One reason I call this my journey to getting fit is that I’ve tried quite a few diets over the past 8 years. Since 2002, I’ve had ups and downs with my weight. I started this blog in Sept 2009 as a personal journal on my journey in getting fit. Since that time it has turned into so much more. Here are some thoughts on a few of the diets I’ve tried.
The Atkins diet the concept that I remember strongly was: All the meats you can enjoy — both fatty and lean, cheeses, and being “allergic” to carbohydrates. Now this was 8 years ago and the book I had grabbed was the old version. Since then, it has been revised with a more balanced version. I wasn’t a fan of this diet. Personally didn’t feel well after awhile on it. Most likely too much cheese in combination with the meat. So I quit.
I call this the diet of 2003. South Beach Diet at the time worked really well for me. I lost 20 lbs in about 2 weeks. I still can’t believe it. I attribute part of that to a better, younger metabolism. One of the best things I do take away from this experience is that I started eating breakfast on it. It has been said time and time again but breakfast really is important to one’s diet. It just depends on what kind of breakfast food you are eating. I felt hungry all the time. I limited the amount of protein I had to about 4-6 oz and tried to eat as many vegetables as possible. No carbs. I could smell pizza dorm rooms away. And 4 months later, I let the ball drop and had gained all the weight back plus a few extra.
This book is one of my favorites. Author Tim Ferris took the humble approach. He states that its a collection of personal experiences, this is what he has tried and encourages you to see what works for you. I like that balanced approach. The diet that he recommends has plenty of lean meats, vegetables, no fruit, and “slow carbs”. For the past 7 years he has seen great results with that diet. Reducing the amount of carbohydrates in one’s diet is something that all of these have in common. And that does make a big difference. Allows for one cheat day a week, which I do love. Keeps the sanity.
I’ve heard great things from various people about this unique diet. The main reason is that it really focuses on diet meaning the way you eat as opposed to “a program for losing weight”. There is no calorie counting even though I still do. I continue to calorie count as a way to daily log and keep focused. A food journal if you will. Paleo focuses on the way our ancestors ate for the last 2 million years: lean meats, tons of vegetables, little or no fruit - as it was a rare treat, no dairy, and no starchy carbohydrates. This diet also allows for cheat “meals”. Depending on which phase you chose increases or decreases the amount of cheat meals.
I’m currently on the Paleo Diet. Believe it or not, cutting out dairy has made me feel so much better. When you think about it, we are the only species that drinks milk past the “baby phase”. And on top of that it’s milk from another animal. On my cheat day I will occasionally grab some cheese as its the one thing I do miss but that’s the only time. And I feel like Paleo is an adventure into a whole new way of eating. Can’t wait to share more on that in the future.
The key is to remember that we are all uinique. We all start at different phases. Certain things work may work for me but not for you. For instance if you had a peanut allergy I would highly recommend staying away from them. However, I do not. Just remember to keep your chin up, try something and record the results!
