So I've always worked out a lot in my life and I think I've been in pretty good shape. As 40 has rolled around (yes I know, gross to all you youngins') I'm finding that the pounds creep up easier. In my younger days I ate a generous and varied diet of pretty much whatever I wanted. Some of my favorites were pasta, fresh baked breads, mashed potatoes (plenty of gravy ;) and all kinds of other various CARBS. Another thing about me as I've always been a voracious reader and knowledge explorer. I've learned a lot on my own through curiosity and research. My latest research was on carbs and the effect on our bodies. In short, the pros to a low carb diet have lead me to consuming 20-30 grams per day of carbs which is not much at all. Given my love affair with carbs I thought this would be difficult and daunting but with all I've read I thought the effort would be worth it. As I began down the road to low carb nourishment I quickly realized it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. First off, the carbs that traditionally fueled my body with energy needed to be replaced with another fuel source and within 1-2 weeks of reduced carbs (20 grams or less) the body turns to FAT for fuel. I like the burning fat for fuel idea, don't we all? Instead of spaghetti and meatballs I eat Spaghetti squash topped with butter and cheese with a fat juicy ribeye steak and maybe a side salad or spinach. In other words, I CAN'T eat carbs but now I MUST eat plenty of fat. I don't watch calories, I watch carbs (don't want too much) and fat (more please!). The consumption of fat and protein as the majority of my meals makes me satisfied for hours!! The carbs no longer cause me to have blood sugar spikes which ultimately lead to quick cravings soon after eating. I take plenty of the right supplements (multi-vitamin, Omega 3, Vitamin D, CoQ10, EGCg, chromium) and I hydrate very well and watch my electrolytes (low carb can promote dehydration). I also make sure to get the little carbs I do consume from veggies for proper vitamin and nutrient replenishment and I also still work out like a motherfucker. So after three months I am down 19 lbs and I feel lean and alert. It was not so much about the weight loss for me as I wasn't really heavy but I felt that carbs left me BLOATED! Gone is the bloating and I don't think I've felt this good in the last 10 years!! I'm officially a low carb convert!
