General Weight Loss, Low Carb, and/or Primal Paleo Tips

Thanks for the post, it's always interesting and helpful to hear about other people's experiences. And thanks for posting the low carb websites!

Bumpity bumpity bumpity all down the lane...

Hi Samb,

I'll add my low carb/Primal testimony I suffer from PCOS (I had an ovary removed in December 2008 due to a 15 pound cyst!!!!), Insulin Resistance, and with each child I carried (5 of them) I had Gestational Diabetes. The GD diet that I was put on meant I had to eat almost 200 g of carbohydrates a day, and take insulin injections. I tried to eat low fat to compensate for the calories and try to control my weight, but with each baby I was not losing the fat afterwards. Low calorie diets just left me starving and cranky all the time. I would have some weight loss...then nothing.

I joined MFP in May to start tracking my latest attempt at a 1200 calorie diet, and I saw a thread about Paleo and a link to the documentary Fat Head on Hulu. Watching that documentary changed my life, and I then decided to try to learn all I could about low carb eating, but without eating a bunch of bars and other "non-foods". I read the Paleo Diet by Robb Wolf and The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. I started doing strict Paleo, and found that a low carb Primal-ish approach made more sense and worked better for ME. I also do Primal Essentials workouts twice a week, and walk, cycle, or sprint the other days of the week. I really started on my journey mid May of this year. Since then I have gone from 48% body fat to 33% - I have lost 50 pounds of FAT, and 35 pounds of scale weight. That means I have gained muscle, and other non-fat mass. I keep my carbs well under 50g per day, my fat around 100g per day, and about 100-140g of protein a day on average. I try to eat as clean as I can, but I am not perfect by any means and that's okay. I am never hungry even when I spontaneously fast or skip a meal. My skin is glowing, my mood is even, and I am experiencing regular non-painful TOM"s for the first time in my life. I still have about another 50 pounds of fat to lose to get to my body composition goal, but for the first time in my life, I honestly believe I will get there this time.

I actually get angry sometimes when I think about what I have been missing out on. I am losing weight like crazy without having to deprive myself of good tasting foods. I don't have to count calories either. I just count the carbs and make sure I get enough protein, and I don't care at all how much fat I eat, as long as I am not hungry. I live in a constant state of ketosis, and I burn body fat for fuel all of the time now. It feels great!! Thanks so much for sharing your story, I hope mine helps someone as well.

...... I was like a shark tasting blood when I'd take the first bite of a piece of milk chocolate in the past.

^THIS is exactly why I want to work my way into Paleo. It finally hit me that sugar is the most addicting drug I've ever tried - And I've been addicted to it my entire life.

Bumping for later and thank you for the info.

I've been trying to eat primal for the past 2 months now and I was actually surprised at how easily I've managed to stay away from bread, pasta, cookies:) etc which I used to LOVE and crave! The only thing that i need to overcome to be truly Primal is dairy (i love cottage cheese, quark and low fat greek yoghurt:( and fruit... However I've managed to stay under 90grams of carbs for the past few weeks:) and it feels great:)
Thank you for your post as it definitely helps:)

...... I was like a shark tasting blood when I'd take the first bite of a piece of milk chocolate in the past.

^THIS is exactly why I want to work my way into Paleo. It finally hit me that sugar is the most addicting drug I've ever tried - And I've been addicted to it my entire life.

And you're correct, at least in my eyes. I set my MFP "ticker" for "0" sugar and try to get as close to it as possible. The only sugars I'm taking in are from fruits. Going "cold turkey', like I did, may be difficult for many but it's eliminated ANY urges for sweet stuff.

Bump, thanks for sharing.