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.

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.

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.

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.