Getting into it!

Nearly a week of going primal now and feel less cravings for carbs now. To start with had really strong urge to eat chocolates, sweet stuff in general. Thankfully this has now subsided, and a little 85% chocolate is giving me "a fix" if I really need it.

Finally received Primal Blueprint in the post this week and am about a 1/3rd of the way through. It's an excellent book, with a perfect combination of science and practice. I guess I feel the same way as Mark about the large food companies and their massive lobbying power to ensure governments don't damage their carb based food markets! The book talks from the American perspective, but the UK is not far behind in terms of diet and lifestyle problems!

I feel like I'm getting their with the foods, but need to find higher quality meat, as the supermarket shelves are just full of grain fed meat. Organic meat is generally very expensive compared to conventionally reared, so I'll have to find some recipes that use cheaper cuts etc.

Have done a little exercise but need to read the book to find what regime I should be following. I find it difficult to exercise at a low intensity, I find I speed up and end up with my pulse much higher than Primal Blueprint would suggest. The UK being covered in snow and ice hasn't helped much either this week!

Will try and finish the book over the weekend which will hopefully set me on a clear lifestyle path. No weight loss to report yet, but I'm not overly concerned, particularly as I've been in transition this week and need to start the exercise regime properly!

Day 3 of primal living!

Day two of living the paleo/primal lifestyle went fine with less cravings for carbs. Some nice pork chops and roasted vegetables were the food highlight of the day - yum!

So now onto my "before primal" body measurements, which I took yesterday morning:

Height: 5'10" (178cm)

Weight: 12st11lbs (179lbs, 81.3kg)

BMI: 26 (over-weight!)

Chest: 38.25" (97cm)

Waist: 39.5" (100cm)

Hips: 40" (101cm)

Arm (bicep): 12.25" (31cm)

Thigh: 22.5" (57cm)

Calf: 13.75" (35cm)

So overall, according to my BMI I'm officially over-weight and although the BMI isn't necessarily an accurate measurement the tape measure highlights my "roundness"! My waist measurement was quite scary, how come I'm wearing 34" jeans - I guess as I'm not Simon Cowell the waist band sits lower, though my hips are as big as my waist.... One of my aims will be to reduce my waist size and gain broader shoulders and chest, more of a triangle than an apple body shape!

Managed 10km on the cross-trainer and did some work outside this morning,. Had a decent size lunch but I feel a bit like I could eat a box of chocolates this afternoon (don't worry I won't), had some cherries as a consolation. Back to work tomorrow, so I will have to get organised to ensure lunch stays primal and doesn't become a sandwich!

Day two of going primal

Yesterday went ok, though I think I need to eat more meat as I felt hungry after dinner. I did eat a little chocolate and the sugar in this made me a little hyper after minimal carbs all day! No chocolate today!

Think I'll need to go hunting (shopping) for meat today. The thought of some nice pork chops is making my mouth water already and will hopefully fill me up more. Smoked salmon and mackerel yesterday seemed to lack the ability to stop me pacing around looking for some carbs. Although oily fish obviously contains fat I think I need some saturated fat to keep away the hunger pangs...

To help me stick at exercise I fitted a tv in front of our elliptical trainer, which has generally been used very little since we bought it a couple of year ago! Ideally I'd exercise outside, but winter in the UK is generally cold and wet and won't motivate me to do anything. I promise to get outside in the Spring!

I promise to get the measuring tape out later - which will just confirm the poor shape I'm in and why I'm trying to change my lifestyle!

A new beginning!

A new year and a new beginning for me! I've decided that 2010 is the year that I will sort many things in my life. A blog seems the perfect way to track my progress and remind me of my publicly declared goals if I should need reminding later in the year!

My aims for 2010:

• Eat a better diet through adoption of paleo/primal blueprint eating
• Exercise regularly and build some muscle
• Organise our house and reduce clutter
• Improve our finances

After reading various books I have decided that to improve my lifestyle in a number of ways I will adopt a low-carb, paleo http://www.thepaleodiet.com//primal blueprint http://primalblueprint.com/ lifestyle. I always feel healthier when avoiding wheat and other grains, and the evolutionary theory that we are not adapted to eat grains makes perfect sense. Many will disagree, but a more basic diet consisting of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds is the right choice for me. So much modern food is based on cheap grain based products that have far more spent on the advertising than the food content. All that processing removes all the goodness so that all you're left with is a stodgy pulp made palatable by flavourings, additives and fillers to shape it! Natural food sources, organic where possible must ensure the best health, as at least your body knows what it's digesting!

Various blogs say the transition to low-carb isn't easy but I will give it my best shot with the aim of losing the "spare tyre" around my waist, and building some muscle! I've tried various diets before, but I intend this to be a lifestyle change, not a short-term fix!

Next blog I'll add a photo and some measurements for the important before and after comparison!

For now, happy new year, and good luck in 2010!