I suppose men and women have different purposes in trying to lose weight, but their struggles probably have a lot in common. I struggled long and hard with my weight, not for good looks (hey, I can never become a “beauty” like Liu Liu is), but for health reasons. So please let me share my story.
I had always been lean and fit when I was younger. But when I was 31 years old in 1988, my wife became pregnant with our first child. Since she was in transition between two jobs, she decided to stay home for the rest of her pregnancy, instead of starting her new job. Not much to do at home, she would cook lots of food, everyday. Heaping plates of beef, pork, seafood, and vegetables. As she was suffering from the effects of pregnancy, she had not much of an appetite. So guess who would eat most of the food she cooked every day? To make a long story short, I gained 50 pounds in just 6 months.
Ever since then for the next 15 years or so, I tried very hard to get rid of the extra pounds, by taking long walks, biking, running, etc. I hardly lost any weight at all. I fluctuated around 200 lb (I am 177.5cm tall, so quite heavy for my height).
Then in 2003, my blood glucose level started to rise, to the point of becoming a “pre diabetic”. I was told by my doctor to either take medication, or lose some weight. So I started taking medication to control my blood glucose level, meanwhile started seriously reading medical articles about how to effectively lose weight. I would read the articles 2 to 3 hours every day for the next 2 years, before I finally understood the effective way of losing weight. Again to make a long story short, here are what I have learned how to lose weight:
- Exercise along does not work – the more I exercised, the hungrier I become and the more I eat.
- Eating less (or in other words keeping myself hungry most of the time) does not work, because hunger is such a power force to trigger us to eat even more than before, whenever the opportunity arises.
- The only way that works is to replace all white rice, all flour products (breads, steamed buns, etc, anything that contains refined starch) with whole grains such as oats or barley. It took me full 2 years to finally understand that when the doctor said “whole grains”, he did not mean flours made of whole grains, but actually unbroken whole grains of oat, barley, or other types of gains.
- I can eat as much whole grains as I want, plus other foods such as meats and vegetable as usual – the key to success is keep myself from feeling hungry - and still lose weight. Brown rice could be used instead of whole grains, as long as I eat in moderation. But whole grain oats or barleys need no restriction – I can eat as much as I can.
- Exercise can assist weight loss, only if coupled with meals that have no or minimal refined starch, but lots of whole grains.
So in 2005 I finally slimed down to 160 lb, stopped taking any medication, and my blood glucose level remained normal. Today I still weigh 160 lb. And now I eat brown rice, and/or whole wheat breads instead of true “whole grains”, as I do not need to lose any weight, but just to maintain my weight. I have never changed the other foods in my meals, such as meats (I love fat meats), sea foods, and vegetables.
My wife used to laugh at me (when eating at restaurants, I would skip the rice or breads altogether), but since 2005 after seeing my success, she started eating the same foods as I do now. And within months she lost all of her extra fat around her waist (not too much to begin with, to be honest).
Anybody wants to see a picture of me showing off my perfect body?
[ 此贴被maxjames777在04-12-2010 23:02重新编辑 ]
