Friday, May 12, 2006
Shangri-La Diet - Day 2 Update
I forgot to mention another surprising thing - since being on the diet, I can't stand to drink diet soda any more. It tastes way too sickening sweet. And I don't like the diet chocolate popsicles any more either.
In general, I feel more like eating healthy food and less like eating junk food.
Which is great!
In general, I feel more like eating healthy food and less like eating junk food.
Which is great!
Shangri-La Diet - Day 2
Yesterday afternoon was a little strange. As I mentioned yesterday, I felt like I had taken too much sugar in the morning, so I skipped my afternoon dose. Anyway, around 5:00 pm, just as I was leaving work, I felt really light-headed. I was kind of scared to drive home, since I have a long commute.
I ended up eating a box of raisins (left over from lunch, when I wasn't that hungry). After that, I felt ok.
Blood Sugar Concerns
Today, I decided to go with 2 tablespoons of sugar each time (morning and afternoon). I was still a little concerned about my blood sugar, but forgot to check it in the morining when I got up.
2 hours after my morning dose of 2 tablespoons of sugar in a glass of water, I did check my blood sugar, and it was 101, which is great. I think it could be up to 140 before I would have to worry. The reason I say that is that I read that after a glucose tolerance test, after two hours of drinking the glucose, anything below 140 is normal. I figure that drinking sugar water is kind of like drinking glucose. Besides, yesterday I checked my blood sugar after I got home, and it was 134, 2 hours after eating the raisins!
So I don't think I will be too concerned about the blood sugar issue any more. I will still check it from time to time, to be sure.
Note: I am not diabetic, just need to watch my blood sugar because it has been a little high in the past.
Recreational Eating
I had the day off from work today, and after a rough week, I was looking forward to just laying on the couch and reading a book to relax. But I found that, because of the no-eating thing before and after the sugar water, it was not much fun to read, because I missed my snacks! I usually snack while reading.
I could hardly wait until 12:00, when I could eat again. I had my lunch, and then lay on the couch, reading and snacking. Trouble was, I was not hungry. It was just recreational snacking. I felt full, but kept snacking anyway, and did not feel too good afterward.
Lesson Learned: I need to watch the recreational snacking, and only eat when I am hungry. This diet is teaching me a lot, because it eliminates the hunger, so I can really tell when I am eating for other reasons.
Light-Headed Again
Around 6:00 pm, I felt really light-headed again, like yesterday. Even after dinner, it did not go away. I do get this from time to time anyway. In the past, I have attributed the light-headedness to stress. So I think I will just have to see how things go. I don't know if it has anything to do with the diet.
Oil vs. Sugar
I never did explain why I am so opposed to taking the oil instead of the sugar. I think there are several reasons for this.
1) In the book, Seth Roberts mentions that people who have had their gallbladders removed should probably be careful with the oil, because people with their gallbladders removed can have trouble digesting fats. I have had my gallbladder out, so I am a little leery of this.
2) I am not sure it is healthy to take something that is so awful that it makes you gag.
3) I can measure my reactions to the sugar by checking my blood glucose levels. I don't have any way of checking what the oil is doing to me.
4) I am used to eating sweets (even though I have tried to stay away from them lately, I have had lots of times in my life when I have eaten a lot of sweets). But I have never eaten that much oil. It just doesn't feel right, intuitively.
So I will continue with the sugar.
Conclusion
So far, things are going ok. I really do feel a lot less hungry. I have resolved the blood sugar fear in my mind. My only problem now is the light-headedness, but I think that will improve as I get used to it. It could be psychological too.
It is too soon to say what the effects on my weight are, after only two days. I don't think weighing myself will really mean much until after a week or so.
I ended up eating a box of raisins (left over from lunch, when I wasn't that hungry). After that, I felt ok.
Blood Sugar Concerns
Today, I decided to go with 2 tablespoons of sugar each time (morning and afternoon). I was still a little concerned about my blood sugar, but forgot to check it in the morining when I got up.
2 hours after my morning dose of 2 tablespoons of sugar in a glass of water, I did check my blood sugar, and it was 101, which is great. I think it could be up to 140 before I would have to worry. The reason I say that is that I read that after a glucose tolerance test, after two hours of drinking the glucose, anything below 140 is normal. I figure that drinking sugar water is kind of like drinking glucose. Besides, yesterday I checked my blood sugar after I got home, and it was 134, 2 hours after eating the raisins!
So I don't think I will be too concerned about the blood sugar issue any more. I will still check it from time to time, to be sure.
Note: I am not diabetic, just need to watch my blood sugar because it has been a little high in the past.
Recreational Eating
I had the day off from work today, and after a rough week, I was looking forward to just laying on the couch and reading a book to relax. But I found that, because of the no-eating thing before and after the sugar water, it was not much fun to read, because I missed my snacks! I usually snack while reading.
I could hardly wait until 12:00, when I could eat again. I had my lunch, and then lay on the couch, reading and snacking. Trouble was, I was not hungry. It was just recreational snacking. I felt full, but kept snacking anyway, and did not feel too good afterward.
Lesson Learned: I need to watch the recreational snacking, and only eat when I am hungry. This diet is teaching me a lot, because it eliminates the hunger, so I can really tell when I am eating for other reasons.
Light-Headed Again
Around 6:00 pm, I felt really light-headed again, like yesterday. Even after dinner, it did not go away. I do get this from time to time anyway. In the past, I have attributed the light-headedness to stress. So I think I will just have to see how things go. I don't know if it has anything to do with the diet.
Oil vs. Sugar
I never did explain why I am so opposed to taking the oil instead of the sugar. I think there are several reasons for this.
1) In the book, Seth Roberts mentions that people who have had their gallbladders removed should probably be careful with the oil, because people with their gallbladders removed can have trouble digesting fats. I have had my gallbladder out, so I am a little leery of this.
2) I am not sure it is healthy to take something that is so awful that it makes you gag.
3) I can measure my reactions to the sugar by checking my blood glucose levels. I don't have any way of checking what the oil is doing to me.
4) I am used to eating sweets (even though I have tried to stay away from them lately, I have had lots of times in my life when I have eaten a lot of sweets). But I have never eaten that much oil. It just doesn't feel right, intuitively.
So I will continue with the sugar.
Conclusion
So far, things are going ok. I really do feel a lot less hungry. I have resolved the blood sugar fear in my mind. My only problem now is the light-headedness, but I think that will improve as I get used to it. It could be psychological too.
It is too soon to say what the effects on my weight are, after only two days. I don't think weighing myself will really mean much until after a week or so.
