it if you posted it publicly in this thread), Date started/re-started challenge - Stats

ResilientWoman aka Illyeanna, Voluntary Moderator for October Whole 30, Leptin Reset - Height: 5'7.5"
Weight: 248.0 lbs
Neck: 15.5"
Upper Arm (Left/Right): 15"/15"
Lower Arm: 10.75"/11"
Chest: 46.75"
Bust: 49"
Band: 41"
Waist: 44"
Hips: 49.5"
Thigh: 24.5"/24.75"
Calf: 17"/17"
Ankle: 10.75"/10.5"

CavewomanCoby - training for Tough Mudder

Momof8munchkins - Leptin Reset, Weight: 214 lbs, Measurements: notebook.

justamyagain - 10/3/11 - SW 169.4 lbs
Bust 36.5”
Waist 33”
Hips 41.5”

MUDDERinTRAINING aka Stacy - training for Tough Mudder. October 3, 2011
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 107 lbs
Bust: 32"
Waist: 23.75"
Hip: 34.75"
Thigh: 20.25"
Body Fat: 28%*
*at goal weight, need to drop body fat percentage

TheGlen - Height: 5'10"
Weight: 229.5 lbs
Neck: 17.25"
Waist: 44"
5K: 38:57

iluv2travel aka Jenny -

hpsnickers1 -

Grokette, founder of September Whole 30, co-moderator -

StephieJMann - Height: 5'5
Weight: 177lbs
Waist: 31"
Max amount of pushups: 10
Max amount of tricep dips: 10

jamk1446 - Voluntary Mentor, Veteran of this WOL, Here by my invitation to support the new challengers and lighten my load as moderator (I am a single mom, building my own business, fighting my way out of poverty by tooth and nail and cannot always be here). Your sig says it all, "At goal weight 5 years eating real food." Thanks for all your patience and education of posters here, Jamk! Goals: Getting better quality/quantity sleep.

scagneti - Bicep: 10.5"
Chest: 34.5"
Waist: 27"
Stomach: 29" (finally got rid of that bloat!)
Hips: 34.5"
Thigh: 20"
Weight - 126.6 lbs

msbanana aka Anna - Height: 5'9.75" [Note: was seriously injured on Oct 5 and didn't drop out! You go girrrrl!]
Weight: 170.2 lbs
Bust: 39"
Waist: 30.5"
Hips: 40.5"
Right thigh: 21.5"
Right calf: 15.5"
Right bicep: 12.25"
Barbell bench press: 135 lbs (3 sets of 8)
Dead lift: 185 lbs (3 sets of 6)
Squat: 225 lbs (3 sets of 8)
1 mile: 7:45
5K: 27:56
12K: 67:34

livraynesmom - full time active duty military, goals: higher function in military duties and in maternal ones.

Donna808Mauka -

jmeej -

EdelweissViola -

busywaterbending - Height: 5' 3” [Injured Oct. 6, 2011, still in the challenge. Keep healing!]
Weight: 112.4 lbs
Bust: 34”
Waist: 24.75"
Hips: 34.5"
Right thigh: 21 in*
Right calf: 12.75
Right bicep: 10.5
*Goal - slimmer thighs

cbear017 aka Claire - Height: 5'9"
Weight: 154 lbs
Train: 4x a week, HIIT
Alcohol: 2 glasses per week

TrufflePig -

KBGirts -

hockey7fan -

mnext7e - Oct. 1, 2011.

Ayla20103005 - Oct. 6, 2011
Height: 158 cm/5'2"
Weight: 89 kg/196 lbs
Training: Strength 3 days/week, Cardio 20 minutes 3 days/week

Graysgirl -

KavemanKarg -

carriebgood -

kh145 -

kerriknox - Oct. 11, 2011

TattooedMommy42 -

mj_zepeda -

nmbasilico -

ladybugss -

ettawelk -

thinnerjenn -

alexaransome -

asugar -

ResilientWoman

Do you think eating 20-30 carbs is too few?

Should I be aiming higher?

I am eating Paleo except basically no fruit. I eat clean organic veggies, meats, nuts, eggs and some cheese. I eat dairy but try to limit it.

IMHO, Zero carbs is fine. You must have essential fatty acids and essential amino acids (Fat and Protein) but there is NO SUCH thing as an essential Carb.

Having said that, how do you feel on the amount of carbs you are eating. If you are weak, shaky and experiencing cravings, you might want to go LOWER. General guidelines for leptin reset per Jack Kruse are less than 25g/day if you have more than 30 lbs to shed. (Someone correct me if I got the numbers wrong...where is my fact checker?)

If you have no cravings, are an athlete who could lift very heavy and run very fast before you dropped your carb intake, but now are feeling like a newborn kitten you're so weak, then maybe you need to add some slow, whole food, perfectly Paleo/Primal carbs back into your nutritional plan. For the athletes I train, I restore their fat intake to optimal first, then we improve the sourcing or amount of their protein intake. Next I clean up the veggies, removing any possible allergens or irritants including sadly, nightshades for some folk. The very last thing I would do is advise someone to add carbs but I will if all the other ingredients to a happy, healthy person are there.

Paleo/Primal is not automatically Low Carb. For many of us who are new to this way of life, our new food diary shows us that we've dropped from 200-300g/day to less than 100g/day. There are certainly athletes and others who are able to shed weight and build muscles while eating much, much more than 100g per day. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. Sigh.

I feel my best when eating less than 20g Carb per day but any amount of carb intake may be appropriate for you if your body thrives on that amount. What is your health like? How is your sleep? How much energy do you have at the end of the day? Are you strong, fast, supple, flexible, smart and do you feel like you have more energy than you need to thrive at what makes you happy? Do you look like a million bucks? What are your nails and hair like?

There are no right/wrong ways to develop your own Paleo Template/Primal Blueprint WOL. Listening to your body, others who have accomplished the goals you seek to gain and to experts can help. In the end, your body's vote is the deciding factor in what is right for you.

Any other nutritionists, trainers, veterans want to chime in on this one?

justamyagain

Wow! How exciting that there are sooooo many of us committing to eating, living, and feeling better. I slept wonderfully last night. Still only 6.5 hours, but they were 6.5 of the most restful hours in quite a long while. And yes I still have quite a bit of weight to lose, but I am sure that getting more restful sleep will only help me in this journey.

nmbasilico

Oops. Copied and pasted list below with my stats. Sorry!

nmbasilico

ResilientWoman aka Illyeanna, Voluntary Moderator for October Whole 30, Leptin Reset - Height: 5'7.5"
Weight: 248.0 lbs
Neck: 15.5"
Upper Arm (Left/Right): 15"/15"
Lower Arm: 10.75"/11"
Chest: 46.75"
Bust: 49"
Band: 41"
Waist: 44"
Hips: 49.5"
Thigh: 24.5"/24.75"
Calf: 17"/17"
Ankle: 10.75"/10.5"

CavewomanCoby - training for Tough Mudder

Momof8munchkins - Leptin Reset, Weight: 214 lbs, Measurements: notebook.

justamyagain - 10/3/11 - SW 169.4 lbs
Bust 36.5”
Waist 33”
Hips 41.5”

MUDDERinTRAINING aka Stacy - training for Tough Mudder. October 3, 2011
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 107 lbs
Bust: 32"
Waist: 23.75"
Hip: 34.75"
Thigh: 20.25"
Body Fat: 28%*
*at goal weight, need to drop body fat percentage

TheGlen - Height: 5'10"
Weight: 229.5 lbs
Neck: 17.25"
Waist: 44"
5K: 38:57

iluv2travel aka Jenny -

hpsnickers1 -

Grokette, founder of September Whole 30, co-moderator -

StephieJMann - Height: 5'5
Weight: 177lbs
Waist: 31"
Max amount of pushups: 10
Max amount of tricep dips: 10

jamk1446 - Voluntary Mentor, Veteran of this WOL, Here by my invitation to support the new challengers and lighten my load as moderator (I am a single mom, building my own business, fighting my way out of poverty by tooth and nail and cannot always be here). Your sig says it all, "At goal weight 5 years eating real food." Thanks for all your patience and education of posters here, Jamk! Goals: Getting better quality/quantity sleep.

scagneti - Bicep: 10.5"
Chest: 34.5"
Waist: 27"
Stomach: 29" (finally got rid of that bloat!)
Hips: 34.5"
Thigh: 20"
Weight - 126.6 lbs

msbanana aka Anna - Height: 5'9.75" [Note: was seriously injured on Oct 5 and didn't drop out! You go girrrrl!]
Weight: 170.2 lbs
Bust: 39"
Waist: 30.5"
Hips: 40.5"
Right thigh: 21.5"
Right calf: 15.5"
Right bicep: 12.25"
Barbell bench press: 135 lbs (3 sets of 8)
Dead lift: 185 lbs (3 sets of 6)
Squat: 225 lbs (3 sets of 8)
1 mile: 7:45
5K: 27:56
12K: 67:34

livraynesmom - full time active duty military, goals: higher function in military duties and in maternal ones.

Donna808Mauka -

jmeej -

EdelweissViola -

busywaterbending - Height: 5' 3” [Injured Oct. 6, 2011, still in the challenge. Keep healing!]
Weight: 112.4 lbs
Bust: 34”
Waist: 24.75"
Hips: 34.5"
Right thigh: 21 in*
Right calf: 12.75
Right bicep: 10.5
*Goal - slimmer thighs

cbear017 aka Claire - Height: 5'9"
Weight: 154 lbs
Train: 4x a week, HIIT
Alcohol: 2 glasses per week

TrufflePig -

KBGirts -

hockey7fan -

mnext7e - Oct. 1, 2011.

Ayla20103005 - Oct. 6, 2011
Height: 158 cm/5'2"
Weight: 89 kg/196 lbs
Training: Strength 3 days/week, Cardio 20 minutes 3 days/week

Graysgirl -

KavemanKarg -

carriebgood -

kh145 -

kerriknox - Oct. 11, 2011

TattooedMommy42 -

mj_zepeda -



nmbasilico -

Official starting date: October 15
Height: 5'3"
Starting Weight: 159 lbs
Bust: 41"
Waist: 36"
Hips: 41"
Thigh: 22.5"

Goals: Less fat, more energy, healthier life



ladybugss -

ettawelk -

thinnerjenn -

alexaransome -

asugar -

jamk1446

Do you think eating 20-30 carbs is too few?

Should I be aiming higher?

I am eating Paleo except basically no fruit. I eat clean organic veggies, meats, nuts, eggs and some cheese. I eat dairy but try to limit it.

IMHO, Zero carbs is fine. You must have essential fatty acids and essential amino acids (Fat and Protein) but there is NO SUCH thing as an essential Carb.

Having said that, how do you feel on the amount of carbs you are eating. If you are weak, shaky and experiencing cravings, you might want to go LOWER. General guidelines for leptin reset per Jack Kruse are less than 25g/day if you have more than 30 lbs to shed. (Someone correct me if I got the numbers wrong...where is my fact checker?)

If you have no cravings, are an athlete who could lift very heavy and run very fast before you dropped your carb intake, but now are feeling like a newborn kitten you're so weak, then maybe you need to add some slow, whole food, perfectly Paleo/Primal carbs back into your nutritional plan. For the athletes I train, I restore their fat intake to optimal first, then we improve the sourcing or amount of their protein intake. Next I clean up the veggies, removing any possible allergens or irritants including sadly, nightshades for some folk. The very last thing I would do is advise someone to add carbs but I will if all the other ingredients to a happy, healthy person are there.

Paleo/Primal is not automatically Low Carb. For many of us who are new to this way of life, our new food diary shows us that we've dropped from 200-300g/day to less than 100g/day. There are certainly athletes and others who are able to shed weight and build muscles while eating much, much more than 100g per day. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. Sigh.

I feel my best when eating less than 20g Carb per day but any amount of carb intake may be appropriate for you if your body thrives on that amount. What is your health like? How is your sleep? How much energy do you have at the end of the day? Are you strong, fast, supple, flexible, smart and do you feel like you have more energy than you need to thrive at what makes you happy? Do you look like a million bucks? What are your nails and hair like?

There are no right/wrong ways to develop your own Paleo Template/Primal Blueprint WOL. Listening to your body, others who have accomplished the goals you seek to gain and to experts can help. In the end, your body's vote is the deciding factor in what is right for you.

Any other nutritionists, trainers, veterans want to chime in on this one?

Exactly my advice, but I always find you to be more eloquent.

In the beginning, I felt best on a pretty low amount of carbs and that worked for a long time. I'm finding that a few years later and incorporating a bootcamp workout 3 days a week since January has changed my carb needs. I was really dragging and moody and it negatively impacted my hormonal health. I'm still pretty low carb at around 100g/day and I still don't tolerate them in unlimited quantities but now I can enjoy and seem to need an occasional sweet potato for example. Even as recently as last year that wasn't the case.

iluv2travel

nmbasilico said,

Any tips for getting in more fat? I have enough protein, just keep coming in with not enough fat. I've been eating hard boiled eggs, bacon, salami and pepperoni, salads with chicken, taco salad without shell of course, cheese, veggies (pumpkin, acorn squash, onions etc..), butter, a couple fruits but not too many. I bought coconut oil and coconut milk, just not sure how I'll use them yet. Any ideas for fat? Thanks! Hope everyone's week is going well so far!

Try this link for the 5 most helpful fats according to one mom's blog. I like it.

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/04/five-fats-you-must-have-in-your-kitchen/

Thanks for this link! I too need to incorporate more fat. I've been doing good on my protein and need to up my fat intake :bigsmile:

Birder150

kh145 aka Karen -- 5'7" -- Leptin reset following paleo guidelines
starting date 10/13/11
starting weight: 222.8 lbs
Can't measure myself right now as I can't find my measuring tape. Will have to buy a new one, asap.

Kettlebells - 40 - 50 swings per evening + 10 or 20 sumo squats ... would like to work in a Tabata routine
Walking in Nature
Take along my camera to record my surroundings.
I go to bird which expands my mind as I'm learning all the new species.
Good for social aspect as I meet new people every time I head out.
All these things represent fun to me.
Goal: to follow the reset as closely as possible and swing with the bells. Regain a more wholesome life. Concentrate on the positive and move away from any stressful drama.

ResilientWoman

ResilientWoman aka Illyeanna, Voluntary Moderator for October Whole 30, Leptin Reset - Date: Oct. 7, 2011. Height: 5'7.5"
Weight: 248.0 lbs
Neck: 15.5"
Upper Arm (Left/Right): 15"/15"
Lower Arm: 10.75"/11"
Chest: 46.75"
Bust: 49"
Band: 41"
Waist: 44"
Hips: 49.5"
Thigh: 24.5"/24.75"
Calf: 17"/17"
Ankle: 10.75"/10.5"

CavewomanCoby - training for Tough Mudder

Momof8munchkins - Leptin Reset, Weight: 214 lbs, Measurements: notebook.

justamyagain - 10/3/11 - SW 169.4 lbs
Bust 36.5”
Waist 33”
Hips 41.5”

MUDDERinTRAINING aka Stacy - training for Tough Mudder. October 3, 2011
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 107 lbs
Bust: 32"
Waist: 23.75"
Hip: 34.75"
Thigh: 20.25"
Body Fat: 28%*
*at goal weight, need to drop body fat percentage

TheGlen - Height: 5'10"
Weight: 229.5 lbs
Neck: 17.25"
Waist: 44"
5K: 38:57

iluv2travel aka Jenny - Height: 5'1"
Weight: 110 lbs
Waist: 26"
Bust: 34"
Hips: 36"
Thighs: 21"
Calves: 14"
Goal: lower body fat %, reduce migraines, feel more energized.

hpsnickers1 -

Grokette, founder of September Whole 30, co-moderator -

StephieJMann - Height: 5'5
Weight: 177lbs
Waist: 31"
Max amount of pushups: 10
Max amount of tricep dips: 10

jamk1446 - Voluntary Mentor, Veteran of this WOL, Here by my invitation to support the new challengers and lighten my load as moderator (I am a single mom, building my own business, fighting my way out of poverty by tooth and nail and cannot always be here). Your sig says it all, "At goal weight 5 years eating real food." Thanks for all your patience and education of posters here, Jamk! Goals: Getting better quality/quantity sleep.

scagneti - Bicep: 10.5"
Chest: 34.5"
Waist: 27"
Stomach: 29" (finally got rid of that bloat!)
Hips: 34.5"
Thigh: 20"
Weight - 126.6 lbs

msbanana aka Anna - Height: 5'9.75" [Note: was seriously injured on Oct 5 and didn't drop out! You go girrrrl!]
Weight: 170.2 lbs
Bust: 39"
Waist: 30.5"
Hips: 40.5"
Right thigh: 21.5"
Right calf: 15.5"
Right bicep: 12.25"
Barbell bench press: 135 lbs (3 sets of 8)
Dead lift: 185 lbs (3 sets of 6)
Squat: 225 lbs (3 sets of 8)
1 mile: 7:45
5K: 27:56
12K: 67:34

livraynesmom - full time active duty military, goals: higher function in military duties and in maternal ones.

Donna808Mauka -

jmeej -

EdelweissViola -

busywaterbending - Height: 5' 3” [Injured Oct. 6, 2011, still in the challenge. Keep healing!]
Weight: 112.4 lbs
Bust: 34”
Waist: 24.75"
Hips: 34.5"
Right thigh: 21 in*
Right calf: 12.75
Right bicep: 10.5
*Goal - slimmer thighs

cbear017 aka Claire - Height: 5'9"
Weight: 154 lbs
Train: 4x a week, HIIT
Alcohol: 2 glasses per week

TrufflePig -

KBGirts -

hockey7fan -

mnext7e - Oct. 1, 2011.

Ayla20103005 - Oct. 6, 2011
Height: 158 cm/5'2"
Weight: 89 kg/196 lbs
Training: Strength 3 days/week, Cardio 20 minutes 3 days/week

Graysgirl -

KavemanKarg -

carriebgood -

kh145 aka Karen - Leptin reset, paleo Date: Oct. 13, 2011. Height: 5'7"
Weight: 222.8 lbs
Training: Kettlebells (40 - 50 swings/evening). Bodyweight (10 or 20 sumo squats) ... would like to work in a Tabata routine
Play: (also slow movement) Walking in Nature. Take along my camera to record my surroundings. I go to bird watch which expands my mind as I'm learning all the new species.
Building tribe: Good for social aspect as I meet new people every time I head out.
Goal: to follow the reset as closely as possible and swing with the bells. Regain a more wholesome life. Concentrate on the positive and move away from any stressful drama.

kerriknox - Oct. 11, 2011

TattooedMommy42 -

mj_zepeda -

nmbasilico - Official starting date: October 15, 2011. Height: 5'3"
Weight: 159 lbs
Bust: 41"
Waist: 36"
Hips: 41"
Thigh: 22.5"
Goals: Less fat, more energy, healthier life

ladybugss -

ettawelk -

thinnerjenn -

alexaransome -

asugar -

yummummum

Do you think eating 20-30 carbs is too few?

Should I be aiming higher?

I am eating Paleo except basically no fruit. I eat clean organic veggies, meats, nuts, eggs and some cheese. I eat dairy but try to limit it.

IMHO, Zero carbs is fine. You must have essential fatty acids and essential amino acids (Fat and Protein) but there is NO SUCH thing as an essential Carb.

Having said that, how do you feel on the amount of carbs you are eating. If you are weak, shaky and experiencing cravings, you might want to go LOWER. General guidelines for leptin reset per Jack Kruse are less than 25g/day if you have more than 30 lbs to shed. (Someone correct me if I got the numbers wrong...where is my fact checker?)

If you have no cravings, are an athlete who could lift very heavy and run very fast before you dropped your carb intake, but now are feeling like a newborn kitten you're so weak, then maybe you need to add some slow, whole food, perfectly Paleo/Primal carbs back into your nutritional plan. For the athletes I train, I restore their fat intake to optimal first, then we improve the sourcing or amount of their protein intake. Next I clean up the veggies, removing any possible allergens or irritants including sadly, nightshades for some folk. The very last thing I would do is advise someone to add carbs but I will if all the other ingredients to a happy, healthy person are there.

Paleo/Primal is not automatically Low Carb. For many of us who are new to this way of life, our new food diary shows us that we've dropped from 200-300g/day to less than 100g/day. There are certainly athletes and others who are able to shed weight and build muscles while eating much, much more than 100g per day. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. Sigh.

I feel my best when eating less than 20g Carb per day but any amount of carb intake may be appropriate for you if your body thrives on that amount. What is your health like? How is your sleep? How much energy do you have at the end of the day? Are you strong, fast, supple, flexible, smart and do you feel like you have more energy than you need to thrive at what makes you happy? Do you look like a million bucks? What are your nails and hair like?

There are no right/wrong ways to develop your own Paleo Template/Primal Blueprint WOL. Listening to your body, others who have accomplished the goals you seek to gain and to experts can help. In the end, your body's vote is the deciding factor in what is right for you.

Any other nutritionists, trainers, veterans want to chime in on this one?

Exactly my advice, but I always find you to be more eloquent.

In the beginning, I felt best on a pretty low amount of carbs and that worked for a long time. I'm finding that a few years later and incorporating a bootcamp workout 3 days a week since January has changed my carb needs. I was really dragging and moody and it negatively impacted my hormonal health. I'm still pretty low carb at around 100g/day and I still don't tolerate them in unlimited quantities but now I can enjoy and seem to need an occasional sweet potato for example. Even as recently as last year that wasn't the case.

Ok, thanks to both of you for your input!!!

At this point I am still learning where is my best. Some days in the mid morning I see floaters and feel pretty depleted. (I work out early, eat a big low carb breakfast then go to work) So I have been experimenting with adding a small carb amount then... like 10 carbs. not much. I find when I let any little sugar in my diet I am fighting the cravings again. Where if I stick to high fat and protein I am happy happy happy.

My instinct is to stick low until I drop 30 more pounds then slowly carefully cautiously add in one at a time a few things like sweet potatoes, and berries and possibly other fruit.
(i had major bloating stomach issues before so i am adding in everything carefully)

msbanana

yes, it's annoying that the pictures are not posting to the threads. I've had that problem for 1.5 weeks now. Has anyone else complained?

The flicker pic of the squash does look great, msbanana. And who's the inspiring profile pic you use? Love it.

She's a female body builder, coincidentally her name is Anna Maria too... We have a similar build and I wanna look like her when I grow up.

Here's a link to an interview with her... Her physique is AH-mazing.

http://www.simplyshredded.com/swedish-fitness-sensation-anna-maria-lacatus-talks-with-simplyshredded-com.html

busywaterbending

awesome article msbanana. Thanks. I have to laugh at the 80s diet example in the article she provided. No fat? Wow. That's fine for ripping the bod before a show, but not as a way of eating. Seriously. I was taught that fat was essential to keep from losing cartliage in the body. Like nose, ears, joints.... Just look at my athlete on the left compared to the athlete on the right in the pic below. Same age athletes, but you can clearly see how the elastisity in the skin and the skeletal cartliage structure in the nose is going in the gal who isn't getting any fat in her diet - different gym, different coach and a lowfat lifestyle aged her so much! My athlete even has glowing skin, even though they are both painted. You do sweat on stage!
sorry so big:

Z_I_L_L_A

Awesome example...

justamyagain

Wow, what a huge difference!

I have decided that I am going to drop my carbs lower because I am still having cravings. However, I slept 7 hours last night! Yay!

Have a great day, my Primal/Paleo peepes

hockey7fan

Day one of no diet soda. I'm on my 5th glass of water. And my 5th trip to the bathroom! LOL