BMI (Body Mass Index)

Is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height that is “a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems”, according to the CDC.

Normal 18.5 – 24.9

Overweight 25 – 29.9

Obese 30 & above

It’s when your stomach “dun lapped” over your belt!

Otherwise known as Belly Fat.

Little do people know this is one of the most dangerous things a person can have. This shows you have a dangerous fat around your internal organs named Visceral Fat which is linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer, dementia, and high cholesterol. “It is thought that the danger of visceral fat is related to the release of proteins and hormones that can cause inflammation, which in turn can damage arteries and enter the liver, and affect how the body breaks down sugars and fats.” BBC News

Ideally your waist line needs to be under 35 inches and your Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) should be .8 or under.

WHR = smallest part of waist under the rib cage / hip measurement

Dunlap Attack Tips

1. A Low Carb Diet can help since belly fat is often a physical sign of insulin resistance
2. Fill your belly with more fiber and less processed foods which will slow your glycemic response.
3. Fight Fat with fat… healthy monounsaturated fats, omega 3 fatty acids, & polyunsaturated fat have been shown to lower cholesterol, reduce risk for heart disease among other things (canola oil, olive oil, mayo, salmon, sardines, bluefin tuna, nuts, avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, flaxseed
4. Get Fit… Research shows 2 1/2 hrs. a week of brisk walking can shrink your belly 1 inch in 4 weeks
5. Fluids are Fab… 64 oz – 80 oz of water daily increases calories burned, decreases bloat, & overall helps the body run more smoothly

- info from US News, Prevention Magazine, & Dr. Marie Savard

]]> http://www.thisfatblackchick.com/2010/01/04/dunlap-syndrome-running-rampant/feed/ 1 http://www.thisfatblackchick.com/2009/12/09/my-version-of-induction/ http://www.thisfatblackchick.com/2009/12/09/my-version-of-induction/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:20:58 +0000 admin http://www.thisfatblackchick.com/?p=114 I’m an Atkin’s Fan and big believer in the need for Induction so we can jump start our bodies into diet induced ketosis, the burning of our bodies stored fat for energy. Atkins Induction calls for a maximum of 20 carbs a day for 2 weeks. They have a suggested food list which you can find on their website. It consists of Lean Meats, Low Carb Veggies, and No Fruit. The good part is you ween yourself off any addictions to sugars or carbs.

This Fat Black Chick’s Induction

I’ve tweaked induction for me.  The bottom line is 20 Carbs (I do stay within the Atkins acceptable list of veggies for 2 weeks, then progress up, I like the structure), a fiber supplement, vitamin, Four 16.9 oz bottles of water, any thing diet or sugar free to drink, plus 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.

Here’s a sample day… hint raw cauliflower is really filling & beware of serving sizes

Breakfast 3 carbs

Fiber Supplement

Coffee w/ Heavy Cream and Splenda

Egg Beaters

Turkey Sausage links

Snack 3 carbs

Turkey Pepperoni

Cheese Cubes

Raw Cauliflower w/Ranch

Lunch 3 carbs

Tuna fish over 1 1/2 cups bag salad & cucumbers

Snack 3 carbs

3 Deli Meat, Cheese, & Lettuce leaf roll ups

Dinner 5 carbs

Turkey Chop Smothered in Low Carb Gravy

Garlic Roasted String Beans

Riced Cauliflower

Snack 2 carbs

Low Carb Hot Chocolate

Macadamia Nuts (great for hunger & cravings)

This syndrome is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormone imbalance in women of childbearing age.  PCOS has a long list of characteristics that not every person living with it will have, hence the term syndrome not disease. Three women suffering with PCOS might not share all the same symptoms yet they all have it. Here are some indications you may have it:

• Diabetes (you or your family history)
• Insulin Resistance
• High Blood Pressure
• Acne
• Alopecia (thinning hair)
• Abnormal hair growth
• Weight Gain
• Pelvic Pain
• Infertility
• Abnormal Menstruation
• Skin Abscesses
• Ovarian Cysts
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Skin tags (Dark skin patches on neck, underarms & thighs typically)
• Sleep Apnea
• Sugar Cravings

If you checked off a few of the items listed above you may have it and should talk to your, general physician, OB/GYN, or an endocrinologist. Remember not everyone will have the same symptoms, and the symptoms can relate to something else. Rarely do you find someone like myself that can check off 15 out of 17 on the list.

Treatment

Don’t worry there is hope. Surprisingly the best way to address it is simply through a diet low in carbohydrates with a low glycemic impact approach, combined with exercise. Also, medication is prescribed in some cases when needed.

Suggested Resources

A Patient’s Guide to PCOS by Walter Futterweit, M.D. (used for this post)

Soulcysters  a site for women with PCOS  http://www.soulcysters.com/ & http://www.soulcysters.net/

Weight Loss is a big concern in the diabetic community. Online I found much debate over whether a low carb diet is appropriate. NEWS FLASH IT IS!!! Research supports the effectiveness of low carb diets to achieve weight loss  and benefit those living with diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) supports a low carb diet (consuming less than 130 g carbs) as a means of effective weight loss with saturated fat intake at less than 7% of total calories consumed daily. They note that as an added benefit lower carb diets show favorable changes in triglyceride and HDL cholesterol, while lowering A1C in type 2 Diabetes patients. The ADA goes on to say, “Monitoring carbohydrate[s], whether by carbohydrate counting, exchanges, or experience-based estimation, remains a key strategy in achieving glycemic control.” They add that people living with diabetes would achieve added benefits in glycemic control when coupling a low carb diet with the glycemic index. The Atkins Diet & South Beach Diet are examples of this method.

References

American Diabetes Association. (2009, January) Diabetes Care. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2009, 32, Retrieved September 15, 2009, from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/Supplement_1/S13.full?sid=bbbac6db-a900-4653-98a1-395090de4a14

As a kid I loved when we had breakfast foods like pancakes and sausage for school lunch. Well this trick works on the same principle. Let go of the notion that breakfast has to include typical breakfast foods like eggs, cereal, grits, & bacon. Once you do that your breakfast menu just increased 10 fold.

How I Think Outside the Cereal Box

1. Reheating some dinner leftovers… Great cause there is no cooking in the A.M.
2. Ice Cold Low Carb Shakes are filling, vitamin  packed, & great for non breakfast people (I like Atkins Cafe’ Carmel)
3. Egg, Tuna, Chicken, or Salmon Salad topped on a few cucumber slices
4. Deli Meat & Cheese Roll ups with spicy mustard or smoky horse radish
5. I stay away from most low carb alternatives like low carb waffles or breakfast bars, they disappointment me taste wise & I’m more prone to cheat. (If anyone loves one let me know so I can try)
6. Fiber Supplement with breakfast helps meet my daily requirement and fills the belly… calculate your needed fiber intake at: http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/fiber.asp
7. Fish is a quick meat in the morning with veggies
8. Cheese and berries are a light breakfast I love
9. B.L.T. lettuce wraps or on a low carb bread is also yummy
10. If in the mood for eggs I always use egg beaters which have fewer calories and cholesterol

Thinking Outside the Cereal Box gets rid of the breakfast bore.

• Eat something before you arrive
• Pile on Salad (Be aware of the dressing for carbs)
• Veggie tray or make you own with sour cream dip and salad veggies
• Grilled Veggies are always great (Skip the Corn & Potatoes of course)
• Avoid BBQ sauce, too much sugar
• Grab the meat & shish kabobs off the grill before BBQ sauced
• Offer to bring a pasta dish made with Dreamfields Pasta (no one will know the difference & with 5 digestible carbs you’ll love it)
• Grab a slice of Watermelon 2.7 net carbs per 1/4 cup
• Take travel diet powder drink mix to throw in a bottle water in case there are no diet drinks (I like target’s strawberry lemonade, cheap & tasty)
• If you must drink liquor stick to the hard stuff mixed with diet, your not drinking carbs but you are drinking calories so don’t crazy. (Tequila is the lowest with 67 cals per oz)

Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t resist.

One cheat out of 30 days is nothing just jump back into your diet.

1. I ask myself if what I want really worth it? I won’t waste my 1 cheat.
2. It’s only one meal not an entire day. I’ve seen a whole day throw me out of low carb induced ketosis which can take days to get back.
3. I promise to exercise no matter how minor like a walk around the block.
4. I never cheat alone. This eliminates overindulgence.
5. I eat slowly savoring every last bite.

I wanted ice cream, the kind worthy of being a cheat. So off I went with a few friends on a 3o min. drive to Maggie Moos. Yep, 30 min. just to be fat. We got there and I tasted every flavor they had cheesecake, brownie batter, &  even fresh banana. Then I purchased a waffle cone filled with Red Velvet ice cream, Brownies, Pecans, Fudge, and Marshmallow Sauce. I could only get such a thing 30 min. away. It was PURE HEAVEN!!! I cherished every last drop. It was an approved cheat so I  felt not one bit of guilt. I jumped right back on my diet until next month that is.