How carbs can trigger food cravings

Reading these type of articles now make a lot of sense to me. 

http://i.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/8856420/How-carbs-can-trigger-food-cravings

In summary:

A more helpful message than “eat less,” he said, may be “eat less refined carbohydrates and more whole foods”.- Dr Christopher Gardner, Stanford University

'Going on a diet' has taken on a new meaning for me in the last couple of days.

The Triad to Beat the D Word

I've always been averse to calorie counting because I never understood how to track it and when I tried to I got grumpy and irritable.

I have tried a number of weight loss programs but have never really had the discipline nor the patience to stick with it.

I've also had personal trainers and it would work for about six months and then I'd be back off (not on) the treadmill again.

Everything seemed so hard.  It always felt like I was having to give up my life - eating out, eating what i like when i want it, setting aside time to exercise and limiting my ability to have fun.

That's the thing.  When it doesn't seem like 'fun', it felt like it was too hard.

My doctor gave me some guidelines on what to eat and what minerals to take to supplement my deficiencies.   It came down to four basic things

- Food - give up carbs and eat more protein and vegetables
- Exercise - 7 days a week
- Minerals - take my recommended supplements

I will call this 'The Triad to Beat the D Word'.

I don't know what happened but somewhere between being told that I have diabetes and being given a framework to help me hopefully reverse it - the penny dropped.  I got excited as I slowly realised that it's actually maybe quite doable.

I work well with frameworks.  This framework seems simple.

When I looked at the food options on the list it included all my favourite types of food (seafood, lean meat, vegetables -tell you more about my shift in attitude about vegetables later).  My biggest worry was giving up rice until he showed me the SlendierSlim range.  Pasta and rice made from konjac.  Visit the website and read more about it.  I tried it last night and it wasn't bad at all.

Whatever it was that shifted my attitude, thank you.

I'm only on day two but I feel like I have a roadmap and it's a road that I'm looking forward (even excited) to travel on.  What will life be like in a year if I follow this change of lifestyle?

Oh.  I haven't mentioned that I do need to lose 20 kgs.  I have weighed 55kgs since I was in my teens.  that was over two decades ago.

I saw this on Facebook today and thought it's worth watching - 'Just how much food is 200 calories?'.  Just to get an idea about what our food choices mean in reality.

It's 9.38am and I thought...I think I'm hungry.  I read somewhere (and someone wise also told me) that if you're hungry, drink water.

So signing off now to get myself a glass of water...

...and that's exactly what i did

i had an appointment with the doctor today after some blood tests.  he told me i have type 2 diabetes.

i didn't quite expect that but then i am not surprised.  for the last two years i have been commuting about 4 hours per day on the train or 3 hours by car.  i am also working in a sedentary job.  so basically i am at my desk for about 7 hours and then on the train for another 4.  my routine was

6am wake up
7am take the train
7-845am travel to work
8.45 - 4.30pm work
4.30pm - 6.30pm train ride
7pm dinner
9pm bedtime

and then i'll do it all over again the next day.  i did this for over two years.  with no exercise.

28 months later, here i am writing this blog.

of course i can't blame all that on my job and lifestyle.  i have also come from a family with a strong history of cardiovascular issues and diabetes.

so as i was told i am already pre-disposed to this.  so i needed to fight it - and didn't.

i've also gained about 11 kgs in five years.  it doesn't seem much but if you put it all together, it had all the makings of a disastrous lifestyle.

so i started today.

we spent a few hours clearing the cupboard with anything and everything that wasn't included on the list of food that are not good for me.  i will post the photos later.

so i thought i'll blog about my journey.  more for myself so i can track my progress.  i could use a physical diary but i'm a quicker typist.  i am hoping that i can also mobile-blog (if there is such a word) while i'm on the road or as i experience, see and think of things.

so here it goes.  day 1 started today.  i started taking all the vitamins and minerals recommended by my doctor.

i'm starting today because i want to be alive tomorrow.

this is where my journey to wholeness and healing begins.