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SW Ohio | You were right.
I used buy the narrative about low carb diets being unhealthy and thought people advocating them were crazy. I would see stuff from John Burns on here and think it was nuts.
I was wrong.
I have been overweight most of my life I think, definitely since I was a teenager, now I'm in my late 30s. I tried weight watchers, calorie restriction, exercise, ultra low fat diets. My most successful was with weight watchers about 10 years ago and I lost 45lb but was hungry all the time and gained more weight back when I stopped.
Last year I was turned down for life insurance because of my weight and sleep apnea. The screening showed my blood pressure was starting to get high and I always felt poor with knee pain, tiredness, reflux such that daily tums and zantac were common. I had pretty much accepted the fact that I would always be fat and that it was just my genetics.
Last November I saw a picture of myself and was disgusted and decided that once and for all I was going to diet, I would have to be hungry all the time and learn to deal with it. I bought a scale and weighed in at 300lb exactly.
I credit it to the providence of God that a couple days into my calorie restriction diet I happened upon a podcast interview with Dr Annette Bosworth talking about the benefits of a ketogenic diet. I bought her book Anyway You Can and listened to the audiobook in one day while shelling corn. I liken it to a conversion experience, as she explained the role of insulin, how carbs stimulate insulin I felt like for the first time I had an understanding of why I was fat and couldn't lose weight. I went on a deep dive and read everything by Gary Taubes, Ken Berry, Nina Teicholz and really began to question our whole medical system and nutrition recommendations.
I diagnosed myself as pre diabetic shortly thereafter.
On the day after election day I started eating less than 20g total carbs a day, within a week the reflux stopped. After a few weeks I added intermittent fasting, often eating only one meal a day and a couple times doing a 40-48hr fast.
As of last week I weighed 199lb, down just over 100 lb from the beginning, I would like to lose another 20lb and see how I feel and I do need to start working out to gain muscle.
I have not once thought about calories and I eat until I am full, eating mostly our home raised beef, some pork and a few veggies as I want. The big key has been getting enough fat to feel full.
I check my blood glucose and ketone levels and have reversed my prediabetes.
My biggest difficulty has been making sure I get enough electrolytes at times and getting my wife on board at first, though I admit I probably should have discussed it with her before completely changing my diet.
So to John Burns and others, I'm sorry for thinking you were crazy, you were right. Keep spreading the word as now I am convinced that a great many people would benefit from a low carb diet.
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To all the low carb proponents
