I was absent from the gym for two and a half weeks.
The first week was self-imposed after my blood pressure rose above the normal range—no thanks to the carb-loading that began in the second half of November 2025. Carb intake triggers carb cravings, hence the difficulty of switching back to low-carb.
The second week was on my low-carb doctor’s advice so I could monitor my blood pressure and ensure it was stable before returning to the gym.
“Listen to your body”—this has always been the advice from low-carb doctors and coaches.
Okay. I listened to my body when it said, “I want carbs. Now.”
So let’s complete that advice this way: Listen to your body—and ignore its carb cravings.
But how? That’s the question from the high-carb dieter.
I did it cold turkey. Others prefer a slower approach: no veggie oils today, no bread the next day, no rice the day after—until the low-carb menu is fully adopted.
I’m the only low-carb dieter in my corner of the world. That’s why I’ve joined low-carb group chats—to have a community where I can share my struggles.
It’s advisable to have a low-carb doctor for guidance, and Cagayan de Oro is lucky to have two: Dr. Don Agcopra and Dr. Ramon Yap. For online consultation, I turn to Dr. Suzeth Encarnado, who’s now familiar with my “nadapa” challenges.
It’s only through low-carb that I’ve been able to maintain my weight loss. I’ve been there, done that with calorie deficits, protein supplements, and fiber supplements—which, by the way, didn’t reduce my blood pressure.
Still, no diet can be rammed down anyone’s throat. It’s the dieter who decides which diet to adopt.
It’s difficult to explain this diet to high-carb dieters. I guess the easiest way is to just say I’m allergic to carbs.
Allergies are understandable. Even at restaurants, the wait staff will ask if you’re allergic to seafood whenever the dish you want contains shellfish. Some people are allergic to peanuts—and no one would dare force them to eat it.
But for carbs, this is the usual line I hear: “Karon ra bitaw.” “It’s only now.” As if it would be easy for me to switch back to low-carb at the next meal. Hmm… not.
I’ve often heard this in the low-carb community: no one would dare give alcohol to a recovering alcoholic, shabu to a recovering drug addict, or a cigarette to a recovering smoker. So why do people give sugar to sugar addicts? Many aren’t aware that sugar can be addictive too.
Carbs are sugar. They turn into glucose once they’re inside the body. Examples include rice, bread, cake, kakanin, soda, 3-in-1 coffee, chocolates, candy, ice cream, ice drop, nuts, fruits, vegetables, root crops, cupcakes, muffins, fruit pies, nut pies, egg pie, pizza, pasta, instant noodles, fruit juices, yogurt drinks, and sweetened yogurt—and so on, ad infinitum, ad nauseam.
The body doesn’t strictly need dietary sugar, since the liver can produce glucose. However, excess sugar can contribute to fat storage if energy needs are exceeded.
Wish me luck as I continue my health journey.
