Wow, you’re doing really well!

It’s amazing how many carbs the average person eats once you start counting them!

I started on low carb last June, and my progression has been a LOT slower than yours, but I have lost 11 lbs. A bit over 1 lb. a month. But at least I am going in the right direction!

I love sweets,so it was hard at first. But you get used to it. And I allow myself a small no. of carbs so it’s not so strict. I can’t live without dark chocolate.

I still have to cook regular meals for my 3 guys every night...I just eat the protein and the veggie and let them eat the bread and potatoes and dessert.

I would love to try a few new things, though, you have given me some good ideas.

Hope your recent experience in Cleveland went well. Did your family like the Botanical Gardens?

I told my daughter that for me, carbs are poison The almond flour biscotti were good, softly crunchy, not real sweet, but satisfying. The meringues have a great texture, but an aftertaste from the Stevia.

We all lose weight (or gain it) at different rates. I might have more to lose than you do too. I think the weight loss is slowing down, and I usually lose at least 10 lbs over the holidays (not stressful, nope, not a bit!) I cook for myself, so I have no temptations right now. That helps so much.

The visit to Cleveland worked out really well. My eye is better, but I did have to get a shot. At my friend's house, we saw her sister, who is another neighborhood girl we grew up with. At the Botanical Garden, my sister and her boyfriend met the others and they all had a great time. After that, we went to dinner, so I got to visit a little too. The kids loved the gardens, and I think their Mom, my daughter, wants to plan other visits to Cleveland's cultural center. She really wanted to see the Michelangelo sketches. I told her to see if they will be at another museum and maybe she can go there. I heard that Toledo has a world class art museum, and Columbus has a good one as well.

Happy New Year!

Congratulations on your great progress with your health!

I bet she doesn't get to go Cleveland has had some terrific exhibitions Hope they have more coming.

I'm able to stay slim with low carb and workouts.

Whenever I cheat, I get my ass to the gym.

Also, my uncle said his triglycerides went way down when he went low carb.

Keep up the good work.

to low-carb vegetarian, and started exercising. She lost over 40 lbs, which I didn't think she had, and she has kept it off. I think she's a little thin, but she is happy. Her husband joined her on the same food plan and he lost about 40 lbs, too. Whenever they go on vacation, they walk all over the place.

It was a high carb, low fat plan in the 90's I lost about 50 lbs and kept it off for over 5 years. But then, started having trouble with sugar. I've started to move away from meat again, try to find a balance that keeps me healthy.

That is wonderful news about your partner. What an accomplishment to get off insulin and get the numbers down! I read that eggs are good for you if you're a diabetic. My daughter is a renal dietitian and helps me find recipes and ingredients that will keep me on track.

it does get boring sooner or later.

I'm exploring. Use different kinds of salad dressings, tried some new recipes. I saw a recipe on facebook, where you clean and slice mushrooms into a pan, then top them with cheese and bake it. I added some turkey pepperoni, sliced black olives and diced sun-dried tomatoes. It is a really tasty replacement for pizza. I've had that 3 times since Oct. Had fried cabbage with onion and bacon. I could live on that, lol.

but I remember making cauliflower pizza crust with mozzarella and then adding pepperoni and more cheese to cook the pizza. It was great!

They even sell the pre-made cauliflower crusts now.

I've been making those shirataki noodles; just in a frying pan with spices and sometimes spaghetti sauce. The ones I get have zero calories so they are good to eat at night.

I've just started on a good diet and lost about 6 pounds so far. I also have to follow a food allergy diet.

Hearing success stories gives me hope. Thanks!

Oh, and on the miracle noodle site they actually sell hamburger buns and some other muffin type things made from the noodles. I might get some.

I did a quick search and it looks like there are some different kinds.

My daughter just treated me to a cauliflower crust pizza. I liked it, but with the toppings only casserole, I did her one better.

I'll check out the website and see if I want to add things back.

It is tough having food allergies. I have a friend who has to be so careful about what she eats or she has problems. And I know some children with dairy allergies. They have dangerous allergies, so when they visit, the hosts are very careful.

Good luck on your food plan!

In them are a no go but some are not so bad.

Plus it says I am allergic to cows milk so I got some goats milk but I don't want to go crazy with it.

Now that I'm looking, I am amazed at the variety of products. And seems like new things every day

I actually used the meter to test foods, since my metabolic defect is that my sugar spikes well over 200 if I eat the wrong things. I found some supposedly safe low-GI foods weren't for me. And it was effortless, since there's nothing like 240 on the meter to say "don't eat that again." I lost 40 pounds in 3 months, and also lost a host of health problems including my ever more frequent attacks of gout. Used to have an attack every month or two, now haven't had one at all since well before 2010. I discovered all this when I was 42, and I just wish I'd had some idea sooner but I'm glad I at least salvaged what I could of my health before it was too late.

It's got to be wonderful not to have recurring gout. I've never had it, but my sister did. I've noticed some improvements in my health. I'm in my 60s and I'm having less cravings since I started eating this way.

I wish I would have listened to people sooner, but I think I am addressing the health problems before they are serious. I hope!

Some people just couldn't BELIEVE what I was doing, how could I POSSIBLY live without sweets or pasta or potatoes. What I found was that it was hard for about three weeks -- and then it got really easy. I could stare down foods that had just weeks before been irresistably tempting. I think it's the presence of cheap carbs in our diet that triggers our craving for more cheap carbs. After all, in nature that's storable energy, and could come in handy during an upcoming lean time, but for modern humans there really are no upcoming lean times and we just pack it on. I'm not as strict today as I was back then but I've learned that I can push it a bit for a meal now and then because the condition is chronic.

I ignored any cravings that tried to flare up. Now, as you say, not having cravings. At New Year's , I had about 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes with my dinner. That was enough. lol

Parrish (I THINK his name is) -- Flav City? -- has a few YouTube trips to Costco with keto/low carb in mind. Maybe monkfruit instead of stevia for the sweets? I've been subbing a 100% dark chocolate from Trader Joe's for the occasional choc cravings -- a little square satisfies me. Oh -- and go to other culture's cuisines for TONS of low carb flavors! I cut out wheat, sugar and alcohol around the time you made your changes and have also dropped 20+ # without even thinking about it.

If I make a list, she'll shop for me. I can shop on Amazon if I have to, for things I can't get locally. I read about monkfruit, had already gotten a bag of stevia.

I found some cocoa coated coconut strips at Dollar Tree. They are really good, crunchy and sweet. The bag has 2 servings, but I stretch it out to 5 or 6. I'm trying to end this lifelong relationship with certain food lol

You are doing awesome. Are you exercising more than you did? Or just changing your diet?

things. I want to ease into way more veggies, fewer carbs. I have been eating only when hungry, so a baby form of Intermittent Fasting. I also want to ease into exercise via T-Tapp and yoga.

I used to fast before I started a diet. I think I was trying to make my body grateful I might add it to my plan.

My friend leads a chair exercise session at the gym. I need to start going.

lol

No sugar at all is needed for the yeast. I mix it right into the flour, whole wheat or white rises just fine, I do prefer king Arthur flour.

In case no one said hi

I've baked for almost 50 years. The yeast I got from Aldi's is very slow. I got some from Kroger's and it works faster. Not that I'm in a hurry, but I would plan to have the bread put together, risen and baked the same day. I might try it without sugar. I have a started for sourdough, and another DUer told me how to make natural starter.

you'll figure out to adjust the amount of flour. I've used brown rice, millet, oatmeal (makes a lovely chewy dough), wild rice, rye berries, etc -- it'll give you more roughage and the taste is delish. Don't be afraid of what it looks like when you first add the grains -- bread is very forgiving. Have you tried honey instead of sugar?

and added them other times. I have flax seeds I might add. I'm not bored with eating. Yet. lol

carbs from all that flour.

Added to the yeast is the least of theproblem. Any bread is almost completely carbs

but, by making my own, I can leave out carbs that bakeries add in, such as high fructose corn sugar, honey, sugar, and so on. I'm not gluten intolerant, and not on medicine for sugar, so I don't have to avoid any food, just eat less of it in general. When I have the loaf of unsliced bread, I can cut it as thin as I want, which also makes a difference in carb amounts.

So instead of having fresh-baked bread in ridiculous amounts, I have a skinny slice at breakfast. By making it rather than buying store bread, it is becoming less of a treat, so it is easier to stick to 1 piece.

And I would love to have your recipe...love sourdough but don't know how to make it. Can you post?

For the last batch of starter, I used a lump of roll dough I had put together. So this batch had milk, butter, yeast, unbleached flour and 1/2 tsp. of salt. I don't know if it'll get sour or go bad. lol Other times, I used flour and water, about 2 cups of each, some sugar, and 1/2 pack of yeast. Kept it at room temperature until it started working, then put it in a glass jar, and stuck it in the fridge. Fed it about 1/2 cup of flour, tsp sugar each week, and added water if it was too dry. If I made bread, I used a cup and replaced it with the same amount of flour, and water. I don't think I used sugar after I got it started.

In the past, like 20 years ago, I found a recipe online to begin a starter. I used that starter for a year or so, and stopped feeding it, I think.

There are a lot of recipes and methods for starters online, and on another post, DUer getagrip shared a method for making a natural starter:
*************************************************************************
But really all it takes is some fresh whole wheat flour that hasn't been treated. Even some wheat from a whole food type market crushed up and put into a flour and water solution will work.

The key is to continuously throw away half your starter. Seems wasteful, but it isn't if you are dealing with a quarter cup of slurry. Each day, just take half and throw it away, then add 1/8 cup of fresh flour and a 1/8 cup of warm water. mix and keep warm.

After w few days you should start to notice bubbles forming. At that point don't throw any out, but add 1/4 cup flour and water. Then a 1/2 cup and so on until you are up to about 2 or 3 cups.

At that point, use a cup for starter, and feed a cup of water and flour back. Then refrigerate. When you want to bake again, just let it warm up, then add a cup of water and water, wait a day, and take the cup of starter out to use.

The initial wild yeasts come from the flour you use to feed it, not your kitchen. Over time your kitchen yeasts will join the party and the flavor profile will alter slightly.

It's all good. Just don't use chlorinated water.

*********************************************************************************

We had a nice discussion about sourdough bread. If you want better ideas, you could post in the Home & Family> Cooking & Baking topic. It is very active and fun to read

In jars the packets cost a fortune, two pounds of red star yeast is around 7.00. I do make sourdough its easy enough to make starter from leftover dough. My favorite bread recipe book is the King Arthur flour cookbook, 600 pages it covers everything.

I kept it in the freezer. I didn't bake bread and rolls as often over the years, but I've stepped it up since Oct. When I shop online, I might try to find some bulk yeast.

Bread is sugar. But there are some decent almond flour recipes.

The recipe is so heavy on the eggs that I'm calling it my challah substitute.

I had to check what challah was. Now I want to make some!

I know how much I like bread and thought that making my own would give me control over ingredients. When I make a loaf, it lasts for more than a week, so not horrible. I'm staying about 70-95 carbs a day.

I cut out all alcohol. Almost all bread and really watch the sugar and carbs.

I feel better and I sleep better.

I wanted to get my sugar down, but losing some weight is a bonus. I was digging through my closet and found several things I can wear again. lol

I tried a low-carb diet about 5 or 6 years ago. It was really hard but I stuck with it for over 6 months and had good weight-loss. In addition to slimming down a little, I lost about 20 pounds within that time period. However I had 2 problems with low-carb dieting: I was experiencing headaches/dizziness due to low levels of potassium (as I later found out) and also I learned that carbos taste so damn good! All my favorite foods are carb based, so it seems. After dropping that diet I slowly gained back some weight, however I was able to strike a balance in cutting down on sugary soft drinks etc. It's really tough and I give you credit for sticking with your low-carb diet.

I take bp med and recently had to up the dose. Then stopped eating a banana every day. I eat avocados, several a week, which is supposed to help with cholesterol, and they have lots of potassium. I love everything carb, but if I stay away from it all, I'm not craving it.

When I find something is out of whack, I want to fix it. Knowing my sugar was getting high, I am happy right now not eating the way I was. I hope I can stay on this long-term. I need to stay away from pizza for sure. lol

I found that switching to Coke Zero (no sugar) was a great help, and I still drink it exclusively.

and recently discovered the Sparkling Ice drinks.

A while back, I read that diet drinks cause you body to react the same as with sugared drinks, so I stopped drinking a can every day. A 12 pk. last about a month. I drink lots of water.

If your tap water tastes good, get a Sodastream. Mostly I just want something fizzy after a meal but it doesn’t have to be sweet. It’s surprisingly satisfying and has zero calories and carbs.

If your tap water sucks, try a Brita filter and Sodastream.

Now I don’t drink sodas at all. If I go out to eat, I get a small bottle of San Pellegrino. But SP is now owned by Nestle, a company that steals ground water, so I don’t buy that regularly.

I use that water for coffee and tea. I drink water out of the tap, so I get the fluoride. It tastes ok and comes from a small public company. They send a water quality report every year, seems to be safe

n/t

Glad you found something that works for you and you're taking care of yourself.

Thanks!

Congratulations, and keep up the great work !


I had reduced my carbs, and cut out the sweets, but it wasn't enough.
I dropped the carbs lower, and that got me off one of my meds.
I'm hoping to get off the other med soon.

2018-19, I was trying to stick to 180 carbs a day. But that didn't do the trick. Under 100 is doing better. I haven't had to use medicine, but I didn't want to either. My daughter has been a renal dietitian since she graduated from college in the 90s and has always given us good advice. Had we followed it to the letter, I probably would've avoided this.

Keep up the good work. It is great that you are making such good progress!

And I've lost 15 pounds and I feel great. I have so much more energy! I used to eat an egg and toast for breakfast every day - and then was hungry every day by around 10:30. Now I have veggies (arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.) with an egg on top and I'm good until well after noon. I'm not doing the high fat keto thing (although I do love bacon), but this has been remarkably easy. I still indulge in a slice of pizza now and again, and I have a bowl of sugar free hard candies in the living room when my sweet tooth attacks. But overall, it's totally working for me.

Keep at it Marthe48!

than cereal. I stayed away from eggs for years, and it is so nice to have them for now. My daughter has veggies with her eggs.

I checked keto and I don't think I want to go that low. But it isn't hard to stay under 70. I have to stay away from bacon because my cats love it. But they are seniors and they can't have it any more. Makes them ill. I sure can't eat it in front of them. lol

Big agra makes easy money on addictive man-made carbs! I grew up with a pasta and high carb diet like many during the TV Dinner then Microwave box era. That stuff is all poison to the body. No wonder the body stores it as fat!

I'm more of a keto eater these days. I incorporate multi-day fasting. Just finished a three day water fast for the new year and re-fed three days and lost two pounds of fat. I workout, sauna and eat lots of organic and eat foods in-season. My fast to eat window is 16-8, basically two meals done by 8 PM. I'm soon to be 59 and shed 50 lbs past few years doing this way of eating. I will carb cycle on lift or post lift days.

If you can, try to get some walking in too. I wish more people would experience this lifestyle. I coached a few friends. The ones that plateau on their weight are the ones that can't give up soda, pop, or drinking too much.

Thanks for posting good topic this time of year!

We grew up on lots of home-cooked food. My family owned a grocery store and except for cereal, most of our food needed to be prepared. Lots of good cooks in the family I almost always made meals from fresh ingredients rather than get prepared, and living where we did, eating at restaurants usually included a 30 to 50 mile round trip, so we rarely ate at restaurants.

I still fix fresh meals, but leaving the carbs out of the pot. I'm working up to adding exercise. I have more energy lately and walk more when I do go out. Several people have mentioned fasting. I don't think our bodies were meant to have 3 squares. The McDougall plan talks a lot about how people used to eat, as opposed to modern times.

I'm getting a lot of good information. Glad so many people are interested!

Plus our soils are depleted of minerals from big agra production. The body knows how to heal it'self if we get out of the way. Digestion uses 70% or more of energy. When we fast for a few days, that energy goes towards healing.

Here's Dr. Berg on what happens to the body during a 72 hr fast. HGH and testosterone boost, stem cell boost, and autophagy eating up the weakened cells then a boost not seen since childbirth!

I'm going for a colonoscopy in a couple of weeks, and I have to fast a day or 2 before the visit. After that fast, I can try one that is healing

Sounds like you are really enjoying what you're eating, too - and home cooking it all the way.

I know what I'm getting. I met friends 2 times since Oct at Applebee's and thought I picked a low carb meal. ALmost had a heart attack when I checked!

I made sushi California rolls with shirataki rice for dinner. They fell apart, but tasted good. lol

Last year, I did the same thing!!! I got a CGM, started intermittent fasting and lost 30 pounds in 3 months!! BTW, fasting was the treatment for diabetes before insulin was invented. I use my CGM constantly and don't eat any meal until my BG gets down to around 90. Then I eat a normal meal with the recommended 30/20/50 protein/fat/carb model. Once that meal starts affecting my BG about 1.5 to 2 hours after that meal, I check my BG again. Just as it's peaking around 150-160, I start walking. After walking about 30 mins, it goes back down. I repeat this for a mid-afternoon snack and for dinner. I tend to carb load at my first meal and eat fewer carbs the rest of the day. My dinner is usually just a protein and nuked fresh veggies. I find if I do a bigger dinner it takes longer for my BG to go down the next morning, delaying my first meal the next day. My fasting BG was 143 and I was prescribed Metformin. I switched from a GP to an endrocrinologist which completely changed my goals. The GP follows the American Diabetes Assn range up to 180. The Endocrinologists Assn uses a range up to 150, so I follow that range instead of 180. I figure the lower, the better. As of my last endo visit in November I am off Metformin and managing my diabetes with diet and walking. No heavy cardio, no machines. I don't even need to leave the house. I just walk. So with my CGM and my Fitbit, I control my diabetes, it doesn't control me. I don't eat or walk until my number tells me to. Everything depends on that number on my CGM. I am up to 25 miles per week and my diabetes is under control. Congrats to you on your success!!!! Carbs are not necessarily the enemy....your body needs carbs. But there are good carbs and bad carbs. Stick with fresh carbs (fruit) and stay away from processed carbs. Use fiber (like oatmeal) and protein (eggs, meat, peanut butter, cheese sticks) to slow down the BG. But losing the weight is a major reason numbers go lower. Again, congratulations!!!! I agree that this is the way to eat for the rest of your life!!!

I looked at the different devices and went with what I had used before- finger sticking. You sound so in tune with your own body. That is a wonderful accomplishment by itself.

I usually eat the big meals early, and try to stop eating by 7. If I do eat later its fresh veggies, or some cheese.

When you said your GP follows ADA range up to 180, is that blood glucose or carb intake? My dr. said in 2018 that 180 carbs a day was fine. But I don't think it was. I am counting up how many carbs I've had daily, and getting into a rhythm with that. I'm glad I started the post, getting lots of insight Thanks!

What's your A1c? And I assume that CGM is one of those indwelling thingamajigs?

How do you feel when your BG is 90? I start feeling really crappy when it goes below 120.

I saw a link on the DU 'home page' (?),
and read the whole thread.

I am a type 2 diabetic and need to lose weight.
Some years ago (5?) I lost about 25 pounds eating low carb but put it back on after 'falling off the wagon'.

I am 73, disabled, and live alone so 'quick and easy' became my menu pattern.

Reading this thread has encouraged me to try low carb again.

Thank you!

I cook several days a week, even if it is just for me. My treat to myself I try to make enough to last a couple of meals, another treat to myself!

Hope you can get back on your food plan. I heard an ad from the Arthritis Foundation (on the classic rock station lol) that every pound you lose takes four pounds of pressure off your knees.

Husband and I have been on Nutrisystem since early November. It seems to work best for us and we’ve both lost weight. He’s feeling TONS better, too.

I went to my Tai chi class this morning (1st since New Year’s) and one of the women hugged me and commented that there was less of me to hug!

Now, the challenge ahead will be to develop those habits you’ve built for your own maintenance. We’re not near finished the slim-down part, but the real test comes, as you well know, when you’ve lost the weight but want to KEEP it off. And you have to start looking deeper into what you’re buying, what/how much is in it (for him it’s sodium), wise carb management, and as Mad-Eye Moody cautioned Harry Potter, “CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!”

Taking it off is the easy part. Maintaining the new weight and smarts about eating? THAT’S the real killer.

OUTSTANDING job, Marthe48! What a great achievement! You fought through Thanksgiving and Christmas and not only lived to tell the tale but no doubt look - AND feel profoundly better! Happy New Year!

There are a lot of plans to look at and it sounds like you can get information and create a plan just for your needs and goals. My daughter and her husband were on Weight Watchers last year and they both liked it and had some results. But they both work crazy hours, some travel, and it didn't seem to fit their lifestyle.

I usually lose at least 10 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Years, just don't have an appetite. It comes back in Jan. I noticed I've been feeling hungry the last few days, but we'll see.

I quit smoking when I was about 36 and gained a lot of weight. My doctor thought I had an addictive personality and sent me to a counselor. She felt I was a victim of the modern diet and suggested the McDougall Plan. I lost 50 lbs and kept it off for over 5 years,until I had a hyst. and went blooey. But McDougall is low fat high carb, and I think I over-used it. Now that the holidays are over, I'll get away from meat and dairy, and get more veggies on my plate It really helps to be focused on blood sugar, seems to keep me on track better. I'm one of those people whose been on a diet for life and gain and lose. I feel different about my goals, so maybe this is how I need to think about it.

You and your husband sound like your doing really well! Happy New Year

The more one can understand these things, and really “get” it, the better the chances to manage weight issues more effectively. One of those “know thyself” things, I guess. Sounds like you’re dealing with the same knowing.

I feel like I’ve been on a diet for most of my life. Still trying to get the hang of it. But we both made it through the holidays pretty successfully. Continued the weight loss, even though slowly. But a loss is still a loss, whether it’s a pound or an ounce.

usually when I get home, I want to call it a day, but I did several little chores and ready for more. I like feeling less blah.

I gained weight when I was 9-10 and have been trying to get it off for years. If focusing on getting my sugar down makes more sense to me, I might stick to a better diet

I have this little smile after reading your report!

We could all use a smile

I have been working with a bariatric doctor since May and have lost 55 pounds eating under 50 carbs a day. I was prediabetic and insulin resistant. I have never felt better and find many "keto" or low carb recipes that are delicious.

I found some nut flour recipes I like. I have been leaving the carbs off the plate, which makes it easy to fix a meal.

Hope you continue on the road to better health and feeling better! You'll have an anniversary soon

I decided I needed to lose some weight so about 5 weeks ago I started Atkins (I'd had some success with it years ago). I was careful with carbs, got through Christmas with only a few cookies, didn't overeat anything, and thought I was doing really well. But I don't have a scale; my old one, which was never accurate, finally broke and I never bothered to replace it. So at a doctor visit the other day for a follow-up on an unrelated, minor thing, I discovered to my horror that I'd actually gained five pounds! I asked how that was even possible, considering how diligent I'd been, and was told that I'm probably retaining water. The doctor said I should drink a lot of water because if you don't (and I tend not to), your body senses it's not getting enough and automatically tries to retain it. She also said that even on Atkins you have to watch calories and salt and not gorge on stuff like bacon and cheese, which are packed with those things. So it's more vegetables and more water for me.

I drink water several times a day. One diet thing I read a long time ago said that a lot of times when we think we're hungry, we're actually thirsty. So I drink water first. I drink a glass before I eat, and then at least 1/2 a glass after.

I try to weigh myself as soon as I get up. My friend says she figures you gain and lose 5 lbs. daily. I'm using an analog scale I can hardly read.

Hang in there, TVC. So hard to stick to anything during the holidays and it sounds like you did really well. I try not to add salt, but some things taste better. With all the stuff we try to avoid, seems like water is a safe bet in every situation!

Swerve for sweetening for your desserts, etc. It’s a natural sweetener and I like it better than Stevia.

I am doing well avoiding out and out sweets. Someone else suggested monkfruit. I think I've seen them both in local stores and of course online. Since my o.p. my fbg is staying under 115, been under 100 a couple times. . And I've lost almost 30 lbs. My winter hobby

I'm losing about a pound a week.

I'm not paying close attention to calories at all. As you said, cutting out carbs, sugar and processed food. I haven't been to a fast food restaurant in 3 months.

Look out for those hidden carbs and sugar, in everything from milk to salad dressing. I thought I was being healthy having a granola bar. NO. Not for me. LOADED with carbs. Or a bagel. TOO MANY CARBS. These choices will prevent fat burning from ever happening in my body. Even the nutritionist my doctor sent me to see was totally on the wrong track about this.

But there are so many options out there of good things to eat that are healthy fats and no carbs! I love meat and chicken, I love eggs, I love butter, I love heavy cream in my coffee. Pistachios. Full fat cheese. Instant miso soup - delicious. Pork rinds! for when I have that potato-chip craving (but not too much anymore).

My blood sugar readings have gone from 180-200 regularly to about 115 average. Even if I didn't lose a pound this alone is so critically important for long-term health.

I also fast from about 9pm to 1 or 2 pm the next day. I do have coffee with cream during that time. It's not that bad. My hunger cravings are way down.

One of the best effects is the lack of almost continuous painful bloating in my gut and feet. My gut felt like a fully inflated balloon all the time. Not anymore. Also - my feet are back to normal size. My feet look like feet again. Not like two bags of water that made it almost impossible to wear anything but the most comfortable shoes. I can wear sandals!

If I have an extreme craving for toast with butter - well, I'll have it. But I try to keep those incidents as few and far between as possible. Really what I miss most is bread. Not even sugar. But again, there are so many things I love to eat that I can eat that don't have carbs.

I read those labels, sure can't believe there can be that many carbs in a tablespoon of bbq sauce! I bake a loaf of bread every week or 2. I use less than a tbs of sugar to start the yeast, but several people mentioned I don't need to add even a little sugar. I have a single slice of toast from my loaf with an egg. My other big carb is 1/2 cup of ceral with a cup of coconut/almond milk. I eat almonds. If I have have a low carb count for the day, I have Triscuits broken in half with a serving of cheese. I can use a slice of bread, 2 eggs, cream butter, Stevia and spices to make a delicious bread pudding. 2 servings, 20 carbs each. I stopped using spaghetti sauce and use chopped dried tomatoes. I'll stop at McD. if I am out in the morning and get a sausage mcmuffin, no egg, 30 carbs. Otherwise, I don't eat out much. Be careful if you eat at Applebee's-how they get that many carbs in a salad is a mystery :/ If I want carbs, I check the portion and cut it in half. If I have crqavings, I drink a big glass of water and do something with my hands to see if it passes.

I've gotten my blood sugar down about 40 pts and have lost almost 30 lbs. As you mentioned, getting the blood sugar down is more important, and I finally have a useful reason to watch what I eat. I met the goals I set for myself, and made new ones.

Thanks for sharing your story. Keep up the good work.

advice you hear is just plain wrong. Just plain bad for you. It's not cutting out fat (healthy fat). It's cutting out carbs and sugar (and bad fats, of course).

I'm sure I sound like a zealot... but it's been a life-changer to me.

I've lost 122 pounds from my peak (93 in less than a year)

My A1C dropped from 10.6 to 4.8

Blood pressure normalized... life-changing!

Seeing those numbers go down is so heartening!

I'm sticking to my plan, going on 2 years. My BP and glucose is down. I have a well-check in Oct, and I can't wait to see what my A1C is doing.

Congratulations for taking care of your health

It’s an amazing feeling to actually reverse a supposedly degenerative disease!

We didn't have any diabetes on either side of my family, but we didn't eat then the way we can eat now.

I was an adult before I ate KFC, McD, or any other fast food. And I fell for it. Now, it is going on 2 years since I've eaten at any fast-food restaurant. I think I would do just as well without Covid isolation.

Cheers!