Here's a little piece of trivia I will share with y'all, and I rarely talk about it, even with close friends: twice in my life I have lost over 100 lbs. The last time was from about 1999-2001. Lost 110 lbs. In my twenties when I was in graduate school I lost over 100 lbs. I don't recall the exact amount.
When I was a kid I loved sports and I was pretty active. I loved tennis and swimming, and I liked to roller skate and play basketball in the driveway. I never walked up the stairs I ran. I skipped stairs. I walked fast. [below, me aged 6]
Of course, then I grew up and got more sedentary.
I inherited short fat legs and a fat fanny from my beloved Memaw, my grandmother. My other grandmother, who died before I was born, was tall and skinny. I didn't get any of these genes, although I was named for her..
The gene pool is a crazy thing, I often say.
Anyway, I am not now much of an athlete but I know it's important to MOVE. Don't just sit in a chair for hours. Bad for the back and the waistline. If you sit all day at work, get up every 30 minutes and just walk in place at your desk, for like 2 minutes. At lunch, walk for 10 minutes, even just around the hallways. Just MOVE.
Below, me and my cousin/BFF Lesleigh, when we were both pretty svelte, about 17 years ago.
So I went to the doctor the other day for a physical. Everything was fine. Test results came in the mail yesterday. I need to up my Vitamin D consumption, and I will get that done. I am researching foods that have a good bit of vitamin D. Ironic. I am deficient in my name.
The doctor didn't fuss at me about my weight but I told her I was back on the program and would get the extra lbs. off. She has seen me do it before.
BTW the currently popular "ketogenic" diet, Atkins, and plan old low carb are all pretty much the same thing. [You can learn more about the ketogenic diet here.]
There is a myth that low carb is unhealthy. Not necessarily. You can eat low carb and still be very healthy, although if you have naturally high cholesterol you will need to avoid a lot of bacon and butter, duh. Substitute good fats like olive oil and avocado. Honestly, I eat lots more healthy veggies on low carb than I do normally.
So here are my suggestions.
FOOD TIPS
I wanted to share some low carb tips I have learned over the years, through trial and error.
One, make friends with cabbage. I hate chopping it so I buy bags of what is called coleslaw cabbage. You find it with the bagged salads, but on the top shelf for some weird reason, at least at Publix and Kroger. For lunch I like to saute 1-2 cups of it in olive oil, with a little chopped onion or onion powder, and add a good shake of soy sauce and garlic or garlic powder. Saute until soft. Add a piece of chicken and it's a good meal. Tastes a bit like an eggroll.
Two, spaghetti squash is so yummy. You buy the squash and stick it on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven on 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Take it out and let it cool a bit. Slice it lengthwise. Pull out the big seeds and tough middle part -- the seeds look like pumpkin seeds. Take a fork and scrape the sides of the squash and strands of squash appear. I saute it in butter, olive oil, and some chopped onion, and throw in some cheese after about ten minutes. YUM.
My friend Bronwyn has been doing Atkins now for months and has done super well. She is my current low carb guru. She has lost more than 80 lbs. -- and dealt with the death of her mom last fall, which was devastating and threw her off for a couple of months, but she got right back on track.
She has good tips. Just today she was suggesting kale chips. [I don't like kale normally but I might try it, down the road.] She also suggested microwaving pepperoni slices until they are crisp, and using them as a chip. Also, cutting up slices of cheese and microwaving them until they are crisp.
In the morning, instead of toast, I scramble a couple of eggs and either add a handful of spinach or a bit of grated cheese. I love eggs but they get boring. [BTW I have been eating eggs every day for years and my cholesterol is normal]
On low carb you tend to miss crunchy things like chips and fries. If you will saute spinach leaves in olive oil they get crunchy. Ditto for kale.
High protein snacks are crucial.
I get sliced turkey at the deli and snack on it. When I am bored with it I add cheese. I also snack on cheese but I try not to eat too much of it or it upsets my tummy.
I love hummus with carrot sticks, too.
I have been doing pretty well for the past week, week 1, and I am down 6 lbs. Woo hoo! I still need to modify it a bit. I love love love sweets. That's my downfall. For this week I have kept chunks of cantaloupe in the fridge and when I wanted something sweet I ate a couple of chunks of cantaloupe. This really helped me. Hopefully next week I can live without the melon and without my 1 slice of bread a day.
RANDOM TIPS
Here's what I have to remind myself and what I always tell everyone about dieting: figure out what works for YOU. Listen to your body. If you are miserable on low carb, like really miserable, maybe a different plan is better for you, like just counting calories, or increasing workouts. Weight Watchers didn't work for me but lots of folks swear by it. Check it out.
Exercise is important but you don't have to go nuts with it. Just walk 20 minutes a day, and gradually work up to more strenuous workouts. I have a dog. She has to be walked. That helps. Or take your BFF and go walk around the mall. Or go to the pool and walk up and down the pool.
I have read that if you exercise really hard for a couple of minutes, then moderately for 5-10 minutes, the interval thing really helps you burn more calories.
Also, drink LOTS of water. I keep a plastic pitcher of water next to me all day and I sip on it literally all.day.long. You can add slices of fruit or lemon or something if you are bored with it.
You can add a lot of empty calories by what you drink. I drink nothing but water and unsweet tea. Do NOT drink alcohol. No beer or wine especially -- they turn to sugar in your body. Don't drink diet sodas because I've read studies showing they actually are harmful for you and don't help.
Whatever diet you are on, modify it to suit you. Eat foods you like. COOK. Plan your meals and snacks. IF you plan you are more likely to succeed.
I only weigh once a week. Otherwise I would go nutty. A weekly loss of 1-2 lbs is great. Don't get crazy. If you lose too fast you tend to gain it right back -- trust me, I know this.
SUMMARY
The important thing is to be in it for the long haul. If you fall off the wagon when you're out to eat or at a party, get back on the wagon immediately and don't let it completely derail you.
I have a birthday coming up. Am I going to eat cake? Probably 1 piece. However, the next day I will be back on the program.
above, me in 1991, with Dad and some friends -- I still have that dress somewhere. Love it. One day I will get it back on...
