nutritionbitsandbobs

I write “Take II” because after having lost about 7 lbs, my husband and I went on a three day cruise. Guess how that went?? I tried not to eat too many carbs but, I did not want to eat meat and salad for the duration of my vaca. Plus, I had to sip some margaritas by the sea, mamacita! As suspected, my 7 pounds was instantly back upon return. I know this is the body’s classic response to adding back carbs, nonetheless, I was disappointed. (If you want to learn more about why this happens, read my post “A Must Read For Keto Lovers.”) If you remember from my post “A Dietitian’s Low-Carb Journey: Day Whatev, ” I am an all or nothing kind of gal. When the sit down dinner came with Creme’ Brûlée, I barely hesitated before devouring it. I reasoned with myself that I was on vacation and I would hop back on the wagon when I got back.

Listening to someone else’s journey

I sat next to a man at breakfast who shared his own low-carb journey. Born in Canada and living in Germany for many years, he worked as a private pilot until he was diagnosed with Type II diabetes and his license to fly was revoked. I simply wanted to listen and did not reveal that I too was attempting to follow a low-carb diet. He told me that after losing his license to fly, he turned to fruit sales, specializing in mangos. Despite the incredible health benefits of mangos, he believed he had damaged his body, resulting in an inability to eat them. He shared a recollection of his father experiencing insulin-induced hypoglycemia. The memories were terrifying to him and he vowed to do all he could do to avoid insulin. He talked about all the meds he took that didn’t keep his blood sugar in check. With poor success, he eventually succumbed to an insulin regimen.

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Later, he began following physicians and advocates of the low-carb diet. While following a low-carb diet with “a goal of no carbs,” he lost 40 pounds and his HgbA1C has been well-controlled since.

Speaking with this kind man really made me think. Fat surrounding cells prevents the body’s natural insulin from reaching the internal parts of the cells, resulting in elevated blood glucose. When significant weight loss is achieved, insulin resistance no longer exists. Therefore, Type II diabetes is reversible. In other words, is the low-carb diet really just an indirect cause for blood glucose control? If he had chosen other methods for weight loss, would he not have been able to achieve equal results?

Thoughts

A low-carb diet, fat burning regimen can provide immediate weight loss, albeit unhealthy. Coming from a self-proclaimed foodie, Registered Dietitian, lover of all cuisine, and one with unyielding need for variety, unsustainable.

If cheating means immediate regain of every pound you’ve lost as your body attempts to prepare itself for the next “starvation” event, this diet seems impossible. Seems darn-right impossible for me anyway, as an unlover of meat, if you will.

Conclusion for Today

After a certain age, you can’t just spend a week eating salads and running an extra mile. Ugh, no ma’am; those were the glory days. I have entered the unknown weight land of the 40’s and up. Low-carb or not, restrictions are necessary.

With aging, we conclude that reductions in the mass of individual organs/tissues and in tissue-specific organ metabolic rate contribute to a reduction in RMR that in turn promotes changes in body composition favoring increased fat mass and reduced fat-free mass.

Sciencedirect.com

*RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) or the calories you burn when at rest

As always, comments and suggestions are welcome!

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