Hello! I’m here and I’m alive!

I have still been logging my food daily (I think I missed one day?), although sometimes I was backlogged and was doing a couple days at a time. However, since I have become more aware of what I am eating and portion sizes, I have been able to accurately recall my food from a couple days ago.

I have actually been eating too little this past week. It could be the heat wave in Sacramento – ~100 degrees and dry almost everyday last week – or the fatigue that came with the heat that made me extremely lazy and I didn’t want to plan a meal, let alone cook one. I ran down to the market TWICE to grab a burrito (very healthy, tho, since the market only uses whole foods w/o preservatives – but still carb dense!) because I just couldn’t seem to summon to energy to cook something. I am fatigue-prone to begin and the auto-immunity coming with Crohn’s and anxiety makes it worse.

Also, the world is very mixed up and hurting right now… that just makes me feel more tired than usual.

Anyways, I want to reflect on the changes in my energy, mood, digestion, and sleep from this “black out” week. Then, after that, I want to talk about the importance of eating enough calories and how most diets get it wrong.

The Difference

*note: this is for MY BODY, and may not work for you. Do your own research, or consult an expert to help you find what works for you!

For over a month, I ate a high protein (85-100g/day on average) and high fat (healthy!!) diet with an average macro-nutrient distribution of ~27% protein, ~38% carbs, and ~35% fats (very rough estimates haha). Assessment:

• feeling full longer
• had more energy
• felt more rested
• was less bloated (also because I was eating low fiber, low acidic foods, necessary for Crohn’s Disease patients)
• exercised 2-3x/wk light to medium intensity (walks, HIIT, intervals)
• my body was getting more trimmed and more toned muscles

However, when I collapsed into a black hole this past week – partly due to getting either sun or food poisoning, I ate a lot more grainy or starchy carbs proportionally, swinging between way too few calories one day, and going over my budget significantly the next (this could contribute to swings in blood sugar levels and thus mood and energy), and the main difference was significantly less protein rich foods overall. I also ate too many gas inducing and fibrous foods (beans, legumes, etc.) which typically cause issues for Crohn’s patients.

Assessment:

• Got hungry really fast after meals, woke up feeling uncomfortably ravenous
• Huge energy swings, but mainly very low energy (external factors were contributing, too)
• Felt horrid in the mornings, hard time pulling myself from bed, but also stayed up too late multiple times
• EXTREME bloating (I looked pregnant, no joke!) due to poor food choices, and 2 or 3 instances of overeating – sugary foods, high fiber foods (Crohn’s issue), acidic foods (also Crohn’s issue).
• Little to no exercise as a result of feeling horrid and no energy
• Losing my toned shape again because of loss of muscle

Lesson learned! I restocked my protein powder, which worked wonders for me because as a Crohn’s patient, I am usually nutrient deficient or cannot eat certain foods – salad, high fiber foods. The powder I use also has greens in the mix. If I am having a Crohn’s flare, I will opt for “liquid food” from now on. This article was helpful and confirmed why I felt so good with a high protein and healthy fat diet.

How Cutting Too Many Calories Is Not Helping You

What I have noticed is a a common trend towards “starvation diets”. The problem is that most people don’t know they are starvation diets and think that they are just “diets”.

The body burns a certain number of calories while at rest everyday, and it is often more than you’d expect. This is your Basal Metabolic Rate. Mine is about 1350-1,399 kCal, which means I should be eating MORE than this to give my body enough energy everyday. Since I am trying to lose a couple pounds, I am currently eating 1500 kCal a day (this includes if I work out, so I might be actually consuming 1700 kCal. From the research I’ve done, I can actually eat a couple hundred more calories a day, but this amount works for me right now. Maybe if I get more fit, I’ll be able to eat more calories.

If I don’t, then my body will think that I am starving and will start to store extra fat, limit it’s energy (body will start to shut down, cognition lowers, energy lowers) to converse. Depending on your body type, if you are prone to lacking muscle AND fat, you will get morbidly skinny and weak if you keep it up. If you are predisposed to gain more fat, you will likely have excess fat (usually abdominal or thighs) that you will NOT be able to get rid of no matter how much your exercise, and gaining muscle definition for is impossible. This is because your body is storing it due to the stress the starvation or nutrient-deficient diet you are putting it through.

So, please don’t starve yourself.

The only exception to this is if you are obese and for the sake of your health, you need to cut A LOT of calories. At that point, it’s sort of an emergency. This is also usually a short-term solution, and eventually once the individual reaches a healthier weight, they can increase their calories intake because their body can handle it appropriately (more muscle to burn it off, perhaps a regulated digestion) and that person likely has developed better eating and active lifestyle. Obesity is a disease, folks.

However, if you are like the majority of Americans who are overweight, or perhaps just a bit overweight or needing to just lose a few, than it is safer and more sustainable to EAT ENOUGH CALORIES and focus more on the QUALITY OF YOUR CALORIES, and FINDING A MACRO-NUTRIENT RATIO THAT WORKS FOR YOUR BODY. Also, integrated movement and activity into your life to help you maintain your weight or size once your reach a healthier one. Avoid packaged foods when possible, because they are usually high in sodium and sugar and full of chemicals and preservatives that can wreak havoc on your intestines.

A healthy body is not measured measured by weight, but my body fat percentage, the appearance of muscle tone, regular digestion, and energy levels.