1 Year, 80 lbs - Progress Pics

Thanks for all of your encouraging and kind words! You guys are awesome!!!

As for tips, here goes!

Sleep! Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. It seems basic, but sleep makes a huge difference. Sleep is when your body breaks down your fat.

Drink! Drink a ton of water. Water plays a very important role in breaking down and eliminating your stored fat.

Eat! Eat when you are hungry. I don’t care if it’s 10pm, I eat when I’m hungry. Fortunately, being on a low carb, high (sat) fat, moderate protein diet, you are kept satiated much longer than when you are eating a standard north American diet, riding the rollercoaster of blood sugar spikes and drops. I never get the shakes from needing to eat. I feel entirely different.

Here are the basics of my plan:
I don’t care about calories. If you are following this plan, and strictly adhering to the carbohydrate restrictions, and not losing ANY weight, only then do you concern yourself with your calories. I also don’t care about saturated fat. I avoid trans fat, which would be in processed foods, and hydrogenated vegetable oils. I use olive oil, or coconut oil, but never canola oil, or other chemically extracted oils.

As far as beverages go, I have coffee (though it usually has 1 carb per cup, so you have to keep that in mind), tea, water, and some diet sodas (though it is best to avoid soda altogether). I use full-fat whipping cream in place of half & half or creamer in my coffee (in Canada, Lactantia from Superstore is zero carb). I use liquid splenda in my coffee, and cooking. I get it at www.splendex.net.

Some people will find that if they have any diet sodas, or any sweetened foods – even sugar free ones – they won’t lose weight. You have to determine your body’s own tolerance for fake sweeteners. Diet sodas don’t stall me, but Maltitol (found in some sugar free candies, syrups, chocolates) does stall me, as it has a very high glycemic index. That means it still causes my body to release insulin, and therefore is treated like carbohydrates by my body.

Along with heavy whipping cream, I have carb-free full-fat mayo, some sour cream, butter (not margarine) and hard cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella). I have small measured quantities of cottage cheese.
Eggs are excellent! They have carbs, but I don't actually count them against my 20 - 35/day.

I eat unprocessed meat (read the labels on bacon/sausages/lunch meats/burgers, as most have high-carb fillers) in about 3 servings of 30g each (I am NOT on a high protein diet), and measured quantities of lower carb, non-root veggies.

I do have some nuts. I just count the carbs (I love almonds, but they also stall me!). I have berries, cherries, and melon, but not watermelon!

You have to be aware of your own body's rhythms. For me, every month I plateau for two weeks, then GAIN 4 - 8 lbs in PMS, then drop that gained 4 - 8 following my TOM, and then drop another 2 - 10 lbs the week after. Then it's back to the plateau. It's best to chart for a few months before you freak out. LOL!

You can find low carb recipes for virtually everything at www.genaw.com . I also get groceries from http://lowcarbcanada.ca/ and http://thelowcarbgrocery.com/ . In the states, most of the same products can be bought on at Amazon.com (things like low carb ketchup, Just The Cheese baked cheese snacks, etc.).

I also really recommend reading Gary Taubes' Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It. That book helped me understand the science behind why this way of life works as well as it does, and why it is not only safe, but healthier. At first I was really afraid about eating high fat, moderate protein, and low carb, but now I feel confident that it is a totally healthy way of life!

Very Cool!!! What's your next goal? (Not that you need one, but just curious.. of what you are going to do now !!!! )

I still have another 50 lbs to go, but I have started working on other goals as well.

I had been off of work on disability when I started this process. I've since returned to work, and have decided to pursue a career in management. That's currently in the works.

Also, ten years ago I dropped out of University because my health was so horrible. I'm now feeling so great, it's definitely time to head back and finish. I've reapplied, and this past week I received my acceptance letter! I will be going to University part time while working, but I start back in January 2012. I'm nervous, but very excited!