today marks 60 pounds lost.

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JustinH

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About a year ago, I decided to cut carbs from my diet for a few reasons.

Wanted to lose weight, and wanted to control a neurological condition which research has shown a gluten free diet may improve. I also wanted to get rid of my CPAP machine, I hate it.

I was about 6'5'' and weighed about 270 pounds.

Today I stepped on the scale at 209 pounds.

I have been eating a low carb diet, less than 20 net carbs per day. I have been drinking 100 ounces of water every day. I strive to drink a gallon but can't always do it.

Exercise includes walking a few miles a day, and light weights at home, nothing crazy. Also swimming a few laps twice a week.

Very little alcohol, absolutely no sugar, no bread, no pasta, grain, rice, potato. A few days a week I eat high fat meals such as bacon, fried eggs, burgers, etc.

So a year ago my doctor was talking about blood pressure medication, there is no need for that. I am well within normal ranges now.

Testosterone levels improved, feel great. Cholesterol levels are all within range. Neurological issue has improved, I don't need to take medication for it any longer, but not cured.

Sleep apnea is still present unfortunately, and my sleep doctor advised me that the location of my jaw is affecting my airway, and that low weight may not cure my sleep apnea as it does most patients. So he is fitting me for a device to hold my jaw forward, which i hope is more comfortable than a cpap machine.

Feeling great, and looking forward to my outdoor pool being open in my community down here in Texas, so I can walk down there after work and get some laps in.
 
Congrats - low carb is the way to go. I read "Protein Power" in 2010 and that started me on the way to results similar to yours. Most people try to avoid fat, that's the worst thing you can do. New evidence is pointing to saturated fat being healthy. Besides staying low carb, avoid all vegetable oils - they are evil - especially when exposed to high heat. I use coconut & olive oil only along with butter. Keep it up Justin, you've added years & quality to your life.
 
Congratulations on your achievement.

Don't let yourself get dragged from that into "but"...doing great, and keep doing it.
 
I've never been convinced that the low/no carb fad is a good long term lifestyle. There is significant supporting evidence that such a fad diet induces some long term health issues including muscle weakness, cramping and diarrhea. In addition, it's possible to put additional stress on your liver as high levels of ammonia are produced when it has to deal with producing glucose from fats and proteins. The body isn't able to produce as much mucus, causing the immune system to become impaired and the risk of infections increase, as does long term cancer risks.

When you look at regions of the world where populations have the longest, healthiest lifespans, those diets always include 3 key things: a large percentage of diet comes from plants, around 65 percent of the diet is complex carbs, and the diet includes beans on a daily basis. Places such as Ikaria, Greece and Sardinia, Italy have the longest lived, healthiest populations on earth, and don't eat a low/no carb diet. Those areas have virtually no fast/processed foods and no junk food.

While I congratulate you on dropping the weight, doing it with fad diets may not be the smartest way to better health.
 
Congrats, well done man!
thumbsup2.gif
 
Nice job. I also agree with Pop Rivit. Numerous carbs have excellent nutritional value, especially veggies and fruits. It's the processed pasta/flours, sugars, breads (esp white), white potatoes, fried foods, corn products, etc. that are certainly somewhat weak to non-existant on nutrients while being high glycemic as well. But eating green/red/orange/purple/blue whole food carbs for example is a good thing. While I'd consider processed orange juice a carb to avoid...eating or squeezing whole oranges is not. Same comment for the healthful fats (nuts, seeds, avocados, omega 3 heavy oils, eggs, non-farmed fish, etc.).

I'd continue to do some more research and check it out for yourself. Nutritionfacts.org is a good place to start. Burgers, fries, and bacon are not good choices, especially at a few times per week. There are better sources for proteins like quinoa/beans/legumes/fish/etc. Surprisingly, you can get some protein from veggies too. Burgers and fries could work doing fresh game/grass fed meat and baked sweet potato fries.
 
That is really great news!

Well done!

I'm no dietitian- so I won't comment on your choice of diet, but regardless of diet choice, you have to realize that this must be a lifestyle change, not a temporary thing, to keep yourself where you want. I don't know how old you are, but I'll tell you, that at 53, the "challenges" of maintaining one's weight are much more demanding than they were when I was a few decades younger.

I've got family members who've had great success with the Paleo approach, but it's not easy to maintain that discipline when our grocery store shelves are filled with empty calories and processed foods.

The key word in any approach is discipline. Capitalize on your success by maintaining the discipline that it took to achieve that success.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Astro14
I've got family members who've had great success with the Paleo approach, but it's not easy to maintain that discipline when our grocery store shelves are filled with empty calories and processed foods.


Yeah, I've wondered about the Paleo approach, cave men didn't actually have that long a lifespan, around 25-35 so why are they copying their diet again?
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Congrats. How old are you ?

I see lots of people my age (early 50's) with pot bellies.


35 years old.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
I've never been convinced that the low/no carb fad is a good long term lifestyle. There is significant supporting evidence that such a fad diet induces some long term health issues including muscle weakness, cramping and diarrhea. In addition, it's possible to put additional stress on your liver as high levels of ammonia are produced when it has to deal with producing glucose from fats and proteins. The body isn't able to produce as much mucus, causing the immune system to become impaired and the risk of infections increase, as does long term cancer risks.

When you look at regions of the world where populations have the longest, healthiest lifespans, those diets always include 3 key things: a large percentage of diet comes from plants, around 65 percent of the diet is complex carbs, and the diet includes beans on a daily basis. Places such as Ikaria, Greece and Sardinia, Italy have the longest lived, healthiest populations on earth, and don't eat a low/no carb diet. Those areas have virtually no fast/processed foods and no junk food.

While I congratulate you on dropping the weight, doing it with fad diets may not be the smartest way to better health.


Not sure if I would consider it a fad diet. I consider it a way of eating.

My carbs come from vegetables that grow above the ground. I eat tons of green vegetables every day. I only count net carbs and try to stay under 20 for the day. Now that I am at my goal weight, I will try to stay under 50.

I eat no sugar, no fruits. Only vegetables, meat and dairy, and nuts.

All my meat comes from a local butcher, not walmart grocery store.

Most vegetables I purchase are from a farmers market. I eat grass fed butter, full fat sour cream.

I only eat real food, almost nothing out of a box.

I would not call store shelf bread full of preservatives something I need to eat because it fits the government's food pyramid. Same with boxed grain. I have no need for it.
 
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: Astro14
I've got family members who've had great success with the Paleo approach, but it's not easy to maintain that discipline when our grocery store shelves are filled with empty calories and processed foods.


Yeah, I've wondered about the Paleo approach, cave men didn't actually have that long a lifespan, around 25-35 so why are they copying their diet again?


LOL, and when grains domesticated the human race (early agriculture), we lived even less long, suffered nutritional deficiencies, and showed marked skeletal changes due to becoming beasts of burden...at least we exercised in both regimes.
 
In evolutionary terms heavier meant more able to survive in times of famine.
Now 60lb lighter you can enjoy better mpg, better 0-60 and better health
smile.gif
everyone's a winner
smile.gif


I disagree with the dietary comments though, you can eat whatever you want so long as the exercise is there to balance it out.
 
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