Wheat Belly Sighting Anonymous 11:44 AM

There are actually a lot of wheat bellies around, but that's not the sighting I am talking about. I noticed the latest edition of Woman's World Magazine has an article featuring Dr. William Davis, of the Heart Scan Blog, whose book Wheat Belly is soon to hit the shelves.

You would think with a blog name like No Pain, No Grain that Dr. Davis would be a man after my own heart, and for all intents and purposes, he is...I just happen to believe there is more to health and weight loss than cutting out the wheat, though it's a pretty good start. Grains are evil.

Do I think you can lose 30 pounds in 30 days by cutting wheat from your diet? Well, it happened to me, so I'd say it's possible, but your mileage may vary. If you cut the wheat and find that you're not losing much you may also try cutting starchy vegetables (like potatoes) and dairy and see how things progress after that. Regardless of any weight lost, you will be doing yourself a favor by not eating wheat. Dr. Davis highlights some of the benefits in the WW article:

I am definitely putting this book on my wish list, it should be a good read.

Low Carb vs. Low Calorie, Low Fat Anonymous 7:06 PM

I can't tell you the number of times I have heard, "Well, if you just watch your calories and fat you'll lose weight!"  I know, I know, it has been what we've been told for decades now, "Eat less, exercise more...it's all about calories in vs. calories out!"

When I tell others about low carb eating I am often met with comments that include, "I lost all my weight just watching my calories and exercising. It's what works best for me." I can't help but wonder when I hear things like that how long it will be before that person goes face down in the feed bag, because you know, if you've ever lost weight like that yourself, that what is really happening is you're starving. If you have followed a low calorie, low fat diet for any length of time you may have lost weight, but you have also robbed your body of important nutrients, and it may shock you to know that much of the weight you've lost may not necessarily be all fat (or even mostly fat); a low calorie, low fat diet makes it so your body consumes its lean tissue, too. That includes one of the most important of the organs of your body - - the heart.

So, what is the advantage of losing weight and maintaining that weight with low carb eating vs. low fat, low calorie eating?

1. You keep your muscle mass when you eat low carb.
2. You don't really have to count anything on low carb once you learn what foods you can eat.
3. You don't ever have to be hungry.
4. You don't have to exercise until you fall over from exhaustion.
5. You keep your brain healthier and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.
6. You don't feel like you have to take a nap after lunch.
7. Bacon. Real Bacon.
8. If you have suffered from acid reflux it will disappear.
9. If you are diabetic you may be able to reduce your medication intake (with doctors supervision), or completely eliminate the need for it.
10. If you take anti-depressants, you may find you don't need those anymore, either.
11. Butter. Real Butter.
12. Low carb eating lowers blood pressure.
13. A low carb diet lowers triglycerides.
14. Did I mention Bacon? ;-)

And really, this way of eating goes beyond weight loss. The weight loss is a happy side-effect. This is really about good health.