LOW CARB Testimonies

[la.lady]

Oh, Edith I wish you lots of luck with your weight loss journey...and thanks for sharing...

[entwyf]

Thanks, la.lady and redslipper47 for your comments. I think that, at this point, it is almost miraculous the positive effect lowcarbing IS having on how I feel.

I have been feeling light these days, more focused, more energetic. I can breathe! (I have food allergies which I know are aggravated by eating things like corn and potatoes.)

The one thing that keeps this from being a totally euphoric experience is, of course, knowing the adjustments I have to go through.

I've just finished going through that stretch when constipation begins to look very good. That stopped pretty much yesterday. I am currently amazed at the strength of the diuretic effect of low carbing. And I am definitely feeling the effects of sugar withdrawal. It's that feeling I used to get after eating three candy bars, after the sugar spike dropped and left me feeling headachy and antsy and tired. But! Two days to go, and I will be done with two weeks of induction.

The great thing is that, since June 18, I have gone from 237.7 to 231. Critics of the low-carb life say, "That's just water weight." Water weight I am glad to get rid of.

Critics of the low-carb life also pooh-pooh this amazing occurrence by saying, "Well, you know, studies have shown that low-carbers are eating less calories, just like on any other diet." Yeah, so?

The deal is that, if you are getting food that satisfies your body and curbs your hunger for longer than, say, ten minutes, you aren't going to be eating everything in sight.

Eat two candy bars that equal about four hundred calories. How long will that satisfy? Not very long. Eat half a block of cream cheese that equals four hundred calories. How long is that good for? In my experience, two or three hours . . . or more.

So, as I go along, low-carbing, I feel that I am doing something good, something genuine, something truly helpful. It's a wonderful way to feel.



Edith

[entwyf]

Being hungry is very interesting when one is eating low-carb. Low-carb is more satisfying than high-carb, so it’s possible to eat less and go longer without eating and feel satisfied. But when the fuel runs out, and the body starts demanding a stop at the refrigerator, it is a bit of a shock.

When I ate high carb, I was always eating because my body was always in a sort of whiny mode. I wasn’t every really hungry because I was always eating something, but nothing ever really filled me up the way low-carb food does.

Now, it is much easier to distinguish between being hungry and not being hungry. I am “hearing” my body’s signals clearly for the first time in a long time. Problem is, when I get that hunger signal, I can’t stuff my face with Doritos. I have to be ready with good low-carb food, and I am not always ready.

A couple of days ago, I left my food money at home when I went to work in a busting hurry. That meant no sausage and eggs for breakfast. No almonds for a snack. No tuna salad on romaine for lunch. By the time I left work, I had a headache, I felt tingly all over, and all I wanted to do was lie down somewhere and go to sleep. When I got homeI ate a whole package of cream cheese. That was pretty tasty, but of course, it took a while to feel normal.

I guess I am one of those people who needs five or six small meals during the day, not three meals and two snacks. I am glad that I am now able to hear my body’s hunger signals better; it’s just a bit of a pain sometimes to figure out the best way to respond.

Edith

[ClaudiaMTL]

Reading this thread has inspired me to continue this way of eating...
I actually started lowcarb eating when I was in my thirties (I'm now 55) for health reasons...I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia then after a glucose test...the wonderful doctor I consulted then had asked about my family history and on my father's side there is diabetes...she explained that I should be strict with carbs...I was put then on 30 gr carbs....it was difficult for me then to eat many small meals and stay away from sugary and starchy foods...but my health came back and all the discomforts of hypoglycemia vanished. For years I've struggled with the denial, then come back on track thing. At 44 years old I had a radical hysterectomy, and since then I've been struggling with weight issues on top of the hypoglecemia. I joined the Atkins way of eating in 2005, then slipped again...at 199 pounds I had a wake up call...a friend suggested Weight Watchers...I lost the first 10 pounds ever so slowly...kept on with ww for a while, on and off until this Spring. I looked at the way I felt, I looked at my high blood pressure, I looked at myself in the mirror and had a private talk with my denial. I also live with a sweetheart and his daughter who love sweet and starchy foods. But I'm the cook, so I can take control and switch things around for all of us in this home. I finally have come to terms with the denial and I'm taking action...read, read, read, bought the Atkins books again, and I'm back to this way of eating...not only to loose the 40 some pounds I need to loose for my health, but for the way I feel : no more sweating and tremors and weaknesses, no more crying spells, no more brain fog and feeling tired all the time...I want to grow older graciously and healthy...and if I finally can melt down, slimmer and I want to feel light and energetic...So here I am...joining this friendly site to keep me strong and feeling supported...I plan on succeeding at this...and really enjoy the Golden Years

Glad I finally confronted my denial demon

[BeachyWoman]

You are so right Claudia, you have control over what you eat. I know how hard it is when you have a family who loves all those things, but the cravings go away after time. Hang in there and know we all support you here. We are all in this journey together.

[Cedelchef]

I just joined this forum a week or so ago. I did Atkins from April, 2004 until about December 2005 and had tremendous success. I had tried WW and was ok on that until the points got lower and I was always hungry. That just didn't work for me. I have gradually gained back most of the weight l lost though have never craved pasta or rice since doing Atkins in 04-05. I feel so much better on low carb and have lost about 5 lbs so far with induction. I may continue past the 2 weeks but already feel better. I am 51 years old so I have a feeling it won't be as easy this time. I also have a stressfull sedentary job. My exercise is typing and driving. I am now trying to park further away just to get some exercise. I weighed 180 (I think) when I started and now weigh 175. So at least I am headed in the right direction! I love the support of this board, I read them the last time on AOL and that kept me going. I am amazed at all the recipes here and look forward to trying many of them. Thank you for the support of this board! We can do it!!

[funinphoenix]

I just joined this site yesterday, so still finding my way around. I love the encouraging posts from everyone and love reading about everyone's story.

I was always a chubby kid, and in high school hit 178 by the time i graduated. In college, the homesickness and some romantic disappointments fueled my eating till I was about 220. Work life then began, and slowly my weight continued to creep up, into the 300's. Stressful work, Life, and all the rest took it's toll, and my solace was in 'comfort food'. Combine that with a sedentary career, and a dislike of exercise (and a fear of being ridiculed if I rode my bike or tried to walk for health), and before I knew it, I was up to 425. Amazingly, I met and fell in love with my sweetie and managed to lose 26 lbs on a starvation diet in time for our wedding. I weighed 399 lbs that day, and gained some back after that, but not going over 450. In 2005 I started Atkins along with my hubby, and I managed to lose 80 lbs. I was ecstatic, and felt great and loved the way I was starting to look. I got a promotion, and over the next year, put it all back on.

I finally got sick of the rollercoaster, and now to top things off, I have osteoarthritis in my knees. I have retired, and so don't have the stress of the job anymore, but because of my knee pain, I am very sedentary. I use a cane to walk, and then have to be careful not to overdo it. If i have to do shopping or the mall, I have to use a scooter, which makes me feel so old. I finally broke thru the funk and decided to to this once and for all; I lost 80 lbs before, and i can do it again! That is my mini goal altho i want to lose 200 lbs. I try not to think about that number because it seems so insurmountable, but i am hitting this as hard as i can. I started in late July and have lost 12 lbs so far. I have found out I am one of those people who has to exist on Induction for months in order to lose; any little thing throws me out of ketosis. I am following a very simple, repetitive menu which doesn't involve much cooking: eggs, chicken, salads, tuna, lots of water. I know as the weight comes off, my knees will not ache as much, and that is the second big goal spurring me on.

[Allison46]

Fun in Phoenix -

I also just started contributing to the LC Friends -- and am gradually checking out different threads. My weight history is one of being around/just over 300 for at least the last 8 years -- with a couple of trips down liquid fasts which took me down 50-70 pounds each time, with quick regaining weight afterwards. No fun!

Thank you for sharing your experience -- and keep up the good work! This is the beginning of week 2 for me of Induction. I find myself a little bit bored with the food, but determined to stick with the plan without "treats" that will break the ketosis. This is the first time in my life I have turned away from high carb foods, and when I look at the food lists and see the high count of carbs in almost everything that I used to eat in unlimited quantities, I can see why the weight kept coming on so fast! Wow, information I never paid any attention to -- and now am keeping a firm eye on the carb count.

Keep up the good work!
Allison46