Back in early March Angie and I stumbled upon a documentary called Fat Head on Netflix streaming. The film started as a send up of Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me, with filmmaker Tom Naughton exploring the possibility of losing weight on a 30 day fast food diet, and, no, he doesn't eat just grilled chicken and salads. You can even check out his daily food log, something Spurlock has never released. To achieve his goals, Tom limited his daily caloric intake to 2.000, and daily carbohydrate intake to 100. The results shouldn't surprise anybody. He loses weight and body fat, and cholesterol numbers improve. The second part of the film focuses on nutrition, and how the nutrition recommendations given by the U.S. government are based on the fatally flawed lipid hypothesis.
Angie and I found the results of the film, and the revelations about nutrition, intriguing. We began studying up on low carb nutrition. We found the reasoning to be sound, but the only way to know for sure was to try it ourselves and see what happened. So about five weeks ago Angie and I started our low carb diets (with additional research we are slowly converting to a paleo diet, but that is for another post), and the results have been phenomenal. In the last five weeks we have both lost over ten pounds, and over three inches from around the waist. There has been a tremendous upswing in both our attitudes and energy levels. In fact, I've found myself with so much energy I've been walking three miles or more a day just to get rid of it.
But that's not the best part.
I'm an insulin-dependent Type II diabetic. I've struggled with it for years, giving myself anywhere from three to six insulin injections a day only to end up with readings ranging from 200 (bad, really bad) to ERR (too high for my glucose monitor to read). My endocrinologist told me my pancreas was likely dead, and I could expect to be taking insulin injections for the rest of my life. About a year ago I found checking my blood sugar too depressing, and just stopped doing it all together. From the start I really wanted to test the effectiveness of this diet, and stopped taking any insulin, as well as my Metformin. One week in I got brave enough to check my fasting blood sugar. Anything under 100 is good for a diabetic, although non-diabetics can typically expect something around 85 or lower. Mine was 77! Of course I was thrilled, and began checking my blood sugar throughout the day, following meals, before and after workouts, sometimes just when I felt like it. Since I started checking I've had an average reading of 89! That's a normal, non-diabetic reading without the aid of any medicine or insulin.
It gets better. Last weekend Angie and I traveled to San Diego for a family reunion, and broke our diets for the first time. I ate bread, cotton candy, and cake among other things. I came home expecting a blood sugar level back in the 200s. After all, I spent three days eating the diet that made me diabetic, and still wasn't taking insulin, and hadn't taken my daily walk all weekend. We got home Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning I checked my blood sugar; 78! That means my pancreas has begun repairing itself, and my body is back in the habit of regulating its blood sugar without outside help. A process you non-diabetics take for granted.
So that's what I've been up to lately. Sorry for the lack of posts. The diet (more of a lifestyle now) continues, and I still have about thirty pounds I'd like to lose. I see my doctor in a couple weeks, and should have my cholesterol numbers, and an A1C test. I expect nothing but positive results.
13 comments:
The results sound overwhelmingly positive. Keep it up! You should share more specifics of what you have an haven't been eating though with your old pal Gasher.
Found you from Tom Naughton's link. Great story and results. Loved Fat Head, which then got me motivated to try Tim Ferris' Four Hour Body slow-carb diet. Cut carbs, and especially sugar, live healthier. Simple formula! I dropped 25# in about 2 months.
Bryan - You and Gasher stay tuned for future posts. Specifics you shall have.
Rick - It's an amazingly simple formula. I've heard some good things about Tim Ferris.
That is an amazing result! I, too, am a recent Fathead devotee, having been only mildly surprised to learn gov't bureaucrats have screwed up our nation's nutrition habits. Whenever they get involved, we get screwed. Congrats and keep us posted on your progress!
Loren, I had a similar reaction. I thought, "So they screwed that one up too. I shouldn't be surprised."
Good for you! My granddaughter has Type I diabetes, and has been eating a low carb diet for about a month and a half. Results? The pre-teen girl now has a leaner look to her body, but most importantly, her blood sugars have been phenomenal! Can't wait to hear what her doctor says next visit!
That' great, BJ. Sometimes I have to remind myself the blood sugar numbers are more important when the numbers on the scale are being stubborn. My regards to your granddaughter. Tell her to keep it up!
I fixed my blood sugar problem as well, although I cought mine early and wansn't on meds yet...
It's a shame that the powers that be won't recognize that a diet of Real Food low carb style can basically cure type 2. But like they say, there's no money in curing type 2 with good food. A lifetime of "management" is very profitable though.
It's all about the money. When I was first diagnosed, before they put me on meds, the nutritionist I saw told me to keep my carbs at about 200 and see her again in a few weeks.
Two & 1/2 years ago, I found myself in a similar situation. I weighed 240 lbs and my A1c tested at 10.9. My doctor wanted to put me immediately on insulin, but I asked for 30 days to research the problem, since I had remembered, somewhere, that some people were able to control diabetes with diet.
Within 5 days I found the low carb diet and Dr. Bernstein's book, which you really should read. Here is a reference to his story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_K._Bernstein
Now, 2 1/2 years later, I weigh 195 lbs after having dropped to my high school weight of 175. I am up a bit because I can eat a lot more carbs than I could two years ago, and will start to lose weight when I drop my carbs below 20 g /day. I have a cold this week, but until this week I haven't been sick in 2 1/2 years. I feel great and have more energy than ever. My blood sugar is rarely over 100 now, even after I eat. It's like I was given a new lease on life.
Miracles happen. Best Wishes!
That's a great story, SnowDog. I will definitely be checking out some of Dr. Bernstein's books.
I started a similar diet last week supplemented by a product called SOS distributed through LifeSpan International. I have never dieted in my life and had only thought about it in the back of my head, but when someone related to the company asked me to videotape one of their presentations when they came to Northampton,MA, and they gave me a free bottle during a giveaway at the end, I thought maybe now I'd try a diet.
The protocol is this: three times a day you take a half-dropper of the liquid (which has HCG as the main component -- look it up, it's bizarre). No breakfast, but as much coffee, tea or water as you like. For lunch and dinner you have 100 grams of meat, a handful of only one greens from a short list (ie; spinach), one piece of Melba toast, and for dessert one apple or orange.
You do this diet for about three weeks with the drops, and continue the diet without the drops for another three weeks.
I started last Thursday, the 28th of April. It is now 9 days later and I've lost 18 pounds. Yes, I kid you not. And that is with a stall 5 days into it. I started at 253 lbs and this morning I weighed myself and I was 135.
Anyway, this is not meant to be a spam or an ad. Just wanted to back up the no-carb diet as waaaay effective, especially if taken seriously.
Whoops. I meant this morning I was 235 lbs.
If I lost 118 lbs in a little over a week I'd probably be in the hospital!
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