Ex-Kimkins or New to Low Carb?

For those that are switching from a very low calorie diet (or looking into low carb plans for the first time) you'll want to plan to get the most of your diet. Don't just start out cutting carbs and adding fat. You'll want to find a plan and follow it, at least until you know how your body is reacting. If you have been following a very low calorie diet, your body will likely initially react by holding onto fat and water. While this can be distressing, try to ignore it and realize it's temporary!! Take this adjustment time to plan and learn about your diet choice.

Now, I would like to post my own recommendations for anyone coming off Kimkins or just looking into a low carb plan.

1. For the next month or so don't count calories, and don't worry about weight gain or loss. You weight may fluctuate wildly for a while and you need to be prepared so you won't get discouraged. Don't count calories as they will likely regulate themselves and can always be cut back later if necessary. During this time start researching and reading about the different plans.

2. First, cut out all "whites". White flour, rice, sugar, potatoes, etc and all items made with them. So, no white breads, rolls, etc. No potatoes of any kind....and that includes baked as well as fried. No sugar. If you must have sweet, find an acceptable artificial sweetener (AS) and make/buy drinks that contain it. Observe your reactions to the foods you eat, noting especially how soon after eating you get hungry.

3. Start eating 3 regular meals a day with small high protein low carb snacks if needed. Cheese is a great choice for snacks, but many say eating it can lead to a stall. At this point, don’t worry so much about counting things, just eat natural unprocessed foods. If you do used processed foods, choose the one with the best ingredients. You should be eating enough at each meal so you are satisfied, but not overly full. The amount you eat should last until the next meal, although initially you may need snacks to hold you over. If you're used to very low calorie or tight portion control be open to having more than one serving of your protein/fat source. You should never leave the table hungry!

4. Start reading labels. You’ll want to start reading labels on any processed foods you buy or consider buying. Look for the least processed and best ingredients. For example, if you need salsa check out the carb counts and the ingredients. Buy the one that is lower carb especially if it's more natural. Dairy is also a good example. Fat free American cheese contains no fat, but 4 grams carbohydrate per ounce, while full fat cheese contains only 2 grams. Sour cream too....fat free, no fat, but 40 grams of carb per cup while full fat contains only 10 grams per cup. Watch ingredients too. If something says it has no trans-fat, or "0% trans-fat", check the label. Look for “hydrogenated” in the ingredients listing. If that word is there, it's very likely that the food contains at least some trans-fat, but by law can be listed as 0 if it's less than 0.5 grams.

5. Start reading up on low carb plans. There is a ton of information on the web and there are many plans to choose from. Go to your local library or bookstore and read a bit of the plans and see which one you can live with. If, for example, you like to have convenience foods, including frozen meals on hand for quick and easy meals, South Beach might be a better choice than Atkins or Protein Power. Each plan has it's specifics about how much fat, protein, and carb you should eat as well as what kind of foods they come from.

6. Once you decide on a plan, read the book. Front to back, at least once. Take notes or highlight text if you can. But really read the book. Pay attention to the science behind each of the author's points. Does what the author say make sense? Check the claims by searching online and verify facts when you can.

7. When you start on your plan you should follow it as closely as you can. For the first 2 weeks, minimum, do what the plan tells you. If it says to have as much green veggies as you want, then have it. If it tells you to limit something or increase something, then do it. Give yourself a month to decide if this is the right plan for you. Be sure to include exercise in your plan. Resistance training is felt to be more beneficial than cardio by many, but anything that you enjoy is fine.

8. Prepare to record everything you eat as accurately as possible. FitDay.com is an excellent product and is available online for free. If you really want to be accurate, measure and weigh everything you eat or drink. Record any exercise too. Check your weight and measurements and decide on a goal. Write this all down, or record in an online product. (SparkPeople.com is also an excellent free site that has a place to record food, exercise, goals, etc and also features support forums and teams as well as recipes and articles.)

9. Set a start date and de-carb your house. Remove as many of the "unacceptable" foods as you are able to. If you have family that you live with, be sure to get their buy in and agreements to work with you and your plan. At this time, if you haven't already, it would also be a good idea to talk to your doctor and get some baseline blood work done. If you are on any medications you may need your doc's assistance in changing dose as you loose weight. Getting baseline blood work is great to compare to additional work done later.

10. When following your plan, continue to learn more about diet and nutrition. Follow the research, but question anything in the mainstream media. Check out my links to blogs and web sites if you need a place to start!

11. Tweak your plan, after at least 2 weeks of following your plan exactly. If you don't like a certain aspect of your diet then change it. If you prefer meat over veggies it's not likely to cause you problems as long as the meat you eat is unprocessed and the veggies are good quality and as natural as possible. If you're not loosing enough and feel your carb intake is a bit too high, then lower it a bit. And if there is a food that you really miss see if there is any way to incorporate it or a substitute once in a while.

Following low carb may not be for everyone, but for the majority of us it is beneficial and results in lower blood sugar and insulin levels, lower blood pressure and usually significant weight loss. If you feel you are not loosing fast enough, cut back on carbs, and also rethink your expectations. Rapid weight loss is often not sustained over the long term and can cause several physical reactions.

If you properly follow a low carb plan you must make it a life plan. Sure you can follow the plan until you loose the weight you want to loose then go back to "normal" eating....but if you do you will regain the weight you lost, no question. And, if you are going to make this a life plan, you must find one that works for you!

A friend of mine recently asked me to find a list of foods that she cannot eat. Well, unfortunately it's not that easy!! Some people can eat fruit without a problem, but I'll be plagued by cravings if I am not really careful and have adequate fat and protein along with it. On the other hand, most people experience stalls from eating foods containing sugar alcohols (SA), but they don't seem to influence my weight at all. The foods that you "can't" eat are the foods that induce cravings and early hunger.

Limits should be placed on the total number of carbs per meal and not the food. If you are allowed 15 grams per meal and you want a veggie, you have a lot of choices:
Asparagus, cooked = 2 cups
Broccoli, cooked = 1.6 cups
Cucumber = 5 cups
Romaine Lettuce = 11 cups
Corn = 1/3 cup
Brown rice = 1/2 cup (1/3 cup of white rice)
White potato = 1/2 cup
So...you have a lovely piece of roasted chicken (eat the skin!) and along with it you can have a nice salad of lettuce (2 cups), tomato (1/4 cup), cucumber (1/4 cup), and mushroom (1/4 cup), along with an ounce of shredded cheese and 2 tablespoons of full fat creamy dressing, and some broccoli on the side, all for less than 15 grams of carb...or you can have 1/2 cup of potato. If you don't like salad or you're craving potatoes, maybe eating the 1/2 cup serving will be enough. The other thing to consider, and this is highly individualised, but it's likely that the starch in the potato is going to be rapidly metabolized and you will start to feel hungry sooner than you would if you had the salad. But, it's still your choice!! That's what makes any diet doable!


Here are some of the plans I'm somewhat familiar with:
Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution. Probably the best known and most misunderstood of all the plans. You start out with very low carb, no more than 20 grams per day, then increase them after the first 2 weeks. The increase in carbs is to allow people to figure out what their "critical carb level" (CCL) is. Your CCL is the level at which you no longer loose. Drop your carbs back a bit and you should loose steadily. As you get closer to your goal you increase carbs a bit more to slow your loss and gradually transition into maintenance. With this plan the emphasis is having a high intake of fat and a low intake of carbs. You are encouraged to eat veggies and some fruit. Exercise is a part of the plan, no exceptions.
Protein Power Lifeplan. My personal favorite, although what I do now isn't exactly by the book. For Protein Power plans the emphasis is on getting a minimum of a certain level of protein and keeping carbs below a certain level (30 grams/day to start). The original plan was a bit lower in carbs than the later one, but still the emphasis is on the protein (hence the name! LOL). In the first book there was a formula to figure out your minimum protein intake, but in the later book there's a chart for you to look it up. Fat isn't really addressed except to caution to use natural fresh fats over commercial ones.

And some that I'm less familiar with:
South Beach. Basic low carb for the first 2 weeks, then fairly generous for ongoing weight loss. Emphasis is to NOT remain on the initial phase for longer than 2 weeks. (Dr A and PP plans both "allow" you to stay on the initial level longer) This plan is considered low fat to many low carbers, especially those on Atkins. The emphasis isn't so much on quantity of fat as quality. It cautions against trans-fats (just like the Dr A and PP plans), but also cautions against saturated fat. Dr Agatston is/was a cardiologist, so it makes sense that he would fear saturated fats.

Dr Bernstein's books. I've read one and was impressed, but was already doing well with PP so I've never tried any of his plans. Dr Bernstein is a diabetic, a Type 1, who basically experimented on himself, then went to medical school so he would have more credibility. Unfortunately the general media tends to ignore him. He has a lot of good things to say, and promotes a low carb diet for all diabetics.

Other books about low carb, controlled car, low sugar plans:
Paleo Diet. Basically you eat what was available to our ancestors. So meats and any fruits and veggies that can be eaten as is. No processed foods. Meat, fish, gathered or foraged fruits, leaves, and roots of plants, mushrooms, nuts, eggs, and honey...that's pretty much it.

Sugar Shock. Connie Bennett figured out she was having a reaction to eating sugar and started investigating why. Her book gives and excellent explanation of sugar addiction and reactions in the body. She also has some excellent suggestions for those just looking to kick their sugar addiction.

The Zone diet. This one is about balance. The plan is to keep your carbohydrates, protein and fat in a certain ratio: 40/30/30 to be exact. I've heard that the diet can be confusing....and also that it's fantastic.

Sugar Busters. Basically with Sugar Busters you avoid all processed carbs and carbs that are high GI (Glycemic Index), like potatoes and corn.


Check out MY LINKS to low carb sites, books, and information....and have fun!!

Tonight's Dinner:

Brussels Sprouts with butter
cucumber with Caesar dressing
homemade chunky applesauce
herb rubbed roasted pork loin.

My plan:

My plan:

Protein: minimum 100g/day. Ideal 130+g/day
Carbohydrate: Beginning Jan 1, minimum 15g/day, less than 50g/day. Subtract fiber grams only.
Fat: as desired of the following:

• Coconut oil (and other tropical oils)
  
• Butter
• olive oil (not for high heat cooking)
  
• Nut oils (avoid for high heat cooking)
• Bacon fat (minimal unless bacon nitrate free)
• animal fat (fresh)
  

Total calories: 1200+ per day
Intermittent fasting: 24h Jan 1, 2007, as desired.
Exercise: minimum 3X/week

• Cardio: walking daily, starting minimum of 20 minutes.
• Strengthening/toning: Body For Life program

Processed foods: minimal use
Grains: minimal.
Corn, canola, soy and other "industrial" oils: do not use.
HFCS and trans-fats: check all labels and avoid whenever possible.
Artificial sweeteners: minimal use. Mainly use oligofructose (Sweet Perfection brand)

I base my plan primarily from Protein Power Life Plan (2000 edition) with strong influence of Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution (?1992 edition).

Note, this document is in progress, and may be updated at any time.

Updated 9/16/2007

Update and I've been tagged.

Just a quick update.....no I haven't sold my house yet, and yes I'm still packing and cleaning!! Man what a lot of work!!



I've been tagged by Sparky's Girl to list 8 random facts about myself.

First, the Rules:
1) Post these rules before you give your facts
2) List 8 random facts about yourself
3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged


Here are my 8 facts:
1. I have 2 adult children, ages 22 and 25, that I raised as a single mom. (and I'm incredibly proud of them!)
2. At the age of 43 I packed up my kids and myself, sold my house, quit my job, and moved from MA to NC.
3. I'm a RN, and probably became one because of my dad's sister, also a nurse, who I adored.
4. My hair is pretty much completely gray and has been for several years....I first noticed it changing before my 13th birthday.
5. I'm the baby of the family, the youngest of 4. There is 13 yrs between me and my sister, the oldest.
6. I'm a RN, but right now I work as a QA Analyst testing a web-based application for nurses, social workers, etc. I'm self taught in at least 75-80% of what I know about computers and applications.
7. I have 2 dogs, Daisy and Duke, who are rescues. They are a mix (we think) of Doberman, Shepherd and some kind of hound. After I move I might get a kitten.
8. I love birds. I like to feed them, watch them, photograph them....but I can't stand to see them in a cage!!


Now...who will be my victims??
1. Jimmy Moore (Livin La Vida Low Carb)
2. Connie Bennett (Sugar Shock)
3. Mark (Mark’s Daily Apple)
4. Mr & Mrs Fat (Blogging While Fat)
5. Lady Rose (The Diet Pulpit)
6. Crabby (Cranky Fitness)
7. BamaGal (Back Across the Line)
8. Carol (Kudos for Low Carb)

I hope none have already been tagged....I'm way behind in my blog reading!!


OK....Now the REAL reason I'm posting today. I have hit my latest mini-goal!!!



I am soooo psyched!! My goal was 180 by 8/12, and I weighed in Saturday at that, then Sunday at 179.4!! That means I have less than 20 pounds to go!!

Last time I weighed under 180 was when I was pregnant with my son.....yep, the 22 yr old. When I got pregnant with my son I weighed 175....so that's my next goal. I think by December 1. Since I'm so close to goal I know the loss will be slow, and I don't want to set too high a goal and end up getting frustrated.


This weekend I'm going on vacation with a long time friend. We're going to Hilton Head, where she has been able to get a vacation share. We have no idea what the place looks like, but we're going!! I don't even care if it rains all week!! Just being able to get away from work, and the house, and all the rest....and talk to a dear old friends.....who needs sun!!

OK....that's it for now!! I'm hoping once I get back from vacation things will be a bit quieter. But not for too long!! I want to sell my house and move and get back to normal!!

Thanks to all who read my blog and post comments. Be sure to check out the people I've tagged! They all have great blogs!





.

Weigh In week 18

No loss this week, which is actually a 1 pound loss, due to using a different scale.



Last week I bought a digital scale, which weighs about 1 pound heavier than my old one. It's also, I suspect a bit more accurate. Anyway my weight this week, on the digital scale, is the same as it was last week on the old scale.

As mentioned last week, I've been trying to keep my carbs as low as possible and increasing my protein intake. This past week I have averaged 124g fat, 38g carb and 139g protein. That calculates out to, in percentages, 61% calories from fat, 6% from carbs and 32% protein.

I use Fitday PC for recording everything and noticed today, when I recorded my weight, that I have lost:
6 pounds in the last month,
12 pounds in the last 2 months,
28 pounds in the last 4 months, and
41 pounds in the past year!!


Went to see my GI doc on Friday. Routine check up, no big deal, I like this doc a lot. This guy is 100% in favor of me going low carb, and has mentioned in the past that he'd used low carb when he was younger to loose weight. He's been very encouraging as I've lost weight, and this appointment he was happy to see that I've gone down another 25# since my last appointment.

Anyway, he noted that he needs to loose weight, but said he has trouble sticking with it for more than a few days. (LOL) He asked me about what plan I was using, and I told him Protein Power and mentioned the The 30 Day Low Carb Solution as a great place to start. I also recommended that he make a commitment to stick with it for at least 2 weeks, no matter how hard it is! He actually wrote down the name of the book and the authors! I also noted that Dr Mike has a great blog that had all kinds of great information.

Then he told me that many of the cardiologist he knew, from the local (major, nationally known) medical center, were themselves using low carb and actually recommending it to their patients!!! Of course they're only suggesting it for the short term, but hey, it's a start!!

This, of course, lead to a discussion about cholesterol levels, and I noted that mine have dramatically improved on low carb. Prior to low carb my triglycerides were "too high to count" (over 700 per my MD), my total was over 400 and my LDL couldn't be calculated due to the high triglycerides. With those numbers I was put on Lipitor, which brought my total down to the 150s, didn't change my triglycerides much (under 700, but still very high) and dropped my HDL even lower than it had been. I stopped the Lipitor due to severe reactions (depression, memory problems, joint and muscle aches and pains, to name a few) and saw my total go back up to over 350. My last test my total was 240, and my triglycerides were 142....both BIG improvements (if you believe the cholesterol = heart disease theory that is).


Something I've been noticing lately.....is it me? or are women not even trying to hold in their belly today? I'm a child of the 50s and I can remember being told to hold my belly in as it looks much more attractive. You can actually appear thinner by simply holding in your belly. But lately, I've noticed that women don't seem to care anymore. Even thin women seem to be walking around with it all hanging out. Granted they don't have as much hanging out, but the rounded belly seems to be more common than in the past.


I've been reading a lot of posts and articles about Alli lately too. As many of you know, this is the drug that was recently approved for over the counter use for weight loss.

Here are some comments from users (and critics) from an article on MSNBC.

It took me three months to lose 10 lbs. I started Alli two weeks ago and since starting it I have lost 6 lbs. -- in two weeks!!! I didn't change the way I was eating and other than a little gas, have no side effects, no "Alli oops".

I suspect this person has done more than just start taking Alli. Six pounds in ` week is a lot...especially for a drug that only claims modest results!

This sounds like something from an episode of South Park.

I couldn't agree more!

You have got to be kidding me...
Anyone who is ok with greasy orange goop slipping out of their butt and smelling like poo all day should be seeing a shrink.

Yep.

Let's see -- the instructions recommend limiting fat intake to 42 grams per day. Each gram of fat contains about 9 calories, so that's 378 calories per day of fat. And they say that Alli blocks the absorption of about 1/4 of that, which is about 95 calories per day. Even without the side effects, how can 95 calories per day make a noticable difference???

Hmmmm, yea, the math doesn't add up does it?

And this one is probably the grossest and most disturbing:

“(Y)a know how when you start moving around in the morning ya pass a little gas. Well, I did and then went into the bathroom and to my horror I had an orange river of grease running down my leg.”

Gross gross gross!!! No one mentions the smell that comes with the "orange river of grease", but I find it hard to believe there isn't a pretty strong smell!!

And, of course, this woman has no idea:

Alli is not only causing me to eat healthier, it has also cause my breast to enlarge. I went from a 34B to a 38B in less than a month.

Ummmm, sweetie? 34 to 38 simply means your band size has gotten bigger!! The 34 and 38 measurements is the size of your chest, under your breasts. So this increase means that either your rib cage got bigger (unlikely) or you actually gained weight (maybe) or your old bras were stretched out to the larger size and you never noticed (most likely in my opinion).

Dr Mike posted a while ago about Alli...take a look. Of course Dr Mike posted as a warning for low carbers, who tend to have a higher fat intake. He also mentions a possible legitimate use for Alli and Orlistat.

What bothers me about Alli? Well a couple of things.

First off, many people today are deficient in several vitamins that are fat soluble (Like A, D and E) and this is just going to make things worse. If you don't absorb the fat, you also won't absorb the vitamins that require fat to be absorbed and used.

Second...OK so you believe that fat makes you fat. In my opinion it's better to naturally cut back on fat than it is to take a pill to prevent it from being absorbed. And what about Fish oil? won't this fat also be blocked? It sure will!!

And lastly, watch for increasing blood sugars, blood pressure, and all the other "side effects" of eating a low fat high carb diet!!! As people cut fat intake, and they will cut it once they have an episode or two of loose and greasy stools, they will make up the calories in carbs. Not protein, as we all know that protein is almost as bad as fat, but carbs. And higher carb intake means you're more likely to have higher blood sugar and blood insulin levels, higher BP, higher triglycerides, and of course more visceral fat deposits!! (No to mention the stress of constantly worrying about pooping your pants!)

Click here for a rather comical, but gross commercial that Dr Mike posted.

Blog roll.
Some interesting posts over the past week or so:

Regina Wilshire posted on stress and it's influence on weight gain. She's also asking for input from people that have successfully lost weight and maintained it, as well as those that can't seem to maintain.

Sparky's Girl has posted excellent advice for a newbie. And, while you're there, check out her new photography site!

Emily's back!! Yay!! She's back on track with a new blog. Stop by and give her some encouragement!

For those of you that don't know it yet, Dr Mary Dan Eades has a new blog.

Dr Mike has again posted on a complicated issue and made it seem so simple. This time the topic is dietary protein and why it's important.


Dumb, dumb, DUMB!!! I just decided to give my dogs baths and strained my back!! I can't believe I did this!! My lower back and my entire pelvis is hurting...bad!!

Weigh In week 5

Well, true to form, at least my latest, no loss again this week. I seem to be loosing every other week. Oh well, at least I didn't gain!


Had a nice surprise this past week. I have google mail, and on there you can set up "alerts" which will send you an email whenever there is a new article, news item or blog about a topic of choice. So naturally, I set one up for low carb! Well, imagine my surprise when I see the name of my blog mentioned, but not in an article I posted! So I follow the link and find a very well written piece about low carb diets. And, near the end of the article, I see my blog listed as "Other Great Resources on this Nutritional Approach"!!! What? Me? MY blog? Cool!!!

Needless to say, I've added Mark's blog to my list of must read blogs! Check it out! His article How to Lose Weight and Keep it off Permanently, is very well written. Mark is "25 years young, Irish and hopelessly addicted to continually improving myself in every area of my life and, in turn, sharing this knowledge with others." Looks like a good site to watch!


Last week, I posted about my visit to the doc's with ankle pain. Well, since then, things have gotten interesting. Not interesting good, however.

After reading a post on Dr Mike's blog, I started taking Krill oil (2 caps/day, increased to 4/day. 500mg each) and noticed a VERY fast reaction!! I have fairly severe degenerative arthritis in my spine and pelvis, have bone spurs in my neck and pelvis, and have at least 3 (old) ruptured discs. I've also been told I have bursitis in both shoulders (L worse than R).

I took 1 pill Friday (3/30) evening, and then 1 in AM and 1 in PM daily. Yesterday (4/7) I increased it to 2 AM and PM.

Sunday afternoon....not even 48hrs after the 1st dose, I noticed my neck didn't hurt!! When I do my stretching I still notice the pull, but much less painful, but no pain at rest, no pain with movement!!! This has been pretty consistent over the week. I get a little pain, but it doesn't last long.

Now, this is the reason I increased the NKO: For several months now, I've noticed that I often have joint pains, in joints that have never bothered me before (except one knee). When I started paying attention, I found that I would have pain in 1 or 2 joints, it would last for about 36-48hrs, and go away. Sometimes another joint or two would start in, sometimes I'd have several days between episodes.

Both ankles, knees, elbow, wrist and various finger joints. About 2 weeks ago I ended up in urgent care for my right ankle, which was now also red and swollen. Doc first said gout, then strain, and gave me the name of a new doc (long story, but no PCP for over a year). Since then, I've continued to have various joint pains, but only my left knee was red or hot. Well, over the last few days I've had red, hot, swollen joints: right (inner)wrist (Friday), base of right index finger (Saturday), and now (Sunday) the last joint of my right middle finger. I see the new doc 4/20. I've done some research, and think I might have rheumatoid arthritis. I hope I'm wrong.

I'm a bit concerned, as I'm figuring the NKO is helping to at least lower the degree of inflammation, but yet I'm seeing redness, swelling and a fair bit of heat in the joints...I mean, what would I be seeing if not for the fish oil and NKO!?

Anyway, whatever this is, at least my neck and back don't hurt!!

I've been following Protein Power pretty cleanly since Jan 2. Few processed foods, cooking/preparing almost all my own foods, mostly keeping under 50g carb a day. I also take Mg, CoQ10 and a couple of other supplements. I still take fish oil, but cut back to 4/day.

I've read a bit on anti-inflammation diets, and the only thing I eat that they say I shouldn't (except more fats than allowed) is red meat. Beef is big in my diet. I love beef. I'd be willing to cut back or even stop it, but I'm not sure it would be worth it.

I am planning on calling the doctor's office and see if I can move the appointment up some, but I doubt they will have anything.


I've only been checking my blood sugar in the morning, fasting sugars over the past week have been running 84-86. I did check after one meal, but I had been drinking tea (with milk) so I'm not sure the after meal reading (95 after 1hr) was really accurate.

Back from the land of Binge

Yes, that Binge, with a capital B.

I can't believe I did this, but I fell headfirst into a lot of garbage carbs! I'm not going to go into details....partly out of embarassment of what I ate. Let's just say Easter is around the corner, and the stores are well stocked!

Anyway I'm back. I decided I had to start this out with a fast, so I'm fasting today and part of tomorrow. I'll start eating again tomorrow at lunch.

I know lots of people will fron on this method, but for me it works. I'll fast for 24-30 hours, then start eating again, keeping to "intervention" level carbs for a week or so, then moving to "transition", where I'll stay until I get to maintenence.

Fasting breaks the cycle for me, especially when I go on a bad binge like I did this time. It's been a tough day. Telling myself that I'm fasting....then wanting to have something. But, I stuck with coffee, tea and water and I'm good now. I probably won't even be hungry tomorrow, but lunch will taste soooooo good! I'm thinking Caesar Salad at my favorite place near work, Baba Ghanoush (Cary, NC).

I've also set a new goal. I'm trying to get up to Massachusetts again this summer. One of my "adopted" daughters (my DD's friend) is getting married and I want to see it happen!!! I also want to have ankles that I want to show off. I want to get a sexy summer dress to wear. I want to look GOOD!!!

So here's my goal. Today is March 5, 2007 and by August 6, 2007 I want to loose 50 pounds. That sounds like a lot, but it's not too bad. That's 5 months to loose 50 pounds. That's 10 pounds per month. If I stick with my plan and do my exercising, I should be fine.

Not sure just yet what I'm going to be doing for exercise, the first few days after a binge I'm usually not good for much. Right now, stick with walking the dogs, and I'll figure out what else by the end of the week. I have to get my weight bench out of my son's room so I can get back into my strength training.

I'd really like to set a size goal, rather than weight, but I have NO idea what size I'll be when I get to goal. I know I'll at least be a size 14, but no idea if any lower. I'm 5'8" and good size build, so I know I'll never be a size 2. And if I ever DO get down to a size 2 there is something SERIOUSLY wrong with the sizes they sell today! LOL

I'll post my weight ticker and exercise goals later this week. I wanted to commit to this and now I have to get to sleep!!!

Last day of the year!!

Recomitting, Starting Over.....

Whatever we want to call it, it's all the same thing. We need, at times, to blow off some steam.....and some of us do that with food. When that happens, we need to recommit to our original plan towards health and weight loss.

For me, this time, the trigger was staying home too long after my son's accident.....combined being cash poor.....and the holiday season.

I was doing great when Bri had his accident. I was quite proud of myself for not eating anything unacceptable on my plan. I worked from home for about 2 1/2 weeks after the accidnet....so far, so good. Then, after seeing the doc.....and going back to work to find homemade cookies on my desk (my boss's famous sugar cookies and the best oatmeal chocolate chip ever)....and having a "holiday breakfast" at work that was 95% carbs....and not having enough money to buy what I want for Christmas presents.....well, it all kinda came crashing down.

At first I was careful, I had some of the treats at the breakfast, but had a good lunch and dinner. Of course I had some of the cookies, but I shared them with my son.

But then things got totally out of control. Today I have had lots of bad stuff.....not just high carb, but junk! Highly processed, empty calorie, high carb junk. Today I was better than I was yesterday. Today I limited myself, "allowed" myself just a little, after eating good, healthy foods.

January 1, 2007 I totally recommit to changing my lifestyle to what I believe is the healthiest lifestyle.

That lifestyle includes

• Following a low carb plan, specifically Protein Power Life Plan
• Protein requirements = 102g/day (102g = 408 calories)
  
• Carb level = under 40g/day (40g = 160 calories)
• Total daily calories at least 1200.
  
• No fruit X2 weeks, then berries to start
  
• Minimal use of dairy and grains
• Nuts allowed up to once a day
  
• Drinking lots of plain water, at least 80% of intake
• Hot coffee with cream or hot tea with milk acceptable
• Sugar free soda max 2 bottles/cans per week
• NO sugar free hot chocolate
  
• Getting into an exercise program I can keep up.....details to follow
• Minimizing the use of processed foods, artificial sweeteners
  
• Looking for recipe to make small amount of mayo, say a cup or two?
  
• Looking for recipe to make small amount of dressing, 1 cup max.
  

January 1, I will measure myself and record the measurements in Fitday PC. I will also weigh myself. I fear I may be back where I started weight-wise.....and I'm sure at least some of my measurements are larger. I will also update my ticker and post it here.

I am starting with 3 challenges.

• Loose 20 pounds in 20 weeks.
  
• January 1 = starting date
• May 21 = ending date
  
• Walk in neighborhood at least 3 times a week
• Try at least 2 new recipes a month. Record recipe, picture, and opinion here.

Still have to come up with an exercise plan I can live with....but walking and biking will be part of it.

Tomorrow starts a new year. I am hoping it will be a better year. 2006 was not a good year overall, so I am really hoping 2007 will be better!!!

Low Carb Living

I've read a lot of posts on forums and message boards, and I've read a lot of blogs, and I've read a lot of articles about low carb, high protein and/or high fat diets. Isn't it amazing how many people have a strong opinion about something that they know little or nothing about?

One forum I'm on, a diet site that is extremely pro low fat, I posted the results of a study done that shows that people with a higher protein intake have smaller waists. A fellow poster called this an "urban legend". Huh? The results of a study....a study done on almost 45,000 people...a study that has been published in the world’s most prestigious nutritional journal...THIS is an "urban legend"??

On another forum, someone posted a question of whether low carb diets are good for you. Again, this is an extremely pro low fat diet site. Various comments include:
--"eating low carb is not good for u." (ok...opinion stated as fact, nothing more)
--"i have never done a low carb diet, but my theory is that if you go on a diet that you are not happy with you wont keep the weight of." (and obviously no one can be happy eating low carb, right?)
--"I agree with the previous poster. If you feel you cannot stick to a food plan for the rest of your life, it's not a good one to be following. You need carbs for brain function and to fuel your activities." (the human body, a most amazing thing, is fully capable, given enough protein, of "creating" all the glucose you need)
--"i don't eat red meat at all, i don't eat butter at all, i only eat olive oil (1 teaspoon for salad), i only eat chicken or fish , i eat every fruit possible and any veggie except potatoes cause i hate them! i eat cheese, yogurt and milk and only egg whites" (this poster later admits she's a former vegetarian....and few vegetarians are big on low carb)
--"I've never done the Atkins because I get so concerned about fat and cholesterol." (well, until the medical/pharmaceutical Industry stops brain washing people into believing fat is bad, cholesterol is bad, etc there's not much you can do with a comment like this)
--"First of all, the brain and other body systems NEED carbs to function properly." (like I already said, the body is capable of metabolising protein to provide all the blood glucose you need....besides, low carb doesn't mean NO carb!)

So many people voicing opinions as fact. So many people stating "facts" that are just incorrect. So many people who don't have a clue about what their bodies need!!!

Our bodies need 2 things, other than air and water, and the 2 things we need are protein and fat. There are "essential amino acids" that are required and can only be taken in as food, we cannot manufacture them without protein. And there are "essential fatty acids", which are required for various body functions. However, there are NO essential carbohydrates!!!!

Fats are needed for various things:
1. Without fat you can't absorb certain vitamins.
2. Fat is an integral part of virtually every cell membranes.....in fact, saturated fats make up about 50% of the membrane!
3. Fat can be converted to glucose by the liver
4. Fats are required, again specifically saturated fats, to properly use calcium and incorporate it into the bone structure.
5. Fats are required for proper function of the immune system and in fighting infections.
5. Fats are required for formation of stress hormones and reproductive hormones, and growth hormones.

Now for a word of caution about vegetable fats. Vegetable fats are very high in Omega 6 polyunsaturated oils. Too high an intake in Omega-6 can lead to a disruption in the production of prostaglandins, which can lead to an increased tendency to form blood clots, inflammation, high BP, irritation of the digestive tract, depressed immune function, sterility, cancer and weight gain.

It's best to stick with saturated fats and mono saturated fats. Monosaturates come from nuts and olives. Corn, soy, canola, and other vegetable oils contain mainly polyunsaturates and should be avoided due to their high Omega-6 content.

Trans-fats, artificially hydrogenated unsaturated fats, should be avoided at all costs. More on this in a later post.

Protein is also essential for good health:
1. Proteins are essential for healthy muscles
2. Protein is essential for healthy strong bones
3. Protein is required by virtually every cell in the body and is essential for proper function and replacement of cells.
4. A healthy nervous system is dependent on protein.
5. Protein helps move energy into cells.
6. Protein is required by many cell components, which have to bind with protein to be used or transported.
7. Protein is essential in the creation of many enzymes in the body, which are required for many cell functions, including DNA repair and replication and RNA sysnthesis.

Now, for Low carb diets. I am NO expert on low carb diets, but they all pretty much limit carbs and replace them with either protein or fat, or both.

I'm sure there's at least one out there, but every low carb diet I have read about encourages intake of veggies and some fruits. Yes, they also more or less encourage fat and protein intake, but they also encourage home cooking and avoiding processed foods and "fake" foods.

FAQ about low carb diets:

Can you stick with a low carb lifestyle for many years? Certainly, many people do. Check out some of the blogs out there! Some have lost hundreds of pounds and have been following a low carb lifestyle for 5, 10, 20 years and some even longer!

Is low carb safe? Of course it is. It's the diet we evolved on. Science shows that when we started eating meat is when our brains grew and developed. Even today many tribes follow a low-carb diet and not only do they survive on it, they thrive on it!!

Doesn't eating so much protein put a "strain" on your liver and kidneys? Nope. Our liver's job, in part, is producing the correct chemicals (bile salts) needed to digest meat. And for those of us with healthy kidneys, there is no problem with a high protein intake.

But what about ketones? Don't they cause ketoacidosis? Nope. Benign dietary ketosis is simply a result of burnign fat. We use carbs before fat, so with low carb you burn fat faster, so therefore have more ketones. Ketoacidosis, on the other hand, is a potentially fatal condition that results from high blood sugar. With diabetics, the body essentially gets confused with too much sugar in the blood and not enough insulin. Because a diabetic can't handle the blood sugar, the body thinks it's starving and begins to break down fat for energy. This leads to a high level of ketones, along with high blood sugar, and can result in coma and even death if not treated.

Isn't the high fat content of many low carb diets a danger for heart disease? fatty liver? metabolic syndrome? diabetes? Once again, the answer is no. Heart disease seems more and more to be the result of inflammation, and/or oxidized LDL. Fatty liver is actually caused by too high a carb intake, as is metabolic syndrome and diabetes (Type 2).

Does low carb really result in faster weight loss? For many of us yes, but I'm sure not for all. To me the biggest plus in dieting with low carb is that you stop having cravings and at the same time eat foods that fill you up faster and stick with you longer than even unrefined, high fiber carbs.

But don't we need carbohydrates? No, we have no "need" for carbohydrates, but we do need to have glucose. Our bodies can and do use ketones for energy, but some organs do require glucose. If there are adequate calories, fat and protein the body can and does "manufacture" all the glucose we need. We don't NEED carbs, but we do need glucose.....isn't it amazing that our bodies can produce all that we need as long as we get enough good food?

OK....so what's the downside of low carb diets? Well, for many the initial withdrawal can be horrendous. In fact, many call it the "low carb flu". This will pass, however, if you stick with the plan and keep your carb intake low. There is also a "side effect" of bad breath....specifically "ketone breath". And yes, this can be quite nasty. There are times that I feel like I haven't brushed my teeth in days!!! But, increasing your fluid intake (always a good thing) can help with this. Many find that this goes away after being on plan for a while, probably because of an increase in carb intake.

Low carb diets can also lower your blood pressure, so some may have to monitor it, especially if they take blood pressure medication. Low carb can (and does) also lower clood sugar, so again, if on medication it will have to be monitored.

Additionally, some people complain about constipation, but if you get enough fluids and fiber, this shouldn't be a problem. Many of the low carb diets recomend supplementing with additional fiber, but personally, I've never found a need to supplement.

Some people also might see a transient rise in the blood cholesterol levels, but this is not usually a problem. For one thing, saturated fats increase your HDL cholesterol, which most feel are beneficial, and secondly the rise in LDL cholesterol, if seen, is often a rise in the big, fluffy kind of LDL, which is not considered dangerous. Evidence also shows that levels normalize within a year or so. (of course, there is no real evidence that high cholesterol causes heart disease, but that's another subject) The other thing about low carb diets, which some feel is the most important, is that blood triglyceride levels usually fall dramatically, and most feel that high triglycerides are a major contributor to heart disease.

So, if you're interested, give low carb a try. BUT, it it very important for you to read a book or two about the plan you pick prior to starting on it. Personally I usually recomend Atkins (Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution or DANDR) or Protein Power Life Plan (PPLP). Both DANDR and PPLP encourage natural foods over artificial and processed foods. Both also note that exercise is VITAL for properly following a low carb lifestyle.

If you can't afford to buy a book, or not sure of what plan will suit you, I have 2 recomendations. Forst, go to your local library and see what they have. Second, check out the ActiveLowCarber Forum for a synopsis of the various low carb plans. Once you decide which plan sounds like you can work with, try it for 2 weeks. And give it your all.....for just 14 days. Remember you might feel horrible the first few days, but stick it out. If, after 14 days you don't feel better, them maybe low carb isn't for you.

Weigh Day, Week 5

Short Term Goal:



I apologise to anyone who's been following my weight tracker. I keep getting the numbers mixed up! This week I lost 2#. I am very happy about that and hope it keeps up. I'm happy with 1-2# a week, and even a no loss here and there. But I hate it when I gain!!!

From my starting weigh to now, I'm down 40#!!! Just 3 more and I'll be halfway there!! I still have a skirt and 2 pair of pants that I want to be able to get into. Probably another 15-20# before those will fit, but that's OK.....I've got a goal!

On my short-term goal of 20 pounds in 20 weeks, I'm down 14 and have 6 to go!! Woo hoo!!

Once this 20 in 20 is over I'm going to immediately start another goal. I think that's the best way for me to work.

Oh well...back to the plan. I fasted a couple of days this past week, so all my totals look pretty messed up. I am definitely not eating twice the calories on my eating day, but mainly I'm not getting the protein I need. Tomorrow I fast, then when I start to eat again I'm going to look towards higher protein foods. I find I feel better with the higher protein. I've been eating pretty much on plan, although the past 24hrs have not been. I need to get back to drinking the protein shakes and eating meat and fish instead of cheeses and eggs.

I really enjoy following PPLP! My back and neck feels better, I have more energy and just all around feeling of wellness. It's hard to describe unless you've felt it. But to eat foods that you like and are truly healthy foods, your body knows it's getting what it needs and responds accordingly. I sleep better on low carb too!

Things are going to get a bit stressful over the next few months.

I'm trying to get my house straightened out so I can put it on the market and move into a much smaller place. The place is a mess and I own way too many things!!! I am really going to downsize on what I have!!! I went to see a place on a whim last week and was amazed at how little storage I'm going to have!!! I never even considered that part! LOL

Many are going to think I'm nuts, but I want a little place 800-1000 sq ft is ideal. I will absolutely need to have some outside storage, for lawn mower if nothing else. I only want 2 bedrooms, but would take 3 if the price and location is right. My son may or may not go with me, but if he does, it won't be for long! Then it's just me and the puppies! Yippee!!!!

I sometimes think I'm nuts. I love my kids, and I'm very proud of them....but I can't wait to live alone again!!! All I've truly had in living alone was a couple of months before getting married. When Jeanne and I still lived together, but she really lived with Fred. Before Stephen moved in and we got married. Since that day I have lived with others, and I'm tired of it.

I want to be able to put something down and have it remain where I put it. I want to know that anything in my house is not going to get touched unless I allow it. I just want to be alone for a while!!! Oh I am sooo bad! LOL

Actually, I figure some day one or the other are going to come home. Even if it's just for a visit. And, someday I'll probably have grandchildren! I hope to be the nana that they go to sleep over with! My kids had a great relationship with my mom, and I hope I'm at least as good a nana as she was!

Oh well....enough for today. I'm not going to post my totals this week, but will probably next week. I am going to continue to fast, but during non-fasting times I'm going to stick with the plan and go for protein.


Long Term Goal: