I went to the doctor last week for some blood work. I need to check it every 6 months to make sure I keep my diabetes gene from expressing itself. So far, so good. My weight was 143, and has kept steady for several months, and I feel great! I have to use caution when people ask me how I lost so much weight, and more importantly, how do I keep it off, because I don’t want to sound like a born-again religious zealot. But, since i consider a healthy weight to be of uber-importance, I don’t mind sharing some of the strategies that I used. Yesterday, I met with a man in his early 80’s who looks to be in pretty good shape. His complaint? He wants to lose 10 pounds and his body seemingly won’t let him. If he drops a pound or two, he gets ravenously hungry, a headache, and eats until stuffed. Then his symptoms disappear. I’m not a doctor, but it sounds hormonal to me, like low blood sugar or something like that. I advised him to get his glucose levels checked for the symptoms, but gave him some tips on losing that 10 pounds. Here they are: 1). Two tbsp apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before two meals each day. 2). Pair food correctly-protein with vegetables, eat fruit alone. Cut way back on grains- less wheat, more quinoa. Nuts and seeds are great. 3). Stick to a schedule. In other words, eat at the same times every day, every meal. The body gets accustomed to a schedule, whether it’s eating, sleeping, or eliminating. Make sure that there is at least 10-12 hours between dinner and breakfast to allow complete assimilation of food and for the body to detox. 4). There are certain foods that increase the metabolic rate or help the body burn fat easier. Spices like harissa and coriander; hot chiles like jalapeno (pair with dairy to decrease spiciness); garlic, grapefruit, sardines; teas such as green tea and oolong; and if you eat red meat, opt for elk, venison, or bison. (They contain much higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid or CLA, which increases your resting metabolism). Coconut oil helps the body burn fat better. And, don’t forget the high-intensity exercise! It doesn’t replace the diet part, but it helps, especially the keeping-the-weight-off part. If you would like to give the regimen a try, good luck. Please keep me posted.
Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.