Written by: Dan
I wanted to take a moment to share my story and the transformation I have undergone in the last 5 months. A transformation that has truly changed my life.
Prior to going paleo I had tried just about every fad diet and exercise program known to man. I had tried many of the magic pill fat loss supplements. Problem was, I would see results for a few weeks, plateau then fall off the wagon and gain more weight than I started with. After graduating high school (weighed 215 pounds) I went on to 6 years of college where I received my doctorate in pharmacotherapy and followed that up with a year of residency. Sadly these years did not lend themselves to eating well or getting an appropriate amount of exercise. As with most college students, the temptation to eat bad/fast and drink copious amounts of beer were around every turn and sadly I cracked to the pressure frequently. The freshman 15 came and went quickly and turned into the freshmen 30, then 50, then by the time I knew it I was up about 90 pounds from my high school weight. After college my residency did me no favors either. 70-80 hour weeks once again left me with comfort foods and fast food at the ready. My weight further ballooned and I quickly found myself a whopping 100 pounds more than my high school weight (2011 weight- 320 pounds, BMI 37%). I was addicted to fast food. Lots of fast food. At least 3x a week on average. Looking back at those habits now I don’t know how I haven’t died from the destruction I put my body through. In 2012, I was able to add more exercise in and was able to lose about 20 pounds, but again plateaued at 300 pounds. I was stuck, my triglycerides were over 300 and my HbA1C was creeping into the low 6’s. As a healthcare professional I knew how troubling these numbers really were, but never had the will power to stick with a diet that took out all of the foods that I was addicted to and that were slowly killing me.
Beginning in March of this year my wife spoke with me about trying a new eating lifestyle she heard about from a friend, it was called paleo. My wife is in incredible shape fitness-wise and is actually training for a marathon, but was looking for a cleaner way of eating to improve our health together. From my previous failures with diets I was skeptical about starting a new one, but I said I think we should give it a try anyway. We started as hardcore as possible, doing the 30 day challenge to cleanse our bodies and our bad eating habits. I saw pretty good weight loss results in the first 30 days. I was feeling better, less aches and pains after working out, and for the first time in about 10 years went 30 days without fast food. My wife and I just kept going. I was dropping weight and body fat like crazy. We rewarded ourselves with 1 or 2 cheat meals a month after the first 30 days and began to even question the need for cheat meals at all (we tend to feel terrible after them). The beginning of August marked 5 months with a paleo lifestyle. I am proud to say that I am now down 70 pounds in that 5 month period and only about 10 pounds from my weight in high school. I will say that again, SEVENTY pounds in FIVE months from simply eating paleo. My exercise habits have only seen a few added workouts. I still can’t believe the difference a paleo lifestyle has made in my life. My BMI is now down to 26%. None of my clothes fit any longer (March was XXL, August I am medium to large size). I feel great and am hopeful that my next round of labs will show that a paleo lifestyle truly is the key to health. I still have goals to meet and I know the paleo lifestyle will not only allow me to meet them, but blow them out of the water. At this point in my life I plan on continuing the paleo lifestyle for the rest of my life. I’ve added high intensity strength training and am now working on building my body appropriately now that I am fueling it the right way. I am eager to find ways to help others see the light and conform their eating habits to that of a primal one. The paleo lifestyle has saved my life.
The Stats
Age: 28
High Mark Weight: 320lb (2011)
2012 A1c: 6.2%, Triglycerides: 300, HDL: 28, LDL: 108 EEEK!
Start of Primal Lifestyle Weight: 297lb BMI 35% (Feb 23rd, 2013)
Current Weight: 225lb; BMI 26%(Aug 5th)
Follow up labs: to be drawn soon!
Great job! A question for Dan. Dan, did you ever plateu and have to change things up? Or did you stick with the same method of eating the entire 5 mos. and did you include any “cheating”?
Saul, We started with 30 days no “cheating” or off-eating. We typically have about 1-2 meals a month after that where we would introduce the foods we werent supposed to eat (grains/dairy/legumes). We typically feel terrible afterwards and would question even doing it again. I basically am in a routine of foods I love and my wife (who is awesome) has cooked a wide variety of dishes she has prepared that keep us on track. We keep finding new things we can make/eat which makes being paleo even easier. Once I quit grains I didnt really miss them after about a month. I really looked at the science of it.
During months 2-4 I added some additional running (more than my usual “play” running when I play basketball which I do 2x per week). This month I am seeing a slow down in my weight loss, BUT, I have added high intensity strength training (See Dr. Doug McGuffs works- Body by Science). When I say slow down, I mean instead of losing 3-4 lbs a week like I was, I might lose 1-2lbs a week. A lot of this is physiological too, I mean my body is starting to tell me I am getting to a suitable wait I think. More importantly I am still seeing a decrease in my body fat %. Since I am getting pretty close to my overall weight goal I am shifting my focus into turning the fat I have into muscle. I am actually expecting to see my weight loss slow even more or even stop as I try to tone up a bit, but if I keep seeing my body fat % go down I know I will be meeting goals fitness goals still. As far as health goals, the main thing will be my labs. As a healthcare professional I know that A1C and cholesterol can tell a much better story of health than washboard abs. Hope to have those redrawn soon.
Thank you for the response and for the great post!
Saul
Me too. Would love to know. Gotta say, this is an awesome effort. I think Paleo will just keep getting more popular because it’s real.
Outstanding!
Amazing! Good for you — and kudos to your wife who got you started!!
Is it tacky to say: “Hey look! Your man-boobs disappeared?” You could be a poster child (man) for that! I always remember the boy-kardashian (Rob?) on Dancing with the Stars complaining about his — and thinking : get OFF the grains and they’ll go away!
You’re (fantastic looking!) living proof.
You look fantastic now! What a change in just a short time. Thanks for telling your story, keep up the paleo/primal life! I agree, it’s do-able for life. I am sharing your story on my Pinterest Success board, and sending it to some family members.
Sandy in Georgia
Sandy,
Share away! I want to help anyone and everyone who is trying to get healthy and change their lives. I have seen the light and want everyone to feel as well as I do!
That’s quite a transformation in just 5 months! I’ve started paleo 2 weeks ago and the weight is just burning off Paleo is just amazing!
I started January 19th 2019 on a extreme keto / paleo Diet my all-time high was an excessive 330 lb. I was on blood pressure meds diuretics, kidney function medication, and statins. Taking blood pressure meds morning and night. I was pre diabetic, blood glucose was 6.3, some people would be satisfied with that. I had no idea of what the future held for me. I followed Tim noakes, Eric Westman and Stephen Phinney. Within about six to eight months I was 188 lb I have back up to between 195 and 200 pounds .I seem to have settled at this weight. By going high-fat moderate protein and as low carb as I can I am no longer on blood pressure meds, kidney meds, diuretics and statin drugs. All under my doctor’s supervision and with his Blessing. My blood glucose was and still is 5.1 after 3 months. My doctor is concerned about my LDL ,triglyceride levels, but those levels are going to be high, because that is what my body is burning when I am not on carbs so naturally those water soluble fats will be in my bloodstream and I feel good. Dieting for over 40 years with no success, this as been a blessing, the only disappointment is that I didn’t find it 40 years ago. I encourage all to at least investigate these lifestyle Changes, and give their life a real chance.
Dan,
You are an inspiration to me as well. The transformation you documented is amazing! It looks like I am shorter than you but built the same way you were and I am hoping my transformation has the same results (chest-wise) as you had. I have just started the Paleo diet 3 days ago. I am Type 2 and the third night I didn’t have to take any Lantus Insulin and my morning (fasting) BS was 104! Not only am I looking forward to the “beach body” I’ve never had it is looking promising that I will no longer have to take insulin. I may even be able to stop my oral meds too. In either case I am convinced I will benefit from eating primal.
Keep posting your results on the muscle building program. I use to be into body building. I never had a problem building muscle. My problem was I couldn’t do it without adding a lot of body fat. Just didn’t eat right.
I got to say wow, that is impressive. I heard about paleo diets but I never ever thought it was that great. The transformation pictures are stocking I got to say. I meant wow, that is amazing.
70 pounds in 5 months is impressive work, man. Amazing. I’m keen to hear about your body-building program, so keep us posted!
70lbs man!!! Awesome. I am 3 weeks into the diet, not 100% but prob 98% strict. 6’2″ tall 333lbs starting, today 313lbs!!!! 20lbs in 21days!!!!! Walk every day or at least every other for aprox 2km…..Gona hit 250 before christmas(I hope) or at least as close as I can to it!!!!!!
That’s great, keep up the good work!
laat July 7th 2014 I was 333lbs, at 6ft 1in I was way overweight. Today March 30th 2015 I’m 260lbs and feeling awesome. Paleo 95% strict. Working out only since November.
Awesome, keep up the good work!
Wow what a transformation. I have been on paleo for 6 weeks and lost 13lbs. I feel that the weight is not dropping and I don’t feel hungry at all. Did you have this experience during your 5 months? Why do you think I am not losing more weigh when I am of eating much at all. Some days maybe I total in 600 calories. Any suggestions or advice would be appericated.
I wonder if your metabolic rate is not slowing down to accommodate the low calorie intake. Try upping your saturated fats and doubling your calorie intake this way. My experience has been eating hi fatty Meats my body tells me when I have had enough and it you just simply stop eating. And when your body starts burning the fats it has stored you will find that you won’t need to eat according to the clock and you will find you can go much longer without needing to eat. I recommend listening to a kidney specialist out of Toronto Canada named Jason Fung. You can find him on YouTube, he is a no-nonsense funny man easy to listen to. I hope it will be as inspiring for you as it is for me. Wishing you all the happiness you deserve.
I too was addicted to fast food, but I indulged way more than 3x a week. It was just too easy and too “delicious” (or it was before paleo)
I just shared my before and after photos on my recent blog post. It’s not a before and after post though. Rather, my goal was to show people that anyone can change their diet. I had crazy bad eating habits before I got sick enough to want to change.
If you need encouragement or you don’t think you can go paleo, check out my article here where I admit to 5 embarrassing habits I had pre-paleo.
http://imsimplyadad.com/paleo-before-and-after/
Wow! That’s an amazing transformation! Well done! I feel like Paleo really has changed a lot of people’s live and their lifestyle over the last years. For the good obviously.