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| May 2011 vs Feb 2016 |
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| May 2011 vs Feb 2016 |
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| What the WHAT? Feb 2016 |
Starting weight: 187.4
Goal Range: 115-125
Current weight : 122.6 pounds
Goal Range: 115-125
Current weight : 122.6 pounds
Keeping off 65 of 70 pounds
Time in maintenance: 4 years!!!!!
Age 49
Menopause: 2+ years
Height 5'1"
Auto-Immune Hashimotos: 1997
Food Addict in recovery: 5th year
Age 49
Menopause: 2+ years
Height 5'1"
Auto-Immune Hashimotos: 1997
Food Addict in recovery: 5th year
Ave glucose = 80 over the last 30 days!!!Current food template(s): Paleo, Low Carb Higher Natural Fat (LCHF), Ketosis most of the time, modified AIP/modified Wahl's Paleo Plus protocol.
Here's what's working
1. Low carb. 20-30 total grams a day- from vegetables. Some days higher, because I feel like it.
2. Moderate protein, for me that's 60-80 grams.
3. Using Fitbit HR to sleep longer most nights. Hello- it's 9pm. Forget any other activities.
4. Using the Fitbit HR to walk 12,000 to 17,000 steps (14, 000 ave).
5. Keeping visceral fat low with a Paleo-ish, Keto-ish, LCHF-ish, Wahls Paleo Plus-ish food template.
6. Keeping my glucose in awesome check, my hs-CRP low and really, very few menopause symptoms.
7. 2-3 trips to the gym, 20 mins short, but I hit it as hard as I can in that time frame.
8. Tabbata style sprinting. 4 mins of 20 seconds sprinting, 10 minutes rest. X3 per week.
9. Mediation- 4 times per week? Shooting for 7 times per week.
10. Glucose average for 30 days (including fasting am, 2 hour post, all numbers) = 80 average
11. Daily weighing and MFP food tracking. It helps me, it does. Great tools. EZ, free.
Here's what didn't work in the past:
1. Moderate or high carb. Failure to drop to the lower carb range probably keeps little extra weight on me.
2. High protein, joint pain, higher glucose readings, Ouch!!!
3. Not tracking sleep, not kicking my cats out sooner.
4. Not tracking my steps. No 3,000-4,0000 is not enough for me,even when morbidly obese.
5. Using high carbohydrate foods like grains and listening to WW, ADA, AHA and other grain pushing organizations and profit companies. No, no, I can assure you I'm not eating bread.
Most people do not go running for the "I love bread" motto, but it does sell lots of product for those who stand to make a killing living. Watch the messengers, they have to be predatory to protect their a$$ets. Grain fattens cattle, grain fattens cats and dogs, grain fattened me. I'm not alone. Obesity and diabetes continue to worsen.
Hopping off my soap box......... If you see the heart healthy symbol, run away, run away fast!!! It's not what it appears to be.
6. My glucose was high. That's why I stored fat. My body had no other choice. HS- CRP was 6.8.
7. I got injured at the gym a lot- chronic cardio, so, so punishing. Oh, the time to beat myself up physically. I wish I could get that time back.
8.I thought I would have to run or walk marathons. All I got was a huge middle tire on my body and high inflammation. Terrible to be stuck in the chronic cardio zone.
9. I zoned out with Skinny Cows while watching the Biggest Loser and Survivor. I thought it was relaxing!!
10. I knew my glucose was going into pre-diabetes but I figured I'd follow what the ADA said..... NO, no, no. Don't do that, you'll get diabetes. Promise!
11. I didn't weigh myself or my food. I didn't track. I had my head in the sand. It didn't help me.
That's it!!! The 5-6 pounds I gained this year is likely due to my resistance to keeping under a total of 30 grams a day of carbs. The weight is almost all subcutaneous around my butt and hips Could be menopausal changes, too.
As I age (50 soon!!), it's clear my body is going to reward me with diabetes and arthritis if I don't get and stay LCHF/Ketogenic/ Walh's Paleo Plus.
Hey, it's one stop shopping as all those things promote a leaner body with my genetics. I like that. And all the better to keep doing the Marie Kondo stuff- tidying up the house and life. So much energy. Food tastes great. Stronger this year than in the past physically and mentally.
I've got to say, the last year has had the fewest binge urges ever. EVER. Binge switch is off. Binge disease rarely knocks on the door any more. I'll take it. I still feel like I'm in my 20's. I feel better because I'm not eating a bunch of grains. Cattle, cats, dogs, humans. Here's to a real food template.
If I could tell everyone one thing, it would be to get a glucose meter, grab your blood inflammatory markers (hs-CRP) and make sure your lifestyle is not taking you down preventable path. Sprint away from moderation schemes. Diabetes and heart disease thrive there.
Brava, Karen! You continue to be an inspiration for so many people who struggle with body-composition-control!
ReplyDeleteThank you Tess!!!! It's so good to learn from each other. I very much enjoy your blog topics. :)
DeleteAs always, I enjoy reading your posts, especially your discovery of what works and didn't work for you. I have a question: I noticed that a few months ago and prior, your goal range was 113-119. Then it changed to (113-119) OR (119-121). Now it is 115-125. Not a big change but I wondered what made you increase your max goal weight by 6 pounds. (Sorry if I missed the explanation somewhere along the line).
ReplyDeleteYes, Lyn. I've tried all my tricks and carb maneuvers and since I had the gluten exposure in Nov. I just have not been able to get to the teens again. I'm not going to beat myself up, my glucose has been much better at 122's than it was at 119. I still get my $80 insurance discount.
DeleteMenopause changes things. Plus me needing to be very low carb. My size 6's still fit really well. It's not abdominal fat, but I'd say maybe 1 pound muscle- 4-5 pounds hip and butt fat. I'll take that over visceral fat any day. I'm cool with it, as long as it's not disease producing.
Onward and be sure to update the year on your photo on your home page. Left side. When we read your site, it looks like you are maintaining a 100 pound weight loss. At least put the dates on there. Putting captions on blogspot is EZ. I updated all my social media headers to reflect my weight gain- Ain't no big deal, I'm not sitting around binge eating, for sure. Thanks for stopping by the blog.
That makes sense. I thought hormone changes might have something to do with it. I know you're very aware of your health and how you feel. You look great! Thanks for sharing the whys of the change.
DeleteThanks for the suggestions :)
Thanks, Lyn.
DeleteAs always, Karen, you have some really great knowledge here. Gosh do I admire your persistence to eat so few carbs. I know you eat a full fat diet so that works well for you. I think when I am fully in menopause and need some tweaks, I will be able to get down to 50-60 grams a day. However, I am not as petite as you. I function well on more carbs. I'd say I average less than 100 a day so I follow Dr. Berkeley's recommendations. But I am willing to adjust once I fully hit menopause.
ReplyDeleteI am averaging one-two pounds higher this year than I was last year. But I have not been exercising like I used to, and as you know, I have had to be fairly inactive for a while. Once I am fully recovered, I am going to guve things the old college try, and I'll attempt to get down to 135-138. That about 12 pounds to lose on the lower end of things for me. And that's still in the overweight category because I'm only 5'1", but I think that will make me look more fit. I can wear a lot of size 8s and maybe a few size 10s. So getting into a solid size 6 will be good for me. I carry my weight in my hips and thighs, and my stomach is flatter. But I actually think I look okay in pictures and don't obsess about my body.
The huge takeaway for me these past few months is how much food totally matters. I have said it before, but I never thought I could maintain without a lot of cardio and weights. But I have been able to do that for these past few months so I'm going to take that as a win. And I am proud that I have been careful with my food during my recovery and bit used it as an excuse to just give up due to being inactive.
Yeah! Ali, I'd love to eat 100 grams of carbs a day and I did in early weight maintenance- say the first year. But as I age, I just could not be well glucose wise and weight wise. I may need to use metformin (my genetics are wack, age is not in my favor here) someday, who knows, but I do enjoy having the binge eating switch off 98% of the time.
DeleteI think not having a lot of visceral fat is key to long term health and wellness. If you have that the subcutaneous fat, that does happen. I work a full 8 hour day, 2+ hour commute, manage to walk 5+ miles a day, batch cook 98% of the time and eat at home. I'm not even tempted to add hours in the gym to maintain a certain number on the scale. Not needed, at all.
My biggest accomplishment will be turning 50, not binge eating, not on glucose meds, and not having developed a second auto-immune disease. That will be something.
Bravo on figuring out your food. If I had one piece of advice it would be to get your food template optimized for your genetics and any disease states that have already presented themselves. It will save thousands if not tens or hundreds of dollars in our lifetimes. I'll be blogging about that soon! Keep up the great work We need more people using food to keep themselves well and to talk about what works. Blog-sphere is littered with moderate cookie eaters and false sugar fixers. I know, I used to be one of them. LOL.
Great post with some excellent information and inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
All the best Jan
Thank you, Jan. I hope that the LCHF message continues to spread, especially in these tough times for Dr. Tim Noakes. Proud to be in the LCHF tribe, world wide. :)
DeleteThese posts have really evolved over time. I like the information you include and how you do it. Very good science experiment quality. Great service you provide.
ReplyDeleteThank you Vickie!!! So much of what I did to myself was preventable. If even one person is helped from repeating my preventable diseases, that is a good thing. I am happy to have taken myself out of the global pandemic of obesity and diabetes by the same hand I used to keep myself stuck for years.
DeleteSelf reliance and n=1 have really helped me change my life. Thanks for going before me and for stopping by the blog. :) Karen P.