A New Diet Beginning!

I quit!  Yes, really!  I have been on the 8 Hour Diet for weeks now and I honestly don't think I've lost a thing.  I stayed on it 7 days a week, stuck to my 8 hours of eating and 16 of fasting....and nothing!  Maybe it works for some people, but obviously I'm not one of them.  So, do I recommend this diet? Well, if over eating is your problem, then I would give it a go.  But, overeating isn't really my issue.  I think for me it is more of an age thing.  We all know how as we age, our metabolism slows down, hence we burn fewer calories and it's harder to lose weight.  I think this is where I'm at.

I had an "a ha" moment the other day.  I had eaten a sandwich for dinner ( it's just Zac and I at home right now) and afterwards my stomach really rebelled.  Rolling and aching...need I say...gas and the big D ...yup....not very comfortable.  All I could think was I had eaten something that didn't agree with me.  But, it was just a sandwich!  Not even a fancy one! Just butter and jam! (Ok, so I like them like that!)  I began to think that it may have been the bread.  And then started thinking about the time I had just spent away from home and how I ate very little bread during that time and felt great.  Hmmmm....do you see where this is going?  I think I may have developed a sensitivity to gluten. 

This revelation got me online checking things out.  I ended up watching a short YouTube  titled "Why You Got Fat".  It's about how your body deals with the sugars and fats we eat.  Entertaining as well as interesting, it got me curious to learn more. It is a clip from a movie/documentary called Fat Head.   Zac just happened to be watching over my shoulder and said "Hey, we have that on Netflix!"  So we went off the basement to have a look.  Fat Head is about one man's journey in eating only fast food for 30 days.  His movie is in retaliation to Supersize Me, a movie about another man who ate only at MacDonald's for a month.

If you have ever watched Supersize Me, you were probably left with the impression that North America is on the road to obesity.

  It's worth watching, for sure, but after you've watched it, watch Fat Head. I highly recommend watching  them both. Both are on YouTube.  Zac and I had our fair share of chuckles while watching Fat Head. If you're like me you will see the ridiculousness of Supersize Me and the reality of Fat Head.  Back to the internet to gather more information.

I searched the internet for Tom Naughton's website...he's the star and producer of Fat Head.  He has piles of information links on his site.  So, my search continued.  The idea of cutting carbs was what had me.  I have always felt that my consumption of bread products was probably my biggest weight issue.  I kept seeing this Paleo Diet on the various sites I visited.  You know how it is on the computer...one thing leads to another.  I found out that the Paleo diet is eating like a caveman!  Cutting everything from your diet that a caveman would not have eaten.  The idea being that our bodies survived for a long time on that kind of diet and did just great!  It means cutting all wheat products, sugars, processed food....you get the picture.  A huge commitment to change if you choose to go this route.  I was certainly interested, but could this be the answer?  Well, it was Mr. Naughton who had got me going on this, so why not ask him?

I found a link on his website which listed many facts about what we've been 'fed' by governments, which he calls 'bologna'.  There was a comments section at the bottom where people had asked him questions...and he had answered!  So, I asked mine.  What book should I buy to get the low down on low carb eating?  He was really quick in answering too!  Nice!  He recommended  Atkins....yes, Atkins.  It's a new and improved Atkins.  "A New Atkins For a New You".  I decided that this would be the way I approached going low carb.  I picked up a copy of the book the next day, as well as a workbook by Colette Heimowitz.  I signed up for the Atkins website which has links to recipes, a forum, tips...lots of help.  I also got a free membership on  fat secret, a place I can journal my meals and track my carbs.  

In a nutshell, the Atkins diet is a low carbohydrate diet.  It has different levels you work your way through as you lose weight, leading you to a point where your body is maintaining your weight.  The goal in the Induction level is to keep your carb intake at 20 grams a day,  with most of them coming from veggies.  i'm on my 2nd day.  So far, so good.  There is a fair bit of information to get through, but there is a free quick start you can download,  

So, here I am, at the beginning of what I hope will be my answer.  I'll keep you updated and share my success (thinking positive!) with you.  Now for some delicious roast chicken and salad for dinner!