I'm nearly 40 and have struggled with 'the last 5kgs' all my life. I'm wasn't tragically overweight; I just did't feel attractive or comfortable in my skin. I've tried every diet/eating/exercise program on the earth and I can drop the weight relatively easily but I can never keep it off. I also suffer from extremely severe (near-suicidal) PMS - fatigue, headaches, depression, endless crying, anger, mood-swings, you name it, I get it in spades. The thought of 3-4 days of horror every month was starting to have an impact on the days where I wasn't symptomatic - the anticipation of what was to come, I guess.

I came across Paleo when searching the web for yet another solution to my lethargy and inability to lose the weight and keep it off. I have to say, it did seem too good to be true but I decided to try it for one month. The first 3 days were hideous and I can't stress this enough. Nausea, headache, exhaustion like nothing I'd known. I was ready to give up but on day 4 the headache and nausea lifted so I decided to wait it out until the end of the week. By day 7 I felt like I could take on the world! I had lost 3kgs and had more energy than I can remember. I wasn't dozing off on the sofa at 3pm. I was hooked!

By the end of the month I had lost 7kgs and was really starting to look different. My hair, my skin, my eyes, my nails - everything was just responding so well. I purchased the Primal Blueprint book and really felt a connection with everything Mark Sisson was saying. I can't look at a bowl of pasta without seeing a bowl of sugar. My whole approach has changed - I just don't want to eat that stuff anymore. Knowing what it does to your body once it's been swallowed has really made giving it up actually quite easy.
I'm now 8 months into my Paleo lifestyle. I eat heaps of food and I'm never hungry. I have lost 11kgs - I now weigh 49kgs and it's stayed static for 6 months with no effort or worry at all.

But most importantly, my PMS problems are a thing of the past. No more cravings, mood-swings, irritability. My period arrives now and I'm often shocked because even though the dates are correct, there has been no prior PMS to warn me of their impending arrival. I am level, satisfied, strong and happy for the first time in many, many years.

What was the biggest challenge to adopting a carbohydrate-restricted or paleo diet?
Honestly, not being able to just quickly make a sandwich as I'm running out the door. I have to be organised and plan what I have in the fridge so I don't feel tempted to pick at evil food. Also, dining out is quite a bit more challenging (hidden evils, etc).

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. Don't let yourself get hungry - I don't go anywhere without a ziplock bag of mixed nuts and goji berries in my handbag. If you let yourself get hungry, it's very easy to find yourself at the McDonald's drive-through.
2. Don't be scared of fat. In western countries we're educated from birth that fat is bad for us so for me, it just didn't compute that I could eat so much fat and it not have a detrimental effect on my body, organs and arteries. It's a tough one to get over but fat is good for you; you just have to eat the good stuff!
3. There are plenty of knockers out there but this is your journey. Nearly everyone you tell will say you're a freak, that it's just another fad diet. Don't listen. If it works for you then it's irrelevant what anyone else thinks.

It's a dream come true to say that I will be attending TEDMED in Washington, DC this year. Some of the biggest names in medicine, science and technology from around the world will be there to speak, to listen, and to be inspired. I am going with a press pass as a writer for MedCrunch. It will be full days of learning, amazement and networking. Should be a good time.

My name is Mike  & I'm 47 years old. In mid February of this year (2012) the manager of my local gym & I were talking about getting ready for beach season. I was 205 pounds (6' tall) & was in pretty good shape. I worked out doing cardio (sometimes up to five spin classes per week) in the mornings & lifted weights at least five nights per week. But while I exercised often, I couldn't lose my spare tire. The manager said he was going on a Paleo diet starting April 1st. I had never heard of Paleo dieting, so I researched it on the web that night. The next night I was back in the gym & the manager and I decided to wager who could lose more weight in March. While we were talking, the gym's director heard us talking Paleo & said we really should read the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. I went home, bought the book on my Ipad & read most of it the next few days. I was hooked. In addition to wanting to lose weight, I also wanted to stop taking my statin medication that I had been on for six years. Sisson was anti statin & I made the decision to stop taking my meds when I began going Primal. I knew that I had an annual physical scheduled for early May & wanted two months of being Primal without statins to see if it would work.

Going Primal turned out to be much easier than I thought. I had plenty of energy & wasn't hungry between meals. I discovered a lot of new foods (kale, brussel sprouts, sardines, herring) & really got into my meals. The results came quick too. I lost 8 pounds in two weeks & closed out March down 16 pounds, winning the bet easily. I dropped another 9 pounds in April to reach my goal of 180 pounds! One interesting thing to note is that I now exercise much less stressfully than I did pre Primal. Instead of five Spin classes per week, I walk or do slow cardio on an elliptical. I still like lifting weights at night, but often substitute his Primal essential movements (pushups, planks, squats & pullups).

My physical then came in May. I was ready to argue statin use with my doctor, but never got the chance. My blood work improved so much that he said I could come off my statin. My HDL went up 15 points, which is huge! 

Back in May I hired Mark Sisson's writing partner Brad Kearns to come to speak to my company about Primal. We now have dozens of colleagues going Primal.

As of this writing (August 1), I'm still at my goal weight, whcih means three months of good maintenance. My only regret is that I waited until I was 47 years old before learning how wrong the Standard American Diet is. 

Live long, drop dead & Grok on!

What was the biggest challenge to adopting a carbohydrate-restricted or paleo diet?

Giving up Paninis

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?

No. I went into it striving to be 100% compliant & did so until i hit my goal weight. Now I'm about 85% compliant.