Hello everyone,
   I am new to the list (although not unfamiliar w/ it)and just wanted to introduce myself.  As a college football player(class of '96)weighing 280 lbs. and standing over 6'5", I was quite lean and fit.  Then I graduated and moved on to a sedentary job in NYC.  Two years after my final season, I still weighed in at around 280, but, as is typical for ex-linemen like myself, the weight had transformed from a healthy mass of lean tissue into a burdensome and voluminous layer of fat.  On the morning after my 24th B-day, while leaning over to tie my shoes, this harsh reality hit home, and I decided to get back into shape.

   Several months later, after following a calorie restricted, low-fat/high-carb diet involving much suffering and little success, I hit the library and discovered the lo-carb/evolutionary approach to dieting.  I went through books like the Zone, Atkins, and Protien Power, and began to take an intense interest in human evolution.  I eventually purchased a copy of Neanderthin, wich served as an excellent launch-pad for further research into paleo-nutrition (partly out of scepticism).  I came upon the PALIODIET list, read all of the archives, and became truly convinced that our dietary and excersise needs can only be fully met by paying close attention to our paleolithic ancestors.

   As for my weight, several months of more or less paleolithic eating have seen it fall to around 240.  With another 20 lbs. to go before I'm actually lean (known to be the most difficult stage), I thought that this would be a good time to reconfirm my beliefs and go totally paleolithic (and finally join this list, too).  I've browsed through most of the archives over the last eight months or so, have enjoyed all of your comments, and am looking forward to becoming a part of this discussion.

Bernard Lischer