One Week Does Not Make a Skinny Man

Here is the bad news from two weeks ago. I mentioned that it was a setback week for me. Well, last Sunday morning, my main weekly weigh-in time I was shocked at what I read. I knew I had a bad week, but my weight was ten (10) pounds higher than the Sunday before. I realize that much of this is water weight as I consumed far more sodium than I have been consuming. In addition, the Dr. Oz water retention test showed me that I was holding a great deal of fluids. The test is with a ring you have owned and worn for a long time. If you can move it or take it off freely as you did the day you purchased it, you are not retaining water. If the ring is stuck, your sodium intake is too high and you are retaining water. Dr. Oz says that our fingers are the last place on our bodies that get fat deposits and even if you are, 100 pounds over the weight compared to when you purchased the ring it should still fit properly, unless you are consuming too much sodium. I was unable to put my wedding band on for the past fourteen years. When I saw this episode of Dr. Oz, I wondered if my ring would fit. Yes, I had lost 100 pounds but I was still 130 pounds over the weight when I got the ring. It did not fit on the first attempt. Therefore, I dropped my sodium intake to 1200mg per day and tried one week later. Shocking, the ring slid on my finger and was actually loose. The amazing part of this is that I was still 130 pounds heavier than when I got the ring.

Starting this week my ring was literally stuck in position and the scale told me I was ten pounds heavier. I had already decided to try the book’s program Fat to Skinny (Fast and Easy) for the summer. Now, I do not know if any of the ten pounds was newly stored fat, but it is possible. My beautiful wife and I went through the pantry, fridge, freezer and cupboards to eliminate anything that I would reach to eat or snack on that was outside of the guidelines. We did keep some of the healthier things that she eats and the kids eat, because they do not have a weight problem and I do not really like those things too much during an emotional type eating moment (Brown Rice, Refried Beans, Black Beans, etc.). However, we did get rid of many things they eat when we read the labels and were shocked at how much sugar the products had. I was shocked at the amount of sugar many of the low-glycemic products the doctor recommended had in them. Yes, most were at or slightly below 15 net carbohydrates per serving, but at 15 net carbohydrates, this equates into nearly four (4) teaspoons of metabolized sugar, even if it metabolizes slower. I also found several sources on the internet that explained that low-glycemic products could metabolize and store as fat if we do not burn them off each day. Still, eating slower metabolizing low-glycemic carbohydrates are far healthier for the body than more simple carbohydrates.

However, as the book explains, I want to BURN FAT. I desire to get rid of this stuff for the rest of my life. I have been struggling with the same three pounds gained and lost for more than a month. Certainly, a major plateau and everything I have tried recently has not worked. Increasing my workouts in length and frequency did not help. Adjusting calorie intake higher or lower to shock my metabolism has not helped. My physician instructed me to eat approximately 1200 calories per day and 45% of those should be low-glycemic carbohydrates. This would equate into 540 of my daily calories coming from good carbohydrates. Then this equates into 135 carbohydrates per day (540 divided by 4). Looking at my weekly eating habits, I saw that I was consuming approximately 100 to 125 net carbohydrates per day of low-glycemic products. This equates into 31 teaspoons of metabolized sugar per day. Ouch! No wonder I have been at a plateau and not moving forward. According to many sources on the internet, I have had to burn 500 calories of sugar and the calories from protein consumed per day BEFORE I start to burn fat reserves. Doug Varrieur is correct when he says I have been sabotaging my own efforts by eating things that metabolize into sugar (glucose). Whole grains or anything made with grains are perhaps the worst offender when you are eating otherwise healthy foods. Folks, the doctors, government and food industry have misled us and my waistline shows it. Even the healthiest whole grain wheat bread from Great Harvest (our favorite) or Aspen Mills has five (5) teaspoons of sugar in each slice when metabolized. See this link for more bad news on whole grains. http://www.crossfitoptimumperformance.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=169:grains

I am not sure what the entire summer will hold, but I stepped on the scale this morning (Sunday morning weigh-in). Following Fat to Skinny (Fast and Easy) for one week, I have lost the water weight from last week. More importantly, I blew past my six-week plateau and lost an additional 7 pounds of fat! That is a seventeen (17) pound turnaround from last Sunday. I have utilized many programs to lose weight, Optifast/Medfast, Phen-Fen, NutriSystem, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Pre-Lap Band, Post Lap Band, and many more. I have never lost this amount of weight, including water weight in the first week of a program... EVER! Is it easier than the other programs? I believe it is because I did not feel hunger or deprived if I kept satiated. In addition, I liked the food that I prepared. Learning to read the labels properly as taught in the book let me cook what ever I wanted as long as it fit inside the guidelines. I did allow myself to eat an average of five (5) carbohydrates per day and one day consumed (8). I consumed most of those carbohydrates in one protein bar, because I love it and it kills my sweet tooth for the day. Supreme Protein (Peanut Butter, Caramel is available at slightly higher net carbohydrates) is as good as any candy bar I have ever had and has 5g of net carbohydrates and is available at Walmart for $1.66.

Be prepared for the change in your body. I found my body detoxing and cleansing itself and I had a minimal, slight headache for the first few days. I am not weak nor do I have the shakes and I am still full of energy, even though I am consuming approximately five carbohydrates per day thus far. Living in a cold climate, I did find myself getting cold at night time, but I have felt this before since losing a great deal of my winter coating. :) My favorite fast food so far is KFC’s Grilled Chicken as it states “0” carbohydrates. I passed on the side dishes, just the chicken and water or a diet soda if you wish. I had salads with the lowest carbohydrate dressing I could find, added some avocado, olives, cheese and shredded chicken. I made a dish Beef and Broccoli that my wife and children loved. I was the only one that did not have a second helping. It does not sound much like a weight loss plan, but it really works. Be careful of eating too many bad fats and keep an eye on your sodium intake. Be watchful of sauces and seasonings and I tried to substitute no sodium seasonings to reduce sodium consumption. Could a vegan do this diet? Yes, but you would have to consume a great deal of soy based protein in your meals to satiate you and maintain muscle.

Since reading Fat To Skinny (Fast and Easy), I have read a couple of other books and websites about this carbohydrate problem. Repeatedly, I found that others substantiated what Doug Varrieur says in Fat to Skinny. Although, Doug has put it in such an easy, understandable read that anyone can do this. Is HCG or Fat to Skinny Fast and Easy better? I like the Fat to Skinny approach much more and think it is easier and less complicated. In addition, after Phen-Fen caused a ten percent leakage in my heart valve, I am not putting any more diet-type, appetite suppressing miracle products in my body. However, I do know a few relatives that have received phenomenal results with the HCG program. I applaud them and encourage them to continue with their success. I am excited to see what the summer will bring in terms of my weight loss and journey.

“There are those who work all day. Those who dream all day. And those who spend an hour dreaming before setting to work to fulfill those dreams. Go into the third category because there’s virtually no competition.” ---Steven J Ross