I was always the fat girl, it was my identity… I honestly had fiddled with a million diets through my life, my mom had me on diet center in the 5th grade (no shit)! Nothing ever really worked. So I figured might as well die fat and happy with a potato chip in my mouth… I’d had a diagnosis of insulin resistance for years, the doctor suspected that I had probably had it since young adulthood and I wasn’t officially diagnosed until I was in my mid 20’s. They claimed the meds they put me on (metformin) would help me lose weight and in the beginning it helped me shed about 30 pounds (in the beginning I was about 315lb).
I’ve always been an active person. Fat or not it didn’t keep me from doing things, even if I was sucking wind I was active. I started to get into MMA about 3 years ago and fell in love. Contact sports are totally my thing! I dieted a little here and there… starved myself for 5 months to get into my perfect wedding dress and after the wedding gained all that ish back. Plus some. When my husband left for Afghanistan a year ago I was 297lb.
About October last year I found rugby
So there was a cross fitting rugby player who had prodded me to read the whole 30 challenge a few times. Frustrated with what was going on with south beach I read it, it’s more than a little convincing and I literally started that night. I was scared and it was fucking hard but I COULD DO ANYTHING for 30 days and this WAS FOR MY HEALTH. My first whole 30 I went 27 days before having unbuttered popcorn at a movie theater and it tasted delicious but oh God I WAS SOOOOO SICK… flu type symptoms within an hour. A lot of the things I thought I could never live without when I try them now, they are disgusting or make me so sick I’ve stopped desiring them.
So how did I do?
Since March I lost 50lb. (since my husband left for Afghanistan last July I lost 70lb total. He gets home next week. Homecoming will be interesting.)
Before Paleo bloodwork:
Hemoglobin A1c – 6
Estimated Average Glucose – 125.5
Cholesterol – 173
Triglyceride – 229
HDL Cholesterol – 36
LDL Cholesterol – 91
VLDL Cholesterol – 46
June
Hemoglobin A1c – 5.4
Estimated Average Glucose – 108.3 (went off metformin on my own 3 weeks before this test in June!)
Cholesterol – 167
Triglyceride – 94 (holy shit is that a difference or what?!?!)
HDL Cholesterol – 42
LDL Cholesterol – 106
VLDL Cholesterol – 19
The numbers speak pretty loud and clear, but If you want the pic let me know.
I am so grateful to have found paleo and to all the wonderful websites that are full of information. What’s so amazing is you don’t need to buy any books, you are all so willing to share this info. I love your podcast and I did buy your book, which is amazing, I think you have an incredible brain, Robb! Paleo will save my life. Thanks so much for all you do!
Stabby says
How do you know the numbers don’t lie? How can you possibly trust seven when seven eight nine?!
Lalita says
Clever…wait! Not really.
Evolutionarily says
The pictures don’t lie that is for sure!
Looking forward to the write up (if there is one!) of the Ancestral Health Symposium…
Stephanie says
I think someone got the months backwards. She looked much better in July, but by August, much bigger!
Debbie B in MD says
It was August 2010 and July 2011
Squatchy says
Thats awesome
Primal Toad says
You are looking great! Continue living this lifestyle – you are an inspiration to the entire world!
Marci says
You look great–strong and healthy. Congratulations!
jesse says
Great work. I’m glad you found something that works. Sharing this post with some folks that have been having cholesterol issues.
jesse
Kristin says
Looking great! Hope you have a wonderful homecoming with your husband! He’s going to be shocked!
sarah k. says
Congratulations! I’m sorta choking up at your enthusiastic story, and your success! I hope you continue to have better health, and that you can be an agent in helping others achieve it too.
Natalie says
Well done! What an amazing effort! Hope homecoming is a great surprise for hubby!
Melissa says
Great effort on the Paleo lifestyle! Keep it up and please send an update. I’m a paleo rugby prop myself!! : )
Dex says
Outstanding progress! Paleo + Rugby = Win!
Barb says
As a weight loss coach, I can tell you that losing weight this way, it will STAY OFF. Congrats and keep up the good work!!!
Amelia says
So inspiring! I love seeing stories about people I can relate to and you definitely fit that bill. You look fantastic and I hope to continue to see such great results as well. I’m about 30 lbs down now from an all-time high of 268 and loving Paleo. When talking with an old friend recently (who noticed the weight loss), I remarked at how it’s just become effortless. It’s just what I do now. It’s such a relief to have let go of the constant struggle – instead of being drained by all the weight loss effort, I’m feeling way more energetic than ever. I never would have thought this possible. Your husband is going to be so surprised! I hope the reunion is wonderful.
Erin says
OMG! That is the same bathing suit and everything. you’ve made tremendous progress. Your husband is going to be so happy to have a healthy wife!
Amy says
I have to tell someone this, it is 100% true. No one I know will believe me.
I’m 5’6″ and 57.5 years old. Female. I have a fairly active job, working retail receiving and throwing freight. I live in the country and garden a lot.
Diagnosed with fibromyalgia, very high CRT for many years. I know I have RH due to my symptom profile, but no factor in my blood. My CV bloodwork is pretty good. I avoid sugar and gluten. High doses of vitamin D really helped the fibro. I still take celebrex 200 mg twice daily.
I weighed 160 lbs less than two months ago, June 13th. I stumbled across this website and bought the book that day. (I’m doing this all alone, while living with a husband who is almost vegetarian and lives on bread, cheese, milk, cereal, pasta, hummus and cheese-its.)
I started going Paleo on June 14th, and cut out the beans and grains. I increased my calories with more meat and avocados, because my goal was pain reduction, not weight loss. (I still look decent.)
A few weeks later, I cut out the dairy too, except half and half in my morning latte. Then I finally gave that up too. I kept track of my weight and joint pain. Here are my results.
june 13 160 lbs
june 20 157
june 27 155
july 6 154
july 13 152
july 18, stopped all dairy except half and half in morning latte
july 20 150
july 27 146
july 29 144
august 2 143
august 4, stopped all half and half
august 6 141
august 9 139 lbs
The joint pain did not start to go away immediately. That part really accellerated about a week ago. Today I’m pain free, even in my thumbs. I have not taken a celebrex in two days. No way in HELL am I going back.
Just had to tell someone. Thanks Robb.
Maryann says
Awesome transformation!
Abba Bryant says
I just wanted to share – I had been eyeing a paleo diet / paleo 2.0 diet for a few months before I went on the 30 day challenge. At the point where I started I was 5’11” and 204 lbs.
In 9 weeks (I was strict to the diet plan for the first 2 weeks and then mixed it up while keeping the kCal and macronutrient ratios the same) I have gone from a 34″ waist to a 29/30″ waist and have dropped in weight to 182 lbs.
I feel like the book, the initial meal plan and a handful of paleo cookbooks were all very useful and informative but the single best tool I have used during this whole process is http://www.fitday.com – It just makes tracking the activity / food intake so easy. One thing to note though – use custom foods for everything and look it all up very carefully. Many of the pre-configured nutritional info is very very off.
Amy Kubal says
Abba, congrats on your success! Fitday may be a good option for some, but for the most part we encourage not weighing/measuring and/or recording everything. Keep things simple – eat high quality good food – not too much and not too little. Don’t stress or obsess about a certain amount of calories, macro-nutrient breakdown or the number on the scale. How do you look, feel and perform? Those are the most important indicators of success! If Fitday works for you that’s great – but it may not be the best idea for everyone and the initial meal plan is a great way to start if it’s not. Thanks for the comment!!
Melanie says
Just Got done with 30 day challenge. 14 lbs and 7 inches off overall!! Wahoo!I will not stop till I reach my goal. I have a concern. Cholesterol and LDL..I have been noticing, that peoples bad chol.is going up??? I have bad chol, so I am totally concerned? Yes their overall Chol. is dropping, but it is still not good, if the bad goes up! I have been obsessed with this and really would like to know, cause this is not good. Any answers for me would really be appreciated or even someone or peeps who have actually lowered their LDL too!!Props for the awesome job at loosing the weight!!
Robb Wolf says
Are you checking particle size? Have you read this chapter of the book?