My personal story is very typical in many ways, including the fact that I was not convinced I needed to lose weight. I was I thought, pretty darn healthy for
a 60-year-old. I was jogging on a regular basis, playing golf, and enjoying life. It was only after I started eating this way, and had lost 38 pounds, that I realized just how important diet can be to overall health.
It all started
when my wife Patricia decided to lose some weight. I was amazed and delighted to see the positive health changes after she started her low carb approach to meals. Although I knew I was a little over my ideal weight, I didn't think that I
needed to dedicate myself to a low carb lifestyle as she had.
Because Patricia was busy testing and developing low carb foods for her cookbook, I began my own journey into the world of low carb eating by default. I ate what was being
developed for the cookbook. Much to my surprise, I started feeling that I had more energy and some of my extra weight started to drop off.
I loved being Patricia's guinea pig! I really enjoyed testing the food and providing feedback!
Once I saw improvement in my own energy level, and realized that I didn't feel deprived or hungry, I set out to really test this method of eating and weight loss. What I found out, both through personal experience and my research and
reading, has convinced me that this is a healthy approach to eating for anyone, at any age.
I ran the Boston Marathon in April of 2001, finishing in the top 10% in my age group (60 -65 years of age) at a time of 3:35:28. What is really
interesting is that I trained for a full six months to run the marathon, eating slow carb foods and snacks the whole time. I mention this because many people think that if you are exercising strenuously, you need to "carb load". This is no
longer the thinking, even among most top trainers.
Slow carb does not mean no carb; I eat plenty of carbs. I just don't eat the refined, high carb foods like white breads and pasta anymore. Nor do I eat sugar. I have even switched to
Splenda for my tea. We have developed an approach to slow carb eating that is based on a nutritionally balanced diet, with emphasis on the good carbs that slowly turn to blood sugar over time. Our approach is very different from many of the
other low carb diet books that are currently available. It has been interesting to note that the odd time when I splurge and have a dessert in a restaurant, I inevitably come home with a dull headache; I presume from the sugar!
Now that
I understand the slow carb mechanism better, and have a more in depth knowledge of which foods are low or high in carbs, I am able to pace myself and my carb intake very easily. I have lost 38 pounds, I am in the best physical condition I have
been in since I was a young military pilot 40 years ago.
I eat well. My food has lots of variety and flavor. I eat 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks everyday. I no longer doze off while I try to watch the evening news. Patricia has made a disciple out of me! I plan to stick to the slow carb approach to eating to ensure the ongoing health benefits that are discussed in
more detail in our book, SLOW CARB FOR LIFE. |
