How We Got Fat

D-I-E-T

I hate the word. "I can't eat that, I'm on a diet" "Do you have Diet Soda?"
Then you have all these fad diets. Keto, Paleo, Atkins, etc, etc, etc.



When did people forget how to eat? I think as food and food production evolved, people got lazy and forgot how to eat. There was a time when people grew most of their food. They ate meat when it was available. Eating out was a luxury. Then what happened? Ray Kroc met the McDonald's brothers. TV Dinners were invented. Artificial seasonings and sweeteners were invented. It became cheaper to buy fast food than to cook at home. Even though cooking isn't that complicated. It's about preparation and planning. Salty and sugar loaded snacks replaced fresh fruits and veggies. Every drink aside from water is loaded with sugar, even "diet" soda.

This trend changed the way we ate that they had to coin a term for more than overweight or fat. Obese. Then a more than obese, morbidly obese. We are not fat because of over eating or because of fat. The culprits are sugar and carbs (that become sugar in your bloodstream) Thinking that you can completely eliminate ingesting sugar and carbs is a myth. Mostly everything has some percentage of carbs, even some fruits and veggies. Then there is sugar. Fruit has sugar. Added sugar is the problem. The other mistake we make is not following serving size. The next time you buy anything to eat, turn the package around and read the nutritional information. It tells you serving size, how many calories per serving size, and how many servings per package. When it comes to drinks and snacks, we tend to eat the whole bag or drink the whole bottle. That bag of snacks might be 4 servings and that bottle of soda at least 2 servings. a serving of peanut butter is 1 or 2 tablespoons, but we just slather it on. Doubling or tripling the calories.

So now you must be wondering, why is he writing about this? I'll tell you the short version. I've struggled with weight since about the age of 6. Before that I was skinny. After that I was always the fat kid. I never thought about how my eating habits would affect me later in life. I used to eat one big meal a day, or two or three. I'd work all morning and when I got off I would order 3 or 4 things off the dollar menu and the biggest soda they offered. Inhaled it and then take a nap. For dinner, I'd have 2 or 3 helpings or order a second entree from the Chinese take out "for later" About 7 years ago, I turned it all around. I started eating "healthy" and exercising. I lost about 70 pounds. Then I stopped. Then about 2 month's ago I woke up in the middle of the night with chest pains.

Leading up to that night, I went into a eating spiral. I remember drinking half gallon of lemonade and sweet tea, and 2 liter bottles of Coca Cola on a daily basis. Ordering out. Eating all times of the day and night. About a week prior to the chest pains, I would get up at least 4 times a night to pee, my hands trembled, my toes tingled and my legs were numb. I thought nothing of it. The night before I had a foot long steak and cheese with everything and hot peppers. I polished it off with a bottle of Coke. then I went to bed, because I had to work in the morning. At about 2 in the morning I woke up with shooting pain on the left side of my chest, especially when I took deep breaths. I waited an hour to see if it would pass. I thought it may have been indigestion. Finally after 3 am, I asked my wife to drive me to the emergency room. When we get to the emergency, since I was complaining of chest pains, they immediately sent me back. They ran an EKG, which was normal. Then they gave me a chest x-ray. Eventually they gave me a CT scan. They discovered I had an infection in my lung. My breathing was making my chest rub up against the infection site and causing discomfort. I was told that because of my Diabetes, infections were precarious. My tests also revealed that my glucose level was over 450 points. The kicker was that I hadn't been diagnosed with Diabetes before.

That day I gave up soda, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and junk. I started eating more fruits and veggies. I really had no idea what and what not to eat. About a week later I went to see my new doctor. We talked about my health and diet history. He put me on Diabetes medication and ordered me a glucose meter. What he didn't do was tell what I could and couldn't eat. He told me to cut back on carbs and gave a calorie limit. The best part was the app. He had me download an app that keeps track of my glucose readings. I log my medications and my meals. It's gives and calorie count for every meal so I can keep track of my intake. I've made a lot of changes since then and learned a lot about food and how my body processes it.

A week ago I joined the gym at my neighborhood community center. I'm not sure how much weight I've lost so far, but I have noticed changes. When I started, I couldn't fit my jeans anymore. I also couldn't fit my belt. As of late all my jeans fit with room and I can use the 3rd hole on my belt. People are also starting to notice my transformation. I feel much better. I'm getting more sleep. My body moves better. I can reach stuff I couldn't reach before.

Changing everything you know is a challenge. You have to be completely ready and willing. You have to consider how your life will benefit from making small changes. Diabetes made my changes drastic and absolute. You may not need to go as far I did. The biggest one for me and that will help you get started is water. Drink more water. Drink less soda, and juice. There are also other zero calorie options on the market like Bai. Most of the sugar and carbs we ingest comes from soft drinks and fruit juices. Next cut back on obvious carbs. Bread, potatoes, white rice, pasta, breaded foods, processed snacks. If you need bread, try multigrain or seeded breads like Mike's Killer Bread Power seed. Instead of white rice, try brown rice or cauliflower rice. If you love potatoes, eat them boiled instead of fried. A small to medium Yukon Gold, Red or Sweet Potato. Try not to smother it in butter, use low fat sour cream or Greek yogurt. Whole wheat or other alternative pasta's instead of flour pastas. They also have vegetable noodles like zucchini and sweet potato.

The key to a successful diet is cooking. Stop eating fast and process foods. Try to make as much of your own food. If you need meat, go for lean meats and seafood. Try to avoid cured meats as much as possible. Instead of hot dogs buy fresh high quality sausages. Keep fresh fruits and veggies at hand. They are good for snacking. Also for making an impromptu salad. Try not to drown everything in dressing or sauces, they are full of fat and sugar. Remember that veggies have the lowest calories per serving. One head of broccoli has half the calories of a hamburger. That means that you can fill up veggies and cut your calorie count. The most important thing I've learned is to follow serving size. Everything has a serving size and a calorie count. If you stick to serving size you can actually lose weight. I range from 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day. They call it  calorie deficit. That's what makes for healthy weight loss. I used to eat over 4,000 calories a day. I'm never hungry or feel like I'm missing anything. Another pitfall is "Diet" food. It's not worth it. For dairy products, look for reduced fat, low fat or fat free.

Plan ahead. If you're going to a cook out or a party, make sure you bring something you can eat. Don't just go hungry because you can't have it. Meal planning is a big deal for me. I never thought I would be that guy. Now I make 2 meals a week for my work lunches. Not only do I control my portions, I also save money. For breakfast I keep zero fat Greek yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, avocados, almond milk, bananas, strawberries, granola and oats. Every morning I mix and match. If I want to sweeten my oats or yogurt, I use a squirt of honey. Dinner is usually a big salad. I keep salad and fresh kale, tomatoes, mushrooms, celery, cucumbers, baby carrots, apples, pears, canned beans and avocados on hand to make my salads. Dressing is usually a vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, olive oil and ground mustard, or simply fresh squeezed lemon juice. Sometimes I add tuna or canned salmon. I also keep sardines on hand.

You don't have join a gym, unless you want to. Walk around the neighborhood 3 times a week. take the stairs instead of the elevator, dance. Do whatever you need to get your blood pumping and sweat.

The last tip. If you mess up. just keep going. We all slip. Don't quit. Start back over. Be honest with yourself. The only way you will get results is by sticking to it. Be patient, because nothing happens overnight. Your the only person that can stand in your way. There is nothing you can't do if put your mind to it.