An Update On My Weight Loss…

Hello My Fan Friend Lovelies!

I am officially five pounds under my initial goal weight, which given where I was seven months ago is absolutely amazing and empowering. I have been not only looking better but feeling better. Nothing beats having the energy to do the things I enjoy most after work, like walking four to five miles daily, doing tarot readings, and going out more with friends and family.

Being more active while watching my carb and sugar intake has put ME in charge of my life. So you can imagine my surprise when a friend of mine confronted me about my weight loss and checking to make sure I didn’t have an eating disorder. At first, I was taken aback, then a little insulted and finally I understood this fear my friend had was based off of her own personal experience with someone close to her. I called this friend and assured her that I definitely eat, in fact, I eat and snack often throughout the day I just limit it to things high in fat and protein while low in carbs. I explained to my concerned friend with compassion and understanding that I was fine and not in any danger but I also couldn’t help but wonder: why is it STILL assumed that people who follow low carb automatically starve themselves?

I scoured several online forums to get to the bottom of why this was the case and found the common denominator was that people were convinced that by restricting carbs we low-carb people were depriving our body of essential nutrients and therefore unhealthy. This way of thinking is simply not true because not all carbohydrates are created equal. A lot of the posts on these forums feature many people that still believe that fat clogs arteries, and so these “diets” such as Atkins and South Beach creates controversy. In truth, fat is actually essential for body function , and carbohydrates are not.

Especially in cases where you may suffer from type 2 diabetes restricting carbohydrates in a diet has a direct result in lowering your sugar levels and insulin needs. High sugar levels play a role in type 2 diabetes as well as other chronic diseases such as dementia, cardiovascular disease and even in some cases cancer.

By lowering carbohydrate intake, blood sugars are controlled and insulin levels are minimized. This is incredibly beneficial for those with diabetes (type one or two) and even those with insulin resistance.

High carbohydrates and sugar also trigger cravings for MORE carbohydrates and sugar. They leave you feeling tired, still hungry, and bloated. When we eat too many carbohydrates that don’t get burned for fuel they get stored stored as fat and not converted for energy and can add on extra weight which isn’t healthy.

Everybody’s body processes carbohydrates differently, no one person’s body is created equal and some bodies DO require more carbohydrates and sugar then others so always consult your primary care doctor before starting a new lifestyle change. For me, the low carb “diet” isn’t a diet. It’s a lifestyle change and a commitment to be healthy and maintain my weight for myself. After all, my loved ones, family and friends, deserve me at my best and healthiest. I plan on being around to see my great nieces and nephews and in order to ensure that I’ve got to take care of me today so that the me of tomorrow can benefit from that.

I’d be lying if I said there weren’t days I marveled at how people my age can eat a McDonald’s large fry and vanilla shake and still maintain a figure but those days for me (sadly) are over. I don’t condemn people for eating how they’d like to, I don’t play doctor to them either or presume to know what is going on and how many calories they need to be healthy. Those of you who follow this blog religiously know my recipes are always quick, low carb, healthy and YES I do eat everything I make.

For me, criticizing someone for NOT “weighing enough” is just as bad as criticizing someone for being overweight. How someone looks is entirely up to them NOT society. As long as they’re healthy and happy with the person they’re seeing staring back at them in the mirror that’s all that matters.

Finding myself again through the low carb lifestyle has been exciting and inventive. I have found many low carb alternatives to my favorite foods such as pizza, several Mexican dishes, ice cream, nachos and many other fan favorites. As I prefect these recipes I will share them on here with you. For now I’m just basking in the glow of being 45 pounds down from where I began seven months ago.

Love you. Mean it.

Brittany

Xoxo