The holidays did nothing to dissuade individuals from making a commitment to eat healthy. In fact, they did just the opposite as was evident with the huge turnout at the latest Low Carb Revolution meeting held last week at the Clarion Hotel.

More than 100 individuals, many of them first-timers, came out to hear what all the fuss is about with regard to changing to a low-carb lifestyle.

The low-carb group, organized by Melanie Miller and Terry Caswell who joined forces with Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, has met two previous times and draws in more individuals each time.

Last Thursday’s meeting saw several guest speakers who were there to share their expertise in the areas of healthy eating. The first on the docket was Scott Anderson, chef at Shepherd University, who spoke about his own journey into the low-carb world.

“It’s not an easy walk to change and get healthy,” Anderson said. He challenged guests to carry around a five or 10-pound bag of sugar to see what they have lost or what they could lose by switching to a more low-carb, healthy diet.

Also sharing thoughts for the night was Amy Berger, M.S., with TuitNutrition.

A nutritionist, Berger said that she hopes to dispel the theory of fat being bad. She explained that the official government regulation bases diet on starchy carbohydrates-something she says, folks don’t need at all.

“There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate,” Berger said. “The body needs amino acids (proteins) and fatty acids (Omega 3/6) but not carbs.”

While carbs and sugars give energy on an immediate basis, Berger explained, one needs their body to burn fat. Glucose (carbs) will be used first, she said, and as long as that is what one continues to put into their body, that is what will be used for energy, leaving the fat behind.

“If you want to burn fat, you have to eat fat,” Berger said. “It does no good to keep filling up on carbs.” And while exercise is a good thing, it is not the key to weight loss.

In fact, Berger said, “what matters more is what your body is burning 22 hours a day and not the two hours a day you are working out.”

Following Berger’s encouraging speech, former Redskin Ken Harvey stood up to share about his move toward healthy eating. Jokingly he said that as long as he was playing football, he was in great shape.

“As I’ve gotten older,” he said, “it’s catching up. I thought that as long as my shoulders were bigger than my waist, I was okay.” But, he went on to say, “That was a bad mindset.”

Harvey encouraged all in the group to find a buddy to encourage them in their healthy diet walk.

“It’s important to have a support group,” he said as he explained that when he played football and had his best season with 13 sacks, his motivation came from fellow players Tim Johnson and Monty Coleman who continuously encouraged him.

“Negativity gets stuck in your brain,” Harvey said. “You have to lift your mindset above that and get with people who motivate you.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, Miller shared that she had received a package from Glen Finkle, who worked with Dr. Eric Westman on the New Adkins movement that contained Adapt Bars, a new low-carb snack. The snacks are not yet available for sale in the United States; however, Miller will provide information on their availability on her Facebook site, Melanie’s Weight Loss Journey.

Also to be found at her site is information on the Low Carb Revolution in general including links to the New Adkins Diet, what foods are low-carb and when the next meeting of the Low Carb Revolution group will take place.