The Nutrition Idea that "Saved" My Life.

Have to admit, I'm at my biggest ever as well right now. I would attribute it to depression since I had a huge loss a couple of years back, but at the same time, I hate to shove blame something that happened so long ago to how I am now. I'm shifting my diet now, and have been for the last couple of weeks. Eating more raw veggies, less grain ( as in very few anymore), and if I get the nibbles, then I'm reaching for the broccoli and carrots. Lots of chewing, and it fills me up. I have to loose weight because it's hell on my knees and back if I don't do something quick. I commend you sir on your thread and input. It gives me hope for my own future. I'm sick of being in this shape. I want to have an hourglass figure, but not a 24 hour hourglass! I'm off to find a bicycle this week at the pawn shops since around here they go pretty cheap. I wish all of you luck who are working on this personal trial.

Yeah.

My thoughts were that if this were a "fad" diet then taking the fact that it was called a "caveman" diet implies that it was a fad that was prehistoric? Ya know, like Flintstones? Hehe.

I am sure the decisions I made will be considered "extreme" by many individuals, which is fine. While seeing a world full of healthy, thriving people will never be fulfilled, I can be at peace knowing I am doing what I consider the best for my body and health. Until last October I was like many, eating whatever I wanted and not really reading labels or watching what I ate. Little by little I saw complications developing. While I was fortunate to never get hit with a stroke, there were creeping signs that my health had turned against me.

Last summer I tipped the scales at 216, with a high at one point of 221 (I'm 6 feet tall). I had a physical in July and my doctor put me on a Statin since diet in the previous 12 months was not enough to lower my increasing cholesterol (TC was 264). Between July and October I got hit with a few other issues, such as daily migraine headaches and torso pain. Doctor prescribed more medication. When I was in the dentist office I was told to write what meds I was taking, I couldn't remember as I had that many, most of which had adverse effects on me.

In October a co-worked recommended Forks Over Knives, which changed my view on food and the role government plays in agribusiness. I got lucky and read about Dr. John McDougall and his book, The McDougall Program changed me. The basis of his lifestyle, I don't call it a diet is starch, such as rice, potatoes and grains. Couple this with yellow/green vegetables and you have the basics. When you look at the details there is so much to eat, but you don't have to count calories and can eat as much as you want and still drop weight.

Now the hard part for many, what you can't eat. I cut out three basic groups: meat, dairy and oil while centering my lifestyle around starch. Potatoes have become a staple in how I eat now. Since making this change I have drop approximately 40 pounds and my total cholesterol has reduced more than 88 points! The headaches and torso pains are gone, I am healthy and have considerable energy. I am able to focus more on daily tasks and the best thing, I eat when I am hungry.

I don't miss the foods I had to give up, shopping at the market has become a challenge, steering clear of foods that I don't need or want with ingredients we cannot pronounce. I am much happier now and look forward to every day. You can read more about the decisions and much of the science behind it here.

reply to post by truthseeker1984


First and foremost completely agree with you. I was in a similar situation myself
Back in 2009 when i was in 10th grade i gained a ton of weight after not being able to not eat as i used to have an eating disorder and i gained and gained. after starting to eat regulary my metabolism fixed itself however no matter how "healthy" i ate i couldnt lose weight and i was as depressed as any other 16 year old girl would be with that at hand.
however it came to some point last year when i went low carb high fat after the critical thinker in me realised that carbs is sugar and high sugar causes diabetes and a myriad of other health problems, and it occured to me that this probably wasn't how our diets were ment to be.
Im also a endomorph, so the carbs really affected me
Peoples argument towards low carb is that you have no energy, no way in hell i have had so much more energy expecially now than what i used to and don't feel anywhere near as lethargic as i used to. my mum who is even a fitness trainer thought it was a bad idea but it worked and i lost a ridiculous amount of weight.

I like how the FDA is FOOD AND DRUG association, so they tie in with pharmaceuticals. What a great buisness plan to make a pyramid that in the end is going to give people problems through a bad diet so they start searching for drugs to allieviate, no? Its pretty obvious by the name that they are in bed with each other.
without sick people, drug companies go out of buisness. Why on earth would they then inforce an eating plan that is going to heal you. The hippocratic oath has become hippocritic.

My only rebuttle here is the complete dependency Asians have with rice. They've been eating it like crazy ever since they could and this isn't because they were told to. Although grains and such aren't the best they do help people like me that use them for fiber in our diet. Fiber is key to the digestive tract working healthy. I'm just saying I will never take grains completely out of my life. There are positives to them.

I just wanted to give a little update with how I've been doing since staring the Primal diet after reading this inspirational thread. Literally the day I read the information here on ATS and did my own research, I cut out all grains, oats, high fructose corn syrup, and after a couple days regular sugar. So far I've dropped about 5 pounds but more noticeably I've lost a LOT of fat around my midsection. I carry most of my weight in that area, and as a female there is no worse feeling than having an unsightly shape. I am thrilled that I seemed to have lost volume. I believe it's because grains made me bloated, and I was so used to it I was unaware. I also think a lot of the fat around my organs has started to go away (hard fat). My stomach used to be super hard all the time, like a bowling ball (maybe not quite that hard), but I noticed that literally overnight it became soft and jiggly. I have read this means that the fat now has more blood supply meaning it will burn up faster than "hard" fat. I sure hope this is true, but either way I've already dropped a pant and shirt size (crazy!!) in a week or less. My legs are definitely more toned, and I can feel the fat softening on my thighs and calves too. The crazy thing is I've been working out pretty religiously with a trainer 3x a week and eating generally "healthy" the past two years and I was pretty much only maintaining my weight and appearance. I will continue this lifestyle change, as I now feel better than I ever have! Thank you so much OP for posting this thread, you've changed my life for the better

reply to post by Cahlin


Congratulations, Cahlin! Glad to hear you are doing so well!

My only advice is: Be careful not to live and die by the scale, as it will always fluxuate up and down, daily. If you track it, track it in a spreadsheet and measure your AVERAGE from week to week. That will give you a better feel for how you are doing. People who weigh themselves daily can sometimes be discouraged by the variability. What you need to focus on is the trend of the average, over time. Keep up the good work!

reply to post by gwynnhwyfar


Thanks for the advice Usually I don't go by the scale because I tend to fluctuate a lot during the day, but it has been consistently lower than when I started the Primal diet. I'm more going by how my clothes are fitting and how I feel, which means so much more to me than any number on the scale. I still can't get over how crazy it is that my shirts are already baggy!!

Totally agree with the low carb solutions.

Just a couple of tips from my real life experiences. I cut out anything that I thought was "processed food". This included all wheat products, processed things like tofu and anything that I didn't think I could reproduce in my own kitchen. In short, all commercial factory food like stock powders etc.

Start each morning with water/ lemon juice to rev up the digestion.

Don't buy scales, don't weigh yourself, don't count calories ESPECIALLY don't count calories which I think would depress anyone.

Do have your blood tested for elements lacking like iron, folate, trace elements etc and also hormone levels which make a big difference. I found simply taking iron and B group supplements cured my anxiety/ depression.

Take supplements. I'm afraid that even with fresh food they fail to contain optimum nutrients.

I try and eat mostly protein, fruit and veg all fresh and the best quality. I also have ordinary milk and yoghurt which is fairly unprocessed on the scale of things in comparison to low fat foods or diet modified foods. And contain lots of nutrition. If I feel like a piece of toast, I will have one and not beat myself up.

Here is the trick. Start eating when you feel hungry in the morning and keep eating when you wish until you feel full. I find that sometimes this is after lunch. I might have bacon and eggs, tea or coffee, fruit, nuts, yoghurt, meat and salad, more fruit and then you're full. You'll find you don't desire anything else. And no eating in the evening. At all. At night I might have some warm milk before bed.

Doing this has cured a host of long term health problems including stress issues.

Thank you for posting this. There is a lot of information to sort through and some very good ideas about nutrition. I am going to try this out.The hard part is the fact that food that is not really good for you is just so convenient. In our hurried lives, we tend to eat what is readily available. That is the major downfall of our diets. We somehow expect someone else to take responsiblity for our own well being. I amd guilty of this as much as anyone. Stop by the fast food joint because " I son't have time to make my own food" Yet I have time to wait in line for ten minutes to place my order then wait another few minutes for them to get it ready.. There is time. I just need to break the bad habits. Thanks again for the post.

reply to post by Oswald


Thanks for posting this information. I have checked in on this thread a few times because I am very interested in nutrition related things. I have tried the Paleolithic way of eating, like the OP talked about, and I did see drastic, good results. I don't doubt that it can be useful and beneficial. Lately though I have been feeling like I don't want to eat meat at all. I feel bad, even if the animals were raised ethically, which matters to me a lot. But even more, I can't AFFORD to eat meat much anyway. Aside from that, I love vegetables and grains. Since I've been experimenting more with different veggies and stuff I have been pleasantly surprised at what I've come up with. But I'm still pretty chunky. So, I think I'm gonna give this McDougall way of eating a good try. Again, thanks for the link.

I guess I think that different ways of eating can work differently with different people. We need to find what works for us.

I'm so glad to see some success stories being posted on here. As of this morning I am now at 211 lbs., 37 inch waist, 16.5 inch neck. The last time I weighed this little was in 8th grade; over 15 years ago. My blood tests all came back normal, and my BP is back to an acceptable range. I am convinced by this life style, now that I've been living it for two months.

One of the posters mentioned the belly fat becoming more squishy. I'm seeing the same thing in my transformation. I'm not sure if that's due to extra skin or burning fat, but I've been losing on average 2-3 lbs. a week for the past month, and it's becoming even more accelerated now that I'm back to my summer job, which is very physically intensive. I'm constantly walking, lifting, bending, twisting, etc. At the rate I'm going, I should reach my goal weight of 175 by sometime in October. My arms are becoming more defined, and I can see my collar bones for the first time in probably 17 years. I wish the belly, love handles, and moobs would go away quicker, however. (they have all decreased in size, however).

I have to make a point to say that when you reach your goal weight, you should make sure to up your vegetable, fruit and nut intake. Your body will let you know when you've reached your stasis weight. I'm eating on average about 1700 calories a day including a wide variety of fresh veg, fruit, nuts, and proteins. Gotta love the farmers markets this time of year.

I've also found an interesting side effect of going primal: I can no longer tolerate any wheat or grain products, including beer. My body has a negative reaction which includes cramps, lightheadedness, and just a general crummy feeling for the entire following day. I still tolerate these side effects when I have a beer once every few weeks, but I make sure to do it on a weekend when I can have the entire next day to recover and detox. Distilled alcohol does not produce these side effects. When I get back to my home PC (I'm on my mobile right now), I'll post before and after photos.

As a reward to myself, I went on a shopping spree for new clothing, seeing as my old clothing no longer fits. I can comfortably fit into a size 38 and I can squeeze into a size 36 pant. In another month, I'll be able to wear the size 36. I'm also into the large size young adult male shirts, which are just a tad too big for me. By late August I think I'll be able to wear a medium.

This has been a long road for me, and I'm so happy with the progress that I have been making. I feel better, I look better, and my confidence level has reached levels that they've never reached before.

I wish all of you going through this journey with me the best of luck. Keep yourself honest, and keep going. The end results will be worth it.



-TS


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reply to post by truthseeker1984

Hi there, fantastic thread.
I'm in u.k, and I am a big fan of reading labels before I buy, taking longer in the supermarket is a pain, and reduces what I will buy, but well worth the effort, but about 18 months or so ago I noticed fructose glucose syrup was replacing sugar, and I'd read somewhere previously, possibily natural news that the u.s has it in much of its food, and it explained briefly that it holds onto fats or creates fat that is very hard to burn off.... but as I was saying (rambling a bit, sorry), sugar here us being replaced by 'fructose glucose syrup', do you know if this f-g syrup is what you in the u.s calls high fructose corn syrup (I'm using my mobile phone, so I can't check back to what you called it in your thread).
I'm just seething at the moment as I'm a strong believer in honest good food, and I prefer honest sugar! at least its grown In a field and not a laboratory! The u.k is struggling with obesity, and people should not have to have a good knowledge of ingredients labels to choose wisely, I love my junk, but my children at least know why I label read, but its becoming a mine field...
Sorry if I've gone off track, but food should be as you said, I think, hunted, gathered etc, I'm really pleased for you, keep up the good food, and continue to spread the word to those who will listen to you.

reply to post by truthseeker1984


There's a lot to think about in your posts, OP. The thing is, wheat products are killing us - slowly - but killing us all the same. 40-50 years ago, we started growing a dwarf, fat-headed variety of wheat which is more glutenous and contains much more of the bad chemicals than the heritage varieties. Scientists have discovered the genes which are responsible for gluten intolerance. Unfortunately, it's estimated that 30% of those of European ancestry are at some level intolerant. If you are near-sighted or have difficulty with night blindness, you very well may be intolerant. If you are fat, you may be intolerant. If you suffer from high cholesterol, chronic fatigue, IBS, you may be intolerant. If someone in your family has been diagnosed intolerant/allergic/celiac, you likely are as well.

Wheat, barley, rye are the gluten grains. Wheat is slipped into just about everything from shampoo to soup. Also, if you are trying to go as gluten free as possible, OP, you will need to lay off the beer or drink very filtered varieties.

I consider this entire wheat thing to be a conspiracy which the government knows all about. If the health ramifications of wheat were to become widely known, an entire industry would go bust since the farmers would find it extremely difficult to make a living from farming the older heritage varieties. The government is blaming HFCS - which is bad stuff, too - because if it were to be banned or consumption greatly reduced, we would still use the corn for other purposes such as feed or ethanol. If the population discovered just how bad wheat is for you, what would become of the industry? The thing is, they both spike blood sugar. But, you don't wake up drinking Coke after Coke. You do wake up and eat cereal, toast, bagels, doughnuts, etc., and this sets us up for entire day of snacking and crashing. Remember, two slices of whole wheat bread raises your blood sugar more than a Snickers Bar!

The high starch content of wheat is inflammatory to your system. Chronic inflammation is linked to a myriad of degenerative, modern diseases including arthritis, allergies, asthma, cardiovascular disease, bone loss, emotional imbalance and even cancer. The amylopectin will screw with your cholesterol levels, the WGA is responsible for all kinds of ill health effects...the list goes on and on (we won't even get into the carcinogen used to bleach the wheat flour). Then there is the appetite stimulating properties, which probably a result of unregulated plant breeding methods. And if that isn't bad enough, evidence suggests that modern wheat’s new biochemical code causes hormone disruption that is linked to diabetes and obesity. The government is scrambling, trying to acquire a vaccine to guard against wheat intolerance, but it's not expected for about three years yet. So, let's blame it all on HFCS until the vaccine is out and then the real truth will be revealed. But heck, we all know that wheat is "healthy," right?