Primal vs Low Fat/Calorie Counting - A Case Study

[supthecreek]

Bored today…. My day off, no surf and not excited about any of the paddle possibilities .
I going golfing later… gotta get my daily outdoor fix… in the meantime, I parsed some numbers and was pleased with the story they told.

As you may know, I had my Primal awakening on January 14th 2013… 49 days ago. Coincidentally, last year, I was on a similar track with a similar starting weight.
 
Last January, I saw my dream SUP, and I needed to lose weight FAST… I wanted to be off my 11’2 x 36” behemoth by April delivery time.

I went “conventional wisdom”:
Low Fat
Calorie counting restriction
Lots of exercise

It worked well enough… I lost the needed weight, got my board and was happy. The weight loss stopped. I maintained some semblance of "diet" till Thanksgiving, when I ate traditional food and woke up my “Carb Addiction”

Over the next 2 months, I slowly crept back to the original starting weight. I moved from my 9’6 Allwave to my 9’10 to accommodate the winter gear and added weight. I was used to this type of struggle… I had been battling it my whole life. If my sports activity slowed for any reason, or I had a lapse in my “diet”,  I would fall quickly out of shape.

Primal came into my life and I felt it was somehow….really different. It felt right. It made sense. It was easy. I liked it. I lost weight. I felt much more alive.What I ate satisfied me. I was happy.

But parsing the numbers really astounded me.
I luckily, had complete data from 2 different years… and the journey started at almost the exact same day. Very cool for a real life case study.

Time frame – identical
Conditions – very different…. last year, the weather was fantabulous… the waves were better… there was heaps less wind for great paddling.

The FOOD –:
2012 – I was in full denial mode – will power and restraint was focused only by results
2013 – I eat whatever I want, as much as I want… and I love it.

The same period Numbers – 2012 vs 2013 – Jan 14th thru Mar 3rd – 49 days

2012:
Strict Diet
Exercise = 98.55 hours
Weight loss = 15 lbs

2013:
Primal
Exercise = 69 hours
Weight loss = 29 lbs

Primal Results BLOW away Conventional Wisdom
48% MORE weight loss
33% less exercise

The real good news?
For me, there is no risk of “Backsliding”… I am truly at peace with the food I eat. I learn more everyday. I want for nothing

I have always kept food and exercise journals, as a way to try to maintain focus… if I have to write it down… I will be more vigilant.

Not necessary now… I don’t need the added incentive anymore.

Now… I do it for fun... and as a learning tool. I can easily review consumption, activity and results in Picture Book form.

The following pictures show the numbers… and a glimpse at my eating and activities. I take pictures of whatever interested me that day, as well as food and sport, my best journal method yet.

The last picture just shows what an idiot I am... I do stuff like that all the time to put into my "Book"... just to keep it fun.

[hbsteve]

Good for you.  I'm glad you found something you like that works too.

[TallDude]

I'm turning 50 in a couple months and I've been fortunate to never had to deal with diet issues. I've been a distance runner, cyclist, hiker, etc. my whole life and more than likely inherited a high metabolism. For the past 16 years my mother-in-law has lived with us, and cooked for us. Not that we didn't cook for ourselves prior to that, she just wanted to contribute. Sadly, she he recently passed way. She always cooked very healthy. Bake meat, steamed veggies, and no bread. So here we are with our busy lives, fending for our kids and ourselves. Frozen crap, and lots of cheese and breads. My new found 'Carb Addiction' was taking hold. I started putting on weight and feeling like what I was eating. I decided to go back to my old favorites, tuna & chicken, but try to cut out the bread & cheese. I've started eating salads for lunch and dinner. I'm finding I sleep better, deal with stress better and have more energy. My weight has dropped back to my norm. The other day my wife baked some pork chops and my son said, "these are kind of tough mom. Grandma use to make them easier to eat." We all agreed we miss grandma. Great job on the diet Creek. Your diet is  not just a way of life, it is life. I don't think either of us will ever ride the TimSUP, but the 9' range is great target.

[freetobeme]

Creek~ kudos for taking the bull by the horns with this one. I myself am in the midst of a new eating lifestyle. It's amazing how much our weight and the foods we choose affect our bodies and lives.

[stoneaxe]

Impressive.

[AJR]

Which book did you use as guidance for what to eat? Sisson's Primal Blueprint, etc? I did Atkin's when i first started my lifestyle change and had great success; how does Primal differ? I've crept back up slightly since the holidays and it's time to get it back in control.

[supthecreek]

AJR... no book... no $$$$
I picked it all up here & Mark's Daily Apple
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-recipes/#axzz2LGMePxvU

My Favorite food ideas are at the Primal Palate's "Food Lovers Kitchen"
(where you pick your recipe by pictures) right up my alley
http://www.primalpalate.com/

The HUGE difference between "Atkins" is concern with food "source"
The "Key" to primal is to eliminate "Processed" food from your diet.
If you do not eat clean food... you will not see the GOOD results.

Our bodies were not designed to process all the chemicals that are embedded in processed food. Our liver etc gets bogged down and confused when it try's to filter out the crap.... thus, it can't do it's job. The result is seen in "Modern Ailments" and obesity.

For example... You want a hamburger
A - you buy the sale ground beef at the market ---- your body has to deal with the hormones & chemical's... result is your organs struggle to do the right things with the fat etc.

B - you buy grass fed beef - your body goes "hey... I know what to do with this"... and it distributes the goods to all the right places.

Best thoughts I read on this were:
"If you can't pronounce it... your body won't recognize it either"

"Your food should have only one ingredient."   
 ie:water.... not the lengthy ingredient list on "Diet" Coke
I recently ended a 40 year love affair with "Diet" Coke


If you truly want results.... eat "organic" - "grass fed" - "free range"
and eliminate as much processed food as you can....
Then you will see how well your body responds to what you eat.
I still use a touch of mayo in salads or a little ketchup occasionally

I now enjoy fat in my eating without guilt.

I can't tell you how many of my favorite things I don't have any desire to eat anymore.... cuz I have found new favorites, that are just as good, just as decadent, just as satisfying.

"Primal" is not part time... it is the quest to ingest only foods that our body can process efficiently.

Once I truly understood that, it made sense to seek out clean food... and this post shows the difference it made to me.... not only in weight loss... my body (joints etc) feels "healthier"

[SCruz Carter]

Awesome results! I too am a firm believer in the primal way of life. I have been following the diet for almost a year and easily lost 30lbs without even trying. Now I just surf and eat and my weight stays off. Keep on preaching it!