Well – Did I Cheat or Did I Not? That Is The Question Answered Today!

Hello all!!!  Thank you so much for all of your comments and encouragement this week!!  You all have been such a great support system!! I am sorry this is a day late, I was sick yesterday! I had a fever and was freezing all day!  It was a bug that must have started over the weekend because I was feeling pretty drained on Friday – more than usual and more than I should have – and was around some “sickies” at the gym all week!!  

I am very happy to report that I am down 5 pounds total!  I am pretty excited about it and feel awesome!  I have seen changes in body over the last week that has been very exciting.  I have seen my body look and feel leaner and like it’s “running” very well!  I haven’t had one stomach issue – which for me is a huge success. I have been dealing with ulcers, endometriosis, fibroid tumors, ovary issues, heavy periods, and just the feeling of being so bloated that I appear to be 9 months pregnant since I have been 7 years old.  The bloating is in part to my food intolerances and the fact that body thinks it’s under constant attack from infection when I eat foods that I am intolerant too!  The list of foods that I CAN eat is shorter than the ones that I CAN’T – that’s for another day though! In a nutshell, my temperature spikes, white blood cells rush to the surface of my entire body in an attempt to fight off an infection which is induced by eating foods my body reacts to like the flu!  Tons of fun!!! Totally joking and definitely misery!

 

I told you that I would give you the science in a nutshell so here goes.  I cut all grains out due grains are mostly starchy carbohydrate, and starchy carbohydrate, when consumed in any amount, causes the release of a significant dose of insulin. So grains can have a fairly wide-ranging glycemic index and insulin response and various forms of processing can greatly increase both those numbers and consequently impact on our health. We think of whole wheat and brown rice as “healtier” carbs and they are because they break down slower in the body. This is true only if one is consuming grains as condiments, as in a tablespoon here and there. Eat them a cup at a time, and not only does blood glucose level rise dramatically, but it stays elevated for a long time. Grains, both processed and unprocessed, are a major player in metabolic derangement in that they are almost entirely carbohydrate and they are typically consumed in large quantities.

 

So, pretty much, eating large quantities of grains, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, 100 calorie sandwich thins, whole wheat muffins, bagel, etc. can have a negative impact on your over all goal of weigh loss.  Not earth shattering however I think that sometimes we think because we are eating “wheat” instead of “white” that the weight is just going to fall off quicker and we can consumer these carbs at every meal and still lose weight – this is incorrect!!!!!

 

 The science behind the fasting part of my journey is as follows.  Intermittent Fasting (IF), applied the way I did it, is a starting point. It is not meant to be an exhaustive final word, but rather an introduction that will enable you to tailor it to YOUR goals. I read this next statement and felt it really applied to my life – “I love remaining grounded, and using my own experiences to evaluate the efficacy of this or that approach…but always with an eye on self improvement within the framework of my OWN goals.”

 

 The following is just a small piece of information from Robb Wolf in reference to Intermittent Fasting and Fasting, and for more information you can contact me at tinaw@shaingconcepts.com  

 

“For some time there appeared to be only one way to extend the average and total lifespan of organisms (anything from yeast to fruit flies to mice to monkeys): caloric restriction with adequate nutrition (CRAN). This involved feeding organisms about 60% of what they would normally eat. The results included: increased lifespan and ability to learn throughout life, significantly reduced body weight, reduced body temperature, modulated immune function, decreased blood glucose and insulin levels and an acute adrenal cortical response (short duration of elevated cortisol levels). It appears that the caloric restriction reduces non-enzymatic glycosolation of proteins (sugar sticking to proteins) and increases the organism’s ability to withstand stress via an increase in heat shock proteins and other cellular stress mechanisms. This is great stuff, but Intermittency represents life and natural processes far better than any type of steady state model….”

 

AHHHH – all that being said or read – I feel better than ever and haven’t felt this lean or had this types of results in a while.  I did however “cheat” over the weekend!  I had brown rice sushi and some whole wheat pizza!! So with my lack of grains thru the week, my already known food intolerance to yeast, gluten and wheat, my hormones acting nuts with PMS and the information above about grains, I would say that I had a negative reaction as far as inflammation and bloating. 

 

I will also say that eating those foods made my feel very lazy! My stomach hurt a bit after and I just didn’t feel as good as if I would have stayed the course.  So there you have it, I screwed up on my eating however I learned from it, jumped back on the wagon and I am at it again this week.  I have stayed very close to the ground in my eating and fasted for 15 hours so far today!  I am going to eat fruits and veggies with protein and seeds and nuts today and then same thing tomorrow as I did on Monday and Thursday the same as today!!! 

 

I whole heartedly believe that eating 5-6 small meals per day is the way to go! Good fats, carbs from fruits and veggies and lean proteins are the best combos for each snack/meal.  Fasting 24 hours or 15 hours is a huge help and staying away from all processed foods is a must! 

 

 I would be happy to provide more information either thru a nutritional consultation, nutrition workshop or personal training.  Please contact me at tinaw@shapingconcepts.com or call the studio to set up an appointment at 843 971 8665.  Thank you again for you support and encouragement and staying with me on this journey!  TO BE A PART OF MY EMAIL LIST – PLEASE EMAIL ME AT tinaw@shapingconcepts.com

 

Tina Whetzel is a certified Charleston personal trainer, nutrition and fitness consultant, and speaker with Shaping Concepts fitness training studios.

Click to learn more informtion about Tina’s EatFit LiveFit Healthy Cooking Class and her recently released EatFit LiveFit Healthy Cookbook.

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