When you take your dog to the vet, what is the first thing he asks? “What has he been eating?” Does your doctor ask you that? Ever?

Let me state where we are in this process of ‘getting healthy’.

I have lost 25 pounds since my mother died September 22. There was a lot happening but I really lost my appetite and used the treadmill and my free weights to decrease my anxiety and *gulp* anger.  I was angry, but not at mom. I had other problems then.  I felt dedicated to her in helping her through her death process as comfortably as possible. But I walked 3 miles a day on that machine and lifted those weights without fail 3 times a week. As a result I had to dig out some older, smaller clothing but I felt energetic and empowered, and, well, just good!

My dedication to the free weights and treadmill have decreased and I need to get back to it. But my appetite has gotten smaller and I owe it to the high fat/protein low carbohydrate gluten-free diet. We eat less and we aren’t hungry. And it’s a healthy diet.

I have eaten modified Atkins since 1995. I believe in it. When I’ve gotten back into eating high carbs (Christmas, other holidays, birthdays) I have had trouble getting back to very low carb. Eating high carb makes me very hungry. I have trouble controlling my eating. No, not trouble controlling my eating, I CAN NOT control my eating. That’s when I gain weight.Using your insulin, and the ‘high’ you get when you eat simple sugars (it’s true! It’s a carbohydrate addiction.) keep you coming back for the simple carbohydrates.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/807209

So you must get all the way off of them. It’s not hard. The fat in the healthy diet keeps you full and before long (a day or 2) you no longer crave those simple carbohydrates.

Husband has continued to lose his weight at a slower rate due to his eye surgery. He can’t get on the treadmill or lift more than 20 pounds for a while so the activity that raises the metabolic rate will have to wait. HowSomeEver! he has lost another pound, bringing his loss to 11 pounds, even with the latest gluttonous holiday and Christmas cookies abounding at the office! His loss is .2-.5 pounds/day. He is doing so very well and tells everyone that it’s not hard at all! The ladies in his office said, “Are you going through a mid-life crisis or something? You quit wearing your glasses and you’ve lost all this weight! What’s next? A Mustang?”

 

I wasn’t sure about the gluten-free thing but as I read Grain Brain  and look up the research this MD cites, I become more and more convinced…it’s worth the try. After the first of the year, my husband and I will be tested for the gluten sensitivities. We’ll let you know then what the results are. Dr. Perlmutter believes everyone benefits by avoiding gluten.

Past time for me to get back to my exercise routines.