Change your eating habits, a little bit at a time.....

This is excerpted from a conversation on a social media site:

Me: perhaps we should challenge each other.... 5 lbs? lose 5. I have had the self discipline to quit sugar. If I could do that, .... I should be able to do anything. Never mind..... I am coming to believe that my weight issue may be related to auto-immune..... Get healthier on some level, my friend, live longer.

Friend: yes. Going to work on losing, at least some of this weight.

Me: Regardless of the why of the extra weight...I believe that an actual lifestyle change is necessary and helpful.... Try to give up one thing,... some bad habit food item, and in its place substitute a vegetable (preferably), or a fruit.... and always keep in mind that everything has calories, so don't overdo any food. Moderation is key.

Me: I did not quit sugar over night. It took 4 weeks.

Friend: to be truthful it is the amount and the timing rather than what I eat. Overall my spouse and I eat pretty healthy by avoiding processed foods and bad carbs. Plus cooking in healthier ways.

Me: see! exactly: the amount. Learn to take one less spoonful. Don't try to back down all at once.... a little less to eat each week... slowly readjust the portion sizes.  Slowly.

Me: d I have had more sugar and carbs on two occasions recently, one week apart. (this is called carb cycling – in connection with a keto diet).  By the way, I don't like the way sugar tastes, now.

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refer also to my blog post of 1/12/2018 "diet: the sum of food...."


What is important is making changes for the better.  I have quit sugar. Not entirely, but largely -- I do not add sugar to things.  I do use a keto diet recommended natural sweetener in some things. As I stated to my friend - I did not quit sugar "cold turkey", it was a process,... I did not plan it out.  First I quit drinking Pepsi -probably the single largest source of my sugar intake.  I was drinking 1 -12 ounce Pepsi a day Monday through Thursday only.  Now I drink iced tea that is 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugar....and not that much caffeine.

This entire dietary change has been a long and slow process.  To begin with- at the beginning of 2017 I finally had the opportunity to make my life gluten free 100% when it comes to food.  I stopped eating in restaurants for the most part,...only dining out once a month.  I ate less food each day, measuring portions sizes to some extent, but not religiously.  I lost a few pounds over the course of several months.  It was the fact that I stuck to a pattern of eating less, and eating healthier foods that generated the minor weight loss.  The thing is that, after several months, I became involved in a project that takes up my time, but can also be stressful,... so the weight loss stalled. (I have been known to eat more when I am stressed, and this is from inactivity, not overload.) My weight has been consistent for a few months now.  (At least that is something....)

I have failed to achieve ketosis.  The problem lies in a lack of fats,.... I am eating too much protein and vegetable food.  I am examining the process.  Here is the IMPORTANT part:  I quit sugar! and I feel better than I have felt in a few years.  The fatigue that comes with auto-immune disorders has returned. (I have celiac disease, which is autoimmune.)  

Other pertinent facts:  I take vitamins,.... a multivitamin, B vitamins, B12, and currently calcium, magnesium, and 2,000 mg of Vitamin C, most of this daily, some every other day.  I also take a daily fiber supplement, acidophilus, allergy meds, and 1 clove of raw garlic- minced.

I sleep at least 6 hours most nights, and strive for a solid 8 hours --that is to say that I am reclined in bed for 8 full hours almost every night.  What can you do -you just wake up... 

At present I have come to believe that 2 things are true... 1 -which I have known all along, is that I need more exercise... (which is being worked on more due to a new job assignment, much farther from the parking lot, meaning that I now walk at least 2 miles a day.)...   and 2 -the weight is partially inflammation, and it is due to my autoimmune disorder.

Nonetheless, I am not going to give up.  I may not be achieving ketosis, but I am on the paleo diet side of a ketosis diet... I am consuming more "good" fats, more vegetables, and a better level of protein than can be achieved with "snack" bars.  When I feel like my stomach is empty I eat something,.... when I only think I want to eat I now stage an argument with myself in an effort to stop myself from eating by verbalizing, aloud, my objection to my own behaviour.

I found a very good ketosis cookbook, and I make my own "sweet" treats, mostly cocoa powder, peanut butter, and coconut oil.  And these "candies" can be easy to make, requiring a few ingredients and only a few minutes.  (my only real expense was purchasing a silicone "muffin" tray --easier to remove candy from. and not that costly, especially when you remember that I am no longer purchasing candy bars to eat.)

As an aside: look at everything you consume in a day/week/month.... How much sugar are you consuming?  Sugar, in every form, is a plague upon the population,... addiction to sugar is as bad as addiction to drugs.  Right now you are scoffing at my suggestion to examine your sugar intake.... you -YES YOU! are telling yourself that you don't consume that much sugar,... you are lying to yourself. I know, because I once was exactly like you!  You consume far more sugar that you realize (unless you are on certain diet disciplines (like Atkins, Paleo, or Ketosis).  Google this: "low carb or sugar free diets", and pick any article on that first page -skip any advertisements. 

What I am saying is this: 
..know yourself -think of any symptoms at all that your are experiencing
..examine your dietary habits
..read labels for sugar and/or carb content
..Read articles, look up information, and educate yourself
..drink more water -less soda pop, even diet soda
..TAKE BABY STEPS
..try to cut back on snacking (substitute another activity for putting food in your mouth)
..slowly adjust your portion sizes so that you eat a little bit less, but are not actually hungry....

There is NO "magic pill".....

MAKE LITTLE CHANGES -SLOWLY 

YOU GOTTA WANT TO.....and ..... YOU CAN DO IT.

be healthier my friends, live longer.....