I was chronically fatigued, depressed, had atrocious gas (though no other significant gastro problems), couldn't lose weight traditionally, felt like shit all the time, was missing work all the time, couldn't do anything I enjoyed because of the fatigue and didn't really enjoy anything because of the depression. I was also felt very disconnected from everything around me. Couldn't sink up with people, or really understand things that people said. I was a freaking mess and doctors where no help. Was basically ready to die rather than keep living that way. I just couldn't imagine years and years of feeling like that. No thank you.

I had a 'good' day which happened periodically (every couple of weeks) and I was able to meet some friends for dinner. My good friend Koley used to be a personal trainer and is now an avid fitness/nutrition enthusiast. He and my other friend Harvey were talking about Paleo and the success that Harvey was having. Koley had been Paleo for quite a while and had turned Harvey onto it. Like usual I felt like I was watching everyone from the bottom of a coke bottle but I managed to get the gist of it. I didn't say anything but that night I looked up Paleo online and found Robb Wolf. The next day I bought the book. The next day I hit the grocery store. March 10th, 2011 started my journey out of darkness.

I finally got well enough that I could really fight for my health. No one else was going to do it. So I sincerely mean it when I say Paleo saved my life. Without it I couldn't have started my journey back to health and Paleo will be with me every step of the way in the future.

I was diagnosed with Meniere's disease and the best suggested treatment was a low sodium diet (my blood pressure is too low to take diuretics). I started turning to a lot of paleo style recipes because it was possible to cut the salt way down without ending up with a bland bowl of gruel. Compare a risotto made with no salt (or high sodium cheeses) to a flank steak grilled with no salt and you'll see what I mean. So basically, it's a culinary thing for me, I like good food made with real fresh ingredients and no salt... paleo recipes fill that niche nicely.

I was hospitalized for a bizarre episode of paralysis that the doctors couldn't explain. It eventually went away, but my husband suggested I try this "paleo" thing that he had learned about while getting a master's degree in Medical Anthropology.

I never turned back. Never had paralysis problems again.

my mom had rectal cancer.

rectum removed. colostomy bag. misery.

since then, I've read everything i can get my hands on on preventative diet medicine.

Turning 45 and deciding to slow down physical and mental decline as much as possible

Twitter.

Seriously. I read Gary taubes article in the nytimes about sugar's toxicity, was intrigued about the author, read his books, then joined twitter just to follow him.

Instantly twitter started recommending other people. Everyone of the recommendations were in the paleosphere. I started following them too. I was right around last years ancestral health symposium when Gary and guyenet had their dust up so there was a lot being said and thus a lot to read.

I've been overweight all my life and had recently accepted that CW would never help me and conceded to just be overweight for the rest of my life. Then a patient fell at work and I slowed her fall down, spraining my neck and entire back.

Been on a mission to reduce inflammation and unnecessary physical weight/burden ever since.

For me it was a collection of things, as I've have digestive issues and tiredness since childhood, but the turning point was depression and an eating disorder. I don't remember this but my mum told me that towards the end of my veganism I just started bawling on the floor because nothing was working. I gave up meat and ate 'strict' so I could feel better, but I felt real unstable and desperate by the end of it. I was so unhappy I couldn't see a way out.

I can't remember how I got onto ancestral health but it remained low on my radar for quite a few months. At first I just tried to recover from unhealthy behaviours by eating whatever I felt like, but instead of fats I went for chocolates and desserts for calories. I was still unhappy but at least not very underweight. I kind of gradually phased in a paleo-esque type diet after I experimented with what felt good. It was mostly fruit, fish and meat. It's only in the past three months that I've tried bone broths, egg yolks, ghee, more salmon, liver, regular red meat, zinc, magnesium, Vitamin D, regular exercise and good sleep. Last year feels like a bad dream, and compared to back them I'm a fireball of heat and energy ^_^ But I still feel tired, don't have perfect bowel movements, get stressed easily and still worry about my body. It gets better every day though.

I'm angry at our culture for making women feel like the only weight they should have is 'essential' weight, and that the rest ought to be rock-hard muscle. And even more that their worth is determined by what they look like. An amazing thing about ancestral health is that I know I'll probably never lose weight. I won't lose the body fat stores I have, and I'll never have slim hips. I've gained strength to walk around all day and run up flights of stairs, I've gained stability of mind, a steady heartbeat, uninterrupted sleep, a brighter, fuller face, but I won't defy my genes. It just so happens that my body wants to make babies and when I'm physically prepared to do that I feel better overall, regardless of whether I want to conceive.

I hope paleo continues improving my quality of life. I'm still working out the kinks, but I'm noticing that generous servings of fruit seems to be working for me, and fat!

Similar thread here

http://paleohacks.com/questions/44987/who-brought-you-into-paleo-primal-world#axzz1qckLDWiJ

I went low carb in order to lose weight (it worked) and gradually worked my way into paleo...I just find it to be a sensible (and tasty) way of eating. The idea that we are adapted to eating this diet, and not adapted to eating a "conventional" diet, resonates with me.

I read Nassim N. Taleb's 'Black Swan' where he mentions Art deVany's version of low carb diet and it all just made far too much sense not to jump aboard.

Tired,bloated and miserable,not losing weight despite 2years of chronic cardio,forgetful too