I forgot all about this thread till just now and figured another update would be appropriate:
The last week of May and the first couple weeks of June are always rough for me diet-wise. Almost every single person in my family is a summer baby (kind of weird now that I think about it) and there are always all sorts of graduations and weddings to go to, so during these few weeks, I was constantly eating at restaurants. This made it very difficult to maintain my diet and the results weren't pretty. My bodyweight shot up to 190lbs during the middle of June, which is as high as it has been in a long time. I also found that I was hungry a lot more often, including lots of late night cravings that had me raiding the fridge. Moreover, my energy levels were noticeably inconsistent: I found myself really crashing at random points of the day, especially a few hours after a large meal. As an extra awkward point, I'd also mention that my bowel movements became less regular and less... solid... than before. Fortunately, I got my diet back on track in mid June and have fared much better for the last month. My bodyweight quickly dropped back to 184lbs - being able to lose weight without doing any calorie tracking is a nice benefit. My energy levels and bowel movements returned to normal almost immediately. I'm also rarely hungry nowadays and actually have to force myself to eat.
If there's anything I can take away from this diet experiment, it's the confirmation that real, whole foods are in almost every single way better than anything processed. The quantity of food eaten is unquestionably important, but I have no doubt in my mind now that the type of food is just as crucial. From first hand experience, I've seen that processed foods mess with your ability to manage bodyweight, energy levels and hunger levels. This lends a lot of credibility to the argument that people in this country are obese not because of weak wills, but because of the prevalence of "food products" rather than real food on the dining table. I'd bet a good amount of money obesity rates would absolutely plummet if the central aisles of all supermarkets and fast food restaurants were abolished. I know it's kind of an obvious statement, but I'm not sure what else would work.
The last week of May and the first couple weeks of June are always rough for me diet-wise. Almost every single person in my family is a summer baby (kind of weird now that I think about it) and there are always all sorts of graduations and weddings to go to, so during these few weeks, I was constantly eating at restaurants. This made it very difficult to maintain my diet and the results weren't pretty. My bodyweight shot up to 190lbs during the middle of June, which is as high as it has been in a long time. I also found that I was hungry a lot more often, including lots of late night cravings that had me raiding the fridge. Moreover, my energy levels were noticeably inconsistent: I found myself really crashing at random points of the day, especially a few hours after a large meal. As an extra awkward point, I'd also mention that my bowel movements became less regular and less... solid... than before. Fortunately, I got my diet back on track in mid June and have fared much better for the last month. My bodyweight quickly dropped back to 184lbs - being able to lose weight without doing any calorie tracking is a nice benefit. My energy levels and bowel movements returned to normal almost immediately. I'm also rarely hungry nowadays and actually have to force myself to eat.
If there's anything I can take away from this diet experiment, it's the confirmation that real, whole foods are in almost every single way better than anything processed. The quantity of food eaten is unquestionably important, but I have no doubt in my mind now that the type of food is just as crucial. From first hand experience, I've seen that processed foods mess with your ability to manage bodyweight, energy levels and hunger levels. This lends a lot of credibility to the argument that people in this country are obese not because of weak wills, but because of the prevalence of "food products" rather than real food on the dining table. I'd bet a good amount of money obesity rates would absolutely plummet if the central aisles of all supermarkets and fast food restaurants were abolished. I know it's kind of an obvious statement, but I'm not sure what else would work.
