How Did Tom Watson Lose Weight
Tom read the Fast Diet by science journalist Michael Mosley.
The book is based on research that an 800 calorie a day diet could reverse diabetes.
However, Tom acknowledged that he wouldnt be able to eat a very low calorie diet for the long term and started looking into the science of ketogenic diets.
He credits a book called The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living with changing his mentality.
The theory is that low carb diets keep insulin levels low, which forces the body to use stored fat for energy.
This state is called ketosis.
Tom ate just 20g of carbohydrate per day, and stocked up on lamb chops, salmon steaks, chicken thighs, leafy greens and mixed salad for his main dishes.
For desserts, he bought punnets of blackberries and raspberries, which have low fructose levels, as well as tubs of full-fat Greek yoghurt and double cream.
For snacks he ate hard cheese and unsalted walnuts, and gave up sugar and fizzy drinks.
Stop Worrying About Diabetes
Since having fewer sweets helps you keep off excess pounds, you’ll also be more protected against type 2 diabetes. But eating less sugar also lowers your risk of the disease in another way: “A diet with lots of fast-digesting carbohydrates, like sugar, requires the pancreas to release lots of insulin, meal after meal, day after day,” explains Dr Ludwig. “That excessive demand may overtax insulin-producing cells, causing them to malfunction, eventually leading to diabetes.”
Ketosis A Secret Weapon Against Sugar Cravings
One of the best things we discovered as Randy and I drastically reduced our sugar and carbohydrates was that we started entering into a state of ketosis.
Ketosis is when your body begins to burn fat for fuel in the absence of glucose in the body. Being in ketosis is a great weapon we can use to reduce or eliminate the impulse to have sugar.
Therapeutic ketosis is, basically, the state of having elevated ketone levels, typically above 0.5 millimoles per liter, or mmol/L. How a person achieves ketosis and how high the ketone readings are will vary from individual to individual.
When Randy and I traded our carb-loaded diet for a low carb one, not only did our sugar craving drop significantly but our bodies began to heal.
Randy was able to reverse his diabetes even after battling this debilitating disease for over 15 years. I also began to heal and was able to put into remission the majority of my fibromyalgia symptoms.
A low-carb keto diet is rich in non-starchy vegetables, has adequate amounts of protein, and is higher in healthy fats, all of which can help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Because of this being in ketosis can not only help us in saying no to sugar but is an aid in the weight loss process by regulating hormones more effectively.
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Properly Fuel Your Body
In general, you want to get your calories from a balanced diet of the macronutrients protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. If you focus on clean eatingeating unprocessed foods as much as possibleyou will be able to refocus your eating plan.
Protein helps your body feel full longer, so increasing it in your diet will help to curb those cravings, especially at that midday snack time. Try snacking on nuts and yogurt and incorporate more eggs and lean meats into meals. Your body will thank you for it.
Carbs fall into three categoriessugars, starches, and fibersbut the body breaks down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. Find yourself drawn to french fries, bread, and sushi? Your sugar fix originates in excess carbs. Avoid white and refined flourrices, pastas, breadsand try nuts, seeds, and whole grains instead. If the carb is in its natural, unadulterated form, then it’s a good choice. When your cravings hit, try high-fiber foods to fill your belly and keep your digestive system moving like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. And don’t get stuck in the meal-label gameswitch it up! Have eggs for dinner, avocado for breakfast, or oatmeal for lunch.
Symptoms Of Cutting Added Sugar From Your Diet
Cutting added sugar from your diet may lead to physical and mental symptoms.
How the body reacts to giving up sugar is different for everyone. The symptoms and their severity will depend on how much added sugar you were taking in through sweetened foods and beverages.
Some people find that their symptoms last from a few days to a couple of weeks.
As your body adapts to a low added sugar diet over time and your added sugar intake becomes less frequent , the less intense your symptoms and cravings for sugar are likely to be.
You may find that your symptoms are worse at certain times of the day, such as between meals. Stress may trigger for sugar, so you may find that your symptoms feel worse during times of stress.
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Is Junk Food Addictive
There is a debate about whether junk food and overly processed foods are addictive. By addiction, I mean in the same way, a drug addict must get their next fix.
A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that high sugar foods that are higher in the glycemic index can indeed be addictive.
How does this happen exactly? The study showed that high carb foods raise blood sugar even more than common table sugar.
Grains, starchy vegetables, and all things sweet actually trigger a part of our brain called the nucleus accumbens. This is the area of the brain that gives us a reward response.
Its where dopamine and serotonin are formed. Serotonin is what gives us the sensation of fullness and keeps our inhibitions in check. It is also responsible for keeping our moods stabilized and is a natural sleep promoter.
Why Learn How To Cut Out Sugar
Looking for a sure fire health boost? Cut out sugar. Easy peasy, right? Not quite.
Learning how to cut out sugar from your diet is easier said than done. And if you truly want to embark on this quest for better health, its important that you understand the why behind not eating sugar before you learn how to stop eating sugar.
It will likely come as no surprise that sugar in excess isnt great for the body or the brain. Numerous studies have been conducted on this subject, and the results paint processed sugar in quite the unflattering light.
Sugar in the wrong forms and quantities can lead to a host of health dilemmas, such as:
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Increased risk of diabetes
- Damaged collagen production
- Dental cavities
We dont need to get into the nitty gritty of it, but theres no shortage of available research on this topic. Theres really not much good that excess amounts of sugar can do for the body.
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Eat Fermented Foods Whenever That Sweets Craving Kicks In
I have the biggest sweet tooth, despite being a health food editor, and I’ve tried everything to eliminate my own cravings. I’ve found that fermented foods work best for mea few tablespoons of sauerkraut, fermented beet, or a gut shot will quell a craving in seconds. Whether it’s the friendly little bacteria eating those sugar-desiring yeasts in my gut or just the strong, sour flavor on my tongue, it’s become my go-to. Just make sure your fermented product is raw , so all those good bacteria are intact.
Liz Moody , mbg sr. food editor)
Sugar Has Zero Nutritional Value
Thats right. No vitamins, minerals, no NOTHING. Sugar is literally plain calories. And after you have some, youll only want more because it wont make you full.
Thats why people have inadequate amounts of sugar. Because they just dont know when to stop. They think if theyre still hungry, that means they havent had enough. And again, and again, and the circle never ends.
But next time you have sugar, remember how absolutely useless it is and dont give in to the feeling of needing more of it!
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How Did I Do It
My answer to this question is simple: I really didnt do it. I let the Lord do it. For the first time ever.
And for the first time ever, I feel truly free. Isnt that interesting?
It has been a huge sacrifice to give up sugar and flour. I was so afraid and at this point in my journey I still am some days. All the foods Ive loved that have always been a part of my life are no longer part of my life.
But I dont think about doing this forever. It freaks me out when I do.
Instead, I take it ONE DAY AT A TIME.
I do my best to hand things over to God when I feel stressed, overwhelmed or out of control.
Im not perfect at following this plan and Im not perfect at turning to God for help every time I need it, but Im getting better at it every single day. Prayer and scripture study have truly been central to my internal growth and change.
Historically, I have a really hard time asking anyone in my life for help. Its a constant area of improvement for me.
But I know God doesnt expect perfection yet. Im here to learn and practice. And Im just so grateful I know now, more than I ever realized before, that He LOVES me. That love, when I allow myself to really feel it, motivates me to do what I know is good and right for me under any/all circumstances.
I know He wants me to have the things that are important to me, even having a body I feel comfortable and confident in.
And He wants to be a part of every detail of my life.
I know He feels the same about you.
Tips For Cutting Down On Sugar
Keeping tabs on how much sugar youre swallowing is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle, especially if youve been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes. The empty calories from added sugars in desserts, some drinks and candy can lead to weight gain and spikes in blood glucose levels.
The good news is that cutting down on sugar may be easier than you think.
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Lets Look At The Ways Sugar Wrongs Us
- suppresses your immune system
- Excess sugar consumption is linked to cancer and tumor growth
- promotes weight gain and obesity
- disrupts the mineral balance
- contributes to depression, anxiety and mood swings
- promotes gut dysbiosis and fungal overgrowth in the gut
- contributes to insulin resistance and diabetes
- can cause hormonal imbalances
- increases risk for Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis
- disrupt the bodys pH balance
- can cause hypoglycemia
- will reduce good HDL cholesterol and increase bad LDL cholesterol
- prohibits weight loss
Some people are more sugar sensitive than others, and part of that depends on your genetics. Regardless, you can bio-hack your diet by manipulating certain macronutrients, like protein and fat, to balance your blood glucose levels and ward off cravings.
Heres an example: Lets say you start your morning with coffee and a pastry. You probably feel pretty good because that sugar is plugging up feel-good receptors in your brain, and maybe you get a little high as your blood glucose levels spike. But a few hours later, you crash when your blood glucose plummets again, and then youre hungry, jittery, anxious, moody, irritable. You eat lunch, probably too much because youre starving and you miscalculated your hunger needs, and then you may feel tired as all your energy is diverted into digestion. You may crave sugar in the afternoon, because your body knows it gives you a quick energy boost. Does that rollercoaster sound familiar?
I Used To Be A Complete Sugar Binge Eater And It Even Seemed Like I Had No Hope To Get Rid Of This Habit
But NOBODY can claim they have no hope. Because if I managed to get rid of my sugar addiction, so can everybody else, including you! You CAN stop eating sugar and you will.
And trust me. After you start your sugar cleanse, you will definitely notice a huge difference in the way you feel in terms of health and happiness, like I did! So let me explain this sugar detox in more detail and answer the big question:
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Become A Sugar Detective
One of the best ways to quit added sugar is to get really good at learning how to find it. Simply looking at the grams of sugar will not cut it since sugar can come naturally through dried fruit. The industry has gotten very good at masking sugar and calling it by other names. I usually teach my clients two important rules: 1) if it ends in “–ose,” it’s sugar, and 2) if it ends in “syrup” it’s also a sugar. Some frequent ones that appear healthy but are still sugar are brown rice sugar, date sugar, and of course, sucrose, fructose, and lactose.
Why Is Sugar So Bad
Sugar is everywhere in fact, its in 80% of packaged food.
Did you know that
- Sugar is highly addictive and it wreaks havoc on the body.
- Not only does it send your energy levels up and down, it can also do the same to your hormones. Over time, the constant fluctuations will leave them unbalanced and not working as they should.
- When we eat sugar, insulin is released by the pancreas in order to remove glucose from the blood. Eventually, this constant request, mixed with high levels of insulin and glucose, leads the pancreas to produce less insulin over time, which causes insulin resistance the precursor to diabetes.
- Also, if the energy from sugar isnt burned soon after consumption, its converted into fat and gets stored in the body.
- Find out more about why you should consider quitting sugar.
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Eat A Naturally Sweet Snack
When a craving hits, instead of running for the candy drawer try something that will give you fuel, too. “If you need a shot of sugar along with energy that will last longer, try making a trail mix with almonds, dried fruit, and a few dark chocolate chips,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It Taking You from Label to Table. “This snack is portable and will not only provide that sweetness you crave, but you’ll also get protein and healthy fat from the nuts, and iron and fiber from the fruit.”
What I Eat Every Day
Now, to answer the question that prompted the idea for this blog post in the first place, heres what I eat every day. Youre going to love how simple it is .
Breakfast
- 6 oz fruit
Lunch
- 4 oz protein
- 6 oz cooked vegetables
- 4 oz grain or starch
- 6 oz fruit
- 6-8 oz dairy/protein *for breastfeeding only*
Dinner
- 4 oz protein
- 6 oz cooked vegetables
- 2 oz lettuce + 6 oz raw veggies for dinner salad
- 2 tbps dressing sugar not in first 5 ingredients
I followed the above meal plan for 90 days and then an additional 4 weeks until I hit my goal weight. Once I hit that weight, Ive maintained it by changing my grain/starch to 3 oz at lunch and adding an additional 3 oz at dinner + 6 oz of fruit at dinner as well.
I use and love the food scales from Clean Simple Eats because theyre the perfect size to fit a standard plate and still be able to see the numbers.
And since I know you might be wondering: Im 57 and weigh 120.
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Follow The 85/15 Rule
“Make sure 85% of your meals include innately healthy foods like fresh produce, lean protein, and healthy fats. The other 15% can include some treats,” Scarlata says. “If you make certain foods forbidden, then you just crave them even more. And truthfully, I don’t think there is a need to give up sugar entirely.” A little treat here and there never hurts.
We Quit Sugar For 10 Days And This Is What Happened
I’ve never had the biggest sweet tooth, so when I heard that our next challenge for “We Tried It” was to give up added sugar for ten days, I thought it would be a piece of cake .
Much to my surprise, I was very wrong. I knew that unhealthy foods such as cupcakes, cookies and soda were filled with sugar but I never realized that hidden sugars were lurking in so many other foods that I consume on a daily basis, until I started this challenge.
I did the challenge with two of my co-workers, Kyle and Geraldine. The rules were simple: avoid added sugar, read all food labels and only eat natural sugar, i.e. the kind you find in fruits and veggies, for 10 days.
Before the challenge started, I stocked up on groceries I got fresh fruit, produce and protein to tide me over for the 10-day challenge. I knew I had to cook as much as possible, so I’d know what I’d be consuming at all times. I do love cooking, but I have trouble finding time to do it every day. I also eat a lot of foods out of convenience, rather than what is good for me.
Days 1 through 5
The first couple of days weren’t that difficult for me. I was scheduled for jury duty on the first day of the challenge, so I knew that I had to figure out my meals. I prepped my breakfast and lunch the night before so I wouldn’t have to worry about finding something to eat.
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Days 5 through 10
But, by 2 p.m., my clear head was quickly overtaken by hunger and fogginess.
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