Stay Primal in July!

[koceank29]

Anyone have any thoughts or smart comments to throw back next week when I'm on vacation? I'll be in a condo with 4 other people all of whom eat CW healthy. My step-father and grandfather are sure to have something smart-a** to say every morning while I'm munching on my bacon and eggs, they both eat oatmeal with raisins or toast or bagels for breakfast. It will be hard to ignore them all week, so I'd like to nip it in the bud the first morning.

Any thoughts?????????? What would you say or do for a whole week.

[BibBob]

If you wanted to avoid the comments, IF through breakfast. The other two meals have more agreeable primal foods. If you took off for a morning stroll while they sat there eating, they would have to admire your efforts, right? Just an idea.

I have a strong "center of attention" personality. It helps me in these situations. I've armed myself with half dozen simple health and weight loss sermons, and I deliver them when prompted.

1. "I have all the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Insulin spikes cause fat storage and carbohydrates spike my insulin. The really good news is this has me avoiding some extremely unhealthy foods made from refined sugars and grains. Say what you will, I have lost ## pounds eating this way and have great energy for exercise."

2. "I've been looking into obesity research carefully and not one controlled study suggests low fat high carb diets create a weight loss advantage. In fact the obesity epidemic can be tracked for 40 years with our country's increasingly low fat high carb dogma. Weird but true."

3. "I'm in ketosis to control my blood sugar. You're on the krebs cycle from all the grains you consume. You burn carbs converted to glucose for fuel, I burn fats because glucose is not healthy for me. I ate the way you eat for years and became obese. We're not all the same. I've done my research and have this figured out for myself finally." Leave a copy of GCBC or PB on the kitchen counter.

4. "Cows eat grains. Humans eat cows. It was like that for 300,000 years. Why do you eat like a cow? Do you know cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are all diseases of post agricultural revolution? In the medical texts they are referred to as diseases of civilization. What changed? Sugar and grains, that's what."

You may want to post your question at MDA too. Those folks may have better, more sensitive, ideas.

[koceank29]

Thanks Bob! I'm definitely armed and ready, those will help and the book I'll be leaving on the kitchen table. I'm not one to back down so they will probably drop it the first day once I aim and shoot.

[Daphne]

Hello everyone, I have been ready this thread and the last one and I have a couple of questions. My main big one is, how hard is it to stay under 100g of when eating primal without looking up everything up? I have only ever counted calories and I have no idea how many carbs are in any food. My next question is, is there an induction period. Should I start out eating less than 50g of carbs for a set amount of time? Thanks for your help, Daphne

[BibBob]

Hi Daphne. Welcome to the tribe!

There is no induction. There's no set rules beyond eating good clean whole foods (a lot do not qualify though as you probably know). You have wide boundaries to function within, and it depends on your situation and goals.

If you eliminate all refined sugar and all grains, restrict starches like taters and rice to rare occassions, keep fruit minimized and primarily berries, you will find being between 30 and 100 carbs is simple, even natural. I have to work to go over 50 carbs. I went over tonight deliberately, because I fast too much, by eating a banana with yogurt and strawberries. There was about 75g of carbs in that treat, but I wanted reload my liver after averaging under 20g a day for awhile. Anyway. This is a fun group and so is the food. We get BACON!

If you set up a fitday account, it will track your carbs for you. I'm not one for lots of tracking so I just used a carb counter for whatever I was about to eat.

[koceank29]

Hey Daphne! I agree with Bob.

At first staying under 100g was hard, but within a week I was finding it hard to go over 75g and now its hard to go over 50g. I tracked my carbs and some calories at first to make sure I was on the right track but then stopped once I understood what foods would push me into maintenance mode or gaining mode. I have a lot to lose so I try to stay under the 50g mark and just go above it occassionally to throw my body off a little and re-fuel.

[Ilene]

Hi Daphne and ... Bob and Kara are right it gets easier with time... I had the hardest time staying under 100g when I started, now it's easy peasy to stay under 50g and 30g... That's a great carb site that Bob linked, I use Fitday also...

[srmb60]

Morning everyone!

Hi Daphne ... If you're already a meat and potatoes gal, primal is super easy! Simply choose your meats and fats, then fill in with nice leafy greens and a few nibbles of fruit.
Salads are legendary here. Lettuce, cucumber, onion, radish, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, avocado, tomato, green pepper .... the possibilities are almost endless.
I'm not sure how many carbs are in that example but since there's no grain or sugar ... it's not much.
And I cast another vote for fitday although I don't use it much any more.

I got home from work last night and DH had bacon out of the freezer to thaw. Isn't he a good fella!

Ya know ... I've been dieting and/or healthy food nut for so many years people hardly mention any more. If I have to say something "Mmm hmmm ... I eat funny. You'll get used to me. Eveybody does."
Or ... explain how gassy some foods make you and since you'll be all hanging out together ....

[CJZee]

Originally Posted by koceank29

Any thoughts?????????? What would you say or do for a whole week.

I have found that telling people I have food allergies does the trick. If you have an allergic reaction people are less likely to push things on you. So I have developed a "wheat allergy" because most sugary, starchy stuff is wheat based.

[CJZee]

Hi everyone ... I have been struggling while away from home. I don't need any advice, I think I know what to do but I could use some friendly atta-girls.

[Ilene]

Originally Posted by SusanB

Ya know ... I've been dieting and/or healthy food nut for so many years people hardly mention any more. If I have to say something "Mmm hmmm ... I eat funny. You'll get used to me. Eveybody does."

I'm the same way, no one questions me anymore ... They all think I'm a little off anyway

Kara, when someone asks about what and why I don't eat something, I just shrug and say I'm not hungry for that right now, or I'm really hungry for bacon for a change...

[srmb60]

Relax CJZee ... we appreciate you here even if you are struggling. You are smart and successful and know what to do!

[Ilene]

Originally Posted by CJZee

Hi everyone ... I have been struggling while away from home. I don't need any advice, I think I know what to do but I could use some friendly atta-girls.

[wendyland]

HI Daphne, I found it easier to transition slowly down to under 100 carbs. I started by sticking to around 150 carbs a day for a week or so and then down to 100 for awhile and then lower.

[koceank29]

Go CJ Go, Go CJ GO!!!!!!! I hope you're enjoying your time.