Scuba gear ...

I haven't been as regular with my posts in the last few weeks which, as previously discussed, normally means one of two things
(a) I am in a binge cycle and have put on weight
(b) I am maintaining without much effort

In fact, neither of these is true.

I have put on weight in the past couple of weeks, but only about a kilo but I haven't binged. In fact, since Oct 29, I haven't "cheated" at all on my low carb sugar free way of eating [WOE is the acronym but I refuse to use it because there is no "woe" involved!]

I have discovered, however, that I do need to watch my calorie intake as I can rack up the calories without noticing it. Especially now that I have re-introduced good fats back into my diet.

For the past few days I have quit the cheese, cream and nuts and am sticking to meat, fish, chicken, eggs and green[ish] type veges/salad. My weight seems to now be creeping down again instead of creeping up. I am also not having "frakenfoods" - low carb protein bars and have given up Diet Coke [and boy do I miss that!!!].

I am still so happy to be not driven by hunger and food all the time. I read on someone's blog that maintaining a weight loss feels like holding your breath underwater. You can only do it for so long and then you have to come up for air. That's how I felt for almost 18 months and at last ... someone has given me some scuba gear!! I am underwater, but I can stay down here as long as I want because I am no longer holding my breath.

I might need to resurface when my skin gets too wrinkly ...
Hang on - I think I just took the metaphor too far ...
Oh I know - when I am really old and wrinkly I can eat like a piggy and sit on my fat a** all day and it won't matter ... except I'll feel like crap ... blah blah ... I know - I just ceased making sense ...

I also feel that I am starting to see those muscles I have been working on for so long. On an Australian Low Carb Forum "Empower Foods" this article is quoted from somewhere

Growth hormone deficiencies are common in people as they age, particularly people with adult-onset diabetes, another consequence of excess carbohydrate consumption. Too much insulin results in depressed levels of other anabolic hormones, such as growth hormone. Today in the United States, human growth hormone supplementation is approved for use in adults by the Food and Drug Administration. But is supplementation the only way to correct the problem? Anyone who adopts a low-carbohydrate nutritional program for any appreciable length of time will notice many changes in her body that can be attributed partially to increases in growth hormone. Over time, fat is reduced and muscle begins to increase, even in the absence of exercise. With exercise, the increase in muscle is very rapid. Fingernails grow faster and hair growth responds as well. While one may not regain hair that is lost, usually the receding hairline stops. The rate of tissue repair and overall quality of the skin also improves.

I don't know if it's true [you can't believe everything that you read!] but it seems to be true for me.

I encourage those of you who are looking for some relief from the constant struggle to give the low carb/whole foods eating plan a go. Give it more than a week [the first week is WAY crappy] and you might be pleasantly surprised.

PS: I have switched my scales to the "male" setting to allow for all this extra muscle and the scales say I am 18% fat !!!