Tales of Changing Lifestyles

Gaynor's story ...

All stories should start at the beginning. Mine started as a small child, who was consoled with sugar and celebrated with sugar. My mother had the sweetest tooth of anyone I knew, my father on the other hand, found eating a chore. He didn’t mind a baked dinner, but would be just as happy with a poached egg on toast, which was probably lucky, as mum wasn’t a good cook. Her words, not mine.

As a teenager, the sugar didn’t seem to have much effect on my health, I played sport, which kept me fit, and at 54 kilos, the figure looked OK in a bikini. I never really thought about what I was putting in my mouth, unless it was of course to drink Coke Spiders, or gobble down cobbers, milk bottles, jelly babies or any other lolly the local milk bar or tuck shop sold.

Soft drink was my drink of choice, and when, at the age of 20 I thought it more healthy to drink Tab (the only diet drink I knew of in the 60s), instead of Coke. I drank it by the gallon. I once drank 13 bottles in one afternoon, and when diet coke replaced it I then converted.

When I married, my husband was heavily involved with motor sports, so the netball, basketball, Vigaro ( a game like cricket) and swimming was replaced with hill climbs and short circuits, along with drag racing and gymkhanas. All sitting behind the wheel of a car.

After the first year of marriage, I had put on 20 Kgs. How did that happen? I thought it must be contentment. I did lose the 20 kgs when I wanted to fall pregnant, and did so by attending a weight loss program, and became a life member. Attending after each baby, only for it to go straight back on.

After 5 children, I had become a yo yo dieter. Going back to the weight loss program, then trying another where I did my dough, because I couldn’t come at the food, banana diets, soup diets and what not. I was overweight and unhappy. Still consoling and celebrating with food. I considered the family ate well, fresh fruit in children’s lunches, 3 or 4 vegies in the evening meal, but the portions were what a lumberjack could polish off.

Even at my age of 30, when my mum was diagnosed at 60 with diabetes it never occurred to me I was heading down the same track. By 40 I had ballooned to 80 kgs. If I mentioned weight, friends would kindly say you never weigh that much? You carry it so well. Maybe, but it was killing my knees.

By 50 I now weighed 85 kgs and was diagnosed as pre diabetic, severe arthritis, very little energy, and high blood pressure, but still I kept those lollies in the cupboard for the after dinner treats.
Mum also had come to live with us, and while I cooked appropriate meals for her diabetic requirements, I would disappear into my bedroom to gobble down 3 or 4 fantails and copious quantities of soft drink.

Then my husband’s aunt came to live with us. Heavens, I was now running a nursing home. The sweets became my consolation, just as they had been as a child. Alzheimer’s, diabetes, tablets, cancer, when would it stop? Gaynor, have another chocolate, oh while you are there, have another 2, to only then feel guilty for having done so. I was on a merry go round and couldn’t get off.

Even after these dear souls departed this earth, I still continued, I was now 89.6 kgs. I was 156cm, or 5 ft 1 ¾ inches. My husband jokingly referred to me once as a golf ball with legs. I was bloated and puffy, couldn’t manage a flight of stairs, felt generally unwell, lethargic with very little motivation. There were numerous health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and others I won’t go into except to say I had myself dead and buried with one in particular.

Now, my eldest daughter lives with us and is a very good cook. She too had carried excess weight, but had taken herself in hand by first giving up sugar and soft drink before she found out about the Paleo way.

We sat one night chatting and she told me how much better she felt since following the Paleo Way of eating, which she had started while we were away on holidays. She mentioned Chef Pete Evans and I commented that he had never looked better, energised and lean. She told me he was on facebook, and encouraging people to follow his example doing Paleo. When she told me more, my immediate thought was “Oh I can’t give up carbs”’ I will have a HYPO. Well she said, “You can still eat carbs naturally, without eating 4 or 6 slices of bread a day, Mum”

Mmmmm, well I will give it a go, but I do have some reservations because of the diabetes. I was on 3 tablets a day, and thought I am going to have to be really sensible. The first hint of a HYPO and that’s it, NO MORE.

Well, the next morning, I was served Paleo pancakes with 100% maple syrup, mango and strawberries. No way, how could this be a better way of eating? Chicken salad for lunch, and a curry with of all things, cauliflower rice. Goodness had I died and gone to heaven? I did my BGL and even after 24 hours there was a very slight reduction.

The next day went well, followed by the next and the next. I was having a few nuts at morning and afternoon tea, but looking back, this was a security blanket, to make sure BGLs didn’t get too low.

After 2 weeks, I felt more energised and alive. I was sleeping better, noticed I didn’t have any aches or pains, and when I did my BGL, which had been usually about 8 or 9 on waking, was now late 4’s or early 5’s. I was honestly dumfounded. How could I be eating this delicious food with all the things in it that I had cut out years ago, because we were told fat free, light etc.

This was after 2 weeks, and when I got on the scales, I had lost 3 kgs. WHAT?

So then I wanted to learn more. I need some more recipes. I want to feel the way I do for the rest of my life. At the end of that 2 weeks, the thing that impressed me most, wasn’t the weight loss, or even how good I felt. The biggest thing was NO CRAVINGS. I hadn’t even thought about sweets.

After 6 weeks, I went to my diabetic educator, my BGL was in the sevens, which didn’t surprise me as it is a 12 week average. 6 weeks not on Paleo, and 6 weeks on, but according to her scales I had lost 4 ½ kilos. She was pleased and said I think we finally have you on the right track. I had not eaten any grainy bread that had upset my stomach for the past 2 years. I told her I was eating the Paleo way and she suggested I still keep a “watchful eye on the BGLs to be sure”.

As Christmas approached I convinced myself that a piece of Christmas cake wouldn’t hurt me. I cut the tiniest piece that would be an insult to a visitor. I didn’t enjoy it like I thought I would. When I popped the one chocolate I promised myself, into my mouth, I had to run to the bathroom for tissue. It was so sweet I thought I would be sick.

After 2 months, I was charging out of bed at 6 am after going to bed at 11.30pm. My energy levels were what I remembered as a teenager. My BGL was now excellent, compared to what they had been, and my diabetic educator suggested to my GP that he might consider removing one tablet. The high blood pressure I had since I was 43 was now a healthy 120/80. I was chuffed.

Every time I saw the post Chef Peter Evans put up, I commented. I wanted everybody to have what I was having. I wanted, and felt like I belonged to the tribe. When friends asked was I on a diet, I commented “NO just eating the Paleo Way” Some were interested, others told me there was no way they could eat that way. “I like my wine, beer, cakes etc too much” they would say. My comment was “I like my life too much” I am sticking with it.

I am now 5 months along, feeling energised, healthy, perfect blood pressure readings, great BGLs at all times of the day, no arthritic pain. I can move up stairs in a fast normal way, rather than bringing the second foot up to the first at each step like I had been doing and the bonus to all this is 15 kilos of weight gone. Compliments as to how good I look and how well.

I now only take 1 diabetic tablet and 1 blood pressure tablet. I have asked my GP to see what he can do to reduce them. My dearest and best friend gave the best compliment when she told me “Oh you have your little face back” Well, let me tell you, it isn’t only my little face I got back, I never thought I would enjoy such a healthy life again.

Yes, losing weight has given me a few more wrinkles, but I earned every one of them. For me, life didn’t start at 40, it started at 63 when I was introduced to the Paleo way. The bonus is the weight loss, but it comes second to the healthy way I feel.

I am grateful to my daughter and grateful to Pete for the encouragement he gives on his posts.

As the man who sells tea says “Try it you might like it, but you sure won’t be disappointed”.

To the sceptics I say, don’t write or comment until you have given it a two week try.

To those who want to try it and have many medical issues, like I did, do it under supervision. Do your research, get your medicos to work with you, start off easy if you must, but start, don’t put it off, it is all natural.

I want to shout Paleo from the roof tops. Good luck and clean eating the Paleo way.

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I mentioned a few weeks ago that I wanted to start sharing stories from people who had changed their eating to Paleo. All of the stories are this long, because there is so much detail about their health conditions prior to changing the way they eat.

So I should probably only share one story every couple of weeks.

Gaynor shared her 'before' and 'after' photos on Pete Evans' fb page, but I decided that I wouldn't post her photos here. Take it from me .. a complete transformation!

There are literally hundreds of stories like this one and so far, I haven't found anyone (who has actually tried it) criticising it. Plenty of people have NOT tried it because they believe it is to restricting or too expensive. Most just don't believe that they can give up sugar or carbs.

I love the Paleo way of eating and I love the way I feel. I can't imagine ever going back. I know that in social situations, I can almost always find something 'close enough' and if not, I'm never so hungry that going without will be a problem. As Gaynor said .. no cravings! There was never a time in my life where I didn't crave either savoury or sweet. 

Before I developed my thyroid condition, I could eat bags and bags of potato chips day in and day out. After the thyroid condition, my body craved sugar .. lollies, ice cream, sugary and creamy pastries from the bakery, blocks of chocolate .. anything. But no more. No cravings. I don't even crave my beloved coffee anymore.

I'm off to do some study. My 'Study Smart' website has shut down for upgrades this weekend, so I printed as much information as I could, so that I can still do some of the study and the paperwork also lists the pages in my text book that I can read (so boring!). I hope the site doesn't have any glitches by the time it comes back up.

Nite all.