Low Carb Journey … the road less traveled!

First – I apologize to my faithful readers about the delay in posting.  Unfortunately, I took with a pretty bad winter time cold that kick me out of reality for almost a week.  But – I am now back on track and have a lot of tell you!

Low carb – is this a road less traveled by people?  What is the difference between those that lose incredible amounts of weight on a low carb plan and those that do not?  Let me answer the first question – I do believe there are many that try a low carb diet, but fail because they do not understand that eating low carb is more of a lifestyle change than it is a diet.  I originally went into this “diet” with the idea of losing tons of weight and still being able to eat pretty much what I wanted as long as it was low or no carb. While most of this is totally true – over the last five to six weeks I have come to realize that in order for me to sustain this change in my life – I need to look at low carb as a new way of eating for myself. I will admit there are times when I would kill for a bagel (and sometimes I do indulge).  However, when I come back to the underlying reasons why I decided to take this course in my life – I realize that sustainability needs to be more of my focus rather than simply the weight loss.  Here is the deal – the weight loss will come and continue – period!  If you follow the plan – you are going to lose inches, weight and feel much better.  However, in order to sustain this new plan as a lifestyle change, there are a few things I have learned.

Food = Energy

A novel concept for people of weight to understand because we use to consume so much food that we forgot to realize that the purpose of eating is to generate energy for our body and daily activities. I have discovered over the last 6 weeks that I need to eat!  On this plan – I am rarely hungry and often will run out the door without eating a thing before I go to work.  In the beginning of my low carb plan – that was fine.  I had glycogen stores that fed my need for energy. However, 6 weeks into the plan and I can tell you without reservation that my glycogen stores are gone and in order for my mind and body to function at an optimal level – I need to eat!

A couple of days ago I ran out of the house because I was late getting to clinical.  I did not eat anything.  On my clinical days with students I am up by 4AM and out the door by 5:25AM so I can get to the hospital before the students get there and do their assignments.  As the morning progresses, I began to lose steam.  It was hard to think, hard to go from room to room without feeling like I was just going to collapse.  I realized I had not had anything to eat. I went to the break room and pulled out a low carb (Atkins) bar and ate it. The net carbs were 2g. Within 10 minutes – I was on top of the world.  Fortunately, that bar took me to lunch where I proceeded to eat a very healthy low carb lunch.  After lunch, I had the energy to go on not just for the remainder of the shift, but for the rest of the day and into the evening.  Food is truly amazing.  Learning that as a fat guy is pretty cool!  See – when you are overweight – you are no longer eating to feed your energy, you are eating to feed your mind.  This is a big change for me!

So to answer the original question – I believe many people get on a low carb diet because they hear they can lose weight fast.  However, after a few weeks – they dive back into their carbs because they mistakenly believe the carbs drive their energy.  While we can all agree that carbs drive energy – it just does nothing for you when are trying to target fat and get rid of it. And – the fact still remains – when you eat carbs – you want more carbs – a lot more! When you eat low carb meals – you have energy and you are not starving for the next food fix.

The lesson learned here is that eating is ok!  We can eat on this plan and not feel like you are doing something that we are not allowed to do.  Eat I say – eat!!!! Lesson learned – those that stay on a low carb program do so because they like the way they feel – understand that food is energy and supply their bodies with the food needed to fuel their day, and commit to a change in their thinking.

How It Feels

No one told me that when I went on a low carb diet I would feel amazing. The only thing I heard was I would lose weight.  However, over the last 6 weeks – I have become a different person.  The result of this new sense of self started within 48 hours during my induction week. I was up before my alarm clock went off, had incredible mental clarity, and simply felt strong and not vulnerable. This is my own person experience. I cannot tell you if this is something that everyone feels on a low carb diet – but this is how I feel.  When I think I want to take a break from low carbs and indulge – I remember how terrible I felt being a carb junkie.  That thought alone keeps me on track and on target.

I was visiting my brother the other day and he made a statement that really took me by surprise. He said “you are a different person now that you are on this new diet. Seems like you are feeling pretty good.” It was great to understand that not only did I notice the change in myself – but others have noticed too.

Water – The Source of Life!

Wow – I never realized how important water can be to a body when you are following a low carb meal plan.  I am the type of learner that needs to experience things before I get it.  Well – I get it!  Water is very important. When I originally started this plan – I hated drinking water.  It was a pain during work hours because I would have to let the students out on break so I could run to the bathroom. However, over time, I discovered effective ways in which to consume my water so it did not disturb my work and sleep schedule. Again – many lessons learned here, but if you are committed to making a change in your life – you need to put thought and planning into every aspect of what you are doing on this plan. For me, I drink roughly 2.0 2.5 liters of water a day now. I am sure I probably need to drink more – but this works well for me and my body so I am sticking with it.

Results!

To date I have lost 23 pounds (6 weeks on plan). The weight loss has been slower than I expected, but this is because of how long it has taken me to learn about water and proper eating.  Along with those lessons – I am now back to the gym 4 nights a week – just waling.  I walk about 2 miles a day and that works just fine for me.  I am losing a lot of inches. My belt that I wear to work is on the last loop.  When I stared the plan I was on the first hole … this is a loss of almost 9 inches.  So - while the weight loss itself may be slow – the inches tell a whole different story.

Support!

Find a friend or someone that has moved to a low carb lifestyle. This person will become invaluable to you as you learn the ropes and begin. They will also help you stay focused and celebrate with you as you reach milestones. I have two ladies at work (both low carb lifestyle changers). Michelle has lost 110 pounds and has kept it off for over 3 years!  She looks amazing.  Jennifer works with Michelle and started the low carb meal plan with the encouragement of Michelle. To date – Jennifer has lost 100 pounds.  She has been on plan for a year and continues to lose weight. She said to me that she could never imagine coming off this plan because it has truly changed her life. She said the scale use to define her.  Weighing all the time. However, now that she has lost 100 pounds – she knows the scale in no longer important – what is important is the way she feels.  Both of these ladies have been a true inspiration to me and I cannot thank them enough for their support, guidance, and friendship!

Ok people – I hope you have found this week’s update helpful and perhaps even inspiring!  I will try to post each week if I have anything further to say.  Best wishes for your own person journey. Please feel free to post your results here and let me know how you are doing!

 

Disclaimer: This journal posting represents my own person experience on a low carb weight loss journey and lifestyle change. I am in no way suggesting that readers of this blog begin a low carb journey of their own without first checking with their primary care provider to determine if a program like this is appropriate for their needs. These posts represent my own personal experience and should not be construed as health care or medical advice.

Low Carb Update

Today marks two weeks on the low carb plan!  In retrospect – this plan has been pretty easy to stick  too and I have had great mental clarity as well as alertness.  These are two items that make being on the plan worth while.  Of course – the weight loss makes it all worth it.  I have lost a total of 16 pounds over the last two weeks!  Woo-hoo!

I know that this level of weight loss will not continue – although, it would be nice if I could continue to drop 8 pounds a week. I would reach my goal weight in no time!  But, a healthy weight loss is what I am seeking.  One that will not promote the return of unwanted pounds!  To manage a healthy weight loss after the initial induction period, you are allowed to add some carbs to your diet.  I have discovered that I can eat up to 20 grams of carbs without gaining weight.  I have not added more than 20 grams to my diet yet and quite frankly, I wonder how my body would react to more carbs.  The last thing I want is for the weight to come back on because I have added too many carbs.  It truly is a balancing act that is individualized.

From the research I have read, a person on a low carb diet should select one day to carb up.  My carb up day is today because I have completed my second week on the plan. It is thought that eating more carbs on a selected day helps to replace your glycogen stores and confuses the body, thereby increasing metabolism.  You should plan your carb up day to coincide with your second week and your fourth week.  Also, if you reach a plateau, they say to increase your carbs for 24 hours and then go back to strict induction.  This will help reset the fat burning process and move you from plateau back to weight loss.  Fortunately, I have not yet reached a plateau, but this normally comes at the 25 pound mark.

What I have learned over the last two weeks:

• Ketosis diuresis your body!  This means you lose a lot of fluid!  Dehydration is not only possible – it happens.  Drink a lot of water.  I have really struggled with drinking a lot of water because I am constantly running to the bathroom.  As a nurse and a teacher, it is hard to stop what I am doing to run to the bathroom.  I manage my fluids during the day, but then try to begin replacement as soon as I am out of class or home from the hospital.
• Plan a menu!  The food you can eat can become rather boring.  It helps to research menus from others that have been on the low carb diet.  Having a little variety in your meal plan will help you stay the course.  Also – plan snacks.  During the first two weeks, I was rarely hungry and found myself eating just to meet my caloric and activity needs. This is truly an amazing feature of the low carb plan.  Because your body is burning the fat stores for energy, you have a consistent satiety and seldom have hunger issues.
• Net Carbs are really net carbs.  This was confusing to me when I first started.  If the label says 18g of carbs, but says 12g of those carbs are dietary fiber, you can subtract this from the total carb count to get to your net carbs.  You can also subtract sugar alcohols from the total carb count.  By subtracting dietary fiber and sugar alcohols, you have your net cards that should be counted.  Initially this made me nervous because I did not want to eat anything that had a carb count of 20g.  However, a net carb is truly a net carb.
• Exercise is great to help boost the fat burn and loss weight.  While many experts say you can lose weight on a low carb diet without exercise, it seems to me this is a waste of a real opportunity to strengthen your body and gain healthy behaviors! Given the amount of protein one eats on a low carb diet, it seems like an awful waste if a person does not exercise and do a little weight training for toning. For me, I walk two-three miles on the treadmill and do some light toning on the weights 2 or 3 times a week.  This has helped the weight loss, but it also makes me feel better because I am working my heart and reshaping my body with the limited toning exercises.  If you are on a low carb diet  - I am suspecting you want to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.  Exercise really should be a part of your new life!

That is all for now!  Keep low carbing people!!!!

 

DISCLAIMER:  This blog is for informational purposes only!  Do not ever begin any weight loss or exercise program without first checking with your primary care provider to ensure that you are healthy enough do this.  My blog is opinion only and serves to provide readers with my own personal experience.

Low Carb Plan/Lessons Learned

My low carb plan has three phases:

Phase One – Much like the Atkins Diet, my first week is my induction week.  Remove all but 20-30 grams of carbs from my diet.  Detox my liver and enter into ketosis by maintaining strict adherence to low carbs during the first week! I purchased ketone dipsticks so I could test my urine to know when I was in ketosis. I also wanted to make sure that when I was in ketosis, that I stayed right around the moderate level.  I did not want high levels of ketones in my blood because prolonged exposure to high levels of ketones can cause kidney issues (stones – increased calcium excretion) and liver problems.  Staying in the moderate zone has been good for me.  I became ketotic on day 2 of my first week and have been in ketosis all week!

My diet plan was pretty simple …. I could eat anything I wanted as long as the net carb count was less than 20 grams.  I love carbs and thrive on carbs for everything.  But, as I began to put my menu together, I realized I was able to eat a lot of the foods that I love; which are low in carbohydrates. In addition, I needed to hydrate and often.  I am not a big water drinker at all.  This has been the hardest part of maintaining myself on the plan.

When you enter ketosis, you diurese a lot of fluid. This fluid removal is necessary to remove the fatty acids from the blood stream and help maintain pH balance as your body moves into ketosis.  You may notice a fruity odor to your breath – this is the body’s way of compensating to reduce the acidity of the blood as a result of being in ketosis.

At the end of the first week – I realized – I need to drink a lot more water … I am not hungry at all!  I eat less than normal portions and I am in control of my own appetite.  That is so cool – you do not even know!!!!

At the conclusion of my first week – I accomplished my goal!

Phase Two – Introduce more carbs into my diet but continue in ketosis.  This is a true balancing act.  Atkins says you should introduce enough carbs in your diet so you still stay in ketosis and lose weight.  I have discovered that I if keep my carb count down to less than 20 grams per day – I am fine.  If I go any higher than that – I move from moderate to negative on my ketones strip and I start to feel hungry.  BUt that is ok.  By the end of your first week – you are no longer craving carbs.  I do miss having something sweet once in a while, but really, it has not been that bad.  I like the food I am eating and have more mental alertness and energy than I have had in years.  Going to the gym is no longer a chore – I actually look forward to working out!!!

I am entering into phase two this week.  I am not really missing carbs – so I am going to continue my diet plan as I did in my first week. However, I am adding a few more fruits into my plan.  This includes blueberries.

Phase Three – Maintenance.  I am not there yet, but it is my plan to maintain a low carb diet plan overall.  However, I will add enough carbohydrates into my diet that allows me to maintain the weight loss and not regress back into the carbohydrate rich diet that caused me to gain all the weight.

I am a pretty intense person.  It is all or nothing with me – always have been this way.  However, I have learned that life gives you challenges and ou have to adapt to those challenges in order to meet your own personal goals. For me, challenges and stress meant that I would eat.  Having a stressful day meant that I would come home, veg out – watch some TV and eat muffins, breads, and a host of carbohydrates that put pounds on me.  I know the stress of life and of life decisions are still going to be there, but I feel like I now have the tools to better manage my eating habits and patterns.

The biggest change I have realized is my mental alertness and energy.  After the first 48 hours during my induction week – I realized I felt great.  No fatigue, not procrastination about doing things.  I actually wanted to go out of the house after work and socialize with people.  It was really quite amazing.  For so long I had no energy, fatigues from working all day. To rediscover this energy and mental zest is like getting part of my life back.

If you are considering a low carb diet – always check with your doctor first.  This blog is for entertainment and information only.  A decision to go on a low carb diet should be one that is well thought out and planned with your physician.

I will keep you all up-to-date on my progress by posting here.

My Low Carbohydrate Journey

Ok – so I have been on a low carb diet now for the last 7 days.  I have lost a total of 12 pounds in that period of time. It is really pretty amazing.  I have struggled with my weight for most of my adult life.  I am also a nurse and I think I stress eat and don’t take the time to prepare meals the right way.  I did when my kids were younger because I had too.  Now that they have left the nest, it just seems easier to buy foods that are quick and easy to eat.  Bad idea!

I had read about carbohydrates and their effect on blood sugar and of course I knew about carb counting when it came to caring for my patients. But true to form … as a nurse … my teachings did not apply to me.  That is a big mistake. I should practice what I preach … not just with carbs, but with having a healthy lifestyle! Anyway – over the last 8 months, I have struggled with weight gain despite my nightly trip to SNAP Fitness where I walk for two miles and do the circuit and maybe (if I am feeling ambitious) do the glider.  I have become a little lazy with the workout and it became more of a social arrangement where I would meet up with my brother and we would talk about the day.

As the weight continue to add up, I realized I had to do something.  You see, I have lost and gained myself several times since I was 20 years old.  I knew the game!  I would think to myself “why bother doing this again!”  “You are just going to regain the weight anyway – so just stay fat, it is a lot easier!” There is noway I am going to just stay fat – so that decision was not even up for discussion or consideration in my own mind.  However, I grew frustrated because the way I would lose weight in the past was to go on starvation diets and deprive myself from everything until I lost all the weight.  This was crazy and clearly unhealthy!  The things we do when we are younger are not the things we can do when we are older – that is for sure! Besides, as a teacher and a doctoral student, I need energy to power my brain.  Food helps me think.  Who would have thought!  I began to research low carbohydrates.  The reason I did this is because I knew I was approaching type II diabetes.  Given my weight and my family history – I figured I was at big risk.

As a doctoral student, I am always writing about evidenced-based nursing practice and using evidence to support the actions we take as nurses. So, I applied this wonderful knowledge I am gaining from my education and began a scholarly search for research on low carbohydrate diets.  I learned that these types of diets are useful for children that are epileptic as well as those that desire to lose weight.  I also learned about the Atkins Diet  as well as the South Beach Diet.  Each of these plans are low carbs.  However, as I read I realized these were not for me.  I needed to blend a no carb diet with one that be low in sodium and bad fats.  Atkins says that the more fat you have in the low carb diet, the quicker the weight loss. While that may be true – I know for myself and my cholesterol – I needed a plan that would not fill me with tons of fats!  As I research the evidence, I realized that low carb diets have been studied to death.  Many of the research studies demonstrated the benefits these diets have with children.  There were several studies that were weight loss related and provided some great information that became foundational to my own plan.

I also read Kris Health Blog with a great deal of interest.  This blog probably provided me with the best information on everything low carb related.  Thanks Kris for the great information you have on your site! As I measured the research against the information from people who have tried low carb, I formulated my own plan.  There have been plenty of lessons learned this week and I will share them with you.

Resources for Nurse Educators

Over the years I have come across some wonderful resources that I use in my teaching practice quite often. These resources have served me well and I want to share some of them with you. The first is a web site, NurseTim provides educational tools, textbooks, workshops, and general nurse educator coaching. Nurse Tim is hosted by Dr. Tim Bristol and offers webinars for nurse educators and many different tools to help improve your teaching practice. You can also follow Nurse Tim on Twitter. I would encourage you to visit his web site.  Nurse Tim offers the Nuts and Bolts series for nurse educators and these conferences are well attended.  Here is the information for the next offering:

Nuts and Bolts for Nurse Educators: NCLEX Success across the Curriculum

Feb 2-4, 2012 in Phoenix, AZ at Embassy Suites Phoenix Biltmore

The next resource is Engrade which is a learning management tool that offers a full range of grading options accessible to students. This free software is open source and developed by two teachers. Over the years Engrade has evolved to be a wonderful grading communication tool for nurse educators as well as students. I use this platform with each class I teach and have found it to be of great value in organizing my grades. It functions much like an online grade book.

The last resource I will talk about today is Course Sites offered by Blackboard. This learning management system is open sourced and free for educators. Once you create a learning account, users can host five courses on this platform. It resembles the paid version of Blackboard and has a wonderful interface for both teachers and students. I have been using course sites now for my last two classes and the reviews from my students have been very positive.  I would encourage you to check out these resources and determine if any of them would be useful in your teaching practice.

Resistance is Futile

So your surfing the web and you run across this blog. As you read this blog you discover you are paralyzed with extreme excitement and joy that you finally found a blog you can relate too. Ok – well … maybe this is wishful thinking on my part. I have recently moved from blog spot to word press and migrated all my posts. However, this is a continued work in progress for me. I enjoy blogging and think (on most days) I have something interesting to say. Therefore the title suggests that you will not be able to resist and will become one of my most valued readers. That would be great.

The blog is under development right now. This means that I am learning the ropes with this new platform. I knew blog spot pretty well, but learning word press has been very interesting. I an hopeful that as I learn, I can begin to put new features on this blog to increase the interest. I also welcome topic suggestions from my readers. So – please stay tuned. Come back often and leave a comment.

Getting to Know Me ….

For those new visiting my site, you might be a little confused by the current name on the blog and the name referenced in many of my posts. This blog originally started in October of 2007 as RNSpeak! We have evolved – ever so slightly over the last few years and are slowly, but most certainly, a professional blog. Please take a moment to read the posts and leave us some comments on your thoughts. This is a work of passion – so be patient.

Thanks for visiting our new blog.