Low Carb

So, the most effective way for me to diet, is Low Carb.  I love and believe in the Low Carb lifestyle or WOE (way of eating).  This has been a proven way for me to lose weight and to maintain weight loss.  I, by no stretch of the imagination, have a scientific mind.  In fact, Low Carb living is a prime example of just how little scientific knowledge my brain will absorb. 

I've added a resources page here

I did the research.  I read a couple of books, a couple of years before I decided to actually try it.  I re-read the Atkins New Diet Revolution before I finally decided to take the plunge and then many other books in the course of the years I have been living eating this way. I cannot give you the science behind it's wonder-working magic, but I will tell you the snippets my brain did choose to recall.
* Low carb eating actually curbs the appetite
*Sugar is bad.
*White flour is bad.
I recall no benefits of either of these two products.  Both will cause energy bursts because of the way they impact blood sugar levels.  However, the downside is that after the spike in energy, there is a crash.  Often that crash causes the desire for more carbs so you can feel that burst of energy again.

I honestly, do not know that I ever feel the surge of energy, but I do have the addiction that comes for some people.  Let me eat a couple of chips and I will gladly eat the whole bag.  Do not offer me a potato, because I could eat them all day long and never feel full.  Yes, I am a carb addict.  So I do not even have to know why I shouldn't eat potatoes, corn, bread, because I know that it triggers something in my that is almost uncontrollable.  Much like an addict, a little is never enough.

There is a part of me that even today considers the possibility that just maybe probably there is something to be said for healthy, well-balanced meals where everything in moderation is good for you and maybe would not cause these same cravings that I have experienced all my life.  I'm not at that season of life to find out.

At 41, I am simply doing the best I can.  I prepare the meals as best I can and frankly, I'm not very willing to do an over-haul on what I've learned so far. Here are a few more facts, true for me, in regards to eating a restrictive low carb diet:

1.  My weight is maintainable and with some active effort on my part, I can lose pounds!
2.  My border-line high cholesterol becomes normal when I low carb. 
3.  I actually eat more "good for you" veggies and whole grains when I low carb.  If I'm not low-carbing, then
     I do not (or did not, it's been so long ago) get many vegetables when having pizza with bread sticks, tacos, and burgers and fries.
4.  When the pounds come off, my doctor thinks I'm doing great.  Although, I will admit, I've never told him how I diet.  Some doctors frown on Low-Carb.  But, he does love that all my blood work is good :)

I may add to this page in the future, but for now will leave you with my favorite info:

*First time I started a low carb diet, I lost 66 pounds

 (all of which I gained back when I decided I didn't care anymore)

*Last year I lost probably 40 pounds while dieting this way

(Last week (honestly, in 1 week) I gained 10 pounds back)

*Today (2/16/11) I start again

*I am continually more convinced that exercise has got to be added to my way of life

(hopefully more will come on that topic as I'm trying different activities)

Low Carb Resources

I have decided to go for it! And put my weight loss ticker here for the world to see my journey!