FMD: For the Sake of My Future

Thanks to a book a friend introduced us to this summer, we made an absolutely huge shift in our way of thinking about, preparing and eating food three months ago.

We began a "D.I.E.T" that is changing our lives. Want to know the real meaning of "diet"? Read on!

By the way, that's Claire, not me, though people say we look alike! :) 

Written by Haylie Pomroy, a nutritionist and wellness consultant (who actually started out in veterinary science at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins where Dave went for his last year of college many moons ago!), "The Fast Metabolism Diet" is by far THE BEST book I've ever read on nutrition, complete with a plan for how to "D.I.E.T" and repair your metabolism.

This is truly unlike ANY diet you've ever seen before as it isn't about counting calories. It's not about exercise (though that's a reasonable part of her plan). And it's not about deprivation.

Her definition of "D.I.E.T."? Did I Eat Today. You'll never eat as much food on a diet as you do on hers!

Based on proven science, her theory is that in order to heal and heat up your metabolism you need to:

* Unwind stress with plenty of carbs and fruit
* Unlock fat with lots of protein and veggies
* Unleash your metabolism with the addition of healthy fats and oils

And she's got a brilliant plan for how to make that happen.

There are three phases in each week, so you cycle through different types of foods to accomplish those goals. Her app on the Apple phone is pure genius, helping you know what to eat, when to eat, and how much of it to eat each day.

The past two years have been brutal on my body. Going through the process of menopause (I'm there now...hooray!), traveling, mid-life weight gain, migraines, torn MCL, skin problems and numerous other health difficulties, caused great discouragement about the state of my body.

And it wasn't just about weight. I was still within a "normal" range. But I was tired all the time, didn't have energy, didn't sleep well, was putting on fat, felt lethargic, and didn't ever feel like eating. Yet I gained weight.

I'll be honest, it felt like there was no hope for change and that this is just the new norm I'd have to accept as I headed into my mid-50's.

But then I read the "Fast Metabolism Diet" and suddenly all my symptoms made sense.

I didn't have a fast, or hot burning, metabolism. Over time it had slowed down to a snail's pace due, in part, to poor eating habits, which caused many of the symptoms I was experiencing.

When we returned from the States at the beginning of July this year, I went through my cupboards and took out all sugars, dairy products, caffeine (yes, even coffee!), corn products and any last gluten I had hanging around (we mostly ate gluten free anyway).

I took the Fast Metabolism book grocery shopping to guide me in loading up instead on fresh meats, fish, poultry, eggs, tons of veggies, fruits and healthy fats like olive oil, avocados and almond butter. And we started in on the "D.I.E.T."

I'm not going to tell you it was easy. In fact, in the beginning it was brutal! The first week we both experienced headaches, cravings, withdrawal symptoms and fatigue. Our bodies were detoxing and not happy about it!

But soon we developed a rhythm and before we knew it, we'd completed the first 28 day cycle by the beginning of August. I lost just 4 pounds, but 12 1/2 inches. Dave lost 12 pounds and many inches as well.

Obviously this isn't Dave (we didn't think to take before and after pictures..and would I put them here anyway? I don't know!), but this is very similar to what happened to him.

We took the month of August to stabilize and more deeply establish these new patterns of eating, sticking to all the same healthy foods on the diet and not eating any of the "illegal foods", but also not keeping such a strict schedule for meals and snacks.

Then in September, we started another 28 day cycle. And this time we could both tell the difference in how our bodies were metabolizing food. We'd eat a huge meal of good, healthy foods - and then be hungry an hour later because of how "hot" our metabolisms were burning!

Just yesterday we finished our second 28 day cycle with great results: in total I've lost 11 pounds and 16 1/2 inches, and Dave's lost 22 pounds and many inches.

But more importantly, we've lost fat, gained energy, feel and look better!

One note about fat loss. Dave's loss of overall fat has been astounding. Do you know that you can be thin, yet fat? Even at his lowest weight, Dave still carried fat (by the way, he doesn't mind me saying that!) in his stomach and back that no amount of exercise, running or weight lifting through the years ever changed.

Yet it's almost completely gone today.

I'm still in the process of losing that same kind of fat. My body seemed to be more depleted and resistant to change than Dave's was. Whether that's due to hormones, menopause or aging, we don't know - we just see how much longer it's taking my body to respond and heal. But it IS finally happening!

Several of our friends have now completed their first cycle of the diet as well, with equally astounding results - losses of 10, 15, 20 and 25 pounds in just one 28 day cycle.

It all seems to be a little like unbelievable magic...eat food, lose weight. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't lived it.

On the other hand, we know we're eating in an absolutely clean and healthy manner so it makes sense that our bodies are responding to the change.

I want to emphasize that I didn't do this diet to lose weight, though that's certainly been a healthy byproduct of following this plan. And guarantee, you'll lose something if you'll follow it, whether you need to lose 10 pounds or 100.

But I did it for the sake of my future: to stay optimally healthy and vibrant so I can do all that the Lord asks of me for 20, 30 or even 40 more years. I MOSTLY want to be useable and available to him, and if I have a healthy body, I'll have more to offer.

We're headed to the States tomorrow, which will begin a new test: can we eat this way while traveling? If we happen to cross paths with you, and say no to dessert and coffee (as well as a few other things!), now you'll know why.

With all my heart, I promise to myself that this is our new "normal", and that there is no going back to the old ways, patterns and temptations of eating. I feel so much better! Why would I do anything different?

We've done it for three months now, and our plan is to do it this way for many, many years to come.

THANK YOU Haylie Pomroy for all your research and work to bring this to people like me, my husband, family and friends. Your work is making a difference in our lives!