I Realized I Didn’t Need To Deprive Myself Anymore

Yup, success stories are back! And I’m looking for more. Follow-ups, mid-progress reflections—every story at every stage has the potential to inspire folks out there who are getting started or contemplating a new beginning. Contact me here to share your story—long or not so long. You never know who you’ll impact by doing it. Enjoy, everyone!

Like many followers of the primal diet and lifestyle, I am an athlete and health enthusiast. Unfortunately, I didn’t always have the healthiest habits.

My journey started during my days as a competitive figure skater, where I struggled with poor body image, restrictive eating, and excessive chronic exercise. Figure skating is an aesthetic sport that involves performing physically challenging maneuvers on the ice while creating a beautiful artistic impression. The ideal body type for this sport is lean, strong, and light, so I strived to fit this perfect figure skating physique.

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However, my yo-yo dieting and chronic exercise regimen led to a carbohydrate addiction and poor immune function. After winning the Danish National Championships, participating in the Junior World Championships in Ice Dancing in 2012, and touring in ice shows with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as a professional show skater, I decided to stop skating and become a figure skating coach.

Even after stopping competitive skating, I still struggled with unhealthy dieting and exercise habits.

That’s when I came upon Mark’s Sisson’s book, The Primal Blueprint. My dad recommended the book to me after he started eating primally to improve his blood pressure and overall health. This book opened up a whole new world for me and I am forever grateful to him!

I realized that I no longer had to deprive myself. I decided to start taking proper care of my body, rid my body of toxic, processed foods (the “fake” foods I once thought would help me keep my weight down), and stop my obsessive calorie-counting and chronic exercise patterns.

The Primal Blueprint taught me to slow down, enjoy nutrient-dense, home-cooked meals, and engage in easier workouts like yoga and nature hikes. I also enjoyed remarkable health benefits from eating a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting with the help of Mark’s Keto Reset book.

After happily following this lifestyle for a couple of few years, I decided to make primal an even bigger part of my life by enrolling in the Primal Health Coach Institute program—and now I’m a certified Primal Health Coach!

I have a true passion for health and fitness and love helping other people. Health coaching is truly my dream job! Right now, I’m enjoying the process of growing my health coaching business, using all the tools and skills I learned in the PHCI program.

I’ve been lucky enough to help my close family members improve their health as well. I am proud to say that my own dear mother has lost 50 pounds (and kept it off) with my coaching program!

My biggest accomplishment, however, is maintaining a primal lifestyle during my current pregnancy. Our baby boy is due this summer, and I’ve managed to keep up my energy and fitness levels, avoiding cravings and extreme weight gain by eating primally and exercising consistently. In fact, I was running 4 miles until 26 weeks, and at 35 weeks pregnant, I could still do three sets of 20 push-ups!

I admit that there was a bit of nausea and food aversions in my first trimester, but I didn’t let myself get off track. Even when most vegetables, eggs, and grass-fed meats were impossible to eat, I found ways to sneak in healthy foods by making green smoothies and soups.

With just a few weeks left, my husband and I are excited to bring this little human into the world, and nourish him with the same primal lifestyle and diet that we both thrive on.

– Stephanie Snider

Stephanie’s listing in the Primal Health Coach Institute Directory

Connect with her at Primal Mind Body and on Instagram

Have a story to share? Email me here. Thanks, everybody, and have a great week.

The post I Realized I Didn’t Need To Deprive Myself Anymore appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.