Will's Journal

[Charles]

Everyone, please welcome Will to our forum.

[Laura]

Welcome, Will!

[MartinT]

welcome!

[will]

Hi everyone. Here's my story so far:

Several years ago I was very overweight - 5'7", 213 lb. at my "peak". So I followed some fairly mainstream advice - cut sugar and sugary foods, and started taking walks a lunchtime. That right there got me down to about 155 lb., but with quite a bit of gut left (as I'm a small guy so 155 lb. is high for me), and I plateaued at that weight for several years. Taking up marathon running and long distance cycling did not take any weight off, but luckily a friend told me about his success with the paleo diet (LC, meat, veggies, nuts) so I started that in April 2009 (and stopped the chronic cardio workouts) and very quickly dropped to 135 lb., where I am today. I could stand to lose another few pounds of fat, but I'm pretty much where I should be. So I'm in total agreement with the folks who say that diet is more important than exercise for purposes of weight loss.

It's also worth mentioning that around the time I started LC/paleo, I also started intermittent fasting, which feels very natural to me and I love. All my life I've basically forced myself to eat breakfast because it's supposed to be healthy. What a load of BS! Now I just eat a big dinner every day, and occasionally eat a small lunch (though usually it's for social reasons rather than actually being hungry).

Several months ago (after I had already started LC/paleo) I tried ZC, and after 4-5 days developed massive sugar cravings - and not just for veggies or even pasta. This was way worse. I was going after chocolate cake, cookies - all the really bad stuff. That was really strange because I've never been a big dessert eater or a chocolate lover. So I figured ZC wasn't for me and went back to LC and weaned myself back off the sugars. (Has anyone here experienced something like this? It was really weird.)

Over the last several months I've gradually reduced my plant intake until now I'm eating zero carb (with a few exceptions I'll mention in a moment). It wasn't any deliberate choice. It was just sort of a natural progression as I stopped bothering to cook veggies or make salads, and now it feels very natural to me to eat only meat, eggs, butter, and cream. Very different than my unsuccessful ZC attempt months ago.

Most days I'll drink a cup of black coffee, and a few times a week I enjoy a glass of dry wine. Also maybe once a week or so I'll have a deliberate "cheat" - a slice of pie, some fruit, a beer, etc. And I'm ok with those occasional "vices". I will say that after going ZC I've noticed how I feel "off" after having some carbs. But that's something I'm willing to put up with every so often if I deem the food or the occasion to be "worth it".

However, what I tend to have a problem with is the random carbs I wind up eating for social reasons. Like when visiting family and they make vegetable soup. Or when the office goes to lunch somewhere that only serves sandwiches. I guess I'm sort of in the closet about my ZC diet and don't want to make a fuss about it or draw undue attention. Lord knows the relatives (and a few friends) already give me enough grief about how I'm too skinny now, and the last thing I want to do is have to argue with them about how eating eggs every day isn't going to kill me.

So that's where I am now. I'll keep future posts much shorter.

[con]

Amazing story Will,

Welcome to the forum!! Wow you lost almost 80 lbs. It must really feel great to finally find the answer to achieving a healthy weight.
Dealing with what we think other people are thinking about us eating this way seems to be a problems in the beginning for many of us--it does go away after a while. I feel so good I don't care anymore. Also the need to convert anyone to my WOE has disappeared. Yeah!

[Katelyn]

Welcome, Will. You know if you eat non-ZC foods, you are not really ZC.

[Laura]

Do you see yourself ever being able to give up these carb foods? I can almost understand the problem with the social pressure but I sure don't understand the "deliberate cheats."

[MartinT]

hey! nice story. I had sugar cravings also and awhile ago a slipped one day with 1 ginger bread cookie and that was a beginning of a disaster. That 1 cookie led to a whole bag and then another and another and...I could not keep my hands off of them for several days. In my opinion these cravings may be also coming from those occasional cheats. It is them that keep that carb demon and body's insulin addiction alive. So I do not cheat anymore. It's not worth it. After awhile of self discipline that bad voice dies.

[Katelyn]

And if you look at non-ZC foods as being "worth it," you will never get into the spirit of ZC as being for whole health, and that carbohydrates are damaging. I would really urge you to think about this.

[Charles]

From your description, you are not ZC and therefore not eligible for membership. Had you mentioned all of this in your questionnaire, you would have been denied membership. You will remain a guest until your "vices" have been conquered.