Hello! I realize this is an older thread, but I was fascinated by reading the "wake-up call" stories and just wanted to add my own two cents.

I am male, in my late thirties, and received my "wake-up call" about two years ago. I was gaining weight despite attempting to exercise, and I was frequently injured, with joint injuries that just wouldn't heal and frequently re-occurred. My digestion was _terrible_ -- severe IBS almost everyday, took some drugs for it that seemed to do nothing. I would frequently get these crashes in the middle of the day (low blood sugar?) where I would feel tired, woozy, unfocused, angry, and feel like I _had to eat immediately_ or I would pass out. I was eating sometimes every two hours throughout the day. I thought, "All this stuff can't be a normal part of aging, right? I'm only in my thirties!"

My path to the paleo/primal/ancestral viewpoint was through barefoot running, and somehow somewhere reading barefoot running websites led me to reading Gary Taubes and William Davis. (I no longer run barefoot on a regular basis, although I do wear minimalist shoes and do some barefoot strides every once in a while.)

Taubes and Davis were the real eye-openers for me. I somehow got my wife on board with a paleo trial period, and then I stopped eating wheat cold turkey. Wheat was the "X factor" for me. Once I stopped eating wheat, it was like flipping a switch. IBS -- cured. Crashes and constant eating during the day -- gone. And effortless loss of 25 lbs of body fat.

Today I read the Gnolls website, also Mark Sisson, Emily Deans, and others. ChiRunning has helped with the running form and injuries, CrossFit-style workouts help with the strength. I have stabilized at a body weight that feels comfortable to me, and I follow a roughly 80/20 rule when it comes to paleo eating, which means 80% paleo/primal but occasional beer, take-out food, corn/rice, and beans. But never wheat!

Thanks for reading!