It works

Exactly a week ago, I was in a state of panic. I was getting so pudgy that my clothes couldn't fit properly. Luckily best friend returned from San Francisco with a book that all her colleagues are raving about. Called “Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It”, it is written by award winning science writer Gary Taubes.

At first, the book kept putting me to sleep every night, then it got interesting when I began to understand what he was trying to tell us - that it’s not calories, but the insulin response to carbohydrates that causes obesity in individuals with a genetic predisposition. The only way to get fat out of our fat tissues and burn it for the long term is to lower our insulin levels.

The problem lies in refined carbohydrates, like white flour, easily digested starches, and sugars, and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number.

The trouble is, I like carbs and eat very little protein. Even though my calorie intake is low by normal standards and I run about 5km daily, I was still feeling lethargic and piling on weight. Surely something is wrong with my hi-carb diet.

Then I decided to cut out carbs and sugar for a week. Instead of eating bread and cakes for breakfast and lunch, I ate omelete, cheese and nuts. I had dinner as usual (vegetables, meat and fish) except without the rice. Within 3 days, I could see that the tummy had become smaller. Even my neighbour noticed the difference.

It has been a week of no carbs (except for the wine, bread and cake at SL's house last Saturday) and I'm pleased with the results. The tummy is almost flat again and I don't even feel deprived. I can start to incorporate some complex carbs into my diet again but now I think twice before putting anything into my mouth because I don't want my insulin level to spike and end up feeding the fat cells instead.