(Raw till 4) High blood sugars on a HIGH CARB low fat diet: Where did I go wrong?

This was my meal tonight--a home cooked southern soul food spread of vegan yumminess. Sweet
potato with just pumpkin pie spice as the topping, chickpea mac and "cheeze," pinto beans, and plenty of greens. I was so full and satisfied after eating this lovely meal, I was reassured and I knew that YES! This is what a high carb life is all about.

But earlier today I was reflecting on a time when I wasnt so satisfied with the way I was feeling while I was eating this way. I was absolutely SICK! Let me explain... Ill go back about 2 months ago when I had some severe symptoms. Extreme headaches and paralyzing dizziness along with fatigue and heart palpitations. Then the left side of my face went numb. I was completely clueless about what the cause could be. I wondered if it was my blood sugar so I borrowed a glucometer. To my suprise my reading was at 113 fasting! Not good. I started to question Raw till 4 (which I had been following for 5 months at this point).

I began doing some research about my symptoms to no avail... until I stumbled upon a small article about patients who had been misdiagnosed with symptoms similar to mine. They were sent to specialists for MRI's and even admitted to the hospital because of their B12 levels. My symptoms matched up almost perfectly with the symptoms these patients experienced. That's when I remembered that I too have had problems with B12 in the past. I had gone months without taking any supplementation. At this point I was dangerously deficient.

Through more research I found that B12 not only supports the production of red blood cells but also the metabolizing of carbohydrates into glucose (which would seem to explain my dilemma). One credible article talked about patients who had higher blood sugar readings because of the deficiency yet returned to normal readings after administering B12. I began to take B12 injections. Dizziness, headache, and heart palpitations were almost instantly gone after just one dose, (The nerve damage is gradually healing and I can feel my face again!) In addition my blood sugar regulated itself just like the patients in the article! Where my readings were a worrisome 113, they have adjusted to 88 or 89 fasting and various normal readings after eating!

This experience was an absolute nightmare for me which is why I decided to write about it. I wouldnt want anyone to go though what I did. The B12 issue is not just a vegan problem, a vegetarian problem, nor a Raw Till 4 problem. I was diagnosed with this deficiency as a jam packed meat-eater and cheese enthusiast. I knew I had this issue but I was too foolish to keep it at bay. I suffered the consequences. Lesson learned!

Whit Whitley

#vegan #vegaweightloss #highcarb #highcarbvegan #hclf #vegetarian #rtf #rt4 #rawtill4 #rawtill4success #veganlife #veganstyle #meatlessmonday

I totally failed!

So yesterday I totally "failed" my "diet". Out of sheer laziness I ate a bag of tortilla chips with salsa and a package of gram crackers for dinner. I started my day eating bananas for breakfast then peas and rice with greens for lunch. I came home and had a quick snack before school.

Unfortunately, I had so much work after school that needed to be completed by 12am. I totally skipped making dinner and went straight to a snack food meal. I didn't want to cook. I didn't feel like heating up a frozen meal that I had prepared. I was just hungry and wanted something quick and calorie packed. Of course it was not healthy and unfortunately it was fatty and processed (I am paying the yucky tummy consequences today). I think that's one of the few downfalls to eating high calorie and large quantity. I'm so used to eating large quantities that when I go to foods like chips or the like, I eat tons. Note, that's not a complaint because I don't do it often. I don't need to! My body is getting what it needs and I don't have cravings.

Am I beating myself up about this though? Absolutely not! My wish is that everyone would feel this way. Just because you veered off course yesterday does NOT mean you are a total failure. If I beat myself up over every imperfection, I would be beating myself up even more a year from now after "quitting". It's not too hard! Its worth trying! I am worth the try and I wish everyone else would tell themselves that THEY are worth the try as well. I personally am not striving for perfection every day--just a speck of consistency most days. And the days I break my consistency are no big deal because in the grand scheme of things me eating bag of tortilla chips for dinner isn't going to matter. It's just a drop in the bucket to what I'm doing and have been doing for months. Still going strong.

Whit Whitley
#vegan #vegaweightloss #highcarb #highcarbvegan #hclf #vegetarian #rtf #rt4 #rawtill4 #rawtill4success #veganlife #veganstyle #meatlessmonday

Just a lazy Tuesday here. My kitchen is filled with bananas and I'm eating them like they're going out of style!

2/26/2014 - 11/4/2014

So where did I leave off?

My first introduction to veganism was through  a raw food diet challenge. I

loved the way I felt and the energy that I had but near the end of the 21 days I was absolutely LONGING for cooked food. I wanted something no ANYTHNG with just a little bit of warmth. I decided to continue my challenge with trying Raw Till 4 for a while. Raw Till 4 is a lifestyle where carbs are of the utmost importance. 1000 calories of fruit for breakfast. 1000 calories of fruit for lunch and a cooked carby dinner of at least 500-1000 calories. Tons of fruit, bananas, rice, pasta, and potatoes. Low fat high carb. It sounded do-able but I was still nervous about whether I could keep on track.

As strange as it may sound considering the standard belief now is that carbs and sugar make you fat--it actually helped me LOSE weight to eat so many carbohydrates. 8 months later I am still happy and on track. The RT4 lifestyle was amazing and wonderful!! I gradually lost bulk in my arms but mostly my stomach. When I did round after round of off and on "dieting" I would always

lose weight somewhat in my arms but mostly in my legs which was definitely not a priority. I have sort of a humpty-dumpty-linebacker figure lol. My shoulders are broad, arms are big, and my stomach is round. Needless to say losing weight in the legs was unsatisfactory. I got an F for those rounds (no pun intended). With eating higher carbs I am losing weight where I want to without working out and I am overjoyed!

Raw till 4 was a blast but now it is slowly fading into winter and the fruit here is unappetizing and expensive (Seriously! Tasteless melons and mushy apples are the bane of my existence!). Not sure what I'm going to do exactly but I know I will incorporate some of the things I learned from Raw Till 4 into my eating habits and continue eating carbohydrates as my main energy source. Follow me to see how it goes. :)

Whit Whitley

#vegan #vegaweightloss #highcarb #highcarbvegan #hclf #vegetarian #rtf #rt4 #rawtill4 #rawtill4success #veganlife #veganstyle #meatlessmonday

Intro

In my first 8 month span of my vegan journey, the only thing I regret is that I didnt blog about it from the very start. I have harbored this regret for months but today is the day I will put my thoughts into action!

Hi, my name is Whit Whitley. I chose veganism on February 27, 2014. It all started as a raw food challenge (because I was bored). I loved they way I felt and was shocked by the information I found while researching. The shocker for me was that I was so disassociated with  the reality of where the "food" on my plate came from--but those thoughts came later. Initially, I decided to eat a plant based diet for the sole  purpose of losing weight (which is gradually happening), but in the course of it all, somehow the weight loss goal got lost in the shuffle. I realized that I can't make my body decide when to lose weight. I can only follow a plan that I know will eventually get me to where I want to be without making me MISERABLE in the process. Thats where the high carb part comes in, but I will elaborate more on that later.

 Oh, btw here is my most recent before and after picture:

This is a picture of me losing weight without losing my mind!

I absolutely love the idea of recording my progression from a chicken and mac and cheese lover (just months ago) to a loyal and in love vegan.  Here I will post recipes, info, and more in depth vlogs (among other random things). I have made many mistakes in this time whether it be mistaken ingredients, cooking disasters, or restaurant fiascos. lol! And I am ready to share. I hope you will enjoy my blog.

Subscribe if you would like to see more!

Whit Whitley

#vegan #vegaweightloss #highcarb #highcarbvegan #hclf #vegetarian #rtf #rt4 #rawtill4 #rawtill4success #veganlife #veganstyle #meatlessmonday