'I Was Meant To Eat' Low-Carb Forever
No matter what the media might think about the Atkins diet and other low-carb weight loss programs in general, there are still a whole bunch of us who are livin' la vida low-carb. Millions upon millions...and MILLIONS more who NEED to!
Case in point is this short letter printed in The Oregonian this week from a Beaverton, Oregon man named John Light.
Light, like so many of us, admitted in his letter that he "struggled with weight for years." Because of that, he searched for a way to lose weight without having to "go hungry" because he knew deep down inside that "something should be done."
"I read an article about the Atkins Diet, which led me to read an Atkins book. I immediately eliminated carbohydrates from my diet. During the next six months, I lost 40 pounds and have kept them off for three years. I have never felt deprived or hungry. There's always something I can eat."
When Light says he "eliminated carbohydrates," I'm sure he MEANT to say he reduced the amount of carbs he was consuming before the Atkins diet which helped him successfully lose weight and keep it off forever.
While the media will look at Light's comments and say, "See, he's eating ZERO carbs which is eliminating a whole category of foods," I'm sure Mr. Light would be quick to correct their supposed GOTCHA error in assuming he doesn't eat carbs at all. I'm sure he eats about 60-100g carbs per day to maintain his weight like most of us low-carbers do.
Although, even if he did participate in a very ketogenic diet (20g carbs or less) with virtually no carbs, his body would still produce enough carbs on its own without him having to consume them. Do you hear the media EVER talk about this process called gluconeogenesis? They probably can't even spell it!
I really like what Light said about the foods he used to crave and how he responds to those same foods now.
"Before my change in diet, I thought I craved pastry of all sorts. Once I gave myself permission to eat any amount of protein and fat, I discovered those are the things I was really craving, and I've hardly touched pastry since. I also discovered salads, which I ate grudgingly before but which I love now."
For Light it was pastries, but for me it was macaroni & cheese, Little Debbie snack cakes, and sausage biscuits. We all have our own "problem" foods that we felt we could never live without before we started livin' la vida low-carb.
But as Light and I both discovered, those cravings go away. Getting off that sugar rollercoaster and giving your body what it REALLY wants (fat and protein as well as healthy carbs from nutrient-dense foods) is one of the beautiful effects of being on low-carb. That's why this plan is good for life and not just as a temporary weight loss gimmick as it is so often mischaracterized by those who oppose it.
At the end of his letter supporting the low-carb lifestyle, Light underlined an important element in ANY successful weight loss plan.
"Of course, I exercise. I always have. But all the talk about willpower and denial made me feel bad about myself. This is the diet I was meant to eat."
I never exercised before my low-carb weight loss, but now I couldn't live without it. It invigorates me like no food I could ever consume and I look forward to going to the gym to relieve stress and feel the joy of making my body healthier.
It's such an amazing feeling that I sometimes wonder why I waited so long to do it. If you are NOT currently exercising, then I URGE you to start immediately and give it 90 days. You'll thank me later for it! :)
Light hits on another excellent point about livin' la vida low-carb. There are no feelings of having to suck it up and deny yourself foods that you want to eat or go hungry. The selection of foods on the Atkins diet are appetizing and filling so you never feel you are "on a diet." That's why he says it's the diet he "was meant to eat."
Me too, Mr. Light. Me too. THANK YOU for sharing your experience on the Atkins diet and hopefully it will encourage others who need to make this their way of eating to begin that journey that you did three years ago and like I did a little more than two years ago.
With shining examples like Light (all pun intended!), we WILL make a difference in the health of the people who desperately need to lose weight. Start livin' la vida low-carb today and enjoy the positive benefits that come from this amazing way of eating for yourself. You'll have NO regrets!
Case in point is this short letter printed in The Oregonian this week from a Beaverton, Oregon man named John Light.
Light, like so many of us, admitted in his letter that he "struggled with weight for years." Because of that, he searched for a way to lose weight without having to "go hungry" because he knew deep down inside that "something should be done."
"I read an article about the Atkins Diet, which led me to read an Atkins book. I immediately eliminated carbohydrates from my diet. During the next six months, I lost 40 pounds and have kept them off for three years. I have never felt deprived or hungry. There's always something I can eat."
When Light says he "eliminated carbohydrates," I'm sure he MEANT to say he reduced the amount of carbs he was consuming before the Atkins diet which helped him successfully lose weight and keep it off forever.
While the media will look at Light's comments and say, "See, he's eating ZERO carbs which is eliminating a whole category of foods," I'm sure Mr. Light would be quick to correct their supposed GOTCHA error in assuming he doesn't eat carbs at all. I'm sure he eats about 60-100g carbs per day to maintain his weight like most of us low-carbers do.
Although, even if he did participate in a very ketogenic diet (20g carbs or less) with virtually no carbs, his body would still produce enough carbs on its own without him having to consume them. Do you hear the media EVER talk about this process called gluconeogenesis? They probably can't even spell it!
I really like what Light said about the foods he used to crave and how he responds to those same foods now.
"Before my change in diet, I thought I craved pastry of all sorts. Once I gave myself permission to eat any amount of protein and fat, I discovered those are the things I was really craving, and I've hardly touched pastry since. I also discovered salads, which I ate grudgingly before but which I love now."
For Light it was pastries, but for me it was macaroni & cheese, Little Debbie snack cakes, and sausage biscuits. We all have our own "problem" foods that we felt we could never live without before we started livin' la vida low-carb.
But as Light and I both discovered, those cravings go away. Getting off that sugar rollercoaster and giving your body what it REALLY wants (fat and protein as well as healthy carbs from nutrient-dense foods) is one of the beautiful effects of being on low-carb. That's why this plan is good for life and not just as a temporary weight loss gimmick as it is so often mischaracterized by those who oppose it.
At the end of his letter supporting the low-carb lifestyle, Light underlined an important element in ANY successful weight loss plan.
"Of course, I exercise. I always have. But all the talk about willpower and denial made me feel bad about myself. This is the diet I was meant to eat."
I never exercised before my low-carb weight loss, but now I couldn't live without it. It invigorates me like no food I could ever consume and I look forward to going to the gym to relieve stress and feel the joy of making my body healthier.
It's such an amazing feeling that I sometimes wonder why I waited so long to do it. If you are NOT currently exercising, then I URGE you to start immediately and give it 90 days. You'll thank me later for it! :)
Light hits on another excellent point about livin' la vida low-carb. There are no feelings of having to suck it up and deny yourself foods that you want to eat or go hungry. The selection of foods on the Atkins diet are appetizing and filling so you never feel you are "on a diet." That's why he says it's the diet he "was meant to eat."
Me too, Mr. Light. Me too. THANK YOU for sharing your experience on the Atkins diet and hopefully it will encourage others who need to make this their way of eating to begin that journey that you did three years ago and like I did a little more than two years ago.
With shining examples like Light (all pun intended!), we WILL make a difference in the health of the people who desperately need to lose weight. Start livin' la vida low-carb today and enjoy the positive benefits that come from this amazing way of eating for yourself. You'll have NO regrets!
posted by Jimmy Moore at
4/07/2006 07:15:00 AM
1 Comments:
I have MORE energy because my blood sugar is stable (no "downs" making me reach for sugar). Stable blood sugar leads to stable energy. :)
I'm tired today but that's because I had to be up at 5:30 a.m., and 5:30 came WAY too early, lol. For God's sake, it was still DARK out! I work swing shift so I don't do 5:30 very well.
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