How I lost 30 pounds by accident
Posted: August 11th, 2009, 3:25 am
I didn't intend to lose weight. I didn't think I needed to, and perhaps I didn't. My body fat percentage was about 25, but I'm 46 and tall (6'4"), and I carry it pretty well. In any case, my goal wasn't to lower my weight, it was to raise my HDL.
I had read that carbohydrates lower your HDL, and seen specific (if anecdotal) information in a couple of places, so I thought I would give it a shot. I own a Concept 2, but I wasn't using it much/at all at that point, because I was nursing a sore back.
I didn't follow a set plan, I just lowered my carb intake by doing the obvious: no soda or sweets, very little potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread. I didn't go hungry. In fact I ate as much as I wanted -- part of what made it reasonable to forgo pasta (which I love) was that whenever I was hungry I ate.
A month in I checked my cholesterol and it had significantly improved, but in addition I had lost 20 pounds. Again, I wasn't trying to lose weight, and I didn't exercise much at all. Later I started exercising more, and continued the diet. Long story short, my cholesterol is now much, much improved, and my body fat percentage was just measured at 10.7%. I miss pasta a bit, and I have to focus on what I purchase at the store, but it's just not that hard.
Obviously disclaimers apply. I'm not a doctor, what worked for me might not work for you, etc. For the whole story you can check my blog entry toward the start and my most recent post.
I had read that carbohydrates lower your HDL, and seen specific (if anecdotal) information in a couple of places, so I thought I would give it a shot. I own a Concept 2, but I wasn't using it much/at all at that point, because I was nursing a sore back.
I didn't follow a set plan, I just lowered my carb intake by doing the obvious: no soda or sweets, very little potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread. I didn't go hungry. In fact I ate as much as I wanted -- part of what made it reasonable to forgo pasta (which I love) was that whenever I was hungry I ate.
A month in I checked my cholesterol and it had significantly improved, but in addition I had lost 20 pounds. Again, I wasn't trying to lose weight, and I didn't exercise much at all. Later I started exercising more, and continued the diet. Long story short, my cholesterol is now much, much improved, and my body fat percentage was just measured at 10.7%. I miss pasta a bit, and I have to focus on what I purchase at the store, but it's just not that hard.
Obviously disclaimers apply. I'm not a doctor, what worked for me might not work for you, etc. For the whole story you can check my blog entry toward the start and my most recent post.