This is my account of how I am turning around my health problems by changing how and what I eat.
My story
In September of 2017 I had just been diagnosed as diabetic, My A1C lvl was an 8 on the diabetes scale I weighed 329 lbs and felt like crap ALL the time. As I'm sitting in front of a Dr. listening to her diagnoses. All I can hear is your over 40, your over weight, your over eating, your headed to an early grave. Well not in so many words but that's what she was saying in her own polite way. As the Dr. tells me I would need to start taking a medicine for my newly found health problems I was faced with a decision to make. Do what the Dr. Said or go my own way about fixing this issue. I decline her request and received a stern warning and a request for weight loss before my next appointment. I submitted that I would do what I could. But inside I didn't hold much hope to loose weight before the month was up.
How did I get to this point, how do I fix this? All questions I was asking myself as I listen to her speak her stern warnings. The problem I was having inside was the confusion over what caused me to get here. I mean I know I over ate from time to time, But I didn't feel it was what I ate that got me here. In fact I probably ate better quality food than most people do. My diet at the time of the diagnosis wasn't what I would call junk. My wife cooked for our family each day and we ate mostly "real" food not overly processed junk and no soft drinks. So my diet consisted of mostly home cooked meals with healthy ingredients. So why am I now sitting here an obese diabetic with health problems?
I had tried Diets and exercising many times over the past 15 years and like most people had mixed and ultimately failed results. Each time I lost weight on a diet I would end up adding that weight back plus more. So I was gun shy of even trying to "Diet" I mean I know what "a healthy balanced diet" looks like. I had seen the food pyramid and my diet wasn't that far removed from what was supposed to be "good" for me. WHY AM I FAT AND SICK?
Well let me explain..
First Let's look at what the "Experts" say a balanced diet should look like..
Notice the Bread, cereal rice and pasta in the above. 6-11 servings! Oh I know what your thinking, It's "Healthy grains and whole wheat" Not white bread and white rice! You see my Problem was the fact I was already eating "healthy wheat breads and brown rice". So if this triangle is correct then WHY AM I FAT AND SICK?
I decided to change my eating habits for good, not to just go on another "Diet". like I had done so many time in the past. I started researching diabetic diets and alternative ways to help with blood glucose. That's when stumbled on an entirely different way of looking at "healthy eating".
Enter "Keto"
Whats Keto you ask? In short It basically flips the normal "healthy" diet on its head by putting fats and oils as the base. Not grains and breads. The whole low Calorie and low fat eating "healthy Grains" diets had failed for me over and over. SO I figured hey why not try this crazy "fat doesn't make you fat" thing and see what happens.
Notice the difference in this above pyramid. Fats and oils are the base and grains and breads are removed completely. Keto is a High Fat limited Protein Very low carb way of eating. I've been staying at about 75% fat 20% Protein and 5% Carbs.
Normally, carbohydrates contained in our food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body for fuel. The problem with this is to turn carbs into glucose, a hormone called insulin is needed. And when insulin is present in blood you cant burn fat for fuel. That's right if your eating carbs you can't burn fat. The American diet is high carb high fat, and we wonder why over 60% of us are obese.
However, if there is little to no carbohydrate in your diet, your liver converts fat into ketone bodies. The ketone bodies replace glucose as your energy source. If you have an elevated level of ketone in your blood, then your in a state known as ketosis.. Or Keto for short.
My experience!
I have found in my experience over the past few months that I am not only losing weight but I feel Amazing. I'm rarely hungry and have lots of energy. SO far I lost over 50 lbs. And my blood glucose levels are under 90. If your interested in taking on the KETO lifestyle I have some pointers.
- First, don't cheat for at least 3 weeks!
- Second, Buy some Ketone Strips
- Third, Track your food intake with something like My Fat Secret.
Links for more info:
@ketoconnect
Dr. Ken Barry
Is Keto dangerous
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3 John 1:2 ESV
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
Finally! You have to see it @olsm.
You are doing very good job dude!
I cross my fingers for you! <3
thanks!
Thanks for following me. I just discovered your page today since you followed me.
I am glad you did!
I have to get my weight under control as well. When I started being a stay at home dad my weight just ballooned. I went from a muscular 165 -170 to now 230 and it is tough on my knees and back. I can tell my blood pressure is rising and I can not seem to loose a pound no matter how much I eat or not.
Giving up bread will be tough but lately I have felt like it caused me to have indigestion. Like making a sourdough starter in my stomach. So when I dont eat any breads I feel better.
But it is so tough to consider stopping with grains, I eat taquitos, fajitas and soft tacos many meals. Sandwiches and rolls at most other meals. I will have to completely revamp my entire meal plan?
I am not diabetic yet but I can tell I am on that slippery slope.
Don’t eat bread at all. But my wife does make this stuff called oopsie bread. It’s mostly egg. But it’s a decent substitute in some cases. Trust me it took some getting use to for me. I was a big bread and rice eater, the trick is to not concentrate on what you can’t have. By what you can have. Get some Keto test strips and go all in for atleast 4 weeks. Once you detox and get rid of all the carbs you will feel so much better. Then you can have a carb loading day from time to time. The issue I find is after eating bread or other carbs I feel so bad that it’s really not worth it. So when “I can’t have that” became “I don’t want that” it got a lot easier.
I started this morning!
cool if you need some support look me up on myfatsecret.com username is Eddielbs
Very true.
I was diagnosed with heart failure when I was 25 and the doctor and nurse at my cardiologist center knew what's up.
The diet they gave me was heavy in veggies and protein, and they vilified breads, pastas, and dairy.
I lost weight extremely fast in this manner, over 75 lbs thus far.
I notice that when I do eat breads, in the form of pizza, or grains, in the form of chips, cookies, etc. that on that week, my weight stayed the same.
The sad part is that carbs are cheap and plentiful. Proteins are a bit more difficult to get, but its possible.
Also, they purposely make sweet foods addicting.
Thanks for your comment.. Yes sugar is refined and processed down alot like cocaine.. And people would really be surprised at the shear volume of the white power that they are currently eating.. Sugar is hidden in everything nowadays..
Yeah it is. Dairy as well. If I follow my doctor prescribed diet to the letter, I would have to make my own non sugar, non dairy containing combination food.
Excellent publication and it is good to read your experience, and I am glad to know that you have lost weight and your blood glucose levels have gone down, I have always thought that diets do not work, that it is best to eat healthy and know what to eat. Greetings from Venezuela
Thanks for your comment, I agree with eating healthy being the best way. But the "healthy" way of eating is really not, that's the problem. We are told that eating grains and breads is healthy.. But it really isn't good for us at all.
I get the low carb part and I try to do that. But nuts and berries on top? That will be hard for me.
No the bottom is the majority of your food.. Nuts and berries are the least consumed.
I am also struggling with weight loss,you have really inspired me to try keto food pyramid.
I hope you get the results that my wife and I are getting.. Stick with it for ATLEAST 3 weeks.. you will feel a lot better. Follow the @ketoconnect they have a lot of great keto recipes..
I would suggest giving it a solid two months before deciding if it’s right for you. It takes some people longer to get “fat adapted” due to imbalances in hormones and such.
Sorry to hear about your health challenge, and I wish you a miraculous recovery. However i disagree that fat doesn't make you fantasize that, your post has good content.
Thanks for your comment. And I like most people that have been brainwashed into thinking that Fat is bad felt the same way.. I'm not fantasizing anything and before you say such a thing you should at least look into Keto.. I'm not only stating a high fat diet is good for you.. Ive been living it for 6 months and the results are real..
I’m kinda pissed at the fda food pyramid. It’s been crap for years while America has gotten fatter and fatter. I’m in the middle of researching myself a better, more efficient and effective way of getting nutrients. Thanks for the post.
I agree the FDA is leading more and more people to sickness and ultimately feeding big pharm. Good luck on your quest.. I have to admit the Keto way of eating has been a blessing for wife and myself the past 6 months.. We are both a lot healthier and more active because it..
Excellent post! Be well...
Thanks
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In my experience and readings, consuming food with high amounts of Natural fats as Nuts and Avocado train the body to burn fat as the primary source of energy rather than carbs.
It’s true. The problem is if carbs are consumed at the same time. Then your body stores the fat and uses the carbs.
50 pounds congrats!
Thanks !