I No Longer Bow to the Dark Master/TDM primal journal

Hello, my name is cj and I'm a reformed chocoholic (my Dark Master ). I went primal about 5 months ago.

I spent my adulthood up to now believing fully that a low-fat, low-animal-products diet was the healthy diet we should all follow for optimal health. However, every time I would re-commit to a "healthy" diet, I would only last a few days (or for one memorable vegan phase around my 40th birthday, 6 months) before no longer being able to bear the intense hunger all those carbs stimulated in me, or at I would resume eating a whole lot of processed, sweetened junk in addition to my high grains/legumes/low fat diet.

This year at my physical, my fasting blood sugar was 106. I am a physician assistant, so I knew this was not normal (*despite no comment from my doc) and looking back it has been that high at for least 1 or two years. I became determined to change my life. I don't remember exactly how I came across PB but I decided instantly to try it, because what the hell...my repeated efforts at low fat dieting were NOT WORKING. I think I started eating 70-80% primally at the very next meal.

About a year ago, I read some helpful advice on zenhabits.net to start with small changes in order to create new habits. I have used this strategy to slowly change several habits:

1. I changed from M&M's to cherries or grapes, then to one piece of dark chocolate after lunch and dinner. I'm now to the point where I can go without any dark chocolate after meals.

2. I started exercising 15 minutes 6 days a week for my New Years' resolution this year. Now I usually exercise more like 30-60 minutes 6 days a week, sometimes up to 2.5 hours if I have time. (usually walking or mountain biking a nearby wooded trail).

After 3 months of following PB I lost 20+ pounds, and have had absolutely no difficulty sticking with the PB diet or with keeping off every pound I've lost. But the weight loss plateaued at the beginning of summer, and though my waist is very slowly continuing to whittle down, it is time to make some further changes to lose some more unwanted blubber.

My new 30-day goal is to stop snacking between meals. I'm getting close-I've cut out the late morning snack by delaying breakfast time, and I don't feel like snacking after a good dinner. But the time between lunch and dinner is my weak spot, andt the time I am most likely to eat something like a Clif Builder bar, which tastes good and is satisfying, but is so not primal.

My stomach gets hungry out of habit. It is used to being fed at 4pm. I love the simplicity of not having hunger meltdowns on PB, and now I am ready to taste the sweet success of being a non snacker, 100%.

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Primal Blueprint Explorer My blog for people who are not into the Grok thing. Since starting the blog, I have moved close to being Archevore instead of Primal. But Mark's Daily Apple is still the best source of information about living an ancestral lifestyle.

Day 3, mission accomplished. I am glad I started this journal,because the thought of posting a failure was the only thing stopping me from a snackfest today.

I had some pita bread yesterday and my nose is stuffed up today. I never would have believed there was a connection between flour and my chronic congestion, but I prove it every time I have a piece of bread (which is not often, but still.). It's so nice not to spend every morning blowing my nose and sneezing. It's just one of many health benefits of PB I have experienced.

Day 4, a little easier today. When I exercise in the afternoon on an empty stomach, I feel a little weak and sweaty (and this is just light hiking for 30-60 minutes). I wonder if it is all in my head? I was always convinced I "couldn't" exercise when I was hungry.

Day 5-6: camped, hiked, and biked my way through Acadia National Park this weekend with nary a snack. I had no idea it would be so easy. No more anxious thoughts of when I can eat again. It doesn't matter! I will survive with no uncomfortable sweaty shaky hunger attacks. I'm sure it's a function of plenty of fat and protein in my meals. I <3 PB.

I'm already brainstorming my next 30-day challenge. But first, to complete this one. The Snack Queen abdicates her throne!

Day 7-8: it was a bit more difficult today but I could not admit defeat in front of Darth Friendly, so I controlled my perceived hunger and went mountain biking to get away from the fridge. Once again I had none of the expected weakness or fatigue with exercising on an empty stomach. This PB life continues to blast away at my preconceived notions of what I can and cannot do.