Hunger Games 8-26-2013

Have you heard the quip, "Did you lose weight?" "No, I just got a haircut."  Well, I got my haircut yesterday.  I can't really say it looks too different, just shorter. It just touches my shoulder, flat ironed. That's the shortest it's been since Bean was a baby.  It will really be short for me when it's curly.  I just needed a change.  And I did lose 3lbs.   Handy Man did not lose any this week, but is still feeling good about the difference in his feet and legs.  I added the oatmeal pancakes and a snack with a bit more carbs. We'll see what the next week brings for him.
In what I believe was a God incident, I picked up a book from the new book shelf at the library called Fat Chance by Robert Lustig.  I almost didn't pick it up.  I wish I had a hundred dollars for every book I've read fighting this fat monster.  I have other loved ones who fight the fat monster too. I read fast and seem to be gifted with  nugget plucking and getting to the heart of the matter. I honestly thought I'd read it and tell them what it said. I didn't much imagine I'd read anything I hadn't heard at sixty three times before.
 Back in the day, when I went to see our root doctor, she told me that my feeling like I was starving was not my imagination.  She shared that some people's system will grab carbs, turn them into fat and demand some more.  I knew that's what it felt like and it was comfort to hear her say it.  My personal doctor basically told me unless I had someone to prepare my meals, and train me physically two or three hours a day, that I needed to get over losing weight. When something went south health wise, he'd treat it.  With this advice, I was horrified.  No, no, no.! There has to be something and I've pursued better health for what seems like years. But really, he was right, I've failed and failed and failed again, at least where weight loss is concerned.
Back to the book.  While I wasn't any happier in one sense, than with what my doc said, this guy gave me the scientific data nerds like me crave and added a piece I wasn't expecting. I could have sobbed right on the page and ruined the book.  First, let me say that my first thought when reading is "What are you selling?"  This man is a pediatric neuroendocrinologist  who isn't selling anything, but what I believe is the truth. I seriously doubt he needs a book to pad the coffers.  It seems his goal is to blow the cover on the whole "low fat" that had food companies putting sugar and corn syrup in every other food product on the shelves.
What made me sob?  He explains the process of a certain hormone that signals the hypothalamus that you are satisfied, fed, tanked up, whatever.  When it's broken, the message received is not only are you not satisfied, but starving, and your body will release no energy. He claims the reasons some people are couch potatoes is that there is no energy resources available for them to use. I'd say for at least six years, I've questioned why all my energy is drained after what I see as little effort.  I want to come home from school and have a life, but after the last kid is loaded and I drag my tired butt on a mile walk, I don't even want to go home, because I can hardly face even something minor that needs doing.  I feel like I push, push, push.  I've known something was wrong, I just couldn't figure what.
More than before, doing this with the Handy Man, makes it clear than  that I've got a broken part. Three weeks and for him, more energy, and except for a beer crossing his mind, no cravings at all.

The answer? This doc doesn't have one and he can't see one coming anytime soon, especially for weight loss.  If you read it you will see the time, money and energy have that have gone into finding a way. I already knew the statistics were grim.  He says exercise isn't the answer to weight loss, but will help move out the dangerous fat in your middle. He stresses that fast food should be avoided, as well as all processed food and to give as much effort as possible to eating whole food with lots of fiber.
If you are able to be successful at these things, you still might not lose weight, but you stand a better chance of keeping the bad health wolf from the door. Land's- depressing, but at least a very real explanation.
I wish that book were required reading for every reader on the planet.  It might make those with well oiled working parts understand those without a bit better.
I would love to commit to not having sugar, ever again, but it's presence is so pervasive in our culture, that I have no faith in being able to hold to that.  At the ball game on Saturday, Bugg asked me which was my favorite candy. I knew she had in mind to buy it for me. I told her the candy I preferred, but that I wasn't eating candy right now.  Next, she wanted to share her popcorn with me.  Oy vey!  It is just hard and I can do it for awhile, but history repeats itself that I cannot hold out in the long run.  Still, for now, I'll press on.
I've rattled on quite enough and will discuss the cauliflower crust experience in the next update.