As a certified sugar addict (with the empty jellybean bags hidden in the trash to prove it), one of the ideas that took me the longest to accept is that SUGAR IS BAD FOR US. I bought fully into the low-fat zeitgeist. I've been eating conscientiously since high school, when I started carefully avoiding high-fat foods and giving myself a free pass on carbs and candy.
The more I read, the more it seems that sugar (specifically fructose) is a prime factor in insulin resistance, hypertension, and a raft of other things we don't want to have. This makes me a little sad because now that I have this knowledge I'll have to cut back on sweet fruits (mmmm pineapple) and dried fruit. On the other hand, if this is true, it may explain my slow weight loss: having eliminated refined sugar, I started eating fruit by the pound.
One concept really struck me: We're not fat because we eat too much. We EAT too much BECAUSE WE'RE FAT. If our bodies processed nutrients correctly and our cells got the energy they needed, we would stop eating! Our bodies can't regulate our own fat, that's why we're hungry, and that's why we eat.
A couple of statistics from the first presentation below really shocked me:
in 1890, 3% of the population was obese; in 2010, the figure is 32%
in 1898, 10 out of 35,000 hospital admissions had diabetes; in 2010, 1 in 5 had it
in 1700, average sugar consumption: 1 lb/year. Today: 70 lbs/year
Something major has changed in our environment to cause these statistics and Dr. Topf makes a strong case that the culprit is fructose.
Here are some great links:
Uric Acid, Fructose and Hypertension - Dr. Joel Topf
http://www.slideshare.net/nephron/uric-acid-fructose-and-hypertension
Sugar Dangers - Dr. Richard Johnson (Part 1 of 3 -- all 3 are excellent)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOJ3SiRj4AQ&feature=player_embedded
Both links thanks to Tom Naughton at the Fat Head blog (http://www.fathead-movie.com/). Fat Head should be required reading for anyone interested in nutrition. He favors eating a lot of animals, which as a vegetarian I won't do, but what he says about carbs seems to be smack on the button.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
0.57 lbs/week is good enough for me
I finally got to weigh myself on my home scale -- down another half a pound for a total of 14.9 lbs. The number on the scale is one that I haven't seen in more than a few years. I'm thrilled! BMI is 23.5.
I've been doing no sugar/no flour for 26 weeks (since January 2010) and fast-5 for 13 weeks (since April 2010). Counting since I started the whole diet thing in January, that's an average loss of 0.57 pounds per week.
It might not seem like much but I'll take it! Better down (almost) 15 lbs than not.
:)
Figuring a loss of 2 lbs per month, I will be at my goal weight by February 2011. Now that's motivating!
I've been doing no sugar/no flour for 26 weeks (since January 2010) and fast-5 for 13 weeks (since April 2010). Counting since I started the whole diet thing in January, that's an average loss of 0.57 pounds per week.
It might not seem like much but I'll take it! Better down (almost) 15 lbs than not.
:)
Figuring a loss of 2 lbs per month, I will be at my goal weight by February 2011. Now that's motivating!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Running
I started this blog with the idea of posting about running as well as fasting (hence the title). An injury put a quick stop to my running. Hindsight is 20-20, of course, but a stupid urge to push through the pain during a race has led to almost three months of sadly leaving my running gear in the closet.
The good news is that I've started to jog 20 or 30 minutes at a time without my foot acting up. I'm icing it any time I think of it, especially after being on my feet for most of the day. It's still improving slowly. I'm so happy to be running again, even just a little bit. I want to get back to doing at least 3 5k's per week.
I have been getting into barefoot running and after reading everything online and the the book "Born to Run" I switched from landing on my heels to landing on the ball of my foot when running. The relief for my knees was instantaneous! My knee pain used to be debilitating but now that's not even a factor when I run. Prior to barefoot running (which I actually do with thin sandals) I knew I was damaging my knees but I would run anyway -- a guilty pleasure, like chocolate or nachos at the movies. Now I feel confident about running because I know it's purely positive for my body. That mental switch has made it so much more pleasurable. I know I'll be able to keep doing it for a long time.
All that said -- I'm very much looking forward to a morning jog tomorrow! I never want to run right before I break my fast and afterward I'm too full so morning seems to be the best time. I feel strong and free while running, no trace of fasting-related weakness.
The good news is that I've started to jog 20 or 30 minutes at a time without my foot acting up. I'm icing it any time I think of it, especially after being on my feet for most of the day. It's still improving slowly. I'm so happy to be running again, even just a little bit. I want to get back to doing at least 3 5k's per week.
I have been getting into barefoot running and after reading everything online and the the book "Born to Run" I switched from landing on my heels to landing on the ball of my foot when running. The relief for my knees was instantaneous! My knee pain used to be debilitating but now that's not even a factor when I run. Prior to barefoot running (which I actually do with thin sandals) I knew I was damaging my knees but I would run anyway -- a guilty pleasure, like chocolate or nachos at the movies. Now I feel confident about running because I know it's purely positive for my body. That mental switch has made it so much more pleasurable. I know I'll be able to keep doing it for a long time.
All that said -- I'm very much looking forward to a morning jog tomorrow! I never want to run right before I break my fast and afterward I'm too full so morning seems to be the best time. I feel strong and free while running, no trace of fasting-related weakness.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Hope!
I want to be this chick! She posted at http://www.fast-5.com/content/first-blog-entry#comment-168. I'm surprised that a loss of only 17 pounds would take her from a size 10-12 to a size 4. She was quite thin to begin with; she went from BMI 23.2 to 20.5. (I'm at BMI 23.7 now.)
Thought I would through my 2 cents in here based on my longevity with Fast-5. I am now 159 days almost 6 months and have to say one word....consistency. The key to success is consistency (and dont move your 5 hour window). I started on this program (hate to call it diet because it really isn’t a diet) to improve my over all health and to lose weight. I started at a weight of 148lbs (at 5'7) size 10-12 clothing size and I am now 131 and a size 4. 17lbs in 6months. The goal was to become a size 6 but the inches continue to fall off. That’s the wonderful thing about this way of life (Fast-5) is you lose inches before you see the pounds decrease. Literally after 3 months the inches just started to melt away and I am not joking!! Again the key to this success is no cheating, you really have to be disciplined and listen to your body. Once you start to recognize what your body is doing, it becomes easy. Socially the 19 hour fast window really is the only challenge, people eating all around you and wonder why you’re not……. I just tell them “I am not hungry”. The temptation is there but then you start to think “am I really hungry or just “think” I am hungry because I see food and smell food”. I am now at the maintenance point and looking for suggestions. I have tried the 1 day a week where I don’t fast but my body doesn’t like it. I don’t feel good when I eat before the “window” so I am now trying to figuring out how best to maintain this weight without losing more….any suggestions?
Thought I would through my 2 cents in here based on my longevity with Fast-5. I am now 159 days almost 6 months and have to say one word....consistency. The key to success is consistency (and dont move your 5 hour window). I started on this program (hate to call it diet because it really isn’t a diet) to improve my over all health and to lose weight. I started at a weight of 148lbs (at 5'7) size 10-12 clothing size and I am now 131 and a size 4. 17lbs in 6months. The goal was to become a size 6 but the inches continue to fall off. That’s the wonderful thing about this way of life (Fast-5) is you lose inches before you see the pounds decrease. Literally after 3 months the inches just started to melt away and I am not joking!! Again the key to this success is no cheating, you really have to be disciplined and listen to your body. Once you start to recognize what your body is doing, it becomes easy. Socially the 19 hour fast window really is the only challenge, people eating all around you and wonder why you’re not……. I just tell them “I am not hungry”. The temptation is there but then you start to think “am I really hungry or just “think” I am hungry because I see food and smell food”. I am now at the maintenance point and looking for suggestions. I have tried the 1 day a week where I don’t fast but my body doesn’t like it. I don’t feel good when I eat before the “window” so I am now trying to figuring out how best to maintain this weight without losing more….any suggestions?
What to eat?
Traveling again. Work, interesting but draining. Looking forward to being home for at least a few days the end of the month.
I feel like I'm running out of things to eat.
That's partly because of travel, of course. It's hard to prepare creative meals in a hotel room when there may not be a decent grocery store for miles. Snacks are now nuts or fresh fruit. Lots of apples. I'm not trying to limit eggs or dairy or dried fruit -- they just seem gross to me now. Is this what they mean when they say that cravings are reduced? It's a strange feeling.
In terms of Fast-5, I always wait until 5 to open the window; I have trouble with ending it. It has stretched to 6 or 6 1/2 hours quite a few times. I'm trying to be stricter about that. Last week I ate very lightly for several days in a row and I was worried that I wasn't eating enough... but as anybody who's done this must know, my body was fine, the only problem was my own expectations about eating.
Weight is hovering in the same spot as for the last 6 weeks. Glaring at the scale doesn't seem to do any good.
I feel like I'm running out of things to eat.
That's partly because of travel, of course. It's hard to prepare creative meals in a hotel room when there may not be a decent grocery store for miles. Snacks are now nuts or fresh fruit. Lots of apples. I'm not trying to limit eggs or dairy or dried fruit -- they just seem gross to me now. Is this what they mean when they say that cravings are reduced? It's a strange feeling.
In terms of Fast-5, I always wait until 5 to open the window; I have trouble with ending it. It has stretched to 6 or 6 1/2 hours quite a few times. I'm trying to be stricter about that. Last week I ate very lightly for several days in a row and I was worried that I wasn't eating enough... but as anybody who's done this must know, my body was fine, the only problem was my own expectations about eating.
Weight is hovering in the same spot as for the last 6 weeks. Glaring at the scale doesn't seem to do any good.
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