Peri-menopausal and hormonal weight loss

Ok, so it's been a while, I've been busy working and have gone to a photography workshop in Canaan Valley.  Fun!  But not much time for cooking.  Here I am though back to it!  I was talking to one of my fellow workshopers and realized that I do a lot of small things to cut down on the all BAD CARB in my recipes.  I will try to share this.  Some background here, I'm 48 years old and had been a fitness professional for 15 years, teaching group fitness classes and doing some personal training.  I reached 45-46 years old and began to have a lot of trouble losing weight.  I went to doctors, had blood tests done, worked out harder and harder.  I ended up having to quit teaching fitness, the hard work was taking a toll on my joints, neck and back in particular.  So I did the 8 weeks to female fat loss program with Metabolic Effect - an online course.  I changed my workouts (easier and more effective now).  I also incorporated their diet rules into my diet regime.  The first and foremost thing I learned is when you become peri menopausal your hormones begin to determine your weight loss and this changes during your cyclical month.  Carbs literally turn into belly fat.  Once I eliminated carbs and eliminated starchy vegetables, I immediately began to lose weight.  Hmmm less workout, more healthy diet, LOST WEIGHT, works for me. 

The uncomfortable fully middle section feeling that I had every day began to dissipate and I began to feel myself again. 

When I was not eating right, working out, and unable to lose any weight, I was miserable and DID NOT FEEL LIKE MYSELF.

I felt emotional and just kept thinking something must be wrong I do not feel like me!!  In the end the Metabolic Effect Program worked.  I reigned in my carbs, tweaked the workout and voila the middle body weight began to drop off.  So 5 bites of white carbs per meal, 10 bites of whole wheat carbs per meal worked for me.  Lose the burger buns, lose the rice, lose the pasta.  (The next post will be a "pasta substitute" that is really a decadent alternative to eating pasta.  Of course you can have 5 bites of pasta, but who can stop at that?! 

Take care all. 

Flavor versus Skinny ??

Ok, I've been doing the Female Fat Loss Formula food plan, which is low carb, low starch vegetables, high protein for 8 weeks now. I have lost weight and I do feel better.  But, to be honest it is kind of not a food lovers food plan.  I really like variety and many flavors, which includes potatoes, the plan doesn't include any potatoes and very little bread.  I am Italian for pete's sake.  I love being skinnier, however, one cheat day a week doesn't seem to work for my taste buds, it just pisses me off. 

So I have chosen to modify this to accomodate some potatoes and some types of squash that I just love, such as, butternut.  Nope butternut squash isn't on the food list.  Don't get me wrong, I don't have to eat it everyday, but there are only so many days you can eat ..salad...protein.....no fat... and p.s. I'm just gonna put this out there I HATE LOW FAT CHEESE.  Man that felt good.  Yes it's true I hate low fat cheese, it's consistency is like eating a tire tube...  NOT GONNA DO IT. 

Last night I made a salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, yes I said MASHED POTATOES!  And they were good!!

the salisbury steak recipe I removed most of the carbohydrates, in the end I ended up with 3 grams per serving.  Which I thought great and this conforms with low carbohydrate fat loss forumla for peri and post menopausal women.  If you want to lose weight and you are peri or post menopausal, you simply must reduce your carbohydrate intake.  No if ands or buts about it. 

I will post the Salisbury Steak Recipe tomorrow.  Thanks for listening.  It takes time to change the way one intakes food and changing food preparation methods.  I am going to continue to try to modify my diet so that I may get down to my goal weight.  It is a work in progress.