New guy from Washington

[ojsmoothy]

Hello everybody! My name is Josh and I'm from Olympia, WA USA. I stumbled upon this sight when looking into intermittent fasting, needless to say I have found lots of useful information on this site/forum and decided it was time to register and join in with everybody. I have experimented with Paleo style eating, intermittent fasting, a.nd other high protein/fat eating styles over the last six years. I have had good results whenever I have been able to stick with it, however life does get in the way.

I'm hoping to make some positive changes in my life, I just turned 26 so I am officially closer to 30 than 20 now. I am not in the shape I should be and know that if I fight the fat and laziness now instead of later it will be much easier on my body as I get older. I'm also hoping to inspire and help support my fiancee who is also needing to shape up to pursue her law enforment career.

As for a few tidbits about me: I play a lot of instruments (guitar, bass, piano, drums); work for a home improvement retailer; love to cook; fancy myself a pretty good landscaper; and I try to spend as much time outside as possible.

[Tony Bondioli]

Glad you found us... welcome to the tribe.   

One thing I'd like to point out is that a common misconception regarding this lifestyle is that it involves a "high fat/ high protein" diet.  This is not entirely accurate.  The main difference between this way of eating and the way people in most of today's industrialized nations eat, is that we derive our carbohydrates mainly (or only) from sources that were available to early humans (i.e., no grains), and dairy is minimized or eliminated from the menu.  This actually can (and for most people, should, in my opinion), be a relatively low-fat way of eating, making sure that the fats consumed are mostly of the right variety.

I go at it like this, in a nutshell:  lots of vegetables and fruits, adequate lean meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, throw in some nuts, and drink plenty of water.

[ojsmoothy]

Thanks for the welcome. I have found out that higher amounts of fruits and veg are necessary for optimal health as well. I had always had a problem consuming high fat meats as they tended to upset my stomach.