Closing the loop on blogging 100 pounds - I have now lost 105 lbs

I started this blog in 2009 as I continued a sugar-free eating plan and added Isagenix products. I lost 90 lbs and kept if off for over a year but then thought I could eat sugar in moderation. Well, that didn't work and I found myself gaining back all the weight, and more.

I knew the addictive nature of sugar but kept thinking I could control it if I just had more willpower, or wanted to lose the weight badly enough.

Last year, at my heaviest, I saw a program called Bright Line Eating that was based on the elimination of sugar and flour (two highly addictive - and unhealthy - substances). I started a new way of eating on Oct. 1st by joining an 8-week boot camp.

Now 11 months in, I have lost 105 lbs.It's a little discouraging that I gained the weight back but there's no question now in my mind that I have the eating plan for life (better late than never). I have peace around food and feel great (I still take Isagenix vitamins and Ionix daily but don't drink shakes too often). There is a best-selling book but I found the author's videos helpful in explaining the science behind why willpower fails us every time. Take a look if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKNuQvVX_3SzNALJlvieH-Q 

It will take me maybe another year to be in a "right-size" body but there's no rush because the maintenance eating plan is the same as I am eating now, just slightly more portions.

There's also a Facebook page. I find the BLE group from around the world to be really supportive which is another theme I addressed in this blog :)

Soylent Protein Powder - a favorite in Silicon Valley

Protein drinks are gaining popularity in Silicon Valley because they're fast, nutritious and affordable. Link to full article in NYT.

Many liquid protein drinks are more nutritious than so called "real foods." I've done lots of research over the years on protein and cleansing, not just with the Isagenix products. So I was interested to see the ingredients of Soylent. Link to Soylent ingredients.

They use rice protein which is generally recognized to be inferior to whey protein. Of course, not all whey proteins are the same. Isagenix uses a superior undenatured whey from New Zealand. Learn more about Isagenix whey protein powder. It can be purchased in the form of a flavored shake (great tasting) or as pure protein powder. There are lots of athletes who use the products as well as people like me who want to loose weight and know that the shakes can pack a lot of nutrition for a moderate number of calories.

Isagenix athlete success stories.

A new year...

2015 is here and it is time to reflect on why I make bad eating choices despite knowing exactly what I need to do to be healthy. Besides the lure and addiction of sugar, there are emotional factors at play. It's not about vanity at this point in life, it's about treating my body well so it lasts a long time.

I previously surrounded myself with like-minded people who I saw several times per week, including going to the gym. Going back to work full time changed that.

To do:
1. Join my "IsaIsland" friends on Facebook for encouragement and do the cleanse with them starting Jan 5
2. "Mindfulness" seems to be a fad right now but I think it has merit and will be employing it more during my day
3. Do some soul searching

Brad Mathers - Australian Triathlete

Brad Mathers commented on my blog and so I visited his site... WOW, he lives in Australia and he's a member of the Australian Triathlon team!

He's uses Isagenix products and has a really impressive website http://isapure.com.au/

Another top athlete who understands the power of superior nutrition and obviously saw the results for himself!

Most people look at Isagenix as just another "diet" product but the ingredients are so much more. While the scale goes down we don't see all the other important things happening inside our bodies.  




 

Abby Hout, fitness model

I am posting these articles for myself and, if it helps someone else, that's great. It helps me reinforce what I need to do. Maybe if I put it out in the universe I will take responsibility for it and own it (or something like that, LOL).

Abby Hout

Abby Hout commented on my blog today and I visited her blog. She is an incredible fitness model and competitor who also has seen the benefits of the nutrition in Isagenix. More than that... her blog is about her life; dating, fitness, aspirations and sillyness. I found the post on "macros" really interesting and her lessons of 2013, check it out.

Lesson #7 hit home for me: It's easy to get nostalgic and reflect on your current position vs where you've been. But don't get caught in a habit of that. It will suck the joy right out of your life and leave you in the bottom of a well you have to climb your way out of.

This is it...

Forget the Calories, Focus on the Quality of Your Diet
Here are the take home lessons from Dr. Ludwig’s paper (from Dr Hyman's article from my last blog post):

1. Overeating doesn’t make you fat. Your fat cells make you overeat.
2. You make hungry fats cells by eating sugar and refined carbs.
3. Restricting your calories will slow your metabolism, make you hungry and guarantee that your weight loss attempts will fail.
4. Eating a higher fat, higher protein, lower sugar and refined carb diet will speed up your metabolism and cut your hunger.
5. Controlling what you eat is much easier than controlling how much you eat.
6. Forget calorie counting. It’s not about the calories but about diet quality and dietary composition. Just try eating 1,000 calories of broccoli.
7. End our scientifically outdated position that all calories are equal and weight loss is simply a matter of eating fewer calories than you burn.
8. Lower insulin by a sugar detox, and watch your body lose weight effortlessly without hunger or cravings.
9. To learn more, watch the movie Fed Up or read The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet (a medically designed program to cut insulin and detox from sugar and refined carbs).
10. Stop blaming yourself for lack of willpower, and start empowering yourself by eating real, whole, fresh food that’s low in sugar and starch.

the last word...

I read a lot of articles on nutrition and diets... this article is really the last word. It explains THE KEYS TO AUTOMATIC WEIGHT LOSS.

I succumbed to sugar again and am back where I started. It is discouraging but not unsolvable. I understand the addiction side and it is real. But I don't really know what percent of relapsing is addiction and what percent is self-destructive behavior due to emotional issues.