What's This all About Then?

First let me say I am a nurse, at an age which the world would describe as middle and weighing 12st 4lb, 5' 4" with a BMI of 29.4 and Body Fat Percentage (BFP) of 40.2%  - ghastly I know but hey that's why I'm on this journey!! Since that certain time in a woman's life, the fat has rapidly fallen into a tyre around my belly, hips & thighs with the rest generously spread everywhere else.

I wanted to lose this weight with an eating plan that I could adapt to my life style and carry on for the rest of my life - hence no ultra low calorie/points counting bla bla bla for me. I wanted something that was easy to remember, easy to eat, easy to maintain and most importantly, worked.....

At work I see a lot of problems with increased numbers of people with Type 2 Diabetes, most of which have arisen because of obesity, apple shaped bellys and insulin resistance. I do not want this to happen to me. 

Insulin is the hormone made by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter the body’s cells, where it is used as fuel for energy so we can work, play and generally live our lives. It is vital for life.

Insulin works on sugar in the blood called glucose (anything ending in ..ose is a sugar) and this comes mainly from eating carbohydrates. 

All foods contain some carbohydrate, whether it's from starchy foods such as bread, potatoes and chapatis; fruit; vegetables; some dairy products; sugar and other sweet foods. Eat normal amounts i.e. not being a greedy devil and the whole system works to perfection, but go overboard, lose the capacity to feel full before being stuffed, and wham, that delicate system starts to go wrong.

When there is too much glucose swimming around in your blood, the liver kicks in and simply changes it into fat which is not burned it as energy, it is stored as fat. Flabby, wobbly fat. And as India say 'Hello thighs!'...... 

So, I delved and researched widely and realised if I managed to control the causes of insulin spikes, I could maybe stabilise it and then control my appetite! Obviously this meant cutting out sugar in all it's forms - obviously - but also my faves, bread, pasta, lentils etc. At least for the time being.

Didn't want to do Atkins - he's way tooo hardcore for my liking, Dukan had strange ideas that didn't seem to fit into  any lifestyle which is where Idiot Proof Diet (IPD) came in. I vaguely remembered reading about India Knight and her weight loss some years ago in the Independent, but wasn't mentally ready to give this the full attention it needed, but the name had seemed to stick - Pig to Twig. Sort of feels right eh girls? 

So here I am - ready to get started.