BawdyWench
09-17-2006, 08:59 AM
I was a member of the original Protein Power forum, plus several in between. I actually thought this was a continuation of the old forum, but saw I only had a couple posts, so I figured it was time to re-introduce myself.
I'm BawdyWench, or Bawdy for short. I know a number of you, and you probably know me, too, from several other forums. Here's a little about myself.
So, how did I stumble onto this low-carb WOE? I'll try to make this brief.
I was going along, living life and steadily gaining a few more pounds each year. Never could I indulge in end-of-season sales because I never knew what size I would be next season when I could actually wear those clothes.
Nothing worked. I was doing the tried-and-true, everyone-believes-that-fat-makes-you-fat regimen, and still I gained. I wrote down every flipping fat gram I ate, kept it under 10 grams a day, and still I gained. I even added a strenuous 60-minute aerobic step routine 5 or 6 days a week. Still I gained.
How could I be gaining? I was under 1000 calories a day, virtually no fat, and exercising to beat the band. I was a devoted fan of Jean Brody and her "Living Life the High-Carbohydrate Way." Breakfast was two slices of dry whole-wheat toast. Lunch was a low-fat bagel with a half can of tuna with no-fat Miracle Whip and a half an apple. Dinner was a huge pile of pasta (hey, it's good for you, you know, and no fat!) with some steamed zucchini.
How could I be gaining? I went to the doctor, who sent me to a nutritionist who, by the way, looked like she had just come from the purging in the bathroom. She told me I had to eat the same thing every day. She and her husband always ate a balogna sandwich on white bread and an apple for lunch. Needless to say, she didn't give me anything to go on. I even showed her my food and exercise records. Not good enough, she said.
(I did say I was going to keep this short, right? Oh well.)
So, around this time I read a blurb in a women's magazine that said that despite what we've always heard, American women don't get enough protein in their diets.
Protein? What does that have to do wtih anything?
I was in a bookstore when I first laid eyes on "Protein Power" by the Drs. Eades. I bought it, took it home, and devoured it virtually in one sitting.
This makes sense! I've studied human paleontology and evolution since college (even took graduate courses for fun and aced every one, much to the chagrin of several of the "serious" grad students majoring in paleontology!).
Suddenly the light bulb went on. Wait a sec. We evolved eating meat with perhaps a few nuts, seeds, and berries thrown in when meat wasn't readily available. Human health went to hell in a handbasket when population growth exceeded the ability to live off hunting and people began to grow crops and get "civilized."
Well, you didn't have to hit me over the head too many times for the Eureka! moment to set in.
I was in love. First Protein Power, and then Atkins. I lost 30 pounds almost effortlessly. I was in heaven.
Then I felt I needed to work out more so as to tone my body. I started Body for Life. LOVED IT! Man, the feel of muscles I never knew I had. Amazing!
But then my workouts started to suffer (this is at least a year into it). In hindsight, I probably wasn't eating enough. Sure my ratios were about 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs, but I was eating only around 1200 calories a day, trying to do strenuous workouts.
So, I consulted the BFLers on another board. Every one of them told me I had to eat more. But here's the kicker. I had to eat more sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, brown rice, whole grains, oatmeal, etc. That so went against my beliefs and training. How could these things be good for you? They even insisted I needed a free day to stuff my face with waffles, ice cream, cookies, and donuts so as to "re-feed" my body and let the reins out a little.
Well, letting the reins out a little turned into letting my pants out a little. I started gaining again.
It took a while, and a lot of soul searching, but I went back to the LC life I knew was right and got back down to 151, my lowest adult weight (other than when I was just married, when I was at 145).
This was just in time for my 50th birthday! Woo-hoo!!!!! My goal was to reach 150 by 50. I came within 1 pound, so I celebrated reaching goal.
Then life smacked me right between the eyes. Menopause. No major symptoms like hot flashes or night sweats at first. My only indication was that I gained 25 pounds in about 4 months! WITH NO CHANGE IN EATING OR EXERCISE!!!! And now I'm about 35 pounds up. Geezum crow!
Well, it turns out my hormones are all messed up and my adrenals are shot. Details to follow elsewhere.
So that's BawdyWench's story in a nutshell. Not sure yet whether I'll start a journal. Probably I will.
Glad to be part of the Protein Power family again!
I'm BawdyWench, or Bawdy for short. I know a number of you, and you probably know me, too, from several other forums. Here's a little about myself.
So, how did I stumble onto this low-carb WOE? I'll try to make this brief.
I was going along, living life and steadily gaining a few more pounds each year. Never could I indulge in end-of-season sales because I never knew what size I would be next season when I could actually wear those clothes.
Nothing worked. I was doing the tried-and-true, everyone-believes-that-fat-makes-you-fat regimen, and still I gained. I wrote down every flipping fat gram I ate, kept it under 10 grams a day, and still I gained. I even added a strenuous 60-minute aerobic step routine 5 or 6 days a week. Still I gained.
How could I be gaining? I was under 1000 calories a day, virtually no fat, and exercising to beat the band. I was a devoted fan of Jean Brody and her "Living Life the High-Carbohydrate Way." Breakfast was two slices of dry whole-wheat toast. Lunch was a low-fat bagel with a half can of tuna with no-fat Miracle Whip and a half an apple. Dinner was a huge pile of pasta (hey, it's good for you, you know, and no fat!) with some steamed zucchini.
How could I be gaining? I went to the doctor, who sent me to a nutritionist who, by the way, looked like she had just come from the purging in the bathroom. She told me I had to eat the same thing every day. She and her husband always ate a balogna sandwich on white bread and an apple for lunch. Needless to say, she didn't give me anything to go on. I even showed her my food and exercise records. Not good enough, she said.
(I did say I was going to keep this short, right? Oh well.)
So, around this time I read a blurb in a women's magazine that said that despite what we've always heard, American women don't get enough protein in their diets.
Protein? What does that have to do wtih anything?
I was in a bookstore when I first laid eyes on "Protein Power" by the Drs. Eades. I bought it, took it home, and devoured it virtually in one sitting.
This makes sense! I've studied human paleontology and evolution since college (even took graduate courses for fun and aced every one, much to the chagrin of several of the "serious" grad students majoring in paleontology!).
Suddenly the light bulb went on. Wait a sec. We evolved eating meat with perhaps a few nuts, seeds, and berries thrown in when meat wasn't readily available. Human health went to hell in a handbasket when population growth exceeded the ability to live off hunting and people began to grow crops and get "civilized."
Well, you didn't have to hit me over the head too many times for the Eureka! moment to set in.
I was in love. First Protein Power, and then Atkins. I lost 30 pounds almost effortlessly. I was in heaven.
Then I felt I needed to work out more so as to tone my body. I started Body for Life. LOVED IT! Man, the feel of muscles I never knew I had. Amazing!
But then my workouts started to suffer (this is at least a year into it). In hindsight, I probably wasn't eating enough. Sure my ratios were about 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs, but I was eating only around 1200 calories a day, trying to do strenuous workouts.
So, I consulted the BFLers on another board. Every one of them told me I had to eat more. But here's the kicker. I had to eat more sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, brown rice, whole grains, oatmeal, etc. That so went against my beliefs and training. How could these things be good for you? They even insisted I needed a free day to stuff my face with waffles, ice cream, cookies, and donuts so as to "re-feed" my body and let the reins out a little.
Well, letting the reins out a little turned into letting my pants out a little. I started gaining again.
It took a while, and a lot of soul searching, but I went back to the LC life I knew was right and got back down to 151, my lowest adult weight (other than when I was just married, when I was at 145).
This was just in time for my 50th birthday! Woo-hoo!!!!! My goal was to reach 150 by 50. I came within 1 pound, so I celebrated reaching goal.
Then life smacked me right between the eyes. Menopause. No major symptoms like hot flashes or night sweats at first. My only indication was that I gained 25 pounds in about 4 months! WITH NO CHANGE IN EATING OR EXERCISE!!!! And now I'm about 35 pounds up. Geezum crow!
Well, it turns out my hormones are all messed up and my adrenals are shot. Details to follow elsewhere.
So that's BawdyWench's story in a nutshell. Not sure yet whether I'll start a journal. Probably I will.
Glad to be part of the Protein Power family again!