What is this?

So, I’ve decided that I’m going to do an experiment.  On myself.  For one month, I’m going to cut out carbohydrates, sugars, and caffeine from my diet.  And I’m going to record what happens.  

Why the hell am I doing this?  Its a good question, especially as I’m a complete glutton who finds reading recipes, watching cooking shows, and baking bread, scones, and cakes as good ways to entertain myself when I’m bored.  Clearly this is going to be a sacrifice.  Its only 3 PM on Day 1 and already today I’ve gotten several comments and even an email from colleagues telling me to “cheer up!”  Clearly they’ve noticed that I didn’t get my coffee fix this morning.  Now the headache is setting in.  So, why am I willing to undergo this torture and why am I blogging about it?  

The short answer:
1.  I need to find a new way to manage my weight and I’m desperate enough to try this
2.  If I don’t blog this, there will be no external accountability for staying on the diet and I’ll either cheat or quit

The long answer (a little about me):
Growing up I struggled with my weight.  I think I went on my first diet in fourth grade.  In high school I fluctuated from between a size 6 to a size 14 (US sizes).  In college I put on more weight and did some more yo-yo-ing, moving between sizes 10 and 16.  Since college my weight has fluctuated from 123 lbs to 194 lbs (I’m 5’1”).  I’ve lost more than 50 lbs twice.  But I can’t seem to keep it all together.  

Last year I lost 62 lbs to get to my lowest weight since middle school--123 lbs.  After hitting that milestone I managed to maintain my weight in the 125-130 range for nearly a year by tracking my calorie intake and exercising.  Then came Christmas.  The snowstorms that hit most of the US and Europe managed to ravage my Christmas vacation--my flights home to my family were delayed by 9 days and I missed celebrating Christmas with them.  Since I’d already put in for my holiday vacation, I was left home alone with too much time on my hands and deep self-pity.  So I wallowed in it.  And I used it as an excuse to start eating vast amounts of comfort food--candy, breads, cakes... If it was sweet or fatty, I ate it.  

After Christmas I had my day of reckoning--I weighed myself.  I put on 15 lbs.  Panic ensued.  I cut my calorie intake drastically. I became a gym fanatic.  I got anal--tracking the calories I ate and the calories I burned in an Excel spreadsheet.  But I couldn’t seem to stick to the new diet regime for more than 5 days.  I thought maybe I’d gone overboard, so I decided to allow myself more calories.  But I still couldn’t do it.  I was feeling hungry all the time--even directly after I ate--and my willpower was just not there.

In search of answers, I turned to the Internet.  There, I came across references to the book How We Get Fat by Gary Taubes Gary Taubes.  This book blew the whole calories in-calories out approach to weight loss and maintenance out of the water.  Basically, Taubes states that we need to be more careful about managing our insulin levels.  This struck a chord with me, as I have PCOS, a syndrome identified by having cysts on your ovaries that plays havoc with hormone regulation, including testosterone and insulin.  Maybe this was the answer for me.  So, how do you better regulate insulin?  Cut out starchy foods and sugars.  In some cases (including me from previous experience), cut out caffeine.  

I’m currently wearing my fat jeans.  Some of my tops are a bit too tight.  I saw a reflection of myself the other day and noticed some extra fat on my back and middle.  I REFUSE TO GO BACK TO THE WAY I WAS.  Basically, I’m desperate.  Desperate enough to try this.  

The Challenge:
For the month of March I will follow the guidelines suggested at the back of How We Get Fat.  Here’s the basics:

What I can eat:
Meat
Green leafy foods
Non-starchy veg (broccoli, tomatoes, etc.)
Cheese in moderation
Cream, mayonnaise, sour cream in moderation
Eggs
Bouillon (to replenish natural salts)

What I can’t eat:
Grains (rice, wholegrains, things made with flour like bread and pasta, etc.)
Starchy veg (potatoes, parsnips, corn)
Fruit (fruit sugars)
Milk (lactose)

So, here I go.  If it works, great.  If it doesn’t, I doubt I can do too much damage in one month.