Welcome


My name is Gina and I would like to welcome you to my blog!

On this blog, I not only share the dietary and lifestyle approach which reversed my metabolic disease and achieved my weight loss, but I also debunk many misconceptions surrounding obesity and its treatment.

I am 5'5" and was weighing 300 lbs., at my heaviest. I lost a total of 180 lbs. I went through several phases of low carbohydrate dieting, until I found what worked best and that is what I share on this blog. Once on a carbohydrate restricted diet, along with intermittent fasting, I dropped all of the weight in a little over two years time.

My weight loss was achieved without any kind of surgery, bariatric or cosmetic. I also did not take any weight loss medications or supplements. I did not use any weight loss program. This weight loss was solely the result of a very low carbohydrate, whole foods based diet, along with daily intermittent fasting and exercise.

I allow discussions in the comments section of each post, but be advised that any inappropriate or off-topic comment will not be approved.

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Jul 5, 2021

Six common beliefs addressed, Part 132

1. Can lowering LDL cause health problems?

That is still being researched and there are no clear answers as of yet. We know that people who have certain genetic conditions, which cause low to almost zero detectable LDL, have no health problems whatsoever. They also have no heart disease. So far, when they have lowered LDL in people, without this genetic anomaly, to nearly undetectable levels, they have also had no adverse health effects. So far. But no one knows what occurs long term or if this would be the case for absolutely everyone as PCSK9 inhibitors are a fairly new introduction to Big Pharma. 

What we do know is that LDL is implicated in neuro function, as it does cross the blood brain barrier, and it also has some immune system function, so I personally, wouldn't radically lower it unless there is a specific reason to. Discuss with your doctor the pros and cons of any prescribed medication, especially one that will be administered for the long term. 

2. They continue insisting on limiting saturated fat intake for no reason. 

The main reason is because saturated fat raises total cholesterol, in individuals whose cholesterol is sensitive to diet. Total cholesterol is still seen as a risk factor for heart disease. 

Another reason is because of caloric restriction. The standard dietary advice is based on a calorie centered protocol, that restricts the calories of all macronutrients, but particularly tends to mostly effect protein and fat calories, since the diet's goal is to be carb centric. So, you are left with a diet that is predominantly carbohydrate, while still being calorically restricted. 

In other words, the dietary guidelines do not recommend "high carb" as in "eat all the donuts you want". They recommend for your diet to be calorically restricted and composed of mainly "complex" carbs. Of course "complex" for them includes grains, not just tubers or roots. Saturated fat simply has no role to play in this type of diet. 

3. Do people gain weight on "keto" because their carbs remain too high and they eat too often?

No. People gain weight on "keto" because their fat intake is too high and they eat too little. 

4. Vegetables cannot cause stomach problems. 

Diet changes can result in stomach upset. Changes in gut flora and enzyme activity can cause this. If vegetables are not sitting well with you, don't eat them or cook them thoroughly. 

5. Can drinking ice cold water help you burn more calories?

No. It helps you have stomach issues though. You would be surprised how many people with chronic acid reflux have not figured out yet that the culprit is their iced drink, rather than their burrito. 

Drink normal temperature water. You can never burn enough calories to trick the body into doing anything, except burn less calories over time. 

6. Should you include "carb days" into your regimen?

People are full of ridiculous ideas and unlimited BS. There are many reasons why people would do this and the excuses run the gamut of the idiocrasy. The real reason though, which is the one excuse that is never given, is that they simply want to eat bread or whatever other form they like their carb to come as. But instead of saying the truth they make up stuff like:
  • Carb days help replenish glycogen - This is mainly used by athletes who seem to always have their two cents in the slot of obesity discussions as if they had a seat at the table. They don't. Athletes don't have anything to contribute to the treatment of obesity. Not a single thing. In fact, the only thing that athletes have contributed, so far, is the importance of building lean muscle mass which is very difficult for the obese to do, leaving them at square one. 
  • Carb days help your thyroid and reduce the stress response - The presence of ketones can exacerbate the stress response and interfere with thyroid function because the body believes it is starving. This kicks in counter regulatory responses which can cause annoying symptoms. This is not resolved with "carb days". This is resolved with an overall low to moderate carb diet that does not sustain long periods of ketosis. Having carb days actually makes this situation worse as the blood glucose fluctuations from eating high carb only causes a doubling down of the stress response over time. 
  • Carb days help you lose weight - This one is true! This is the only one on here that is true. Unfortunately it's only temporary. When the body has been in starvation mode for a while, as is the case with caloric restriction, badly formulated "keto" diets or inappropriate fasting protocols, adding carbs into the diet can cause temporary weight loss. This is because leptin expression increases when the body detects a surplus in nutrient availability. Carbs trick the body into thinking there is plenty of nutrients available because of how they effect blood glucose and insulin. Of course, leptin is a slave to insulin and once insulin demand becomes abnormal, leptin once again under expresses and you stall or start gaining weight. 
So, "carb days" are nothing but crock. They are only a way of having your cake and eating too, but with cake comes diabetes.

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