Entry 1
ncprice1
Posts: 20 Member
Hello Beloveds.
Here's how it all started:
My goal was was to reverse the onset of metabolic syndrome and, by extrapolation, diabetes. I remember one day when my mother was putting her various medications into her pill organizer, she looked up at me with great seriousness and said,"I don't want this for you." That day, that moment, I made up my mind to live low carb.
Her warning was not out of the blue. Just a few weeks prior, my blood test results showed what I understood to be the beginnings of the metabolic syndrome that leads invariably to diabetes. At 75, she is only going to accept so much change in her life and in her diet. But at 46, with a relatively adventuresome spirit, I would be able to embrace it.
I had failed on every low fat and low carb diet I had ever tried, most in less than 2 weeks. I knew that I would fail again if something didn't change. But all the books I had were written around 2006 or so. Impressed by the China Study, I considered vegetarianism or possibly a Japanese-style diet. Further research proved that neither would work well for me over the long haul. I like food. I need certain flavors and textures. And as a woman of color, I need - not want - need SOUL FOOD.
Then, just before the holidays, I started finding more and more information on LCHF and Keto. I read all that I could find, especially the medical/scientific findings. I found what had been missing from my prior attempts at dieting: fat. The concept that low carb must balanced with high fat resonated with me. It made sense.
I began on January 1. I went from 226 to 219 in 2 weeks. No cravings, no real problems. I never had a clear idea of how what my carb budget should be, so I just focused on eating my veggies and keeping my fat intake as high as I could get it. The result was an average carb intake of around 40g per day, so I set my budget at 30 to 40.
Keto flu manifested in the form of short, intense dizzy spells and occasional light-headedness that scared me into upping my carbs. Once I found the solution (increase sodium), I returned to my lower carb budget; but I had gained back 5 pounds in the interim.
As of today, I have lost 3 of those 5 pounds, so my current weight is 221. I am thrilled!
Going forward, my journal will include my weight, at lease one non-scale victory, a recipe or tip, and an inspiring passage or verse.
That's all for now,
NC
Here's how it all started:
My goal was was to reverse the onset of metabolic syndrome and, by extrapolation, diabetes. I remember one day when my mother was putting her various medications into her pill organizer, she looked up at me with great seriousness and said,"I don't want this for you." That day, that moment, I made up my mind to live low carb.
Her warning was not out of the blue. Just a few weeks prior, my blood test results showed what I understood to be the beginnings of the metabolic syndrome that leads invariably to diabetes. At 75, she is only going to accept so much change in her life and in her diet. But at 46, with a relatively adventuresome spirit, I would be able to embrace it.
I had failed on every low fat and low carb diet I had ever tried, most in less than 2 weeks. I knew that I would fail again if something didn't change. But all the books I had were written around 2006 or so. Impressed by the China Study, I considered vegetarianism or possibly a Japanese-style diet. Further research proved that neither would work well for me over the long haul. I like food. I need certain flavors and textures. And as a woman of color, I need - not want - need SOUL FOOD.
Then, just before the holidays, I started finding more and more information on LCHF and Keto. I read all that I could find, especially the medical/scientific findings. I found what had been missing from my prior attempts at dieting: fat. The concept that low carb must balanced with high fat resonated with me. It made sense.
I began on January 1. I went from 226 to 219 in 2 weeks. No cravings, no real problems. I never had a clear idea of how what my carb budget should be, so I just focused on eating my veggies and keeping my fat intake as high as I could get it. The result was an average carb intake of around 40g per day, so I set my budget at 30 to 40.
Keto flu manifested in the form of short, intense dizzy spells and occasional light-headedness that scared me into upping my carbs. Once I found the solution (increase sodium), I returned to my lower carb budget; but I had gained back 5 pounds in the interim.
As of today, I have lost 3 of those 5 pounds, so my current weight is 221. I am thrilled!
Going forward, my journal will include my weight, at lease one non-scale victory, a recipe or tip, and an inspiring passage or verse.
That's all for now,
NC
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Replies
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congratulations on your progress so far.
Health was a big motivator for me when I started this journey, too. (though I have to be honest that now I just love the way I feel and even without health concerns wouldn't want to go back.)
I look forward to reading your journal, and following your efforts
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Good Luck !0 -
Thank you
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We are at similar starting weight. I look forward to following your progress!0
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I want to wish you luck and am excited to be on a similar journey with you! 0
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Good luck on this journey, I have a friend from my town that has been on one of the Keto variants and she has dropped 40 pounds with it and is a very happy girl. I hope you can find similar happiness with your program!0
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Congrats on your progress! Where did you find the info on LFHC and keto? Was it through web searches or a particular book?0
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Hello All,
-- It's been a few days since I checked in and, wow, has this group grown! Thanks totaldetermination for starting this.
-- So many of you have been kind enough to wish me well on this journey - thank you all so much!
-- ChamayneF: I researched online for about 2 months. Most of it was online because the books that I had were based on older research and I knew there had to be more recent findings. The strong scale-tipping information on LCHF came from FitterU, Dr. Stephen Phinney, Dr. Tim Noakes, Prof. Jeff Volek, and others - many related lectures are offered for free on YouTube from Diet Doctor. I was struck by the number of physicians who advocated LCHF simply because the government recommended diets designed to address heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc CONSISTENTLY failed. I also found and read every single journal article and abstract mentioned by them and also by critics. FitterU provides the most concise and easily understood info.
-- Weight: 217.
-- NonScale Victory: Spending all of Friday having to keep pulling up my pants. They were need-Spanx-tight two weeks ago. Now they are almost too big. Yay.
-- Tip: Adding butter to my nightly cup of broth provides the double benefit of sodium supplementation and additional essential fuel. No more dizzy spells and, for me at least, better sleep.
--Food for Thought: If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten. If your road isn't leading you to a good place, choose a new one. It really is that simple.
Love and bacon!
NC0 -
Congrats on your success! I love your approach to change and your NSV.0
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Hello All!
I'm kind of wishing I'd given my little journal a better name than "Entry 1." Oh, well - live and learn.
Weight: 216 (that's 10 pounds...yay!)
NonScale Victory: I confirmed that I am in dietary ketosis.
Tip: One very classic topping for berries is sweetened sour cream. I tried it with blueberries and it was awesome. Give it a try.
Food for Thought: One of the great benefits of LCHF/Keto is enhanced mental clarity and focus. It's wonderful. But remember that the people around you are not experiencing this benefit - so let's remember to be patient and not pushy.
Bright blessings,
NC
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10 Pounds is a great loss so far, congrats!
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I'm also doing LCHF, though not to ketosis. "Love & Bacon"... I love it!0
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great progress !0
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