Natural Weight Loss Coach

This a followup post to 2 previous discussions I’ve had regarding counting calories as a MISLEADING technique for weight loss.

If you haven’t read those, I suggest that’s where you start –> Danger of counting calories.

For many, many, many years I thought that I was eating healthy since I would have oatmeal for breakfast every day. I love oatmeal.

However, there were days when I would eat something else – like eggs, or bacon or perhaps some boxed cereals.

There was one thing that I noticed. On those days I had oatmeal, my stomach would grumble in 2 hours or less. Otherwise, I would last for 3-4 hours easily.

That was strange and intriguing to me.

So after several years, dozens of books, hundreds of hours of reading, dozens of doctor consultations, and innumerous blood testing, I learned the difference between fast-burning vs. slow-burning carbs.

Fact Or Fiction?
Food Companies Protect Our Health

Last week, while I was cleaning our pantry, I found some leftover famous brand oatmeal (classic variety.) It was labeled as:

• “100% whole grain”,
• “100% natural”,
• “helps manage blood pressure”,
• “helps lowers cholesterol”
• “helps promote healthy arteries”
• 150 calories per 1/2 cup serving

I now know that this was no good. I have long switched to steel cut oats, which has made a HUGE difference in managing my weight.

Instead of throwing it away, I decided to do a measureable experiment.

You see, instead of calories (a guesstimate at best), I measure blood sugar levels – something more accurate with today’s technology.

Why? Read on.

Myth: Fat Makes You Fat

Fat DOES NOT make you fat. There are other health problems associated with fat intake, but it is NOT the primary reason why we are embarassed with wearing our summer swimsuit.

Excessive blood sugar gets converted into BODY FAT. Yes, the kind that would bulge your belly, and prevent you from wearing your sexy jeans.

Excessive blood sugar also leads to other diseases, like diabetes – which is what prompted me to learn about all these things to begin with.

Anyway, my experiment involves my breakfast as follows:

• 1/4 cup of quinoa
• 1/4 cup of  the “famous brand oatmeal”
• cooked on a stove top, not microwaved
• sweetened with kefir and 10 whole dried blueberries

I took my blood sugar reading before breakfast = 94 mg/dl. Normal.

Then I took my blood sugar reading after 2 hours = 151 mg/dl. Normal. The threshold for diabetics is 160 mg/dl according to WHO guidelines.

Note: Imagine if I prepared a 1/2 cup oatmeal, no quinoa, using the microwaved instant variety and sweetened with sugar. I’m sure it would take me over the threshhold.  That’s what I was doing before I knew any better! As I look back, this was probably a significant contributing factor to my pre-diabetic condition today.

The following day, I prepared exactly the same breakfast, with the exception of the oatmal.

I substituted the “famous brand” with steel cut oats (non-branded from the bulk food section of the grocery).  Everything else was the same.

By coincidence, my blood sugar was also 94 mg/dl before breakfast.

After 2 hours, here’s the magic number = 121 mg/dl.

Wow! Famous brand oats is 151,  while organic non-branded is 121.

30 mg/dl is a SIGNIFICANT difference between the 2 varieties of oatmeal.

Fact: Not All Calories Are Equal

75 calories of the “famous brand oatmeal” DOES NOT equal the 75 calories of quality organic oats.

As my personal experiment indicated, the branded variety had a higher glycemic index than the other. High index means “fast burning”, while low glycemic index means “slow burning”.

The lower the index, the better for weight management.

My other conclusion is this: I tend to avoid processed foods from BIG name corporate giants, and instead I go for organic varieties, whenever I can.

Processing strips the food of micronutrients. Chemical preservatives are added to increase grocery shelf life.

In other words, good calories have been deleted, and replaced by toxic calories. (This is a good subject for another post in the future.)

As you can tell, this is by no means a “scientific” experiment; but this is science GOOD ENOUGH for me!

While the threshhold guidelines are 110mg/dl for fasting and 160 mg/dl after eating, I believe that every person has their own individual threshhold.

So is 151 good for me? I don’t know. Maybe my personal threshhold is 150? or 135?

The point is, anything in excess of that threshold will get converted to fat for some people. In my case, it equates to a higher level of triglycerides.

Even though I’m not overweight, these excessive triglycerides could be contributing to my high blood pressure challenges (again, that’s another story for a whole series of posts).

Do Yourself A Favor: Prove It To SELF

If you are still frustrated and struggling with your weight, I encourage you to invest in a glucometer. You can probably get one between $10-$50 at Walmart.

Here’s a tip: if you’re going to shop by price, compare the costs of the testing strips, not the meter itself. I fell into the trap of a zero cost meter that required expensive strips.

Ask your doctor how to use it. (Although the instruction manual is easier than your VCR or TIVO.)

DO NOT necessarily rely on the “normal” results from your last blood test. You need to understand the cause and effect of your daily eating habits. Like I said, your threshold could be different from the accepted norm.

Years ago, I assumed that the “famous brand”, inexpensive oatmeal was good for me. Today I pay the price – with my health, as well as my wallet.

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