After so many diets, this is a lifestyle I can maintain forever!

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As a 40-something woman, I’ve tried a lot of diets over nearly 30 years. And quite a few exercise programs, too. I’ve gained and lost 20 pounds multiple times. I was pretty good at losing weight once I put my mind to it – but the changes never stuck, old habits creeped back in, and the weight came back.

In 2006, I was feeling heavy, lethargic and desperate to lose weight once again. The South Beach Diet had been all the rage for a couple of years, and I decided to try it. I lost 30 pounds, and this was the first time in occurred to me that a lower carb diet might be better for my body. I wasn’t so good at the maintenance phase, however – a piece of whole wheat bread on occasion became a regular part of my diet. I restarted my love affair with chocolate ice cream, and the pounds gradually returned with several years of bouncing around on the scale.

In 2012 I began to have gastrointestinal health issues – I lost about 20 pounds, but not in a good way. After many months of doctor’s visits and tests I was diagnosed with a form of colitis. In looking on the Internet for guidance how to heal myself, I found Mark’s website. I devoured the information on his site and read his book, The Primal Blueprint. As a scientist, the technical explanations of how our bodies weren’t adapted to newer (on the evolutionary scale) foods like wheat made a lot of sense to me. I started gradually improving my diet, and I do mean gradually, over the next couple of years but with multiple stops and starts depending what was happening in life.

In late 2014, I took the next step and consulted a naturopath for additional help. Testing showed that I had an intolerance for wheat and oats -knowing that what you’re eating is actually harming your health is a big wake-up call. The testing also showed that I was pre-diabetic – also a huge wake-up call. I started reading books on the dangers of wheat to our health – Wheat Belly, by William Davis, MD, and Grain Brain, by David Perlmutter, MD. Armed with this additional information, it became clear that my beloved bread could no longer fit in my diet. I got serious about the Primal lifestyle – no wheat, no processed foods, minimal sugar, etc. In my household we now eat meats, eggs, fish, and plenty of vegetables! It took some time, but eventually my body became fat adapted and the weight began dropping off. No feelings of deprivation, just a sense that what I was eating is good for my body.

The results? I’ve lost over 40 pounds and feel amazing. My colitis is under control-eating whole foods that nourish my body has made a huge difference. My blood sugar level is normal. I’m more active, exercising in a manner that is energizing rather than depleting. After so many years of trying diets, this is a lifestyle that I can maintain forever.

Having seen what a Primal diet and lifestyle can do for one’s health, in 2016 I completed The Primal Health Coach certification to teach others why this lifestyle works and to support clients who want to change their lives for the better. I also blog and provide healthy living tips on my website, theprimalhealthcoach.com.

I am so grateful to Mark for showing the way to good health-it has made a huge difference in my life.

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