Confessions of a Personal Fitness Trainer

Last year I had a number of clients who started stubbornly on the Atkins diet despite my warnings. Immediately I saw almost profound results in their weight loss. I reminded them it was the loss of water weight, and warned of the strain on the kidneys and the high cholesterol risk.

During this time I was mastering my yoga practice as a complete vegan but found that my immune system had been profoundly compromised and I was currently on my third cold for the fall season.

Atkins was in the media again because of new study results indicating lowered cholesterol. I went to the Atkins book yet again with a more open mind, and decided to try the diet. I liked the contrarian view point to the current AMA position of the low fat diet, which seemed to be producing a society of increasing obesity. Atkins view of sugar as the culprit making you fat, not fat, made sense and the extra work from all the protein for the kidneys? it's benign. I wanted to use his diet as a tool to get myself entirely off of any sugar.

I started out on the high protein, low carb aspect of the diet. As I reintroduced the animal proteins into my diet I could feel myself get stronger and the colds, finally stopped. I also saw my muscle bellies start to open and swell again. The cold of winter was not as painful as it had been while on my vegan diet.

I then summoned up the courage to start bringing fats into my diet, including bacon, egg yolks, cream cheese, heavy cream, whipped cream, even bacon rinds. On a daily basis I would marvel at having eaten these "forbidden foods" only to awaken the next day thin, svelte. I couldn't believe this, result! I was loving eating all these foods so familiar yet banished since ?childhood

I was in full swing eating the high fat, high protein, low carb diet at the time when the pictures on my website were taken. www.vitalsignsfitness.com I felt strong, but I had no energy!!! My walks on the beach were lethargic, I had to force myself to go that extra mile. I was thin but I felt like a beached whale. My love affair with Atkins continued a few more months. I followed his prescriptions religiously.

Eventually I had to add more carbs, I needed more energy. By carbs I mean vegetables, salads and whole grains. At this point I gained back the total of two pounds I had lost on Atkins. Body fat went from 16% to 18%, my energy was better. After 7 months I decided it was time to get the blood checked out and to my horror discovered that my cholesterol which had always been around 150 had rocketed up to 300!! Luckily my HDL to LDL ratio was still at a healthy level. Thanks to my forcing myself to exercise, I kept my HDLs high.

I immediately started drinking hot lemon juice with cayenne pepper every morning to clean my blood. I have now thrown away all the high fat foods and have once again, come back full circle to moderation and balance. A balanced diet. It takes a little more discipline but my energy is back and I can now eat the same meals as my husband so dinner preparation is simpler. My weight has not changed since I gradually introduced the carbs. I avoid at all costs the "white foods" flour, sugar, milk. I drink unsweetened soy milk I avoid foods in packages, boxes and bags. I feel a fine layer of fat but that's okay its winter, I need it, and in the summer, heat always melts it off. I am completely off sugar and alcohol to keep blood sugar low.

Log into www.vitalsignsfitness in the Chat page where a discussion has already begun re: Atkins and other diet plans, add your comments or just read and muse. Or go to the Nutrition Program page and find out how many calories (protein, carbs, fats) you should eat to sustain your current or ideal weight.

Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE, www.vitalsignsfitness.com email deb@vitalsignsfitness.com

DEBORAH is a highly respected authority in personal training for overall health and fitness, with more than 22 years of experience and success. Her credentials include...

Currently licensed Registered Nurse specializing in Rehabilitative Nursing Medical Exercise Therapist: certified by AAHFRP, an internationally recognized physical rehabilitation certification Maternity Specialist Pre & Post Natal certified by Maternal Fitness Personal Fitness Specialist: certified by NASM, an internationally recognized certification Yoga Teacher Professional Health Member, National Organization of Fitness Instructors (IDEA), a leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE, http://www.vitalsignsfitness.com email deb@vitalsignsfitness.com ...for all your fitness needs including personal training, books, vitamins and supplements, and information resource.

---

True Health - Following Your Inner Knowing

Your Non-Conscious Mind is 98% of your full power. Over... Read More

(Fitness) Health Thoughts, Living on the Health Minimum Wage?

Random thoughts taken from valuable sources, what many nutrition experts... Read More

Let Your Freezer Be Your Ally!

Most recipes end with instructions to "serve immediately." You could... Read More

The 7 Best & The 7 Worst Food For A Long Life

The above foods contain high antioxidant capacity. These foods were... Read More

Fat: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is... Read More

Dietary Sources of Glutathione

DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant and... Read More

Fruitceuticals - The Evolution of Fruit

Since the beginning of time, everyday fruits have been known... Read More

Heart Health ? Fish Oils To The Rescue

In a world where heart disorders and diseases are becoming... Read More

How Does Glucosamine Chondroitin Help Your Body?

Glucosamine is readily produced in the human body and is... Read More

The Meat You Eat: How Corporate Farming Has Endangered Americas Food Supply

Factory FarmingThe big names in American agriculture would like you... Read More

Redeeming Unsaturated Fat

The most dreaded word in many dieter's vocabulary is 'fat'.... Read More

Green Tea and Your Health

Green tea has been used as for medical remedies in... Read More

Carbohydrates ? Good or Bad?

Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More

Glutamates

Approximately 30 years ago, food manufacturers were competing against the... Read More

Eating ... Gaining Weight ... How to Control the Urge to Splurge

I confess: I'm completely addicted to Pringles. My determination weakens... Read More

Fluoride Damages Childrens Bones, Study Says

White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed... Read More

What A 6-Month Old Can Teach Us About Our Eating Habits

Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing my 6-month old... Read More

How to Substitute Fat in Your Everyday Diet

Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the... Read More

Just The Tea FAQs: Health Benefits (Part III)

The wonders of modern science continue to amaze us with... Read More

Fighting Burn-out: Natural Help For Stress, Fatigue and Adrenal Insufficiency

The adrenal or "stress glands" are small, triangular shaped glands... Read More

REAL Summer Foods

Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five... Read More

Curbing Your Carbohydrate Addiction

Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more... Read More

Helping Your Immune System Win The War Against Disease

Just as our country is currently engaged in a war... Read More

Stress and Aging - Human Growth Hormones

Modern life can be stressful. There are so many concerns... Read More

Do You Know Your Bodys ph And Its Relation To Your Health

Do you know your ph? By getting ph strips at... Read More

Did You Start Your Life With Enough Probiotics?

Why does disease begin in the digestive tract? Your digestive... Read More

Alkalize Your Way to Better Health

Today we're shifting our focus from wealth to health. First... Read More

Understanding Amino Acids and their Importance in Diet

The importance of protein in a healthy diet is well... Read More

Calcium Absorption and Information

Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More

Essential Fatty Acids -The Good Fats

Fats (triacylglycerols) ...Some basic terminology ...fat or fatty acid ...In... Read More

Maximizing Your Nutrition Dollar

Because of consumer demand, the food industry focus is on... Read More

Principles of The Zone Diet Plan

The Zone Diet has been around since around 1995, when... Read More

The Tibetan and Chinese health Secret: If you read one health report a year, this should be it!

It seems as if the health of America is failing.... Read More