So, it's no big secret: I'm a bit overweight. Okay, more than a bit. I've put on a lot of weight since Eric and I got married almost 10 years ago. (It'll be 10 years on May 19th!) We both have. I've been trying to watch what I eat lately, counting calories eaten and burned, cutting out the sweets (mostly), drinking LOTS of water and cutting back on my fat intake. I've been exercising between 3 and 6 times a week. I have been doing pretty well with the exception of a few cheat days and a week of being so sick I could hardly get off the couch. I lost 7 1/2 pounds in about 3 weeks, which is good. But, I haven't really been feeling better. I've been tired and feeling hungry and deprived most of the time. I have a goal of losing 20 pounds by my birthday and if I could stick to my plan, I could probably make it. However, I'm not sure I could continue sticking to that plan. I don't do well with deprivation. I tend to get to a breaking point, then I binge on junk and feel like a failure. Time to change tactics.
Eric and I watched Fat Head last week when I was sick. There was a lot of information in that film that made a lot of sense to me. And it got me thinking and asking questions:
1) Why has the government told us to eat a lot of grains as part of a healthy diet when animals are fed grain to fatten them up? Can't wrap my head around that one.
2) Is the abundance of gluten allergies these days occurring because our bodies aren't programmed to handle so much grain? Quite possibly.
3a) Are vegetable oils really "healthy" if they have to be chemically extracted from the vegetables? Doesn't sound right to me
b) And if it is so healthy, why can consuming said oils contribute to developing cancer? Again, seems like that goes against all logic. "Healthy food" shouldn't contribute to a person getting cancer.
I started to wonder if one of the reasons I was so sick was because I wasn't really eating the right kinds of foods to stay healthy. I hadn't been that sick in a long, long time. Usually I can still function when I'm sick and bounce back pretty quickly. Was my new diet lacking in something besides flavor and satisfaction? Is it possible that getting sick at about the same time I was changing my diet wasn't just a coincidence? And with my family's history with multiple kinds of cancer, would it be a good idea to rethink my food choices? I think so.
I've read about a book called The Primal Blueprint that outlines a lifestyle that is so different from what I usually hear that I was really intrigued. I ordered the book and am on my way to giving it a shot. In short, it says:
1. Eat lots of plants and animals
2. Avoid poisonous things.
3. Move frequently at a slow pace
4. Lift heavy things
5. Sprint once in a while
6. Get adequate sleep
7. Play
8. Get adequate sunlight
9. Avoid stupid mistakes
10. Use your brain
Sounds pretty logical. I've read tons of success stories from people who followed this lifestyle plan and are healthier than they've ever been. And everyone seems to agree that you eat less food and stay full longer. That makes sense because you don't have a bunch of grain-based carbs causing your blood sugar to spike for a little while and then bottom out. Since my current diet choices aren't helping me feel healthy, I think I'll try this route and see if it works better. More than just losing the weight I've gained, I really want to FEEL healthy. I want to be able to keep up with my kids not just look better when I'm winded after chasing after them.
So for at least the next few months, my recipes will be in keeping with this new eating style. If I don't feel better in 3 months, I'll rethink things again. I think my first recipe will probably be Angel Food Cake made with coconut or almond flour instead of wheat flour. (Does that sound delicious to anyone else or is it just me?) Or maybe tortillas made with almond meal instead of cornmeal.
I'm really excited about this. Even after just a day of eating more protein and cutting out grains, I feel like I have more energy. I woke up much earlier than usual and I feel great. I actually feel like I have energy so much so that it's difficult for me to sit here at the computer typing this entry. I'm really feeling the need to be outside, which is very rare for me. I'm a sit and read a book kind of girl. So I think I'll grab my ear phones and go for a long walk. And I'll keep you all updated with my progress.
Fingers crossed for successful weight loss!
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