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simplycomplicated · 9 years ago

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October 29th, 2015

Two years ago, I was 5′4″ and weighed 113 lbs. Then, because of health problems (trust me, more on all that and the Social Security Saga, later) I had to stop working at “City Hall”. Now, I am 5′3 and weigh 134 lbs.

I have done the yo-yo thing between 140 and 135 for almost a year, now. But, the old diets that used to simply shed the pounds aren’t working and I have had to accept, yet, once again, that I am just not 20, 30, or even 40 anymore. I had even cut down to about a 700 calorie/day intake. The result? A very hungry and grouchy woman who, two weeks later, had lost 3 lbs and put 2 back on. NO- I DO NOT SUGGEST,, ENDORSE, OR CONDONE THIS BEHAVIOR!!

So, what’s a woman to do when she is at her teary wit’s end? She makes brownies and scours the internet for some wonderful miracle, of course.

This is what I have surmised and decided:

I started really looking at the nutrition labels on the food I was eating. My eating habits were atrocious! Even for a low-income individual raised in the south (no offense, I am talking about myself) on fried food. This because I refuse to eat fried vegetables such as green tomatoes or okra. My intake of carbohydrates were through the roof any hint of veggies and fiber were just that: only a hint.

Next, I found an on-line diet and exercise tracking program. This was great if for no other reason that because I could see all the nutritional info on whole meals. It wasn’t the act of a genius that I saw a need to do something about the carb thing. But, when you have, fairly lived on pasta, potatoes, rice, and chocolate...where to start?

First, I found out how many calories my body burns by simply existing. That is called the Basal Metabolic Rate (MBR). I calculated that if I kept my calorie intake BELOW this and tried to be a little more active (remembering that I am physically limited), then I would start losing weight. Simple math right? Wrong. Not all calories are created equal! I am not going to go into the differences between fat, carb, and protein and what functions and benefits they have, but trust me, take the time to learn this. It helps it all make more sense as to why more of this and less of that may be what a body needs. I have learned that “a well balanced diet” is fairly relative to each individual.

First, the calorie count of any food is “all inclusive” and does not differentiate between fat calories, carb calories, and protein calories. Second, the info concerning those “calories” is actually provided in grams. How to cross the mental gap between grams and calories, you ask? Well, a fat gram is equal to 9 calories. Both carb and proteins gram are equal to 4 calories each. Thus, an example: a food contains 216 calories. It has 9 fat grams, 28 carbs, and 4 grams of protein. While a few calories come from fiber and such; the majority of it breaks down as follows: Fat=81 calories, Carbs= 112 calories, and Protein= a mere 16 calories! Now, I’m not a rocket scientist and algebra gives me ulcers (imagined numbers????), but even I understand those numbers enough to grimace!

I am, now, working on making on a low-carb diet/menu that doesn’t leave me broke and/or feeling like I have been forced to trade my love of food for the crunch of hay just to fit back into the biggest pair of my old jeans!

Wish me luck and check in for progress, discoveries, and, maybe, a recipe or 2!!

P.S. Very upset to find that my coffee and Iced tea DOES NOT count toward my daily water intake!!!!!! ARGGGGG.......

#wieght #diet #women #low-carb #pre menopause #life #nutrition

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