Happy Happy Hormones and Holidays

Well somehow I managed to lost almost 20 lbs over the past two months, even with lots and lots of holiday cheat days. I started November 1st and 211 lbs and as of today December 29th I am at 192. That is 19 lbs for a total weight loss of 91 lbs. Yes, in the past year, I have lost 91 lbs. It sounds crazy just saying it. I never ever thought when I started this journey at 283 lbs, with chronic pain and out of control PCOS, that within a year I would be 9 lbs away from losing 100 lbs !!!!

No surgery. No fancy paid diet services. No magic pills. Just hard work and discipline. I made it a routine. I truly made it a lifestyle. And unless you count gardening and cleaning, I didn't even work out.

I have yet to decide exactly what my goal weight is. I still think I will just feel it when I get there. I know that according to BMI charts to no longer be considered obese I need to weigh 182 or less. To no longer be considered overweight I need to weigh somewhere between 117 (ha!) and 155 lbs. The BMI charts crack me up. For instance I might weigh 192 lbs but I have a 32 inch waist and wear a size 14. I don't think they take into account breasts either. These D cup puppies must weight at least 5 lbs each! I also like to joke that my brain weighs a lot. But seriously. At 125-135 lbs I wear a size 2-4. At 135-145 I wear a size 4-6. At 145-155 I wear a size 6- 8. At 155-170 I wear a size 10-12. At 170 -185 I wear a size 12-14. And obviously at 185-195 I wear a 14-16. I don't think I want to be smaller than a size 10. I am not a teenager anymore. I am a woman. I want to look like a woman. A size 10 and I would be ecstatic!  So I guess my goal is somewhere between 155 and 170. But again if all I did was hit the 100 lb weight loss mark and get down to 183 and a size 12-14 I would be perfectly happy. Perfectly!

I also got great lab results back from blood work I had done on the 15th. This is without metformin or hormone pills.

Blood sugar - 105 Normal
Hemoglobin Alc 5.3 Normal 4.8-5.6 / 5.7-6.4 increased risk for diabetes / 6.5 or great = diabetes
Cholesterol - 191  Normal - 100-199
Triglycerides 82 Normal 0-149
HDL (good cholesterol) 74 Normal greater than 39 / anything over 59 is considered a negative risk factor for heart disease
LH and FSH (ovulation hormones) - normal
Thyroid - normal
Estrogen 43.9 !!! Normal 12.5-498. (Depends on what phase of your cycle you are in the follicular, luteal or ovulation phase)  So yes you might be thinking 43.9 is low but once it was 9. Literally my estrogen level was 9. My doctor said that was equivalent to women who have had hysterectomies or were in their 90's.
Oh and all my organ and blood numbers are normal :)

Everything was normal. Nothing stood out. Just a little low on iron, chloride and vitamin D - but I hadn't taken my normal multi-vitamin in a few weeks due to running out so that should be easily fixed. I should be able to lower my cholesterol levels even more with further weight loss and regular exercise. Also, my estrogen levels should keep improving as I watch my insulin and testosterone levels.

So yay for health, hormones and losing weight over the holidays ! It is almost time for a new year. If you are thinking about making a change there is no better time than now.

PCOS - Hormones, Weight Loss and Divorce

Before: 283 LBS

After: 195 LBS

Total Lbs lost thus far - 88! 

Percent of body weight lost - 31.1% 

I am literately almost a third smaller. 

88 lbs is a human! 

I am sorry that I haven't been keeping my blog posts going. I've had so much continued success I want to share! I keep dropping weight like crazy. I can't keep up with my clothes. I'll buy a pair of pants and a week later they are falling off me at work. My hair is looking great. My skin is glowing. I am happy and have energy. I am truly kicking PCOS in the ass!!!

 However, it has been a hard couple of months. My marriage is over (it's okay it's a good thing a very very good thing) And that wedding I was so excited about didn't happen. But, that's okay. It would have been with the wrong guy. I wanted a wedding because my mother is sick with Stage Four breast cancer and I wanted her to see one of her kids get married before and just in case she passed - so I kind of threw it together. Sadly we were common law married, so I still get the divorce - just without the wedding. (So not fair right ?!?!) But, guess what, chemo is working and hopefully she will be here plenty of time to see me marry the right person. And it won't be thrown together last minute. It will be done right and it will be beautiful. And I will be beautiful. At this rate my gorgeous meter goes up every day !

So, one thing that I hear a lot of women voice who have PCOS, is that there is so much information about what to do to get pregnant - but a lot of us don't want to get pregnant right now. Maybe in the future, or maybe not at all for some of you, but not right now. If you are like me, you didn't find out you had PCOS because you were trying to have a baby. No, you found out because you couldn't stop gaining weight, your hair was falling out or you had too much facial hair, you were depressed, you were tired because your insulin was all kinds of out of whack, you had adult acne, your periods were off, and so on and so forth. So then you go see a doctor, they run a bunch of tests (in my case a million tests which included horrible invasive wand ultrasounds and countless blood work) only to be told "okay you have PCOS take the pill and call a fertility doctor when you are ready to have kids". No hug. No sorry. Just here is a bunch of lemons - do with them as you may. 

So I sat on the lemons for a long time before I started making my lemonade. Sometimes I stared at the lemons angry at their existence. Sometimes I wanted to smash the lemons and throw them at people and God. Sometimes I pretended the lemons were not there. Sometimes I tasted the lemons, but decided they were too sour and gave up. I guess I was looking for the motivation or the perfect recipe. Don't think I didn't try. I tried and failed over and over and over and over again. But then something amazing happened. It started working. I figured out what did and didn't work for me . (I will add at the bottom the information for what worked in detail). So if you have PCOS and you keep trying and failing to see the change you want - YOU ARE NOT FAILING AS LONG AS YOU ARE TRYING! Even if you have to start over every day DO IT ! Do it until it works. There is no quick fix. This isn't a simple diet. This is freaking Mt. Everest. And, sometimes you have to fail a bunch before you find the strength and the knowledge to climb the peak. And when you get to the peak - drink a big freaking glass of that lemonade. Maybe even put a little vodka in it for good measure. 

AND IF I CAN STAY ON MY DIET, KEEP LOSING WEIGHT AND MOVING FORWARD WITH MY LIFE AND SELF GROWTH DURING A DIVORCE, A NEW JOB, A SICK MOTHER AND A CANCELLED WEDDING - THEN WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR EXCUSE ?

So one thing you lose when you have untreated PCOS is your libido. Well after eating right and losing all that weight I found mine again. But, here I am 30 years old, divorced and not in any kind of committed relationship. I am not in the kind of financial place that I would want to be in to have a surprise. Don't get me wrong if I got a surprise I would be thrilled, but the logic side of my brain says "no, do it when the time is right and with the right partner". So even though the chances of me getting pregnant are slim to none, I decided to get back on the dreaded pill. 

Now I hate the pill for a few reasons.

 1. it interferes with my Lamictal (depression medication) so I can't have the week off - I have to just take the blue pills all month and not get a period. I worked so hard to start having regular periods again and now I am doing away with them again and that kind of sucks. Most women would kill not to have a period, but for those of us with PCOS a period means our bodies are working. It reminds us that we are healthy women and not just some endocrine disorder. I will also have to watch my moods with my Lamictal to see if the dose needs to be increased due to the interaction with the pill. 

2. It makes me so grumpy, especially the first month or two that I am getting used to it. My body is like whoa what is all this estrogen and progesterone doing here?  And then you get on the roller coaster ride and it sucks. Not just for me, but for every poor person around me. The good news is that it goes away. The body adjusts. 

3. Possible side effects. Weight gain. Bloating. Loss of sex drive. Hair loss. 

4. Cancer. My mom has stage 4 breast cancer and it is and was the kind that is estrogen receptive. I have to be very careful. I have to get regular check ups and give myself regular breast exams. I plan to get the genetic test done and if I have the gene I will just plan for that double mastectomy once I'm over 40 and I've had my kids. Just think - just when they start to sag - you get new ones. (You have to find reasons to laugh).

So let's hope, that once me (and my therapist) says I am ready, I can find the right man. And, he will want kids(requirement) and I can get off of the pill and have a family. That is all I ever really wanted. There is nothing wrong in knowing what you want. To have a partner that I love, not a person I have to take care of. Someone I can have a family with. Someone I can build a productive and happy life with. Someone who motivates me want to be the  happiest, healthiest and best person I can be. 

Don't worry. It will happen. I have faith and a whole lot of patience. 

So I will try and keep my blog updated on a more regular basis. We are below the 200 lb mark - so this is where it is going to start to get real fun! Can't wait to share pictures of my body as I transform it into the beautiful and healthy thing it was always meant to be. Love to you all and DON'T GIVE UP ! 

EXAMPLE MEAL PLAN AND GUIDELINES TO SUCCESS

1.       TRY AND EAT ORGANIC

2.       TRY AND COOK ALL YOUR OWN FOOD AND AVOID PROCESSED FOODS

3.       THERE SHOULD NEVER BE ANY REASON TO EAT FAST FOOD (EXCEPT ON CHEAT DAY)

4.       TRY COOKING IN BULK ON YOUR DAY OFF SO YOU AREN’T RUSHED FOR DINNER

5.       ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FRIDGE STOCKED – YOUR WORST ENEMY IS HUNGER

6.       6 DAYS ON 1 DAY OFF – CHEAT DAY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS !!!

7.       ALCOHOL SHOULD ONLY BE CONSUMED ON YOUR CHEAT DAY. ALCOHOL IS EMPTY CALORIES WITH NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE – EXCPET INEBRIATION. ;)

8.       TAKE A MULTI VITAMIN TAILORED TO YOUR AGE, GENDER AND BODY TYPE. I TAKE AN ORGANIC WOMEN’S MUTLI VITAMIN FROM NEW CHAPTER (I PREFER ORGANIC, BUY THEM ON AMAZON THEY ARE CHEAP – MY VITAMINS ARE $80 AT THE HEALTH STORE BUT ONLY $30 ON AMAZON!!!) TAKE FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS. AND, VITAMIN B12 FOR ENERGY. SAM’S ALSO OFFERES SUPPLEMENTS AT A GREAT PRICE.

9.       STRESS IS THE ENEMY TO WEIGHT LOSS. TRY RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. DEEP BREATHING. YOGA. LONG WALKS. ETC.

10.   EXERCISE AT YOUR LEVEL. ON THIS EATING YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO EXERCISE TO LOSE WEIGHT, BUT OF COURSE THE MORE YOU DO EXERCISE THE BETTER, PLUS EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR LOWERING YOUR INSULIN LEVELS.

11.   THE FIRST MONTH YOU MAY WANT TO KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL TO TRACK WHAT YOU ARE ACTUALY EATING.

12.   GET CHECKED OUT BY YOUR DOCTOR FIRST. CHECK YOUR BLOOD AND HORMONE LEVELS. CHECK YOUR THYROID. RULE OUT ANYTHING SUCH AS DIABETES, PCOS, LOW TESTOSTERONE, METABOLIC SYNDROME, THYROID DISEASE, ETC.

13.   IF YOU CHEAT, DON’T FREAK OUT, JUST START OVER THE NEXT DAY. JUST KEEP STARTING OVER UNTIL EATING THIS WAY BECOMES A HABIT. BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOUR CRAVINGS FOR UNHEALTHY FOOD WILL GO AWAY, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT AND FEEL GREAT !

BREAKFAST

EGGS, OATMEAL, GREEK YOGURT, WHOLE FRUIT, TURKEY SAUSAGE

SNACKS

NUTS – IN MODERATION, WHOLE FRUIT, SUGAR FREE PUDDING AND JELLO, UNSWEETENED APPLE SAUCE, A TABLESPOON OF PEANUT BUTTER, CHEESE AND TRISCUITS

LUNCH

SALAD WITH LEAN PROTEIN SUCH AS CHICKEN, LEAN STEAK OR FISH, A SANDWHICH WITH WHOLE GRAIN BREAD AT LEAST 2-4 GRAMS OF FIBER LEAN LUNCH MEAT AND REGULAR CHEESE NOT PROCESSED FAKE CHEESE , SOUPS

DINNER

LEAN MEAT, COMPLES CARBOHYDRATE AND VEGITABLE. EXPAMPLE GRILLED SALMON WITH WILD RICE AND PEAS. GRILLED CHICKEN WITH A SWEET POTATO AND BROCCOLI. LEAN STEAK WITH MASHED POTATOS AND CORN.  LEAN BRISCUIT, PINTO BEANS AND GREEN BEANS.

DRINKS

WATER.WATER.WATER. UN SWEET TEA. GREEN TEA. ALMOND OR RICE MILK. (REGULAR MILK IS BAD – IT IS FILLED WITH HORMONES THEY FEED THE COWS THAT ARE PASSED ON TO YOU WHICH CAUSE A SLEW OF HEALTH ISSUES) DIET SODA. COFFEE WITH CREAMER – NO FANCY FRAPPACINOS OR CAPPACINOS. HERBAL TEA.

PART TWO THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE LOW GLYCEMIC DIET 

To check the glycemic index of a food go to …

http://www.glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php

Your goal is to eat as low of glycemic foods as possible.

Of course portion control is essential, but you should eat until you are full.

Educate yourself on how the food you eat effects your insulin and weight loss.

It is more than just weight loss, it is energy, well being, hormone function and disease prevention and control.

What is the glycemic index?The glycemic index, or GI, measures how a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose. Foods are ranked based on how they compare to a reference food– either glucose or white bread. A food with a high GI raises blood glucose more than a food with a medium or low GI.

Meal planning with the GI involves choosing foods that have a low or medium GI. If eating a food with a high GI, you can combine it with low GI foods to help balance the meal. Examples of carbohydrate-containing foods with a low GI include dried beans and legumes (like kidney beans and lentils), all non-starchy vegetables and some starchy vegetables, most fruit, and many whole grain breads and cereals (like barley, whole wheat bread, rye bread, and all-bran cereal). Meats and fats don’t have a GI because they do not contain carbohydrate.

What affects the GI of a food?

Fat and fiber tend to lower the GI of a food. As a general rule, the more cooked or processed a food, the higher the GI; however, this is not always true.

Below are a few specific examples of other factors that can affect the GI of a food:

• Ripeness and storage time – the more ripe a fruit or vegetable is, the higher the GI
• Processing – juice has a higher GI than whole fruit; mashed potato has a higher GI than a whole baked potato, stone ground whole wheat bread has a lower GI than whole wheat bread.
• Cooking method: how long a food is cooked (al dente pasta has a lower GI than soft-cooked pasta)
• Variety: converted long-grain white rice has a lower GI than brown rice but short-grain white rice has a higher GI than brown rice.

Other things to consider if using the GI:

• The GI value represents the type of carbohydrate in a food but says nothing about the amount of carbohydrate typically eaten. Portion sizes are still relevant for managing blood glucose and for losing or maintaining weight.
• The GI of a food is different when eaten alone than it is when combined with other foods. When eating a high GI food, you can combine it with other low GI foods to balance out the effect on blood glucose levels.
• Many nutritious foods have a higher GI than foods with little nutritional value. For example, oatmeal has a higher GI than chocolate. Use of the GI needs to be balanced with basic nutrition principles of variety for healthful foods and moderation of foods with few nutrients.

Is the GI a better tool than carbohydrate counting?

There is no one diet or meal plan that works for everyone with diabetes. The important thing is to follow a meal plan that is tailored to personal preferences and lifestyle and helps achieve goals for blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides levels, blood pressure, and weight management.

Research shows that both the amount and the type of carbohydrate in food affect blood glucose levels. Studies also show that the total amount of carbohydrate in food, in general, is a stronger predictor of blood glucose response than the GI.

Based on the research, for most people with diabetes, the first tool for managing blood glucose is some type of carbohydrate counting. Balancing total carbohydrate intake with physical activity and diabetes pills or insulin is key to managing blood glucose levels.

Because the type of carbohydrate does have an affect on blood glucose, using the GI may be helpful in "fine-tuning" blood glucose management. In other words, combined with carbohydrate counting, it may provide an additional benefit for achieving blood glucose goals for individuals who can and want to put extra effort into monitoring their food choices.

The Glycemic Index of Foods

The GI is a ranking of foods based on how quickly they raise blood glucose levels. The reference foods, white bread or glucose, have a GI of 100.

Low GI Foods (55 or less)

• 100% stone-ground whole wheat or pumpernickel bread
• Oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut), oat bran, muesli
• Pasta, converted rice, barley, bulgar
• Sweet potato, corn, yam, lima/butter beans, peas, legumes and lentils
• Most fruits, non-starchy vegetables and carrots

Medium GI (56-69)

• Whole wheat, rye and pita bread
• Quick oats
• Brown, wild or basmati rice, couscous

High GI (70 or more)

• White bread or bagel
• Corn flakes, puffed rice, bran flakes, instant oatmeal
• Shortgrain white rice, rice pasta, macaroni and cheese from mix
• Russet potato, pumpkin
• Pretzels, rice cakes, popcorn, saltine crackers
• melons and pineapple

What is the Glycemic Index?

The Glycemic Index is a numerical Index that ranks carbohydrates based on their rate of glycemic response (i.e. their conversion to glucose within the human body). Glycemic Index uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher values given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar. Pure glucose serves as a reference point, and is given a Glycemic Index (GI) of 100.

Glycemic Index values are determined experimentally by feeding human test subjects a fixed portion of the food (after an overnight fast), and subsequently extracting and measuring samples of their blood at specific intervals of time. The earliest known work on the Glycemic Index was done by Dr. David Jenkins and associates at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada. More recently, an effort to expand the Glycemic Index has been made by Jennie Brand-Miller and her associates at the Human Nutrition Unit of the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia.

The Glycemic Index Yields Some Surprises
Nutritionists used to believe that all simple sugars digested quickly and caused a rapid rise in blood sugar, and that the opposite was true for "complex carbohydrates". But that's not always the case. While many sweet and sugary foods do have high GI's, some starchy foods like potatoes or white bread score even higher than honey or table sugar (sucrose)!

Why is the Glycemic Index Important?

Your body performs best when your blood sugar is kept relatively constant. If your blood sugar drops too low, you become lethargic and/or experience increased hunger. And if it goes too high, your brain signals your pancreas to secrete more insulin. Insulin brings your blood sugar back down, but primarily by converting the excess sugar to stored fat. Also, the greater the rate of increase in your blood sugar, the more chance that your body will release an excess amount of insulin, and drive your blood sugar back down too low.

Therefore, when you eat foods that cause a large and rapid glycemic response, you may feel an initial elevation in energy and mood as your blood sugar rises, but this is followed by a cycle of increased fat storage, lethargy, and more hunger!

Although increased fat storage may sound bad enough, individuals with diabetes (diabetes mellitus, types 1 and 2) have an even worse problem. Their bodies inability to secrete or process insulin causes their blood sugar to rise too high, leading to a host of additional medical problems.

The theory behind the Glycemic Index is simply to minimize insulin-related problems by identifying and avoiding foods that have the greatest effect on your blood sugar.

Should All High-GI Foods be Avoided?
For non-diabetics, there are times when a rapid increase in blood sugar (and the corresponding increase in insulin) may be desirable. For example, after strenuous physical activity, insulin also helps move glucose into muscle cells, where it aids tissue repair. Because of this, some coaches and physical trainers recommend high-GI foods (such as sports drinks) immediately after exercise to speed recovery.

Also, it's not Glycemic Index alone that leads to the increase in blood sugar. Equally important is the amount of the food that you consume. The concept of Glycemic Index combined with total intake is referred to as "Glycemic Load", and is addressed in the next section...

Although most candy has a relatively high Glycemic Index, eating a single piece of candy will result in a relatively small glycemic response. Why? Well, simply because your body's glycemic response is dependent on both the type AND the amount of carbohydrate consumed. This concept, known as Glycemic Load, was first popularized in 1997 by Dr. Walter Willett and associates at the Harvard School of Public Health. Glycemic Load is calculated this way:

GL = GI/100 x Net Carbs (Net Carbs are equal to the Total Carbohydrates minus Dietary Fiber)

Therefore, you can control your glycemic response by consuming low-GI foods and/or by restricting your intake of carbohydrates.

Glycemic Indexes and Glycemic Loads for Common Foods

GI and GL for Common Foods
Food	GI	Serving Size	Net Carbs	GL
Peanuts	14	4 oz (113g)	15	2
Bean sprouts	25	1 cup (104g)	4	1
Grapefruit	25	1/2 large (166g)	11	3
Pizza	30	2 slices (260g)	42	13
Lowfat yogurt	33	1 cup (245g)	47	16
Apples	38	1 medium (138g)	16	6
Spaghetti	42	1 cup (140g)	38	16
Carrots	47	1 large (72g)	5	2
Oranges	48	1 medium (131g)	12	6
Bananas	52	1 large (136g)	27	14
Potato chips	54	4 oz (114g)	55	30
Snickers Bar	55	1 bar (113g)	64	35
Brown rice	55	1 cup (195g)	42	23
Honey	55	1 tbsp (21g)	17	9
Oatmeal	58	1 cup (234g)	21	12
Ice cream	61	1 cup (72g)	16	10
Macaroni and cheese	64	1 serving (166g)	47	30
Raisins	64	1 small box (43g)	32	20
White rice	64	1 cup (186g)	52	33
Sugar (sucrose)	68	1 tbsp (12g)	12	8
White bread	70	1 slice (30g)	14	10
Watermelon	72	1 cup (154g)	11	8
Popcorn	72	2 cups (16g)	10	7
Baked potato	85	1 medium (173g)	33	28
Glucose	100	(50g)	50	50

The table below shows values of the Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) for a few common foods. GI's of 55 or below are considered low, and 70 or above are considered high. GL's of 10 or below are considered low, and 20 or above are considered high.

Learning More
Additional information and values for Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load can be found at www.glycemicindex.com.

Limitations of the Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load

Some proponents of the Glycemic Index (including many diet books authors) would like you to believe that GI and GL are all that matters when selecting which foods to eat. In reality, diet is a more complex issue than that. ND agrees that the Glycemic Index is a marvelous tool for ranking carbohydrates (and much better than the old "simple" and "complex carbohydrate" designations). However, there are also many limitations to GI and GL, which are explained in this section. Consider this the warning that those diet book authors don't want you to hear...

1. Scarcity of GI data
   Although methods for determining Glycemic Index have been in existence for more than 20 years, GI values have so far only been determined for about 5% of the foods in ND's database. Seemingly similar foods can have very different GI values, so it's not always possible to estimate GI from either food type or composition. This means that each food has to be physically tested. GI testing requires human subjects, and is both relatively expensive and time-consuming. The fact that only a very limited number of researchers currently do GI testing compounds this problem. Food manufacturers continue to introduce thousands of new foods each year. Since GI testing is neither required nor common (at least in the U.S.), this problem is likely to get worse rather than better.

(ND has derived a formula that can estimate the Glycemic Load for untested foods, based on comparative analysis with foods of similar composition. To learn more about this method, please see ND's Estimated Glycemic Load page.)

2. Wide variation in GI measurements
   The above Glycemic Index table shows a single value of GI for each food. In reality, though, the measurements are not so precise. Reported values are generally averages of several tests. There's nothing wrong with that methodology, but individual measurements can vary a significant amount. For example, baked Russet potatoes have been tested with a GI as low as 56 and as high as 111! The GI for the same fruit has even been shown to increase as the fruit ripens. This amount of variation adds a great deal of uncertainty to GI calculations.
3. GI values affected by preparation method
   The Glycemic Index gets even trickier when you take into account the changes in value that occur in response to differences in food preparation. Generally, any significant food processing, such as grinding or cooking, will elevate GI values for certain foods, because it makes those food quicker and easier to digest. This type of change is even seen with subtle alterations of the preparation, such as boiling pasta for 15 minutes instead of 10.
4. GI values affected by combination with other foods
   While tests for Glycemic Index are usually done on individual foods, we often consume those foods in combination with other foods. The addition of other foods that contain fiber, protein, or fat will generally reduce the Glycemic Index of the meal. The GI of this "mixed meal" can be estimated by taking a weighted average of the GI's of the individual foods in the meal. However, this averaging method may become less accurate as the total percentage of carbohydrate decreases. Therefore, foods like pizza often create a higher glycemic response than the simple weighted average of the ingredient GI's would predict.
5. Individual differences in glycemic response
   The rate at which different people digest carbohydrates also varies, so there are some individual differences in glycemic response from person to person. In addition it has been shown that one person's glycemic response may vary from one time of day to another. And finally, different people have different insulin responses (i.e. produce different levels of insulin), even with an identical glycemic response. This fact alone means that a diabetic can not rely completely on the Glycemic Index without monitoring his own blood sugar response. (This, of course, is a limitation of any food index, and not a specific limitation of GI.)
6. Reliance on GI and GL can lead to overconsumption
   It's important to remember that the Glycemic Index is only a rating of a food's carbohydrate content. If you use GI and GL values as the sole factor for determining your diet, you can easily end up overconsuming fat and total Calories. See example below...

Example - How the Glycemic Index can encourage overeating:
Apples have a GI of 38 (as shown in the table above), and a medium-size apple, weighing 138 grams, contains 16 grams of net carbohydrates and provides a Glycemic Load of 6. This is a low GL, and most would consider the apple to be a very appropriate snack. But now look at peanuts. A 4-oz serving not only weighs less than the apple, but has a much lower GI (14), and provides an even lower GL of 2. Based on Glycemic Load alone, you would have to believe that the peanuts were a better dietary choice than the apple. But if you take a look at the Calories contained in these two foods, you'll see that the apple contains approximately 72 Calories, while the peanuts contain more than 500! Those 400+ extra Calories are NOT going to help you lose weight.

Another Way to Control Blood Sugar

As you consider the strengths and weaknesses of the Glycemic Index, it's important that you don't lose sight of the original goal. What we are really trying to do is control blood sugar levels. Is the consumption of low-GI foods the only way to do this? No, it is not. As we mentioned before, your blood sugar can also be controlled simply by limiting the total number of carbohydrates that you consume in any given meal. In the following sections, we'll explore different ways to do just that...

Is Low-Carb the Answer?

One alternative to the low-GI diet is the low-carbohydrate diet, which also centers on the concept of controlling blood sugar levels, but does so by limiting total carbohydrate consumption. Low-carb diets have become popular, partially because they are very successful at doing this. As opposed to low-GI diets, they are also very easy to plan and monitor, since carbohydrate counts are known for all foods.

However, low-carb diets are not without their own difficulties, which can include:

1. Deficiency of essential nutrients
   If your low-carb diet restricts the amount of fruits and vegetables that you eat, you may not be consuming enough Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Dietary Fiber, which are much more abundant in plant-based foods. It's also likely that you are consuming less carotenoids (such as Alpha Carotene, Beta Carotene, Beta Cryptoxanthin, and Lycopene). Although no daily values have been established for carotenoids, they are known to be powerful anti-oxidants, and may be necessary for optimal health. It's possible to supplement these missing nutrients, but there are also many phytochemicals present in plant-based foods that we are just beginning to learn about. Many of these phytochemicals are believed to have positive health benefits, but very few of them are yet available in supplement form.
2. Potential risks associated with high fat consumption
   Low-carb diets usually contain large amounts of fat, and numerous studies suggest that higher consumption of fats (particularly saturated fats) increases your risk of heart disease and other ailments. While no definitive link has been established between low-carb diets and heart disease, this is a topic that warrants additional study.
3. Hypoglycemic effects of minimized carbohydrate consumption
   Your brain requires glucose to operate. In the absence of carbohydrates, your body is forced to synthesize glucose from digested or stored fats. This somewhat inefficient process results in lower than optimal blood sugar levels, which can leave you feeling lethargic, unalert, and even confused. This effect is most commonly experienced as you transition from a "normal" diet to an ultra-low-carb diet, but can also reappear at times when your body is under increased stress. The decrease in mental alertness, while not harmful in of itself, is a potentially dangerous side effect. (e.g. It can be less safe to operate a car if you aren't fully alert.)
4. Boredom or cravings resulting from the elimination of carbohydrate-rich foods
   We all derive pleasure from the taste of different foods. Any diet that greatly or completely restricts our selection of foods, can lead to increased cravings for the eliminated foods or boredom with the allowable food selections. This, of course, is not a problem specific to low-carb diets, but affects all diets that limit the range of foods that you consume.
5. Added expense of special foods
   To overcome the boredom of the low-carb diet, you can turn to the new low-carb versions of foods that are now being offered in many health food and grocery stores. It's now even possible to find low-carb versions of pancakes and bagels! Unfortunately, though, the elevated cost of some of these specialty food items can add considerably to your food bill.
6. Incompatibility with vegetarian lifestyle
   If you consider yourself a vegetarian, you'll find that it's very difficult to follow a low-carb diet, since nearly all low-carb meal plans focus on the consumption of meats and other animal-based foods.

What About Satiety?

A different way to limit carbohydrate consumption is simply to limit the total number of Calories that you consume for each meal. This can be a very effective method for controlling blood sugar and losing body fat. Unfortunately, there's one BIG problem associated with this method - increased hunger! But what if you could eat less, and not be hungry? Is that possible?

A few years ago, a group of researchers from the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia performed an interesting study in which they compared the satiating effects of different foods. These researchers, lead by Suzanna Holt, include some of the same individuals that pioneered much of the work on the Glycemic Index. The result of their study, "The Satiety Index of Common Foods", was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 1995. In this study, the researchers fed human test subjects fixed-Calorie portions of thirty-eight different foods, and then recorded the subjects' perceived hunger following each feeding.

The results of this study clearly indicated that certain foods are much better than others for satisfying hunger. The researchers used white bread as their reference point, and arbitrarily assigned it a "Satiety Index" of 100. Foods that did a better job of satisfying hunger were given proportionately higher values, and foods that were less satisfying were assigned lower values. Among the most satisfying foods they tested were plain boiled potatoes, raw fruits, fish, and lean meats. Subjects that consumed the prescribed portion of these foods were less likely to feel hungry immediately afterward. Foods that did the poorest job of satisfying hunger included croissants, donuts, candy bars, and peanuts.

An important outcome of this study
Because of the limited size of the Satiety Index study, there's some uncertainty in the accuracy of the values that were recorded for each food. However, one very important general observation was made by the Satiety Index researchers. They noted that a common feature was shared by the foods with the highest Satiety Index values. All of these foods had high weight-to-Calorie ratios. In other words, these foods contained a greater amount of bulk for each Calorie. They helped make you feel full, literally by filling your stomach.

This suspected relation between bulk and satiety may seem obvious and trivial, but it opens the door to a very powerful theory - that it may be possible to predict satiety by knowing the nutrient composition of the food! And if that is true, some form of the Satiety Index could prove to be a more flexible tool for assessing diet than the Glycemic Index.

Introducing the Fullness Factor™

ND mathematically modeled the Satiety Index with a multivariate analysis that used nutrient profiles of the foods tested in the previously mentioned Satiety Index study. As anticipated, there was a good correlation between the Satiety Index values and each food's Caloric density. There were also significant but lesser correlations between the index and each food's levels of net carbohydrates, fat, dietary fiber, and protein. From the mathematical model developed, ND was able to create an equation to convert a food's nutrient profile into a predicted satiety index, which we call the Fullness Factor™.

The Fullness Factor has been normalized so that all resultant values fall into a range of 0 to 5. The calculated Fullness Factor for white bread is 1.8, so values above 1.8 indicate foods that are likely to be more satiating than white bread, and values less than 1.8 indicate foods that are likely to be less satiating. A food's Fullness Factor is independent of its serving size.

For more details about the Fullness Factor, please see ND's Fullness Factor page. For an explanation of how to use the Fullness Factor in your own diet, please see the last section on this page, labeled "Putting the Fullness Factor to Work".

Potential Advantages of the Fullness Factor over the Glycemic Index

The Fullness Factor is a calculated rather than measured value, and has a few distinct advantages over the Glycemic Index:

1. Fullness Factors are instantly determinable for ALL foods
   Knowledge of the nutrient information contained on a standard nutrition facts label is all that is required to determine the Fullness Factor. That means that the Fullness Factor is supported for all foods in ND's database, and also all new recipes. That makes it easy to use the Fullness Factor in conjunction with any diet plan.
2. High-FF foods may help reduce total Caloric consumption
   Consuming high-FF foods means satisfying your hunger with fewer total Calories, which is the most direct route to weight loss.
3. The Fullness Factor may also be helpful in weight gaining diets
   Individuals that have trouble maintaining or gaining weight can add additional Calories to their diets by altering their food selections to include more low-FF foods.

Potential Advantages of FF-based Diets over Low-Carb Diets

Diets based on the Fullness Factor have some advantages over Low-Carb diets:

1. FF-based diets may better encourage the consumption of naturally healthy foods
   Because many fruits, vegetables, and less processed foods have high Fullness Factors, it may be easier to obtain essential nutrients when on FF-based diets.
2. FF-based diets offer a larger range of food selections
   No foods are off limits in FF-based diets. FF-based diets simply encourage you to select the foods  that cause you to fill up faster without as many total Calories.
3. FF-based diets can easily accommodate a vegetarian lifestyle
   While many meats are good choices for a high-FF diet, it's also relatively easy to create a high-FF diet that doesn't contain animal-based foods.