Hi! I’m Geri Winters. If you want to know more about me, read on. You may learn something from my experiences that helps you on your journey to better health.
I love to eat, but hated getting fatter and less healthy by the year. 13 years ago I had it with being fat. I went on a quest to lose weight. But I just couldn’t stay on a diet eating dry, tasteless food. So I’d end up quitting the diet and regaining the weight I lost. Maybe you have had the same experience.
The one good thing I discovered at that time was I am gluten intolerant. When I stopped eating gluten, all my morning aches and pains went away. The arthritis in my lower back stopped hurting. I have been pretty good about avoiding gluten since then, but when I cheat, the pain comes back. It is definitely a motivator to avoid gluten!
Well, I’m pretty stubborn, and I was determined to find a way to have great tasting food and still lose weight. Oh, and if I could improve my asthma, blood pressure, high cholesterol, and stop being pre-diabetic, that would be even better.
About 8 years ago, I discovered Mark Sisson and his Primal Community at https://www.marksdailyapple.com and knew that low-carb was the right approach for me. By reducing carbs, I could eat moist, tasty, fatty foods and still lose weight. Since I like to cook, I started looking for and creating recipes that fit my new eating pattern. I started this blog as a way to organize my recipes for myself and so I could easily share them with others.
I was sharing something with my sister, who lives very far from me, and she said “You should blog about this, then I can come and read it anytime”. Then my friend Bella suggested the same thing. Then my friend Kira asked “Have you shared information you learn with others all your life?”. The answer was yes, I have. If I can share something I learned with someone else, and they find that information useful, that makes me very happy. 🙂 So I started blogging more.
I did lose 20 pounds following a basically Paleo diet, but then I’d go off it and gain all the weight back. I lost and regained weight a number of times in a 6 year period. I noticed I was most successful when I had friends around me who were also trying to eat low-carb.
The big change diet and health wise came for me in October 2017 when Mark Sisson published the Keto Reset Diet. I had lost 20 pounds again eating Primal and was determined to keep it off and lose more. I have been keto since then. I have lost another 35 pounds, am no longer pre-diabetic, no longer have acid reflux, my cholesterol is much improved, and my blood pressure is almost back to normal.
My husband, who is type 2 diabetic, asked me to help him. He does not really want to give up carbs, but was desperate for change. Until recently, he has been eating lower carb than he had before. Not as low carb as Primal or Paleo, but much less than he used to eat. He lost 20 pounds, cut his diabetes medicine in half, but then stalled on any further changes. He is finally convinced he has to eat much lower carb if he wants to reverse his health issues.
I’m always learning new things, especially when it comes to having a life of balance. I feel that if I can achieve a balanced life then I will be as healthy and happy as I can be. This balance means I am eating in the right way for me and living in harmony with nature and her rhythms instead of trying to force my rhythms on nature.
I certified as a Primal Health Coach because I wanted to learn all I could about Primal and Keto. I wanted to be able to give the best information possible and to help others regain their health.
What were the final keys to my success in losing weight and improving my health?
- Having people around me on the same diet I was on
- Being stubborn enough to just keep trying over and over and over again
- Getting educated on the real science, not just what people on the internet have said worked for them
I will probably be on keto or at least very low-carb for the rest of my life. That is quite OK with me. I’m having fun exploring all kinds of new dietary options, inventing recipes, and trying new cuisines. Having so many new things to try means I just do not feel deprived. I see no reason to add carbs, and all the problems they caused, back into my life.
I’m not a crusader. I think most people could stand to reduce the amount of sugar and starch they eat daily, but that is very different from saying everyone should be keto or even low-carb. Not everyone needs to. But for me and many people in my life, keto and low-carb have dramatically improved our health.
So that’s it, at least when it comes to this website. As you get to know me, you will find I have many hobbies and interests besides cooking, keto, and primal health. But this is enough for today.
Here’s to your success!
Geri
Resources for Eating Well without Getting Fat
Look around for recipes and meal ideas that interest you and that fit your particular dietary needs. Try one, see if you like it. Come back for more!
Since diet is only one part of overall health, I also have informational articles about other aspects of a healthy lifestyle. These will help you not only lose weight but will generally help you feel better overall.
Products in my shop are books I like and products I use personally. Look for product reviews on the site as well.
I am a certified health coach and help others lose weight and regain their health through 1-on-1 and group coaching, information products, and classes.
If you click the bacon colored button on the right labeled “Start Losing Fat Today”, I’ll send you a series of emails that tell, in order of importance, what you need to do to start a low carb healthy fat diet.
What the Experts Say About Low Carb Healthy Fat
“The best way to [break the carb craving cycle] is by increasing the fat that you eat a lot. That helps you displace the processed carbs, and it actually creates a luscious, satisfying diet. Every chef knows that a great way to make food tasty is with a lot of fat. And this way, you get to do that without the guilt.” Dr. David Ludwig
Dr. David Ludwig is a Harvard Medical School nutrition and obesity expert and author of the book “Always Hungry?” which describes a scientifically sound eating plan based around low carb and high fat.
“The low carb ketogenic diet LCKD had positive effects on body weight, waist measurement, serum triglycerides, and glycemic control in a cohort of 21 participants with type 2 diabetes. Most impressive is that improvement in hemoglobin A1c was observed despite a small sample size and short duration of follow-up, and this improvement in glycemic control occurred while diabetes medications were reduced substantially in many participants. … Because the LCKD can be very effective at lowering blood glucose, patients on diabetes medication who use this diet should be under close medical supervision or capable of adjusting their medication.”
Dr. William S Yancy, Jr, Dr. Marjorie Foy, Dr. Allison M Chalecki, Dr. Mary C Vernon, and Dr. Eric C Westman https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1325029/
“A person’s health can be judged by which they take two at a time—pills or stairs. —Joan Welsh”