People are asking me to write about weight loss. I feel reluctant because I don’t know how to make such a post not boring but if readers want it, then here it is.
After gestational diabetes, people often develop Type II diabetes. My doctor was very sure that I was going to develop it and kept insisting that there was no way for me not to have it (which is why she isn’t my doctor any longer.) After my hormones came back to normal and I went off the medication, my fasting blood sugar (which is the measurement you take first thing in the morning) was 110. This isn’t horribly bad, but it isn’t good either. The normal range is under 100. And the only way to bring it down significantly is by losing weight.
I’m passionately opposed to developing diabetes, so I lost weight. And here is what I discovered in the process:
Physical activity has zero connection to weight loss. Going from an inveterate couch potato to intense physical activity 5-6 times a week (swimming, spinning, fitness, cardio, weights) didn’t lead me to lose as much as an ounce. I’m not pathetic enough to convince myself that it just seems like there is no change in weight because I’m gaining muscle. That big thing that follows me around wherever I go is definitely not muscle.
The only thing that helps lose weight is to:
NOT EAT.
And I mean not eat in a way where you feel serious and constant hunger pangs.
Unfortunately, I have what in psychology is called “food trauma”, and I don’t do well with hunger. So this has been a complicated process for me. But I lost 25 lbs compared to the pre-pregnancy weight. It took me exactly 5 months. And the blood sugar started creeping down slowly. Today it was 102. I will feel content when I get it to 89, which means that there is still a long way to go.
And now the most boring post known to humanity is finally over.
P.S. If somebody is planning to recommend that I use WeightWatchers, please don’t.
Clarissa's Blog 
Are you in denial about the value of eliminating potatoes from your diet?
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I’ve done as much as can be done with the diabetic diet. Now I eat white asparagus instead of potatoes. But the sugar was still stuck at 110. I even thought my blood sugar device was broken. So I had to lose weight.
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What I heard/read a long time ago is that short bursts of intense activity are not as helpful in losing weight (though they can be helpful in maintaining weight loss) as is regular prolonged (over 40 minutes) less intense activity. Walking between 40-60 minutes a day is supposed to be very good for you.
Also, eating meals without snacking inbetween is supposed to be healthier than snacking all day (easier than meals in the US IIRC).
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The problem is that I have been walking a lot more or less every day my entire life, so something more intense was needed. Spinning is 45 minutes. And it’s fun, but doesn’t seem related to weight loss.
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I got my blood pressure under control here in Africa. They took me off all the meds. My doctor says a big part of it was weight loss. I almost completely gave up dairy, beef, and pork and only occasionally eat goat now. Of this list only goat is easily obtainable in Ghana.
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Gosh, if I were to leave the US, I’d lose all the weight immediately with no effort. But since I live here, I need to make enormous efforts.
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I lived in Kyrgyzstan for three years before I came to Ghana. Fried mutton and potatoes are just as heavy as anything the US has. In fact summer of 2012 after two months in Kyrgyzstan I lost two holes on my belt due to weight gain.
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Strictly speaking physical activity not being related to weight loss is only half true. The metabolic demands of physical activity are unlikely to be anywhere near the scale of your resting metabolic need, but if you gain significant muscle from your excercise then you can get a real increase in your resting metabolism and lose weight if you don’t increase your diet by the same amount.
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studies have shown over and over that activity increase alone never causes weight loss. The reason being that activity increases your appetite an undetectably small amount and unless you weigh your food every day you will eat a little more. Also, the claims about resting metabolic rate and the amount of calories burned are huge overestimations because exercise equipment companies have largely funded that supporting science.
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Yes, that is true. The gym won’t help you to lose weight unless you get so stressed that you go off your food, which slightly happened to me last week or so. Actually I had aches in unusual places from my increased training (try the top of the thigh at the leg joint, also inside the pelvis bones and across the chest under the rib cage — very strange indeed. true story.)
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indeed, I would say, do not get carried away with planking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rMjuAIrLOg&feature=channel&list=UL
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Wow, congratulations! You are so so right – weight loss happens in the kitchen.
Whatever you are doing is obviously working, but here are some things that help me feel less hungry on less food. Of course they may be psychologically or physiologically wrong for you, but I just want to share for you and others what has worked for me in the past.
– eat meals with no snacking. Even better do IF (intermittent fasting). This comes in many flavors but, any kind of short fast (can be as little as half a day) is very, very good for hunger control, believe it or not and for your whole body. I eat every other day and it has worked wonders for me. Most days I do not get hungry and I fill up much faster now when I do eat.
– limit carbs. 50 – 75G per day is good for me, and I allow myself to go over with healthy starches like potatoes and rice on weekends. This has also helped friends I know with diabetes.
– eat enough fat. Fat is crucial for health and satiety!
– drink lots of unsweetened tea and coffee.
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Thank you, Ellie!
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// And I mean not eat in a way where you feel serious and constant hunger pangs.
Sorry if it’s too private, but do you feel them now and planning to do so till the rest of your life? How is it possible to endure for years for anybody?
// – drink lots of unsweetened tea and coffee.
Second that suggestion. Stopped drinking sweetened tea several years ago, and now sugar in tea or coffee tastes unpleasant and mildly disgusting to me. (Still love dark chocolate, cakes, etc. )
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My weight loss proceeds very slowly precisely because I’m not good with hunger.
As for long-term plans, I don’t really have any. For now, I just want to see the blood sugar reading of 89. When I do, I will be very happy.
Sweet things and desserts were never a temptation for me (outside of when I had diabetes and was obsessed with them.) For me, the main obstacle is portion control. It’s easier for me not to start eating at all than to start and eat a smallish portion. I’ve used every trick in the book, but for now it isn’t working. Obviously, this is psychological.
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” It’s easier for me not to start eating at all than to start and eat a smallish portion”
That’s the story of my thighs…. LIFE, I mean LIFE!. Yes, I’m glad we cleared that up. hmmmm
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I lost twenty five pounds four years ago and I was miserable and depressed all the time. However, maintenance hasn’t been so bad. I discovered, when I checked, that some things I thought were healthful really weren’t. Like muffins. Might as well eat a piece of cake.
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I like muffins. Sometimes I eat one for lunch but that means I have to forget about dinner.
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Great article and tips !
I will add and share my personal method how I lost 50lbs in a year
1.) A disciplined daily regiment of exercise , 30 minutes minimum to start and increase each month.
a.) walking
b.) walking 10 steps / jogging 10 steps – combo > increase over time
c.) short wind sprints
d.) resistive weight lifting
e.) Breathing technique – As your heart rate increases and your breathing
becomes more labored,
Intake breath through open mouth and exhale by closing mouth and push
out twice through your nose , contracting your lower diaphragm.
Over time this will become second nature.
*note* : As you exercise your core temperature rises.At a critical
point the body will begin to overheat and shut down muscle
function, this is experienced as fatigue,forcing you to
stop exercising well before the muscle tissue is actually
totally fatigued.
To counter this,have cold packs at hand (carried in a
backpack / fanny pack when walking jogging running )
and when you reach your fatigue point,stop retrieve the cold
packs and hold the cold packs 1 in each hand, making contact
with the palm for 3 minutes.Resume exercise till fatigue is
reached again then stop exercising.
This method will allow you to burn more calories at every
exercise session = more rapid weight loss in a shorter
amount of time.
2 .) Dietary supplement
Exercise and Dietary supplement work hand in hand
a.) Drink only distilled water
b.) Make a Blender full of dietary supplement daily, using the method and
supplements listed below.
Monounsaturated Fats
An essential fatty acid (EFA) that seems to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is considered a type of ‘good’ fat. Olive oil, and canola oil have this in them. You need approximately 2% of your daily calories as EFA’s. For substantial weight loss, you can increase the daily amount to 20% or higher. This may seem counter-intuitive to loosing weight by ingesting a large portion of fat in your daily diet , but remember this is the ‘good’ type of fat. What happens when you employ this method, is you trick your body’s metabolism into using fat as your primary caloric source instead of using and burning protein and carbs as the primary caloric source.
In my case, I lost 50lbs. over the course of a year. I would use a food blender with puree setting , and add a medley of fresh fruit ,( Bananas,strawberries,kiwi fruit,mango,apple,carrots ,1cup raw oatmeal,1/4 cup wheat germ,Low-fat Yogurt, shot of lemon juice,1/2 cup canola oil,2 scoops of a milk whey protein and low-fat milk added as you blend till your desired thickness consistency). 4 raw egg optional.
Additionally I added the following supplements listed below.
This would make a full blender of nutrient dense easily digestible “base food” , which I would ingest 5 to 6 times daily, with small portion meals.
Creatine (monohydrate)
A muscle fuel that is extracted naturally from meat and fish, or synthesized in the lab. Once it is in the muscles, creatine combines with phosphorous to make Creatine Phosphate (CP), a high powered chemical that rebuilds the muscles ultimate energy source, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). CP powers your muscles for high intensity exercise for short periods only, consequently, athletes who compete in power and sprint event will have an advantage if they take supplemental creatine. More CP in the muscle cell translates into a greater resistance to fatigue. Also, CP helps with the transfer of energy in the muscle cells, thus speeding up the action, which may enhance performances that are aerobically taxing. Reports says people who take creatine supplements may recover from intense activity faster and experience less postexercise muscle soreness.
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in the muscle tissue and when converted in the muscle tissue to phosphocreatine during exercise can provide sudden bursts of energy. Insufficient amounts of phosphocreatine could result in a fatigued feeling in the muscle. The Creatine Monohydrate Powder provides enough energy to delay to onset of fatigue. Creatine Monohydrate is a synthesized metabolite that is the powerful energizer providing instant energy and strength with better endurance and helps to maintain optimal levels of ATP production during intense exercise.
Why Monohydrate? Creatine comes in several forms. Creatine Monohydrate, Creatine Phosphate, and liquid form. Creatine Phosphate is much more expensive to manufacture while it offers no advantage. Liquid creatine has many problems associated with it. When mixing creatine monohydrate with a protein drink, or water, the creatine starts to become unstable. Within 24 hours, the creatine begins to change or ‘fallout’ into creatinine. Creatinine is a useless substance to the body. Thus, buying a premixed liquid form of creatine is not a legitimate product. The best absorbed form of creatine is the creatine monohydrate. Creatine monohydrate is better absorbed because it is more stable, resulting in higher concentration of available creatine.
Creatine & ATP. ATP is the molecule that releases the energy for contraction of muscles, the breakdown and synthesis of proteins and all other reactions requiring energy. In short, ATP is the energy molecule powering all of our movements. By giving off its energy through its high energy phosphate bond, ATP is reduced to ADP. The problem is that the amount of ATP that is stored in our cells is limited. Depending on the intensity of the activity, ATP supplies can be used up by converting to ADP within seconds. So how do athletes run or workout for long periods. We can do that because there are three way to replenish ATP.
1) You can restore ATP using energy derived from the oxidation of fats and carbohydrates. This is a slow process that occurs in the mitochondria. 2) You can restore ATP through lactic acid, which is utilized to produce energy, which turns ADP back into ATP. 3) Through Creatine Monohydrate, which helps creatine phosphate create more ATP from ADP within seconds. It is a short term, high energy backup for ATP. It does not need carbohydrates, fats or oxygen to recharge ATP.
Creatine (titrate) optional
Titrated creatine is less expensive than effervescent creatine, but has the same total solubality and absorbability. The result is free-ionized, soluble creatine. Titrated creatine acheives the process by titrating, or changing, the pH of the water when it’s stirred in. The altered pH solution enables more than 95 percents of the creatine to go into solution, so you get dissolved creatine.
Glutamine
An amino acid. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue. Studies are beginning to show that having extra glutamine in your body may be important to maximize muscle growth, by increasing growth hormone levels. Glutamine also is important to maintain proper health, and is shown to have anabolic and anticatabolic properties. During intense training, the signal for muscle breakdown (which is a bad thing) may be the release of skeletal muscle glutamine. That means that each time you train, your muscles release glutamine which in part triggers a catabolic state (a catabolic state is synonymous with muscle breakdown). By proving Glutamine, documented clinical studies have shown that Glutamine will have a significant impact on maintaining a positive nitrogen balance which is essential to muscular development and recovery.
Hydroxicitric Acid (HCA)
Also known as Citrimax. Acid found in the fruit Garcinia Cambogia that affects fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Studies have shown it reduces the conversion of carbs into bodyfat. HCA competitively inhibits an enzyme kown as ATP-Citrate lyase (the major enzyme responsible for the production of fatty acid). When HCA blocks the production of fatty acids, a buildup of citrate occurs, which may cause the cell to inhibit glycolysis (breakdown of stored sugars).
There are many other useful supplements , research the subject for a better understanding of them. Supplements are all optional , if the cost is a burden, you can still have great results with just the Blender recipe above. And above all patience.
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