nofaith
Thu, Aug-12-04, 17:35
Not quite sure anyone wants to hear from someone like me. Stumbled on this forum when I did a google on a cholesterol topic and started reading your stories. Here's mine, with a different twist.
I've never been fat - and I plan on remaining that way. No, if you look at my family you won't be able to scorn me as being one of those "lucky" people. 4 out of 7 people in my family are obese, so I don't credit my genes. I give the credit to 3 events in my life. First, at 14 I took a cross country trip to LA with my sister to visit my BIL's cousins. To my (Irish meat and potato up-bringing) horror they were vegetarians. To my delight, Uncle Dan didn't subscribe to their ways and was an excellent cook. What I learned from the vegetarians was an appreciation for non-processed whole food. What I learned from Uncle Dan was some awesome Greek recipes. The second event was my father's near death with a bleeding ulcer. After saving his life - he was told he had to lose weight and he bought the very new and controversial Dr. Atkins book (this was the mid-70's I think). I read his book, not because I needed a diet at the time but because I was very interested in science and health. The biochemistry in his book made so much more sense to me than what was being touted by the Food Pyramid. The third event was a couple of years later - when my second oldest sister and I took a look at our 3 older sisters and our mother getting more and more obese and vowed to each other that we would never let each other gain that much weight.
Anyway - my point. I'm 44 y/o, 5'3" tall and about 115lbs, after 3 children. How did I "fight the fat genes"? As much as humanly possible in this country, I only eat real whole food. I avoid soda, sugar, refined and processed food. I never eat anything fake. Most of my meals are homemade and don't come out of a package. The only fat I avoid is what I always called "plastic fat" and is now known as "trans-fat". How'd I know instinctively this was bad for me? - It was "fake". If I have a sweet treat - I take a very small portion for the taste. I only eat when I'm hungry and I take a small portion and finish and wait a few before contemplating taking seconds. I do not put any of my focus on food, it holds a low priority in my life. I've never had to go on a diet because if I feel my clothes getting tight I start eating less. I refuse to buy a bigger size. So in general - I've been a low carber all my life. I never bought into the lo-fat dogma or the diet/cholesterol "heart healthy" diet.
I partly fear that you all won't want to hear from a skinny person - but I thought some might be encouraged by knowing that while I've never been on a "diet" in my life - I've avoided processed carbs and held the "fat genes" at bay for 30 years now.
P.S. - My father has pretty much followed the same way of eating for the past 30 years as well. He's 81, just retired from his "retirement job" working at a golf course. Golfs 3-5 times a week, stays trim and healthy, walks 3-5 miles a day and has no chronic diseases. My mother unfortunately did not avoid carbs, drinks way too much diet-soda. She waffled and developed diabetes about 8 yrs ago. Followed the ADA diet and got fatter and her glucose kept worsening, had a mild heart attack and trouble breathing. I finally convinced her to tell the doctors "tough I'm doing Atkins - deal with it" and has finally lost some weight and is starting to have the capacity to get some exercise. She's 75 and I worry that she waited too long.
I've never been fat - and I plan on remaining that way. No, if you look at my family you won't be able to scorn me as being one of those "lucky" people. 4 out of 7 people in my family are obese, so I don't credit my genes. I give the credit to 3 events in my life. First, at 14 I took a cross country trip to LA with my sister to visit my BIL's cousins. To my (Irish meat and potato up-bringing) horror they were vegetarians. To my delight, Uncle Dan didn't subscribe to their ways and was an excellent cook. What I learned from the vegetarians was an appreciation for non-processed whole food. What I learned from Uncle Dan was some awesome Greek recipes. The second event was my father's near death with a bleeding ulcer. After saving his life - he was told he had to lose weight and he bought the very new and controversial Dr. Atkins book (this was the mid-70's I think). I read his book, not because I needed a diet at the time but because I was very interested in science and health. The biochemistry in his book made so much more sense to me than what was being touted by the Food Pyramid. The third event was a couple of years later - when my second oldest sister and I took a look at our 3 older sisters and our mother getting more and more obese and vowed to each other that we would never let each other gain that much weight.
Anyway - my point. I'm 44 y/o, 5'3" tall and about 115lbs, after 3 children. How did I "fight the fat genes"? As much as humanly possible in this country, I only eat real whole food. I avoid soda, sugar, refined and processed food. I never eat anything fake. Most of my meals are homemade and don't come out of a package. The only fat I avoid is what I always called "plastic fat" and is now known as "trans-fat". How'd I know instinctively this was bad for me? - It was "fake". If I have a sweet treat - I take a very small portion for the taste. I only eat when I'm hungry and I take a small portion and finish and wait a few before contemplating taking seconds. I do not put any of my focus on food, it holds a low priority in my life. I've never had to go on a diet because if I feel my clothes getting tight I start eating less. I refuse to buy a bigger size. So in general - I've been a low carber all my life. I never bought into the lo-fat dogma or the diet/cholesterol "heart healthy" diet.
I partly fear that you all won't want to hear from a skinny person - but I thought some might be encouraged by knowing that while I've never been on a "diet" in my life - I've avoided processed carbs and held the "fat genes" at bay for 30 years now.
P.S. - My father has pretty much followed the same way of eating for the past 30 years as well. He's 81, just retired from his "retirement job" working at a golf course. Golfs 3-5 times a week, stays trim and healthy, walks 3-5 miles a day and has no chronic diseases. My mother unfortunately did not avoid carbs, drinks way too much diet-soda. She waffled and developed diabetes about 8 yrs ago. Followed the ADA diet and got fatter and her glucose kept worsening, had a mild heart attack and trouble breathing. I finally convinced her to tell the doctors "tough I'm doing Atkins - deal with it" and has finally lost some weight and is starting to have the capacity to get some exercise. She's 75 and I worry that she waited too long.