The Wellsphere Meetup on Oct. 10, 2009 was a real learning experience for the participants, as well as a treat for the taste buds. In our meeting, we started by discussing the fact that most of us get blamed for obesity, but we are not trained to do anything about it, and are guilty of nothing more than eating what is put in front of us by the American food industry. I told them my history, and how I lost 125 pounds through the use of a balanced protein and carb diet. Whey protein is an integral part of that diet because it is a source of pure protein that contains no fat and no carbs.
I weighed each of the 5 participants on a body composition scale to determine their lean muscle mass amount. Then, I assigned one gram protein and one gram carbs for each pound of lean muscle, and a low fat target as well. So, for instance, for two of the female participants, their daily targets were 25gm fat, 90 gm protein, and 90 carb grams. For the male participant, who had 150 pounds of muscle mass, the diet assigned was 30gm fat, 150gm protein, and 150 gm carbs daily.
Each participant got a folder with daily log sheets with their daily targets written at the top, and a table of healthy fat ranges (by age and sex). Also included in their folder was 2 recipes for protein shakes, one recipe for Chicken Enchiladas, and a list of Grocery Store Goodun's - foods that fit into the diet. Also included was a 10% discount coupon to the local whey protein store.
We discussed the fact that the extra weight was what was making them tired, but hardly anyone there knew that what they were eating was what was making them hungry. We discussed how carbs by themselves stimulate insulin release and promote hunger. It is a real light bulb moment to understand that carbs out of proportion to protein makes you hungrier.
Then, we looked at a breakfast that one particpant had that morning. It was a bowl of Cheerios, a banana, and milk. We went to Calorieking software on the big screen tv, so everyone could see. That breakfast only had 14gm protein, and 76 carbs. That is what produces the insulin spike, and feeling hungry and tired just a few hours later.
Then, we looked at my diet, where I hit my targets of 25gm fat, 100gm protein, and 100gm carbs for the day. First breakfast was protein cocoa, second breakfast is a chocolate peanut butter protein shake, lunch is a wrap in a low carb tortilla in a piece of fruit, midafternoon snack is a protein bar or 1/2 cup cottage cheese and fruit, and dinner is carb controlled lasagna, side salad, Blue Bunny sugar free ice cream, and a piece of oatmeal toast.
Everyone was astounded that the food I eat had double the protein of the average diet. That is why I am never hungry. But they were also astounded that I only ate 1200 calories that day.
We made shakes so everyone could taste a Chocolate Peanut Butter shake and an Orange Julius Shake. Then we passed out samples of Better Balance pretzels, chips, and cereals from Kay's Naturals, which are balanced in protein and carbs. The piece de resistance, though, was the samples of protein bars that taste like Turtles.
The questions mostly centered around how to combine protein and carbs. I pointed out you can have protein without carbs, but never carbs more than protein, or carbs by themselves. What we are doing is controlling insulin levels in the body by the use of food composition. Learning to hit your targets by logging your food is the training you must go through to control your insulin levels. Most people will find that when they do this, their hunger disappears day 1 and their tiredness disappears by the end of the first week. You can expect to lose two pounds per week of fat, not muscle, when you hit your target numbers.
The feedback I got was that everyone really enjoyed the presentation and learned alot. Many thanks to Walter and Barbara Watkins, Tammy McKee, Jennifer Muschick, and Brett Piper for their attendance. Brett also helped take pics, along with hubby Paul Katona.
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