Going Primal

Growing up I was always an active child. I spent the majority of my time playing hide and go seek, tag, touch football, or just running around the neighborhood. I would come in for dinner and then go right back outside until dark.

At five, my parents started me in AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) and from then until High School soccer was my main form of exercise. We had practices once or twice a week and games every Saturday and even a couple Sundays. In High School I played for my school's team, coached AYSO with my dad, and ran track in the spring.

By college I had, had my fill of rigorous training. I hated going to the gym (since I had never worked out as part of my soccer training I always felt judged by the devoted gymrats). I played intramural sports, but for the most part I did not devote any of my time to exercise. Luckily I was not plagued by the freshman 15 and was able to maintain my slender frame.

It wasn't till after I graduated college, got married, and started working behind a desk that I began to put on weight. After buying bigger pants a couple times, I decided to look for a solution to my weight gain. I knew that there had to be something sustainable out there that didn't require counting calories or spending hours in the gym that could help me. I found it in the Primal Blueprint.

The Primal Blueprint strives to create a flexible, sustainable program of maintaining health and lean body weight. The premise is that sugar is converted by our bodies into fat and then stored in fat cells. The source of this sugar being carbohydrates and overly processed food. In order to cut down the amount of sugar we consume, all grains are eliminated from consumption.

According to the Primal Blueprint, the body only needs 150 grams of carbohydrates to maintain body weight. under 150g will promote weight loss, and over 150g will promote weight gain. On the standard American diet the average person will consume over 300g of carbohydrates a day. By limiting your carbohydrates to fruits and green leafy vegetables (and maybe the occasional potato) you will most likely consume between 100-150g of carbs without having to count or measure them.

Our bodies do, however, use carbohydrates for energy and therefore need an alternate source of energy. In the Primal Blueprint, this is accomplished by natural fats. Natural fats are typically contained in nutrient dense sources like animal meat and nuts (along with the proteins, vitamins and minerals that our bodies need anyways). Also our body stores and uses natural fat more efficiently.

The Primal Blueprint is 80% diet and 20% exercise. The exercise portion consists of 10-20mins of sprints a week, 3-5 hours of slow moderate movement or play a week, and body weight exercises twice a week (such as push ups, pull ups, squats, etc.). It contains multiple levels to accommodate those just starting out and make room for progress.

Personally, I have enjoyed the 11 weeks that I have been experimenting with the Primal Blueprint. I am no longer starving at 10 o'clock everyday. Sometimes I don't even get hungry till 3 in the afternoon and even then it is not connected with stomach pains. I spend the evenings going on walks with my family instead of parking myself on the couch and watching TV. I have more energy and never feel groggy or lethargic, even after a restless night. Most importantly of all, I have shed almost 20 lbs and 4 inches off my waist.

The Primal Blueprint may not be for everyone, but for me it has been the easiest transition into a more healthy lifestyle. I would recommend anyone to give it a try.