Food Choices

For everyone around the world, there are so many choices to make about what we eat, when we eat, why are we eating, and where we are eating. Most of us do not actually stop and think about it. For me, I have come to the conclusion that this is part of my challenge.

Well, at least I know that I did not. This was a big revelation for me. Until, the time came for me to work harder on losing weight, it never occurred to me. The one thing that I do know is that I must stop using the "D" word. Simply knowing what and why I am making the food choices that I make is the secret for me. Not being on a "diet."

First of all, I know that I won't follow a program if it is complex. What is complicated for me, may work for another person. All is good! We all have our preferences. I have learned that more and more people all around me were losing weight by taking away high carbohydrates from their diets. Let me break that down for you just in case you were like me and did not know about trying to follow a low carb program. 

It simply means that there are no potatoes, breads, sugars, pasta, and most fruits and veggies. Notice that I did highlight the word simply. The first time that I heard that, I just skipped on to something else. It was not going to work for me, a person who loves bread, adores potatoes and pasta dishes. No way!

So for me, in my mindset, it would not work. Weight Watchers was just too complicated in keeping up with all of those points. I was trying to use an app program that as long as I put in my foods, it kept my calorie count. Sometimes, my calories had been used by 2 p.m. and I was still hungry. (Basically, because what I was eating was high in carbs). I even tried a very expensive nationwide program that worked quickly in the beginning. Then the weight plateau happened and I began having severe sharp pains in my head, as if I had been zapped with an electric wand. Turned out that I was consuming too much aspartame and this affected my nervous system. My doctor said to get off this program and see if it stops. It did. Almost immediately. 

If counting calories by me and exercising did not really work for me then what would? 

At least a dozen different people were answering the questions of many friends about their weight loss. The answer was always the same. They gave up high carb foods. They tried to stay in the 20 - 30 net carb range per day. I sort of had my doubts, no, let me be perfectly honest. It was more than just doubting, however, since I had not at least tried it, I could not justify that this way of eating would or would not work for me. Change can be a good thing.

Researching low carb and keto programs became my focus until I felt comfortable going for it. The keto way was just a bit much for me. It turns out that you can go and get a meter at the drug store to check your blood to be sure that your body is in ketosis. If not, then you must cut more carbs out. Diabetics must do this. After researching more and having a friend who was losing weight in a good way tell me to watch a YouTube video with Bob Briggs called, Butter Makes Your Pants Fall Off.

I did and I learned so much about foods to avoid and why. What impressed me the most is that he was not trying to sell anything. He had nothing to sell. Turned out that he had a few homemade videos that showed some recipes that anyone could make. I even googled other low carb recipes, as well as what would be good to have in our refrigerator and pantry. 

There are very few restaurants that we can't go to and order low carb meals. Most will substitute any item that you can't eat such as a potato or rice. They will hold the bun so that you can eat a delicious burger with all the mayonnaise and mustard that you want, along with cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato even with some avocado and topped with an egg if you want. 

There are many things about this program that I do not understand; such as why blood pressure does not go through the roof or cholesterol. In one of the videos, it explains that people with the pear shape (big in the middle) are usually insulin resistant. It seems the answer is that their body does not burn fat the same way that other bodies do. It certainly explains the thin people walking around eating anything they like, yet never gaining a single pound. While others can lower their calorie intake and still have trouble. A la me!

I did ask my doctor about low carb/high fat programs and he said that it seems to work for a lot of people and he has not seen any negative side effects. I started slowly to read more and more about what is good and how to go about it all. It took me a while to not grab the low calorie foods, as in salad dressings, mayonnaise, cheeses, milk, etc. In fact, a lot of our cooking now is done with heavy cream, real butter, meats, certain vegetables and fruits, natural peanut butter, snacks of nuts...who knew?

There is an app for my phone that is called CarbManager that helps keep the percents of low carbs, higher fats and proteins. That helps me tremendously. The biggest surprise of all is just how much better I feel. No more Tums, blood pressure has never been a problem and my last check of cholesterol was down. 

The best thing of all is that we can remain eating this way. When something very special comes up, we can have some of it. For example, High Tea at The Peabody is a three course meal. Starts with three tiers of little finger sandwiches. Then a hot freshly baked blueberry scone with clotted cream and butter, and last, a three tier serving of small size desserts. NO one is going to say no to this. We simply watched what we ate the day before and the following days. Just staying on the lower side of net carbs. It worked.

Both of us are losing weight and inches. Both of us are feeling good and have more energy than before. Steve's doctor continues to take away meds that he no longer needs. 

All I can say is that it works for us. This is not something that one just goes back to eating anything and everything when the weight is off. There will come a time that when we decide that we want to splurge and have pizza, then by gosh we will. We both know that our bodies do not break down the sugars in the carbs the way some other bodies do, therefore, once we are where we are happy with our body shapes, we will continue eating healthy. It is a fact that we will be able to keep the weight off by eating the healthy way for our own bodies.

If this strikes a chord within you, please take the time to hear out Bob Briggs on some of his YouTube videos. The most unbelievable thing is that the above picture is on YouTube and there really is a song called this. Some guys from England watched Bob's videos and wrote this song. It is priceless. Enjoy!