MEET THE OLD MIKE
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!
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!
MEET MIKE TODAY
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.
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.
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Tried a paleo or low carb diet? Join Today and contribute to a better understanding of this way of eating!
Tried a paleo or low carb diet? Join Today and contribute to a better understanding of this way of eating!
