A “Diet”
that Works!
( Updated 12/06/2006)
Starvation?
In the past diets have left me literally starving between
meals, they required every ounce of will power I had to stay
on them. And then after I lost the weight I found that I was
actually fatter (although I weighed less) than when I started.
Why?
Why? Because my body fat percentage had increased. I started
this dieting process at 26% Body Fat well over a decade ago,
I ended up at 42.5% Body Fat and so heavy that the scales
refused to even think about it ( Over 320 lbs as that was
as high as our scales would go, we think I may have been as
high or higher thatn 340 lbs) The only diet that I had ever
felt at all energetic with was the Fen / Phen diet, and I
think every one has heard how that turned out! The Fen / Phen
diet was the last diet I was on, the one that set me up to
climb in weight to well over 300 lbs.
The standard High Carbohydrate, Low Fat diets that the current
food pyramid suggests left me figuratively dying between meals
(I’d eat and be starving in two hours, or less) and again
I lost weight but ended up fatter than before, so when I drifted
from the diet --- I, like 95% of the population, rebounded
and ended up actually weighing more than when I started.
In my research I found a way of eating that did not leave
me starving between meals, that has caused a constant and
significant reduction in Body Fat. I had heard of the Atkins
diet, which stressed unlimited protein and don’t worry about
the fat! However, I had heard many horror stories about it,
as well as a few success stories. But as I read about a Paleontology
based diet (what our great, great, great, great, grandfathers
ancestors ate, and found out about; adequate levels of Protein,
not high levels; Insulin resistance and blood serum insulin
levels; Hunter-gatherer diets vs. an agronomy based civilization’s
high Carb, low protein diet, (with no sugar to contend with.)
Such as the ancient Egyptian’s which has left a 3,500 year
history of well preserved mummies that show signs of heart
disease in their arteries, and folds of skin that tell of
a history of obesity… Well it all fell in place with what
I had experienced previously.
Thirty days later.
About a month after finding this out and of letting our standard
pantry foods deplete we stocked up on protein stuff and plenty
of veggies. Thirty days later my body fat had dropped from
42.5% to 34.5% body fat. After some calculation it turned
out that I had dropped 35 lbs of fat and had increased my
lean body mass a few pounds, I.E. I had burned the fat and
not my lean body mass (which is what burns the fat.) Every
time you lose lean body mass you hurt your ability to burn
fat, and you get fatter (even if you weigh less.) Three months
after we started, (and too much splurging, after that first
month) having switched to the 55 grams of carbs, I had lost
almost 46 lbs of fat, my fat percent had dropped from 42.5%
to 32.5%. I started wearing pants that I could not fit into
before, and my belt was seven-notches (7”) smaller than when
I started. But best yet is that I am really thinner, and not
just a few pounds lighter. Even my belly is now smaller than
my chest!
My wife’s weight has not changed all that much since the
first month (she lost only 15 lbs) but she dropped 3” from
her waist, two inches from her hips, and two from her bust.
She seems to be gaining lean almost as fast as she looses
the fat. But day-by-day her body fat percentage is improving,
so she is excited. Maybe it is my imagination, but I think
the texture of her skin is improving as well, so I am excited
about it as well. (Note: In further research I found that
improved skin is a side benefit. Many people stop having headaches
that had plagued them regularly for years, skin rashes vanished,
their blood pressure dropped to normal)
The first week
Yes the first week was difficult, getting used to the changes
(like getting up earlier for breakfast), and even the first
month felt little restrictive, in general, but nothing like
the diets of the past. But now that we are in the long-term
phase at 55 grams of Carbs per day it is really very workable.
I would not have a problem doing this for life. I can even
walk past a doughnut, without breaking out in to a sweat,
and having to close my eyes as I walked past it. So I think
I may have even broken my carbohydrate addiction.
Breakfast is usually two or three eggs (frequently scrambled
with lots of cheese, or a cheese omelet), sausage or bacon,
a half a grapefruit. I stick to just good old water to drink,
but a tea like rose hips or one of the other naturally sweet
herbal teas would work well.
Lunch is deli meat and cheese on a single slice of whole
wheat bread, or two Burger King Whoppers, but only one half
of one bun. Or something similar, but generally lunch is too
busy of a time to do much more than just refuel and keep going.
So lunch is very boring and repetitive, kind of like --- just
putting gasoline in the tank to keep moving down the road.
Dinner; grilled fish, chicken, pork chops, steak or roast
and sometimes a small potato on special occasions, lots and
lots of hot streaming veggies, fresh green salad with tomatoes,
avocados and olives. We only have water to drink, (Hint: get
a water filter, a good one. It really improves the taste.)
Or, for a change --- Chicken stir-fry (without rice), I.E.
all the stuff that we all love to eat. And if that sounds
like I am at less than 55 grams of carbs you are right, ---
we found these little lemon bars (7 grams per bar) and small
Cream Puffs (5 grams per), cottage cheese and pear is now
a desert for us. A frozen berry and melon mix is another nice
way to end the day (if at all possible eat your desert before
8:00 PM so that you have several hours to digest it before
bed time.) In short we are actually eating more than we did
before, (well it feels like it.) I have plenty of energy,
I am never hungry between meals, plus it is stuff that I like
to eat, and now that the first month is over, we actually
feel like we are stuffing ourselves. That little treat has
become something to look forward to right after dinner, a
small but significant reward for sticking with the system
all day.
The next six weeks
The next six weeks were bad ones for diets, Easter dinner
with the in-laws, wedding anniversary, and a trip out of town
for a small vacation, plus several weekends that were so busy
that we ate out. Yet, it all fit in. We ended up at one of
those buffet places several times during that six weeks, and
it was real hard to pass up those fresh hot rolls, and scones
(well OK so I had just one (or was it two?), --- with a lot
of honey butter.) And the time we went out with the kids to
dinner at the new Skippers fish & chips in town (yes I
know it is a strange place to take your wife for your anniversary
--- but we had, had a fancy dinner at Red Lobster with my
parents for our formal anniversary dinner a few days earlier.)
and we both OD’d on fish fry again, yes I did sneak a few
fries, and I could not pass up on the clam chowder. Once,
just to surprise her, right after we finished our first month
on this diet, I found a baby sitter and took her out to eat
at a new Brazilian grill that just opened. Now that is a restaurant
that fits in with the diet! They bring by, hot off the fire,
all kinds of meats and carve small portions right onto your
plate. We both ate way too much! Yet with all that splurging,
we still lost fat. We were careful to select protein rich
foods, and kept the carbs down to just a taste or two. In
spite of all this we still made a significant adjustment to
our body fat.
The Secret
The secret seems to be in keeping the insulin level low.
The few times I splurged and took a large carbohydrate hit,
(like that scone!) well a few hours latter I became ravenously
hungry. If I stretched out the carbs even though I took in
more than I should have, I was never hungry. I suspect that
my insulin release over reacts to blood sugar, so that it
does not just lower the blood sugar, but sweeps my system
clean of it, which triggers the hunger reflex. Which is why
on the high Carb diets of the past I would eat and then starve
till the next meal.
Proteins are digested in the small intestine, not the stomach,
it takes longer to get the energy to your system, so it is
like a time release capsule giving you a little bit at a time
over a long period. The big scare that everyone uses is Ketoses
which can kill a diabetic. However, reading up on ketoses,
it appears that they are the preferred fuel of the heart,
brain, and skeletal muscle, even more so than glucose. So
keeping the body on the edge of ketoses, but not in ketoses
(like the Atkins plan) is the optimum place to be, fat is
converted by the liver to ketones, which fuels the body with
its optimum fuel. Now too many ketones are bad news, such
as what happens with Diabetes type I. But a slow steady conversion
of fat released from storage keeps your body running in top
shape. So too few carbs and you fall of the peak and get too
many ketones (bad), to many carbs and you stimulate insulin
production (in my case over stimulate) and store the blood
sugar as fat (bad) and the body runs on glucose, that you
just ingested. You have to walk down the middle of the road.
Glucose is the next most favored fuel, after ketones. You
want the body to use its fat as fuel, not what you eat in
the way of carbs (glucose).
This balance of lower carbs and higher protein creates an
optimum situation to adjust your body fat content, without
stealing from your lean body mass. Now before you start thinking
that maybe the less fat you eat the better, consider the omega
3 fatty acids. We need them; in fact the low fat diet that
so many people are on is creating a new generation of health
problems. So keep your fats in moderation. But make sure you
have the right ones. In fact fish oil containing Omega 3 fatty
acids from cold water deep sea sources are so important to
cellular health that I would strongly advocate supplementing
them. Fish oil containing EPA effectively counteracts the
one negative thing that is found predominantly in red meat
and egg yolks. Or you can cut out the red meat and eggs. Soy
and vegetable sources of protein can work well, but even still
I’d still recommend getting more EPA in your diet (EPA; an
Omega-3 fatty acid --- eicosapentaenoic acid --- the best
source of which comes from fish.
Create a plan that structures eating choices around a selection
of lean protein sources focusing on: fish, soy, poultry, low
fat dairy and lean red meats. This diet is high in fibrous,
crispy vegetables and fruits such as green beans, cauliflower,
broccoli, asparagus, peppers, spinach, lettuces, berries,
cherries, grapes, melons - just to name a few. The low carb
plan allows, but limits portion sizes of starchy vegetables
such as potatoes, carrots, beets, and beans/legumes. Sweets
and sugary foods are eliminated with the exception of small
portions on occasional "diet holidays". The focus is on healthy
choices of fats such as raw nuts, seeds, nut butters, olives,
olive oil, nut oils, some butter, fish oils, flax seed meal,
while avoiding some fats completly such as trans fats (partially
hydrogenated fats), fried foods, excessive saturated fats
and margarine that contain trans fats. The focus is to have
a protein source at each meal along with the vegetables, fruits
and fats as mentioned above.
A diet such as this will lower insulin levels, which will
have a positive influence on many chronic diseases and related
health problems. The ultimate goal of a low carb nutritional
structure is to lower insulin levels, thereby restoring and
maintaining your health and fitness. In summary a low carb
nutritional structure allows your metabolic rate to stay high,
satisfies your appetite and your lean body mass is preserved.
About 75 percent of the population has some level of insulin
resistance and/or related health problem. If you are not happy
with how you look, how you feel, if you have a major health
condition related to increased insulin levels, then you could
probably benefit from a lower carb diet. If you are in the
25 percent that does not have insulin resistance and you are
happy with how you look, how you feel and do not have any
health conditions, then by all means continue with the nutritional
plan that you are following.
Nutritionally Speaking
Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in
the body. Protein is the fundamental structural material of
every cell in the body. It not only makes up the bulk of the
muscles, internal organs, brain, nerves, skin, hair and nails,
but also is a vital part of regulatory substances such as
enzymes, hormones and blood plasma.
All protein, whether in our bodies or in the food we eat,
is made up of building units known as amino acids. These amino
acids are joined in unique chain sequence to form specific
proteins. There are 22 common amino acids, all of which are
vital to human-life and health. Nine amino acids are classified
as essential because the body cannot manufacture them. Foods
that supply all the essential amino acids are called complete
proteins.
Essential fatty acids must be obtained from food sources
since the body can't metabolize them. There are three essential
fatty acids: linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic. These fatty
acids serve functions related to tissue strength, cholesterol
metabolism, muscle tone, blood clotting, and heart action.
The best sources of cooking oils are from monounsaturated
fats. These oils can be heated without damaging their structure.
The best choices are unrefined, cold-pressed, extra virgin
forms. It is best to store oils in the refrigerator to avoid
becoming rancid.
Saturated fat is a more solid, heavy fat, such as meat fats.
Saturated fats are of animal origin. Unsaturated fat is less
heavy, less dense, such as a liquid oil.
Unsaturated fats are divided into two categories: monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fats are olive oil, peanut
oil, canola oil (rapeseed), almonds, pecans, and avocados.
Polyunsaturated fats are the vegetable oils: safflower, corn,
cottonseed, and soybean. Fats from plant sources are usually
unsaturated. Exceptions are coconut oil and palm oil, which
are saturated. "Hydrogenation" is a process where unsaturated
oils have been converted to a more solid form of fat to increase
shelf life.
Don’t take my word.
Don’t take my word for any of this go check it out yourself.
Better yet, try the diet for a month, and listen to what your
body tells you by the end of the month. Based on “race,” this
may not work for you, for example Orientals seem to do better
on the high Carb diet. But if you have been struggling or
playing the yo-yo game --- try it for a month. If you don’t
go the full month you won’t really know if it is or is not
for you,42~48 days is the real measure. What have you got
to loose? (Other than some fat? High blood pressure, headaches…)
Six Month Update
As an update, after almost 6 months, and having passed the
halfway point to my personal goal of 20% Body Fat, and in
spite of my repeated attempts to sabotage myself. The diet,
or for me a way of life, is still very easy to follow, my
wife is just days from reaching her halfway point, so it has
been effective for her as well, but women seem to go slower
than men, but they do get there! Still no “Hunger” (with a
capital H,) like I had on previous diets, and we are enjoying
what we eat. Carbohydrate addiction is real and can reach
out and grab you when you least expect it. You will need to
watch out for this the rest of your life. (I know I tried
just a taste---, and before I was done I was wolfing pieces
of cake down.) Be warned! On the down side, it is getting
expensive to keep in clothes, and I have to keep drilling
new holes in my belts, but I can live with those problems.
7/19/2001
I am at 252 lbs which is over 65 lbs lost (We guess 68 Lbs)
or almost Three pounds per week!
As an update: Prior to eating this way I was constantly on
pain medication I'd take a combination of 2 extra strength
Acetaminophens tablets and 4 - 200mg Ibuprofens (800mg equals
one prescription strength pill) this was almost on a daily
basis, and the days I did not do that popping 6 to 8 Ibuprofens
was the norm. Since I made it past that first 6 weeks I have
only had two (2) Ibuprofens and that was when I caught a cold.
Just one of the side effects that I had not planned on.. A
day ago I had the pleasure of watching as my wife read her
Body Fat percentage and it finally fell into the "normal"
range on the electronic meter we use. If only you could have
seen her! That alone made the journey worth it! She still
wants to go further and is now past her 50% point. She is
currently on track to reaching 25% Body-Fat by January 1,
2002
11/24/2001
Well the weight is still dropping although the loss did slow
down for a few months, still I have averaged almost 10 pounds
a month now, for a loss of around 80 Lbs. I am now at 240
lbs and under 30% body fat. I have modified my original goal
to be 18% body fat and am well over the halfway point for
that goal. The big news is I now easily fit a size 40 pant.
That is over ELEVEN (11) inches in around 9 months or over
a inch a month!
12/24/2001
Another size drop to 38 inches! Just 3 pounds of weight change
but almost a full percent change in body fat. What a Christmas
present!
5/21/2002
While I have to admit to not having lost any more, still I
have not gained.
As for 2003 and 2004 well some increase but not serious.
11/9/2005
Well one thing is for sure dieting and major life stress do
not go together. I maintained my weight with only a slight
gain, (I am pretty sure it was because I did not exercise
like I should have and I lost lean which lead to gaining fat.)
In any case I tried several things including going back on
the Protein diet which had worked so well in the past. I still
kept going up and the stress levels went up also, on a scale
of one to a hundred, I had a doctor evaluate my stress level
from all the different events that life had handed to me at
90. I even tried that Cortisol controlling pill containing
Magnolia officinalis, as it was obvious that stress was a
major factor here. Would you believe that it worked? I started
to drop, but then life upped the stress by removing my income.
So I had to drop the pills. I got my weight to stabilize and
I was still much less than my peak so the diet did work and
I have kept off around 50 lbs for 5 years.
12/06/2006
A continuing saga, a life long one I suspect...
OK the bottom line. After what? 6 years now? I have maintained
a weight loss of around 75 lbs from my peak (a 13.5% drop
in body fat.) Still not what I wanted, but much better than
what I started with. My thoughts now still say that how I
felt and how much I lost on this "high" protein
diet plan is a good way to go. However, it is not necessarily
a life style that needs to be, or can be, maintained forever.
Exercise is critical, even moderate to low levels need to
be maintained if you expect any type of long term weight control.
I have increased my exercise levels and still don’t
watch my fats like a hawk, but do try to make them “good”
fats. Cod Liver Oil supplements seem like a good idea as it
is higher in natural Vitamin D3 (not D2 like they put in milk
and cereals) than what I currently use, but I have not tried
this as yet. Current research is saying that most Americans
lack “Vitamin D” all I can say is that when I
added “fish oil” to my diet during a plateau and
I started to lose again. I thought it was the Omega 3’s
but with the current state of research I’d suggest that
it was the increased Vitamin D3 that I got along with the
Omega 3’s. Anyway something to keep your eye on, as
it sounds from the research that it would not hurt to increase
your Vitamin D3 intake. I also found that Zeal O2 (http://www.lifeforcenutraceuticals.com)
really helps when combined with even low levels of exercise
or increased activity in long term gain of lean body mass,
which will lead to long term weight loss, plus it really has
a energy kick when you take them. From my experience with
it I would highly recommend it to anyone seeking to lose weight.
