DMC707

Checking in with maybe good news ----

I say "maybe" because i try not to get my hopes up too much with weight loss

I topped out at 335 --- this after a winter full of a lot of fun time in the garage with some sweet vintage bike builds, -- plenty of time on the trails riding my mountain bike, and a few group rides on the road

--- something definitely out of whack with the diet. I logged my food, weighed in daily, and even had my cholesterol/triglycerides/blood sugar etc checked out

I was trying to follow what i considered a moderate nutrition plan with a fairly balanced ration of carbs/protein and fat -- rarely getting over 2500 a day

I drive a lot with my job, and in March , my job got a lot busier-- literally 14 hour days 6 days a week (I'm a contract insurance adjuster-- basically when your town gets whacked with a tornado or flood, i'm there)
So now i was confused about not making weight loss progress, plus i am adding in stress and raised cortisol levels -- so i got worried

Came across Vinnie Tortorich in a series of podcast's - like i said, i drive a lot so i listen to a lot of these ----- Vinnie's approach is not that far removed from guys like Mark Sisson and the "Primal Blueprint" -- no sugar, no grains is the mantra ---

I felt a little like a housewife from the 80's starting the Pritikin diet and taking a handful of Dexetrim's ----- the difference with Tortorich's approach is you don't need to sweat it if you eat a banana , just don't go out of your way to eat the known offenders, -- no ice cream, bread, grains like rice etc. and watch out for hidden sugars in known foods

I am down 10 pounds so far in about 3 weeks --- long way to go sure, but nothing i have tried has got the scale to move backwards for me in the last few years.
I was skeptical at first, but the high protein and fat levels keep me pretty satiated throughout the day, -- although i have to force myself to eat more veggies - (or take a fiber supplement -- things are not moving smooth) --- I drink a lot of vegetable juice -- something instinctually draws me to it -- as if my body knows full well i am not getting enough vitamins -- some of it pre-packaged like V-8 juice, but i prefer to make my own with a juicer if i have time as i can control the salt better that way

This does not feel like an athlete's diet at all, -- and i have not been on the bike since starting this due to my schedule-- energy levels are pretty lackluster but i have heard this reported from the folks who have tried lower carb diets for the first few weeks

Tortorich himself is an ultra marathoner and reportedly does west coast rides like the Furnace Creek 500 along with running events -- so its working for him--- but i long ago learned that some guys can do anything and have it work out for 'em, ------------ but i figured that my body has been a science experiment for years in a bad way -- may as well try another approach


I'm just glad something is trying to work ---- i have told that once i drop my beer consumption, the flood gates of weight loss will really open up, --- but thus far i have switched to light "lower carb" beer (Michelob Ultra at 3.2% strength -- its basically beer flavored water, but still has about 95 calories a pop)

So i am hoping for continued success ,


Its an odd approach for me -- yesterday i was caught out on a long day without enough preps --- i bought 2 burger patties and a handful of tomato slices from Sonic --- that felt weird, ---

I'm a stocky guy and checked in at 214 pounds and 13% body fat when i was racing track and criterium regularly --- if i can get down to 260ish i will hit the velodrome again , beer gut be damned, i've ridden the track before at that weight


Sorry for being long winded-- haven't posted in a while --- when i'm not riding regularly i don't even feel like reading about bikes -- LOL

DMC707

The weight loss keeps rolling slow and steady ---im down about 15 from the start,

i have been asked if this is an Atkins type approach, But i eat a lot of bananas , hummus and celery for snacks and am still imbibing a couple of light beers per night--- so i am likely not even close to ketosis

i can live like this if it works --- although i miss pizza-- Just need some lower sodium snacks as opposed to the pre packaged nuts and jerky's i pick up throughout the day-- i am not riding enough to be sweating it out yet

i hope i can check in in another 10 days with more progress

joeyduck

Awesome. Keep up the good work.

bransom

Way to go! I also listen to Vinnie's podcast and his approach is pretty simple. Now, if I could just stick to it...

DMC707

Vinnie said he started doing this to stave off cancer cell growth --- so in essence, he felt he was fighting for his life --- I feel roughly the same way, only i'm not ill with cancer, but i want my old life back, -- pre- weight gain that is

---- I will continue riding my bike for recreation , --- but i feel i need to hit the weights more to encourage more lean muscle building --- the "skinny fat" look i see a lot of people sport who have lost weight is not my goal . But now, - at essentially 100 lbs over goal , just seeing some movement is a triumph and i'm not gonna second guess it too much

DMC707

Still going ---- slow and steady, down about 22 from my start - i weigh myself every day in the exact same time and state of dress.
Since i last checked in on the 5th, being down 7 from there is good- There are days it fluctuates up a couple pounds , then it settles back down again-- must be fluid level fluctuations

People have told me to expect an avalanche of weight loss if/when i give up the afternoon brewskies, but slow and steady works for me

dagray

you're doing great... keep it up

Glottis

Good for you!

I stumbled upon Dr. Fuhrman's "Eat for Health" book when I was searching for a drug-free lupus treatment for my sister, and possibly for myself. I weighed 88 kg (~195 lbs) "only", but that extra weight had been torturing me for years.

I started Fuhrman's way of eating last June. At first, I started losing weight too fast (1Kg/2lbs) every 3 days, but that slowed down, and I stopped losing weight when I got to 68 Kg/150 lbs, which I guess is my ideal weight. I'll never go back to eating processed unhealthy "food". I enjoy salads now as much as I enjoyed eating chocolate cake a year ago! I eat till I'm full, and when I feel hungry, my hands never shake anymore, and no headaches either. In fact, I can skip a meal if I have to, without feeling weak, or having stomach cramps.

Good luck!

Willbird

I'm back on low carb for two straight weeks now. If you want to throw down $8 for a book check out "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance". I THINK it might even be FREE as an Ebook if you are an Amazon Prime member.

Even if your not "all in" for what the Authors propose there is tons of scientific study backed information in there.

I have been using the wheat dextrine based fiber supplement with good results...Walmart has their own brand, same as "benefiber"....but the benefiber stuff comes in small single serving packets that are handy in case you forget a dose in the morning, or are on the road a lot, you can add it to most anything, it does not thicken stuff, I have added it to scrambled eggs before cooking for example.

Getting fiber loaded in from the beginning this time around with low carb was a LOT better than trying to add it in reaction to lower GI standstill :-).

I agree on the juice but I have been using a can of Low Sodium V8 every day.

Some of the key recommendations for successful induction into a lower carb regimen were increased sodium intake (yup increased), get plenty of potassium (tomato and V8 juice are loaded with it), and focusing more on say olive oil and butter as fat sources than vegetable oil.

Bill

Glottis

Sodium and butter?! What about your heart? There's plenty of scientific evidence linking them to heart disease. The best fat sources are raw nuts & seeds, which contain unsaturated fats mostly. And you don't need any fiber supplements if you're eating what your body naturally needs (like vegetables and fruits).

The key to good health is not concentrating on weight loss, but on the quality of food you're eating. Weight loss follows automagically...

But that's just my opinion.

Willbird

Sodium is not harmful, in fact they are finding that reducing sodium too low CAUSES health issues. Active people who sweat a lot, and who replace that fluid with water NEED sodium, and can get very sick and even die without it, literally drowning in pure water with no electrolytes.


Medscape: Medscape Access

Low salt intake may raise risk of heart attack, stroke, and death - Medical News Today


Healthy fats are GOOD for you...much of the conventional wisdom about dietary saturated fat having any negative impact on health or lipid profiles is also proving to be wrong. If you have paid attention to what has happened to peoples health and waistlines as they followed the FDA down the rabbit hole you might think listening to them is the LAST thing a smart person would do. Those folks after all told us for the last 2 generations that fairly "deadly" trans fat margarine was healthier than in fact healthy BUTTER :-).

I agree that IDEALLY one should be able to consume enough healthy low net carb fruits and vegetables to not need to supplement in any way, BUT when the alarm clock goes off at 3:45, and your out the door at 4am, and 1/2 of your waking days food is at work crammed into a 20 minute lunch break things are not "ideal" :-).

And I'm sorry, but most Obese folks cannot just start to eat "wholesome foods" and magically slim down to 15% body fat without anything else in the picture. Once you are obese, you may be screwed as far as that goes, now if a person did that BEFORE coming Obese it might save them from that fate.

Willbird

Also on the sodium according to the book I recommended people on lower carb diets eliminate 1-2 grams of sodium per day, so their need is higher.

FrenchFit 

The bagel you are eating with the butter and salt is potentially a lot more dangerous than the butter and salt, especially to people who are insulin resistant.

Quality food? That's really the issue. The AMA sure got that one wrong. Diabetes epidemic anyone?.

Milton Keynes

Dropping sugar from my diet was the only way I was finally able to lose weight. I haven't totally given up grains or carbs but have cut way down on them. I lost some weight but it kind of plateaued and I'm having trouble getting it to go down further, but it could be because I wasn't on my bike much the last couple of weeks. I'll see in the morning if I made up for it with a 17 mile ride yesterday and a 20 mile ride today. My weight is on a slow downward trend so I hope it keeps going that way.

DMC707

I have this book -- I have not been able to read it all , but I will get into it tonight on the kindle

Much appreciated on the fiber tip --- I shoveled in Hummus and celery tonight in an attempt to up the fiber intake

Glottis

What bagel with butter and salt?! I don't eat that. The only bread I eat is the whole wheat bread I make, as I'm not able to find anything similar in Ukraine.

What I meant by quality food is natural foods. Sorry for my less than perfect English!

Glottis

I didn't say that one should exclude sodium or staurated fats from one's diet. If you're active and need more sodium, then, of course, you should adjust accordingly. I don't care what the FDA recommends, especially that I'm not a US citizen... I always do my own research before following any guidelines.

Excuses, excuses...


You don't have to be sorry. I only posted to let people here know that such a diet exists, and potentially help them. I won't argue and try to convince anyone that my diet is the perfect diet for everyone. Because there is no such thing.

Willbird

Well each person is an individual too :-). What works for one may not work for another :-).

I'll throw this link into the mix as well :-).

Britain?s diabetes crisis blamed on low-fat diet craze | Health | Life & Style | Daily Express

I some friends who are on the wheat belly kick and it really has some overlaps with Paleo or low carb to some degree...I really like to look at all kinds of interesting things :-).

One other thing I have added is 1/8 cup or so per day of home roasted pumpkin seed Kernels, no salt or oil, just baked dry at 150F for about 30 minutes...loads of good stuff in them :-)

DMC707

checking in roughly 2 weeks later

still losing slowly -- down another 7 pounds -- total of 29 pounds down from my absolute peak

I am pleased but still cautious --- I have started bringing in more roughage, but I try to mix in some avocado slices and use olive oil rather than commercial dressings -- just to keep the natural fat intake up.

I had some chocolate last night , but other than that - have been avoiding the sugars and grains with the exception of the before mentioned couple of beers a night .

I've mentally committed myself to dropping the beer and cheese consumption if I ever reach a sticking point, but so far so good . Still eating plenty of bananas as well, which contain a lot of sugar

A big weakness for me was pizza and pasta --- I still don't want to be tempted with that either --

Oddly enough i'm just not as hungry as I used to be when I incorporated a lot more sugars and grains in the diet ------ which makes me think that although I have an occasional large meal, overall I think my daily calorie consumption, even with cheese and beers , is lower than previously

But getting below 300 now looks do-able --- once this happens , i'll set my sights on 275. It seems more attainable to break this up into 25 pound increments rather than focusing on my long term goal weight

katzenfinch

After reading Grant Petersen’s Eat Bacon, Don’t Jog (among other things), I minimized sugar and carb intake and lost 30-40 lbs. I’ll occasionally have a Carb Day, but I’ve learned to replace most of the high-carbohydrate foods I used to eat with no- or low-carb things (spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti, for example). It is more of a lifestyle change than a diet.

DMC707

Is this the Grant Peterson of Bridgestone and Rivendell bicycles fame? ---- also - I have heard of the spaghetti squash --- how do you transform the big round squash into spaghetti? - sounds good

gary2112

I've been on low carb/grain free for almost exactly one year. I have a routine that I stick to food wise, and it works for me. My body composition changed fo the better, apart from the weight loss. I just do a simple 20 minute dumbell weight workout with some push-ups thrown in every other day to maintain my muscle mass and keep the ol' spaghetti arms at bay.

I weighed 285 at the start, now 205...but I've been 205 for nearly four months, just my body composition fat/muscle ratio was changing during that period. My clothing size went from XXL shirts, 44 waist pants to M or L (depending who makes them) shirts and 34 waist pants. I'm 6'2".

Daily I eat for breakfast a pear cut into cubes with 2% plain greek yogurt on it, with shredded unsweetened coconut, raw pumpkin seeds, and walnuts on top, along with a coffee.

Lunch time I eat either beef, pork or chicken that I prepare with some olive oil/spices (no commercial sauces/sugar etc), some greens and maybe a mineral water.

Supper I eat a giant spinach/mixed green salad with avocado, feta, fresh jalapenos, kalamata olives, olive oil with spices for dressing, another coffee.

For a snack at night I eat a small bowl of walnuts, brazil nuts, raw pumpkin seeds, shredded unsweetened coconut, and a tablespoon or so of raisins. With it I have a cup of cocoa, made with just plain dark unsweetened cocoa powder, 2% milk and a few tablespoons of 10% cream.

I do supplement with Vitamin D, a multivitamin, magnesium and vitamin C daily as well.

Food is a real trigger for me. I go by the philosophy "never again for the rest of my life" on junk food and carbs. Not even once. I'm a food addict...having "one" slice of cake occasionally for example would be like telling a recovering heroin addict it was ok to use because it's a holiday. The way I feel now compared to then...to sacrifice it over something as fleeting as a dessert or the cravings that come along with sugar/wheat/carbs would be asinine.

katzenfinch

Yes, the same Grant Petersen.

I oil and season spaghetti squash, then roast it cut-side-up at 400°F for an hour. Scroll down a little bit in this newsletter for a recipe. Try to overlook that my boss misspelled “stirred.”

DMC707

Thnks man ! -- I have a squash in the oven at 400 now as we speak === hope it turns out ok = thought I would just serve it with some olive oil and butter - and some cracked black pepper to top

Edit: tried it - Interesting - it sure looks like fine angel hair pasta when done -- has a good flavor - definitely not pasta, but seems a suitable vehicle for some homemade marinara sometime in the near future

GoWolfpack

Also try cutting it longways and hollowing it out to make a zucchini boat. Fill with pasta sauce and top with cheese and bake.