"Stand naked in front of the mirror. If you are thick through the middle, that means you have an elevated insulin level. What does that mean? That means that your cells have stored all the sugar that it can hold from carbohydrates that you eat. From that moment on, any sugar, even a carrot, which the body recognizes as sugar, will be stored as fat, for women, in the reproductive areas, which is the hips, the stomachs, the butt, and then after that's filled up, it starts filling up the rest. And for men, it's the gut, it's the beer belly. An elevated insulin level, you're on a track to disease." -Suzzane Sommers (I have never read any of her books BUT she made this statement on the Larry King Show and it was spot on!)
My History with Dieting:
I have done every diet known up to this point and never lost more than 5 lbs on any of them. About a year after having my first child I was fed up with not losing weight and decided to talk to my doctor about it. He said I should eat better and work out...so I did for a while to my best ability not really knowing how to eat right. I have always been very active in sports and so know how to workout but still saw no results. A friend suggested I have my thyroid tested as this could be the problem. She referred me to a Nurse Practitioner (woman) that suggested I have my insulin tested as well. The thyroid came back normal but my insulin was elevated. I mentioned a previous Doctor had put me on a drug called metoformin (lowers your blood sugar and also makes Clomid more active) when we were trying to get pregnant and while on it I had dropped 14 lbs in 2 weeks. She suggested putting me back on it thinking this could help me lose weight and it did (just like before) but not without some icky side effects: stomach cramps, diarrhea, headaches, fuzzy vision, and being dizzy. So after 2 weeks and losing those 14lbs I called it quits thinking that was a good start I will go back to eating low calorie and low fat and keep losing - instead I gained it ALL back and then some! Over the next year or so I kept going up and down lose 5 gain 10 (we all know that yo-yo). I became pregnant with Caleb so that was that. I should mention that I have lost every pregnancy pound after my kids were delivered (literally with in 6 weeks-wow) it was the next 6 months that would follow that I would gain weight so there is no blaming this on my children.
TURN AROUND -
On the night of April 13th after seeing the scale read 240lbs I was devastated. I was trying to figure out how I could get so many other things done in my life and be so in charge of just about anything but my own self control. I started thumbing through my many "diet" books and flipped through my pages of calendar (we have 4 years of calendar pages that sit in our bathroom and we document our weight at least weekly - its a personal thing - but boy do I have some documentation). Then I grabbed a journal I started on Jan 1st of this year, my diet journal where I intended to keep track of everything I ate and I did for the first day and a half until the 1200 calorie days caught up with me and I am sure I binged! The first day consisted of what some would think was a great day... Breakfast: yogurt wth granola and Toast, Lunch: Turkey sandwich (on bread) with grapes, and dinner was Chicken Breast, pasta, and green beans. Sounds normal and good right - for me - WRONG! I think the worst part was when I read my "How I felt for the day" It said, "I am pretty hungry right now, but tomorrow I will lose weight so it will be worth it, maybe I can reward myself tomorrow with a treat." How sad! What was I thinking! So as I sat there (on my closed toilet lid) so frustrated, I believe I was crying at one point because I am an adult and should be able to figure out how to not be so fat and out of control when it comes to food, I probably wanted to fix a "treat" to make myself feel better. I thought back "Has anything worked for me?" That's when the whole "sugar problem" popped in my head and I decided real quick that I was going to at least do it for 2 weeks to lose my 14 lbs that I knew was possible ( I had already done it twice) but I also knew I had those 2 weeks to commit to something bigger than myself because I had no self control when it came to food. In the 12 step program one of first steps is "Admitting you cannot do it by yourself". I knew I couldn't and so I began by praying for Heavenly Father to get me through these first 2 weeks. Something I also decided was that other than my spouse I was not going to tell anyone about my "diet" because (at least initially) I didn't want to fail and feel embarrassed that I told them I was going to do it - I didn't want to hear the "Oh didn't work huh?" even though I don't think now anyone would have said anything - this way of thinking made me more accountable to myself because I didn't worry about what anyone else thought because no one else knew. Make sense?
Implementing the PLAN -
So that was pretty late on a Sunday night and I don't know what is with us but most people start diets on Mondays. I already had a couple books about "Low Carb" and got on the internet trying to find the best method to eat no sugar/low carb for 2 weeks. I mentioned before but I will reiterate I set my initial goal for 2 weeks. It was much more attainable goal than I am going to loose 30 lbs. In the Atkins Nutritional Approach what they call "Induction" which lasts at least 2 weeks and can be done as long as you need. I saw two weeks and decided it would work. It limits you to 20 carbs a day (many average eaters eat about 300-500 carbs a day). What is a Carb? Carbohydrates are mainly sugars (simple carbohydrates) and starches (complex carbohydrates, found in bread, pasta, beans) that the body breaks down into glucose. Basically if you are eating too many carbohydrates mostly from bread, pasta, or potatoes you can cause your body to be glucose intolerant which could eventually lead to Diabetes or the like. I think most of us would agree that every ones bodies are different, even some siblings gain and lose weight differently so you need to find out for yourself but most people who overeat carbs are overweight - start watching what other adults eat around you. I did and it was very interesting especially watching all the "low fat dieters" who did not seem to get any smaller... did you know that when manufacturers remove fat to make an item "low fat" they have to add something for flavor and what tastes better than sugar - - hum... makes you think!
I should mention here that after my first week my weight loss was noticeable enough that my sister asked if she could "diet" with me and who was I to stop her, then at my 2 week mark my spouse decided he didn't want to be the fat friend anymore and joined in on the fun. I have to say it was easier to be cooking less food and good for you foods...and in hindsight I can't even believe I was giving myself lots of veggies and feeding my family (whom I love) all those sugary carbed out side dishes. Don't worry your thought process will change too. Needless to say it was very motivating having someone say "I want to do what you are doing, you look great" so the "diet" continued past my initial goal of 2 weeks. My second goal was to my 30th birthday (another do-able goal).
How this became "how we eat" for life:
Dieting is one thing and it cannot be sustained, which is why I still cringe even calling how I eat a "diet" because I don't see it that way. I eat real foods, I can go to any resturant and find things on the menu to eat, sometime I have to minus an item but they don't usually hassle me. I found in the begining when people started to notice and ask me what I was doing and if I said "Atkins" I got mixed looks and responses and so thats when the whole no sugar/no flour came up, but thats really what this is. So to avoid the weird looks and questions I would say "I don't eat sugar". I am not eating enourmous amounts of meat and cheese, in fact I don't eat anymore than I did before, I have just replaced the bad carbs (sugar) with vegatables such as lettuce, green beans, cucumbers, cawliflower, and others. By eating protien at each meal I stay full longer so I don't need to munch between meals. I am no longer addicted to sugar. I don't need sweets and I feel so much better, happier, and healthier. This is how my family eats and if I had anyone over for dinner they wouldn't know they were eating low carb. I figure for a while we will still get the "are you still dieting" and I just say "yes", it's easier.
So here is an overview of what I did the first 3 months...
1st 6 weeks - Atkins Nutritional Approach Induction Phase (Phase #1) I ate only 20 carbs a day,don't eat less than 20 carbs thinking you will lose more weight. Eat as close to 20 carbs as you can get. Set it in your head that certain foods are off limit - not even a consideration. In fact if someone offers you any you may find yourself saying "I cannot have that" and you would be correct.
During the second 6 weeks I added 5 carbs to my daily allowance (so week 7 each day I could eat 25, 8 weeks was 30) - this is also pretty much the Atkins Phase #2. I added fruits and veggies, keep it in your head that anything containing sugar or flour/grains is poison to you. During this 6 weeks I was getting myself used to eating more natural and raw foods, you will find you don't need to even shop in the middle section of the grocery store. It will save time and even though some of the foods cost more you will be eating less (because these foods get you full and keep you satisfied). Try new veggies and fruits that you haven't tried or have not liked in the past and they may surprise you and taste better! (Just a note: I stay at less than 40 carbs a day because I still want to lose weight, My husband can eat almost 60 and he is still losing pretty fast - thats guys for ya!)
**I didn't work out, I did regular housework and if I felt like going for a casual walk I did but no working out (I had to concentrate on my eating and get that down first).
**In the first 4 weeks I loved having sugar free jello around the house and lost weight just fine but at 4 weeks I stalled and didn't lose a pound for 4 days...I read that aspertame can slow your weight loss and so I stopped eating anything (Jello) with it and sure enough started losing weight again. Not everyone has that problem though, it didn't effect my husband.
** I should mention that when you break your sugar addiction you can experience headaches, being tired and being cranky (at least thats what I experienced) but they only lasted 3-4 days.
Meal Ideas (some we didn't eat till later in the 3 months)
Taco Salad - Hamburger, Lettuce, cheese, hot sauce (check the carb count) and sour cream
Chicken Cesar Salad - Chicken (grilled and sliced), lettuce, and ceasar dressing with parmasan cheese
Hamburgers - wrapped in lettuce or set on a bed of lettuce with a slice of cheese, mayo, low sugar katsup (tastes the same), pickle, and tomato (2nd 6 weeks)
Hot Dogs - bbq'd, sometimes I melt cheese on top
Spaghetti - I make my own sauce and Smiths has a low carb noodle we ate after the 1st 3 months
Fish (Tilapia) - Costco has great tilapia but cod works great too
Chicken Breast - some good marinade is soy sauce and 7-up zero (no carb) - very yum!
Burritos w/ shredded beef - Costco has beef in a can and Smiths has low carb tortillias, cheese, lettuce, hot sauce, sour cream
Olive Garden Soup - I have a great recipe includes sausage, bacon, kale (like lettuce), and chicken broth
Steak
Chicken / Veggie Kabobs
Green beans
Broccoli / Cauliflower & ranch dip
Low Carb Items that we buy online (some are kindof expensive so we don't buy them very often)
Dreamfields Elbow Noodles [Smith's]
Dreamfields Spaghetti Noodles [Smith's]
Bella Vita Pasta Sauce [Netrition.com,$3.49]
Dixie Pudding / Mousse / Jello [Netrition.com,$2.19]
CarbRite Brownies [CarbSmart.com/Netrition.com,$4.59]
CarbQuik [Amazon.com]
Dixie Pound Cake [Carbsmart.com/Netrition.com,$5.29]
Dixie Carrot Cake [Netrition.com,$5.49]
Dixie CheeseCake [Netrition.com,$8.39]
Big Train Pancake / Waffle mix [Carbsmart.com/Netrition.com,$3.99]
Big Train CC Cookie Mix [Netrition.com,$3.99]
Flax Z Snax Blueberry Pancake [Netrition.com,$7.49]
Tortillas [Grocery store]
Atkins Bars (Advantage Snickers / Peanut roll) [Walmart]
Atkins Shakes [Walmart]
Sugar-free Ketchup (One-Carb Heinz) [Grocery store]
Sugar-free Ice cream / Brewers Carb Smart [Smith's]
Low-sugar Jams [Grocery store]
Here are items that are easily bought at the grocery store and are all ok to eat from day one!
Fish / Steak / Hamburger / Chicken / Pork / Hot Dogs / Sausage / Bacon
Lunch meat
Eggs
Lettuce / Kale
Salad mix
Cauliflower / Broccoli / Green beans
Ranch dressing
Cheddar / Mozeralla / Fetta / Swiss / Parmesan / String Cheese
Sour Cream
Mayo / Mustard / Tarter Sauce
Almonds / Walnuts / Peanuts / Sunflower Seeds
Heavy Whipping cream
Whipped topping
Just to give you an idea of a day for me in the first 6 weeks what I ate:
Breakfast: Eggs and Bacon or Ham (I would modify the type of egg, but this is what I ate almost every day)
Lunch: Salad w cheese and salad dressing & some Carl Budding Lunch meat (love the stuff)
Dinner: Meat with veggis for the side
Snack: Anytime I was feeling like I needed to eat something (hungary or not) I would eat Jello (before I figured out the aspertame thing) lunch meat, or cheese stick. You can have walnuts too (they are the lowest carb of all the nuts).
I hope I have given you enough information to get started (if you want to). There are 2 books that would be very good reads, and you can borrow them from me. The first is "How I went off my low-fat diet and lost 40 lbs" and the other is the book that explains how to do the Atkins diet. If I had to say what I have done I would say I have modified the Atkins diet for myself so that book would be a very good read to understand how sugar effects our bodies.
Oh I guess I should mention up to this point I have lost 40 lbs and 5 inches off my waist (that was measured 3 weeks ago- I should measure again because its amazing how fast it changes). (as of July 2008)
Here is another reason to cut out (non-natural) sugar:
Otto Warburg, Ph.D. More than 70 years ago, Dr. Warburg won the Nobel Prize in medicine when he discovered that cancer cells require glucose (sugar) for growth. All cells have a requirement for glucose, but cancer cells consume as much as 4 to 5 times more glucose than normal, healthy cells. In fact, they're unable to multiply rapidly without it.
