I'm really worried that I'm harming myself. Does anyone else feel this way ??
There are lots of people who feel that way so you are not alone.
Back in the 1980s, people started experimenting with zero carbohydrate diets or protein only diets and, for weight loss, they did work. You could eat as many cheese and bacon sandwiches as you wanted, as long as you used steak instead of bread. Protein only interfered with the way food was digested and consequently, you lost weight. As far as I remember, it was ten days on the diet and ten days off the diet and then the cycle would be repeated. The problem was, you got very sick of it and you felt ill. As a short term weight loss diet, if you could stick it out, you'd lose a couple of stone.
Most nutritionists didn't like that sort of diet as they preferred a balanced diet. The Atkins diet was one such development. You were allowed a certain amount of carbs.but, as soon as you eat carbs you will start to convert an excess intake of protein and fat into the body as body fat so, it's quite tricky to get the balance right. The balance, is also personal. It depends on your own metabolism and how active you are. Not everyone processes food in the same way and it is the main reason why there is no such thing as 'the real diet for everyone'.
Health professionals have warned against high cholesterol and excessive consumption of fats because of fears of heart disease. Again, this is valid for some people but not for all because personal lifestyle and personal metabolism are major factors. As a precaution, if you eat more fatty foods, you should be more active physically. This is not to burn off the calories but because excerise helps the way fats are processed. It literally alters the blood chemistry and can halve the lipids in the blood.
Most things can be experimented with. I started by eating only complex carbs and halving the portion sizes but also did things like cut off the excess fat on bacon and other meats. I had major improrements in all my blood chemistry but, I was eating too much protein, as evidenced in my albumin to creatinine ratio. My ACR was elevated. I am now experimenting by eating more fish and poultry and not as much red meat and I also eat two vegetarian meals per week rather than one. Let's see what my results will be in six months.
You have to be prepared to experiment and whilst cutting down on carbs is important, cutting down on refined carbs is more important than cutting down on complex carbs. If you want to lose weight, cut out some protein and some fat as well.
