TO DIET OR NOT TO DIET . . .

"I have probably lost enough weight in my life to represent a grown, muscle-bound man walking around out there somewhere."

 I warn you at the outset of this post that I am going to write about yet another diet journey--mine.  I will get rather personal, detailing my yo-yo weight loss over the years, gaining it back, declaring that I would NEVER gain weight back again, gaining weight back . . . and now:  I MEAN IT THIS TIME.  And of course, there's that verse in Scripture:  "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"  (I Corinthians 10:31 NIV).  As a Christian, I simply cannot reconcile being overweight with glorifying God, especially when being overweight is from eating incorrectly, not from a different health problem itself.

I have tried all sorts of diets, too--but I won't mention those failures here, because those diet clubs, systems, special foods, etc., were not at fault--I WAS.  After all, nobody held me down, tied my hands behind my back, and force-fed me, did they?  Nope.  The one thing I can totally control in my life, that of choosing what food to put into my mouth, I didn't control at all.  No excuses.  Not a leg to stand on.  No reasons that are valid.

YOU UNDERSTAND what I mean, fellow sufferers.  I say "sufferers"  tongue-in-cheek.  Sort of.  When I was young, say twenty something, I was not heavy, and I could get by with eating all sorts of goodies.  Well, trust me, you tender young things out there:  it will catch up with you eventually.  For several seasons, I have watched THE BIGGEST LOSER on TV, all while eating my evening snack of Little Debbie cakes, or cookies, or ice cream--the kind with chocolate chunks, nuts, caramel, cookie crumbs.  I have known I had to take charge of my life, namely eating, but put it off.  Well, no more wasting time or living on a roller coaster.

I started on this January 17, 2011, and as of Monday, January 31, 2011, I had lost 13 pounds.  Oh, I know that much of it was fluid loss, but who cares?  My scales certainly don't.  All it cares about is what I weigh at the moment, not how I got to that weight.  And with low carb eating, the scales aren't the only measurement of fat loss.  Sometimes we have extra water weight.  I do know that previously snug clothing is fitting better now.  The PROTEIN POWER DIET suggests picking out a piece of clothing currently impossible to wear, then try it on every week or so.  That way, you know you've lost, even if the scales don't show it.  I took measurements in various places before I started, and my waist is now three inches smaller.  So are the other places I measured. 

I am going public this time because I MUST eat properly, lose fat, get those triglycerides down, lower my sugar and starch intake, and in general, start feeling better.  I have what is known as "insulin resistence," which basically means that I have abused my insulin receptors by overloading with carbs and sugar for so long that it takes more insulin to do the job of regulating my blood sugar.  And, eating carbs prevents the burning of stored fat, because the body just uses the carbs for fuel rather than letting go of the fat I'm carrying around.  This premise is still somewhat controversial, but I know that eating enough protein and limiting my carbs not only works, but I feel so much better when doing so.  Don't hit me, but this saying just popped into my head:  "the proof is in the pudding."

I do not claim to be a doctor or scientist.  But I do know that for me personally, the low carb way of eating works; I am what is known as carb intolerant, meaning that my body loves to store my carbs as fat more than it should.  I simply cannot/will not stay on a low-calorie diet, and studies show that, when we do, metabolism slows down, which makes it much harder to lose weight--and I've been there, done that.  You probably have as well.  I don't like to feel hungry all the time, either.  Therefore, as my body has adjusted to healthier eating sans sugar and starch, my hunger pangs have taken a nose dive!  Really.  I don't think about my beloved carbs that much now, but rather plan more for what I will eat:  I make sure I have plenty of what I need in the house.  Ever used that old standby excuse for eating those potato chips?  "Well, I was hungry and there was nothing else in the house to eat."  Balderdash. 

What works for you out there may be totally different, and that's fine.  I'm not touting one particular weight loss regimen for YOU--I simply want to share how this low carb thingy works for me.  You have heard of the infamous sweet tooth; well, ALL of my teeth are "a sweet tooth."  I have loved sweets, namely chocolate or anything baked, for as long as I can remember.  Therefore, when I'm off the diet wagon, I tend to enjoy cakes, pies, brownies, doughnuts, hot yeast rolls, along with eating good things, too.  I have trouble losing weight when eating carbohydrates, so I just have to limit those types of foods.  Go figure:  my tall, slim younger brother basically subsists on carbs . . . he also inherited the wavy hair and long eyelashes.  Life ISN'T fair, is it?  But I digress . . .


Well, what do I eat, you ask?  Good-for-me vegetables (not rice, potatoes, etc., for now, anyway) according to their carb counts, salads, meats, nuts, cheeses, mayo, cream cheese, real salad dressings.  (Oh, by the way, did you know that you have to eat 14 cups of lettuce to equal the carbs in three french fries??).  For example, I snack on strawberries with heavy whipping cream and Splenda; for breakfast, I daily eat 3-4 slices of crisp bacon and a three-egg omelet with cheese, coffee with sugar free creamer.  If I want a morning snack, I have some cottage cheese, a few nuts, or a protein drink.  For lunch, a chef's salad with greens covered in sliced deli meats, boiled egg, shredded cheese, onion, green pepper, a few Chinese noodles or unsalted peanuts, topped with real Ranch dressing.  And last night for dinner I ate all the pork roast I wanted, cauliflower, and green beans.  I'm supposed to eat two protein snacks daily, but as yet, I haven't eaten two.  I do not feel as if I'm starving like I used to--more like I feel empty--but I am losing fat, not muscle.  As I approach my goal weight, I can add more carbs to my day, but I will always have to limit them, or end up feeling and being unhealthy again.  Another point:  drinking plenty of water is recommended.  Also coffee, diet colas or flavored waters without sugar or carbs are helpful. 

If you are interested in such a diet for yourself, Dr. Atkins' low carb diet has been around for decades, and in fact, I lost 60 pounds with it over twenty years ago when it was still controversial.  Now, I'm using the PROTEIN POWER DIET by the Drs. Eades, which is basically like Atkins, but starts off with 30 carbs a day rather than at zero carbs, gradually building it up until one stops losing weight.  The book by the same name explains it all.  And yes, I have been to my doctor with her blessing upon my venture, gladly adding B complex and potassium per her suggestion to supplement my multivitamin regimen, along with my own choice of chromium picolinate.  ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE BEGINNING A FAT LOSS DIET SUCH AS THIS.

My muscles and joints have been complaining for a few years now as well.  If I were near my goal weight, that could be delayed for a decade at least.  Therefore, I will share my journey on here from time to time.  By doing so, I know I cannot just quit, because an audience for my odyssey will be keeping me accountable.  My oldest daughter is on this journey with me, and it helps to have someone else with which to commiserate.  At this writing, she has lost ten pounds (but has far less to lose, and she's half my age).  She has already shared her diet decision on Facebook, so she won't mind my doing so here.

Pray for me, also consider losing weight if you need to, and leave a comment telling me how YOU are doing.  We can do this together by mutual desire to lose and by

sharing our journeys!