I'm Back!

For various reasons, I haven't posted here in a long time, mostly having to do with my continuing issues with weight.

But, last December (2006), I discovered that I have a medical condition called Syndrome-X that has, I suspect, sabotaged every diet and lifestyle change that I have tried to make, including my last effort. In the end, I was approaching non-dieting as another diet, simply because my own physiology had been working against me.

The link I have provided is not an endorsement of the book itself (because I haven't read it), but the blurb does seem to touch upon my own life experience; however, you might find some good information at the Syndrome X Association. If you have been on and off the diet merry-go-round (as I have), you might want to investigate the possibility that you might have this syndrome.

My doctor put me (kicking and screaming) on a low carb diet; I cried all the way home from the doctor's office, convinced that I would never embrace such lunacy, but I decided to give it a try because my next stop would be bypass surgery, and I didn't want to go that route. I'm not saying that bypass is necessarily a bad thing for everyone, but it didn't feel right for me. For one thing, I was 80 pounds overweight, well under the cut-off point.

I experienced a rocky first month: tiredness, crankiness, severe deprivation (both physically and psychologically), and depression.

I started posting on Protein Power, a web site dedicated to high protein, low carb dieting. I haven't posted there recently (sorry, guys), because my work schedule suddenly got crazy, but it's worth joining and reading what some of these generous folks have to say.

After that first tough month, everything started making sense, and it was as if a chronic fog had finally lifted. My energy levels went up; I became extremely productive in both work and my own writing, increased energy that continues to this day. Regular low fat, high carb diets always sapped my strength, thus ultimately failing. Non-dieting didn't seem to work because, again, I tended to use carbs, such as popcorn, for my healthy snack--I was actually feeding the beast that was making me chronically sick, although at a low level.

I continue to stand 100% by Linda Moran's How to Survive Your Diet (which, a year and a half ago, I hailed as a life-changing approach to non-dieting). It's a wonderful book, and I'm following her non-dieting suggestions, but with modifications for my personal situation. For example, I no longer use popcorn or other carb as my snack. Also, because of my condition, I can't eat anything I want, just like a diabetic can't eat sugar whenever he/she feels like it. Fortunately, my condition is completely tied to proper diet, so I don't have to worry about having to use testing strips. I definitely prefer having Syndrome X (which is a precursor to more serious diseases) to having diabetes; I now have a greater appreciation for what diabetics must do to keep themselves healthy and whole.

Next entry, I'll reveal how I'm dealing with Syndrome X. Just remember: whatever fits my situation may not fit yours.

This blog reflects my experience, and may not be appropriate for your situation.

Best, Jennifer