Long Time no Talk

Crazy, I log on and see the date...3 years ago.  My last entry was so long ago.  I guess I was talking :)

So many things are so different and yet so the same.  I read the last posts I made and to be honest am slightly amazed that "I" wrote those.  I love to write but I don't always think that what is in my head will come out as eloquently on paper (or in this case - a digital page).

I have recently made a lot of changes in my life - mostly due to un-happiness and a feeling of being stuck in quicksand that has been taking it's time in sucking me to a depth I can never climb from.  Suffocation in your own life is the worst feeling.  Self-imposed suffocation is worse.

On January 5th I read a status update on Facebook that a friend had made.  It was a re-cap of the previous year - It was the beginning of a new year, we all do it.  Anyway, she had made a reference to losing 30 lbs over the last year thanks to LC-HF.  I had NO idea what LC-HF so I used what any person in this generation uses and Googled that right up.

You know you need answers when you find yourself actually clicking on Page 2 of your search.   It was just so interesting, this information.  LC-HF stands for Low Carb-High Fat or as it is technically known - a Ketogenic way of eating.  It is actually used to assist children with seizures.  In a nutshell, it is a way of eating that converts the way you burn fuel.  Generally on a "normal" diet, you eat a lot of carbohydrates and in turn, your body uses these "sugars" as a way to fuel your body.  In a Keto way of eating, your body doesn't have the option to burn carbohydrates, so it burns fat instead.

It is really hard to wrap you head around the fact that you actually eat a lot of fat, albeit it good fat, but a lot of it.  We are taught that fat is bad for you and is going to cause clogged arteries and obesity and you will eventually just balloon up and end up in an episode of "My 600 lb Life" or worse, you will be driving to work and just collapse of a heart attack.

I have already figured out the numbers I needed in order to lose weight (from my old way of dieting).  I am short, so my BMR is pretty low.  This is the number that you really shouldn't eat under.  Mine happens to be around 1325 calories.  This number is basically what I burn just breathing.  If I sat my behind down on the couch and did nothing at all this is the number of calories I would burn in a day.  So, my body needs this many at least.  For women, they do say not to go below 1200 calories a day as this can set you up for some issues later on.

Of course we do things during the day.  Walk to the office from our cars, walk to the photocopier, move around, talk, laugh - all of which burn more calories.  Adding all these things up gives you your total daily calories burned.  Depending on what I am doing, mine tend to be around 1600 or so.  So in order to maintain my weight, I should just eat 1600 calories a day.  In order to lose weight, I need to create a deficit.  I can do this one of two ways...exercise (Bwah ha ha) or cut my calories.  So I cut my calories.  I eat around 1350-1400 calories a day.

Now I have to factor in the percentages of carbs, protein and fat I need to eat.  I usually eat around 10% carbs, 20% protein and 70% fat.  A far cry from what I used to eat - the majority of calories came from protein and carbs.  Confused yet?  Yeah, it's pretty hard to figure out so thank goodness there are programs that do that for you.

I use My Fitness Pal to track what I eat and ensure that I stay within my percentages.  It is eye-opening when you track to actually see where things are at in terms of your eating.  A little nibble and taste here and there can really add up to lot of calories.

So I have been doing this since January 6, 2014.  Is it working?  Well let's see:


This is my weight tracker that I use.  As you can see, it's working.  I started out on January 6th at 163lbs.  Today, February 17th, I stepped on the scales and recorded 148.8lbs.  This is the lowest I have been in 2 years.

I am trying to get back to where I was when I quit smoking - 135lbs and I am now 14lbs away from goal.  I love how I eat.  I love the creative recipes that are out there in order to make low carb fun (remember no bread, no pasta, no rice).  I have made some great breads out of almond flour and coconut flour.  I have created cereal for myself because I missed having cereal.  I plan to put some of my stuff up here eventually.

So there we go, an update from the long lost me.  The weight journey is just one path I am on this year.  The rest will be a discussion for next time.