I’ve been overweight for about a dozen years. Like most people, I’ve tried just about everything. Some diets have been successful in the short run; others have been complete disasters. Does anyone remember the Pasta Diet? I gained six pounds in two weeks with that. I tried the meal replacement shakes. Ended up so sick the doc wanted to put me in the hospital. I just couldn’t stick with Atkins, and the pounds I did lose came right back on. The only diet that ever really worked was the Healthy Liver Diet, and my family refused to stay on it. Cooking twice got to be a real pain. The list of failures goes on and on. And it finally comes back to that which I’ve been fighting to find a way around – counting calories.
The best and most time-honored way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you expend. So I’m back to counting. But I’ve found a better way to do it. I’m using FitDay.com (free). It tracks everything. I’ve been faithful to add everything I’ve eaten, and my weight. After the initial big drop (usually fluid your body’s holding onto), I’m losing about 1.5 pounds per week. It’s not dramatic, but I can definitely see it and feel it.
Through trial and error, I’ve found I need to be taking in right about 1500 calories per day. Our bodies are truly fearfully and wonderfully made. Any less than 1300 calories and my body thinks it’s starving – which means it conserves every little bit of energy. As a diabetic, when I tried eating just vegetables (about 700 calories worth per day), my blood sugar shot up to dangerous levels (high 300s). It was my body’s attempt to correct what my brain determined as starvation. Starvation signals tell you to eat; you’re hungry all the time, you crave foods, and your body squeezes every calorie it can.
My body has learned to be very efficient. Even though I’m supposedly burning 2500 calories per day, at 2500 calories (even good calories), I’m gaining. By watching the trends for what I’ve entered on FitDay, I can see that 1800 is my top amount. They have to be good calories, though. I’m trying to use the principles in the Healthy Liver Diet book, modified to fit my family. That means raw when available, quality proteins, no fried food or transfatty acids, no sugar or chemical substitutes, and very little dairy.
So far, it’s working. Wish me luck! Or Gesundheit (good health).
Starting weight (Christmas 2006): 203
Current weight: 190.6
My thanks go to the regular weight loss bloggers as I guest blog each Sunday night. Make certain to read all of their interesting and informative posts.