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"Almost 3 years ago I was sick and Obese. My doctor said I was a ticking time bomb with very high blood pressure and high blood sugar, high ldl cholesterol, daily asthma attacks. I was in pretty rough shape....A friend of mine introduced me to LCHF by giving me The Protein Power Life Plan by Drs. Michael and Mary-Dan Eades. I jumped on board immediately. Cleaned out my cupboards, fridge and pantry and started of anything with wheat, grains sugar and vegetable oils. I applied what I learned and went cold turkey, no weaning. The first week I list 7lbs. I continued to lose a pound a day for a month. I was down 60lbs in 3 months. I am now down 92lbs and keeping it off. I no long have High blood presssure, my pre-diabetes is gone, asthma gone, havent been sick in almost 3 years since starting LCHF. I am healthier than I have ever been."
"Luckily for me, I happened to hear Gary Taubes on NPR talking about the problem with our energy intake/expenditure theory of weight gain, and since reading his book, "Good Calories, Bad Calories", I became thoroughly convinced that my simplistic physical theory about weight control was falsified. Over a period of about 6 months, I lost 50 pounds, lowered my blood pressure, lowered my triglycerides, lowered my blood sugar, and ate more meat and fat than I had ever consumed in my life. Rediscovering my inner carnivore was *amazing*. Bacon. More bacon. Bacon and eggs. Bacon and steak. Bacon, eggs and steak. I even lost my lactose intolerance, and could eat cheese like candy!" "Since cutting out grains for one month my blood pressure has gone from 160/75 to 135/70. I feel like a different person. Just got to do a bit more exercise." |
"I started on Atkins and have not turned back. I want to live healthier...for the rest of my life. I know I'll incorporate exercise at some point a little at a time. My cholesterol dropped dramatically,my blood pressure is perfect, my doctor is amazed at my progress and more importantly I can BREATHE again!"
"Within three months of eating low carb, my Dr. took me off of blood pressure medication which I'd been prescribed for many years." "I noticed high blood pressure over 10 years ago despite being only a little overweight (at that time) and exercising quite a bit. I started Paleo and immediately saw my bp go down. Any time I stay on the diet for 3 or 4 days, my bp goes down; when I go off, which is continuously, it gets very high. I am extremely frustrated by the lack of solid information on what blood pressure is "high" and how to stabilize it. Medications just aren't in the picture for me, not because I am opposed to medications, but they all have side effects and if I just stay on the diet, I have no problems." "After reading Gary Taubes' books, I had a better understanding of what was going on. I first eliminated all sugars--including lactose, maltose, and all the less obvious ones. Then I cut out all starches, including my beloved steel cut oatmeal. The only thing I missed was berries, so I still have one serving of fruit a week. Only after I switched to a pure paleo diet did I reach a BMI of 21, my goal. I have stayed there for over a year so far, and continue this level of restricted diet. I feel much more healthy, more energetic, I have dropped two blood pressure meds. In fact, I find I never get a headache any more and feel years younger." |
"I got most all of my health benefits, getting off blood pressure medicine and such, before I lost any weight at all. And I didn't lose any weight the first month. But I sure pigged out. It's amazing I didn't gain weight, that first month."
"I am fairly healthy person and not obese, but i have high blood pressure and am always interested in health books, etc. I was introduced to Wheat Belly by a friend and quickly read it along with other Paleo diet books... I feel better than ever and am hardly ever hungry. In fact I can go w/o eating for more than half the day if I decide i want to fast or something. And my blood pressure has dropped from 120/80 to 110/70 so i intend to visit my doc soon for a reduction in my meds. The goal is to get off the meds completely!!" "I have probably lost and regained over 100 lbs , low carbing for months successfully and then falling off the wagon for months or years. My above data were for the first time when I was a physician on active duty in the military and could frequently check my blood lipids without out of pocket costs--I was initially paranoid about the potential long term health effects , but eventually concluded my lipids were improved overall. Blood pressure and heart burn normalized and disappeared." "Since starting on this program, my blood lipids have greatly improved. My HDL, the good cholesterol, have more than doubled from +/- 40 to +/- 80, my triglycerides have plummeted from +/- 150 to +/- 50. My Chol/HDL ratio is +/- 2.5. My hs-CRP scores have all been low to moderate risk. My blood pressure (with the same medications) has dropped from 130/90 to 110/70." |
"At the end of 2010 I was watching a technology show and the host was publicly proclaiming his new years resolution. He was confident that this year he was going to loose weight. He had read a book called "Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It". I immediately dismissed it when he started talking about cutting carbohydrates. I knew that those low-carb diets were bad for you and he was making a big mistake. After a couple of months I could see that he looked thinner and just plain healthier. By this time I was back up to 190lbs, my blood pressure was back up and most of my other problems had returned. I got curious and went out to find that book. The evidence presented in the book was compelling. I decided that there was something to this and I needed to try it. I started reducing the carbs in my diet. The results were immediate, I started loosing weight. I quickly worked my way back down to 175lbs. I started reading more books and blogs on healthy low-carb eating. This education eventually led up to cutting out all added sugars and wheat products. Due to other life issues I haven't been able to work out regularly in about 4 months. But I still lost weight.
Today I am down to 165lbs, but more importantly I feel great. My headaches, depression, anxiety and high blood pressure are gone. The strongest evidence of this transformation is the very existence of this blog. Before the recent changes in my diet the very thought of creating a blog would have sent me into a panic attack. I couldn't even take a writing class in college because I was terrified of anyone reading something I wrote. Today I am writing this and putting it up for the world to read."
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I didn't start the diet to lose weight - but did. I had a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, middle-aged, overweight, with high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol, and weighed 251 pounds when I started the diet. At just 5' 10" tall, that's quite a bit of weight. As of this writing, I'm at 200 pounds, closer to my goal of 195 than I am to my former weight. There have been some other unexpected benefits. I had acid reflux (GERD) for 10 years, and had been taking Prilosec since before it was over the counter. I have also had persistent bleeding from hemorrhoids, even with a high fiber (and high carb) diet. The bleeding stopped first, and stopped taking Prilosec three weeks after starting low carb. I quit taking a common diuretic for mild high blood pressure in the first two weeks of the diet, and have had normal BP since then.
My blood pressure and cholestrol went up and I have been on medication for the past ten years. So I decided to try it again and my goal was to get to 160lbs and try to at least come off the high blood pressure pills. After about six months of carbohydrate restiction I was down to 158 pounds, two inches off of my waist and my blood pressure was at scary low levels (some days it would read 100/58). I called my doctor and asked him if I should cut back on the blood pressure medicine which he agreed. I can't go back. I've gotten off of six medications: a statin, two for high blood pressure, two for depression/anxiety, and one for allergies...Get the facts from books like Paleo Solution and Primal Blueprint. And definitely read Gary Taubes. |
I read an article by Gary Taubes and around the same time an article about the Drinking Man's Diet. I purchased DMD and Why We Get Fat and started reducing carbs. I lost 8 pounds the first week. I have had no trouble staying on this diet, although I did gain 5 pounds since Thanksgiving. I stopped taking blood pressure medication since going on the diet-my blood pressure was 116/73 the last time it was taken. My cholesterol is 189, triglycerides are low. When I went on the low carb diet I dropped most exercise except lifting weights. I played golf all summer. I plan on increasing cardio workouts. I have to say this is the easiest diet I have ever been on and I think everyone should go on a low carb diet.
The decision to go "caveman" came after having lunch with a friend who had lost 30 pounds in 3 months on the Dukan diet. I ready up on it, Mark Sissan and the Caveman Power guy being the most helpful sites for me. I trusted the science and I respected authors' approaches - kind of laid back, trust yourslf, trust your body, go ahead and eat a banana etc...I don't have any comparative medical data, but I just had a full physical. After 7 full weeks my cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, blood pressure, all my indicators are sterling. Absolutely perfect. In February of 2010, at 35 years old, I weighed 268 pounds, and my doctor told me that if I didn't do something about my blood pressure, cholesterol and pre-diabetes that I should go coffin shopping. He started to write some prescriptions for me, but I told him, no. I wanted to do this without meds. I had seen what Lipitor did to my dad's legs, and wasn't going to go through that. On March 1 of that year I started Atkins. Within 6 months all my numbers were normal! Without meds and without a whole bunch of exercise (just walking 30 minutes a day). I was also down a bunch of weight. Well here I am today, at 175 at my goal and feeling better than ever before. Better than even when I was a teen-ager! And I can now exercise even more! When I started, the 30 minute walk was breath-taking. Now I do Crossfit 5x a week and I actually look forward to it! |
For me, it took only around two months to drop 35-40 pounds. I feel great and honestly I'm happier about the other health benefits low blood-glucose/insulin/blood pressure brings over the weight loss. Weight seems secondary to me now.
In December 2011 I started truly low carb (no rice, potatoes or pasta of any kind), started eating eggs for breakfast instead of cereal, and began cooking with coconut oil and butter. My weight hasn't dropped, but that's probably because I've built muscle mass (on 5 minutes of weight exercise a day!), but I'm definitely down a belt notch already. The arthritis in my knees started getting better 5 years ago, and with this more recent change I have more energy than I remember for a very long time. I have stopped taking all of the drugs my doctor had me on, and my blood pressure is perfect now without the meds. My blood sugar is the best it's ever been. Haven't had my cholesterol checked but next time I do I know what to expect! I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic is 2007. Since I did not feel sick, I didn't take it very seriously. In January 2011, I was 300lbs, had blood sugars in the low 300's, had high blood pressure, had terrible problems with menstruation and I didn't think I would live past my early 40's. In just a year, I have lost 90lbs, have normalized my blood pressure and my blood sugar. I no longer test as a diabetic on my A1C. For the first time in my life, I have a normal menstrual cycle. Low carb saved my life. I still have about 60lbs more I want to lose but I am happy and healthy eating low carb and I know I will reach my goal. My life is no longer a constant battle against carbs. |
"After the birth of my second son i ended up weighing in at a whopping 267lbs on my tiny 5'2 frame. My BMI was a 48.8, my dr recommended me for gastric bypass due to my high blood pressure and I was terrified. I knew I had to do something. January 6th 2009 I started my Low Carb diet. I was SO tired of being unhealthy and sick. I didn't want to be the "fat wife" or "fat mom" anymore. I didn't want to avoid being in pictures with my beautiful boys or husband, I didn't want to avoid taking my kids to the park anymore because kids would tease me and I didn't want to put my kids through that either. Most of all, I was scared of the destructive path I was on.
The food was delicious and the weight began to fly off and my confidence began to SOAR! People around me who doubted and scoffed at Low Carb previously started to ask me for tips and began to follow my way of eating (with success!) too! About 20 months later I had lost 150lbs. My life has COMPLETELY changed. I can do everything with my kids now! I can fit in any seat in any restaurant, ride or arena! I can go into ANY clothing store! Best of all, for the past 3 Christmas' we've done family portraits and this is the most precious thing to me. I can't make up for the years and pictures I lost, but I can certainly make sure that I never go back to that person again!" Meet Amy >
The food was delicious and the weight began to fly off and my confidence began to SOAR! People around me who doubted and scoffed at Low Carb previously started to ask me for tips and began to follow my way of eating (with success!) too! About 20 months later I had lost 150lbs. My life has COMPLETELY changed. I can do everything with my kids now! I can fit in any seat in any restaurant, ride or arena! I can go into ANY clothing store! Best of all, for the past 3 Christmas' we've done family portraits and this is the most precious thing to me. I can't make up for the years and pictures I lost, but I can certainly make sure that I never go back to that person again!" Meet Amy >
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The decision to go "caveman" came after having lunch with a friend who had lost 30 pounds in 3 months on the Dukan diet...I don't have any comparative medical data, but I just had a full physical. After 7 full weeks my cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, blood pressure, all my indicators are sterling. Absolutely perfect.
In February of 2010, at 35 years old, I weighed 268 pounds, and my doctor told me that if I didn't do something about my blood pressure, cholesterol and pre-diabetes that I should go coffin shopping. He started to write some prescriptions for me, but I told him, no. I wanted to do this without meds. I had seen what Lipitor did to my dad's legs, and wasn't going to go through that. On March 1 of that year I started Atkins. Within 6 months all my numbers were normal! Without meds and without a whole bunch of exercise (just walking 30 minutes a day). I was also down a bunch of weight. Well here I am today, at 175 at my goal and feeling better than ever before. Though my blood pressure is still elevated, it's not in the medication zone, and elevated blood pressure is something that is medicated on almost every member of my father's side of the family, and is the case (without medication) on every family member on my mother's side of the family, so it will be interesting to see if I can cheat that genetic burden. I am 59 years olld and started the paleo diet 2 months ago in order to control the symptoms of my ulcerative proctitis and, hopefully, reduce or come off altogether the immunosuppressant drug I am on...Another great benefit has been a drop in my blood pressure. I was diagnosed as high normal,and it is now down considerably. Since december, i have convinced my parents to at least go gluten free, my sister and a number of work colleagues to adopt the paleo way(a few are now 8-15kgs lighter, and one is even off his blood pressure meds, per doctors orders, which he has been on for 3 years! |
For the past 20 years I felt that I was over weight (in the 170-180 range) and wanted to get down to at least 160. I am 6'6" tall. My blood pressure and cholestrol went up and I have been on medication for the past ten years. So I decided to try it again and my goal was to get to 160lbs and try to at least come off the high blood pressure pills. After about six months of carbohydrate restiction I was down to 158 pounds, two inches off of my waist and my blood pressure was at scary low levels (some days it would read 100/58). I called my doctor and asked him if I should cut back on the blood pressure medicine which he agreed.
I can't go back. I've gotten off of six medications: a statin, two for high blood pressure, two for depression/anxiety, and one for allergies. I am scheduled to do another a1c in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I am down a total of 67 lbs. in 4 1/2 months. And blood pressure readings, which are home readings rather than doctor's office readings, indicate that this has returned to normal. When I turned 40 a couple of years ago I was diagnosed with moderately high blood pressure and excessive potassium levels. My doctor, of course, said I needed to lose weight, prescribed blood pressure medication and told me to stay off high potassium foods for a while (which included what I then thought were healthy foods such as Bananas, Orange Juice, Baked Potato)...I decided to take a low carb approach. Over 6 months, the results were astounding - I dropped from 96Kg down to 69Kg (I'm 171cm tall) - The same weight and waist size I was when I was 18 years old. I did this with no more additional exercise than ensuring I walked for 30 minutes every evening. I maintained a calorie intake of 1500 calories or lower and kept my carbs to around 50-70g a day. I was taken off the blood pressure medication after 3 months, and my potassium levels returned to normal range. |
I was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic is 2007. Since I did not feel sick, I didn't take it very seriously. In January 2011, I was 300lbs, had blood sugars in the low 300's, had high blood pressure, had terrible problems with menstruation and I didn't think I would live past my early 40's. In just a year, I have lost 90lbs, have normalized my blood pressure and my blood sugar. I no longer test as a diabetic on my A1C. For the first time in my life, I have a normal menstrual cycle. Low carb saved my life. I still have about 60lbs more I want to lose but I am happy and healthy eating low carb and I know I will reach my goal. My life is no longer a constant battle against carbs.
Maybe I will lose more, but I will NOT gain it back. All of my blood work has improved. My _fatty liver_ immediately was gone. Early on I had some issues with lethargy. It turned out my blood pressure no longer needed my meds so I stopped taking those as well as weaning myself off of most of my meds. I never realized how addictive sugar was until that first two weeks or so. I just wanted a brownie! Every time since then that I have indulged (we did monthly reward dinners for the first two months) my cravings for carbohydrates would come back. I lost 35 pounds without feeling like I was even trying. I was never hungry. The food I ate was satisfying. I became pregnant and thought 'well I need carbohydrates for the baby.' So I started eating things like fries and pizza. I was diagnosed very early with Gestational Diabetes (about 12 weeks). I went back to the low carbohydrate lifestyle and have managed the diabetes very well. I have had a remarkably easy pregnancy. No morning sickness, optimal weight gain, no cravings, no swelling, and ideal blood pressure readings. I attribute all of this to my diet. There were immediate dramatic improvements (trigs dropped under 150, BG normalized & total cholesterol dropped), but after doing lowcarb for over two decades, lipids and blood pressure began to reverse. |
"Went to the doctor for terrible headaches-migraines and during the pre-doctor visit my blood pressure was an unbelievable 210/178! What a day that was, you should have seen the nurse's face while she read my blood pressure and re-took it several times! Anyway, my doctor put me on blood pressure medicine that day and on the follow-up visit, I had both blood and urine tests done. When results came back I was also Type II diabetic with high cholesterol at 300, so I was also put on Metformin and a statin. It was highly suggested that I change my diet to improve my lipid issues and to lose some weight. They put me on a standard low-fat diet. I followed this diet and on my next doctor's visit, my blood work was even worse. My triglycerides where 1300! And my doctor told me that my kidneys looked to be in trouble too (potential kidney failure).
She wanted to know what I had done to make matters worse. I told here exactly what she told me to do. I received one of those looks, which says, "I don't believe you." The drive home was sobering. I did what was asked of me from the medical community and things got worse and to boot, my Doctor didn't believe I was following their diet. I got home and realized I needed to be figure this out and started searching on Google on why people get fat and sick and eventually found the Paleo Diet. With my background is in science, all this Paleo perspective just made prefect sense to me. It was my moment of EUREKA! I pulled numerous papers and bought several books and the rest is history. Except my library is getting larger on this subject, and I am still mystified that this is not mainstream information. Anyway, I started to lose weight, might I say effortlessly, and feel fantastic and after reading some info on statins and Metformin I begin, against my doctor's advice, taking myself off my medications. Today, I am off all medication; I am not diabetic or concerned about heart disease or kidney failure. However, my Doctor is still concerned about my cholesterol level ~ 210 and she wants me back on the statins. I don't think so."
She wanted to know what I had done to make matters worse. I told here exactly what she told me to do. I received one of those looks, which says, "I don't believe you." The drive home was sobering. I did what was asked of me from the medical community and things got worse and to boot, my Doctor didn't believe I was following their diet. I got home and realized I needed to be figure this out and started searching on Google on why people get fat and sick and eventually found the Paleo Diet. With my background is in science, all this Paleo perspective just made prefect sense to me. It was my moment of EUREKA! I pulled numerous papers and bought several books and the rest is history. Except my library is getting larger on this subject, and I am still mystified that this is not mainstream information. Anyway, I started to lose weight, might I say effortlessly, and feel fantastic and after reading some info on statins and Metformin I begin, against my doctor's advice, taking myself off my medications. Today, I am off all medication; I am not diabetic or concerned about heart disease or kidney failure. However, my Doctor is still concerned about my cholesterol level ~ 210 and she wants me back on the statins. I don't think so."
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I've always been very healthy except for the mysterious weight problem. My cholesterol has always been high, even at a normal weight, but my "ratio" has always been great. Blood pressure always okay, except before I began this diet, it was creeping up too, to the "borderline" range, and I wanted to nip that in the bud. Now it's back to 120s/70s. Blood sugar was always fine, even during pregnancies when the did "glucose challenges."
I started slowly and did not become 100% Paleo until about January 15. I feel fabulous. Sleep better and am in the process (hopefully) of getting off my meds. I am on two blood pressure meds and cholestoral medications. My blood pressure is now reading 100/50 so its time to get to the doctor to get off some of the meds. He is a physician that told me I would NEVER GET OFF MY MEDS! I will be interested to find out what my blood work is after all this time. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and VERY high blood pressure. While depressed, I searched the internet for possible cures and stumbled across "The Primal Blueprint" and the blog marksdailyapple.com. After reading the book overnight and searching almost the entire blog, I was "primal" within 48 hours, abstaining from carbs except those found in green vegetables. In two weeks my blood pressure was low normal and after three months my blood glucose stays below 90 mg/dl. In October of 2010, my doctor prescribed medication for high blood pressure. After a few weeks on the medication, my blood pressure hadn't dropped at all. She wanted to start me on another medication, but at that point it struck me that I needed to take control of my health. I was about 230 pounds and tired most of the time. I got out of breath walking my stairs, and fell asleep on the sofa most nights. I told the doctor that I wanted to try diet and exercise before a new medication. So, for the next month, I followed the DASH diet - a low fat, carb-based diet - and exercised (cardio) most days. I did lose 15 pounds, but my blood pressure wasn't getting any better, and I didn't feel much better, either. This was especially so because I still suffered from intense, painful, daily gastric issues which I expected would go away once I adopted a "healthful" diet...I lost 60 pounds fairly quickly and easily, without much tweaking. I did have one 6 week stall after the first 40, but it was easily overcome. I felt satisfied most of the time, and lost weight even though I typically ate between 1800 - 2,300 kcals per day. My blood pressure dropped, my high triglycerides became a thing of the past, my energy increased, my gastric issues disappeared and I was (and still am) thrilled about all of this. |
After nine months of loosely following this diet I noticed significant improvements and biomarkers of health (higher testosterone, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, lower cortisol, dramatically reduced illness). Once I committed 100% the changes were amazing, losing 20lbs in 4 weeks. Now, some may argue that this is a fringe diet, when in fact it is the complete opposite. It could be renamed the _original human diet_, _the anti-inflammatory diet_, _the eat clean diet_, or just plain _the eat real food diet_.
I'm at work so I need to keep it short... My wife brought home this book for me to read called The Paleo Solution Diet and I politely said thanks, but thought to myself there's no way I'm ever going to read this diet book. Well I was wrong and from that day on I've been a Paleo Solution freak! I was 270, snoring, stressed out, high blood pressure even with medication, and bad inflammation in my Achilles. That was 9 months ago. I have reversed everything! I don't snore, I'm well rested and sleep great, I am off blood pressure medication, my Achilles never hurts, I'm nicer at work and to my family, and I am much more active. In addition, I have been reading nutrition books like crazy and trying to help everyone I know. I have purchased and given away probably a dozen Paleo Solution books. The rest of my family are having similar results. Between my wife, daughter and myself we have lost over 140 pounds!! Read on Dr Mercola's site that sugar & grains could be causing my High blood pressure,while I was looking for a quality whey protein.. I came across Mda site and was totally impress & purchased the book.. I currently was on 3 meds for High bp. At the age of 44, I finally became interested in my health..I started the primal blueprint in November of 2011, and currently weight 181 down from 200, but more important off all bp meds.. My Dr.,though may not be convinced of that.. I feel unbelivable now..Full of energy, no side effects. I would recommend the mda (primal blueprint) to anyone who wants to listen to me. On March 4th of this year (2012) I stepped on the scale and much to my dismay weighed 213 lbs. I decided to commit to getting under 200 lbs by my 60th Birthday on the 16th of April. After some research I decided on the Paleo diet approach and have been amazed at the results. Not only did I reach my goal of getting under 200lbs by my 60th birthday I lost 44 lbs in 140 days and feel amazing. Blood pressure dropped from 130/90 when I started to 105/75 currently and my constant shoulder pain (probably arthritis) has completely disappeared. |
I come from a family of obese people. High blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease are rampant in my immediate and extended family, particularly on my First Nations side of the family (Native Canadian). I was pre-diabetic and hypertensive, and despite eating ''healthy'' foods according to the Canada's Food Guide, I was insidiously gaining weight from the age of 30 to 40. I was sleeping poorly with a lot of somatic discomfort (aches and pains, sore joints, stiff muscles), and struggled with a lot of fatigue. I also had a lot of postprandial hypoglycemia (extreme hunger and fatigue)...I switched to the Paleo style of eating in October 2011 and have experienced tremedous benefits. My weight loss has been effortless, and I no longer have issues with pre-diabetic symptoms (energy levels have improved, and no longer have post-prandial fatigue and hunger). My blood pressure normalized and I had to stop my anti-hypertensive medication due to abnormally low blood pressure.
I personally love living by the carbohydrate restricted diet but my blood pressure and cholesterol are now so high my Dr. is insisting on medication. I have started water pills to try to bring down BP and will soon have to start cholesterol medication if my changes to the diet have no effect. Knowing that there was no way I could lose weight and maintain my ultra lean and healthy body, I gave up. Junk food never tasted so good and as you might expect, I gained fifty pounds on my 5' 5" body. For a short guy, THAT'S A LOT OF WEIGHT! My beautiful wife, of 30+ years, loved me as a lean hard body and now as a fat guy, but after a few years of this, I was miserable. My doc placed me on blood pressure medicine and some nights I felt as if I might have a heart attack. I had terible sleep, was always tired and had arthritis in my back. Plus I was eating antacids like they were candy...I found the secrets. I lost fifty pounds in a fairly short period of time. I was NEVER hungry and I ate nutrient dense foods. I didn't spend a single moment in a gym, didn't run a single mile and best of all, I am off all blood pressure meds and my doc has told me that ALL of my blood health markers are PERFECT! I got really healthy and the weight simply fell off! |
I'm 5 foot 4, and weighed 106 pounds when I got married at age 19. I started gaining weight in my late 20s, while I was at university, and really started packing on the pounds when I began full-time shift work as a nurse. By age 57 my weight had ballooned to 199 pounds, and my health was suffering. For years I'd struggled with a variety of health problems - rosacea, psoriasis, irritable bowel, gout, arthritis, gall bladder disease, chronic yeast infections, high blood pressure - and had never understood why. I was eating a healthy well-balanced diet, didn't smoke or drink, was generally a pretty happy person. It wasn't until I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in August of 2010 that I started to see the big picture of how what I was eating was literally making me ill. I read Gary Taubes' book "Good Calories, Bad Calories", as well as Dr. Richard Bernstein's book "Diabetes Solution", and immediately set about radically changing my diet. Because of my severe insulin resistance, I also had to take medication (Metformin).
Being told I was diabetic was actually a good thing for me, because it scared me into action. My mom died of a heart attack at age 63; her sister (a diabetic) died at 55, and two of her brothers died of heard disease in their 40s. I work in a building that offers community kidney dialysis - I could see that I needed to do whatever it takes to make sure I didn't end up there. I didn't rely on advice from my GP or the local nutritionist (who, by the way, told me I should "just take insulin so you can eat more healthy grains and fruits").. In addition to drastically reducing the carbohydrates in my diet, I've also tried to incorporate more exercise - I joined Curves and go faithfully several times a week. Since going low carb, I've lost 55 pounds, decreased my Hbg A1C from 6.8 to 5.4, lowered my blood pressure from 170/105 to 125/70, lowered my hsCRP from 5.5 to 2, increased my HDL, lowered my LDL, and improved my liver function tests. Eating low carb in our society is not easy - going out to restaurants is particularly challenging. I still struggle with cravings, especially for fruit, so I do have some days where I eat more carbs than I should. But I am working on strategies to overcome this - I've recently added more coconut oil to my diet, which seems to be helping. Plus I'm going to try a new medication (Victoza) which is supposed to help type 2 diabetics with satiety. I am determined to reach my goal weight of 120 pounds, and to get my Hbg A1C under 5.
Being told I was diabetic was actually a good thing for me, because it scared me into action. My mom died of a heart attack at age 63; her sister (a diabetic) died at 55, and two of her brothers died of heard disease in their 40s. I work in a building that offers community kidney dialysis - I could see that I needed to do whatever it takes to make sure I didn't end up there. I didn't rely on advice from my GP or the local nutritionist (who, by the way, told me I should "just take insulin so you can eat more healthy grains and fruits").. In addition to drastically reducing the carbohydrates in my diet, I've also tried to incorporate more exercise - I joined Curves and go faithfully several times a week. Since going low carb, I've lost 55 pounds, decreased my Hbg A1C from 6.8 to 5.4, lowered my blood pressure from 170/105 to 125/70, lowered my hsCRP from 5.5 to 2, increased my HDL, lowered my LDL, and improved my liver function tests. Eating low carb in our society is not easy - going out to restaurants is particularly challenging. I still struggle with cravings, especially for fruit, so I do have some days where I eat more carbs than I should. But I am working on strategies to overcome this - I've recently added more coconut oil to my diet, which seems to be helping. Plus I'm going to try a new medication (Victoza) which is supposed to help type 2 diabetics with satiety. I am determined to reach my goal weight of 120 pounds, and to get my Hbg A1C under 5.
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My husband has been on the Paleo Diet for the past 3 years and was urging me to try it. He had high blood pressure and after starting the Paleo Diet, was completely off of his medicine. After doing a lot of research, I decided that it was worth trying, not only to lose the 15 pounds that I was unable to shed after having my daughter, but also to see if it would help decrease the number of seizures I was having since my medicines were not completely eliminating them. After the first month, I had lost 8 pounds and I went from having 5-6 seizures a day down to 1-2 a week. After 3 months, I had lost a total of 16 pounds and only had 1 seizure in 2 months. I also have my 2 kids on an 80/20 Paleo diet and have seen a dramatic change in my 6 year old's behavior and concentration. The Paleo Diet has been a life saver for my family and I highly recommend it to anyone that wants to shed some weight or has a disorder or health issue.
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