Amidst all of the holiday parties near the end of 2010, my BMI tipped from normal to overweight. Concerned that at age 52 my luck might be close to running out in evading the type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease that run in my family, I decided that it was time to lose weight. I’ve never had a major weight issue, but 20+ years of treatment for endometriosis, the onset of menopause, and 20+ years of living the suburban, increasingly sedentary life with an obese spouse had finally caught up with me. I set a realistic goal of losing 20 lbs. by the April of 2011.

I’ve never believed in “diets” since I have seen what happens in the overwhelming majority of cases – follow the “diet,” lose weight, back to the same-old-same-old, pack on more pounds than before. So I decided to be sensible and follow conventional wisdom. By instituting sustainable changes to my diet (counting calories, adding more healthy whole grains, less fat, less junk food) and a manageable exercise routine (worked up to chronic cardio!), I met my goal. By mid-April 2011 I was down 23 lbs. and 2 sizes. Woo hoo! I should have been ecstatic, but I knew I had a problem.

I’d lost the weight, but I was feeling weaker and had experienced a couple of really scary incidents of severe diarrhea which lead to incapacitating dehydration compounded with hypothermia. I had to be rushed to the emergency room twice over a two-month period. After numerous tests and consultations between my GP and the ER doctors, the diagnosis both times was stomach virus. Great. They were clueless.

The second incident had been worse than the first. By the time the paramedics arrived (quicker than the first time) my veins had already started collapsing and I was non-responsive. I didn’t feel too confident about surviving a third bout. I learned to become aware of the initial signs of dehydration and was able to manage it by drinking ridiculous amounts of water (12 - 16 glasses a day!) supplemented with Gatorade. There had to be a better way. Of increasing concern to me was that over the next three months I dropped another 10 lbs. without trying, and started developing sagging skin – a sure sign of muscle loss. Being small-framed and with a family history of osteoporosis, this was not good.

Somehow I stumbled upon Mark's Daily Apple. As I started reading, a lot started making sense. The exercise portion was a lot like what I did as a kid. Having grown up in NYC with no car in the family, my feet were a basic mode of transportation. Sprints were how my friends and I got to elementary school (had to wait for mom to catch up to cross the street), lifting heavy things was how we got groceries home and up the stairs, and let’s not forget going up and down stairs (2 or 3 steps at a time weighted down with books in jr. and sr. high school) in the train stations, as well as regularly climbing 2 - 5 flights of stairs to reach family members’ and friends’ apartments (elevators were not an option).

After reading The Primal Blueprint (the only “diet” book I had EVER purchased), I came to the realization that my “healthy” lifestyle was going to kill me, literally! I must admit that even in spite of that, I had a lot of trepidation about going without the grains and legumes and increasing my fat intake. I had no problem dropping processed foods because my dad didn’t consider anything out of a can or pre-frozen to be “food,” and my mom made the distinction between real food and party (i.e. junk) food. For over 50 years I had eaten oatmeal or cream of wheat as part of my healthy breakfast almost every day. Breakfast without grains just did not seem like it would fill me up. Being of Caribbean ancestry, rice and beans had also been lifelong staples. However, on July 23, 2011, I decided to give this primal thing a try for a week. One week later I was down another 3 lbs., but, in spite of my husband’s concerns about my “anorexia” – no worries – I was also down one full size! Using one of the online body fat calculators, I estimated that my body fat had gone down about 3%, which correlates well with the 3 lb. weight loss. Over the next few months I took a few forays back into the world of "regular" foods, because I wasn't going to let some "diet" deprive me of my old comfort foods. My body didn't like that and let me know loudly and clearly.

After 5 months of having said goodbye to the “healthy” whole grains and legumes, embracing the fats, dropping the chronic cardio, exercising less (but more effectively) and playing more, I lost a total of 6 lbs. Almost a year into my primal journey, I’ve regained all of the weight that I lost since I went primal. What has left me and all that have seen my transformation dumbfounded, is that from July 2011 to now I dropped from a size 4 to a size 0 with a net weight loss of ZERO pounds! Let me summarize that -- I dropped 36 lbs. and went from a size 8 to a size 4 following conventional wisdom. I’ve dropped a whopping 0 lbs. and have gone from a size 4 to a size 0 following the primal blueprint.

More importantly, I’ve noticed that a lot of nuisance health issues that I had attributed to aging and/or had for so long that I accepted them as “normal,” are gone. To name just a few, the achy shins and joints, compliments of power walking (I read that it was easier on the joints than jogging, lol!), are no longer achy. I no longer feel like I am going to pass out if I don’t have breakfast within the first 30 minutes after I wake up. I no longer need to constantly pack snacks for my mid-morning and mid-afternoon hunger pangs/shakes. I no longer get in a foul mood when I’m hungry. I don’t drink anywhere near the amounts of water I drank regularly when I was constantly fighting dehydration, nor have I had a need to drink Gatorade. I have more energy than ever (I was anemic from childhood until a couple of years ago). Spicy foods no longer mess up my stomach. That stuffed feeling 10-15 minutes after a meal is gone. My pipes no longer leak.

My primal journey continues as I try out different things and continue to learn how my body wants me to live. At age 53 I am stronger, leaner, more energetic and feel healthier than ever. 

What was the biggest challenge to adopting a carbohydrate-restricted or paleo diet?
My biggest barrier has been psychological. It has been difficult for my brain to accept that so much professional advice about healthy eating was wrong for me.

What advice (if any) would you give to someone interested in trying a carbohydrate-restricted or paleo diet? Were there any obstacles that you overcame that could help future dieters?
1) Commit to following the plan for a limited time frame. 
2) Eat well - prepare meals that you look forward to.

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I was fat since I can remember. I grew up in a household that always ate out, didn't even know how to cook (except instant meals like mac & cheese), hated vegetables, and everyone was obese. All through middle-school and high-school, I was "the fat kid" and suffered the abuse of my classmates and all the insecurities that came with it. On my senior year I weighed above 250 lbs and thought of going to college like that sickened me. 

I decided college would be a new start for me so halfway through my senior year I cut out all carbs based on the Atkins recommendation. At the same time I cut out all fast food and sodas, I haven't looked back since. I immediately felt better. I breathed more easily, I was more energized, and clothes were looser for the first time in my entire life. People kept telling me how much better I looked, and truth is I hadn't even weighed myself once since I began the whole change. It got to the point where my classmates started spreading the rumor that i was anorexic, to which I laughed to because I was eating more comfortably than ever. About a month after I started, I felt so much more energized that I decided to go running at nights; soon half a mile became a mile, and a mile became two. I lost a little over a 100 lbs in about 6 months, and though I think it was a bit too fast, I believe the exercise helped tighten my skin, avoiding the excess flabby skin that happens usually when weight loss is too rapid. Exercise also helped me keep the weight off by creating new habits and and improved metabolism.

After I lost the weight I started including carbs back up into my diet, out of fear based on Conventional Wisdom that lack of carbs could kill me. So I struggled on after that, watching what I ate, the amount, the calories, avoiding sweets as best I could. My weighed has gone up and down many times, and I've never been able to achieve the body I desire. 

Recently, nonetheless, I discovered CrossFit and Paleo, which have changed my life. Paleo has multiplied the results I had in high-school, and it has taught me to eat vegetables. I have lost most of the stubborn fat that I hadn't been able to lose for 7 years, and have become more active now than ever. I feel great about eating for the first time in my life; I actually know that what I'm eating isn't only healthy, but making me healthier! I love Paleo because it has given me a new lifestyle, one that makes me want to go out and do things, instead of sitting at home watching TV and feeling guilty about what I eat. 

What was the biggest challenge to adopting a carbohydrate-restricted or paleo diet?
The biggest challenge is the environment. Everyone around you thinks you're nuts, following a crazy fad diet that will clog up your arteries and doesn't eat whole wheat (seriously, people can't grasp it). Eating out becomes a challenge, especially when everyone in your family resorts to fast food constantly. 

What advice (if any) would you give to someone interested in trying a carbohydrate-restricted or paleo diet? Were there any obstacles that you overcame that could help future dieters?
Learn how to cook. Eating at home is the first thing on the list. After that, learn how to plan ahead so that you don't have to resort to unhealthy meals when hunger strikes. I would recommend a 30 day strict Paleo detox, so that you completely start anew and your body (and mind) adapts to the new diet. You have to become independent and confident in what you know you want and what is right for you. It's you against the world (for now). Also, relax. Relaxing in general is extremely important, but learn how to relax about food. Stop thinking about "breaking the diet" and such things. If you had a bagel, that's just having a bagel. Not the best thing for you, but as long as you follow a Paleo diet most of the time, it won't become an awful scenario.

My route towards a Paleo diet was accidental in many ways. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease four years ago and my life changed dramatically, mostly for the worse. My weight skyrocketed from already obese levels and my general health plummeted. After three years of steadily increasing the strength of my medications, I had hit a crossroads. I was told to start taking a dangerous medication that had caused splenic lymphoma in young males or consider surgery and have part of my colon removed. Something clicked in my brain and said there has to be a better way. 

I asked my doctor if he had heard of any alternative treatments. He dismissively mentioned something called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, designed to treat a variety of GI diseases and ailments. He said his patients hadn't had much success and continued to discuss pharmaceutical options. I went home and bought a book and did my research. For those who are used to the concept of a Paleo diet, the SCD should sound rather familiar. No grains, added sugar, or processed foods. Instead the focus was on meat, fats, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. I began this diet with only a passing, vague knowledge of something called a "caveman" diet . It wasn't until a month after I began the SCD that I discovered the similarities and incorporated more Primal concepts into my diet.

It has been seven months now and I haven't felt this great since...well, ever. I have lost a total of 135 lbs in a year, 90 of those pounds lost from strictly following a Primal diet. The weight loss and increased energy has been fantastic, but the greatest benefit for me is the slow and steady improvement of my Crohn's disease. I went from having to administer weekly injections of an immune suppressing biological medicine in conjunction with rather large quantities of steroids to now being medication free. It now seems like common sense to eat whole foods that are bodies were designed to eat. I know now that it was my insanely poor diet that caused my Crohn's disease. I don't think it is any coincidence that the foods I ate the most of pre-diet are the ones that are outright banned now. 

I admit I would have found it more difficult to follow my diet so strictly without having Crohn's disease. I initially thought I would do this diet until my Crohn's was cured and go back to the way I was eating. Now, I wouldn't do that if you paid me. I now weigh 175 lbs. down from my highest of 310 lbs. a year ago. It is such a relief to no longer worry about the scale and work on building my strength.

What was the biggest challenge to adopting a carbohydrate-restricted or paleo diet?
The challenge for me was playing serious catch-up in my knowledge of food and cooking. I had lived solely on processed junk, mostly fast food, for my entire life. I remember starting to learn how to cook and had no idea what olive oil was and how something could be extra virgin. To me, that was like saying someone was extra dead. As soon as I learned how to cook, my taste buds were transformed and I experienced a whole new type of healthy cravings. 

What advice (if any) would you give to someone interested in trying a carbohydrate-restricted or paleo diet? Were there any obstacles that you overcame that could help future dieters?
The most helpful bit of advice I feel I can offer is to stick to it when you take that initial first leap. I know that seems very generic and cliché, but it is true. The roughest time will be the first few weeks. If you are used to a lot of carbs and sugar, you will crave them like never before. As time goes on and you stick to your guns, the easier it becomes. I never, ever, in a million years, would have believed that I'd be eating this way a year ago. I feel like a new person and I know that if I could share that feeling with anyone just starting for even a second, they wouldn't turn back.

Above is a Wordle of the most common first names of people who have registered. The size of the name is a function of how many people have registered with that name. Interesting mix. Despite what this graph depicts, the male and female percentages are almost equal, suggesting that women's names are more diverse. For more stats and trends, see our results page.

A must watch! Dr. Peter Attia, co-founder of NuSI gives a touching, inspirational talk entitled "What if we're wrong about Diabetes." A talk that all clinicians should see, Peter provides a cautionary tale about how damaging pre-conceived judgments can be, especially in the case of obesity and diabetes.

Link to video