About Us and Why We Are Writing About Fat Loss
Hello. My name is Jan and I wrote this page to introduce myself and my friend Michelle because we are the editors of the Lifetime Fat Loss. We want you to know why we were inspired to create this website. For many years, Michelle and I, who share an abiding interest in health and nutrition, have talked about how important the glycemic index is to health and fat loss. We've always thought it was too bad that the general public knows so little about it. For those of you who struggle with obesity or just cannot reach your goal weight, understanding what carbohydrates to eat and which ones to avoid can make an enormous difference. Michelle and I have both learned to live at our goal weight and be far healthier but it wasn't a smooth path. Between the two of us we have not only had our experiences with failures but also successes and along the way we've collected an enormous amount of information. We are hoping that learning about us and how we have struggled too and finally overcame the cycle you may think you're stuck in...we are hoping this will inspire you to stick with new habits you learn about here. In addition to reading dozens of books on health and nutrition I have studied the nutrition sciences and science based weight management practices through Proevity, a continuing education company. It is accredited by the American Council of Continuing Medical Education, an association recognized by the AMA. I am a certified weight management advisor and integrative health consultant. I have experienced the struggle and discomfort of being overweight and then finally succeeding in maintaining my goal weight for many years. So first more about me... I first became aware of the need to pay attention to how I was eating when I went off to college and gained 15 pounds my freshman year! What a shock since I had been slender in high school and never gave it a thought. I gained almost 15% of my body weight and when you consider that 20% over normal weight is considered obese you will understand why I was alarmed. So this was the beginning of my yo yo dieting pattern that went on for several years. Unfortunately, my method of losing weight was starvation through fasting which often ended in overeating. I was the model crash dieter. Who knew good nutrition could help me lose fat? Good nutrition to me meant eating too much. I couldn't understand why my metabolism grew more sluggish in my twenties when in my teen years I could eat anything I wanted and never gain an ounce. In college and later I could not even eat a piece of bread without gaining a pound. And did I mention that I loved sweets? So I struggled for many years and did manage to lose some fat during that time but it was only with an extremely restrictive diet eating no carbohydrates, no sweets and actually very little food. If I deviated from this I immediately gained weight so my weight went up and down. I ate a typical high protein diet and avoided all the good fats which I thought were too fattening. Of course this led to binging on the wrong carbohydrates and sweets and led to food cravings. It was an unhealthy cycle. Fasting and then eating high glycemic foods does not lead to fat loss, just the opposite. Now I know that eating too few calories and the crash dieting actually slowed my metabolism significantly. I was stuck and I couldn't figure out why. Then I had a life experience that impacted everything including my understanding of metabolism and how it relates to nutrition and health. I had been sailing recreationally for a few years after college and my husband and I took a trip across the Pacific on a 30' sailboat. Planning what we would eat for a month at sea away from supermarkets necessitated a complete change. There would be no way I could sustain a high protein diet with no carbs. I had to think only about nutrition. Foods I would never have eaten at home I packed for the trip. While at sea we ate constantly, lots of whole grains, no meat and no dairy products but lots of fresh fish that we caught, raw nuts, fruits and vegetables. I had no idea at the time but we were actually eating a Mediterranean diet loaded with omega-3 foods! For us it was just what worked on a sailboat without access to grocery stores. On the boat we were in constant motion - we were moving while we slept! My metabolism was changed forever and even with all the eating I lost weight. Everyone can't go sailing across the Pacific obviously but I did learn the lesson of being in motion during my waking hours and eating much differently. Of course, the sailing trip was life changing in other profound ways but what it did to my body I must say did change how I have lived ever since. I found that after the trip I could eat anything again and not gain weight. My metabolism had been notched up but I also knew I could not go back to my old ways of eating. I had learned just how my energy was positively impacted by eating grains, nuts, fish and produce primarily. There were no bakeries at sea. I was no longer a sugar addict. If you don't eat white foods, sugar laden sweets and other tempting processed foods that we are constantly surrounded with, we don't get sugar cravings. What a revelation! I also had experienced how the constant activity had so powerfully changed my metabolism back to what it was when I was an active teenager also always in motion. Now it takes more effort but I'm motivated to make the effort. This experience began a lifelong interest in cooking, food and nutrition, how foods heal and how nutrition impacts fat loss. Today my goal is vibrant health rather than just being thin. In the intervening years I have raised 2 sons, one with autism. I have taught school, become an advocate for children and adults with autism, bought a vineyard and raised wine grapes. We also raised our own food, steer, sheep and chickens and grew vegetables, fruit trees and rasberry vines. I am an avid hiker and make a point of walking for at least 40 minutes every single day. I have pursued my interest in health and nutrition, experimenting with food as medicine and learning more about the science of fat loss. This inspired me to become a certified weight management advisor with a certification in integrative health. What I learned from my personal experiences was explained by the science of fat loss. It made perfect sense to me. I firmly believe that if we change the way we eat and become more thoughtful eaters we can change the world for the better. Food impacts how we live, how we feel, our health, our quality of life and the environment we live in. Michelle and I created this site to share what we have learned and to support others in their quest for a lifetime of fat loss, conscious eating and excellent health. We'd love to hear from you! What are your experiences and struggles with getting healthier and what would help you in your quest to change your lifestyle and be able to live at your goal weight? Write us a note at contact us - we'll get back to you.
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