Belly Be Gone!

I'm always bemoaning the fact that I can't lose weight--especially in my belly area. I have tried every diet and exercise known to man to deprive myself for weeks and sweat at the gym several times a week only to lose one-half a pound. That's just not enough to keep punishing myself. Over the past 6 years my weight has crept up to 174. My husband, although 3 inches taller than I, weighs 176. None of my clothes fit right and I was always beating myself up over every bite that went into my mouth. That's no way to live.

One day I came upon an ad for a book called "Wheat Belly", and in reading about it, it was just like reading about me. It fit me perfectly, even though I do not have celiac disease. I do feel miserable after I eat wheat; cramps and diarreah usually, a real slump in my level of energy and brain fog (even worse, I have "normal" brain fog from fibromyalgia).

It makes perfect sense; the wheat we eat now has been so genetically modified in the past 50 years that it actually has an addicting property, just like an opiate, Ever wonder why you're hungry so soon after eating? You brain wants more, and more. Worse, wheat turns into visceral fat--the tough stuff to get rid of around your mid section. There is a great deal of information about the connection between diabetes and wheat consumption--wheat bread sends blood sugar soaring! A Snickers bar doesn't send blood sugar so high!

This was enough to convince me to give a wheat-free life a valid try-one month. Next week will be the end of that first month, and no, it wasn't hard for me to stop eating wheat or finding good substitutes. It's been easy, actually, I simply don't eat bread of any kind, pasta of any kind, cookies, crackers or anything that lists wheat in it's ingredients. The hardest part was remembering to take my strongest glasses to the grocery store to read the labels.

The good news? I'm down ten pounds. I haven't done this with exercise or my food choices--I simply am much less hungry, have no cravings and feel 100% more energetic and sleep sounder at night.

My belly, hips and thighs have 30 more pounds to lose, and this is the easiest way I could have ever imagined to lose it while eating foods I love (potato chips, cheese, ice cream...). I have also discovered that I hate rice spaghetti but LOVE quinoa.

I'll make another post after two months and see where I am at that point. Wish me luck!