So, what are you eating?

That's what most people ask when they realize I've lost weight. Having tried so many times to lose with no success, it would be my question, too.

I read the book 20/20- Lifestyles; Metabolic Cure by Mark Dedomenico. Dr. Dedomenico works at a local gym, offering the book along with a full program of exercise, nutrional support, and counseling. I just read the book. I ordered it from my all-time favorite used book shop, www.betterworldbooks.org. I actually scoffed at the plan at first. A friend was trying it and I thought it looked like just another route to the usual diet catch-22. Starve myself, lose no weight, then gain some more once I eat heartily. No thanks.

But then she lost two clothing sizes and I thought I'd better read the book all the way through.

The book suggests following several stages in your eating. I was already eating a very low carb diet, so I chose to begin at the stage just below what I was accustomed to.

For breakfast, I have a protein smoothie, made with plain Jarrow whey protein (from Amazon), frozen bananas, other fruits or flavors, and skim milk. The program recommends using berries only, which is what I did at the outset. For variety, I have tried frozen mangoes (especially good with raspberries, which tend to have the worst seeds) as well as a tropical fruit medley my grocery store offers. I've tried the chocolate flavor, which is especially good with decaffeinated coffee ice cubes and low-fat cottage cheese. I occasionally make a vanilla smoothie with vanilla-flavored powder I found locally. I use an extra half-banana and plain ice in that one.

Lunch is almost always a mixed-greens salad with homemade dressing (balsamic vinegar, evoo, garlic, and a smidge of honey and mustard which helps it emulsify). I add 4 to 6 ounces of very lean protein--usually steak tenderloin--and a few other veggies, such as grape tomatoes, cucumber chunks, chopped peppers, olives, and so on. Dessert is a cup of fresh raspberries.

Most dinners consist of a grilled meat and steamed vegetable. Occasionally I'll make a recipe like Beef Stroganoff without the usual noodles. If I choose a dish that involves more than simply grilling some meat, I try to choose low-fat ingredients, but for the most part I strive for portion control. No more than 6 ounces of very lean protein, lots of vegetables.

And I always have about an ounce of dark chocolate afterwards.

About once a week, when I'm either really hungry or low on supplies, I'll eat some cheese (Beecher's Flagship) and water crackers, which satisfies that need for crunch and cream that is so missing in the world of dieting. Another snack I enjoy from time to time is a Honeycrisp apple with a tablespoon or two of chunky Adams peanut butter.

And of course, I occasionally fall off the wagon. Yesterday we were invited to lunch with Dave's parents. I happily enjoyed a bowl of cream of potato soup and half of a ham sandwich and half of a turkey sandwich. I didn't turn down the delicious dessert. I find I can do that now and then with no consequences. But I suppose doing it daily would be a problem, especially with the dessert.

The other big change to my diet is that I can drink an adult beverage from time to time. Ten years ago I was sure I'd tasted alcohol for the last time. Today I can drink a glass of wine with dinner or have a cocktail (gin and vodka still the safest) with friends. I think the meds make it possible, and that the mouth-guard also makes a difference. I still try to have as much water as alcohol shortly afterwards.

Twenty Laps

The YMCA was closed for a week for cleaning and repairs and I missed my swims.  Today I got right back into the habit with twenty laps.  I don't want to brag or anything, but I can swim twenty laps in under an hour.  Whew!  So fast!!  Twenty laps, incidentally, is two-thousand meters.  I think.

Did I mention I swam twenty laps?

The XR version of Wellbutrin is continuing to give me very mild headaches.  These are the type that I can ignore as I go about my day, and they may well cease once I'm back on a strict regimen of waking at the same time each day.  I've read lots of feedback from other patients online, and many of them say the headaches do taper off, so I'm willing to continue with it.

I've eaten lots of carbs in the past few weeks, mainly in an attempt to curb the headaches.  It doesn't really help, so I'm going to stick more closely to the low-carb eating for the rest of the summer.

Wellbutrin

I visited my PCP last week to talk about ending my prescription for Nortriptyline.

My concerns about the Nortrip (can I abbreviate it?) are that it seems to contribute to weight gain, the dry-mouth is annoying and causes dental issues, and I'd like to be able to try ADHD medicine.  I confessed that the weight-loss side effect of ADHD medicines really appeals to me.

I also explained to my doctor that I become a different person when I visit the desert.  I eat less, sleep better, have the desire to work out, and am generally more productive and busy.  Here in Seattle I sit in my recliner and get fat.

She recommended Wellbutrin.  Like Nortrip it is an anti-depressant that also helps alleviate migraines.  It's also effective for ADHD symptoms and for SAD.  So if it works, it's basically the magic pill I've been looking for.

But it was a scary start.  Side effects include thoughts of suicide or suicide, grouchiness, and, of all things, MIGRAINES.  But when it works, it's great.

So far, it seems to be working.  I've been aided by a week of warm, clear weather so there haven't been any issues with the barometer.  I'm sticking to my lo-carb diet so that there are no headaches due to sugar or wheat.

Why gluten-free diets work

"Some people are convinced that their general health improves when they stay away from gluten. Though the science is still murky on non-celiac gluten sensitivity, recent studies in Italy and Australia found that significant numbers of patients with intestinal problems felt better with gluten-free diets, even if they had no indications of celiac disease or wheat allergy."

http://theweek.com/article/index/242263/is-going-gluten-free-healthier-for-everybody

New Year's Status

I weighed myself yesterday and found that I'd put on an entire pound eating carbs during the holidays.  That's something I can live with.

Remember that I mentioned my headaches getting so much worse as fall rolled in and the clouds descended?  I realized that I'd switched to coffee and wondered if that had caused the pain.  I switched back to tea and within a day noticed a difference.  I am simply not getting headaches.

So to re-cap, the magic formula has been no carbs (elimination of both gluten and sugar) and no coffee.  I drink 2 or 3 cups of black tea each day.  And I feel great.

Oh, and there's a wee side benefit:  I've lost 13 pounds since July.

A Stormy Fall

We had a lovely summer here in the Seattle area, but now that fall is here, Mother Nature is taking revenge.  We've had one rainstorm after another, and each one has given me a migraine.  The low-carb diet that seemed to work wonders in the pleasant summer sunshine is no longer protecting me.  I need an abortive.

I've gone so long without taking any Axert that I can't get a prescription at Group Health.  Today I got up (very late, had a headache) and logged on to the site so I could choose a new personal physician and schedule an appointment.  Whew!

I'm concerned because I am about to start a long-term sub assignment at a local middle school.  I'll be covering for a teacher I really admire, and I want to do my very best work.  My best work includes arriving each day on time.  Which I can't do with these constant headaches.

A quick note about Thanksgiving:  I ate whatever I wanted on Thursday and Friday and Saturday AND Sunday.  Then I went back to lo-carb eating on Monday.  I think it worked well.  I enjoyed candied yams, stuffing, a fabulous sweet-potato pie baked by my son, grandma's apple pie and pumpkin pie, and a nice little scoop of ice cream.  And when it was over, I happily returned to my lo-carb diet.

Sustainability

One of my friends, on reading a recent post, asked, "Is that way of eating sustainable?"

To my surprise, the answer is "Yes!"

I've been avoiding carbs since July.  Occasionally I have a hankering for some coffee cake or a bowl of cereal, but otherwise this diet offers something other diets don't:  satisfaction.

When I ate low-fat, high-fiber diets, I was always hungry, always looking through the cupboards for something low in calories to eat.  I felt deprived.  I obsessed about food, always thinking about my next meal, my next snack.

On this eating plan, I eat my fill at each meal.  I know I can have as much as I want.  When snack time rolls around, I enjoy a handful of nuts, or an apple (dunked in peanut butter sometimes) or a few bites of cheese.

On my birthday, I allowed myself a piece of fresh bread with dinner, and of course ate dessert.  When eating with friends, I split a dessert. As Thanksgiving approaches, I intend to have a spoonful of sweet potatoes, a slice of pie, some stuffing.

Our pantry shelves are gradually emptying out as the kids take away our carbs.  On our son's last visit, he packed up all but one box of pasta.

Packing lunches for work has been easier than I expected.  I pack a sliced apple (is the Honey Crisp Apple the best invention ever?), a little peanut butter for dunking, and last night's leftovers.  If there aren't any leftovers, I pack a few stalks of celery and some tuna salad.  (I avoid taking nuts to school because some kids have severe peanut allergies.)  Sometimes I pack cheese.  It's working.

One factor that helps quite a lot is that my husband and I are both eating this way.  I'd like to say the synergy is what makes it work, but really, the reason it helps is that I'm not buying one set of groceries for him and another for myself.  At mealtimes, we both eat the same thing.

So yes, I can sustain this plan.

Oh, and I've lost eleven pounds.

I'b god a code

So what do I do?

In the past, whenever I had a cold, I treated myself to a large, steaming mug of tea with a teaspoon of lemon juice and two teaspoons of sugar.  Without the sugar, I can't quite do the lemon juice.

I'd begin the day with pancakes (or crepes) so that I could swallow down many tablespoons of lovely maple syrup.  Oooooh, that felt good.

Later, I'd make a batch of rice pudding.  With white rice, no less.  I'd cook the white rice and milk until the rice was just about to disintegrate, add a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon, and nutmeg.  I'd throw in a handful of raisins.  Atop each serving I'dd add more raisins, more brown sugar.  Pecans.  Cream. Carbs, carbs, carbs, and cream.

Without carbs I'm drinking plain black tea.  I've had an Airborne (didn't check the carbs on that) and will eat my usual cottage cheese and fruit breakfast.

What else is good to eat when a lo-carb eater has a cold?

Barometric Pressure

I don't know the exact relationship, but when the clouds roll in and it begins to rain, I've typically gotten a migraine.

For a while we had one of those hang-on-the-wall weather information plaques that told me whether the barometer was rising or falling, but I never quite determined which weather bothered me.  Was is the lowered pressure?  Was it the change to the pressure?  Was it something else entirely?  I don't know.

Well, the clouds have rolled in and my magical lo-carb diet continues to protect me. 

I should be clear about something, though.

I'm still taking 50 mg of Nortriptyline each night.  And a handful of vitamins and supplements.  The diet isn't my only weapon here.  I intend to experiment a bit by adding in a few carbs (I want some fruit juice!) to see if I notice a change in the headaches.  I also need to spend some time working to see if I can successfully pack a lo-carb lunch.

But I've cut my Nortriptyline in half.  And I've got the energy of a normal person.  I like it.

Six Pounds

I got on the scale this morning, something I try not to do each day, and discovered I've lost six pounds.  This is amazing.

When I devoted my life to fitness and low-fat, high-fiber eating, I lost nine pounds in six months, or a pound and a quarter each month.  And I was exhausted.

I've now lost three pounds per month and I feel pretty good.

Oh, and I cut my nightly dose of nortriptyline in half.

Weight loss? Uh, not really.

I remain frustrated with the needle on my scale.

But that's the only problem I have with this carb-free diet.

I've been virtually headache-free since starting it.

I haven't wanted a nap since I started eating this way.

And I feel thinner.  I feel as if clothes are not as tight.  Am I hallucinating?  I don't know.

The Menstrual Report

My period ended today.  During the entire period, I needed Excedrin Migraine just three times.  And all three times I had a headache I'd rate as a 3 or 4.  All three times, the pain went away quickly.

If that was a benefit of not eating carbs, then I'm in.

Typically during a menstrual period I have a 7-8 headache from the day before it begins until the day after it ends.  Excedrin Migraine does no good.  Aleve is slightly better, as it reduces the cramping.  I usually need Axert.  I'm fatigued and uncomfortable for the entire period, no matter which drugs I use.

But this last one...wow.

No more carbs for me

Today marks this blog's re-birth.  Formerly it was simply an accounting of one migraine-related incident:  my NSAID ulcer.  Now, it will chronicle anything and everything related to my headaches.

The big story today is that I've decided to avoid not just sugar, not just gluten, but all carbs.

I came to this decision after reading the book "Why We Get Fat," by Gary Taubes.  In this remarkable book, he cites study after study after study clearly showing that we must eat fat to burn fat.

What?

For eons, we've been told to eat high fiber carbs and low-fat foods.  Turns out that's exactly the wrong thing to eat.

And it may be why I gained so much weight eating high fiber and low-fat.

Guess what else he disproves?  That notion that we must eat fewer calories than we use up each day.  Bad science.

I'm willing to give it a try. 

Starting weight:  246 lbs.  I am obese.