I had an odd conversation yesterday with a person who has struggled for years to lose weight and manage high blood sugar levels. I mean years. This person used the glycemic index along with glycemic load and never had great results. Now here's the odd part: in all those years the person never exercised aerobically and had never done any resistance-type exercise.
Gosh, No wonder. Exercise is a life essential, let alone a weight loss and health essential. The good news is that now that he's exercising a bit, he's seeing satisfying results. Wait til he adds in resistance training!
Yes, exercise can be boring and takes time - yadda, yadda. But it's worth the grief. Because you'll have less grief - mood swings, low energy, sadness, emotional eating if you do your aerobics, resistance, and stretching daily.
We all need the BIG 3 to lose weight, keep it off, and improve our health: eat based on the glycemic index (in short, give up the white and fluffy starches for veggies and fruit, exercise daily. And yes, DAILY is DAILY. And manage your lifestyle. Lifestyle factors include avoiding foods with major chemicals and little nutrition (such as sodas and most breakfast cereals), having good relationships, an enjoyable livelihood, happy pastimes, and such. For a super easy 5-minute strengthening, centering, and balancing routine, do the 5 Tibetan exercises daily. At http://lucybeale.com/wellness/tibetan_exercises.htm. They help get rid of double chins, flatten tummies, align your back, and feel like you've had a cup of Joe without the coffee.
Lucy Beale
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Glycemic Index for Weight maintenance
I love the glycemic index for weight maintenance. It works, it's not complicated, but it could be. I simplify it by using this guideline:
White or fluffy makes you puffy. Even though I lost 50 pounds over 20 years ago and have kept it off, I've had occasional times when I've started to gain weight. As I've gotten older and my metabolism has slowed, keeping extra weight off is harder. That's why I love this simple approach to the glycemic index.
As long as I avoid white and fluffy foods, I can stay at my ideal weight and still eat yummy foods. Here's what I avoid: most foods made with milled grains most of the time: breads, muffins, cookies, cake, pasta, rice crackers, popcorn, crackers, dairy: yogurt, milk, ice cream, whipped cream, and soy products. The soy isn't high-glycemic, but it's been shown to depress thyroid function, so I don't want to take any chances.
For me, avoiding white and fluffy foods isn't rigid, as I'll sometimes eat cake or a cookie, but infrequently. By now you may be asking what other foods are left to eat: meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, honey, and for treats, dark chocolate or even some milk chocolate.
To satisfy my needs for emotional eating, I've had to learn to reward myself with other things: hobbies, being out of doors, journaling, painting, seeing friends. Which overall is healthier than emotional overeating.
Giving up the starches was hard when I was trying too hard. It's easier now that I accept my fondness for them and acknowledge that they aren't my true friend. But rather a false friend that makes me bloated, heavier, and crankier. Who needs food that does that?
Wishing for you your ideal size,
Lucy
http://www.weightloss-wellness.com
Author, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss
White or fluffy makes you puffy. Even though I lost 50 pounds over 20 years ago and have kept it off, I've had occasional times when I've started to gain weight. As I've gotten older and my metabolism has slowed, keeping extra weight off is harder. That's why I love this simple approach to the glycemic index.
As long as I avoid white and fluffy foods, I can stay at my ideal weight and still eat yummy foods. Here's what I avoid: most foods made with milled grains most of the time: breads, muffins, cookies, cake, pasta, rice crackers, popcorn, crackers, dairy: yogurt, milk, ice cream, whipped cream, and soy products. The soy isn't high-glycemic, but it's been shown to depress thyroid function, so I don't want to take any chances.
For me, avoiding white and fluffy foods isn't rigid, as I'll sometimes eat cake or a cookie, but infrequently. By now you may be asking what other foods are left to eat: meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, honey, and for treats, dark chocolate or even some milk chocolate.
To satisfy my needs for emotional eating, I've had to learn to reward myself with other things: hobbies, being out of doors, journaling, painting, seeing friends. Which overall is healthier than emotional overeating.
Giving up the starches was hard when I was trying too hard. It's easier now that I accept my fondness for them and acknowledge that they aren't my true friend. But rather a false friend that makes me bloated, heavier, and crankier. Who needs food that does that?
Wishing for you your ideal size,
Lucy
http://www.weightloss-wellness.com
Author, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss
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