A Dietitian’s Journey – what’s that on the floor?

This morning, as I was getting ready to go out for my walk, I noticed something on the floor.  As I started to bend down to pick it up, I realized it was my own toes! There they were – peeking out from under my shrinking abdomen! It shouldn’t be that the sight of one’s own toes while standing elicits such a surprised reaction, but it did.

As usual, I went walking this morning – something that has become a routine, since I fractured a rib 5 weeks ago (washing a bathtub, of all things!).  It was supposed to reduce the associated muscle pain (which it did) and after a few weeks, I realized I was really enjoying this “me” time, walking around a local lake. This week, I started Nordic walking (using Trek poles) and have really enjoyed the full-body exercise.  Even the drizzle wasn’t going to stop me today. After all, that’s what rain shells are for.  In fact, the one I grabbed this morning was the one I bought two years ago online, but that was too small, but today I put it on and zipped it right up. Finally, my body is changing! After 4 months of seeing very slow progress, the progress is becoming more and more evident.

Three weeks ago, at the encouragement of a local area physician whose practice focuses on low carb eating, I decided to take some body measurements, to track my progress.  I measured mid arm circumference  (between the point of my elbow and the pointy part of my shoulder blade), the my midpoint on my neck, my chest (where a brassiere would sit), my thigh (midway between my knee and my hip, at the widest part) and my abdomen at my umbilicus (or belly button) – which I have been tracking from the beginning.

[I don’t bother tracking my “waist” because this is smaller than the umbilicus, and what I want to assess is abdominal fat, which is better measured at the belly button.]

In the last three weeks, I’ve lost:

1/2 inch off my mid-arm

2 inches off my neck (yes I checked and rechecked this one!)

1 inch off my chest

1 inch off my umbilicus circumference

and gained 1/2 inch (of muscle) on my thighs.

Also during the last 3 weeks, I’ve lost 2 1/2 pounds and my fat percent has dropped 1.2%.

And today, I saw my toes!!

Yes, I have a long way to go, but I am not focusing on the destination but on the journey.  

I am enjoying eating real food and not feeling uncomfortably full afterwards (something absent since I gave up eat carb-based foods!).

I enjoy being able to delay the time between meals (intermittent fasting) without feeling hungry, tired, grumpy or deprived). Since I’m a Dietitian, I talk or write about food all day during the work week and most days I eat only supper.  Today I was hungry, so I ate a meal at 11am – but I still had a 16 hour ‘fast’ from supper last night until I ate today, where I hadn’t eaten anything. This time is so important, to enable my insulin levels to fall, and lower my insulin resistance that had been created by me previously eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day, all centered around complex carbs – for years.

I like the feeling of being active; having gone from being totally sedentary (inactive) to being moderately active (45 minutes 5 days / week). I don’t exercise in order to lose weight, but because it is good for my heart and brain and it lowers my stress level (lowering cortisol).  This in turn is good for my blood pressure and for overall health. I enjoy doing it early in the morning and enjoying the feeling of well-being and satisfaction all day long.

For the first time in many years, I don’t eat because I am craving something, I eat because I am hungry!  In fact, I don’t crave anything!  I eat a small amount of dark chocolate each day (for health, of course) and even while intermittent fasting, I can walk through a bakery section of a store and not be the slightest bit interested in any of it.  My body is happily burning my own fat (which I have plenty of!) so I’m good.  I’m always drinking sparkling water (which I make at home) and usually finish 2 litres (a little less than 2 quarts) by the time I return from my morning Nordic walk.

I am sleeping so much better than I have in many years and have discontinued the prescription that I would keep on hand for the frequent nights I was unable to fall asleep. I still wake up sometimes because of my healing fractured rib (if I roll over) but other than that I wake up rested.  What a thought – waking up rested AND seeing my toes! I can get used to this.

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To our good health!

Joy

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Note: I am a “sample-set of 1” – meaning that my results may or may not be like any others who follow a similar lifestyle. If you are considering eating “low carb” and are taking medication to control your blood sugar or blood pressure, please discuss it with your doctor, first.