I have never, ever been interested in counting ANYTHING - so weight watchers where my food earns points? No way. Or calories, only because anything low in calories is low in flavor in my book so I didn't even go there.
Back in the early 2000's (lol how the hell do you say that properly? do you say the early 2000's?)
Nevermind, in 2002 I started the Atkins diet. It WAS before the diet became popular. I did it at the advice of my grandmother who maintained a tiny little figure in her 20's and 30's on the diet and suggested it to me.
The diet appealed to me because of the meat. Andddd the cheese. OK, AND the alcohol.
Anyways, I've never been a big fan of pasta dishes. Rice and starches only appeal to me every so often, like when I'm sick or my uterus is having a temper tantrum. But I can eat meat every meal of every day. Especially red meat. And cheese. How I love cheese.
So, I researched a bit about the diet, saw steaks, alcohol, cheese and burgers on the list and promptly started on my 21st birthday.
I ate McDonalds every day - they have yummy scrambled eggs (or egg substitute) with cheese and I love their sausage and bacon. For lunch I would get a bun-less double cheese burger or a bun-less grilled chicken sandwich. I guzzled their unsweetened iced tea faster than they could brew it. I also would eat from Boston Market and Chicken Out and places like that. I very rarely had to cook at home but if I did I would make large portions of polish kielbasa sliced sauteed with 2 whole sliced onions, tuna or my favorite - chicken gizzards and hearts.
(I know you want the recipe... and I will share, I got some last weekend when I shopped....don't you worry... lol)
I successfully lost almost 80lbs in under a year eating this way. Coupled with a TON of walking (up to 10 miles a DAY) and plenty of weekend dancing to the best live band on the east coast - Jah Works. And I drank the whole time! I would take $20 bucks to the bars with me, buy 2 vodka shots at the bar to get my buzz and nurse 2 beers to limit my carbs - DRUNK AND CHEAP!!!!!!! BEST.DIET.EVER!
Another weird thing happened as a result of this diet.
I got knocked up.
A few years earlier, I was told by my doctor when I was previously engaged out of high school that I would not be able to have children - that I have endometriosis. That endometriosis was what caused my infertility, missed and horrific periods and pain.
So, I remained in the bad relationship and stayed fat and unhappy and never got pregnant - so it must have been true.
Until I got smokin' hot after 7 months or so on the Atkins diet!
I think I was smokin' so don't take that from me lol!!!!!! You lose 80lbs and see if you don't develop a crush on yourself!
I got myself a boyfriend (current husband) and you know, did the stuff you do to have babies. I went to the doc, I said 'Doc.. I think I want to be put on birth control. I have periods regularly now and am active.' I was told ehhhhhhhh don't worry, you can't have babies but come back after your next period and if you still want to then we can review which is right for you because if you start it and fail to take it properly you could increase your chances of having a baby.
So, they denied me the BC and that next period never came. I was pregnant when I went to the doc.
(Side note - the freaking WOMAN GYNO did a breast exam during my appointment and verbally exclaimed that my boobs were 'malignant' and lumpy and looked at me weird when I cringed in pain from the sensitivity....... don't you think this stupid WOMAN (who also ended up delivering Bailee via c-section and freaking sewed me up CROOKED) would have MAYBE THOUGHT THAT I WAS PREGNANT BASED ON THE FACT THAT I'M REGULAR, LOST A CRAP TON OF WEIGHT, AM ACTIVE AND MY BOOBS ARE BIG, TENDER AND FREAKING LUMPYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY? sigh.)
Annnnywho, I had Bailee and I am so, so thankful for the ability to have had a child.
I battled with pretty severe Post Partum Depression after Bailee and was able to get on some meds to take care of it, but I slipped into another depression (called LIFE) for the next 7 years (who am I kidding, I'm still there) and put back the weight (and then some) and noticed a lot of other things come back with the weight that I didn't realize also left me when I lost the weight:
adult stupid freaking acne
skin condition called HS
skin tags on my neck
missed periods and infertility
hair loss and random hair growth
painful periods
pain - overall pain
big fat belly
There was a point where I didn't have a period for 5 months about a year after I had Bailee and had gained about 80lbs. I went to the doc and I had a sonogram done and it revealed my ovaries were covered in cysts! I was told they were no big deal, they were small. Lose weight and work out and periods will go back to normal.
Well, I did my own research after a friend told me she has PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and I, through my own research and the official diagnosis from an endo, found out I also have PCOS (and insulin resistance - more on both of these later) And, in my research of PCOS I found the only REAL way to manage it.........
LOW CARB HIGH FAT/PROTEIN DIET.
Like the Atkins diet that worked a few years before.
It all made sense to me. My body literally doesn't function with sugars and carbs. In order to work, I have to eliminate those foods! But here it's been almost 10 years since I was on Atkins, and now I am aware of things like gluten and processed foods and carcinogens. I wanted to do this, but I wanted to do it the healthiest way possible. I wasn't concerned with the alcohol anymore, I was concerned with staying alive for my daughter.
And so, I began to surf (the web, still a bit too hefty to get up on a board, let alone put on a swimsuit) and found THE PALEO DIET.
And the rest.... is history and future blog posts (because I have to get back to work and can't type anymore and I need to save this topic for future blog posts........)
Oh... and BTW.... I don't have an ounce of endometriosis anywhere..... I am so upset I was given this diagnosis at young age when I didn't have it.
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