Confessions of a Carbohydrate Lover

What do you think of when you picture Heaven? Golden streets? Mansions? Angels? I see the above picture: streets of bread, fountains of pasta, trees of cookies.

It's a tough point when the dietitian comes into your room after you have given birth to your third beautiful baby girl and informs you that, with two rounds of gestational diabetes, you're highly likely to get Diabetes within five years. It's humbling when you watch Biggest Loser contestants who get onto the scale on day one and weigh as much as you do.  And so begins Project De-fatify. Or No-Jiggle. Or Zip-The-Jeans. Or, just get healthy. It has been in process over a year, as I have read around a dozen nutrition books, researched different types of exercise, and prepared to launch once I reached the six-week go-ahead after having EdiRu.

My husband tells me that I am a great summarizer. I guess that's what you get from years of reading, analyzing, and regurgitating books. So far my favorites are Tom Venuto's The Body Fat Solution for overall fitness and mindset knowledge, the Eades' Protein Power Lifestyle for solid, clear information on carbohydrates, insulin, and low-carb-but-not-just-lard-and-dirt living, and Bob Harper's The Skinny Rules for a very readable and condensed version of all the other books. As I have learned how little I know about nutrition, my body, and food, this process has been enlightening, educational, convicting, and depressing.

Though the research is still coming together, I am convinced that I have Metabolic Syndrome and am pre-diabetic. It appears I am part of 75% of Americans who have an issue with their insulin - meaning, specifically when I eat sugars (which carbohydrates quickly become when processed in your body), my body spikes insulin in ways other people don't, and that directly becomes fat stores in the body. Though I don't have all the symptoms, my Gestational Diabetes and yo-yo dieting that has never fully' stuck' even though I have cut calories, watched fat, and even watched carbohydrates, all fit the profile. Even with intense exercising, I have never dramatically dropped weight.

So, I'm facing it. I will probably need to be low-carb the rest of my life. I am taking great solace in the fact God seems to love bread (He gave it to the Israelites in the wilderness, and Jesus is the Bread of Life), so I am fully convinced the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will include cheesecake, pasta, fluffy fresh homemade bread, and pizza, all redeemed, and my body redeemed to eat them without guilt or fat (at least...bad fat).

Here is the breakdown of my game plan from here on out. I will try to post recipes, ideas, exercises, etc., to encourage others. I might post pictures...maybe. But with three little people, six acres, essays to grade, kettle bells to swing, and the occasional load of laundry, that probably won't happen.

Game Plan:

1. Cut all sugar
Until I lose around 80 pounds. Except for the occasional special event (like, Anniversary or Christmas Day), no sugar. At all. Not even Splenda. I would like to go whole-hog and drink my tea and coffee black, but I can't do it. So, to stevia I go!

2. Cut all simple carbohydrates, and restrict complex carbohydrates
No refined carbohydrates, be that pasta, white rice, white bread, or cookies. Very limited, like maybe once or twice a week, complex carbohydrates like some whole wheat noodles in soup, or a half cup of brown rice.

3. Some fruits, but limited
I'm not convinced fruits should be lumped into the lowest level of the inferno with sugar and carbs, especially because I've read some books/studies that talk about how the combination of fiber and vitamins in the fruit actually alters the way your body digests and uses the carbs/sugars of the fruit. Thus why it's better to eat the fruit instead of drinking it.

4. Up the Protein
The books I have read are almost equally split on whether you should have high protein + high fat (especially saturated fat), or high protein + low fat. I'm going to strike a balance, I suppose, and eat nuts, eggs (with Omega-3, if I can find them), cheese, avocados, and some coconut oil (recipe to follow on one use), but mainly leaner chicken, pork, and beef.

5. Exercise like I MEAN IT
None of this pathetic cycling for thirty minutes like I'm meandering on the boardwalk. Exercise at LEAST three times a week of interval training. That means one day doing Jackie Warner's walking routine (3 minutes @ a 3.5mph, incline 12, then 3 minutes @ 4.5 mph, incline 3, then 1 minute walking @ 3mph, 0 incline. Repeat three times, up speeds as you get in better shape), one day of kettle bells, and one day of jogging to prepare for a 5K in Octoberish or a workout video like 30 Day Shred, Power Circuit with Jackie, etc.

I appreciate your prayers, and your encouragement. Even if it means I'm holding a glorious chocolate chip cookie in my hand and, upon admonishment, look like I might punch you in the face. I don't think I will.

Here is a link to a recipe for low-carb granola Andy and I have been enjoying for breakfast, especially when you just can't eat another egg (I eat it with 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt and 1/4 cup organic frozen berries from Costco).  I don't even know what some of the seeds are, so I just double the almonds and walnuts (note: the cheapest place I have found almonds and walnuts are at Costco, which also has sliced almonds in the baking/spice section. Unless you have the Samurai skills it takes to do that yourself).