Note 1: This post has been updated from the original post of 01/02/2014, based on some additional research and based on feedback from our readers.
Note 2: If you want to bypass my sidebar and story, scroll down (about halfway) to the Weight Loss Tips section.
Author's Sidebar: By far, the Number 1 New Year's Resolution is to lose weight. But, I believe that the New Year's Resolution should be modified to lose the weight and keep it off.
So, I would like to start the New Year with some permanent weight loss tips to get you going in the right direction. These weight loss tips are for everyone, whether you're a Type 2 diabetic, a pre-diabetic, or a non-diabetic.
The beautiful thing about these tips is that they're inexpensive, easy to implement; and, more importantly, easy to stick with past January.
So, these tips will not only help you to lose some pounds, but,
they will help you to keep the pounds off -- by changing your body's chemistry!
Now, you don't have to implement all of these tips, but, the more tips that you implement, the easier it will be to lose the pounds and, more importantly, keep the pounds from returning!
The True Power of Knowledge: What you "Know" determines what you Eat, Drink, Think, Breathe, Say, and Do. So, our job is to provide the proper knowledge that will help you to "Know" how to live a better life (or continue to live the great life you're already living).
Remember: Your Inner Spirit fuels your drive and motivation to seek knowledge. So, tap into your Inner Voice (or Inner Spirit) to drive you this year and overcome the excuses and barriers that have been holding you back.
Later this month, we will discuss some simple ways to tap into your Inner Spirit so that this year will be a Year of Success for you, your family and your friends.
My Story of Denial
Sidebar: When we were growing up, my father had a small garden in the backyard, and our uncle had a big farm out in the country. So, we ate well as kids, but, we didn't know we were eating well! We thought that this is what you do when you can't afford to go to the grocery store.
Getting back to the story: I didn't really want to begin eating a lot of what my mother called "farm food", but, I was too weak to argue with her, plus, I didn't want to get back-slapped in front of my daughter.
Within a matter of a few days, after I started eating a bunch of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach and a bunch of salads, my blood glucose actually started to come down! My doctors were shocked, but, concerned that my mother might kill me. Why? Because I was taking Coumadin (a blood thinner) and the doctors thought I might have a stroke or pulmonary embolism because the Vitamin K in all the green food that my mother had me eating would counteract the Coumadin and not break down the clots in my legs.
But, I discovered some research that said that as long as I ate a consistent amount of green foods every day, that the Coumadin dosage could be modified and would not be counteracted by the Vitamin K.
When I look back now, if I had stopped eating the green foods, I would
still been diabetic today, and I would still be on insulin. In fact,
given my other health issues, I would probably be dead by now ...
Anyhow, about a couple months later, I noticed my pants were fitting a little loose. I didn't really pay much attention to it, because I was so focused on getting my blood glucose under control.
I didn't realize until several months later, that I was actually losing weight and my belly fat and "love handles" had almost disappeared completely!
Later on, during my research, I figured out what had happened. My mother had put me on a diet that controlled my blood glucose and insulin levels, so my body stopped making more fat cells. And, once I weaned off the insulin shots, the extra weight and fat just melted away! The excess fat was being burned as fuel, giving me an unbelievable amount of energy!
Because I had so much energy and because I was so happy that I was still alive and still had both legs and my eyesight had improved, I was filled with so much exuberance that I spent at least 2 to 3 times a week running from one church to another, sharing my story. I would stop total strangers in the parking lot or in the grocery store and tell them my story. (I'm amazed that no one cursed me out for being so rude!
)
My mother said it was a true blessing what was happening to me But, being a scientist and an engineer, I really needed to understand the science behind my miraculous recovery.
During
my research (before I wrote my first book) and the 3½ years I spent
running 3 diabetic support
groups, I discovered that diabetics (and overweight people) were making
the same health-related mistakes eating the wrong foods, taking the wrong supplements, exercising the wrong way, etc.
In addition, I discovered that overweight people (and most Type 2 diabetics) were making the same critical mistake by overly focusing on losing weight instead of focusing on getting healthy.
For example, overweight people (and some diabetics) would skip breakfast to thinking it would help them to lose weight; and, some diabetics thought by skipping breakfast, they could keep their blood glucose from rising.
Other people who didn't skip breakfast, were eating what they thought was a healthy breakfast, but it just made their obesity (or diabetes) worse -- because they were eating so-called healthy foods that were not healthy!
Weight Loss TipsNote 2: If you want to bypass my sidebar and story, scroll down (about halfway) to the Weight Loss Tips section.
Author's Sidebar: By far, the Number 1 New Year's Resolution is to lose weight. But, I believe that the New Year's Resolution should be modified to lose the weight and keep it off.
So, I would like to start the New Year with some permanent weight loss tips to get you going in the right direction. These weight loss tips are for everyone, whether you're a Type 2 diabetic, a pre-diabetic, or a non-diabetic.
The beautiful thing about these tips is that they're inexpensive, easy to implement; and, more importantly, easy to stick with past January.
So, these tips will not only help you to lose some pounds, but,
they will help you to keep the pounds off -- by changing your body's chemistry!Now, you don't have to implement all of these tips, but, the more tips that you implement, the easier it will be to lose the pounds and, more importantly, keep the pounds from returning!
The True Power of Knowledge: What you "Know" determines what you Eat, Drink, Think, Breathe, Say, and Do. So, our job is to provide the proper knowledge that will help you to "Know" how to live a better life (or continue to live the great life you're already living).
Remember: Your Inner Spirit fuels your drive and motivation to seek knowledge. So, tap into your Inner Voice (or Inner Spirit) to drive you this year and overcome the excuses and barriers that have been holding you back.
Later this month, we will discuss some simple ways to tap into your Inner Spirit so that this year will be a Year of Success for you, your family and your friends.
My Story of Denial
Before I became a full-blown diabetic, I
didn't really consider myself "fat". I was what you would call
"chunky".
But, when I mentioned that to my daughter, she kind of laughed and said: "Dad, please don't take this the wrong way, but you passed "chunky" 35 pound ago! Dad, you're fat!"
So, I was in denial and had to face the fact that I was really overweight, actually obese according to the BMI chart.
When I went to see my endocrinologist, things were a little tense because he felt that I was in denial of my diabetes and my weight problem.
To make matters worse, my endocrinologist (who was overweight himself) told me the obvious: "Mr. McCulley, you're overweight. You need to lose some weight."
I snapped back and told him: "I know I'm overweight. But, I need to know how to lose the weight. Besides, aren't you a little overweight yourself?"
The endocrinologist turned and smiled: "Yeah, but, I'm not the one who almost died from a diabetic coma."
And, I said: "Touché, doc."
So the endocrinologist sent me to a dietitian a couple days later.
But, once I saw her, I knew that she couldn't help me no more than my endocrinologist. She was about 5'5" and looked about 350 lbs., maybe more ...
I didn't want to be rude and just walk out, so I asked her about her weight loss program. She said that I needed to go on a 1200-calorie diet and she gave me a list of foods with their calorie amounts.
Luckily for me, my daughter knew something about nutrition; plus, a few days later, my mother arrived and immediately put me what she called her "Farm Food Diet" or "God's Diet".
But, when I mentioned that to my daughter, she kind of laughed and said: "Dad, please don't take this the wrong way, but you passed "chunky" 35 pound ago! Dad, you're fat!"
So, I was in denial and had to face the fact that I was really overweight, actually obese according to the BMI chart.
When I went to see my endocrinologist, things were a little tense because he felt that I was in denial of my diabetes and my weight problem.
To make matters worse, my endocrinologist (who was overweight himself) told me the obvious: "Mr. McCulley, you're overweight. You need to lose some weight."
I snapped back and told him: "I know I'm overweight. But, I need to know how to lose the weight. Besides, aren't you a little overweight yourself?"
The endocrinologist turned and smiled: "Yeah, but, I'm not the one who almost died from a diabetic coma."
And, I said: "Touché, doc."
But, once I saw her, I knew that she couldn't help me no more than my endocrinologist. She was about 5'5" and looked about 350 lbs., maybe more ...
I didn't want to be rude and just walk out, so I asked her about her weight loss program. She said that I needed to go on a 1200-calorie diet and she gave me a list of foods with their calorie amounts.
Luckily for me, my daughter knew something about nutrition; plus, a few days later, my mother arrived and immediately put me what she called her "Farm Food Diet" or "God's Diet".
Sidebar: When we were growing up, my father had a small garden in the backyard, and our uncle had a big farm out in the country. So, we ate well as kids, but, we didn't know we were eating well! We thought that this is what you do when you can't afford to go to the grocery store.
Getting back to the story: I didn't really want to begin eating a lot of what my mother called "farm food", but, I was too weak to argue with her, plus, I didn't want to get back-slapped in front of my daughter.
Within a matter of a few days, after I started eating a bunch of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach and a bunch of salads, my blood glucose actually started to come down! My doctors were shocked, but, concerned that my mother might kill me. Why? Because I was taking Coumadin (a blood thinner) and the doctors thought I might have a stroke or pulmonary embolism because the Vitamin K in all the green food that my mother had me eating would counteract the Coumadin and not break down the clots in my legs.
But, I discovered some research that said that as long as I ate a consistent amount of green foods every day, that the Coumadin dosage could be modified and would not be counteracted by the Vitamin K.
Anyhow, about a couple months later, I noticed my pants were fitting a little loose. I didn't really pay much attention to it, because I was so focused on getting my blood glucose under control.
I didn't realize until several months later, that I was actually losing weight and my belly fat and "love handles" had almost disappeared completely!
Later on, during my research, I figured out what had happened. My mother had put me on a diet that controlled my blood glucose and insulin levels, so my body stopped making more fat cells. And, once I weaned off the insulin shots, the extra weight and fat just melted away! The excess fat was being burned as fuel, giving me an unbelievable amount of energy!
Because I had so much energy and because I was so happy that I was still alive and still had both legs and my eyesight had improved, I was filled with so much exuberance that I spent at least 2 to 3 times a week running from one church to another, sharing my story. I would stop total strangers in the parking lot or in the grocery store and tell them my story. (I'm amazed that no one cursed me out for being so rude!
)
My mother said it was a true blessing what was happening to me But, being a scientist and an engineer, I really needed to understand the science behind my miraculous recovery.
In addition, I discovered that overweight people (and most Type 2 diabetics) were making the same critical mistake by overly focusing on losing weight instead of focusing on getting healthy.
For example, overweight people (and some diabetics) would skip breakfast to thinking it would help them to lose weight; and, some diabetics thought by skipping breakfast, they could keep their blood glucose from rising.
Other people who didn't skip breakfast, were eating what they thought was a healthy breakfast, but it just made their obesity (or diabetes) worse -- because they were eating so-called healthy foods that were not healthy!
For example, most people believe that cereal and yogurt are healthy
foods for breakfast -- but, they're not! Most cereals are full of sugar
and refined, processed grains that contain very little fiber, causing
blood sugar spikes and weight gain! And, most yogurts contain sugar or
fructose, plus the so-called "live" bacteria are dead!
For more information about me (and my mother and daughter), read these web pages:
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Ex-Diabetic_Engineer.php
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/dewayne-mcculley.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/DeWayne_McCulley_Bio.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/How_Engineering_Helped.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Penn_State_Engineer_Diabete.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Mother.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Daughter.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Who_is_DeWayne_McCulley.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information about me (and my mother and daughter), read these web pages:
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Ex-Diabetic_Engineer.php
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/dewayne-mcculley.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/DeWayne_McCulley_Bio.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/How_Engineering_Helped.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Penn_State_Engineer_Diabete.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Mother.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Daughter.html
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/Who_is_DeWayne_McCulley.html
And, watch these videos at:
YouTube Channels:
Conference 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ECUOu2rFto
Conference 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMvLEmpi9As
Conference 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-LBLOPgGJw
Conference 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3mdxBSl-Xc
Conference 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIUBt09Iqwc
Video Clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjOqmcrr-R0
When you think of weight loss and losing weight, the first things that probably come to your mind are either those "lose weight fast" infomercials.
Or, maybe you recall the articles in magazines that make outlandish claims that never work.
Or, some slick marketer comes out with the next great weight loss pill that claims to be safe and allows you to "eat whatever you want and still lose weight”! (Yeah, right).
Or, some slick marketer comes out with the next great weight loss pill that claims to be safe and allows you to "eat whatever you want and still lose weight”! (Yeah, right).
Weight loss simply requires you to burn more calories then you consume. But, if your body can’t burn the fat because it’s busy producing excess insulin, then, you can’t lose the weight! If you can fully understand that, then, you are on your way to losing weight.
My Weight Loss Tips for The Month
I don't want to overwhelm you with a hundred tips. (I've already talked too much
). So, here are several of my favorite weight loss tips extracted from my new book, Death to Obesity: The Permanent Weight Loss Solution.Increase your knowledge about nutrition, exercise, weight loss, and obesity (Did you know that Obesity is a Disease?).
Visit your local library, go to nutrition-related and medical-related websites, take classes, and talk to other people who have lost weight and kept it off.
Key Point 1: Losing weight (the right way) is more about changing your body's biochemistry than counting calories and carbs. Counting calories and/or carbs is a very tedious task; and, unless you love math and suffering for no reason, it's not the answer.
Key Point 2: Losing weight is more about re-balancing your hormones than will power and motivation. You can have all the will power and motivation that you want, but, if your body is in a mode of producing fat cells, your will power and motivation will wane and your frustration and anger will rise.
Key Point 3: Losing weight is more about detoxing your body than restricting your fat intake. Detoxing helps your body get rid of the toxins that are causing your body to hold onto the old fat. When you remove the toxins, your body is able to metabolize the fat. Besides, studies have shown that low fat diets fueled the Type 2 diabetes and obesity epidemics!
Consequently, you need to change your body's chemistry. First, you need to change your body's chemistry to stop producing fat. Then, you need to stop your body from storing fat and burning it as fuel.
So, how do you get started with changing your body's chemistry?
First, you have start eating a lot alkaline and plant-based foods that will help your body to stop producing insulin. Why is this important? Because insulin is a fat-storage hormone!
Note: There are other hormones that either make us fat or keep us fat. These other hormones will be discussed in a future blog post.
One of the most important alkaline and plant-based food categories is good ol' vegetables! (Yeah, I know -- I used to hate vegetables myself
). Well, get over it -- unless you prefer being fat!So, you need to start eating lots of green vegetables, especially asparagus, bok choi, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery, kale, Romaine lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard.
Also, start eating sea vegetables, dark-colored fruits, grasses, sprouts, plant protein, plant oils, cold-water fish, beans, nuts, and seeds; and, (maybe) some organic whole grains (unless you're diabetic).
Drink lots of raw vegetable juices, green smoothies, herbal tea, filtered water (no tap water!). Avoid soda, diet soda, bottled fruit juices, etc.
Tip 1: In the morning, start with a glass of filtered water with lemon (that helps your kidneys and the detox process).
Tip 2: Drink a glass (8-10 oz.) of green juice in the morning 30 minutes before breakfast.
Note: Raw
Juicing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to lose weight and get healthy. But, be careful not to juice with the wrong foods! Read our DTD web page and juicing blog about the power of raw juicing and green smoothies.
Eat 4-5 balanced plant-based meals/snacks each day to increase your metabolism and burn fat; and, drink at least 2 cups of raw vegetable juice each day.
Eat 4-5 balanced plant-based meals/snacks each day to increase your metabolism and burn fat; and, drink at least 2 cups of raw vegetable juice each day.
Reduce/stop eating most of the processed foods, especially white flour, sugar, starches, animal meat, trans fats, vegetable oils, fast foods, and drugs that trigger the body to produce more fat.
Note: You may think that eating a couple of French fries or a couple of chips won't hurt, but, these processed foods prevent you from changing your body's chemistry!
Measure your weight and body composition (once a week at the most), using a body-fat composition scale instead of the traditional weight scale. Use a journal/logbook to record, track, analyze and make changes to what you're eating, your exercise regimen, your sleep patterns, the stress in your life, etc.
Exercise consistently 20 to 30 minutes four to six times a week, using two 10-15 minute interval bursts of higher intensity during aerobic and weight-resistance exercises.
Increase your physical activities, i.e. mow the lawn, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk or take a bicycle to work (if feasible), plant a garden.
Perform a periodic cleansing/detoxification to remove the toxins and waste to enable the body to burn fat and increase weight loss.
Take a wholefood-based nutritional supplement to complement your nutritional program and accelerate the healing/weight loss process. If necessary, take a food-based fat-burning supplement or superfood.
Warning: Be wary of so-called weight loss "magic" pills and supplements! If they really worked, 62% of Americans would not be overweight or obese!
Obtain periodic physical exams, blood tests, hormone tests, etc. to evaluate your health. Communicate your health and weight loss goals and work with your doctor, dietitian, health coach and other healthcare professionals.
Ensure your treatment is focused on repairing your body, getting healthy, and losing real weight, i.e. fat, not water and lean muscle tissue!
Be patient! Don't expect to lose all that weight in 7 days!
Remember -- it took 5-10 years to gain that weight in the first place.Key Point 4: When some people (especially women) lose that initial weight so easily it turns out that it's mostly water! That's one of the reasons why the weight comes back so quickly.
Key Point 5: When you starve yourself or go on some "crazy" fad diet because you have to look good for your friend's upcoming wedding, the good news is that you lose the weight because you force your body into a catabolic state (which burns lean muscle tissue). But, the next time you try to do this again, you find the weight doesn't come off as easily. This is because you had burned off some of your lean muscle tissue the previous time. And, with less lean muscle tissue, your metabolism slows down and your body burns less calories.
Tip: Measure your weight and body composition (once a week at the most), using a body-fat composition scale instead of the traditional weight scale. Compare your readings with the reading when the nurse weighs you during your doctor’s appointment.
Relieve the stress in your life by utilizing exercise, prayer, yoga, music or some other meditation technique to help you relax.
In the meantime, avoid the dram queens and drama kings in your life. (Yeah, you know who they are).
Get at least 6-7 hours of quality sleep (with REM). Quality sleep helps your body repair itself while you're sleeping!
Note: If you wake up feeling tired instead of invigorated, you're not getting quality sleep. Sleep is under-rated, but, it is key to a healthy body and mind!
Use your inner spirit to fuel your attitude, will power and discipline to stick with your diet and lifestyle changes. Get rid of those negative feelings of envy, jealousy, pride, ignorance, etc. -- they hurt your health!
Note: Don't do a lot of crunches to try to lose the belly fat. Belly fat is the last fat that is burned by your body after losing the overall body fat.
Become a community volunteer, i.e. join a local support group to get information and share your problems with other overweight people.
Your insight may help someone in the group and will motivate you to continue making progress.
Develop an overall proactive wellness plan. Address any excuses or barriers you may have before proceeding with your weight loss plan.
Believe it or not, losing weight is pretty easy for the most part. The hard part is keeping the weight off! You need a structured program with support mechanisms that change your thinking and your daily habits for the rest of your life.
Remember: Weight loss is not an event -- it's a process and a way of life.
For more information about obesity and weight loss, refer to my DTD web page about this disease and how to defeat it.
Later on, we'll show you how to eat some of your favorite foods and still lose weight! It's all about the chemistry, not the calories! Believe it or not, it's more about understanding which foods are really healthy and how to change your body's chemistry than it is about calories, will power and motivation!
In the meantime, don't forget to fill out the form (below) to receive my free weight loss ebook about weight loss, myths and the 7 mistakes that overweight people make. And, don't forget to share this post with your friends!
Then, after you verify that these weight loss tips actually work, and, if you're ready to take your health to the next level, get a copy of my new book titled Death to Obesity: The Permanent Weight Loss Solution to continue on your new journey -- from fat to fit.
Note: Now, if you really don't like to eat a lot of vegetables, that's okay. You can still lose the weight and that belly fat. Just get a copy of my Power of Raw Juicing book (or ebook). For those of you who do like to eat vegetables, then, this book will help to accelerate your weight loss.
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