Barb’s BodyBlog

I’m still here! Were you wondering what happened to me? I’m still liking the diet… it is getting me through the most difficult time of year for those of us who love their food in all of it’s greasy, carb laden, sugary glory. I’ve said it before… you have ZERO cravings on this diet… it really changes you. Yesterday I actually got a bit disgusted looking at a piece of cheesecake. I looked at that pile of goo covered in sticky canned cherries and actaully did the "aughhhh" shiver.

I think this holiday season may be more successful than some in the past. So far, I have successfully sidestepped all of the brainless holiday eating. I plan to let myself have Christmas Day and a bit of fun on New Year’s eve, and then back to business as usual. The weight loss is there… it is slow but steady at about 2 pounds per week. I am feeling strong and my lifts are good. Mental acuity is  good as well… no brain fog… much sharper than when I ate carbs…

Well, its officially started… the stores are full of goodies, and the dang things are turning up everywhere. There is no safe place… my workplace is infested with holiday treats and every time I turn around there is another party, mixer or dinner that I am expected to attend. As Sylvester would say, "Ssssakes"!!

I am so glad that I am well underway with the keto diet. The weight is beginning to move, and I can honestly say that I have little to no desire for sweets or carbs. I think I am one of the lucky ones… some people experience nasty cravings, I am told. Even on my "carb day", the one day of the week that I am allowed carbs, I seldom want them. This coming from a confirmed carb addicted - chocoholic. Sure, I still like all of that stuff, just without the same vigor. I used to literally sit down and eat a bag of cookies… now, I am perfectly satisfied with one or two. Per week, that is. I have no idea why this occurs and the only research that I can find is a paper that indicates that once the brain begins to use ketones for energy, it no longer wants or needs carbs, so the cravings cease. Since ketones are a by-product of fat metabolism (fat burning), I don’t mind if my brain wants to be a ‘ketone hog’… eat up!! LOL!

On that note, some may be wondering about the "low carb brain fog". I don’t have it. As a matter of fact, I seem to be sharper and much less distracted of late. I am attending some classes right now, so this is a great acid test. I know that my moods and energy levels are stable and really good. No more falling asleep in the afternoons after work, no unpredictable mood swings, EXCEPT on the carb day. The lethargy and mood swings are very noticeable then. If it wasn’t for the fear of losing muscle mass, I would not have the carb days, or I would have them less often than weekly. For now, my trainer says that I have to have them each week.

The one thing that has become clear is that you must work out regularly and with intensity in order to see results with this plan…

Hi Again,

I am now incorporating some workout elements as introduced by Sandy, my sports physiologist to my regular workouts. He has given me a program that includes a glycogen depletion workout, done once a week after a ‘carb up’ meal. Just finished the first one, and it’s pretty brutal! The general rule is, "work until you physically feel the signs of glycogen depletion". Runners refer to this as "hitting the wall". The symptoms include headache, fatigue, dizziness and weakness in the knees.

It took me 69 minutes, working at a continual heart rate of 138 - 160 bpm to "hit the wall". Please note that these numbers were measured and calculated for me by a sports physiologist. If you want to try this yourself, please consult a physiologist who can perform the correct tests and calcs. Another note, a regular personal trainer does not qualify as a sports physiologist, unless he or she possesses the correct credentials. I think you can either work out ineffectively or possibly hurt yourself if this workout is done incorrectly. Imitate with caution.

You may be wondering why a depletion workout is necessary. Because you can’t burn fat while you have glycogen stores in your liver and muscles. Ah ha! Where do these glycogen stores come from? The carbs that you eat. BIG AH HA!!!

I’m learning…

Hi All,
Haven’t posted for a bit, but thanks to all of those who have said, "Hey, why aren’t you posting"? You keep me going. The diet is going well and I am feeling better all the time. I am beginning to feel much more in tune with my body. Weight is holding, and I will begin to slowly reduce calories and increase the workouts now that I am more adapted. I will also be trying yoga for the first time ever! Never fancied myself the yoga type!!

I am still enjoying the diet, the variety and not being hungry all the time!

Hi All!

I’m still here and still following the plan. My trainer has cut me back to 1800 calories… I am comfortable with that. All still feels good.
I received word today that I am being considered to be the subject of a magazine article in the US publication, "First For Women". This came about as a result of being asked to submit a success story to Tom Venuto of "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle" fame to promote his newest book, "The Body Fat Solution".

I did have wonderful success with the BFFM program, and is about the only higher carb plan that I would recommend or follow myself. I’ll keep you all updated.

Oh ya, last week I was down about 2 pounds… liking that!

OK folks… I’ve been on the meal plan now for close to 3 weeks. I’ve been through a high carb day and have now reduced my fat calories to begin stripping body fat. Here are my observations about the meal plan so far…

1. The first 5 to 8 days were a bit tough, with nagging headaches and some lethargy. But, it was no worse than coming off of caffeine cold turkey… actually it was easier.

2. Breath is fresher than usual.

3. I have no cravings and do not get hungry between meals, even after a significant 500 a day drop in calories. Keep in mind that the initial 2 weeks were spent at higher calorie levels of 2500. I guess they figure that you don’t need to be hungry while you are trying to make a metabolic shift.

This lack of appetite is a welcome change, and is so nice after the years spent being food fixated, especially in recent years when I became much more interested in physique competitions.

4. Blood glucose levels have dropped and leveled off to the point where I may consider decreasing or discontinuing meds. I have a new GP who is willing to supervise this, and has counterparts at U of A who may be able to use some data in a current study… (wow, fame… LOL!!!). I’ll post more info on this as I get it.

5. Energy levels are high and stable, without that afternoon "wiped-out" feeling that I was attributing to "aging"… I’m only 40… that’s the "new 25"… isn’t it?? LOL!

6. Skin is clear and firm … great news for a "25 year old"…

7. Along with energy levels, moods are stable as well.

All in all, to quote a famous restaurant, "I’m lovin’ it"… with the exception of one thing… the high carb day. I’m hatin’ that. A real shocker to anyone who knows me really, really well. I can eat an entire box of chocolates or a whole liter of ice cream. Cheesecake… not a food group?? So, to hear me say that the high carb day came and I REALLY didn’t want this stuff would seem really odd, especially after being "denied" anything that even resembles sweetness for 2 weeks.

However, the meal plan dictates that I have at least 1 high carb meal per week. After this intake of carbs, my energy was gone and I felt lethargic. Within hours I felt dehydrated with awful dry mouth and had high blood glucose (expected). On the bright side, the next morning there were no carb cravings… bonus.

OK… so this is the way it is supposed’ to work… you do 12 days of low carbs, high fats, moderate protein. This is supposed to get you fat adapted. Then, because this is a CKD (cyclical ketogenic diet), you need to eat a carb rich diet for 12 to 48 hours to cycle yourself in and out of ketosis.

So, this was the high carb day. I feel awful. I am so dehydrated that my mouth feels like a desert inside… I won’t even describe the taste in there… LOL! I have the famous carbohydrate lethargy that I have heard about. My blood glucose has risen to 8.5 at last reading. This is about 153 for my American friends. If you have been following the blog, you will see that that is MUCH higher than it has been over the past 12 days. I am told that this carb lethargy is completely normal and expected and happens to both diabetics and non-diabetics alike. Funny… carbs are supposed to give us energy, not suck it away… fascinating. I’m curious to know what the average person’s blood glucose would be right about now…

Anyway, I am looking forward to falling into bed and having my sugar coated body go to sleep. Tomorrow begins the fun stuff…. the stuff that I have been waiting for.

Days 11 and 12 have gone well… I have adapted well to the diet and feel wonderful. Lots of energy and that energy stays consistent. Skin is clear, which is often a problem for me. Just to be safe, I have had some testing done to establish baseline values, and those are in good ranges. I’ll do more testing to keep an eye on stuff… a sage recommendation.

As time goes by, I feel better and better! This way of eating definitely agrees with me. I am still not looking forward to the first carb-up, but I will get through it!

Well, I have made it to Day 9! I am feeling quite good… still have nice even energy throughout the day with nice stable and LOW blood sugars. I am almost through the 12 days of ’start up’ and will be lowering those fats and calories soon. Believe it or not, I am actually NOT really looking forward to my first carb up on Saturday, only 3 days from now. I am delighted to say that I am not craving carbs at all, even though people have placed temptations before me, almost as if to see if they could solicit a response. DENIED!!!!

I have been told that after burning ketones for energy, when carbs are re-introduced for a day that that good old "carb lethargy" can kick in and drain you of all energy; making you feel like a general sack of c%@p… this will remain to be seen. I plan to be very careful with the carb load and not do something stupid and ruin a great 12 day run!