Or, as I entitled a blog post a few days ago -- OY ... again.
RANT ALERT
I get really tired of the over-reactions of certain individuals making a huge deal out of unremarkable accomplishments by poster-kids in the LCHF and paleo/primal world. So-and-so lost twenty pounds, and improved his sinus and skin problems by adopting a better diet, and now has a book out about it!
You know what I think is impressive? Karen at the Garden Girl blog, Dave the "bulletproof" guy, Terry who cured her MS, Yasmina who conquered histamine intolerance, Wooo, Sidereal, and many more who have lost LOTS of weight and kept it off, having been REALLY metabolically deranged before discovering what works for them. People who have worked their butts off (literally and figuratively), people who have been sick and in despair, and when they learned what actually WORKS to improve health and lose burdening fat, who engaged their determination and accomplished something above and beyond.
People who have been obese since childhood. People who have struggled for decades, and finally triumphed. People who were in a wheelchair, unable to hold a job, or sickening toward their deaths, but found the answer and turned their lives around. People who ACHIEVED, and then started writing so they could share what they learned.
So when I read that Mutual Admiration Society (which the paleo/primal blogosphere can sometimes be) lauding to the skies some Johnny-come-lately who has climbed into prominence on the backs of the REAL INNOVATORS, I got a little testy. Low-carb, whole-food dieting has been around for over a century and a half. Paleo-diet theory has been around for about a third of that. Why, in the names of all the gods, are we seeing praise poured out for a young, well-to-do male -- THE EASIEST DEMOGRAPHIC TO IMPROVE IN HEALTH AND BODY COMPOSITION???
He lost TWENTY POUNDS! He got rid of pimples and sinus problems! He wrote a book, containing information which has been around for years! Whoop-whoop -- lets all get really excited about his accomplishments!
Not. I prefer to save my admiration for those who have STRUGGLED for their place in the sun.
Thanks for the shout-out, Tess. I am honored to be mentioned in the same paragraph as Dave and Terry!!!
ReplyDeleteThe grass roots effort to spread the word about low-carb, lower carb/Paleo, reversing chronic health conditions is soooooo important. I prioritize my time each week so I can get a blog post or two out of my brain.
I shudder when I think back to the low-fat, high carb message I was fed during commercial weight loss. Just hoping that others find the message.
I was overweight as a kid in the 70's. Not only is it no fun, but I have to laugh when I see blogs of people who's "before" photos looked like my "after" photos through out my yo-yo dieting days.
All kidding aside, thank you for being part of the grass-roots efforts. We are stronger together. :)
I consider you inspirational in the way you've not only been successful, but how you've analyzed so many aspects of the "battle" and so concisely describe what works and what doesn't. I suggest your blog to people struggling to maintain, like I recommend Mark's Daily Apple to beginners. :-)
DeleteThank you soooooo much Tess. :) Happy Holidays!
DeleteUnfortunately, if you don't end up with 6-pack abs then you're "doing it wrong". Important people are overlooked everyday and celebrities have graduated to the status of God.
ReplyDeleteShame.
I think my biggest gripe with the younger part of the "tribe" is that they think it all belongs to them. people who are still struggling are not accepted, nor those who can't do the gamut of the activities they pursue. SORRY, you don't have a copyright on Paleo/Primal! those of us who only discovered the idea in our fifties can benefit too, and we won't let you intimidate us!
DeleteI think the 40-60's crowd could really grow in the next 2-5 years... I hope so anyway. Important that we are sharing our stories...
DeleteI wish I would discover LC while being young and way before reaching a state of desperation, then indeed my go-to-health (it is unreasonable to be so much concentrated on a weight loss in my case) story would be much less complicated. Well, ok, not too fat and too unhealthy individual lost mere 20 lbs and made too much noise about it. I guess he indeed had some big attachment - he killed the future health problem in an embryonic state, without hitting to rock bottom first, like many of us. Gary Taubes lost only 20 lbs, but he also found out how to loose it forever without entering a yo-yo cycle, because 20 lbs could be lost on any diet, but mostly not for a long.
ReplyDeleteTess, the paleo crowed consists of the different segment of the population, they are not us. We have more health issues and are not concerned about muscle definition much. However, I am ready to give them a credit for starting earlier.
I envy them for getting good advice at an earlier age! I envy their children for not being raised on white bread, margarine, cereal and corn oil, too....
DeleteAll the "easy losers" are welcome to their success, but I think their stories should be appended with the disclaimer "results are not typical" like the infomercials they are. This is why blogs like Karen's are so valuable -- good REAL LIFE results from people who have had a lack of success with other plans....
Sure, they didn't fail on different plans earlier, so more susceptible to worshiping safe starches and stray too far from what initially helped them. At least they wouldn't think that a veganism is a way to go.
DeleteGreat post! :)
ReplyDeletethanks, Gwen -- you too are inspirational for weight-losers/maintainers!
DeleteGranted, diabetes, obesity and some other hormonal problems are far worse than most skin and sinus issues. But even the last two problems can affect your quality of life. My sinus problems were bad enough that I once spent a week in the hospital with a sinus infection and had septoplasty much later, which didn't fully heal for over ten years until I started LC. My sinus congestion (the thick, sticky kind that barely moves) gave me frequent headaches and fatigue. And I'm not sure if a person can appreciate good skin like someone who has had a face full of painful cysts, which I've had.
ReplyDeleteThe young healthies may have cured their problems easily, but I imagine those with sinus or skin problems have to stay on the straight and narrow path (probably no wheat or dairy protein) to stay in good health.
i'm sure to HIM his problems were significant, but i was reacting to a few reviews when i wrote this, which seemed to be making a disproportionate "deal" out of his situation.
Delete