Originally Posted by Cory W

Its interesting, I actually learned all of this by "accident." Firstly, the main premise of what Dyna Mo says I totally agree with, and its the most important and essential: You have to learn what your body can and can't eat. If you ask me if he and I are on the same diet, I say yes every time; that's because the learning process is the main driving force in it all. Most people absolutely never get this. Now, a bit more on the reason that I say this.

I lived most of my 20s with bad stomach issues, I was in and out of ERs and Dr offices. I was diagnosed with everything from irritable bowel to anxiety. I grew up, like many here, in a family that didn't really understand diet. My mom told me to finish my plate, we ate a ton of fast food. I had sports coaches telling me to load up on pastas, Doritos and even candy bars. When I was a kid in Louisiana, I honestly thought that a Snickers could replace a meal (as the advertisement led us to believe). In college, I was an English major. I also still believed that a Snickers bar was a healthy meal supplement (while dissecting Nabakov). Throughout my childhood and 20s, not only did I battle stomach issues, but I also battled bloating issues (face, neck, stomach). I could never figure out why the hell one hour, I looked one way, the next, I looked (and felt) so much different. I used to think it was weather, or temperature, until I finally started to just think I was plain crazy.

In my late 20s, the Atkins diet came along and for some reason, I was totally sold. My entire life was spent never doing any sort of diet, but this one appealed. Immediately, of course, I lost weight. But something else stood out: I wasn't bloated nearly as much. Also, I was really happy (explain in a bit). I recall being so happy, having the times of my life. But then the condemnation came, friends, Drs, all telling me how absolutely unhealthy I was being. How I was just being a follower of some rogue marketing campaign. How we need our carbs. How I was going to have a heart attack. It made 0 sense to me though, I felt amazing.

Then came the complex carb fiasco. By 30, weight gain had kicked in, it was all primarily in my stomach. Also, worse more, my anxiety began to become a real issue. My anxiety became something that concerned me so much that I honestly didn't think I could live the rest of my life out in that condition. Of course, I blamed stress at work, stressful romantic lives, getting older, that's just life, all that. I went to a DR over it, they gave me Paxil and sent me on my way. A few years went by, I began self-medicating every night with wine. Nothing could make me happy. I even began going back to the gym on a daily basis, working out really hard, and well, thinking I was eating well. But instead of losing weight, I was gaining fat in my stomach and face.

Then one day I came home, so miserable, fatigued, depressed, the full gamut. And at that moment, I suddenly thought back to when I was on Atkins (something I hadn't thought of in ages). At that moment, I decided I was only going to eat meat and veg only. No sauces, nothing. The funniest part in all of this is that I was so totally desperate for any kind of change, that I didn't even know what change I wanted? I wanted anything. On the third day of this, I began to feel great. I began to feel so great that I started running the steps in West Hollywood. After a week of this, I thought I should add in more carbs. One morning at work, I ate two pieces of wheat bread. I almost collapsed. But more than fatigue, I realized something that changed the rest of my life: the anxiety was back. You see, I never really attached that my decreased anxiety and the dietary alteration were in sync. At that point, I realized one thing: The food going into my body effected WAY more than just my weight, it was the centerpiece to my moods, positivity, energy levels, bloating, skin, etc.

The two killers for me: Fructose and Gluten. Hands down. I am a totally different person with, and without them (preferring the latter, clearly). The point in this is that my weight loss was a mere by-product of the other incredible effects that the diet had on me. I remember the first time I went out after clearing that out of my system, the weight was one of the last things that people noticed?whites of my eyes, my skin, my general happiness. I remember having rashes on my legs that I thought were just normal, like, I mean, they'd been there for over 10 years. They were gone within 5 days. Not to mention my focus is now through the roof. And to tell you the truth, I don't miss any of that other food, not one single bit.

In Sharky's thread, him being prescribed Adderol really took me back. If I break my arm, I will go to the DR and ask them to put a cast on. I will never go to a DR over dietary needs, anxiety, weight gain, etc. They don't know shit about it. It took me a long time to learn that.

These days, I box at night. Not like aerobic boxing, but real boxing. I eat some broccoli, spinach and chicken before I go. I never get tired. So for me, while I love the being fit portion, its so much more for me.

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give some clarification on where I come from. : )