I am currently working Steps 1 and 2 of ‘Your Last Diet’ by Kathleen DesMaisons.
Step 1 is to “eat breakfast with protein.”
Step 2 is to “journal what you eat and how you feel.”
Please note: You can read more details about Steps 1 and 2 of ‘Your Last Diet’ by checking the resource section or clicking on my previous posts at the end of this article.
My weight loss goal
My weight loss goal is to safely and permanently lose 73 pounds in a steady, safe, and permanent manner. I also wish to make certain I am never again a breeding ground for cancer cells to grow and spread in my body. I am a Stage 3A Breast Cancer Survivor and Thriver. I wish to forever remain cancer-free aka ‘in remission’ and healthy and whole.
Pedicled TRAM Flap surgery
On January 24, 2012, I was blessed to receive Pedicled TRAM Flap surgery. This procedure created two new breasts since both of mine had to be cut away due to breast cancer. The most exciting part is that these breasts feel firm and real as they were made from my tummy fat. It kind of boggles the imagination.
Am I ‘sugar sensitive’?
Kathleen DesMaisons’ ‘Your Last Diet’ is primarily focused on people who are what she calls ‘sugar sensitive’. The biochemistry of these people is out of whack, so to speak. Sugar does not process in their body the same way as it does for people with a more ‘normal’ weight.
I think, given that I am 73 pounds overweight, that there is no question that my biochemistry is off; however, I’m not sure just how sensitive to sugar I am.
Living in Norway
During the fall quarter of my senior year in college, I went on a college abroad to Norway. As part of this experience, we immersed ourselves in eating a Norwegian diet.
What did this diet consist of?
At least in 1979 when I made this trip, Norwegians typically ate four meals a day.
Meal 1 consisted of open-faced sandwiches covered with cheese or Italian Salad (a kind of cole slaw) or preserves or Nutella or sliced meat or pickled herring.
Meal 2 consisted of 2 more of those open-faced sandwiches eaten around 11:00 am.
Meal 3 was the Mid Day dinner scheduled between 2:00 and 5:00. It was the meat and potatoes meal.
Meal 4 was scheduled around 8:00 pm. It consisted of coffee and cake, crepes served with honey, or waffles served with sour milk and preserves.
You rarely saw a fat Norwegian. It was only the German and American tourists who were overweight. Part of this was due to that the bread had bits and husks in them. They were full of fiber and very delicious. There were no preservatives or additives in any of the food. If cake was served, it was usually iced with whipped cream and berries. The milk was especially rich and delicious as they did not shoot up their cows like we do in America. Everything they served was subtly sweet at best.
When I returned to America to finish out my senior year in college, I found the milk to taste bland and the desserts to taste disgustingly sweet. It took me quite some time to get myself acclimated to eating an Americanized diet once again.
What did this teach me?
While in Norway, I discovered that I could live and eat quite happily without a lot of sugar in my diet.
Going through chemo
I had eight rounds of chemo between February 4, 2010 and July 1, 2010. During that time, I absolutely could not taste cake, pie crust, most breads, cookies, barbecue, etc. It would smell delicious. I would put it in my mouth, and it would literally taste like nothing.
I got to the point that I only ate enough to keep me going. Otherwise, I was rarely hungry since food was so boring to eat.
I could almost fully taste vegetables, so they became some of my favorite foods.
‘Fit for Life’ diet by Harvey Diamond
After going through six months of chemo, I discovered Harvey Diamond’s diet called ‘Fit for Life’. I tried it for about six months. It focuses on food combining and striving to make at least 50% of the food you consume to be what he calls ‘living’ or raw.
I lost eight pounds total utilizing this diet. My whole body finally went into total rebellion mode against this diet. I put those books away to mostly gather dust on my bookshelf. I once again began eating up a storm.
The one important thing I noticed is that eating a healthier diet like that caused me to lose my craving for sweets. For example, I think Golden Corral has the best-tasting chocolate pie of any I have ever tried. But there came a time when I found this pie to either be tasteless or to be disgustingly sweet.
The further I got away from that diet, the closer I got to where I craved and enjoyed sweet desserts including that Chocolate Pie.
But once again, I learned that it is possible for me to not need or desire much sugar.
Sugar cravings prior to breast reconstruction surgery using my tummy fat
In addition to enjoying healthy food, I would have Dove Dark Chocolate almost every day. I would sometimes eat cookies, cake, pie, or ice cream.
I became absolutely addicted to Pizza Plus cinnamon rolls and would consume a huge number on their all-you-could-eat buffet.
I would often finish the night enjoying three cups of Hazelnut Cappuccino.
When I found myself falling asleep at my computer desk or when trying to watch TV, I would often consume an entire bag of Red Hots – one piece at a time.
I also felt the need to snack quite frequently.
Sugar cravings after getting breast reconstruction surgery using my tummy fat
Since getting my bilateral Pedicled TRAM Flap surgery on January 24, 2012, I almost feel like I am back in chemo days. The thought of putting anything sweet in my mouth like Dove Dark Chocolate or even one bite of a dessert feels repugnant. I literally have to force myself to eat as I have a very tiny appetite.
This may not continue to be the case once my surgeon tells me to stop taking the Cephalexin 500 mg that is helping to kill off infection and bad bacteria caused by the trauma of being cut open in two places. One of its potential side effects is an appetite suppressant.
Aftermath of my husband’s Open-heart surgery
Years before I met my beloved husband, he had a heart attack. The doctors had to perform a triple bypass. He told me that for several weeks after his surgery, he had to force himself to eat as well.
If he had capitalized on that experience, he probably would have lost considerable weight. But eventually, with the trauma of his insane work schedule, he gradually got back into bad eating habits.
My desire to capitalize on this opportunity
So with the hindsight of all I have observed and learned, this seems like an ideal second chance. I no longer have the tummy fat. What little sweet tooth I possess seems to be easily satisfied with canned fruit or fruit-flavored yogurt or V8 Fruit Fusion.
Even though there is a ton of candy and cookies in the house, I have zero desire currently to take even one bite.
Additionally, portion control is being thrust upon me rather than me having to struggle to put down that fork.
The time seems to be right for me to easily work the food plan of Kathleen DesMaisons’ ‘Your Last Diet’. After all, I’ve lost 11 ½ pounds since having surgery. I certainly want to continue the trend to lose even more.
To be continued …
To read any of my past articles, click this link:
‘Your Last Diet’: table of contents of my weight loss articles
Resources:
Radiant Recovery website by Kathleen DesMaisons Amazon link: Potatoes not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., Addictive Nutrition Kathleen DesMaisons’ Radiant Recovery website: Potatoes not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., Addictive Nutrition Amazon link: Your Last Diet by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. Kathleen DesMaisons’ Radiant Recovery website: Your Last Diet by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D.