The most common question I have gotten since starting my diet has been, “What is so different about your diet?” The quick answer is that it is less of a diet to lose weight and more of a complete and permanent dietary revamp to get me healthier and to cut down on the nausea and other health issues.
It is important to remember that while I have been seeing rather drastic results, I most certainly am not taking drastic measures to get there. This is a slow and steady wins the race type of game. No two people will ever lose weight the same way, especially when you factor in medical issues. Issues like a hiatal hernia and Hashimotos thyroiditis bring their own brand of fun to the game and change EVERYTHING. When you have hypothyroidism [this means your thyroid levels are lower than they should be, aka you under produce, and this is usually indicated by your TSH levels coming back high (generally 4 or greater from my experience)] your metabolism gets lowered and adding insult to injury it also can make you rather lethargic and bring on some serious food cravings. A hiatal hernia is where part of your stomach is pushed up into your esophagus. This brings on issues with acid build up and nausea.
So what does my diet look like? Well, there is the obvious stuff you would expect any decent diet to have such as portion control and choosing the right foods. There is the stuff that some may already know but still may surprise people, for instance, making sure to eat your bigger meals first and smaller meals at dinner. Then there is the downright strange and surprising like the instructions to avoid drinking any fluid (yes, this includes water) 30 minutes before through 30 minutes after you eat. {Apparently liquids interfere with the proper breakdown of the nutrients in our food. When we drink liquids with our meals the initial and crucial breakdown points get skipped and our bodies only absorb the fat.}
Here is the basic rundown of the details to my diet:
- Portion Control! Like any good diet, I to need to make sure that when I eat I am getting proper portions of every meal.
- No Water with meals
- Eat organic as possible
- Stay away from the artificial junk
- Remember to eat 3 meals a day. (I am terribly bad about forgetting to eat!)
- Make sure to eat well rounded meals. This means at every meal I must have:
o *A Starch {*except at dinner.}
o A Vegetable (Yes, even at breakfast!}
o A Protein/Dairy
o A Fat {that’s right folks! I have to make sure I get a healthy fat at every meal}
Now that I have given you the basics, what about the diet I was given is surprising to you? What part of this would be the most challenging to stick with? What do you think might work for you?
The Graceful Skinny 