I had been gradually putting on pounds and decided enough was enough. Now I am very nearly 40, and my friends told me this was normal, but I was determined to try to lose it anyhow. So I did what conventional wisdom recommends- I joined the gym and started working out 4 days a week at lunch, and replaced my usual restaurant or leftovers lunch with a turkey and whole wheat sandwich with fat-free mayo. Sounds like a foolproof plan to lose weight, right? Wrong.
I actually GAINED weight and started to feel horrible- tired, fuzzy-headed and unable to think clearly, and stomach problems. I had no idea what was wrong, and after 3 blood tests, neither did my doctor. So I started reading- all kinds of nutrition and health books. Nothing made any sense till this popped up as a recommendation on Amazon- thanks no doubt, to the search engine that remembers what you've been looking at. When I read the reviews for this book, I KNEW what the problem was. I had more than doubled my intake of wheat! (I have never liked bread much and rarely order sandwiches when eating out. So I bought it and read it. It was intriguing, horrifying, and it made entirely too much sense. Now this book IS technical, but for the first time in my life I feel like I understand how food affects my health and my weight. I decided to try it.
Update- in the first month I lost 9 lbs. That doesn't sound like alot, except that I wasn't really very heavy to begin with. I am five feet tall, generally considered slim even at my heaviest, and my goal was 16 lbs which is two dress sizes. I lost 3 more pounds in the next 2 weeks, and 3 more in the next month. My husband says I look hot, and my parents were slack-jawed at my transformation. Here are the pros and cons of this diet:
Pros- I count NOTHING- not carbs, not fat grams, not calories. I eat all I want of the unlimited foods, some of the limited foods, and avoid the forbidden foods. It's easy and it sure beats calorie counting. I am never hungry. I feel great- I have tons more energy- even when I didn't get enough sleep for whatever reason. I don't crave carbs or sugar anymore- I eat out quite a lot, have gone to parties, baked cookies with my kids and had little urge to cheat. I have even reduced my caffeine- I just don't need an after lunch pick-me-up anymore. And I finally know what food is right for my body- because I feel it on this diet. I can eat chocolate, bacon, and butter, and drink wine with no guilt. My IBS and allergies are 90% better. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to wake up with a clear head and no sinus headache every morning. The difference in my allergies is so marked that my eye doctor asked if I had changed allergy meds because my eyes were not red and irritated as usual. He couldn't believe it when I told him it was a result of giving up wheat.
Cons- The food on this diet is expensive. Sugar and wheat are cheap filler foods and when you stop buying them you will feel it at the checkout. You will have to change the way you cook- and you will nearly have to cook if you aren't already. It's hard to wrap your head around the concept of this diet- its hard to believe that fat is better for you than fat-free products (which are generally loaded with sugar and wheat) but I know its true because I feel so much better. I thought I would fit back into my old clothes but I lost so much weight, I have to buy new clothes because all of my old ones are now too baggy. Is it worth it- YES!!
***Final update- its been more than two years now. It took me only 3 months to lose 17 lbs- a pound more than my goal of 16, and 14% of my body weight. I am now a pound lighter than I was when I graduated college- nineteen years ago! I am not planning on quitting my diet- ever. This is just how I eat now. I feel healthy, energetic, and younger than I did two years ago. I am getting a better feel for what I can and can't eat. Rice and steel cut oatmeal is okay for me, and a few corn chips or tacos now and again don't bother me either. Fruit is fine except bananas, which make my stomach hurt. I haven't gained back a single pound- and I threw all the "fat" clothes away. I have never felt this good- I am never going back to eating wheat.
Tips- you will want to buy a glycemic index counter to go with this, so that if you are going to cheat you can do it wisely. I have an occasional fun sized snickers bar or Reeses Peanut butter cup and maintain my weight easily. Nobody can be good all of the time!! Before you run out and buy bunches of snacks- I have a cabinet full of diet-safe snacks that I haven't eaten because I'm not hungry between meals anymore. Save your money and buy them as you need them.
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Life changer
This book changed my life. I was l Constanly struggling with my stomach and canker sores. The doctors kept telling me I was fine and I knew my body wasn't ok. Recently I found out about a gluten intolerance from my aunt (doctor in EU) The bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, canker sores all has disappeared days after I quit eating gluten. Now just looking at a piece of bread upsets my stomach because I known how damaging it is to my body.
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