Weight loss that results in better health is always worth celebrating. This woman, in particular, rejoices (as she should be) that she lost a total of 70 kilos by taking away four foods that do not add any nutritional value to her health and which, in turn, led to this victory.
Casey’s Weight Loss Journey
Casey Gemmell from Perth, Australia made the decision to do something about her lousy lifestyle. This change in mindset came after looking at some photos she took on her son’s first birthday and it was when she realized that she had let go of her health that led her to reach her heaviest weight at 349 pounds. ).
She thought, “What am I doing to myself? What example am I setting for my children? “At that point, I knew I had to do something about it. She shared, “On September 26, 2012 I went to sleep that night really wanting to change everything: my life, my appearance, my perspective on life. I wanted to live! “
Casey found an app that helped her complete a full 5K run in 8 weeks. With drive and determination, Casey succeeded. He said: “At this stage I was feeling very good, I was 17 kilos less and people were beginning to notice it. Strangers who had seen this 160-pound woman crawling slowly across the oval for the first time stopped me in shops, on the streets, and even clapped me when they saw me run. I felt exceptional and needed more, more of this feeling, more of this acceptance, more more more! “
Eliminating these foods helped her lose weight
Casey still felt internally that she had to do more for better health habits to help her in her goal of change, and that was what pushed her to change her dietary habits by eliminating cheese, pasta, bread, and soda. At the time, she had minimal nutrition knowledge, but here’s why eliminating these foods worked to help her lose 70 pounds.
1. Cheese
Lactose is a form of sugar found in all dairy products. Although sugar levels are not as high as other foods, it does increase insulin levels. When trying to lose weight, the best thing to do is to regulate your insulin.
Also, people who are not particularly lactose tolerant may experience gut irritations that could prevent weight loss. If you experience any of these digestive symptoms when eating dairy: bloating, gas, an upset stomach, constipation, diarrhea, or other digestive or intestinal problems, there is a good chance that you may be lactose intolerant.
Finally, dairy products are acid-forming foods that can interfere with digestion, absorption, and utilization. When it comes to losing weight, it’s best to balance acidic and alkaline foods and avoid acid overload.
2. Pasta
Have you heard the saying, „fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar does?“ It’s completely true, and that’s because when we eat a lot of sugar, most of the fructose is metabolized in the liver. From there it becomes fat and is then secreted into the blood.
The problem with pasta is not necessarily the ingredients themselves, but the portions. When you eat too much, as with any other processed carbohydrate, it raises your blood glucose levels and, when it is not burned, it turns it into fat.
On the other hand, eating whole foods high in fat can speed up your metabolism and contribute to weight loss. This is the basic principle of the ketogenic diet. Examples of foods high in good fats are: nuts, seeds, coconut oil, avocados, and eggs.
3. Bread
Like pasta, bread is also a common source of carbohydrates, and it has its drawbacks. A high carbohydrate diet increases levels of insulin, which is the hormone responsible for storing body fat. The science behind this is that insulin converts glucose into glycogen, which is then stored in the liver and muscles. But because the body can take in only a limited amount of glycogen, the excess glucose turns into body fat. So, eating large amounts of bread leads to weight gain (and vice versa).
Now don’t think that you have to drastically cut all the carbohydrates in your diet like Casey did. There is another way to approach weight loss by reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with high energy foods / foods high in good fats, as we mentioned earlier. For foods that are not as energy dense but still high in nutritional value, add a generous serving of vegetables to your diet. The National Institutes of Health recommends half a cup of vegetables per meal.
4. Soft drinks
If you read the label of any soda, you will see that they have what is called high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It is made up of 55 percent fructose and the rest is glucose and water.
We have already emphasized the dangers of high amounts of sugar in the body, as it contributes to weight gain. Therefore, eliminating soda from your diet will definitely help you lose weight.
Now, you may be wondering: „How about diet sodas or calorie-free drinks?“ A definite NO. Diet soda use artificial sweeteners that can trigger extra sugar intake. This reaction occurs because artificial sweeteners affect the body’s ability to measure how many calories are consumed. The human brain responds with signals to eat more and that leads to increased cravings for sweet foods and drinks, which contributes to weight gain. What you can do is drink a lot of water or things like black or green coffee, white, black and herbal teas.
Conclusion
Before deciding to do the same as Casey, be sure to do a great deal of research and consult a dietitian. Weight loss isn’t always about reducing food intake or counting every calorie that goes into your mouth. It’s about finding the right balance that works for your own body and your lifestyle. Use Casey Gemmell’s story as inspiration to live a healthy lifestyle.
